Exloring Life Eternal

May 8, 2006

Peter said to Jesus, “You must never wash my feet!”
Jesus answered, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” – John 13:8

PRAISE:
We are so thankful that suitable housing has been found with a young believing couple for an MBB from the region living here. He was going to be living in a house without some mature Christians to disciple him.

PETITION
Pray for MBBs to have faith and trust in God’s way as they face all kinds of trials and persecutions. Pray that their desire to follow Jesus would be strengthened.

Pray for Christians living in remote regions. Pray for opportunities to meet with other believers. Pray for God to encourage them and bless them in their work. Pray for them to be envisioned to reach out to their friends, employers and work colleagues in the name of Christ with all kinds of loving deeds and expressions of God's truth.

A couple new to our city has moved into a neighborhood with local neighbors. This is not common in our city. It is not easy to find housing in local neighborhoods. Please pray that God will give them opportunities to show God's love to their neighbors and to share the truths of kingdom life with them as well.

Please keep praying for healing for a key tentmaker’s 7 year old son’s left eye. His vision is improving but it still has a long way to go. May God be glorified through the healing.

Please pray for two young women here who have expressed great interest, and then been heavily bombarded with opposition to the point of discouraging them from continuing to seek truth. Pray God's protection on His little lambs, & His enabling them to hear & follow their Shepherd in spite of all efforts to hinder them.


TESTIMONY
Sandra was horrified! She protested loudly and said this was too low of a thing to do. She also made it clear that we just did not understand her culture. On the contrary, we did. Jesus was a Middle Easterner and he understood exactly how offensive this act of service was for his disciples.

Samantha, the daughter of Sandra's uncle and the newest in the faith, upon hearing of how Jesus had washed his disciples’ feet during the last supper, suggested that we do the same. Sandra did not like the idea, to put it mildly.

Sharon, along with teammate Joy and another co-worker, Shirin, had gathered for an Easter celebration with Sandra, her daughter Melanie and her cousin Samantha, all of whom are Muslims who are now actively following Jesus. They spent the evening reading Luke 22-24.

The foot washing had not been in our plans but we were happy to do it. Once we reached that part of the story, Samantha got up, wrapped a towel around her waist and started to wash Joy's feet. Sandra was so upset that both she and Melanie refused to have their feet washed.

Sandra had read this passage before, but it came to life in a new way that night. Jesus' words to Peter broke through. Would Jesus really have nothing to do with her if she refused? Sandra understood the symbolism of servant-hood but struggled with the physical action of allowing her younger relative actually to do it. Melanie relented and allowed Samantha to continue. Sandra finally stood up, dipped her feet in the bowl and allowed Samantha to dry them off.

The week leading up to Easter had been especially tough for Sandra's daughter Melanie. She had doubted her new faith and almost did not come.

As we looked at Peter's claim that he would never leave Jesus, only to deny him later that evening, and Jesus' love for him through it all, Melanie heart broke. Despite her hard heart towards Jesus that week, she had received many blessings. She could not understand why that would happen. In Islam, she has feared God her whole life. She was always afraid of punishment. She could not believe that God still loved her and that He would still bless her even when she was not faithful.

The evening as a whole was incredible. Sharon felt it was her best Easter celebration ever and when shared with a trio of local believers who all endured tremendous opposition in the days and hours before the meeting, the event was nothing short of miraculous. It is such a privilege to be a part of God's team here.

Arise Shine Morocco
Prayer Bulletin #66 (04/06)
Asm@ariseshinemorocco.org
www.ariseshinemorocco.org

=====
NE. REGION:
Thank the Lord for a new free clinic and for the people helped by it. Pray for opportunities to share with "clients".

Pray for local believers struggling with issues of fear. One is married to a man who threatens to move to another location in order to get her away from other believers. Another feels she is being followed and watched. Pray workers will know how to minister to these women and to encourage them in their growth and faith so they will live upright lives and shine as testimonies to others.

Thank the Lord for a recent wonderful and refreshing worker's retreat. Pray the local believers will begin to get together to encourage one another too.

On Easter Sunday, the separate men's and women’s Bible study groups will meet together for the first time for worship and teaching. Pray for this emerging church!

Pray for a family with a new baby where the mother has recently had an urgent life-threatening health episode. Pray for healing and restoration for the mother and good health for the new baby.

=====
Cent. REGION:
Praise the Lord for a large group of South American churches that has taken an interest in the work in the region. Pray this will result in more prayer and workers. Pray also for wisdom and direction for a Christian university in the States that is interested in putting together a team to work among Berbers.

Pray for ongoing efforts on Scripture translation. Continue to pray for completion of the video “God’s Story” so it can be duplicated and distributed. Pray too the Lord will make the way for the production of a video based on the book of Acts in the local languages.

Pray for workers in the region, some of whom feel burned out and others are just tired. Pray for strength, encouragement, and refreshment.

Pray for breakthrough for workers attempting to obtain permission to set up a new business. Continue to pray for favour with authorities and for wisdom for those seeking to establish a new work among some of the most vulnerable members of Moroccan society.

