Jan. 10 — International Friendships, Inc.

International Friendships, Inc. (IFI) reaches out to international students on college campuses by providing them with hospitality – transportation to and from the airport, trips to the grocery store, or an introduction to local stores to help them find the items they need. IFI also provides opportunities for Bible study as a means to introduce them to Jesus. IFI students who become Christians can then return to their countries (many of which are closed to the Gospel) to share the Good News there.

Each month Christine Maali Amiri (c.maaliamiri@ifiusa.org) provides updates on campus ministry with wonderful stories about her interactions with individual students. You can also contact Christine if you would like to receive her monthly newsletters or join her support team. You can learn more about participating in Bible discussions or becoming an English Conversation Partner with an international student on the RIT IFI website (https://rit.ifiusa.org/).

Last month, I had lunch with a new member of the RIT IFI team. Mason Pell grew up on a farm near Cornell and studied media production at SUNY Brockport. Following his conversion at a local church near the university, he went to seminary in Philadelphia with a focus on international missions. Following a short-term missions position in Russia, he returned to the Rochester area to serve with IFI on the RIT campus. You can reach Mason by email at m.pell@ifiusa.org if you would like to learn more about him.

Please pray for…

the IFI team to meet more international students

IFI English Conversation Clubs and Bible Discussion groups

For salvation for Claudia (not her real name)

Official recognition of IFI on the RIT campus

Please talk with Dave Beinitti (dbeinetti@gmail.com) or Paul Craig (paul.craig@rit.edu) to learn more about IFI at RIT. You can also learn more from the RIT IFI website (https://rit.ifiusa.org/) and their main website (https://www.ifiusa.org/). 

Jan. 5 — CompassCare

CompassCare now has three fully functioning offices in Rochester, Buffalo and Albany. During a typical week, around 30 women visit one of the three offices, to talk with the nurses. During a visit they will have a pregnancy test and may also have and ultrasound. CompassCare also offers STD testing.

One of the main efforts at CompassCare this year is the ongoing development of an online, nationwide platform called TeleCare . If you would like to learn more about the plan to reach every woman in America with a pro-life telemedicine platform called TeleCare, go to CompassCareCommunity.com.

If you are interested in experiencing firsthand how women are served at CompassCare, sign up for a Vision Tour by emailing rochesterevents@compasscare.info.

Here is a summary of CompassCare results for 2022.

Please continue to pray for CompassCare and pro-life groups everywhere.

• Pray that many women in crisis will find the CompassCare offices in Rochester, Buffalo and Albany and through Telecare and receive the care that they need.

• Pray for God's protection on all pro-life centers from attacks.

• Pray for grace, humility and truth as individuals, groups and a church in our ongoing conversations about abortion in all settings.

• Keep praying for plans to expand CompassCare into Brooklyn, NY.

• Pray that God will raise up Christians in New York, and across America to pray for the unborn every day.

CompassCare is a Christ-centered organization, committed to "Erasing the need for abortion by transforming a woman's fear into confidence.” You can also follow them at CompassCare Community on Facebook or ErasingTheNeed.com/RebuildBigger. Please contact Paul Craig by email pac8612@gmail.comor text (585.305.5557) to learn more about getting involved with the Walk for Life, and the PrayerNet ministry of CompassCare.

Dec. 20, 2022 — The Irvines

Dear Friends & Family, 

We are truly thankful for your ongoing prayer support and financial partnership in the gospel! We are praying for you that the Lord would meet with you and with us as we prepare to celebrate His birth.

We recently had a Christmas Outreach with a Children's Nativity Play, a 'Christingle' Gospel Presentation, and then a veg curry meal. Pray for the Lord to work in the hearts of those who were there.

Please pray along these lines from 2 Cor 2:9b-11 which jumped out at us a few days ago: "But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us again. On Him we have set our hope that He will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many."

Pray also along the lines of Isaiah 51:3 which also jumped out at us recently: “The Lord will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; He will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing.”

Please join us in thanking God for some great opportunities in recent weeks - fruitful street outreach, a ladies’ craft night, a Thanksgiving outreach meal, lots of little gospel conversations.

