Mission Praises/Prayer

Missions’ Praises and Prayer Requests July/August 2024

Daren and Jodi Beck—ACTION International (Cambodia)
• Praise:

  • o Praise God that Jodi finished up the academic year at Logos as the department head for Special Education. What a blessing to serve the precious children.
  • o For the opportunity to celebrate with CJ and Eliza (our son and fiance’) at their upcoming wedding this month.
  • o Prayer:
  • o For sustaining grace on behalf of our teammates with ACTION who are suffering persecution on their field of service. Specifically Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.
  • o For new Gospel opportunities in North Africa and the Middle East.

Frank Erb—Capitol Commission (USA)
• Praise:
o For a pastor from Zambia who is coming to stay with me for a week to learn how I reach out to evangelize and disciple government leaders in the name of Jesus, so he can launch a similar ministry to Zambia’s Parliament Members.
o For 15 State Assembly Members who just drafted and signed a formal letter to a top legislative leader to request permission to reserve a Capitol conference room for the weekly Legislators Bible Studies I teach, despite an official legislative prohibition against rooms for this purpose.

• Prayer:
o The California State Capitol is an increasingly secular and agnostic environment, so please pray God continues to give me wisdom and boldness as I proclaim the Good News and study His Word.
o For my wife Valerie who was recently diagnosed with high blood pressure and is needing to take multiple medications that cause fatigue to control it.

Henry and Grace Banda—YOLEDS (Youth Leadership Development in Sport) (Malawi)•

• Praise:
o Thank the Lord for the successful programs we have been carrying out through Sports Ministry. Many souls have been won to Christ and they are serving in various churches. We were able to distribute bibles, and evangelism and discipleship materials.
o Thank you, Lord, for faithfully meeting the needs of our family. The economy of our country has not been good, so we depend on the Lord for everyday living.
• Prayer:
o For upcoming 3 day youth soccer clinic program where we share the Gospel, and teach ball control, passes and corner kick with 320 students.
o For the monthly outreach of one on one and small groups. Pray to reach more souls to come to the Lord.

Jay Devers—Dynamic Church Planting International (Worldwide)

  • Praise:
    • Jay was invited to do church planting evaluations with a large mission organization with teams ministering in the Middle East for 14 days. Jay was honored to be there to represent DCPI. Jay had the opportunity to share more of DCPI’s work with the main leader, Wade, as they flew home on the same flight.
    • Our oldest son, Jeremy, left July 1 for Indonesia as a full-time missionary with Youth with a Mission (YWAM). This vision has been on his heart for over 20 years. He will get to Bali for a three week disciple-making training before he starts language school to learn the local language. 
  • Prayer:
    • Decisions by this organization, and many others, regarding using DCPI church planting training in the future. This group has many workers all over the world and DCPI would love to help them be effective from the beginning to the end of ministry.
    • God’s direction in every way while in Paris July 24-August 4. On July 25th, we will both be doing training with ‘Living Waters’ ministry with Ray Comfort, a well known apologetic to young people here in the U.S.A. We are also making ourselves available to Emily, the Olympian Karen has been mentoring the last four years. Let’s see what God will do!

Karen Devers— Ripe for Harvest (Global)

  • Praise:
    • In May/June I spent five days with my sister, Renee, who is also a missionary with Ripe for Harvest. She has been a missionary to Ukraine for fifteen years and currently living in South Carolina.  We spent time together talking, praying, seeing her everyday life there, as well as celebrating her birthday . The timing of the trip could not have been better.
    • Plans are coming together for the Mission to Paris July 23-to August 4. Our lodging and transportation details are secure, more prayer and praise events are being advertised which are the main ministry venues I am looking to be involved in. When the people pray, God moves!
  • Prayer:
    • This ministry will go to Paris at the 2024 Olympics. While there is much excitement over the wonder of being at the Olympics and in Paris for the first time in my life, there is a spiritual purpose to this mission.  There is no guarantee of the fruit of these twelve days there on that soil, but God hears all the prayers and we are confident this will be the planting of seeds in Paris and around the world.  France needs the beautiful love of Jesus. They need the freedom only Jesus can bring. Athletes are lost, spectators are lost. Nothing happens without prayer-the fuel that opens blind eyes and softens the heart to the Gospel.
    • Time with family and friends on both sides of the Paris trip. We’ll spend time with my parents in Michigan.  Please keep my dad, Ron, in your prayers as he has nearly lost full eyesight due to macular degeneration. My mom and sister, Lisa, will join me in Sweden as we spend time with our youngest son, Caleb, and his wife and our two adorable grandchildren. Can you please also pray for me as I meet with my high school track coach this summer? I’d love to share the beauty of this Olympic journey with her. May God be glorified in it all! 


