Pray for Our World: Myanmar

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Myanmar is surrounded by India, China and Thailand. It is very diverse ethnically, with eight major national races, 135 sub-groups and tribes, and many more smaller tribes and language groups.  Even though the land is richly blessed with teak forests, fertile soil, precious gems and minerals and offshore oil, most people live in poverty surviving on less than $1 day.  It is largely a Buddhist country, with the church having great suffering and repression.  Even so, there is growth in the church and openness of the Monks to learn about Jesus.  However, Buddhism incorporates a lot of superstition and their devotion is strong in a culture that is against leaving Buddhism.  Pray that the Christians will be able to understand the Buddhist mindset and minister to the people to show them true freedom and God’s love.

Pray for Our World: Mozambique

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Mozambique is located in the southeast corner of the African continent, across from the island of Madagascar.  It is one of the poorest countries in the world, resulting from years of colonial predation, Marxist government, guerrilla warfare, civil war and natural disasters, famine, floods and AIDS.  They are heavily dependent on foreign aid.

Between 1975 and 1982 the extreme Marxist government attempted to root out Christianity.  The country has certainly seen the effect of this attempt.  Since then, there has been religious freedom and the country is growing in their Christian faith and have enjoyed peace after years of war.  They urgently need Christian leadership training and literature.  Please pray that this country will reach out to God as the one who can heal their land.

Pray for Our World: Morocco

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Ancient Moroccan tanneries

Morocco is in the northwest corner of Africa.  Sunni Islam is the state religion, and the existence of Christians and Jews are tolerated but not accepted (prejudiced).  Arab armies invaded Morocco in the seventh century and Islam took over at that time.  The once-strong North African Church was erased.  Today, Christians are still persecuted and expelled from the country.  There are less than one percent Christians and Jews, and even less than that are Evangelical (about .01%).  The internet is beginning to change their access to other worldviews, as significant numbers search for the gospel online, and the Jesus film is also distributed in Arabic.

Pray for Our World: Montenegro

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Montenegro is a coastal Adriatic state that is small, but mountainous and picturesque.  With its beautiful coastline, it is Europe’s fastest growing tourist industry.  It was recognized as a state as early as 1077 and became part of Yugoslavia in 1918, and separated in 2006.  With their independence, it has brought optimism and hope.  If they can avoid the ethnic/religious difficulties that plague most of the other Balkans, then they will have a chance to succeed.  Seventy-five percent of the population is Orthodox, but the Orthodox Church has many disagreements between Serbian Orthodox and Montenegrin Orthodox.  Evangelicals have been growing, as we’ve seen in many other non-western countries as well.  Foreign missions is also just beginning in Montenegro.  Pray that the missions and the churches will unite and spread the Good News to the people of Montenegro.

Pray for Our World: Mongolia

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Mongolia is a country squeezed in the middle, with China to the south and Russia to the north.  It is subject to extreme climates.  Mongolia was unified as a nation in 1206 under Genghis Khan, and became the greatest land empire ever known.  It was foreign dominated from 1368 to 1911, then Russia installed a Marxist government in 1921.  After the fall of USSR, Mongolia has struggled with poverty and finding employment, and many have moved abroad.

While it seems sad to see the changes governments have imposed over hundreds and thousands of years, God seems to be working quietly behind the scenes in many of these countries at this time.  Many changes have taken place over the last 50-100 years around the world that we have not been seen before.  In 1989, there were only four Mongolian Christians.  Today, there are over 40,000 believers in hundreds of churches and groups, meeting in most parts of the country.  The greatest challenge for the churches and missionaries to this part of the world is that they must shed their foreign-ness and become truly Mongolian and yet still remain Biblically centered.  Jesus came for all people, and His message is for all people, and we must not try to westernize Christianity and force others to fit that mold.  Jesus’ message of belief and repentance is not culture-specific.  It is only our rituals that are culture-specific.