Requests from Around the Rim: December 2007
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The Mangkong of Laos is PacRim’s focused people group for December. For specific requests, visit www.go2pacrim.org.

This is the time to pray and prepare our hearts for the celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Why not enjoy the advent calendar, "And the Angels Rejoiced: Stories of Salvation and Hope from the Pacific Rim" with your family, friends and church? This is a great opportunity to pray and rejoice with the peoples of PacRim.

Answer: The first ever Pacific Rim Summit was a success with almost 500 people in attendance. Workers shared what God is doing and the excitement was evident that God’s people desire to be a part of what He is doing among peoples of PacRim. Many caught a vision of how they can participate and serve with their gifts and lives. The host church went above and beyond in their servant spirits. Many have prayed for months asking God to bless this event, so we thank you for faithfully lifting this up. Keep praying that partnerships and ministry opportunities will develop so the Truth will spread and millions in PacRim will know Jesus personally.

S was recently transferred to a new prison with no believers. At first, no one wanted to hear about God, but S remained faithful and started a group. The first week, nine men attended; the next week seventeen came, and now nineteen attend. They plan to use Christmas for outreach to those not otherwise interested in God. Pray that S will remain faithful and not become discouraged. Pray others will believe as a result of his faithfulness.

Mrs. K is an example of a woman who, through hard work, has found success in the eyes of those around her. From a farm girl to a university graduate to a management position in a large grocery chain, Mrs. Ka is a respected member of the society. After participating in a Good Book study for two months, she has recently accepted the Good News as her own and is now a family member. She faithfully studies the word with a teacher as well as on her own. Ask that He protect her from doubts and criticisms during this beginning time in her belief. The teacher, who disciples her weekly, feels that she is a potential messenger to a neighboring people group.

Pray for a group of eight Christians who are being mentored to use their testimony with scripture for reaching inner city people, including the homeless, near downtown Nagoya, Japan.

Thank you for remembering workers as they train local leaders in sharing the Good News through stories. Several training sessions are being planned in the near future. Remember the trainers as they share the vision for the storytelling method. Ask that the leaders understand the method and apply the principles they learn so they can train others to share the Good News in a neighboring country.

Kozue has asked many questions and desires to study the Bible again with the Brents in December. Pray that she will read her Bible and that the Holy Spirit will grant understanding in her heart about what she reads. Ask the Father to bring this woman into His family and to become a light in her Japanese family and neighborhood.

Christmas is a time when believers have more freedom to share His love and story with those around them. Pray that literature and recordings will get into the hands of local believers to pass on to their families, friends and neighbors. Pray that believers will take full advantage of sharing the Truth with others at this time and a great harvest of souls will result.

In Japan A.Y. is faithfully continuing twice-monthly Bible study with C.U., who remains open to Bible study. Ask God to open C.U.’s heart to a total surrender of her will to His, so that she can know the fullness of complete dependence on Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

As the sole owner of her property and the surrounding houses where her Filipino relatives live, Aleng Charing, an 80 year old woman, used to be an obstacle and hindrance to the Kingdom by stopping Bible studies in her area. For over three years she sat in her little store next to the Bible study location, smoked, and invited young people to gamble with her while the Bible study was going on. More than once she was successful in getting the Bible study stopped even though there were already 15 baptized believers among her relatives. However, God’s Word is a powerful weapon against spiritual darkness. As a result of listening to Bible stories recorded on the "Proclaimer" device every day, she began passing the "Proclaimer" around for other families to hear. Through hearing the recorded scripture, the Holy Spirit brought conviction as Aleng Charing tearfully prayed, "Panginoon, patawarin Mo po ako." (Lord, please forgive me.) She accepted Christ as her Savior! Pray for Aleng Charing to now become a person of peace and help introduce God’s word to many more people in San Lucas and other places in the Philippines.

Thank the Lord for those who hunger for His Word. Roy and Doris B report that Books have been distributed to prisoners (male & female) from several different countries in their native languages. They are hungry for God’s Word and there is a movement of the Spirit among the inmates. Pray that the Lord will start many more culturally appropriate fellowships in these prisons.

Thank the Lord for the several laymen trained in Book storytelling! Next they will receive mentorship in outreach. Pray for a harvest of souls resulting from the training. Almost two hundred villages have the potential to be reached for Christ.

After several years of work, a "Key Literature Project" is nearing completion. Pray for the final checking that is going on. Ask for attentiveness to detail and for no distractions or delays in this final check. Pray for the layout to be completed quickly and perfectly. Ask that the project bring glory to the King and many come to faith in Christ through the working of the Holy Spirit in the finished product.