In the Field: Sent to Sendai

Praise Community Church in Sendai, Japan

Bethany had been in Japan for less than a month, and she was ready to find a church she could be involved in while she lived in Japan to teach English. So she met one of her co-workers to make their way to downtown Sendai. She learned which subway station to get off at, and which of the station exits to use. Then they walked into a bar.

They sang worship songs in English and in Japanese. She sat in the back where a church member whispered the English translation of the sermon. At the end of the sermon, Bethany was caught off guard when she was asked to tell the congregation her name, favorite food, and how she had come to the church. She didn't know yet that these types of introductions were frequent in Japan. 

"I remember just feeling a sense of home," Bethany says. "It just felt comfortable."

English Conversation Cafe, an outreach of PCC

That was Bethany Panian's introduction to Praise Community Church (PCC). At the time, she was only planning to be a member. Now, through partnership with Asian Access, she is on staff at the church. If she brings a guests, she warns them about the introduction, even if she forgets until it's almost time for the introduction.

Bethany became a Christian while attending the University of Missouri - Columbia. She was hired through the university to work with a school district. The school was going through budget cuts, and she knew was not going to have a job there the next year, so she started asking God what to do. She prayed with her campus pastor, Missi Trask, and went to a job fair at the university.

While at the job fair, she saw someone recruiting for teaching positions in Japan. "Japan wasn't on my radar for my life at all," she says. So she decided it would be good to practice interviewing with the recruiter. After the fair, they continued to email back and forth. As she prayed about what to do next, a woman from her church told her, "You can't steer a parked car." Bethany applied for the teaching position. By the time she heard back, she had started telling God, "If you don't give me Japan, I don't know what I'm going to do."

Staff prayer night at Bethany's pastor's house

Eventually, Bethany found out she had the job. She moved to Japan in February 2011 and began teaching English, which she did for four years. She taught second grade and high school. During her fourth year, she started working part time as a teacher trainer and began volunteering at PCC.

In her volunteer role, Bethany would organize roles for church volunteers, put bulletins together, make worship music available online, and helped with a monthly Bible study for women. "In those two roles, I was on the edge of burnout again, and I didn't even know it," she says. That's when she found out her school wanted her to be full time the following year, in the position they had created for her. "I had to make a decision between giving up my position at the school and my work at the church," Bethany says. "I was heartbroken because I didn't want to give up either."

She decided to spend a month praying about her options. "I had no peace about returning to teacher training because I felt I had made a commitment to my church and to God," Bethany says.

She had been looking for roommates for the following year. When the friends she was talking to found out she wanted to stay with the church, they offered to cover part of her share of rent as a way to support her. She also read 1 Kings 17 and thought, "If God can make the ravens feed Elijah, He can take care of me," she says.

Bethany meeting with her pastor, supervisor, and a VP
of Asian Access

So Bethany started speaking with Asian Access. Because Asian Access normally pairs missionaries with partner churches, she was not sure how things would work out. She knew she was supposed to be at PCC, but PCC was not a partner church. That spring, the vice president of Asian Access was traveling through Sendai, and Bethany met with her between travel connections. "We both had that feeling we'd known each other forever," Bethany says. Without making any promises, the vice president told her how she met the need at PCC. "God calling me was a perfect fit with things going on behind the scenes I didn't even know about."

After spending some time in the states for training and support raising, Bethany returned to Japan in September 2016. "I have to remind myself I'm still a first-year missionary. It makes sense for me to be barabara," she says, using the Japanese word for scattered.

Some of the "aunties" in the temporary housing community
where PCC Kai is held

When the earthquake and tsunami hit Japan in 2011, Bethany had just arrived, but she knew she was supposed to stay in the country. Residents affected by the disasters were placed into temporary housing communities, and PCC formed a relationship with people at one of the nearby locations. They have recently started what is called PCC Kai, or monthly church services with the residents. "We still haven't seen anyone come to Christ," Bethany said. "My pastor feels like he knows some people who are open to it and seeking. In a Japanese context, making a decision to do something different from the group is almost impossible. I've prayed that He'll change the whole group, and they'll all be following Him."