=====
W. COASTAL:
Continue praying for a worker family struggling to get residency after many months of trying. Pray for their paperwork to come through. Pray for God's peace and against discouragement. Pray for wisdom in their work situation. Thank God for new Moroccan friends for workers who requested prayer for this months ago.

Pray for a Moroccan family that has had much contact with various workers over ten years and still has not responded to the Good News. Pray for fresh openness. Pray God will stir their hearts once more. Pray for dreams and visions to create a hunger to know the Truth.

Pray for a Moroccan woman who is very open to friendships with foreigners. She has much travel experience, is very influenced by European culture, and comes from an influential wealthy family. Pray that God would work in her heart and turn her interest in foreigners into an interest in Christ. Pray her whole family would turn to Christ.

Pray for staff members of a large high-profile project. They are under increased stress and are convinced it is due to spiritual opposition. Pray for strength and for reliance on the Lord. They are looking to fill several positions for the next few years. Pray the Lord brings the right persons. The project is also in the midst of expansion and is seeking additional funding. Please pray the Lord will cause those who control the funds to look favorably upon the project.

=====
So.Cent. REGION:
Pray for a young woman in need of heart surgery and for the worker ministering to her. Pray for funds needed to obtain the surgery.

==
Lighthouse Church:
Pray for the church Easter celebration that it would be meaningful to all who attend and a good and fruitful opportunity for witnessing to friends and family.

Pray for the new believers and those discipling them. Pray for protection for the children in the Sunday school program and for their growth in the knowledge of Jesus. Pray for one brother with regard to a decision to be baptised.

Pray that a brother recently returned from abroad will find his place of service to the Lord. Pray that a sister who has passed through a crisis of faith will regain a firm confidence in the Lord.

=====
SW COASTAL:
Pray for a bold national believer and his family who are suffering some repercussions of his bold faith. Pray they will be strengthened in faith to face future trials. Pray for wisdom and discernment for those workers counseling them.

Pray for a seasoned missionary couple that have been highly effective and have seen much fruit from their work as they consider possible changes in their ministry. Pray for clear guidance. Pray for encouragement in the face of recent disappointments. Pray for continued strength, good health and for provision of new believer friends with whom to share their lives and burdens.

=====
FAR So.:
Praise the Lord for progress in establishing a good work, for fruit being born into the Kingdom, and for growth in the lives of new believers !! Pray for resolution to the political problems and peace to come to the region.

===
European Ports Distribution Ministries:
Pray for God’s provision of enough participants for distribution at all the ports. Team leaders recruiting for Marseille, Genoa, Algeciras, Ceuta, Melilla, and Almeria all need God to provide.

The Middle Eastern and North African Arabic speakers coming to do evangelism are now finalizing dates and the ports where they will work. Ask God to hand pick those who will participate and that all the plans will be according to His desires. Pray for visas for all who seek to come.

===
Work among Moroccans in Europe:
Pray for a missionary family that is seeking visas to live in Spain. The ministry through which they expected to receive visas is not able to provide them.

Pray that God would give wisdom to members of a church that wants to start ministering to Moroccans and other immigrants. Pray that this and other churches in Europe would have the desire and the culturally sensitivity to be effective in reaching out to Moroccans in Europe.

A ministry that works with Moroccans needs someone fluent in Spanish and English to work in their office in Spain. Pray they will find the right person to do this.

A couple is going to Mexico to speak in churches about sending missionaries to work with Moroccans. Pray they will have safe travels, the churches will be supportive, and that God will raise up people to join this ministry.

=====
An article of interest: UNEMPLOYED TRY TO COMMIT SUICIDE
RABAT, March 2 (Reuters)
“Thirteen Moroccans driven to desperation by years of unemployment tried to kill themselves on Thursday by drinking petrol and insecticide, witnesses said. The graduates, three of them women, had said a day earlier that they would commit suicide, without saying where or when. After spending the night at a house in the capital Rabat, they poured petrol over themselves. "When they came out of the house, police officers and civilians, even some tramps, ran at them to stop them setting fire to themselves," said one witness said. "Then they drank petrol or poison." The 13 were taken to a hospital in Rabat, where seven were still being held under observation, according to head doctor Yasser Soufiani. None of their lives were in danger, he said.

Morocco must create 400,000 jobs a year over the next 20 years to prevent mass unemployment that would threaten its stability and emerging liberal democracy, an official report said. The official unemployment rate stands at 11.5 percent but is more than double that for qualified graduates. Thousands of them have staged marches in Rabat for the past five years to pressure the authorities to help them find work.

"We concluded that our deaths would be a merciful release from our endless waiting," the group said in a joint statement on Wednesday. "I have no money to buy food or buy train fares. Our life is miserable," said Amina Rakkad, 34, a university graduate with an economics degree. "We are suffering and our parents are suffering in seeing us suffering." In December, six other Moroccans protesting against unemployment suffered burns after setting themselves alight in front of the Health Ministry in Rabat.”

==> PRAY for the Moroccan economy and that such depths of desperation will not lead to suicide or Islamic radicalism but to a crying out to God and the finding of new life in Christ. Pray !!