Prayer

“My friends, by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the love that comes from the Holy Spirit, I beg you to pray sincerely with me and for me.” ~ Romans 15:30 (CEV)

Please pray for Kenya and RVA (January 2, 2008):

• For a peaceful resolution to the accusations, frustrations, and anger associated with the recent presidential election.
• For the violence to cease and for Kenya’s national leaders involved to pursue peaceful negotiation rather than provoking violent demonstrations. We recently heard of a church that burned in which 25 of the 30 deaths were children.
• On Wednesday 2 January, please pray specifically for a protest rally called by Odinga, the presidential challenger who led the campaign for months and lost the race quite suddenly on the third day of vote tallying. Odinga’s overall tone and response to the situation could have a significant impact on how Kenyan citizens react. The rally is planned for Thursday 3 January.
• For the prevalent tribalism that has surfaced during this presidential campaign, for the prejudice and hatred, and for God’s grace to prevail.
• For the Christians in Kenya, Kenyans and missionaries, to demonstrate God’s love, peace, and grace during this crisis, for God to be glorified in the midst of the turmoil.
• For people’s practical needs. The gas stations are completely out of fuel, and consequently, many stores are out of food. Most Kenyans do not have refrigerators or room for food storage and rely totally on fresh items which they buy on a daily basis. 
• Praise God for the godly leadership He has put in place at RVA. We have postponed the beginning of second term. Pray for wisdom as we consider our next course of action in light of Thursday’s protest rally. The decision to further postpone the opening of school or to proceed on the 7th will be made by noon on Friday 4 January.
• Praise God that we have all that we need (gas in our car, groceries, security) right now.
• Praise God for the quiet safety found in Kijabe.

Request (October 31, 2007):

• Please continue to pray for our friend John Barnett who has stage 4 non-Hodgkins large-cell lymphoma. He was scheduled to have a second chemo treatment on Monday, then yesterday, and then today, but it has been postponed because he has an infection. His doctor will be out of the country for the next month.
• Pray for our dorm girls. Several are struggling with impulsive talking and giggling at inappropriate times, revealing a spirit of disrespect, lack of consideration, and negative attitudes, as well as general immaturity. Another staff member very astutely pointed out today that the times they seem to struggle the most are spiritual teaching and/or growth situations (church, dorm devotions, Sunday school, prayer breakfast, etc.). We are confronting the issue; pray that we will do so firmly, consistently, and with wisdom.
• Praise God that Paul and Carolyn had a lovely evening together away from RVA on Saturday night, our first break from our duties since August.

Request (October 22, 2007):

• Please pray for God to raise up and bring a short-term (two school terms, January—July) band director to RVA in January. The current band director and his family postponed their furlough by several months because of our struggles to find a qualified substitute, but they simply must return to the States in December. We’ve heard rumor of a recent college graduate who may be interested, but timing and raising support are challenging issues.

Requests (October 17, 2007):

• Please pray for my friend Joyce’s mother (the lady from the 4-Runner story). She is in the AIC Kijabe Hospital with pneumonia and TB. (Praise as of October 31. I visited Joyce’s mother in her home today, and she was talkative, cheerful, and visibly, significantly stronger than the last time I saw her. She said to thank you for your prayers.)
• Please pray for our friend, John Barnett. John is our parents’ age and is from a family that has produced several generations of missionaries. The U.S. director of our mission is a Barnett. John and his wife, Elaine, have served at RVA for their entire adult lives. He was Paul’s physics teacher in 83-84. John was just diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkins large-cell lymphoma. Please pray for successful chemotherapy treatment and for healing. For Elaine. That their son, Glen, and his family would be able to travel to Kenya from South Africa to be with him.