Now that she is officially on staff with PCC, Bethany has some specific goals in mind for what she would like to do. Bethany is used to small groups playing a big role in spiritual growth. She would like to start a small group with some of the young women in her church. She wants a Japanese co-leader to work with her.

Bethany also wants to see prayer become a normal part of every church member's life. She wants people to be comfortable praying for each other. "One of the biggest challenges is how people view leadership," she said. "Leadership tends to be a really elevated honor. People expect the pastor to do everything." That includes prayer. To encourage others to pray, she is setting an example. "I'm making that a normal part of how I interact with people and modeling that."

But that's not the only change PCC will be seeing. After 10 years of meeting in a bar, and only having the space for a few hours on Sundays, PCC finally has their own space. That means more room to grow.

Prayer requests from Bethany:

• Prayers as PCC enters the new season with their new building
• That they would use the space for God's glory
• That they would be able to better equip their members
• That they would be able to do more outreach

Bethany with her pastor and his family as well as the church's
new intern after their last service in the bar - just last Sunday

*All photos courtesy of Bethany Panian, taken by her pastor Takahiro Ami

In the Field: Speaking Their Language

Memorial Union, where Chi Alpha and English Club meet on Mizzou's campus
Photo screenshot from a video provided by Marta Payne

Saying goodbye at the bus station
Photo courtesy of Becca Clay

People milled about the station, exchanging letters and words of encouragement. Goofing off and taking pictures. They had just come from a formal end-of-school-year celebration. Now, it was time to say goodbye. Thankfully, the bus was running late, allowing them extra time to spend together before some of them returned to Japan. Outside, the rain was coming down in torrents.

Finally it was time to leave. They gathered together to pray. Those headed to the airport boarded the bus. The rain continued to pour down. As the bus pulled away, those staying behind stretched their hands forward and prayed once again. Tears were shed. They weren't just sending off their friends; they were sending off family.

"How do you do this every year?" one student asked. "Is this really what it's like all the time?"

"Yep, this is what it's all about," Becca said.

That was the end of Becca Clay's eighth year at Mizzou. Becca is a campus missionary with Chi Alpha (XA) at the University of Missouri - Columbia and Columbia College. She is the director of XAi, the ministry's outreach to international students. She joined Mizzou Chi Alpha in 2009, during her freshman year at the university. During a regular service that year, on February 23, 2010, she knew she would be dedicating her life to missions instead of continuing with her plan of becoming a math teacher. Then in her senior year, she was at missions conference, when God further confirmed that she should stay at Mizzou. "I remember getting really excited at one point and turning around to Tom and Missi, and I was like, 'I can stay right?' And they're like, 'Welcome aboard'. So I got to stay," she said.

When she graduated in 2013, she began an internship with them. In her second year, Tom asked her to begin leading XAi. In 2015, she officially joined the ministry staff.

"In that moment, you could feel the weight of how important it is to love these students every moment that you have, to sacrifice your time to allow yourself to have new, authentic, genuine relationships," Becca said of the night at the bus station. She said it was a reminder of why she does what she does.

Becca's vision for XAi is that every international student on any campus in Columbia, Missouri, would leave having heard about Jesus. That is broken down into three components.

1. They meet the needs of international students without separating from the rest of the ministry.
2. They equip international students to return to their home countries with the confidence to lead others to Jesus.
3. They teach American students that "they have XAi in them" and creating a sense of responsibility in reaching international students.

Prayer at English Club
Photo courtesy of Becca Clay

When Becca first started helping with XAi, very few American students in Chi Alpha knew any international students. According to the International Center at Mizzou, 80% of international students never enter an American home. "We've changed that statistic on our campuses over the past year or so," Becca said.

