Pray with OCC, March, Week 2, Chile, Colombia & Ecuador

WEEK 2: (March 15-22)
OCC Mid-South Requests

1. Pray for Connect volunteers and OCC staff as they travel to the Connect Conferences in Washington DC-March 17-19, San Francisco-April 7-9, and Atlanta April 28-30.
2. Pray for all Area Coordinators as they lead, equip and encourage their area teams. 
3. Pray for OCC Mid-South staff as they travel to meet with area teams in our region. 
4. Pray for Franklin Graham and the Decision America Tour.

OCC NEA Requests

1. Pray for our NEA Team as we grow our team and look for Relay Centers & Coordinators, new prayer team members, and new donor churches! \
2. ray for Josh McCarty as God is leading him in a new direction in his life! 
3. Pray for our goals for shoebox collections for 2016: 11,222 Gospel Opportunities!!!!!

South America is where we will be focusing our prayer this month!
OCC International Prayer Requests
General Prayer Requests each country faces:

• Wisdom to recruit, select and lead new and/or transitioning volunteer leadership team members. 
• Provision of resources to reach their God-sized goals for the current year.

Chile 

1. Pray for the father of a team member who is very ill with kidney problems. 
2. Pray for the Easter Island project. Pray God will continue to guide the team and will use the shoeboxes to open more doors of opportunity. 
3. October 2013: A pastor in Chile said a little girl from his community visited a sick friend. Her friend had many dolls, and the girl began wishing for one in particular—a doll dressed all in pink. She stole the doll, but when her mother found out she made the girl return it to her sick friend. Later, the girl attended an OCC distribution and received a Barbie doll dressed all in pink in her shoebox. She could not believe it, and realized that it was a great lesson to trust God to provide rather than steal what she wanted. Do you trust God to provide for you? 
4. Easter Island is a remote Chilean territory in the South Pacific, but not too remote for Operation Christmas Child. Almost 1,000 Canadian shoebox gifts were sent to Easter Island in 2009. http://samaritanspurse.ca/rss/operation-christmas-child/impact/shoe-boxes-of-hope-on-easter-island.aspx#.VumTwFUrLIU

Colombia. For stories from Colombia click here: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child-countries/colombia/

Colombia Operation Christmas Child

1. Pray for the evangelistic events and TGJ discipleship that have started among several Ministry Partners. 
2. Praise the Lord that 2 children per minute are accepting Jesus as their personal Savior through TGJ!!! 
3. Shoe boxes collected in the United States in 2015 will be delivered to 291,168 children in Colombia. Praise God that over 1,254,200 children have received a shoebox since 2002, when Operation Christmas Child began distributing gifts here.Colombia has 46.7 million people and is located in South America. 25% of the population is 14 years old or younger. 

Ecuador. Shoeboxes collected in the United States in 2015 will be delivered to 299,256 children in Ecuador. Praise God that over 1,475,000 children have received a shoebox since 1997, when Operation Christmas Child began distributing gifts here. Ecuador has 15.8 million people and is located in northwestern South America. 28% of the population is 14 years old or younger. 

Ecuador

1. Pray for the teams in Ecuador as OCC is working in each province of the country. Pray that more children will be reached with the message of salvation through this ministry. 
2. Pray that each child who receives a shoebox will also participate in TGJ and that God will provide many teachers to lead these classes. 
3. Pray for the NLT. Pray that the NLT and regional volunteer leadership will prioritize prayer not only in speech, but also in practice. 

• Ecuador distribution video: https://youtu.be/kJnGNU14buM 
• Ecuador OCC information: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child-countries/ecuador/

"Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established" Proverbs 16:3

March Operation Christmas Child Prayer Requests

March Prayer Reminders:
· Praise God for the 40 countries that have received shoeboxes and volunteer teams are now working hard in Outreach Events to share the Good News with children.
· Pray for the shoeboxes still enroute on ships to children in 32 countries.
· Pray for tax exemption of shoeboxes in fifteen countries in East and South Asia and Madagascar.
· Pray for customs clearance of sea containers filled with shoebox Gospel Opportunities in 40 countries.