Kennedy and Emily Salano—316 Transformational Sports Ministry (East Africa)

  • • Praise:
  • o With a projection of making 1,000 balls to reach 1,000 coaches, through the support of Lincoln Community Church, we have been able to make 250 balls thus far. We thank God that we can be able to reach 250 coaches.
  • o We glorify God for the June outreach where 100 souls came to Christ along the Kenya/Ethiopia border. We were also able to preach in four churches that are under trees. Indeed the Harvest is ripe and we need more workers
  • Pray:
  • o For peace to prevail in our nation, Kenya, so that we can serve God well.
  • o For the outreach programs we have in the sports ministry, school and our local church here in Nairobi.

Lincoln Christian Academy (formerly Community Christian School), Lincoln, CA (USA)•

• Praise:
o We have a devoted staff returning this coming year who are dedicated to the call to minister to the children in our school.
o Our school vision is completed and awaiting board approval – a three year process complete.
• Prayer:
o Financial pressures are impacting our school families already making sacrifices to invest in Christian education. Please pray for provision and wisdom.
o Please pray for the relationships in our LCA family. There have been some misunderstandings that have caused hurt and broken relationships.

Michael and Irina—Slavic Gospel Association (Asia)

• Praise:
o God blessed the arrival of another ministry family from the U.S., and they are a great help to the ministry.
o God is blessing the Summer Kids Program in the villages. We have already visited two, and we have two more to go.
• Prayer:
o That God would bless the seeds of His Word that were planted during the Summer Kids Programs in the villages we visited.
o Safe Travels for our family travel to Turkey for a missionary conference and a visit to the U.S. for the month of August.

• Praise:
o Grateful for your prayers which have been so impactful in our closed country. Another academic year has started for our Sangita children.
o That our 700 widows are doing well and the death rate in the villages has come down drastically.
• Prayer:
o For the widow’s monthly supply of food, the Tribal Community people group, the Roof Ministry, the women empowerment ministry for vulnerable younger women, and the Special Needs Ministry.
o For our health and other needs, and for God’s wisdom as we face challenging situations for the Gospel’s sake.

•Ruth Veltkamp—Set Free Ministries (Nigeria)

Praise:
o Give thanks that Neza was successfully treated for filaria and is now back to her work of training widows in the Way of Jesus and in income generation.
o That the IMANI congregants are now spending more time in Bible study and in nipping divisive gossip in the bud, not giving the devil a foothold to scatter them, but rather loving and building each other up in love.
• Prayer:
o For the continued protection and blessing of Bibles and the couriers taking them into the heart of the Middle East. These couriers are distributing Bibles and holding Bible studies at risk to their lives, and God is opening hearts to Truth.
o The IMANI leaders plan to hold a training for young people who are spending all their time on their phones, dealing in bitcoin and crypto currency to the neglect of everything else. Pray for wisdom for Mulen and others who plan to teach these young people the importance of Biblical values.

Steve and Dawn Liberti—NAB Conference/Proclaim Ministries (Germany/Global)
• Praise:
o For the healing that has occurred in Dawn’s elderly mother Marilyn, who took a fall and broke her pelvis. She has been in a rehab facility and is making great progress. Please also pray for her salvation and that she has truly dedicated her life to the Lord.
o For the plans that are coming together for the evangelistic campaign that Steve is leading in Albania October 8-21. We will be partnering with long time partners and ministering in public venues, prisons, theaters and community centers. Please pray for all the logistics and personnel needs for this campaign. Pray for these small under resourced church partners who can be discouraged by the hard ground in Albania and the Balkans in general.
• Prayer:
o For the team in Peru for two weeks, until July 2, which is partnering with local national churches with evangelism in the public forum. Proclain National Director, Rino Baretta, is leading the team in bringing the glorious Gospel to the people of Peru. Pray that our prayer with them will result in a life of following Jesus Christ.
o For Steve as he will return from Peru and the five days later will fly to Sweden to join a Proclaim team for ministry July 8-16. This campaign is in partnership with an association of churches in Amal. This effort, together with national churches, is in conjunction with on of the world’s largest Blues Festivals in the city. The churches are praying for many locals, who will be out and about, to be moved by the Gospel message when we are in the streets of the city. Please pray for open hearts and ears for God’s glory.

  • Sacramento Valley Teen Challenge (USA)
  • Praise:
    • We are thankful to the Lord for a wonderful Golf Tournament that benefited Happy Valley Women’s Center.
    • We are grateful for every prayer partner, volunteer, and donor who serve to enrich the lives of our students.
  • Prayers:
    • For the success of our Walkathon Fundraiser in June and that everyone had a good time.
  • Always for our students that they would grow in the knowledge and love of our Lord Jesus Christ

Ring Dilbung—East India
• Praise:
o For the rescue of a young girl named Anita, age 12, from Assam. This is a joy to me. Her father murdered her mother and her house was destroyed. She was brought to our home. She has now accepted Jesus as her savior. Praise God.
o For the construction of an Orphanage Home that is progressing well. Just 25% needs to be completed. We are praising God every day.
Prayers:
o For financial help with electrical work, painting, tiling, and plumbing to complete the construction in the month of July. The complete pending cost is $3,000.00.
o Please pray for God’s leading as we target 30 women for Bible study and to complete reading the New Testament next month.