We are thankful for our teammates that we have the privilege of serving alongside. Our team has been experiencing lots of sickness, so please pray for healing and refreshment.

Please keep praying for the church plant for 1) the Lord to raise up younger leaders to replace the original core group who has started to retire and 2) for people to come to Christ through the many ongoing outreach opportunities. These are always ongoing prayer requests!

FAMILY/PERSONAL CORNER:

**Malachi came back from university for Christmas break a few days ago and so nice to have the five of us under one roof for a few weeks. Please join us in praying for some good family times of encouragement while he is back.

We are asking for the Spirit to refresh us and give us energy and his presence even amidst a lot of things on the "to do" list over the next days. We need grace and encouragement in the midst of all of this. Pray that we would have times to stop and just simply enjoy His presence.

Please be praying for Jenn's Mum as she experiences some ongoing health issues and for her Dad as he is on the front line of care. Pray for the Lord's provision in various ways both short term and longer term.

With love in Jesus,

Matt for the Irvines
(from the 17 December 2022 update, edited by Joan Beinetti)

Nov. 29, 2022 — Jody Collinge

Thank God for the wonderful trip to Israel! I went with a Bible study tour group (Hope and Help, and Beloved Truth) and we spent 4 day traveling around northern Israel, mostly near the Sea of Galilee, one day traveling down the Jordan River to Jerusalem and four days wandering around Jerusalem. Here are some of the highlights:

• Safe travels to and from Israel (Thanks for your prayers!

• Wonderful friendships! I had met several of these friends in online Bible studies, but now we were together in person.

• Great hotels with abundant food. (We hiked and climbed several hours a day, so we burned some of it off.)

• A boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, complete with Israeli dancing and a demonstration of first-century fishing

• A visit to Capernaum including the probable sites of the synagogue and Peter's home.

• A visit to Jericho, with a ride on a donkey!

• Visiting Qumran, the site of the Dead Sea Scrolls

• Riding the cable car to see Masada

• Getting baptized in the Jordan River--that was a highlight!

• A night by the Dead Sea (we floated but didn't really swim)

• Listening to a triumphant song while entering Jerusalem

• Praying at the Western Wall

• Seeing the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock

• Wandering around the Old City and seeing the amazing architecture

• Mourning at Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum

• Wandering from Mount of Olives down the Palm Sunday Road to the Garden of Gethsemane to the Via Dolorosa and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

• But what I liked best was the peaceful Garden Tomb, where we had a Communion service.

• Praise God for this wonderful trip--great friends, great sites, tracing the footsteps of Christ.

• En route back, I slept in one of the tiny cubicles at the Mexico City airport. When I woke up, I thought I was in the Garden Tomb!

Now, try to match the descriptions with the photos below.

Thank God for an excellent, unforgettable trip to Israel, walking in the footsteps of Christ. And thank God for a safe trip home again--after more than six weeks of travel, it is great to sleep in my own bed. Thanks for your prayers and encouragement and support. Let me know how I can be praying for you.

Let me close with the shortest Psalm, Psalm 117:

1 Praise the LORD, all nations;
Laud Him, all peoples!
2 For His lovingkindness is great toward us,
And the truth of the LORD is everlasting.
Praise the LORD!

Happy Thanksgiving! We have a lot to be thankful for.
With love in Christ,
Jody

Nov. 21, 2022 — International Friendships, Inc. (IFI)

The team from International Friendships, Inc. (IFI) shares the love of Christ with international students who come to US college campuses by offering them hospitality, in the hopes of introducing them to Jesus.  If you would like to help IFI to offer rides and other practical services to these students, please contact Christine Maali Amiri at c.maaliamiri@ifiusa.org. You can also contact Christine if you would like to receive her monthly newsletters or join her support team.

Please pray for…

• the IFI team to meet more international students

• IFI English Conversation Clubs and Bible Discussion groups

• For salvation for Claudia (not her real name)

• Official recognition of IFI on the RIT campus

Please talk with Dave Beinitti (dbeinetti@gmail.com) or Paul Craig (paul.craig@rit.edu) to learn more about IFI at RIT. You can also learn more from their website (https://www.ifiusa.org/). 

