By Sammy Ramos, Lead Pastor of Cistern Church
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
Matthew 6:33
When I was a kid I played every sport: baseball, football, basketball, soccer. Ok, maybe not every sport, but for sure those listed above. I played them all not because I asked to play them, but because my parents signed my brother and me up for them. It was their way of keeping us boys from taking our energy out on each other and a great opportunity for them to get to know people in the community. Don’t get me wrong, I am a very competitive person. I love to compete and love playing sports. I loved suiting up and playing the games. But practice? Practice!? Ugh. Sprints, laps, pushups, drills … come on. Let’s play the game! It was this attitude that led to my athletic career ending just as high school started. Any athlete you’ve ever heard of knows that to be “successful” on the field of play takes an extreme amount of hard work off the field. You might say what ultimately makes an athlete great is the work that is done off the field, away from the crowds, and in secret.
Whenever I am tasked to speak or write on the subject of prayer, I always remember Oswald Chambers’ devotional in My Utmost for his Highest that begins with the phrase, “Prayer doesn’t equip us for greater works, prayer is the greater work.” As you continue reading and praying through this month’s guide, remember you are doing exactly what God created and saved you for. You’re communicating and communing with the creator God of the Universe! You are seeking Him first. You are doing the greater work! This is what Jesus was teaching during the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6. After talking about all the things we pursue and want in life (food, fine clothes, comfortable spaces), he then pivots and commands, “But seek first the Kingdom of God…” We seek God’s Kingdom first by first seeking God’s presence in prayer and by loving and and caring for the widow and orphan and the least of these. And it is because of the great work of prayer you are about to engage in on behalf of WEGO that, Lord willing, we will get to see “all these things,” the very things in this prayer guide, come to pass. Thank you WEGO for the opportunity we get to join in the greater work of this ministry.
New Home for New Hope
New Hope Children’s Home in Mongolia has been a place dedicated to caring for the broken and showing the love of Jesus for over 15 years, and while each passing year has filled those walls with more and more memories, the home itself has suffered. After many repairs, and several years of planning and dreaming, we feel that the call to “look after orphans in their distress” now brings us to the task of building a new home to better keep our kids safe and warm. We are currently preparing to begin fundraising. In the meantime, we want to ask those of you who pray alongside us every month to join us in praying for this project specifically.
How You Can Pray:
1) Please pray for wisdom and clarity as we finalize our total budget. We long to be good financial stewards of this project while also making sure the quality of our new home and furnishings will last a very long time.
2) Please ask God to start prompting generosity in the hearts of donors, old and new, to give and join in this important project with us.
3) Will you start praying now that Jesus will intimately show His love to the children in our home through this entire process. We are preparing a place for them but it is nothing compared to the provision and kindness of their Heavenly Father.
Bethany Harvest Christian Church – UB, Mongolia
About Bethany Harvest Christian Church:
Bethany Harvest Christian church is located in Mongolia’s capital. Pastored by Tuguldur, they seek to share the gospel with all nations by equipping pastors and leaders by the word of God to invest in communities and build up churches. Currently they are fundraising for a new church building, and they hope to open new church branches in other provinces over the next few years.
How You Can Pray:
1) Pray that God would help their members grow in faith.
2) Pray that God would bless their plans to purchase a building.
3) Pray that God would guide their desire for expansion.
Getsemany Baptist Church – Roman Esteban, Nicaragua
From Pastor Vernardino:
“I have been a pastor for 19 years now. Our church is located in the Roman Esteban community. We’ve been gathering three times a week to share and pray for the sick, but each time we limit it to only four members. We are grateful for the good as well as the bad. My wife and I are blessed with three kids. One is 18, one 14 and the other 3. My wife has also helped with the feeding program for 19 years. I thank the Lord for all, because He has been faithful during this time. We thank all of you in the USA who’ve been praying for us as we pray for all of you.”
How You Can Pray:
1) That God would work in the hearts of those who have left the church.
2) That the virus would go away.
3) That God would work His will in Nicaragua and bring many Nicaraguans to Christ.
Ganbat – Driver, Mongolia
About Ganbat:
Ganbat has been the driver for New Hope Children’s Home for about four years now, and during that time several of the young kids have announced their aspirations to follow in his footsteps. That is no surprise to anyone who knows Ganbat. He’s truly a source of paternal wisdom at New Hope, a family man who engages with each of the kids as though they were his own. He and his wife, Tsetsegee (who is the cook for New Hope) have 5 children together. They came to Christ shortly after coming to work for WEGO. Ganbat says that God is doing great things in His life.
How You Can Pray:
1) That God would show His grace and goodness to each of the children at New Hope.
2) That God would keep Ganbat and the children safe as Ganbat drives them each day.
3) Pray that Ganbat would grow in his love for Jesus and his knowledge of the blessings he has in the Gospel.
Yaritza Walker – New Hope School Director, Nicaragua
From Yaritza:
“I am 30 years old, and I’ve been a part of WEGO for 5 years now. It has been difficult to work the way we are right now, with the students learning online. It’s hard not only for the staff, but it is also complicated for the students. But we are hoping to get them back to school soon. We plan on having a tutorial for the kids once or twice a week, so their teachers can help them in the areas they’re struggling with. We’re doing our best to help them. We’ll also be limiting graduation to the students and their parents only, and we won’t be serving food. I am very careful because of the virus. Every time I buy groceries I come home and wash everything. We need to be careful.”
How You Can Pray:
1) That God would give me peace and patience in my work.
2) That God would provide for my family.
3) That God would provide jobs for my brothers.
Munkhbayar – New Hope Children’s Home, Mongolia
About Munkhbayar:
Munkhbayar is 11 years old, and in the 6th grade. He came to New Hope Children’s Home in 2016 with his two sisters, Ariuka and Enerel. He is a truly talented young man, who is as content in the throes of a math problem as he is in a game of huulbumbuk (read: soccer). When he grows up, he wants to be a businessman (avid reader and chess player that he is, we’re sure he’ll have no problem achieving his goal.)
How You Can Pray:
1) Pray that God would stop the virus worldwide.
2) Pray that God would bless and help his family, especially his sisters.
3) Pray that God would give bless him and give him ability to study well.
Bianca Nicol – Feeding Program, Nicaragua
From Bianca:
“I am 7 years old and I live in the Roman Esteban community with my mom and dad. My dad is a taxi driver and my mom is a stay-at-home mom. I’m in second grade, and I love praying, playing outside with my friends, and singing. I also love going to church with my mom. My favorite food is rice and chicken.”
How You Can Pray:
1) That God would help all the people who are sick with no food.
2) That God would keep my family healthy.
3) That I will pass this year in school.