TEARFUND PRAYER DIARY SEPTEMBER 2016 WHOEVER HAS EARS: 4-10 SEPTEMBER Chad is a country in the grip of an emergency. An estimated 5.9 million children here in the Sahel region of Africa will suffer from acute malnutrition in 2016, and already one in five doesn't make it to their fifth birthday* Let's go to the rural village of Hille Bar this week, to pray for those affected by hunger, and those responding. SUNDAY 4 SEPTEMBER 'The hungry have no ears' is a Chadian proverb shared by village chief Abdel. It's a powerful metaphor for where this community is in terms of development. People are so consumed with scraping together enough food to stay alive that they don't have headspace for anything else. Pray for our partner PEDC in Chad, meeting immediate needs so that later they can empower people to transform their situation. MONDAY 5 SEPTEMBER Jumana is a mother of six. In this photo, she's digging through an ants' nest in 50 degree heat, collecting small seeds buried there by the insects so that she can feed them to her children. Such is the desperation this family faces. Spend a moment praying for those who are desperate today, for God's peace and strength. TUESDAY 6 SEPTEMBER Yasmin is Jumana's six-year-old daughter. 'Yasmin goes to play,' says Jumana, 'but her hunger prevents her from playing. And when she is hungry, she will come and lie down close to me on the mat.' Pray for children whose childhoods are marred by hunger. WEDNESDAY 7 SEPTEMBER 'In the Bible, we see Jesus doing miracles to feed multitudes of people. I believe that if he were here, he would do the same thing to feed the people here,' says Paulin from Tearfund partner PEDC. Pray for our new appeal to help desperate families like Jumana's, that people will be moved to give their time, money and prayers in support. THURSDAY 8 SEPTEMBER The majority of people in Hille Bar are Muslim, yet there is a church. Its members struggle with poverty too, but they are passionate about partnering with PEDC to turn things around. Things would be much worse without the good work they've already begun. Thank God that he is already where the need is greatest, and it's our privilege to join him there. FRIDAY 9 SEPTEMBER The river is drying up due to the changing climate, meaning it's getting harder to water crops. Among the work started in Hille Bar is a communal nursery area close to the remaining water, where crops can still be grown. This is just the beginning. Once people are back from the brink of starvation, this work can be expanded and people will dare to hope again. Pray that this day will come soon. SATURDAY 10 SEPTEMBER Father God, our hearts are broken by these stories of such desperate hunger. Help us to see with Jesus' eyes, to look through desperation to where hope can be planted, and to do what we can to bring this hope to vibrant life. Amen. *Source: Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
SPIRIT IN MOTION: 11-17 SEPTEMBER The Paralympic Games continue this week in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The games are a major international multi-sport event, involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities. As we follow Jesus where the need is greatest, Tearfund works with people with disabilities in many communities and different circumstances across the world. SUNDAY 11 SEPTEMBER Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling-block in front of the blind, but fear your God. Leviticus 19:14 Give thanks for the Paralympics, which help raise global awareness of what people with disabilities can do. Pray for those living in places where people living with disability are ostracised or victimised. MONDAY 12 SEPTEMBER U Soe Win from Myo Chaung village, Myanmar, is severely disfigured by leprosy. He was shunned by his community until Tearfund partner Leprosy Mission International (LMI) worked with the community to combat this prejudice. 'They helped me realise I am equal to people who are not disabled,' says U Soe. Pray for the success of his liquid soap business that LMI helped him set up. TUESDAY 13 SEPTEMBER Now no longer stigmatised, U Soe Win leads a self-help group in his village for people with disabilities. 'Since I realised I was equal to those who are not disabled, I have been encouraging others in my community to believe the same,' he says. Pray that group members will be inspired by U Soe's example and find their own sense of worth. WEDNESDAY 14 SEPTEMBER Nyakouth, a mother of six from Jonglei, South Sudan, lost her husband, who was caught in the crossfire between government and rebel forces. She now lives with her disabled father-in-law, who struggles to provide for them. When her malnourished baby son fell sick, he was treated in a Tearfund clinic. 'I want to thank Tearfund for helping us,' says Nyakouth. Pray that her son will continue to gain in strength. THURSDAY 15 SEPTEMBER 'Families with a disabled child are more vulnerable to be trafficked,' says Abraham Dennyson, who worked for many years with Tearfund partner Emmanuel Hospital Association (EHA) helping to prevent child trafficking in India. Pray for EHA as it sets up livelihood programmes to help protect disabled people from the lure of traffickers. FRIDAY 16 SEPTEMBER Tearfund partner Centro Intereclesial de Estudios Teologicos y Sociales (CIEETS) in Nicaragua trains church and community leaders to be agents of social transformation. CIEETS is training pastors about disability from a Biblical perspective - challenging the perception that disability is a sin. Pray for the pastors spreading positive messages about people with disabilities in churches across Nicaragua. SATURDAY 17 SEPTEMBER Join in this prayer today: 'Lord Jesus Christ, we ask that as the champions of the world unite in the spirit of Paralympic competition, you would grant us a vision of a world united in mutual respect and tolerance. We ask this in your name. Amen.' (A Prayer for the 2012 Paralympic Games composed by the Church of England Liturgical Commission.)