Nov. 15, 2022 — CompassCare

CompassCare is dedicated to giving women the courage to have their babies, especially when they are facing pressure from those close to them. During a visit, a woman will talk with a nurse and has the opportunity to have an ultrasound and STD testing. During that visit, the nurse always asks for the opportunity to pray and share the Gospel with the patient. These are high stakes conversations and here are this year’s results as of October 27, 2022.

If you would like a tour of CompassCare, please talk with Paul Craig.

Please continue to pray for CompassCare and pro-life groups everywhere.

• Pray that many women in crisis will find the CompassCare offices in Rochester, Buffalo and Albany and through Telecare and receive the care that they need.

• Pray for God's protection on all pro-life centers from attacks.

• Pray for grace, humility and truth as individuals, groups and a church in our ongoing conversations about abortion in all settings.

• Keep praying for plans to expand CompassCare into Brooklyn, NY.

• Pray that God will raise up Christians in New York, and across America to pray for the unborn every day.

CompassCare is a Christ-centered organization, committed to "Erasing the need for abortion by transforming a woman's fear into confidence.” You can also follow them at CompassCare Community on Facebook or ErasingTheNeed.com/RebuildBigger. Please contact Paul Craig by email pac8612@gmail.comor text (585.305.5557) to learn more about getting involved with the Walk for Life, and the PrayerNet ministry of CompassCare.

Nov. 8, 2022 — Matt & Jenn Irvine

Dear Friends and Family,

We held a "Celebrating the Light of Jesus" celebration at a recent Sunday worship and meal. We had about 70 total adults and children present. Just under half were not followers of Jesus. There were a variety of songs, prayers to Jesus, and a teaching from 1 John, followed by a bring-a-dish veggie meal. There were fun activity stations for the kids, including cultural activities such as rangoli-making with coloured rice, and applying designs on hands with henna. It was neat that pretty much everyone from what feels like a smaller church plant all of a sudden was pitching in to help host a worship event that had more guests than regulars. Both regular Sunday attendees and guests pitched in to help serve the food and clean up.

Each Oct 31, I now give thanks that on this day six years ago (in 2016) the Lord protected my life when I was hit by a car while cycling. It was just after I finished a prayer walk with our teammate Chris. I could/should easily have died or had major brain/body damage, but I didn’t. Praise God!  Thank You, Jesus!

Luke's school situation seems to have settled down at his current school which is an answer to prayer. There are no open doors elsewhere, so we are trusting the Lord to continue to provide for him in this present school. Arielle is doing wonderfully in her new school which is where she will be going for the last two years of high school. She is making good friends, loves the subjects she is studying and is encouraged. We thank God for this.

Praise God as last week Jenn and I had a chance to take Arielle and Luke to visit Malachi at university in Edinburgh for the first time after only Jenn and I dropped him off there in early September. We had a great visit. He seems to be settling in well on multiple fronts and we are grateful for this! Please continue to pray for the Lord to establish his steps there and be near to him.

Praise God for some good street outreach opportunities (which I'll write about more in a later update). Another believer from our church and I were handing out free chai tea in a major shopping area recently. If people asked us who we were we explained that we were handing out the tea as an act of love, and give them a leaflet that talked about Jesus being the King of Peace. If they didn't ask, we just gave them tea. Many people stopped and were very happy to chat and we had very positive interactions overall. But someone took a photo of us (without us knowing) and it was forwarded to many in the wider community along with a message warning people about Christians "seeking to convert the gullible godless" and made its way back to us through third parties! We have no idea how many people saw it!  So please be praying for the woman who snapped the photo and shared it, that the Lord would bless her and that the good news of Jesus would continue to spread even in the face of misunderstandings - and even opposition - like this.

Please pray for the Lord to bless the seeds that were planted at the “Celebrate the Light of Jesus” celebration. Pray that God would help these seeds to grow.

Pray for breakthroughs of the Light of Jesus into the lives of the people to whom we are ministering. The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine. Isaiah 9:2 NLT

Pray for Jenn as she serves as a monthly co-facilitator for one of Serge's leadership foundation cohorts.

