Africa
Our tears lead us to prayer. Pray for these people as these situations exist even today. Pray that God’s healing hand might come to them today: that God’s presence might be felt in an act of kindness from a neighbor or even a stranger. Pray for the Christians across the continent who have come together to respond to these needs. Pray for the women who organize to visit people dying of AIDS, to bring words of comfort and even care for them and their families. Pray for the pastor who is called to lead their community. Pray for the church-sponsored programs in Africa that seek to bring hope through healing in clinics and hospitals, through running schools so children will have opportunities for learning in an environment free from exploitation. Hope comes in training programs for income generation, in opportunities that give people a voice to speak out about their needs and to see themselves being able to improve their lives. Hope comes from visitors from other lands who come to simply say “we care.” And hope comes in churches where they hear about a love so great that it brought the son of man to die for them, even to die on a cross.
Our calling in this is to “walk humbly with our God.” We must recognize our own failings before we can ever hope to be a light to others. We must confess our connection to those companies whose search for profit ends in exploitation of others and to those times that we turn our backs on injustice in our own communities. We must confess our broken relationships and the tribalism and racism in our society. We must acknowledge our brokenness and then, together with our brothers and sisters in Christ in Africa, we can together do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God.
As you read through these Africa pages, lift up the people whom you hear about in prayer, learn more about them, and let them know of your love for them through Christ.
—Elder Doug Welch, associate director,
Mission Partners and Programs, General Assembly Mission Council
Partners/Ministries
Back to God Ministries-Uganda: Rev. Peterson Sozi, president
Uganda Joint Christian Council: Rev. Canon Grace Kaiso, executive secretary
PC(USA) General Assembly Staff
Michele Black, BOP
Anne Blair, GAMC
Whitney Blair, GAMC
We give thanks, O God, for Christians in Africa who reach out in love to those around them, giving care and opportunity for others to know you and to live in peace. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Ps. 130, 148 Ps. 32, 139
Isa. 45:18–25
Eph. 6:1–9; Mark 4:35–41
|
