Fruit, Harvest & OCC

Picking apples Monday night with my husband made me start thinking about homemade apple pies, fruit, and harvest.  As Christians we should always be producing fruit and be ready for harvest also.  Christian Fruit comes from pursuing a steadfast relationship with Jesus. There’s no other way. Too much doing and not enough abiding make our lives weak and our fruit weak. A consistent diligent pursuit of abiding in Christ will produce lasting fruit.  As you spend some time abiding in Christ and His Word, will you pray for OCC. 

Join us in praying for a great harvest of sweet fruit this 2015 collection season that will reap many Gospel Opportunities (shoeboxes) which will bring about many more children going through The Greatest Journey and accepting Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior!   

Without abiding there is no fruit.

Without prayer there is no abiding.

Without prayer there is no fruit.

Prayer produces fruit! 

Also, OCC is excited to announce partnership with the Kendrick Brother’s Production of their new Christian film, War Room – a family-friendly movie that explores the transformational role of discipleship and prayer in our lives. The movie opened August 28. For more about the movie (official trailer, theatres and showtimes, etc.) visit www.samaritanspurse.org/occ/war-room  

    •Pray this new partnership will be an encouragement to the OCC family and to children around the world.

OCC International Prayer Requests for September are: 

1. Wisdom to recruit, select and lead new and/or transitioning volunteer leadership team members.

2. Provision of resources to reach their God-sized goals for the current year.

Specifically this week pray for Bosnia-Herzegovina and Moldova. 

Bosnia-Herzegovina's requests are: 

1. Pray every member of the team will quickly adjust to their roles and will put into practice what they learned at the international volunteer training in Greece.

2. Pray the team will follow God’s leading to prepare well for the upcoming shoebox season and for wisdom in decisions that need to be made.

3. Please pray for the teachers and children that will be involved in The Greatest Journey discipleship program. Pray many more children will complete the program this year!

Moldova's requests are:

1. Pray for the upcoming national volunteer training in September. Pray that all of the invited participants will be able to come together and have a blessed, productive time.

2. Pray for the children. Pray the seed of God’s Word will bear fruit in their lives.

NEA OCC requests are: 

1. Saturday, September 12th, be praying for Alina as she is traveling and doing her "full-circle" speaking! 2. Pray for a good attendance at all her events! 

3. Pray for reaching our NEA goal of 10,200, and for each group/church/county's specific goals also. 

4. Pray for the churches that are participating in packing shoeboxes for the 1st time this year, that they will have success and see good fruit in their efforts! 

Thank You very much for your dedication to prayer for Operation Christmas Child. 

“Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ"

Colossians 4:2-3a NKJV

Jennifer 

Lean on Me

Despite struggles, disappointment, persecution (which we really don't have a clue about in the USA), hard work, or loneliness we should persevere. We should press on. We should finish the race. Our love for Christ and for the lost souls of the world should motivate us to keep going, no matter how rugged or steep the road ahead seems. Let us never waver from the call that is placed on each of our lives. Everyone may not be called to be a pastor's wife, dental hygienist, mom, or Sunday school teacher, but we are all called to be and do something. What are you called to do? Are you willing to press on even when the battle is tough? When the opposition is steep? When you are standing alone or with just a faithful few? It's not always easy but it's always worth it. 

“Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 3:13-14 ESV

I am reminded of a song I sung as a kid in church with my friend, Deanna, called "Lean on Me" by Gary Mathena: 

"When the road ahead seems rugged and the path is getting steep, I feel that I can’t make it and my heart begins to weep. Then I turn to see who’s comin’ to join me in the way, and I see that it’s my Savior and I hear Him gently say, 

"Lean on Me when you have no strength to stand. When you feel you're goin' under, hold tighter to my hand. Lean on me when your heart begins to bleed when you come to the place that I'm all you have, then you'll find I'm all you need." 

How many people do we come in contact with each day that need to hear that Jesus is all they need? 

Share Him with someone today! It will lift your spirit and make their day too!  

"Each one can reach one

As we follow after Christ
We all can lead one
We can lead somebody to the Savior
Then together we can tell the world
That Jesus is the Way
If we each one reach one"

Gabon & Mali

Tonight will you join me in praying for Gabon & Mali? 

Gabon's specific requests are:

1. Pray God will sustain The Greatest Journey (TGJ) discipleship program teachers so that, despite the delays in starting the course, the children will complete the training.

2. Pray God will work in the hearts of the children so they will follow the full TGJ course with perseverance.

Mali's specific requests are:

1. Pray for peace in Mali.

2. Pray the Ministry Partners who conduct the outreach programs understand the full OCC program.

3. Pray for the effectiveness of the national and regional volunteer leadership teams.

NEA OCC requests:

1. Prayer for our NEA goal of 10,200. 

2. Pray for a successful kick off event on Saturday, September 12th, when Alina Massey, from Romania, will be speaking at First Free Will Baptist Church in Jonesboro, 5407 Stadium Blvd, sharing her full-circle. Join us there at 10am. 

3. Pray for our team to continue to be rooted and strengthened. 

"Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I know that you always hear me...” (John 11:41-42 ESV)

Have a blessed night,

Jennifer 

It is almost back to school time!

Back to school time always makes by tummy hurt!  It has ever since I was an elementary student, and now it does since I have teenagers in high school.  Maybe once they graduate college, I will get past the back to school jitters!  Prayer is the best way I overcome them.  We need to continue to pray for our teachers, administrators, school resource officers, and students, as it all begins again in less than one week.  I pray that the students will be filled with good knowledge, not worldly things as this new school year begins.  I pray for them to have the courage to stand for Truth and be the Light to the darkness around them.  I pray that they will grow in their personal relationship with the Lord, their Christian friends, and their Godly teachers and role models.  Will you join me in praying for God's peace and divine knowledge to reign in our schools, classrooms, students, teachers, and families during the 2015-16 school year?