OUR VOICES HEARD: 18-24 SEPTEMBER It's shocking that 70 per cent of people living in poverty are women. Gender-based violence causes more deaths and disability among women aged 15 to 44 than cancer, malaria, traffic accidents and war. Tearfund is committed to ensuring that every aspect of our work is sensitive to gender, and encourages churches worldwide to support and advocate for the equal worth of men and women. SUNDAY 18 SEPTEMBER Female genital mutilation (FGM) is widespread in many countries in Africa and the Middle East. Globally, it affects one girl every ten seconds. Pray for our partners' efforts to end the practice, which frequently leaves women traumatised and suffering from a range of physical difficulties. MONDAY 19 SEPTEMBER Nadine was subjected to FGM at the age of 12. 'They were the most frightening and painful minutes of my life,' she remembers. Now aged 30, still experiencing pain from her injuries, Nadine volunteers with Tearfund's partner, spreading the message about preventing sexual abuse. Pray that Nadine's story will inspire others and help prevent FGM. TUESDAY 20 SEPTEMBER 'I feel I have left my pain at the cross. I thank God for the hope of a fresh start,' says Monica, a survivor of sexual violence from Monrovia, Liberia. Pray for those who participated in a workshop of healing from the wounds of trauma in Liberia in December 2015 with Tearfund partners. WEDNESDAY 21 SEPTEMBER 'Aged 14, I was alone when a man forced himself into our home and raped me,' says Solange who lives in North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Rejected by her family, she was helped by a Tearfundsupported Community Action Group who brought her for medical treatment. Praise God that they have helped reconcile Solange with her family THURSDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 'I thought that domestic violence was something that happened to other women,' says Viany, a mother of two from Barranquilla, Colombia. 'My husband started to yell at me, but when he punched me repeatedly I realised that the situation was untenable.' Viany is now part of a team helping women victims of domestic violence in Comunidad PAS church, supported by Tearfund partner Viva Network. Lift up Viany today and ask that she would be healed from past traumas. FRIDAY 23 SEPTEMBER 'Sexual violence leaves physical damage and emotional scars, the experience cannot be erased from your memory.' These are the words of a sexual abuse survivor interviewed for a report on sexual violence in the Central African Republic, To Make Our Voices Heard, co-sponsored by BMS World Mission and Tearfund. Pray that the report, launched in the House of Lords last year, will put sexual violence higher up the political agenda. SATURDAY 24 SEPTEMBER Dear Lord, thank you that your Son Jesus affirmed women throughout his teaching, at a time when society gave women little value. We pray for wisdom for faith and government leaders in the United Kingdom as they seek to take action against sexual and gender-based violence throughout the world. Amen. *Names have been changed this week to protect people's identities.