OCC Mid-South Requests:
· Pray for Connect volunteers and OCC staff as they travel to the Connect Conferences in Wichita-March 3-5, Washington DC-March 17-19, San Francisco-April 7-9, and Atlanta April 28-30.
· Pray for Connect volunteers in Kentucky this month. For God to encourage new volunteers to join the area teams and to rise up Ministry Coordinators. Pray for unity among the area teams, for protection for them, wisdom, strength and energy. Pray for God to open doors with churches and community groups. Pray for all Area Coordinators as they lead, equip and encourage their area teams.
· Pray for OCC Mid-South staff as they travel to meet with area teams in our region.
· Pray for Franklin Graham and the Decision America Tour. The next prayer rally is in Denver, Colorado March 15th.

OCC NEA Requests:
· Pray for our NEA Team meeting on Tuesday, March 15 6pm at Ironhorse Steakhouse & BBQ in Paragould. The address is 2108 Linwood Drive(Hwy 49). REMINDER: Please take time to watch the webinar before March 15th. This would be a perfect time to invite anyone that you are trying to get to join us.
· Pray for our goals for shoebox collections for 2016: 11,222 Gospel Opportunities!!!!!

South America is where we will be focusing our prayer this month!
OCC International Prayer Requests:
General Prayer Requests each country faces:
· Wisdom to recruit, select and lead new and/or transitioning volunteer leadership team members.
· Provision of resources to reach their God-sized goals for the current year.

WEEK 1: (March 6-12) This week we will be praying for Argentina, Bolivia and Brazil.

Argentina: Shoebox gifts collected in the United States in 2015 will be delivered to 10,000 children in Argentina. Praise God that over 402,700 children have received a shoebox since 2001, when Operation Christmas Child began distributing gifts here. Argentina has 43.4 million people and is located in South America. 25% of the population is 14 years old or younger.

· Pray for the volunteer National Leadership Team (NLT) as they plan for the upcoming season and the distribution of 13,000 boxes. Pray God will continue to open doors for OCC to reach the children who don’t have access to the Gospel.
· Pray God will provide more The Greatest Journey discipleship program (TGJ) teachers so that more children can participate in the program.
· Praise God for His provision this past year.
· Pray as the team continues to extend OCC into new areas.
· Here is a link about OCC and Argentina: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child-countries/argentina/#ooid=9yZG0wbjrjlDN1_Z6_XZ7KNFL5-82qkj

Bolivia has 10.8 million people and is located in western-central South America. 33% of the population is 14 years old or younger. Shoebox gifts collected in the United States in 2015 will be delivered to 10,000 children in Bolivia. Praise God that over 564,800 children have received a shoebox since 1998, when Operation Christmas Child began distributing gifts here.

· Pray God will provide capable volunteers to build shoeboxes in Bolivia and that the God will give the team a strategic plan for distributing these boxes.
· Pray God provides likeminded Ministry Partners (i.e. local partners who hold Outreach Events for children receiving shoeboxes) who will carry out TGJ.

Brazil makes up half of the land surface and population of South America. Of the 315 People Groups 18% are unreached. There are 193 languages spoken there. Only 26% of the population is Evangelical Christian. 23% of the population is 14 years old or younger.
· Pray for the customs agent and that the government will grant permission to release the containers.
· Praise God for His provision this past year.
· Pray God provides the right contacts, who will open the doors of this country to OCC, so that the Brazilian children can hear and respond to the Gospel.

· Shoebox gifts collected in the United States in 2015 will be delivered to 10,000 children in Brazil.
· Praise God that over 246,200 children have received a shoebox since 2002, when Operation Christmas Child began distributing gifts here.
· Pray that future governments would not shirk from the painful but necessary process of excising all that is putrid and corrupt.
· Pray for the poverty that still affects 10s of millions. The poor, especially street children and indigenous peoples, often suffer terrible discrimination and exploitation. Debt slavery affects up to 250,000 people.
· Pray for the crime problem. Brazil is the world’s 2nd highest consumer of illicit drugs and the world’s highest rate of firearm homicides. Unprecedented breakthrough, spiritual and social, is needed to turn this around.
· Follow this link for pictures, stories of OCC Brazil and video of OCC: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child-countries/brazil/#ooid=9yZG0wbjrjlDN1_Z6_XZ7KNFL5-82qkj

“So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.” Acts 12:5 ESV

They prayed without ceasing. Fervent, persistent prayer sent an angel of the Lord to unlock prison chains, wake up Peter, get him to put his clothes on, slip past guards, and open iron gates. 