Pray for a gathering in Oxford I am helping to organise on 23 November which is trying to encourage reflection on how to reach out to the people we serve.

Continue to pray that the Lord would sustain and grow New Life Suwarta Sangat as a church. He continues to open up wonderful avenues for outreach. God continues to provide in so many day-by-day ways.  But the core of the church continues to be a bit smaller at the moment, so pray that we would be able to encourage one another well, enjoy one another, and be unified in purpose. Please ask the Lord to add to our number, including younger leaders.

With love in Jesus,
Matt for the Irvines (edited by Joan Beinetti)

Nov. 1, 2022 — Souls Winning Ministries

The Good News- is that the church and Bible School in Jacmel are well. Twenty-five students are eager for biblical teaching in this country where much of the population is Catholic with a lot of synchronism with Voodoo thrown in. They could have even more teaching weeks with some more funding. 

Please continue to be in prayer for Osseille and his family. Osseille remains in the National Penitentiary in Port-au-Prince after seven and a half months. The gangs have been increasing in power, and normal societal functioning has mostly stopped. The legal processes needed for Osseille’s release have stopped. What little fuel there is, is unaffordable, children are not in school, many businesses are not open,  kidnappings are common, and transportation around the country is nearly impossible. 

Osseille has two types of abdominal pain, presumably an ulcer and definitely a kidney stone, but unable to access medical care or fill prescriptions for medications we have sent from here. There have been deaths from cholera in the prison, and the water being provided is suspect. Be in prayer for comfort for Osseille and his wife Lalandina, daughter Sarah, and newborn son Samuel. Pray for God’s protection of Osseille, that an angel of the Lord be there for his protection, and that God will work all these things together for good and His Glory. 

Oct. 25, 2022 — Herberts

A New Season

I stole this picture from one of our YL kids from a meeting a couple of weeks ago. We are so grateful to be able to open our home to kids and share time, life, and the Word. The picture is taken prior to our bible study where we looked at Acts 9:36-43. One of the points that we focused on was the life of Dorcas (tough name). Peter is summoned in this passage shortly after Dorcas dies and we learn that her life was marked as one that was full of good works and charity. We see that what was evident on the outside was a result of what God was doing on the inside. Dorcas was not full of good deeds and charity because that was the right thing to do, she was full of good deeds and charity out of the work that was being done in her life. We focused on her legacy of caring for the most vulnerable, we see this as the widows of the community testify on her behalf.

As we talked about the application to our lives today we wrestled with the questions, "what would people say about my life?", and "do our lives on the outside match what God is doing on the inside?" As we talked about our hopes for this new club season our prayer is that our lives would preach the Gospel as much as the talks from the front. Our prayer is that our community would see our lives marked by good deeds and charity, and most importantly as one that has crossed from death to life.

October 4 was Young Life's national day of prayer. As an organization, we spent time collectively and individually lifting up our areas to our Father. I am grateful to be a part of this ministry that places an emphasis on prayer. Would you take a few minutes today and lift up Roc West YL? Jim Rayburn the founder of YL shared a prayer in the 1950's that is just as relevant today:

“Dear Lord, give us the teenagers that we may lead them to Thee. Our hearts ache for the millions of young people who remain untouched by the Gospel and for the tragically large proportion of those who have dropped by the wayside and find themselves without spiritual guidance. Help us to give them a chance, oh Father, a chance to become aware of thy Son’s beauty and healing power in the might of the Holy Spirit. Oh, Lord Jesus, give us the teenagers, each one at least long enough for a meaningful confrontation with Thee. We are at best unprofitable servants, but thy grace is sufficient. Oh, thou Holy Spirit, give us the teenagers. For we love them and know them to be awfully lonely. Dear Lord, give us the teenagers.”

– Jim Rayburn

Thank you for all that you do to help us connect teens with the love of Christ. We are so grateful to be in this with you!

For Christ and kids,

Max and Samantha

Oct. 18, 2022 — Pursleys

There is much to pray for the Pursely’s Ararat Gateway ministry, both in thanksgiving but also in intense intercession. Here are some recent highlights from this summer:

1. Successful meeting of Love Camp, a bi-annual gathering of children with disabilities. Both Lisa and Jacob are involved in planning, teaching, and ministering at the camp. 

