Hot Metal

"Being a bridge to Jesus Christ by helping people participate in the Kingdom of God"

The Hot Metal Faith Community is a Christ-centered ministry in the Southside of Pittsburgh, well-known for their bible-based dramas and diversity. This congregation is lead by one Methodist and one Presbyterian pastor. They are living the gospel with their Southside community and around the world.

Homeless Ministry: downtown Pittsburgh, PA

Apprenticeship Missions Trip: Chiapas, Mexico

On a personal note, Hot Metal is the church family that reached out to my best friend's sister, Nicci, and shared with her Christ's love. Nicci accepted Jesus as her Saviour - had a personal relationship with Him - and is now in perfect peace with her Father forever.

Nicci and Sarah

God is certainly at work in and through this faith community. They are currently facing a difficult challenge for which we can join together in prayer. They lost their place of worship, The Goodwill Building.

Ways we can pray (from Sarah):

• Space to worship God
• Community in a time of separation
• Rest and Peace for their leaders
• Continued and increased financial support
• Unity between the Methodist and Presbyterian churches
• Restored relationships

Let's unite in prayer, trusting in God's good and perfect plan for Hot Metal. Desiring that God be glorified through it all!

"...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Phil 1:6

May we all love Him more as we pray.

ICCP

WHO: International Christian Community of Provence
WHERE: Aix en Provence, France (where God changed my life forever)

Last week I zipped out a note requesting urgent "defensive" prayer. THANK YOU! We are continuing to see His hand at work right in the midst of difficult times.
Now I have a request of a different nature. Is it strange to ask now for "offensive" prayer?? Well, however you want to word it, please pray that the Gospel will go out this weekend at the annual Christmas Carol Concert here in Aix-en-Provence. We usually have about 1200 people in attendance at the main Cathedral for this service of carols sung in english and then I give a brief Christmas message.
So please pray:
That it will be brief!
That it will be clear.
And that the true message of Christmas and ultimately the message of Christ will be proclaimed in a way that will be used by God's spirit.
The service is at 15:00 this Sunday Dec. 2nd and afterwards Julie and I are having several families over that we are developing relationships with for an informal dessert.
Thank you for your prayer!

Grace and peace-
Darrin for the Jonesfam

Please pray for this precious ministry team as they are sharing the gospel in Aix. Trusting in God - in His power - in His goodness - in His grace. That His truth will be proclaimed. That His love will be made known.

Abide in His love.

"If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you." John 15:7

À Dieu soit la Gloire!
Melanie

John Ofumbi and Karina

An urgent prayer request and update from Covenant Mercies....

John Ofumbi (Sr. Pastor of Nagongera Gospel Centre - CM's primary church partner in Uganda)and Karina (Peace Corps volunteer who has begun working with CMs program) were in a serious car accident earlier this week. Their conditions are stable, but they have both sustained very serious injuries. John has a head wound coupled with fractures in his legs, arms, and chest. Karina has sustained spinal injuries and is on a flight to South Africa to receive care.

Please pray for miraculous, complete healing. Pray for their families. Pray for the others involved in the accident as their hearts are in great distress. Be reminded...

"Our God is completely sovereign, completely wise, and completely loving. We don’t know why this has happened, but we can trust in those truths as we pray. Thanks so much for your love for John and Karina and your prayers for them right now!"
-Doug Hayes

Covenant Mercies

"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." James 1:27

Covenant Mercies, lead by Doug Hayes, is serving the poor, the orphan, the widow, and others in need around them. They are giving themselves in service for this reason....

" In His grace, God has been exceedingly merciful to us. Our Savior did not sit idly by while the world agonized in the ravages of sin, but in compassion He came and suffered with us. As His visible expression in the earth today, it is our joy to minister the compassion of our Lord Jesus to those around us who are in need. We invite your prayers for Covenant Mercies as we seek to walk in the good works He has prepared in advance for us to do (Eph. 2:10), to the praise of His glorious grace."

It is a privilege to pray for Covenant Mercies - especially as they approach an important fund raising event this Friday.

Prayer requests for Covenant Mercies (from Doug):

• We are beginning two new partnerships with indigenous churches in Africa,to care for orphaned children living in their communities. One is in Western Uganda (our primary work in Uganda is in the east), and the other in Ethiopia . Lord willing, we will have children to sponsor in both locations by the end of the year.
  
