Prayer Focus 2018 - February
Thursday (1st) – Korea:
The spring semester begins in March here in Korea. Our hope is that many Korean students, especially seminarians, will make good use of our titles. Please pray our titles will be chosen as textbooks for as many seminaries as possible.
Friday (2nd) – United Kingdom:
Please pray for the ongoing work of the bookshops as we continue to adjust and learn about the rapidly changing retail environment. We are working hard to integrate our retail and digital strategies, but this is a challenge.
The Weekend (3rd/4th) – USA Shipment to Sierra Leone:
Praise the Lord that the shipment to Sierra Leone left CLC USA’s warehouse on time in November, and it was scheduled to arrive in mid-January. Delayed shipments and customs clearance are quite normal, so please pray that it this is the case the team will soon receive these books. Pray, too, that the much needed Print-on-Demand supplies included in this shipment arrive in a timely manner. The team needs these supplies to best serve its customers. Thank you.
Monday (5th) – Mexico & Thompson International Bible Institute:
We give thanks to the Lord for the ministries that are such a great support to us. The Thompson International Bible Institute is one of these ministries. We have plans scheduled to host six Thompson Bible Seminars with them between January and March. Please join us in praying for their instructors and also for our team as we begin our planning. Pray also that the Lord will encourage many locals to accept the challenge of this Bible training so that they can better serve the Lord.
Tuesday (6th) – CLC USA & Tyndale House Foundation:
CLC USA will be participating in a unique conference entitled Africa Speaks in March. This conference is being sponsored by the Tyndale House Foundation and will take place in Chicago. Please pray that God will use this event as a catalyst to help build support for a flourishing Christian publishing industry in Africa.
Wednesday (7th) – Help for CLC Dominica from CLC Trinidad & Lifeway Global Resources:
We were thrilled to see God answer our prayer that would enable us to help CLC Dominica get back on its feet again after the devastating Hurricane Maria. The shop had to close for some time due to the destruction, but thanks to CLC Trinidad’s quick response, an emergency care package was sent to our manager, David Laudat, to help aid his family and co-worker. A huge thank you to National Director Sandra Robinson and her team for quickly preparing this support. We were also incredibly encouraged by a $6,000 (USD) donation of Bibles by Lifeway Global Resources. Thank you Father for your provision to our team in Dominica.
Thursday (8th) – CLC Caribbean & Operation Mobilisation:
During the autumn of 2017, the OM ship, Logos Hope, visited both the CLC islands of Antigua and Barbados. Their visit is a real highlight for our teams. Our teams enjoy the chance to partner with the ship’s team in reaching out to so many on these islands in ways that are generally beyond their financial means. We thank the Lord for His ongoing provision to them and also for the ministry of the OM ship and staff. (Event photo)
Friday (9th) – CLC & WEC Netherlands:
In November, Rudy Kuijer (CLC International Office) provided a CLC bookstall at a WEC meeting in the town of Voorthuizen (Netherlands). Please pray for God’s blessing on the relationships and plans that were initiated on this day. Later that same month, Rudy gave a presentation on the work of CLC at the WEC Bible School, Cornerstone. Please pray for the continued partnership between WEC and CLC missionaries around the world!
The Weekend (10th/11th) – CLC Colombia & Churches:
Each year from January until March, many conventions are held by various churches of differing denominations in Colombia. Last year, the CLC team in Colombia was able to offer support to many of these events and was also given the great opportunity of setting up and running book tables during the meetings. Praise God for these relationships. May they continue to strengthen and bear even more fruit this year.
Monday (12th) – Mozambique:
Over the past year, we have been making additional efforts to support our bookshop in Beira with such things as more regular stock supplies and new titles. We would like to take this further in 2018. We would like to finally see the completion of the Beira shop remodelling that began in 2017. We hope for growth for CLC Beira in other ways. In the midst of all of this, please continue to pray for Jose Sacramento (CLC Beira) whose wife died unexpectedly last summer.
Tuesday (13th) – Burkina Faso:
Please pray for Sami Luc Noufe, manager of CLC in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, and his family. His youngest daughter, Daniella, has recently recovered from typhoid fever, and her most recent tests have shown signs of dengue fever. At the time of writing, Luc shared with us that Daniella is making positive progress as she follows the prescribed treatment. Your prayers for the family as well as the ongoing work of CLC at this time are much appreciated. Please also pray that the team will be able to keep their commitment for the faithful monthly repayments of a helpful loan they received from another CLC country.
Wednesday (14th) – Russia:
The last couple of years have seen a fair amount of growth in our publishing endeavours. We are beginning to see an incredible response from our customers and would ask for God’s wisdom as we research the best titles to translate and publish. May God continue to use our talents for His glory.
Thursday (15th) – USA:
Along with reprinting Corrie ten Boom’s classic Amazing Love and Andrew Murray’s Secret Series, we will also be publishing: Wallpaper Worship by Danny Byrum, Surrender by John Stanley, Lifeblood by John Brandon and, finally, a study guide by Mina Kohlhafer for Rees Howell’s Intercessor. Please do remember CLC USA’s editorial team in prayer as they prepare these books for release.