2. Monthly meeting of the Ararat Missions School, not only for encouragement and ministry, but to send teams out to nearby areas for Bible distribution, sharing of testimonies, meeting with local missionaries, and establishing new relationships.

3. Successful meeting of the Agarak Camp hosted by the Hope Language Center. The staff of Hope Language Center along with 23 volunteers hosted 100 children to teach English, build connections to local government, and bring hope through new relationships.

4. Assisting a local family to establish a small chicken business for a self-sustaining source of income.

5. Continued steps toward establishing a University in Yerevan called the “Armenian Theological Academy.” The goal is to offer four-year courses of study in Pastoral Studies, Biblical Counseling, and Missions to the Muslim World.

6. Exploration of a new church plant in Yerevan.

In addition, here are two areas for fervent prayer:

1. Jacob has been involved with the start of a church plant in area that has not had a church for over 100 years. The vision to plant this church has seemed almost miraculous in the way it developed, but the first couple to begin the work there met with extreme resistance from local authorities that included physical torture. Pray for God’s power and protection to be at work for this couple and for the ministry.

2. The attack of Azerbaijan on Armenia on Sept 13-15 has wrought destruction as well as killing and unspeakable atrocities on Armenians, some of them connected to the Ararat Gateways ministry. Jacob reports on the horrors of the most intense spiritual and physical warfare and his trust that God’s work will be accomplished. 

There is opportunity to support their ministry financially:

https://pushpay.com/pay/visitgracewaymissionsasia/9JdQmltFxwjFGim-gy-gJg - Giving type: Asia/Jacob

Oct. 4, 2022 — CompassCare

CompassCare is pioneering a TeleCare platform to enable the Church, through 650 pregnancy centers nationwide, to reach and serve every woman in America seriously considering abortion with the ethical medical care and community support she so desperately needs. CompassCare is now equipping a national team of nurses in twelve regions to reach and serve even more women considering abortion through TeleCare, cutting the time to talk to a nurse from 24 hours to 24 seconds! Reaching a woman considering abortion in her moment of crisis is critical to saving preborn boys and girls and sparing women from life-long emotional and physical scars. Follow this link (https://www.compasscarecommunity.com/2022/09/first-life-saved-through-telehealth/) to read the story of the first life saved through Telecare.

There will be CompassCare tours at their facilities on the following dates:

• Thursday, October 20 @ 7PM

• Saturday, November 5 @ 9:30AM

You should talk with Paul Craig if you would like to attend a tour.

Please continue to pray for CompassCare and pro-life groups everywhere.

• Pray that many women in crisis will find the CompassCare offices in Rochester, Buffalo and Albany and through Telecare and receive the care that they need.

• Pray for God's protection on all pro-life centers from attacks.

• Pray for grace, humility and truth as individuals, groups and a church in our ongoing conversations about abortion in all settings.

• Keep praying for plans to expand CompassCare into Brooklyn, NY.

• Pray that God will raise up Christians in New York, and across America to pray for the unborn every day.

CompassCare is a Christ-centered organization, committed to "Erasing the need for abortion by transforming a woman's fear into confidence.” You can also follow them at CompassCare Community on Facebook or ErasingTheNeed.com/RebuildBigger. Please contact Dan Tomlinson at daniel.tomlinson@.compasscare.infoif you would like a CompassCare tour. Please contact Paul Craig by email pac8612@gmail.comor text (585.305.5557) to learn more about getting involved with the Walk for Life, and the PrayerNet ministry of CompassCare.

Sept. 27, 2022 — Matt & Jenn Irivine

Praise God that Malachi and Arielle did well on their placement exams. They are very encouraged and thankful. We are all very conscious of the centrality of prayer in this. 

Malachi is now attending the University of Edinburgh. He's excited (as we are for him). Pray that the Lord would continue to be faithful to him as he takes this next step.