• Pray for new opportunities to promote the sponsorship program. Lord willing, we will have four locations up and running by 2008, so we will need a lot of new sponsors!
  
• Covenant Mercies will also be hiring for a new international position.
  Pray for wisdom in this hiring decision.
  
• Pray for a successful benefit concert on Oct. 26. We have brought artists with nice fan bases onboard for the show, and we’ve gotten some promotional materials out on the streets and press releases out to the media.
  
• Pray that the local media (radio, newspapers, TV) will take an interest in
  the show and help us get the word out.
  
• Pray that the Lord would use the appeal of these artists to bring new people through the doors to be envisioned for Covenant Mercies, sponsorship program, etc.
  
• Pray that the Lord would use the concert to bring some big donors through the doors, and inspire them to give more.
  
• Our PEPFAR paper is resubmitted. Pray that we would be invited to submit the full application again (there are no guarantees, even though we made the cut the first time).
  
• Pray for wisdom and funding related to the school project in Nagongera, which we intend to break ground on in January. We have a $25,000 grant proposal submitted for this project. Pray for favor.
  
• Pray for our staff of 12 in east Uganda , 2 in Zambia , and our friends in
  W. Uganda and Ethiopia who are helping us get started on a voluntary basis.

Thank you so much for praying.

"I thank my God every time I remember you...."

A Dieu soit la Gloire!

Diane

Diane's daughter, Adriene and I keep dreaming about going to India to implement a development project we've been working on, but she keeps telling me - give me a few years, Mel. First, I need to go home to Portland for a little while. I never asked why.

Today Adriene told me why - "My mom is terminal, Mel."

Diane is the mother of 4 children of which the oldest (Adriene) is only 26. Diane has been diagnosed with ALS - Lou Gehrigs Disease - at the age of 47. Adriene explained to me that patients with ALS are expected to live 1-2 years from the time of diagnosis. I didn't ask when she was diagnosed.


Adriene just wants to be home to take care of her mom, but her mother wants that she finish her MPH. Therefore, Adriene is currently taking 6 classes in Pittsburgh, doing an internship in Baltimore, and writing her thesis. Yet she still has the best laugh of everyone I've met in graduate school. Amazing.

I don't know if Diane or Adriene have a relationship with Jesus.

Please pray for them.... healing, salvation, intimacy with Jesus, the joy of knowing Christ, his comfort, and HOPE. The gammut. Pray that perhaps Adriene would indeed be able to go to India someday ... to share the love of Christ.

"For God so loved Diane and Adriene, that He gave his one and only son, so that if they believed in Him, they would not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16

Persist

Drowning Melville: David and Ian

"Dear Friends,

Today it's been one year since Ian's accident. A year ago at this time I was at the hospital unsure whether Ian would live or die. As you all know, Jesus spared Ian's life.

So a quick update and then a few prayer requests:Ian is now at home. His family added a room onto their house to meet Ian's special needs. He's still in a coma, technically, I believe. But being in a coma doesn't mean that he's totally unconscious. He's alert, and we believe, fully aware of all that's going on. We also know he's able to read. For example, this was cool, Larissa asked Ian what movie M. Night Shyamalan directed (one of Ian and my favorite directors). She held up a paper with two movie titles on it: "Unbreakable" and "The Plant". With a pencil he pointed to "Unbreakable" which was the right answer. Larissa then asked Ian what show had the characters Elaine, George, and Kramer in it, while holding up a paper with the words "The Cosby Show" and "Seinfeld" on it. Ian pointed to Seinfeld, again right. This seems to indicate that Ian's mind is ALL there. That there's just a, "connection" missing somewhere.

Ian still can't speak, eat, walk, write, really anything.

I can't imagine how discouraging this must be for Ian. Knowing all that's going on and being unable to do anything.

So really, I wanted to write and ask you all to continue praying for Ian. Thank you all SO much for all of your prayers already. God used your prayers to save my best friend's life. But he needs so much prayer. All of us here are desperate. We're desperate that Jesus meet Ian in his need. That the Spirit encourage Ian, strengthen him, "lift his head" as the Psalms say. We desperately want Ian back. We want to hear his voice again. But most of all we want to see Jesus glorified.

So may I beg you all, please continue to pray for Ian.

