Operation World: Africa

I really love Operation World! It can be hard to keep up with it on a daily basis, but I am committed to doing it and it is worth it. Over the first couple of weeks of the year the book focuss on the world as a whole and each of the continents. Sometime in February I think it will begin to focus on individual countries.

This week has been Africa. Africa was already on my heart this week, for a few reasons, so I was kind of excited. The little girl that I sponsor lives there so I am always remembering her in my prayers and it was neat to learn more about where she lives and what the prayer needs are there. 2. A friend from choir was on a mission trip there and I had been praying for her. Then the 3rd came up on Tuesday morning when I got an email from a missionary that we just commissioned late last year who will be working in a mission hospital for 2010 and 2011 primarily with HIV patients.

I had just mentioned to the church that I would like to offer assistance with any missionaries that needed help filing their tax returns and he wrote me right way and said that was an answer to their prayers. I have been praying for him and his family all week. I am so thrilled that God is able to use me to help make their lives easier while on the mission field, even if it's with something so small! I hope that he will share prayer requests with me so that I can be praying for specific needs while his family is there for the next two years.

Some bits of info. on Africa/Prayer Needs:

*Africa has 12.9% of the world's population

*Income per person is $660 which is 2% of USA

*71% of the world's AIDS cases in 1999 were in Africa. By 2000 a moderate estimate was 25 million infected with HIV and 12.25 million orphans due to AIDS. 

*2,110 languages spoken in Africa, at least 297 of which the Bible has not been translated into yet.

*Millions are being evangelized and responded, but non-Christian customs and worldviews have invaded the Church. Syncretism is a major problem in many areas. Thorough-going repentence and renunciation of sin and the works of darkness are often lacking and many Christians are not free from the fear of witchcraft and evil spirits.

*Islam is the major challenge for Christianity today - both the 160 million Muslims north of the Sahara and the 157 million in sub-Saharan Africa. The use of oil-funded education, aid projects and grants and a well-orchestrated drive to give Islam a role in Africa's political life has had some success.

Wow, condensing all that I covered this week was harder than I thought. There are so many more prayer needs that I didn't even mention. I am learning so much. Please take a few moments and pray for Africa. My favorite quote at the beginning of the book says, "When man works, man works; when man prays, God works." Kindda cool knowing that we aren't completely helpless. When we intercede on behalf of others God is able to do mighty things just like in this week's reading when Abraham intercedes for Lot in Chapter 18 of Genesis. Pray for the missionaries there and for Judele, too!