Romans 12:12 says "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer" - this should be our actions, as Christians and as parents, always!  

On a side note...Technology makes me want to scream, even though I really enjoy it!!!!  I started this blog a while ago and as of today, I have a huge following of two subscribers. Haha!  My husband told me my link was broken.  So if you have tried to follow this blog, sorry!  Now, maybe, it is fixed!  To subscribe, here is what you do: 

http://jenniferbarnett.blogspot.com  

As For Me And My House

1. It works best from a computer OR scroll to the bottom of the blog and click  "view web version" from a mobile phone or iPad.
2. Scroll back to the top and click on the "orange Subscribe in a reader link" on the left side - this will take you to a new page. 
3. In the box on the upper right side of the screen choose a reader or click on "Get As For Me And My House delivered by email" and enter your email address in the box.
4. Type in the code to prevent spam.
5. Verify your email with the email link that you receive as an email.  It is that easy!  I hope you enjoy your subscription!

Have a Blessed Sunday,
Jennifer

August OCC Prayer week 1

August 4 – 7, 2015 is the international Africa Connect Conference where over 170 volunteers will be traveling from across the region to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Pray that volunteers will come with open hearts to be encouraged and inspired to further the Gospel to children in their countries. Join us in prayer that God will: 

1. Encourage volunteers in their walk with the Lord and be equipped to do the work of the OCC ministry in 2015 & beyond.

2. Mobilize teams across the region to meet their 2016 distribution goals of 3.8 Million Gift Boxes and 1.2 Million TGJ.

3. Pray also for Conference Support Team.

4. Pray for Conference Speakers. 

A little History: This region has grown significantly in the last few years where over 25,664,505 Gospel Opportunities have been distributed, 1,274,601  children have participated in The Greatest Journey with over 587,358 reported decisions for Christ.

Our Regional Prayer Requests for OCC Mid-South are: 

1. Pray for God to provide new churches to partner with us as drop-off locations in 2015.

2. Continue to pray for God to call the right candidate to fill the role as Regional Manager in the Arkansas area.

3. Pray for the health of Mid-South volunteers. Many are dealing with serious health concerns.

4. Pray for Area Coordinators and Ministry Coordinators as they lead area teams and pray for unity among the teams.

5. Pray for the Mid-South Shoebox Goal of 737,500!!

6. August 5 - Quarterly Day of Prayer and Fasting - join us as we ask our Heavenly Father to work in the hearts of the children impacted by war, poverty, famine, disease, and exploitation that they may know Jesus.

NEA Area Team Prayer Requests:

1. NEA Goal 10,200 Shoeboxes

2. Saturday, September 10th, Alina Massey, from Romania, will be speaking at First Free Will Baptist Church in Jonesboro, 5407 Stadium Blvd, sharing her full-circle story!  Be in prayer for her and come hear how a simple shoebox gift made an eternal difference in her life!

Global OCC requests this week are to be in prayer for Burkina Faso and Cameroon.  Specific requests are below:

Burkina Faso

1. Pray for the political situation and a good end for the transition in Burkina Faso.

2.  Pray for a successful national volunteer leadership training this year.

3. Pray for the impact of the ministry in the three new regions.

Cameroon

1. Pray God will bring peace to Cameroon so that the country won’t be destabilized by outside forces who stop the advancement of the Kingdom of God.

Thank You for your prayers. 

Jennifer 

"The prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results" James 5:16

Operation Christmas Child 

July OCC Prayer Requests

July and summer are quickly ending as so is our list of prayer requests for the Sensitive Areas and Countries in the Middle East and North Africa.  Here are the specific request we are asking you to pray about this week:

• Pray the countries can become part of the OCC program
• Pray God protects the volunteers in the midst of the civil war.
• Pray for the Christians who are facing persecution from ISIS.
• Pray for the children who are currently enrolled in The Greatest Journey discipleship program.
• Pray for the team as they face challenges because of ISIS. 
• As mentioned last week, continue to pray for the Four OCC International Volunteer Leadership Meetings will occur around the world over the next few months. Pray that volunteers will come with open hearts to be encouraged and inspired to further the Gospel to children in their countries. 
• Also, continue to be in prayer for the August 5th Quarterly Day of Prayer and Fasting for OCC.

Sensitive Areas in the Middle East & North Africa

The rest of this week will you join NEA OCC in praying for Sensitive Areas and Countries in the Middle East and North Africa?   

Specifically pray for:

• 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.
• Pray for the many outreach events that will take place in the next two months.
• Pray God will provide transportation for the refugee children so they can attend school.
• Pray God will use the gifts to reveal His love to the children.
• Pray God will open doors for OCC to reach new areas. 
• Pray the team will get permission from the government to distribute gifts in the schools.
• Pray God gives the team guidance and discernment in selecting distribution areas.
• Pray for the families who have been affected by the severe flooding.
• Pray for the upcoming Ministry Partner training where local leaders learn how to create outreach events to distribute shoebox gifts and share the Gospel.
• Pray for the team as they search for a new consignee.
• Four OCC International Volunteer Leadership Meetings will occur around the world over the next few months. Pray that volunteers will come with open hearts to be encouraged and inspired to further the Gospel to children in their countries. 
• August 5th is our next Quarterly Day of Prayer and Fasting for OCC.

Have a blessed week!