This is the power of prayer. This is why we pray for Operation Christmas Child, we believe in this same power of prayer! ​It is unlocking doors around the world for us to share the love of Jesus through the power of a simple gift-filled shoebox!

February Operation Christmas Child Prayer Requests

During the remaining part of February we will be praying for countries in Africa and South America. Each country only has one request so we will be praying for multiple countries each week. We will focus on 6 countries each week so you can pray for one each day and then have a day to pray for our NEA and Mid-South requests. The following is a list for the next 3 weeks so you will have all of the requests...Thank you for being faithful prayer warriors for Operation Christmas Child!

"Declare His glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!" 1 Chronicles 16:24 ESV

OCC NEA Prayer Request
You've been waiting for us to reveal the final number of shoeboxes collected in 2015, and we are so excited to share it with you! Please join us in praising God for each of these amazing gospel opportunities packed by all of YOU! Continue to pray for each of the children receiving these gifts, that they will feel the hope and love of Jesus Christ! We are so blessed to work alongside amazing OCC offices in other countries and want to share the totals from each one with you. Check out the number of shoeboxes collected from each sending country in 2015:

Australia - 342,814
Canada - 730,577
Finland - 32,631
Germany - 402,360
Japan - 11,478
Spain - 31,273
United Kingdom - 896,240
United States - 8,765,637
That's a total of 11,213,010!!
It’s not over though…now it’s time to get busy for 2016!

1. Pray as goals are being set for 2016 collections!!! 11,000 is what we are praying about so far for NEA. We will let you know soon when God leads us to our official number to be the NEA Goal for 2016! Melinda should be letting us know soon!

2. Pray as God leads us to add new members to our NEA team that we will place them in the areas where they are the most gifted to serve!


OCC Mid-South Prayer Request
1. Praise God for the many volunteer interest forms and volunteer applications we have received the past few weeks. We are excited to see how God is going to multiply the Mid-South in 2016!

2. Please begin praying for the Connect Conference in Wichita March 3-5. Several of our Arkansas volunteers will be attending.

3. Please pray for all Arkansas volunteers this month. For God to continue to use them to move the ministry of OCC forward in the state of Arkansas, for God to open doors with churches and community groups were they may have never heard of OCC or The Greatest Journey before. That God would create unity among all Arkansas area teams, strengthen them, encourage them, protect them, help the volunteers to find rest and to have good health and that they would most importantly grow ever closer to Him.

4. Pray for the new Arkansas Regional Manager Vicki Pepper. Pray for her as she transitions into leading all of the wonderful area teams in Arkansas and that God would give her wisdom, strength and energy in her new role.

International Prayer Requests1. Praise God for the 22 countries that have received shoeboxes and volunteer teams are now working hard in Outreach Events to share the Good News with children.

2. Pray for the shoeboxes still enroute on ships to children in 35 countries.

3. Pray for tax exemption of shoeboxes in sixteen countries primarily in Africa and South Asia.

4. Pray for customs clearance of the sea containers filled with shoebox Gospel Opportunities in Paraguay and Sensitive Middle East/North Africa Countries.


February 10 – 16th
Africa:
Angola
· Pray for the Prayer Coordinator and the restoration of his sight after recently having surgery on his left eye.

Benin
· Pray for us as we relaunch the shoebox season now that the embargo has lifted.

Burkina Faso
· Pray for the Assembly of God church in Mina that received shoeboxes in 2014. The church saw an increase in number of children attendance, but it was burned by villagers in the beginning of December 2015 because of their evangelization through OCC.

