Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.     (Romans 12:11-12)
 
… He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  
(Philippians 1:6)
 
I hope there comes a day when we don’t need to have a Missions Month at Calvary – that such a designation becomes redundant because we actively seek to expand God’s kingdom every month, every day. I pray that the Lord will continue to grow us, as individuals and as a congregation, into people who constantly strive to share the blessings the Lord has given us, including salvation, with others.
 
If you are anything like me, you know that it is entirely possible to participate in a Missions Month event with enthusiasm but remain unchanged, unaffected, by it before many days have passed. Our interest and enthusiasm flare up but quickly die out. I wonder if the Lord wants us to linger and give Him time to do His work in us. One way to linger is to pray faithfully for a particular ministry over some interval of time. Did you hear Naji Hendrix from Heart 4 Iran speak at the Women’s Ministry event? Did you participate in the Serve Day team that did odd jobs at the Sheepfold safe house for women escaping domestic violence? Did you donate blood to the Red Cross? Did you meet Tomasz and Kamilla Chylka yesterday and hear about their ministry in Poland? 
 
I want to challenge you – and myself – to pick one event you participated in this month and make that ministry a matter of prayer over the next month or six weeks. Seek out more information about the ministry to keep your prayers fresh and informed. Ask the Lord to use your prayers to advance the kingdom work of the ministry andto carry forward the good work He has begun in you.
 
Here are a few more missions-related prayer requests for this week:
 
Scott Hung from our congregation is leaving today for a month-long mission trip to East Asia. Pray that Scott and his team will be filled with God’s wisdom and sensitivity as they share the Word of God with lay preachers and Bible college students. Pray for physical and spiritual well-being for Scott and his team.
 
Chandler Dixon, who is an echocardiogram technician, is in Iraq on a medical mission trip with a group of medical professionals called For Hearts and Souls. They are providing diagnostic services and treatment, including surgery, in the city of Duhok in the northern (Kurdish) region of Iraq. Ask the Lord to use the team to demonstrate His love for all people. Pray for His strong hand of protection to be on Chandler and his colleagues.
 
Jim Hatcher asks us to pray that the Lord of the harvest would send more workers into the His harvest field of Europe. (Luke 10:2) Five couples are currently exploring a possible future ministry with Greater Europe Mission in Austria. Pray that they – and others considering ministry in various parts of Europe – would listen to God’s call and move forward as He leads. Jim’s latest prayer letter will be posted on Calvary’s website within the next day or so.
 
Lift up Tomasz and Kamilla Chylka as they fly to Minneapolis on Tuesday and home to Poland next Monday, May 2.
 
Ask the Lord to call forth more people to work on Calvary’s missions program. The opportunities are great and the ideas are plentiful, but we need people ready to commit to help bring them to reality. Contact Linda Robins or me if you sense the Lord nudging you to join the missions team.

In Christ,
Carol Gilbert, Prayer Chair
Calvary Community Church of Brea