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Environmental Missions Prayer Digest
February 2010
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Greetings!
How does this part of Paul's sermon in Athens pertain to global climate change?
"From one man He created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided
beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their
boundaries. His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel
their way toward him and find him--though he is not far from any one of
us. " Acts 17:26-27 (NLT)
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Pray for two island nations
One Christian, one Muslim, both facing sea-level rise
January 31 was the deadline for Copenhagen Accord countries to submit their targets for the reduction of greenhouse gases. Two countries which were watching closely were the island nations of Tuvalu and the Maldives. The average elevation of these nations above sea level is 2m and 1m respectively, and already their villages are eroding into the ocean as a result of documented sea-level rise. The Maldives joined the Accord pledging to be carbon neutral by 2020. Tuvalu made a similar pledge, but is too busy evacuating its residents to New Zealand.
Environmental missions is also interested in the spiritual condition of environmentally-affected people groups. Rev. Tafue Lusama of Tuvalu has just completed his "Ankle Deep in Reality" tour of the U.S., sponsored by Restoring Eden. With 97% of Tuvalu's population belonging to the state Christian church and 1.4% registered as Seventh Day Adventist, Rev. Lusama often quoted from I Cor. 12:26: "If one part [of the body] suffers, every part suffers with it."
 The Maldives meanwhile, despite now having a democratically-elected government, remains one of the most closed of all Muslim countries. Open Doors' World Watch List of religious freedom ranks the Maldives as the sixth most "oppressive" in the world, sandwiched between Somalia (5th) and Afghanistan (7th). Christian witnesses are regularly deported. The government might actually wish to be more open, but seems to be trying to avoid trouble with a growing Wahabi element.
Please pray
- for the follow-up of Rev. Lusama's tour--that the Church in North America will reach out to our brothers and sisters in Tuvalu.
- that New Zealand, Australia, and Polynesian nations will more freely open immigration to Tuvaluans.
- that the plight of such nations will speak to Copenhagen Accord countries, resulting in more ambitious emission reduction targets, and the rigorous meeting of those targets.
- that the Maldives will grant greater religious freedom to its citizens.
- that the Lord of the Harvest will bring a gospel witness along with climate mitigation and adaptation efforts to closed countries.
Photos: Lusama (www.restoringeden.org), Maldive's Nasheed with IPCC's Pauchari at Copenhagen (flikr.com/nios)
Links: Ankle Deep in Reality tour (Restoring Eden)
Open Door's World Watch List 2010
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Pray for persevering compassion towards Haiti
Among 200,000 dead, efforts change phases
What intercession could this Prayer Digest suggest that may be missing in the lavish wealth of prayer already going up for Haiti? I found my answer in a church youth group trip to New Orleans over Spring Break. I'm joining my son on this trip, and we've heard some negative comments about the necessity of hurricane relief four-and-a-half years after Katrina, and with the Haiti earthquake so vividly in people's minds. For sure, Haiti has right of triage. Nonetheless, even for the sake of Haiti, we need to school ourselves in the four phases of disaster management: rescue, relief, recovery, and restoration. Haiti has moved from rescue to relief. New Orleans has moved to the restoration phase. The Gulf Coast's need is not less real; it's just different. When the television cameras move on, will we finish the work we've begun in Haiti?
I have a special fear that our compassion for Haiti might run out even sooner than usual. What if their notoriously corrupt government proves corrupt in the use of donated funds? What if Haitian prosecutors make a harsh example of the American missionaries currently charged with child trafficking? What if violence escalates over the food shortages? What if "our worst selves" begin to whisper to us, "Why restore a failed state, throwing good money after bad?" We too often jettison the love of Christ when the pity-invoking images fade and the rationalizations kick in.
- Pray that "the love of God poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit given us" (Rms 5:5) will sustain our compassion for Haiti.
- Pray that hope will win out--that no state can be labeled "failed," when God determines to restore it.
- Pray for current relief efforts: food, water, shelter, immunizations, etc.
- Pray for the preaching of the Gospel amidst the rubble, and the salvation of many.
Photo: American Red Cross/Talia Frenkel
Links: for a good portal to Haiti relief efforts and a constructive article, visit the creation care ministry of Flourish
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Follow-up on Eden Reforestation's partners in Haiti
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn
Eden Reforestation reports (January 28, 2010): "Great news! Our pilot project leader in Haiti, Sonève Désir, is
confirmed to be alive! His house has been destroyed but he is fine.
More information to come, as we know."
The Free Methodist Church however must report (January 16, 2010): "With profound sadness, Free Methodist World
Missions reports Rev. Jeanne Acheson-Munos, Merle West, and Gene Dufour, the
three missionaries who have been unaccounted for, have not been located and are
now presumed to not be alive." We honor their memory, and thank God for their faithful service.
Eden Reforestation in Haiti
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Thank you for praying. And thank you to those who gave feedback on our first issue. One dear friend pointed out how we neglected to include prayers for Gospel witness in Haiti.
Mobilizing prayer for environmental missions and creation care means recruiting others. Please forward this e-mail to those you think may be interested in joining us. Also, if you have some specific environmental missions prayer requests of your own, please share them. While I can't promise that all requests will be featured in upcoming issues, we at Eden Vigil will be praying for you.
(Also, if the Lord's calling leads you away from this prayer digest, or if you receive this by mistake, you always have the option to unsubscribe below. Use "update profile" if you don't intend to delete other Bliss family or Eden Vigil mailings.)
God bless you,
Lowell & Robynn Bliss
Eden Vigil
Links: Contact the editors, Eden Vigil website, Donations to Eden Vigil
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