Guinea
· Praise God the World Health Organization has declared Guinea Ebola free.
· Pray for the churches as they receive shoeboxes this year. Pray they are able to meet the needs of the children and families of Ebola victims.

Guinea-Bissau
· Pray for the distributions and TGJ discipleship program. Pray many children and their families will come to Christ this year, especially as Islam continues to grow in Guinea-Bissau and much of the population still follows the traditional animistic religion.

Liberia
· Praise God for the arrival of seven containers at the port of Liberia. Pray for the successful distribution of these containers to needy children in Liberia.

February 17-23rd
Madagascar
· Pray for the outreach event in the Least Unreached People Group of Faux Cap next month.

Namibia
· Pray the new TGJ material in the Oshiwambo language will help spread the Gospel even further and with greater effectiveness.

Republic of Congo
· Pray God will open doors to reach the Unreached People Groups, especially indigenous people, who live in difficult situations.

Sierra Leone
· Pray the volunteers will be no logistical issues at the port.

South Africa
· Pray for the team in Cape Town as they start vision castings at Paarl for the first time in order to impact the unreached children there.

Tanzania
· Pray the authorities will quickly release the exemption documents after the changes with the government positions in the Tanzania Harbor Authorities.

February 24th – March 1st. 

South America
Chile
· Pray for the Easter Island Outreach Events to children. Pray God will continue to guide the team and will use the shoeboxes to open more doors of opportunity.

Costa Rica
· Pray God will open the doors for the team to take TGJ to public schools, especially as the government’s regulations and traditions can make this difficult.

Honduras
· Pray for the husband of the volunteer National Logistics Coordinator who was in a car accident and is now recovering from surgery.

Mexico
· Pray for the more than 330,000 children who will be discipled in TGJ in twenty-eight states throughout Mexico that God would open their hearts and the seeds of the Gospel would not be snatched away.

Panama
· Pray that OCC will be able to reach all of the indigenous groups safely and without influence from insurgent groups, politicians, and customs that can hinder the work of the Lord.

Suriname
· Pray more Ministry Partners will start prayer meetings for and with children.

Operation Christmas Child, Montenegro, & Poland

This week we are asking you to pray for Montenegro and Poland.  Montenegro is located on the Adriatic Sea, east of Italy. Most ethnic minorities have little or no interaction with the Good News of the Gospel Message. Poland is east of Germany on the Baltic Sea. Less than 1% of the population is evangelical Christian. Poland has 24 different people groups and 13 are unreached. 

Montenegro:

1. Pray for the people groups:  Pray for sensitive and loving outreach to the Bosniaks, who may number up to 11% of the population and will be almost exclusively Muslim.  The Albanians, among whom there are no evangelical churches or groups of believers! And to the Romani, officially only 0.5% of the population but likely significantly more. As in other Balkan nations, they are poorer, often despised and are proving more open to the gospel than most ethnic groups.

2. Pray the children who were saved will be able to regularly attend church and grow spiritually. Pray especially for the children who come from non-Christian families.

3. Pray for wisdom as the team plans for next year’s distributions and works to reach new children and their families.

Poland:

1. Pray God inspires more people to pray and fast for OCC. 

2. Pray God will provide more Prayer Coordinators to serve in the various regions of Poland.

3. Pray God calls the right people to serve as The Greatest Journey discipleship program teachers.

4. Pray for the children and families who have already heard the Gospel.

5. Pray for the unreached people groups of Poland, the largest groups unreached are the: The Jews, Turks, Tatar, Karaite, and the south Asians of Poland. 

NEA OCC REQUESTS: 

1. Pray for Alina Massey and all her speaking engagements. Pray God uses her testimony to inspire people to pack more boxes to bring about more Salvations and Discipleship. 

2. Pray for our 2015 goal of 10,200 - it's shoebox time!!!! Pray we will do abundantly more this year, in Jesus' Name! 

3. Pray that all of us that are year-around volunteers to be rooted and strengthened as the season is quickly approaching. 

“Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.” Psalm 96:2-4 ESV