In working to reach every one of the 2,700 international students, XAi has several methods. "We meet them, and we just invite them into our lives, and we do English Club," Becca said. "To me, English Club is a welcome mat into the rest of the ministry."

In English Club, students learn common English phrases, particularly ones that won't make sense with a direct translation. Then they play a game to demonstrate an understanding of the phrase. One week, they taught the phrase "party animal." Becca said students started "flailing and dancing" during their skits that night, and they were able to bond over it further at the Halloween party later that week. Another time they learned phrases that had to do with love and relationships. One of the students demonstrated understanding of their new phrase by saying, "Everybody has eyes for Becca." "They liked to flatter me, because they thought that would get them more points," Becca said.

Becca starting a game at English Club

Video courtesy of Marta Payne

This year, there will be some changes. Taking a clue from team members who worked with a similar ministry in Indonesia, conversations at English Club will be less about games and more about the important topics of life - religion, family, culture. "My hope is that we're going to go deeper, faster, that real connections are going to be made," Becca said.

Becca with students at the XAi Thanksgiving and
Christmas dinner
Photo courtesy of Becca Clay

Students also get connected with conversation partners. They lead an Intro to Christianity class, which this year will utilize the Alpha Courses, a series that introduces people to the basics of Christianity. A banquet is hosted every year before Thanksgiving to introduce foreign students to American holiday traditions and the Christmas story. This year, Becca hopes to have one XAi team member in every small group Bible study, called delegates. Their purpose will be to connect international students to other members of the ministry.

Becca explained some of the differences in ministering to students from other countries. Many need practical help with getting around and making phone calls. Sometimes, a trip to Wal-Mart is the best chance to talk about Jesus. There are other differences though.

"A lot of these students have never heard of Jesus," Becca said. "Some of these students is as simple as sin. What is sin? Who's God? You mean there's something out there that's not me?" Even once they understand who Jesus is it can be difficult for them to make a decision.

"We have a lot of students who are so close to accepting Jesus, to making that commitment," Becca said. "And typically when students, especially students from Asian culture, they're fully committed. It's not half in, half out. It's all in. And they know that, so every decision is weighty. I have students that are weighing the cost. Choosing Jesus could mean disappointing your parents for the first time."

Mizzou's group at the national All Nations conference
Photo courtesy of Becca Clay

But Becca and her team are doing their job well. "We're starting to get recognized because we are doing things with excellence and they're seeing," Becca said. She has been able to form a relationship with the national XAi director and his wife where she can learn from them. The national director has asked for her help planning the yearly national conference as well as teaching other students and leaders how to reach international students. "I think my involvement will grow nationally," Becca said. "I really do think it's an honor, because I think it again speaks to the fruit."

Some of that fruit can be seen in the Japanese students she saw off at the bus station last year. They are returning to Japan ready to start a new Bible study on their campus. Mizzou Chi Alpha is doing what they can to help and possibly connect them with a pastor who will go work with them.

For now, Becca's plan is to stay at Mizzou Chi Alpha. But she is always checking with God if that plan should change. "I've counted, and I have friends in over 30 countries at this point. And my heart is all over the place. Every year I make deeper and deeper connections with students where it's harder and harder to say goodbye or see ya later. I have to constantly ask, 'Okay, am I supposed to go? When do I follow a student home?'," Becca said. "As far as I know, I'm here because God hasn't told me otherwise yet."

Prayer requests from Becca:

• That she would be fully supported so that she can help support other missionaries, particularly her students both foreign and domestic who end up working abroad
• For her team members to be prepared for the increased opportunities to minister this year's changes will bring
• For the students who are still counting the cost, that they would have the peace and confidence to choose Jesus

If you are interested in Becca's work, you can visit mizzouxa.com or contact me. If you are interested in being part of her support team, you can join here. You may also contact me for more information.

