Pray with the Philippines on Sunday, February 11, 2018

Lectionary Selection: Mark 9: 2-9

Prayers for the Philippines:

Lord, thank you for the beautiful image of friends bringing the paralyzed man to Jesus in Mark 2. Like the paralyzed man, we often need help in attaining spiritual and physical wholeness. God, you have made the whole world interdependent and in need of each other’s support. Right now, we give praise for the Republic of the Philippines. A beautiful country filled with bountiful natural resources and people with generous hearts. Yet, the people’s generosity is taken advantage of by outside invaders and even their own neighbors. Help the church in the Philippines stand strong against the abuse of the people, including theft of indigenous land and extrajudicial killing as a tactic in the drug war. Please pray for the leadership of this country as they struggle with many of the similar temptations that we see politicians struggle with in the US, including corruption and neglect of the poor. May we be like the friends of the paralyzed man and help our brothers and sisters here in the Philippines get the restoration that is due to them.

More specifically, please pray for the UCCP (United Church of Christ in the Philippines) as it is in a time of transition and in a position of potential growth.

Please also pray for the two NGOs that I work with: Youth Advocates Through Theater Arts (YATTA) and Gender Watch Against Violence and Exploitation (GWAVE).

Both organizations seek to empower the Filipino community and are doing incredible work. Pray for their ability to continue doing so. GWAVE specifically asked for prayer for the approval of the next phase of our proposal and for co-funding as well as smooth turn over when there are staff changes. For clients, especially those with filed cases, that they may attain the justice they deserve and that the truth will prevail always.

Mission Stewardship Moment from the Philippines:

As a part of my work with GWAVE, I accompany victims of violence to court hearings. I am learning so much that I hope to translate to my future ministry with human trafficking victims. The following story reminded me of the Mark story of people bringing their paralyzed friend to Jesus. Recently, I attended a courtroom hearing and was moved by the experience. Usually, it is just myself and a GWAVE staff member that attend court hearings with a female client. This time, we were joined by four other survivors of violence, excluding the client. These four women formed a hedge, or a wall to ensure that the perpetrator, the client’s ex-partner, could not make eye contact or do anything to intimidate the client. The abuser tried his best but could not get through. This experience showed me the power of the community of survivors in strengthening victims: their support is invaluable and other survivors best understand what a victim needs to support her.

(Prayer and Mission Moment by Lauren Robinson)

Mission Partners in the Philippines:

More information on the Philippines: http://www.globalministries.org/philippines

Global Ministries Mission Coworker in the Philippines:
Lauren Robinson is a member of University Church, United Church of Christ, Chicago, Illinois. She serves with the United Church of Christ in the Philippines. Her appointment is due to gifts to Disciples Mission Fund, Our Churches Wider Mission, and your special gifts.