Friday (16th) – Venezuela:
Our prayer continues to be for the economic, political and social situation of the country as they affect our entire city and organisation. We need God’s help and intervention since the country continues to deteriorate, with more people emigrating every day and inflation remaining so high that it makes it difficult or impossible to purchase basic necessities.
The Weekend (17th/18th) – Central Asia (CA1):
We have a small shop in the capital city, but it is not easy for us to be self sustaining in this country. We praise God that we are able to work through CLC Moscow to have a steady supply of materials. We also have an apartment behind the shop that we can rent. That money helps us keep our shop open. However, we are having problems getting enough visitors and tourists to stay at the lovely apartment. Please pray that the Lord will provide people to stay there on a regular basis or that we would be able to rent it on a long-term basis as those funds are truly needed for the financial stability of our ministry there. ~ Gary Chamberlin, on behalf of Central Asia (CA1)
Monday (19th) – Colombia:
We have some exciting new publications coming this year that vary from classics from Watchman Nee, A.W. Tozer and Larry Burkett to a collection of counselling books dealing with topics, such as single parenting, bullying and having an unbelieving spouse. We also have twelve children’s titles that were originally published in English by Copenhagen and Scandinavia publishing houses. We praise God for these opportunities to publish these much-needed titles in Spanish to help a new generation grow in their faith.
Tuesday (20th) – Poland:
We are very excited about these new CLC publications from Poland: Found by Love by Rahil Patel, Baptism and Fullness of the Spirit by John Stott and, finally, Undaunted by Josh McDowell. Please pray that they will continue to make an impact in our customers’ lives like some of our previous titles have been doing lately.
Wednesday (21st) – Italy:
CLC Italy is looking forward to publishing into Italian these titles during 2018: Simplify by Bill Hybels, Boundaries by Dr. H. Cloud and Dr. J. Townsend, plus the biography of Josh McDowell’s life, Undaunted. They will also be reprinting More than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell since it has been out of print for some time, and yet it is a book that has been a great inspiration. Please pray for the team’s innovation in its shops and online store. The funds generated enable these publishing projects and, hopefully, others to be completed.
Thursday (22nd) – Belarus:
With the help of CLC Russia, we were able to publish Starter Bible and My Key Verse Bible in the Belarussian language at the end of 2017. This has already been a great blessing to Belarussian speaking families as they are the first high-quality children’s Bibles that have ever been published in our language. We have also received good feedback from our customers for our translated publication of Resisting Gossip by Matthew C. Mitchell. This book was first published in English by CLC USA
Friday (23rd) – Kenya:
Praise God that through our Print-on-Demand system we have had the privilege of assisting local authors to publish their culturally impactful books. Please pray that our publishing department will continue to strengthen and grow. It’s been a joy to watch how we have become relevant to the local authors. We hope for even better and improved processes and excellently manufactured products. Please pray for our upcoming ttiles, two of which are for teens.
The Weekend (24th/25th) – Korea:
The current publication market in Korea has been shrinking with most Korean Christian publishers facing several difficulties, such as declining sales and a downturn in their business. CLC Korea is no exception. Please pray God will guide and help us to continue to do our literary ministry this year, especially with the release of these new titles: Our Covenant Heritage by Edwin Nisbet Moore, Evangelical Disenchantment by David Hempton, Suffering and the Search for Meaning by Richard Rice, Embodying the Word by David Day and Puritan Portraits by J. I. Packer.
Monday (26th) – Liz Patten, Regional Director for Africa:
As the Regional Director for Africa, I will be travelling for the whole of March (and possibly some of February) visiting the CLC African countries. Please pray for my health and stamina. As I am also the National Director for CLC Mozambique, please pray for the Mozambique team that they will “keep on keeping on” with much enthusiasm and drive while I am away!
Tuesday (27th) – Romualdo Macinas, Regional Director for Asia Pacific:
Please pray that we will continue to make an impact on the whole country and beyond by publishing relevant Christian materials. We seek God’s guidance in selecting titles. Please also pray for our importation processes as these international titles contribute to a big percentage of our sales. However, this is especially challenging for CLC Philippines at this time because of the devaluation of our peso currency. Please pray that our currency will soon rebound.
Wednesday (28th) – Necessary Travel for CLC IO Team:
All of our Regional Directors (RDs) travel a great deal. Gary Chamberlin, the RD for Europe, shares, “In 2018, I plan to finally visit Carlos in Portugal and Eva and Sotos in Cyprus. I also hope to return to Belarus after many years. I greatly look forward to these trips. What an encouragement to see how God is sustaining us in so many places, even where there are very difficult situations, such as in Spain and one of the Central Asian countries. Yet we will look expectantly to the Lord to intervene and bring stability into those fragile ministries.”
Please continue to pray for safe travels for Gary and our other RDs as well as our International Director, Gerardo Scalante. Gerardo visits many countries all over the world each year.