Requests (September 12, 2007):

• There’s been a lot of sickness going around the school. Living in such close community means we share all sorts of things. Many students have been sick, even spending several days in the Student Health Center. Pray for strong immune systems. While our dorm girls have remained relatively healthy, a few of them are on the verge of illness. Many need more sleep than they’re getting.
• Paul and Carolyn both fought off a stomach bug over the weekend. Carolyn is, for the most part, back to normal. Paul is still not feeling well.
• We have quite a few homesick girls; at 12, our dorm has the largest number of first-time boarders on campus. One girl in particular has struggled more than others with loneliness, crying, and severe homesickness. Pray for her adjustment, peace, and joy. Pray for God to comfort her. Pray for her to make one or two good friends. (Praiseas of October 5. The girl that was extremely homesick has become good friends with a group of 4 or 5 girls, 9th and 10th graders. She is much happier at RVA than she was during the first weeks!)
• Balance continues to be an issue for both Paul and Carolyn. Pray that we will spend quality time together as a couple, as well as a family, while attending to our ministries of dorm parenting, writing, editing, teaching, counseling, and more.

Requests (August 15, 2007):

• Praise God! We’re in Kijabe finally! And four of our twelve pieces of luggage that were delayed eventually found their way here!
• Thank God for the many friends here, old and new, who have worked very hard to keep us fed, to keep us informed, to include us in activities, to take us shopping, and more, making us feel very loved! Praise God for these faithful workers, most of whom are full-term (here for life!). Thank God for their commitment to serve Him among missionaries’ children and for going beyond the call of duty to make us feel so welcome!
• Thank God for the brief, but wonderful trip our family enjoyed to the coast. It provided a much needed opportunity for relaxation and quality family time before the students arrive on August 27 and our responsibilities begin.
• New Staff Orientation begins on Wednesday, August 15. Please pray for us to have ears to hear all that God has for us to learn. Pray for us to help others feel welcomed and comfortable.
• Please pray for our dorm girls, that our family will help them feel loved, welcomed, and encouraged: Joy, Ashley, Ee young, Hannah, Lydia, Kaylen, Lisa, Heri, Cathrin, Joanna, Gloria, Olive-Kemi, Stephanie, Sierra, Jane, Karina, Sarah, Charis, and Rebekah.
• Please pray that we will wisely balance all our responsibilities, not neglecting our family and our own spiritual growth.
• In addition to serving as a dorm parent, Carolyn will be in the guidance office, helping the seniors with the college application process. While she has a relative degree of confidence in her abilities to assist students with application essays and experience teaching college survival skills (time management, study skills, making wise choices, etc.), she is less sure of her competence regarding the nitty-gritty details of the application process. “‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses… For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor. 12:9-10)
• Please pray for Lily’s 4th grade teacher, Andrea Alpheis. She is currently in the States raising support because she is under-supported. Pray for her funds to come in quickly and abundantly! She sounds like a perfect fit for Lily! (Praise—Andrea is fully supported now and arrived in Kijabe on Monday, August 20!)

Requests (July 26, 2007—6 days until departure):

• We had ambitiously hoped to be finished packing by now to circumvent any unforeseen difficulties. We’re not packed. Pray for productivity and efficiency. (Praise as of August 2! We’re here!)
• Thank God for all the helpers, cooks, child care friends, and prayer warriors He’s brought our way!
• Please continue to pray that the logistics, details, and personal/human issues related to renting our home will work out according to God’s will. Pray that we will have wisdom and discernment regarding rental particulars, very new terrain for us. Thank God for friends who do have experience as landlords and knowledge and can give us sound advice. 

 Praying for Missionaries’ Children:

When God calls Christians into ministry, He desires the whole family to be part of His witness in the community they serve. … Unfortunately, Satan is … aware that one of his most effective strategies in hindering the Lord’s work is to destroy the witness of the family, so he often takes advantage of the vulnerability of children. … Missionaries’ kids are extremely important members of the missionary team although often they are not recognized as such. Effective, strategic, knowledgeable prayer on their behalf can prevent the significant loss caused by their not adjusting to God’s will for them. 

From Praying for Missionaries’ Kids by Dr. Will Bruce. Download this pamphlet for information, specific points, and suggestions for interceeding on behalf of MKs.