Here are some specific things you can pray for as the Spirit leads:

• Pray that God would encourage Ian and give him hope and faith.
• That the Holy Spirit would minister to Ian (Ian hasn't been able to read his Bible in a year) and reveal to Ian the glories of Jesus.
• That Steve, Mary, Larissa, the Murphy's, and myself would experience the comfort of Jesus, "the God of all comfort".
• And Join me in praying that Ian would walk by the end of the year. I remember writing to you all a year ago "The reality of the situation is that Ian could die". Well God showed us that the reality of the situation was that nothing is impossible for our Father! Not only did Ian live, when the doctors told us that "brain death is imminent", Ian also graduated from college. So now, the "reality of the situation" is that Ian may never recover. But Jesus has shown us that he is Lord over all and nothing is impossible for him
• And finally, pray that God would be glorified in this situation.

Last night some of us were singing worship songs with Ian and we sang a song called "Whatever My God Ordains is Right". I was brought to tears hearing Mary, Ian's mom, sing:

Whatever my God ordains is right
Though now this cup in drinking
Bitter it seems to my faint heart
I take it all unshrinking
My God is true, each morn anew
Sweet comfort yet shall fill my heart
And pain and sorrow shall depart

Thank you all for your prayers!

We serve a great God.
David"
(Ian's best friend)

Ian Murphy

Please Pray for Ian....



Ian was in a terrible car accident exactly one year ago. The Lord graciously and miraculously spared his life, after medical professionals were certain hope was gone. Ian is still working arduously to recover, but remains very ill.

Ian's family has been loving him, supporting him, and caring for him along this journey. They passionately believe in God's abounding, steadfast love. Because of their love for Christ, they are able to care selflessly for Ian day after day. They are faithfully preaching the gospel to the world as they live this trial with Ian - loving their Savior ever more - trusting Him.

And then there's, Larissa - Ian's beautiful girlfriend. On a personal note, Larissa amazes me. She has remained so genuinely in love with Jesus and with Ian throughout this difficult trial. This post from Larissa will give you great insight into who God has created her to be:

"The struggles of this affliction are pale compared to the glories of the cross. It is the simple yet profound truth of the gospel that gives myself, the Murphys and Ian strength each morning. When we get to heaven, Jesus himself will wipe away every tear from our eyes. Ian will one day be completely healed. His soul is entrusted to Christ. When we focus on that truth, there is no room for fear." - Larissa

Please visit this blog: http://www.prayforian.com/ and pray for Ian Murphy, the Murphy family, and Larissa. Pray for Ian's complete healing. Pray for a fresh hope, joy, and strength to be delivered to them all today. Pray that the Lord would work in these circumstances to advance the gospel.

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10:23

A closer look...

I know it must feel so far away, so here are a few pictures of the children and families that you are praying for when you pray for Sudan, as well as a brief description of the conflict there.

"Since early 2003, Sudanese government forces and militia called “Janjaweed” have been engaged in an armed conflict with rebel groups called the Sudanese Liberation Army/Movement (SLA/SLM) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM). As part of its operations against the rebels, government forces waged a systematic campaign of “ethnic cleansing” against the civilian population who are members of the same ethnic groups as the rebels. Sudanese government forces and the Janjaweed militias burned and destroyed hundreds of villages, caused tens of thousands of civilian deaths, displaced millions of people, and raped and assaulted thousands of women and girls. "

"As of September 2007, approximately 2.2 million displaced people live in camps in Darfur and more than 200,000 people have fled to neighboring Chad, where they live in refugee camps. In addition to the people displaced by the conflict, at least 2 million additional people are considered “conflict-affected” by the UN and many need some form of food assistance because the conflict has damaged the local economy, markets, and trade in Darfur. "

"Today, the situation is transforming from a highly destructive armed conflict between rebels and the government into a violent scramble for power and resources involving government forces, pro-government Janjaweed militia, various rebel and former rebel factions, and bandits. Between January and July 2007, more than 200,000 people were displaced, many of them for the second or third time. " -Human Rights Watch, 18 Sept 2007

Please continue to pray for Abdul Rahman, Mohammed Almahady, and Essam Saddiq. Please pray for the men who attacked them - for their salvation. Please also see the comments & prayer requests from World Vision staff member Rose Kimeu:

"We are grateful that God has given us the opportunity to be able to show the people of Darfur the love of Christ...We ourselves are the hands and feet of Jesus. We really urge the listeners to pray for us and to pray for our staff that God would protect them, that God will enable them to show the love of Jesus through what they do.”

