September weeks 3 & 4 Pray for Operation Christmas Child

During the 3rd week of September we are praying for Moldova, Poland and Romania.

Moldova’s request is: Pray for the children who have heard the Gospel through OCC and the follow-up work with them. Click here for a video link: Moldova OCC Video

Poland’s requests are:
*Pray God will provide a new vision for OCC in Poland. Pray that He will open the hearts of more children and their families.
*Pray for wisdom as the team prepares for the national volunteer meetings in Sobieszowo.

Romania’s request is: Pray God will provide someone to serve as a volunteer leader in the Moldova area. For Livia's Romanian Shoebox Story click here: Shoebox Stories! 

Romania Operation Christmas Child Distribution

During the 4th week of September we are praying for Serbia and Slovakia. 

Serbia’s requests are:

OCC Distribution Serbia

* Pray God will bless the children who receive the shoeboxes and their parents. Pray they will accept God and follow Him.
* Pray the volunteers and other believers are able to teach the children how to apply biblical principles they learn through TGJ to their everyday lives.
* Pray for the new national volunteers as they begin to serve in their new roles.
* Pray the people from the new Roma house group that formed after the distributions will increase in the wisdom and revelation of the knowledge of God.
* Pray OCC will reach more children in the coming season.

Solovakia is a locked central European state south of Poland. Only 1% of the over 5 million population is Evangelical Christian. There are 20 different people groups that speak 13 different languages. Slovakia’s requests are:
* Pray for the new OCC season in Slovakia. Pray many children will become true disciples of Christ through TGJ.
* Pray God will open the doors for OCC Outreach Events to occur in the places God has put on the heart of the local church pastors.

* Slovakia Shoebox Testimony: Dominika was raised in Slovakia, and her family was very poor. When she was four years old, her father left them, and her mother had no money to buy gifts for Christmas. That year, Dominika received a shoebox gift from Operation Christmas Child. For the first time, as she read the note in her box talking about Jesus' love, she felt that someone loved her. 

For the History of Operation Christmas Child Timeline Click Here: https://www.samaritans-purse.org.uk/who-we-are/our-history/history-of-operation-christmas-child/ 

OCC Prayer, Slovakia, & Pastor Saeed

This week will you pray for Slovakia.  It is a locked central European state south of Poland. Only 1% of the over 5 million population is Evangelical Christian.  There are 20 different people groups that speak 13 different languages.  

1.    Pray that the ministry partners will understand the Operation Christmas Child vision.  

2.    Pray that mission agencies and local churches cooperate to the best effect, with joy and humility. 

3.    Pray for those reaching out to them, for love that will overcome all barriers and stereotypes.

WORLD REQUESTS:

1.    Pray for Pastor Saeed Abedine.  It's been nearly three years since Pastor Saeed, an American citizen, was imprisoned in Iran for his faith in Jesus Christ. His wife Nagmeh, who lives in the U.S. with their two young children, is calling for Christians worldwide to join her in a prayer vigil at noon on September 26—the third anniversary of his imprisonment.  Pastor Saeed has been repeatedly beaten and denied medical care, yet he continues to be a beacon for the Gospel among his fellow prisoners. Please pray for his health and that he will be released soon.  Please remember Pastor Saeed, his family, and persecuted believers around the globe. We can be assured that our God hears the prayers of His people: “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1 John 5:14).

REGIONAL REQUESTS:

1.    Pray for wisdom to recruit, select and lead new and/or transitioning volunteers. 

2.    Pray for provision of resources to reach God-sided goals for the current year!  Our Mid-south shoebox goal is 737,500 boxes.   

3.    Pray for the Collection and Relay Center Coordinators as they prepare for collection week. 

4.    Pray for Media relations volunteers that they will find favor with newspapers, TV, and radio. 

5.    Pray for Church and Community relations volunteers as they share about OCC.  

6.    Pray for the Full-Circle Tours as they continue.

SHOEBOX SIMULCAST PRAYERS September 22 @ 6:30pm, 24 @6:30pm, and 25th @11:30am.  Our Shoebox Simulcast series is THIS WEEK! We would love each of you to BATHE these three simulcasts in prayer. We want you, our prayer army, to mobilize and build a wall of protection around these simulcasts set for TODAY, the 24th and 25th.

We hope to reach a very big audience to get people inspired to advocate for our shoebox recipients and cast the vision for The Greatest Journey. We believe the enemy hates this and will do anything possible to stop this ministry from moving forward. We ask you to pray and pray specifically over these three dates and times listed above. We ask you to spend devoted time asking God to do great and mighty things through these simulcasts to get more people packing shoeboxes!

You can pray specifically seven ways:

1.    That technology will work excellently for each of the simulcasts. That all people who want to join in will not be hindered or frustrated by using Skype. That our staff will have no issues with our systems, our programs, or our sound. That all participating can hear clearly and fully and see their screen to follow along.

2.    That people will make a concerted effort to join in and be fully attentive. That no hindrance or scheme will keep those intended from being available to participate.

3.    That our OCC Connect volunteers will be better equipped, well-versed, and encouraged by new updates and concrete their knowledge in the basics of OCC.

4.    That our project leaders would learn new ways to implement OCC in their churches, community groups, and prayer groups. That they would be inspired to reach even more children and advocate more passionately for the children of the world.

5.    That individuals who have packed boxes will be encouraged to go deeper with OCC and learn more about how to get further involved.

6.    That church leaders and staff would truly grasp the depth of this project and the worldwide disciple-making movement that it is.

7.    For our goal of 737,000 shoeboxes to come from TN, AR, and KY in these next few months. We ask for God to do it and to do it marvelously! “For you are great and do marvelous deeds; You alone are God!” Psalm 86:10 NIV