RESILIENCE THROUGH SELF-HELP: 25 SEPTEMBER 1 OCTOBER In Ethiopia, the transforming power of self-help groups (SHGs) can be seen as the number continues to grow, with now more than 18,000 SHGs and 330,000 members. Tearfund is supporting families as they struggle to recover from the worst drought in 50 years. As part of your prayers this week, we encourage you to set aside a small amount of money something like 20p. As you do so, remember and identify with the people who are saving together as part of SHGs. SUNDAY 25 SEPTEMBER SHGs are often made up of the poorest people in the community, who are able to make a savings contribution of only 0.25 Ethiopian birr (a fraction of a penny) per week. Pray that God would increase the determination of people to take this first step in changing their own lives. MONDAY 26 SEPTEMBER As members of SHGs are becoming more resilient, the drought in Ethiopia has caused low crop yields, the death of livestock and is too severe for people to cope alone. Thank God for the assistance of Tearfund s emergency cash grants to the SHGs, which has enabled families to buy food and helped them to protect their livelihoods. TUESDAY 27 SEPTEMBER The increased confidence and solidarity found from SHGs enables people to move from being passive recipients to active participants in community development. Praise God that this echoes Romans 12:2: Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. WEDNESDAY 28 SEPTEMBER Tearfund is running a participative process with SHGs that enables members to identify their own vulnerabilities and opportunities, and then design action plans. Pray that people will be empowered to find their own creative, sustainable solutions to chronic issues such as drought. THURSDAY 29 SEPTEMBER One of the most important factors in surviving a crisis is the strength of your social network. As Gele says, as long as we are alive and breathing we want to meet and discuss how to cope with the problem. Thank God that the relationships formed through depending on each other in SHGs are such a source of strength. FRIDAY 30 SEPTEMBER From having no income and saving just 0.5 Ethiopian birr per week, Firehiwot moved from selling onions and then clothing. Now she has a shop! Thank God for the multiplication that is possible and for the living out of the reality, You entrusted me with a few talents. See, I have gained even more. (Matthew 25:20) SATURDAY 1 OCTOBER Dear Lord, thank you that you are a God of multiplication. Thank you that you can use our small amount of five loaves and two fishes, and with it you can have a massive impact. Help me to never underestimate the value of what I can bring. SUNDAY 2 OCTOBER The existing structures of SHG groups, local clusters and a growing number of district level groups enable them to influence and lobby local governments and advocate on behalf of the poor and those in need. Praise God for the growing SHG networks, and pray that they will continue to empower others and transform lives MONDAY 3 OCTOBER Just a few years ago, gang violence and crime were on the rise in the community in one of the Kebeles. Now, with the establishment of a SHG and government collaboration, peace and security is slowly being restored. Give thanks to God for the miraculous change.
TUESDAY 4 OCTOBER For Leila, her experience of a SHG has transformed her life. When faced with hard times she says, I always thought of my other family my self-help group, the lively conversations, the laughter, the love and care I experienced. My group was my hope through difficult times. Praise God that Leila and others like her have experienced God s love through the work of SHGs. WEDNESDAY 5 OCTOBER Many members are now working in government positions and are a testament to the SHG approach to transforming lives. Messeret, a SHG member, is actively involved in working in children's and women s affairs, enterprise and anti-corruption work. Praise God for individuals like Messeret who are making a difference to the lives of others. Pray that more people will rise up and start to bring change to their communities. THURSDAY 6 OCTOBER Continue to lift up communities that have been affected by drought and the ongoing food crisis, where Tearfund has been distributing livestock fodder. Psalm 25:1 says, In you, Lord my God, I put my trust. Pray for every need to be met and for hunger to be eliminated in this nation. FRIDAY 7 OCTOBER Pray for courage and strength for those setting up new SHGs, and for wisdom when involved in politics and lobbying local governments. Pray that these groups will bring long-lasting change and transforming impact for many, bringing renewed hope and life in Jesus name. SATURDAY 8 OCTOBER Dear Lord, we commit the situation in Ethiopia into your hands and ask that you bring comfort to people in need. We thank you for the growth of SHGs and praise you for the wonderful progress taking place within communities today. We ask for your guidance and counsel for those working in partnership with government organisations. Amen. Take the money that you have saved over the last two weeks and use it to bless or encourage someone!