Brazil: church services behind bars

Give thanks with mission partner Andy Walsh that Christians serving time at Palhoça penitentiary, a men’s open-air prison outside Florianópolis, are now allowed to gather for church services once a week. Andy and a team have faithfully served in prison ministry in the city for several years, and while hundreds of male inmates across Florianópolis have accepted Jesus into their lives, it has taken a long time to see church services allowed to start in even one of the city’s prisons. Pray for continued progress with other prisons in the area so that more men in prisons across the city can meet together to worship God and grow in their faith.

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DR Congo and Uganda: Ebola

“Continue praying for Bunia, where many lives continue to be lost due to the Ebola outbreak,” writes Bisoke Balikenga, a CMS partner who runs a peace centre in Bunia, DR Congo, ministering to people amid ongoing conflict in the country. The UN World Health Organization has this week reported that there are close to 2,000 confirmed cases of Ebola and that most new cases are coming from “unknown chains of transmission”. Stand with Bisoke in prayer: “Pray for quick containment of the Ebola outbreak, and for wisdom and strength for health workers to respond effectively. Pray for the peace centre ministry as the team continues to serve the community despite the many challenges.”

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Lebanon: Christians in crisis, yet supporting others

We recently launched our appeal for people in Lebanon, where ongoing violence has caused hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes in search of safety. One of our colleagues, Jad (name changed), says, “It’s not just the scenes of devastation, but also the sounds, the fear and immense feeling of loss.” Pray for CMS church partners and other Christians as they respond to the crisis – by providing emergency food packs, medicine and trauma support – while living through the same crisis themselves. Find out more [churchmissionsociety.org/Lebanon].

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South Asia: theological education

Please pray for a residential camp being held next week for around 90 theological students at various levels. Three courses will be taught: Christian Family Life, Asian Church History and a new course, Biblical Mission. Please pray for the students and facilitators as they travel from different parts of the country, and for their safety and good health throughout the week. Pray that this may be a time of great learning, fellowship and blessing for all who will take part. Pray also for the ‘Christian Education Curriculum for Teenagers’ teacher training taking place this weekend; that more people may be equipped to help young people live out their Christian faith more effectively.

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Spain: family transitions

Miranda and Tim Heathcote support mission workers, especially those serving in difficult locations, through debriefing, spiritual direction, retreats and leadership development, both online and in person. For the past two years, they have divided their time between Oxfordshire and Place of Springs, their ministry house in Spain. Pray for them as they transition back to being at Place of Springs full time. Miranda and Tim ask for prayer for their younger daughter as she seeks accommodation and a more full-time job in Oxford by the end of August.

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UK: people in mission conference

Around 75 people will attend CMS’s people in mission conference next week at All Nations Christian College in Hertfordshire. Pray for safety as people travel to the centre from near and far, for a great time of fellowship and for God to minister to each person as they need.

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DR Congo: Ebola outbreak and response

Please continue to pray for people in DR Congo, where the government has recorded over 1,500 cases of Ebola, including over 500 deaths. The World Health Organization reports that treatment centres are at saturation point. Mission partner Martin Gordon, Bishop of Goma, reports that scepticism around whether the disease is real has led to attacks on healthcare centres and medical workers. Pray for the church to continue to be at the forefront of the Ebola response, loving its neighbours, providing hope and signposting to practical help, and for the rapid development of a treatment and vaccine for this strain of Ebola (Bundibugyo).

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Ethiopia: visiting the UK

Chris and Suzy Wilson, who work with Christians to build peace across divides, ask for prayer for the family as Suzy and their three eldest children travel to the UK for four weeks and Chris and their youngest child (who cannot leave the country) stay in Addis. Pray for smooth travel and that Suzy and the three eldest children are able to rest alongside a busy schedule of time with family and church visits. Please pray that the youngest settles well while the rest of the family is away, and that he and Chris have a really good time together.

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North Africa: on home leave

Mission associates C and E, who lead a church in North Africa, are preparing for a trip to the UK to visit churches and attend CMS’s people in mission conference. Pray for safe travels and for a useful, blessed time reconnecting with churches, family and friends. Please pray for their church in North Africa to continue to flourish while they are away.

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Paraguay: the gospel moving among Southern Énxet and Northern Enlhet speakers

After over 40 years of service in Bible translation for the Southern Énxet and Northern Enlhet languages, Tim Curtis has returned to the UK permanently and is finishing as a CMS mission partner. He may however return to Paraguay for short-term spells in the future. Tim asks for prayer for Asunción Rojas, who continues to offer his skills to The Diocese of Paraguay and has shared their work on the Southern Énxet dictionary with the Ministry of Education. Pray for Christians as they continue to proclaim the gospel, provide Bible teaching and upskill the indigenous members of the Anglican Church of Paraguay. Pray also for Tim as he looks for a place to live in the UK. 

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Philippines: new farming practices and new connections

Mission partners Eric and Sandra Read report that Eric did a presentation for the Philippine Department of Agriculture on syntropic (regenerative and sustainable) farming. Pray for farmers or cooperatives who have heard the presentation to be enthusiastic and interested to know more about how they could benefit from using syntropic farming methods. Additionally, Sandra is starting a mothers’ group next week. Pray for God to prepare mothers’ hearts for connection and even to be introduced to Jesus. 

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UK: settling in at university on the other side of the world

Mission partner Tim Lee is based in Cumbria and supports the work of Jigsaw Ministries (working with children and young people living in extreme need and hardship) in Manila, Philippines. Jigsaw works with over 1,500 children a week in four deprived areas of Manila. Pray for Tim as he guides his Filipino colleagues from afar to become a sustainable, locally led ministry.

Tim and his wife Kate ask for prayer for their daughter Grace who has just arrived in Sydney, Australia, for a year at university. Pray for her to make friends and settle in quickly, and enjoy her cross-cultural experience.

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