Hello my faithful prayer partners! I have some urgent requests for you this week. Please join me in praying for these situations, it is only with the power and wisdom and strength of God that anything will be accomplished...

Request #1

     This week (Thursday, May 12 and Saturday May 14) Megan will be leading the second training for True Love Waits. She has had a lot of preparation work to do this week (plans for this have been last minute--gotta love Africa!) and it has seemed at some points like NOTHING was going to work out. I know that this has been a stress for her, please pray that she will rely completely on God's strength, and will trust Him to accomplish His will in this training time! The training will take place in Port Alfred and many of the young leaders in the church there are participating. I am excited that Mandla, the pastor who has just starting serving at the church in Alexandria, will be participating. I am hoping that he will be able to assist in the presentation of TLW that we will give there in August. Please pray for all the presenters who will be trained: Mandla, Archie, Philemon, Alex, Pastor Neku, and a few others who I don't know. Pray that this will be an encouraging time for them and that they will feel equipped to share this important message of abstinence!


Request #2

     Over the past several weeks, God has really been laying my friend Nosicelo on my heart. As you remember, she is my Xhosa friend who accompanies me to the school in Alexandria and co-teaches with me. I have felt recently that I need to confront her about some issues in her life. I really need wisdom and God's help in this so much! Please pray for Nosicelo, that God would be speaking to her heart and convicting her. Pray that she would be humble and accepting of whatever God is telling her. Pray that she would desire Him above all else, and desire to live in a way that pleases Him, even if that means making some hard changes in her life. Really guys, this has been weighing so heavily on my heart this week and I am in serious need of God's wisdom. Pray that the Lord will give me wisdom in this situation. Pray that He will guide me through his Holy Spirit, to know when I should speak with her and what I should say. Pray that she will receive what I am saying, that I will be able to communicate compassionately, and that she will respond honestly and openly. Pray that no matter what happens, I will rest in the truth of God.


Request #3

     Over the past several updates, I have been telling you about Lizzie, the youth who has been battling a malignant brain tumor. Recently, there have been slightly confusing/conflicting reports from the neurologist and oncologist. They have at last agreed, and have decided that the best option at this point is surgery. The operation is scheduled for next Wednesday, May 18. Please pray that this operation will be successful! Pray that God will heal her body. The surgery is a bit risky, but Lizzie and her family seem hopeful and in high spirits. Again, it has been awesome to see their faith in God grow. Pray that God will continue strengthening them and giving them the faith they need to get through this! Pray that no matter what happens, they will trust in the sovereignty and goodness of the Lord!
 

Thank you so much for lifting these things up to our Father. Really, the role that you guys play in what goes on here is so important! I cherish your prayers!

For God's glory,
heather :-)

Prayer Update Sent 5/20/05

     Hello everyone! Just wanted to give you a quick update on the prayer requests that you guys have been lifting up!

*The True Love Waits training went very well. There ended up being four guys trained, and they are excited about where God is leading them with this. They are all very involved in Youth Ministry already, so this will be a great program to use in their areas!

*God really worked out everything with Nosicelo. It was amazing, I had been waiting and praying for an opportunity to talk with her, and God really laid out the time for me. She actually brought up several of the things that I wished to talk with her about and I think we were both able to be honest with one another. We have resolved to meet weekly outside of school time to study the Bible and just encourage one another. For real guys--I could so feel your prayers in this situation and it was definitely only through the power of God that it was worked out!!

*Lizzie's operation went well. She is still in ICU last I heard, but doing well. The doctor believes he got a substantial portion of the tumor removed and they put in these chemo chips directly into her head to hopefully work on whatever may have been left. Everyone seems to be encouraged with the outcome, although she has still got much recovery ahead of her.

Thanks for your prayers in these specific areas, they were felt for sure!! Please continue to lift up the people involved in these situations, that God would continue to be at work in each of our lives!

Special Prayer Request from Heather sent 6/20/05:

     Hey guys! Hope you are all doing well. I just wanted to send a prayer request your way... This week will be my last to teach at Ukhanyo Senior Secondary School in Alexandria. Although Nosicelo will not be able to join me (she has a temporary job for the month), Zukiswa will be coming with me Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. During these classes, we will be challenging the students to make a commitment to abstinence, as well as presenting the gospel to them. Please pray with me to our Father that He will stir their hearts and speak to them during these times. It is only through His Spirit at work in the hearts of these kids that anything I say will sink in! "

Answer to Prayer, sent 6/23/05:

     Hey guys! Just wanted to thank you again for praying on Tuesday and Thursday. God was definitely moving on both days! On Tuesday, we had 41 kids make decisions to either follow Christ or to abstain. Then today, 18 kids made decisions! Praise God who is definitely at work in Alexandria. Please continue to pray for these kids and the decisions they made, as well as for what the Lord is doing in that community!


For God's glory,
heather :-)


 

See Photos from Heather Here