Arielle is now at her preferred "sixth form college" for her last two years of high school. She will now begin the two-year process that Malachi has just been through leading to big exams coming up in May of 2023 & May 2024. Pray for her to meet some new friends and settle in well. 

Luke recently started school after a good summer rest. He doesn't seem particularly worried at the moment about some of the classroom environmental difficulties that seemed to build up last year. We did ask for prayer in July about a new school we are trying to swap him to. It will probably be mid-September before we hear anything. The chances aren't high. If he got in it would mean change and more travel. We still think it's good to have applied, but are trusting and asking the Lord to work what is best - either to keep him where he is at or swap him. And whatever the outcome, pray for Luke's heart in it, especially as he is especially feeling the impact of the departure of his older brother. 

Thanks to God for a marriage renewal/retreat time Jenn and I had while the three kids were at a Scottish Young Life Camp. We are so very grateful!  We were refreshed by this and also by some subsequent family holiday time we all had together in mid-August.

In late July NLSS (the church plant) managed to do our first summer kids’ club since before covid. It was on a slightly smaller scale but still well attended.

Pray for healing and comfort for a couple of our teammates and church family who have various health issues.

Pray for follow-up from summer outreach and direction concerning various autumn outreach possibilities. 

Please pray for the Lord to direct our steps this autumn in the coming days and weeks as we begin to ask Him, per the words of one of the local leaders, "God, what are you doing right now in our midst as NLSS? God, what do you want to do in our midst?  Are we still passionate about seeing this kind of church start? Do we still believe God can do it? Are we still "in this" together? Are we willing to take risks together as a church?" Pray for the Lord to help us pray along these lines. Pray for us to listen well. Pray for patience & perseverance to continue to walk step by step and to not do things in our own strength but to keep taking risks.

Keep praying for the good news of Jesus to run in the lives of our friends and neighbors.

with love in Jesus,
Matt for the Irvines

Sept. 20, 2022 — Souls Winning Ministries

In Children’s Worship for 4–7-year-olds, we have been focusing on Mission for the month of September. October 2, we hope to be virtually zooming the kids to Haiti to talk with the directors and kids of the New Joy House orphanage. 

Continue to pray for Osseille and his family as his condition remains unchanged.
Pray for the country of Haiti, that is plagued with gangs, and an ineffectual government.
Pray for the ongoing success of the seminary in the southern city of Jacmel. Their hunger for teaching is great. They are having to decrease the frequency they meet due to lack of funding. 

Aug. 30, 2022 — Jody Collinge

Travels: (Dios mediante — Lord willing):

• September? To Dallas 

• October 1-2: Special event and board meeting, CHSC, TX

• October 3-7 Meeting with the Global CHE Network Representative Council in Payson, AZ

• October 8-31 Visiting churches and friends in Rochester, Schenectady, and Ballston Spa, NY

• November 1 To Israel with a Bible study tour

Prayers and Praise

1. Thank God for the Children's CHE trainings in Uganda this week. Simon and his team are working with children's teachers in their churches. "They have said that, they have never had any training before about equipping children." They are meeting under a mango tree (above) so they can sit in a circle, CHE-style. Meanwhile, Sammy and his team are back at the Bidi Bidi refugee camp giving more CHE and Children's CHE training. Pray for fruitful trainings.

2. Meanwhile, back in Zihuatanejo, we will have a children's ministry at the basketball court this afternoon. I am often teaching some English to the kids and grandparents.

3. I have also enjoyed teaching online inductive or discover-it-yourself Bible studies with kids. We have just finished Daniel and will begin Elijah in September. Praise God that the girls are inviting their sisters and their friends to join our studies!

4. We also want to make these inductive Bible studies available to others in other areas and other countries, without cost. So I have been writing new studies that are available as a PDF. I have been working on Women of the New Testament. Let me know if you would like a copy.

5. Please keep on praying for wisdom about building a cabin in Texas.

6. September begins a long series of travels--first to Texas for a fund raising event and board meeting with the Christian Health Service Corps; then on to Arizona, where our service team will join in on a Representative Council meeting of the Global CHE Network; and then on to New York to visit family, friends and churches in Rochester, Schenectady, and Ballston Spa; and finally on to Israel (I hope!) with a Bible study tour. Here is a link to a brochure: https://belovedtruth.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Israel-2022Brochure-1.pdf

Please pray that all the pieces for these travels will come together. And pray for fruitful meetings and time to relax with friends and family. I am also looking forward to the long-awaited Bible study tour in Israel. Pray that we can go this time.