"In the desert, prepare the way for the LORD;
make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
And the Glory of the LORD will be revealed,
and all mankind together will see it.
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."
Isaiah 40:3-5

Urgent Prayer: Abdul Rahman, Mohammed Almahady, Essam Saddiq

Please see the article below and pray for our Christian brothers in Sudan. I will try to post more shortly....

3 humanitarian workers wounded when World Vision international aid is ambushed in Darfur
ASSOCIATED PRESS
6:41 a.m. September 22, 2007

EL FASHER, Sudan – Armed men ambushed an aid convoy in Darfur, wounding three humanitarian (World Vision) workers, the U.N. mission to Sudan said Saturday.

The convoy from U.S.-based World Vision International, which included eight staff members, was attacked some 25 miles south of Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state, on Thursday, the U.N. said. All three wounded aid workers were Sudanese. Two were shot in the head and one in the arm, World Vision said. Two are in stable condition, and one is serious condition, the group said. It did not provide more information.

The attackers have not been identified but the U.N. statement said Arabtribes have been regularly clashing in the area. “This is a horrifying and brutal attack on aid staff who are working to save the lives of Sudanesepeople,” U.N. humanitarian chief John Holmes said.

Attacks against humanitarian workers have increased by 150 percent from June 2006 to June 2007, the U.N. says. Since the start of the year, 105 humanitarian workers were temporarily taken hostage and 66 were physically or sexually assaulted in Darfur, the U.N. says. Meanwhile, 61 convoys have been ambushed and looted, and 98 vehicles hijacked.

Darfur hosts the world's largest ongoing humanitarian effort with some 14,000 aid workers including 1,000 international deployed to help the region's 2.5 million refugees. A hybrid force of 26,000 U.N. and African Union peacekeepers is due in Darfur by Dec. 31 to try to end four years of bloodshed that have already killed more than 200,000 people.

Ethiopia: James, Sarah, and Noah

Who: James, Sarah, and Noah
Where: Ethiopia, East Africa
What: Samaritan's Purse's ministry to the people of Ethiopia

"In the wake of anti-Christian violence, Samaritan's Purse is responding to the plight of the hungry and homeless."

"Samaritan’s Purse has been working with Ethiopian believers for more than 25 years, providing famine relief, agricultural aid, clean water, orphan care, and other types of assistance. We are committed to supplying food, shelter, and other essentials for those who have lost homes, possessions, and livelihoods. Please pray for an end to the violence in Ethiopia, and pray that local believers will continue to stand strong for Jesus Christ in the midst of persecution."

Ways you can pray (from their friend Phil):

• For James as the Country Director and Sarah working part time for SP and asa full time mother
  
• Pray that they would find/develop meaningful relationships with fellow believers
• Pray that the Lord would bless their work and that the gospel would be spread in Ethiopia
• Pray for the believers in Ethiopia, that they may be encouraged and blessed as they face many trials

"All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit...

We have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in te kingdom of light.

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

Colossians 1:6,9-14

Treasuring Christ

Where: Bethel Park, PA USA
Who: Providence Church of Pittsburgh
What: Bethel Park Community Day Outreach
When: Saturday, 8 September 2007

"Treasuring Jesus Christ and inviting others to do the same."

Providence Church of Pittsburgh is a group of local "missionaries" who love Jesus Christ and desire to share the love of Christ with their community. Specifically, this weekend at Community Day, they will be be handing out cotton candy, facilitating fun games, and building relationships in order to communicate Christ's love.

How we can pray for Providence Church (from Pastor Jeremy):

• As we serve, that we would be treasuring Christ so much that it overflows to people we meet
• That God would give us some Gospel opportunities even at the Community Day
• That people would not only receive the free lemonade and cotton candy, but that they would also receive an invite to Providence Church and be interested in coming to check us out (not just for numbers sake, but that people would come to know Jesus through all of this and join with us in treasuring Him above all else!)
• That we would find favor with the BP Community folks, and that it would only give us more avenues in the future to be able to reach out to the community
• For weather like this past weekend’s weather (no rain, plenty of sunshine, and a lack of humidity!)

"And it is my prayer that love would abound more and more, with all discernment so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through JESUS CHRIST, to Glory and Praise of GOD."
Philippians 1:9-11

Thank you so much for praying with us! May Jesus be Precious to You.

To God be the Glory!