Requests (July 16, 2007—16 days until departure):

• Please pray for Carolyn’s mother, Joan Coley. She is having surgery on Tuesday, July 17 at 12:45 p.m. (GMT -05:00)! (Praise as of July 18! Surgery went well, and she’s at home now.)
• Please pray for us to be productive and to get everything packed by July 25 to give us time for any unexpected mishaps. (July 26—We’re not packed yet!)
• Pray for God to bring helpers for packing stuff (books, toys, etc.) for storage and for moving furniture and boxes to the storage spaces in our home.
• Thank God for the precious family He has brought to rent our home for the year. Pray for our home to be a blessing to them. Pray for all the details realted to renting to work out smoothly (insurance, contract, storing stuff, etc.).  

Requests (July 1, 2007—31 days until departure):

• Please pray for God to bring someone to rent our home. We need renters for our house and fast. Please share the attached flyer (Home for Rent) with anyone (especially, but not exclusively, with those in Christian ministry) who may be interested in renting a home in Raleigh from August 2007 until July 2008. You may also direct people to a past poston this blog. (Praise as of July 12!)
• Pray for God to bring in the remaining needed financial support. Currently, there is approximately $23,000 in our AIM account. We are required to have 75% of our total support ($43K) in our account before we will be given financial clearance to leave for Kenya; the remaining 25% is to be in pledges. Of the $32,700 required for clearance, we still lack approximately $9,700 in cash, needed by July 15 or sooner.
• Thank God for those who have contributed financially to our ministry, and pray for Him to abundantly bless them, that He will “throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that [they] will not have room enough for it” (Malachi 3:10).
• Please pray for God’s help with all the details (big and small) associated with packing, cleaning, paperwork, appointments, phone calls, etc.
• Please pray for Carolyn’s mother, Joan, who is having surgery on July 17. (Praise as of July 18! Surgery went well, and she’s at home now.)
• Both Lily and Silas have birthdays in July. Lily will turn 9 on July 5; Silas will turn 7 on July 31. Pray that both children will feel special and well loved by all their friends and family.

Praise (June 8, 2007):

• The long-awaited passports arrived today via FedEx!  

Requests (June 4, 2007):

• STILL need three passports (nearly 14 weeks since submitting applications)! Carolyn inquired with our congressman’s office today and faxed his office a release/authorization for intervention on our behalf. We need passport numbers to apply for the required E-Permits.

Requests (May 31, 2007):

• STILL praying for Paul’s, Lily’s, and Silas’ passports!
• We plan to start immunizations within the next week. Pray especially for Silas who despises shots and isn’t sure he wants to go to Kenya anyway. (completed as of June 21!)
• Praise God for the financial support raised so far and for so many generous friends and family members. Pray for the remaining 70-75% required for our departure, exactly two months from tomorrow.

Requests (May 20, 2007):

• our passports to arrive ASAP (applications were submitted nearly 12 weeks ago).
• the right renters for our home. (Praise as of July 12!)
• Carolyn’s father as he struggles to understand the decision to go to Kenya.

Requests (March 17, 2007):

• seemingly endless logistical details.
• what to do with our house. (Praise as of July 12!)
• safety while in Kenya.
• Paul’s leave-of-absence (approved as of March 28!).
• the kids’ transition.
• financial support (20% raised as of May 19!).

“Pray that I will be given the message to speak and that I may fearlessly explain the mystery about the good news. I was sent to do this work … So pray that I will be brave and will speak as I should.” ~ Ephesians 6:19-20 (CEV)

 

To become a member of our prayer team, please e-mail Carolyn to let me know, and I’ll add your e-mail address to our list. We share specific requests with prayer team members on a regular basis (1–3 times a week) via e-mail. You can (and we hope you will!) pray for us as you think of us; this Prayerpage will be updated periodically. In the past, I’ve promised over and over to pray for people, ministries, or needs with some specifically stated frequency (i.e. “daily”), only to be disappointed at my inevitable inability to do so. Because of my own human shortcomings, I’m not comfortable asking others for a particular commitment.  On the other hand, we recognize the necessity of a group of believers willing to receive our detailed prayer requests, who will stand in the gap for us and our ministry. If you are interested and feel called to join the Koning prayer team, please contact me directly.