Pray, pray, pray.

As our team prepares to depart on Monday for Malawi, I am constantly being asked by well-wishers: "What can we do for you?" "How can we help?" "Do you need anything?" The answer to all of these questions is the same: You can pray.
When I was in music ministry I had the chance to sing under the direction of Dr. Bill Green as a member of the Singing Churchmen of Oklahoma. As our group prepared for a choir tour to Hong Kong and the People's Republic of China, he had a mantra that  he repeated to us over and over: "No prayer is no power. Some prayer is some power. Much prayer is much power." It is an axiom that I have carried with me ever since because I know first hand that it is true.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul wrote:
     I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. (15:30)

Maybe you weren't able to go with us to Malawi this time. Maybe you were unable to contribute resources to help one of our team members go. But everyone can pray. Anytime, any place, anywhere. There is no wrong time to pray. So I want to personally invite you to join us on our trip by committing time - the more the better - to pray for our team.

To aid you as you pray, here are some specific requests that you can pray for:

• each team member: Allan, David, Richard, Kemp & Kim, Michael & Deanna
• safe and uneventful travel
• our luggage arrives in Malawi when we do
• there will be no holdups with our 400 lbs of drilling equipment in customs
• we will have all of the necessary local supplies when we need them
• the quality of the local supplies will be adequate for their required purpose
• God will strengthen us when we are weak and tired
• everyone on the team would daily surrender their will to God's perfect plan
• God will keep our spirits flexible
• we will see the people as Jesus sees them
• the safety and well-being of our families that we leave behind in the U.S.
• Our missionary hosts: Danny & Natalie Gregory, their children: Sydney, Gabriel and Hope (see picture below) and fellow missionary, Tammie Tregallas

We desperately, desperately need your prayers. We are depending on you to hit your prayer bones (knees) and go before the throne and ask God to bless our work and protect us. James 5:16 promises us that the prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. Can we count on you? Will you join our team?

Soli Deo gloria,
Michael