By Aaron White, WEGO Storyteller
“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.”
Micah 6:8
Micah 6:8 is my wife’s favorite verse. She’s had it written on a strip of paper tucked beside her speedometer for almost a decade now. When we were first dating I noticed it, and often wondered why she chose that verse among the throng of heavy hitters you’d expect to see in that context. At the time, I had been a Christian for awhile, but my prayer life was floundering. The communion I once enjoyed as a new Christian seemed to be receding, and I was struggling to seek the Lord with discipline or honesty. I believed the Gospel, but my daily reliance on Him had not deepened. I was full of fear and sinful habits, seeking signs and emotions instead of a stronger relationship with Jesus.
God used that time of dating and now marriage to show His faithfulness to me in a way I could have never expected. But every time I try to pinpoint prayers answered or illustrative situations, my mind returns to that bit of paper on the dashboard.
That unassuming verse watered the seedling of the Gospel, so it could stretch roots through hard, unworked ground. Through Micah 6:8, and conversations with my wife (who had already internalized it), God called me from the inactive anxiety of sign-seeking and legalism to daily acts of obedience in faith, however small. He chipped away at my judgmental spirit and began building a love for mercy as He showed me how much I needed Him. He began to teach me that walking humbly is admitting that I will always need Him more than I know, and needing Him desperately is the foundation of treasuring Him truly. He taught me the Gospel is Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection for the forgiveness of my sins, but it’s also His life in my bones, His blood in my veins, and His glory in my lifelong weakness.
I now think of Micah 6:8 as the thesis statement of practical life as a follower of Christ. It answers the “How?” of the Gospel by insuring no one wriggles away unchecked. It drives me to prayer and worship. This month, as you read through our prayer guide, I ask that you would keep Micah 6:8 in mind. Pray faithfully, with a mind to do justice when God provides opportunity. Pray ready to rejoice when God pours mercy down on the undeserving. Pray humbly, knowing we are not in control, but we were saved by an infinitely gracious God who is guiding our steps even when we least expect Him.
Join Us in Praying for Our Home Build!
Picture being a kid stuck inside all winter-long without a place to play. Our new home will have a performance stage and a honeycomb structure the children can use to get to the second floor!
How You Can Pray
Are you allowed to pray for fun? We think so. Pray our children have an absolute blast in our new home. May it be filled with loud laughter and joy.
Light Church – Gachuurt, Mongolia
About Light Church:
Tsetsegee has been the pastor of Light Church since 2010. They serve their community with evangelism, as well as weekly services for adults, young adults and children. Their mission statement is “From one person to one family”, illustrating their mindset of making disciples who in turn make other disciples, as well as their focus on community investment.
How You Can Pray:
1) Pray that God would strengthen the faith of the congregation.
2) Pray for Tsetsegee’s family as they serve. Pray that God would encourage them and help them to rest and grow in their faith.
3) Pray that God would open the hearts of the people of Gachuurt to the gospel.
Church of God – Nicaragua
From Pastor Wilver:
“Hey! I just want to share a little about me and my family. I’ve been a pastor for 15 years. I have two wonderful people in my life—my wife and daughter. I thank the Lord because they are my rock in difficult times. I live in El Rosario community where the church is located. I love serving the Lord because that it is everyone’s call. We have church services 3 times week. We also go visit homes to share the Gospel. Please keep us in your prayers as we pray for all of you.”
How You Can Pray:
1) Pray God would give me wisdom as a pastor.
2) Pray God would grow the faith of our members.
3) Pray that all the nations would see a turning to the Lord, and a rebound from the pandemic.
Tsetsenjunaa – Security Guard, Mongolia
About Tsetsenjunaa:
Tsetsenjunaa joined WEGO in 2021, along with her husband, Mashbat. She is now our security guard. We are so grateful to have her on staff. She and her husband are warm, welcoming people who contribute greatly to New Hope Children’s Home.
How You Can Pray:
1) Pray that God would give her and Mashbat wisdom as they sell their house and look for a new apartment.
2) Pray that God would give them an opportunity to travel to the US soon.
3) Pray God would help her family to be healthy and full of faith.
Claudia Cardenas – Teacher, Nicaragua
From Claudia:
“I am 39 years old now. My husband is an engineer. My oldest daughter Nicol is now 20 and she is studying to be a pharmacist. My youngest is 12 and she is studying here at New Hope School in 7th grade. I have been working here for 4 years now. I can say now that through this place God has given me the chance to know Him better each day. I believe that my life has changed because of that. I remember the time when Zach Dodd came down with Rob Jones to teach about salvation. They came to make an impact on the kids lives, but it also made a big impact in my life through the devotional we had every morning with the kids. I also want to share that I am so thankful for this ministry, because we are going through a hard time and this ministry is a big motivation. Our leaders have compassionate hearts and support us, not only spiritually but economically, as well. It means that I can feel God’s hand here. In all of this time I have been working here I have seen four groups of graduates leave the school. It makes me sad when they leave our school but happy at the same time because the seed that was planted will be shared. The Word of God. I believe that the name of the School, New Hope, means a lot. We share the New Hope we have in Christ every day. Thank you all.”
How You Can Pray:
1) Pray for the kids in this community, that God would keep them healthy and provide for them financially.
2) Pray God would provide for my own family.
3) Pray that God would give our team at work more wisdom as we teach the children.
Ariuka – New Hope Children’s Home, Mongolia
About Ariuka:
Ariuka is a sweet, fun-loving kid. She is often laughing or preparing to laugh, enjoying each moment for what it is. She’s also quite the girly girl, when given the opportunity.
How You Can Pray:
1) Pray that God would stop Covid.
2) Pray that God would allow her dream to come true.
Yelsis Gonzales – New Hope School, Nicaragua
From Yelsis:
“I am 12 years old and in 7th grade. I live in El Cangregero community, in our own house with my mom, sister and stepfather. My mom’s name is Magaly, and she’s a stay-at-home mom. My stepdad is Carlos. He works as a security guard. My sister is 9 and in the 5th grade. We don’t attend any church. I love math and drawing, and I also like helping my mom with the house work. I enjoy my time with my friends at school. The rice and chicken is also good. I love studying here because I learn good and new things here. For example, I knew a little bit about Jesus before but now I know more because of my teachers. I would love to attend a church one day.”
How You Can Pray:
1) Pray that my 60 year old Grandmother will have better health.
2) Pray that I could learn more about God.
3) Pray that God would help me to be a better person each day.