In God's Garden

I can't grow things. Really, plants come to my house to die. I think I've even managed to kill a succulent - the type of plant that people buy when they can't keep a plant alive. I've certainly never planted a seed and watched it produce fruit of any kind. (Except that one year when my grandpa let me help plant his garden, but let's be real. He did all the work.)

My sister, on the other hand, practically had a jungle growing out of a soda bottle once. Then my mom tried to repot it. (See? I come by my plant-killing ability honestly anyway.)

Do you think it's dead?

Every time I try to keep a plant alive, I think about my past failures. I compare it to my sister's successes. I look at my poor succulent and wonder if it's worth it to keep trying. The one that I've watered and kept near the window for sunlight. The one that I turned away from the sun thinking maybe it was leaning over because the sun was on that side, and turning it around would make it grow the other way. I really don't know what I did wrong this time.

I tend to do the same thing in my walk with God.

I look at the fruit everyone around me is producing. I see the number of people they are leading. I hear them talk about how the people they mentor are growing. Then I compare it to my own life. I look at my failures. I see all the times I've messed up. I hear all the unanswered prayers echoing around in my head.

And I wonder what I'm doing wrong.

A few weeks ago, I was reading the parable of the sower in Matthew 13. In that story, Jesus tells about a farmer who sowed his seeds. The seeds landed on all different kinds of ground, and as a result, each seed had a different harvest. Normally, the seed and harvest from the good soil stands out to me. After all, who doesn't want a multiplied harvest? But this time, it was the seed that landed among the thorns that caught my attention.

Jesus explained, "As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the Word, but the cares of the world and deceitfulness of riches choke the Word, and it proves unfruitful" (verse 22).

In the past, I have pretty much always equated "cares of the world" and "deceitfulness of riches." Or I've read about the cares of the world and thought about doing well in school or making sure all the errands are run or caring too much about the latest news. I've thought it meant worrying about what's going on in your relationships. It could mean stressing over a bad day.

This time, I realized that the cares of this world could be more. It could look like measuring someone else's fruit. It could sound like questioning how deep their roots go. Just because something sounds spiritual doesn't mean it's of God.

It's a slightly odd way to look at it, but I thought of a seed that's planted. If it had a mind of its own, the seed could focus on what's around it - dark, cold dirt; the strong, deep roots of the other plants - it's not going to grow. Those things are never going to bring it out of it's protective shell so it can begin to grow. Or the seed could focus on what is above it - the sunlight that helps produce it's food, the water that refreshes it.

More flowers that I didn't plant (in Monet's Garden)... But they remind
me of how beautifully things turn out when God works.

It is the same for us. If we see all the bad situations around us or if we focus on how well everyone else is doing, we'll stay trapped. We'll try to protect ourselves. But we don't need to stay protected. We need the Son of God. We need the Living Water. If we focus on Him, we begin to reach for Him. Instead of being choked by the cares of this world, our roots go deep into His Love and we grow into something beautiful and unique.

So, I still might not be able to rescue that succulent in my kitchen. But when it comes to my spiritual fruit, I'm ready to let it grow. I'm ready to focus my attention on the One who can make it grow instead of on all the people around me. And if we all focus on Him together, we'll have one amazing harvest in season.

Join the conversation: How have you allowed the cares of this world to choke your fruit? How do you remember to keep your focus on Jesus instead of others?

In the Field: A Gift of Teaching

She goes to work. She goes to church. She shops with her friends at the mall. She lives her life the same way she would in her Missouri hometown. But now she lives near 21.3 million other people - quite the change from her small-town life at home.

Carolyn Summers is a missionary in the Philippines and lives just outside the capital city of Manila, a city that according to World Population Review has 111,002 people living in every square mile.

Carolyn is a missionary teacher at Faith Academy. They start school early so they can avoid the majority of rush hour traffic caused by those 21.3 million residents. Otherwise, their students could be spending six hours in the car instead of three.

