by Aaron White, WEGO Storyteller
“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.”
2 Corinthians 4:7
Whether you practice Lent or not, there is a sense of spiritual evaluation that the weeks ahead of Easter bring. Not only considering Christ’s suffering, but all the goodness bought for us in his resurrection. We are in a season of recognizing blessings: the beautiful gospel adorning the homely.
Hebrews says Christ endured the humiliation of the cross because of the joy set before him. I’m not sure I’ve ever meditated on that joy before. It was for Joy that he gave us life in him. It was for Joy that he poured his life into our dead bodies. And it was for Joy that we get to live this out on earth! This gospel is not just life with Him after death and escape from hell. It’s not even just sanctification and help through this life.
The gospel is a YES where there stood a wall of no’s. Since we are jars of clay, we are only as holy as what is within us. And everything becomes holy when we have that gift of Christ. All of life becomes an affirmation of God’s good will to us. Beauty, joy, success and good fortune become blessings we did not deserve, cherries on top of the life we’ve been given. Long work days, stress, sin and death itself become invitations to ask God to show even more of that promised grace to us. Everything is different now.
His glory gleams through the frailty of our lives. That means we are free to seek Him with abandon because we are free to fail. So set your sights on Him and pray through this guide with that in mind for all these folks. They are fellow jars of clay, all alive and beautiful because of the gift given to them, all in need of the grace of God in different ways to remind them of the joyful life set in their humble bodies. Pray fervently that God would bring them to the gospel in every answer to prayer and every situation, however small.
Join Us in Praying for Our Home Build!
Our caregivers are the absolute best. Join in their ministry by praying for the new teacher’s bedroom where they will rest from the day’s labor and prepare for tomorrow. Caring for children takes a lot of work, wisdom, patience, and a great night’s sleep.
How You Can Pray
Pray these rooms will be a breath to our caregivers. Pray they find God’s strength, power, and grace new every morning.
New Hope House Church – Gachuurt, Mongolia
About New Hope House Church:
New Hope House Church is where our staff meet weekly to pray and praise the Lord together. They do lots of outreach in the community, so pray that the seed of the gospel takes root.
How You Can Pray:
1) For the community to know Jesus.
2) Pray God will work in the hearts of those with whom they have shared the gospel.
3) That more people in the community will hear about Jesus through outreach planned for Easter.
Managua Church of God – Nicaragua
From Pastor Matute:
“My name is Matute, I live in Managua with my family. My wife’s name is Elsa and my ten year old son’s name is Sebastian. I love what I do. I am the pastor of a Church of God church located in Managua, but I am also a missionary. I love traveling and sharing the Gospel. My wife and son are my rock. Thank you for praying for me as we pray for all of you. The best thing we can do is to pray for each other. I believe Christ will come soon. We are living in the end of time. So let’s praise God and live what we preach.”
How You Can Pray:
1) For the nations who are suffering.
2) For the youth that are lost.
3) That God would give me compassion.
Ganchimeg – Caregiver, Mongolia
About Ganchimeg:
Ganchimeg has been a caregiver at New Hope Children’s Home for several years now. During that time she has been a sister and a friend to our kids, and we love the way she leads them in being loving to one another.
How You Can Pray:
1) For her mother.
2) Pray for her health and finances.
Elsa Lopez – Reinforcement Teacher, Nicaragua
From Elsa:
“I am 24 years old. I have been working here for 9 months now and it has been so great. The most exiciting thing about teaching the kids is that we are able to share the love of God with them and make an impact in their lives. We are now teaching them how to have a devotional time with our Lord and it has been successful, our kids are very interested in reading their Bible and praying. My passion is to work with kids—just to see their lives change makes me happy.”
How You Can Pray:
1) For my future and family.
2) For my spiritual growth.
Altantulga – New Hope Children’s Home, Mongolia
About Altantulga:
Altantulga is a fun-loving eleven year old with a curious streak. We love the way he jumps straight into the fray, joining in with the rest of the kids in games and activities with abandon.
How You Can Pray:
1) For his family and health
2) For him to continually grow in school
Asdrubal Miranda – New Hope Bible Club, Nicaragua
From Asdrubal:
“My name is Asdrubal and I am 6 years old . I am in 1st grade. My dad’s name is also Asdrubal, my mom’s name is Tomasa Villegas. I have 3 sisters. We live in Roman Esteban community in our own house. I attend Bible club and I just love it. I love how our teachers love us and show us how to pray and read the Bible. My sisters love this place because God is the center of everything here.”
How You Can Pray:
1) For my mom and dad to have good health.
2) That I would get good grades at school.
3) For my country.