Missio Dei

Where: Brighton Heights, PA USA
Who: Matt & Traci Haberman and Missio Dei ministry team
(Jonathan Dugan, Andrew Geides, Grace Rajnovic, Martha D'Abruzzo, Patricia and Greg Ruffner, Kate Heryford, and Sarah Zabielski)
What: Missio Dei aka "The Sneeze Project"

Missio Dei is a ministry breaking through in the North Side of Pittsburgh, PA that is made up of Christians living the gospel with the Brighton Heights community. In their own words, they are:

"living along side of the folks in our neighborhood and have built many significant relationships already. We participate in the life of the community and have established ourselves as regulars at The Vault Coffee and Tea Bar (pictured above.) This is a 'third place' that has become a crossroads for the community and is a place where many of our relationships have been built. We are sharing our stories with one another, and incarnationally bringing the living Jesus into those relationships.

Our order will bring transformation based on the power of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We will be conduits for God's love, mercy, justice, peace,generosity, hope, grace, renewal, revitalization, and reconciliation. We exist to cooperate with the grace of God and to participate with the building of his Kingdom. "

How we can Pray (from Matt):
For the team,

• That we’d be able to spend some more time together
• That we would see a few people from the neighborhood come on board
• That we would find new ways of loving our neighbors

For the neighborhood,

• That churches would work together to demonstrate Jesus Christ
• That our block party on the 6th of October would have good weather and a great turnout
• That the Vault would be successful
• That our presence in the community would be a catalyst for revitalization

For Traci and I,

• That we’d get the grant that we just applied for
• That we’d be attentive to God’s Spirit
• That we’d pray more
• That we’d be humble and generous

Father, we love you. Thank you so much for loving us and for sending Jesus to die for us - that we might have a relationship with you forever. Lord thank you for saving Matt and Traci. God may your Holy Spirit consume them and the ministry team as they build relationships on the North Side. May they have your praises on their lips! May Jesus be treasured and praised at the Vault...may souls be saved...in Breighton Heights and throughout the world. We desire that your perfect will be done. We love you, Father.

South Sudan

Where: South Sudan

Who: Philip Ewert and Samaritan's Purse Staff

What: Rebuilding Christian churches destroyed by Sudanese civil war in the 1990's

Franklin Graham:
" ... As God provides, our teams hope to build 80
churches this year and 200 each year after. We believe there are at least 1,000
churches that need to be rebuilt.

We hire local Sudanese workers for the
construction and have deployed dozens of Christian men and women from the United
States and Canada to train these workers. Working in a land that lacks paved
roads, electricity, and construction facilities, every day is a challenge. Every
church rebuilt is worth it, though, as believers are encouraged and people are
coming to Christ.

Through relief and evangelism projects across Sudan,
Samaritan’s Purse is working to lift up the Lord Jesus Christ as the only One
who can bring true healing and peace. Each person we help is a soul precious to
God, and what matters most is introducing as many as we can to the greatest love
of all—the love of Jesus Christ, who gave His life to rescue us from sin and
death."

Please pray for Phil and the SP Staff:

• That God would provide strength, energy, and wisdom each day as they face new challenges
• That they would be protected physically and spiritually (specifically as they travel)
• That they would have refreshing moments of peace and rest with God
• That the Lord would use them mightily to preach the Love of Christ
• That hearts would be softened and souls would be saved in South Sudan
• That God would be glorified in and through their work
• And " For the Christians of Sudan; for the churches being built, that these would not be mere structures we are building but symbols of hope; that many in this land would know our Lord; that the window of peace would remain for as along as possible." - Phil Ewert

Father, you are good, faithful and abounding in steadfast love. We trust that you love Phil and the Christians in South Sudan. Please God we ultimately ask that your will be done in their lives and in this nation. Thank you for your love for us!

This is Yours

We first and foremost surrender this page and our prayers completely to you Lord. We begin praying as you have taught us in all perfection and love:

Our Father who art in
Heaven

Hallowed be thy name

Thy kingdom come

Thy will be done

on Earth as it is in
Heaven

Give us this day our daily
bread

and forgive us our
trespasses

as we forgive those who trespass
against us

Lead us not into
temptation

but deliver us from
evil

For thine is the kindgom

and the power

and the glory

Forever and ever.

Amen

We love you, Lord. Please unify us in prayer for the nations, for the lost, for the sick, for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are boldly preaching the gospel. Please help us to glorify your name. Please help us to love you more.

À Dieu soit la Gloire!