Whew! Many thanks for praying me through all this. The travels seem a bit overwhelming, but God has promised to never leave us or forsake us. And thanks for your faithfulness as well.

Much love to you

Jody

Aug. 23, 2022 — CompassCare

CompassCare is a Christ-centered organization, committed to "Erasing the need for abortion by transforming a woman's fear into confidence.” The Buffalo offices of CompassCare are fully open and offering services. You can learn more at this interview on The Christian Post. You can also follow the CompassCare Community on Facebook or ErasingTheNeed.com/RebuildBigger.

This picture tells a profound story.

Please continue to pray for CompassCare and pro-life groups everywhere. 

• Pray that many women in crisis will find the new CompassCare offices in the Albany area and receive the care that they need.

• Pray for God's protection on all pro-life centers from attacks.

• Pray for grace, humility and truth as individuals, groups and a church in our ongoing conversations about abortion in all settings.

• Keep praying for plans to expand CompassCare into Brooklyn, NY. 

• Pray that God will raise up Christians in New York, and across America to pray for the unborn every day. 

Please contact Dan Tomlinson at daniel.tomlinson@.compasscare.info if you would like a CompassCare tour. Please contact Paul Craig by email pac8612@gmail.com or text (585.305.5557) to learn more about getting involved with the Walk for Life, and the PrayerNet ministry of CompassCare.

Aug. 16, 2022 — The Irvines

“Brethren, do pray for us, that the Word of the Lord may speed on (spread rapidly and run its course) and be glorified (extolled) and triumph, even as it has done with you.” 2 Thessalonians 3:1 AMP 

Thank you for your prayers. 

Please continue to pray for those who heard the gospel in various ways during LEAP (London Evangelism and Prayer) week and through other recent outreach encounters we've had. Pray that the gospel would run rapidly in their lives and ours. Praise God that our oldest two kids had finished exams and were off school, and chose to get involved in LEAP week along with a couple of their high school friends who are believers. 

It was personally renewing for me and our team to reflect on the centrality of prayer in evangelism, our weakness in both, and the Lord's grace in helping us in our weakness.

After doing a teaching on a "basic gospel outline" as part of the training we were giving, I actually had the chance to walk through this more complete gospel summary with several people on the street. Sometimes we get to have brief conversations, but this kind of more complete conversation doesn't happen all of the time. 

Please continue to pray for us, that the Lord would continue to align our hearts/vision with King Jesus' heart/vision, that we would continue to sense our weakness in and need for prayer, boldness in witness, and hearts full of faith, and that the Lord would continue to renew us in prayer, in witness, in faith. We need the Lord to pour his Spirit into our hearts more and more. 

Pray for healing for those who are struggling with health challenges and peace for those struggling with family tension challenges in our midst.

Pray for our team that the Lord would encourage and minister to each of us where we have needs and would renew us and provide for us.

Pray for our youngest, Luke (12). He just finished year 7 (i.e., USA 6th grade). Long story, but the school he is in seems to be struggling to deal with the classroom behaviors of many students. Luke is discouraged as he watches this and we feel like educationally it would be a good thing to move to another school to which we've applied recently. However, he is 11th on the waitlist. If this would be a good thing, pray for the Lord to open the door very soon, even by the beginning of school in September. If this isn't the right thing, please pray for the Lord to provide for him where he is.

Please pray for our family to have some moments of good healthy family bonding and rest and enjoyment as we prepare to send Malachi off to a yet-to-be-decided next step later in September. 

"The whole idea of prayer is that we call on the name of the invisible God. To come in prayer is to abandon everything, to claim God's promises, and to know God, not to know what we have to bring ... when you pray you stand on holy ground, and God alone has a right to set the terms of that meeting." The Pastor-Evangelist (ed. Greenway), p. 39  

So grateful for you.
Matt