About 500 students attend Faith Academy, and Carolyn teaches roughly 65 of them. Many of her students are missionary kids (MKs) or pastors' kids (PKs). Some of them live with their parents throughout the Philippines; some of them board at the school. All of them need Jesus.

Carolyn with some of her students

"The biggest difference [between teaching at Faith Academy and a US public school] is the fact that education is important, but first and foremost, they have a relationship with Christ, or at least we want them to," Carolyn said of her role. "Yes, I teach them, but I also spend a lot of time just talking to my students. How's this going? I know you were reading about this in the Bible. What's up with that?"

While Carolyn was a university student in the US, she met a couple who worked with Faith Academy. When they found out she was studying to get a teaching degree, they encouraged her to consider going to the Philippines. She met with her mentor and told her, "I can't stop thinking about this. It's driving me insane." Her mentor asked if she had prayed about it, and she realized she hadn't yet. After a few weeks of prayer, Carolyn told God she would go.

At the time, she planned to graduate from college, spend time raising support, and leave as soon as possible. But things don't always go as planned. It took a few extra years, a second round of graduate school , and some much-needed time with family, but Carolyn was able to be in the Philippines for the 2016-2017 school year.

Carolyn's students in her classroom

During the last school year, Carolyn taught pre-calculus, Advanced Placement Calculus AB, and Advanced Placement Calculus BC to students at Faith Academy. Next year, she will also be teaching AP Statistics.

She also helped with the JV boys volleyball team. "I am not very good at sports, so most of my time was spent chasing balls," she said. "The thing about volleyball is I know the game enough, and I know the proper form that should be had. I can't do it, but I can show you how to do it. Outside of that, I was really just there to help organize and make sure things happened."

Teachers talk about the "aha" moments students have - the moments when a topic finally clicks with a student, when the teacher knows they've got it. And Carolyn said she has some of her own "aha" moments this year.

One time after school, one of her students had come into her room to give her some help. They ended up talking about his experience as an MK. When his life as an MK first started, his father was in a limited-access country. Because of that, the student was not able to tell his friends what his father did. If he did, his father could get kicked out or be killed. Carolyn said that this student was made at God because he couldn't share who he or his father was. Now that he is at Faith Academy, he is able to share that he is a missionary's child, even if he can't share all the details, and it has changed his relationship with God.

Carolyn with more Faith Academy students

Carolyn says moments like that are some of her favorites from her time in the Philippines. She enjoys getting to talk to her students about life. Because many of them are seniors, she has been able to talk to them about transitioning to the next stage of their lives and how to maintain a relationship with God through that time.

"It's just those moments where I can learn things about a student that impact me personally, but also what I do and how I do something," Carolyn said. "It's kind of worldview changing."

Many people in the Philippines consider themselves Christians, but that isn't always true. "In the Philippines, you have to be really careful about how you talk about God," Carolyn said. "Essentially you have to ask them if they know Jesus."

Even though her job puts her in contact with mostly Christians - co-workers, students, and their parents - Carolyn does have the opportunity to share Christ with those who don't know Him. "It happens more naturally than you think it would happen," she said. "I run into someone at the mall who knows someone, and we start talking. All of a sudden, we're talking about Jesus."

Carolyn is back in the United States until early July. She is getting to spend valuable time catching up with family and friends while support raising. But she is still working. She's leading a Bible study with some of her students via Facebook. She traveled to Texas for a week to refresh herself on teaching AP Statistics. She will be heading back to the Philippines in early July and plans to stay there until God calls her somewhere else.

Prayer requests from Carolyn:

• For her students to seek God
• For support raising

If you would like to learn more about what Carolyn is doing, you can contact me or visit her blog. Or if you would like to join her support team, you can visit give.teachbeyond.org/support/carolyn-summers/.

*All photos provided courtesy of Carolyn Summers.

Call to Prayer: For Your Enemies

"But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." - Matthew 5:44

Borough Market, where one of the attacks in London took place

A little over a week ago, a terrorist attack occurred in London. I know it's not the only attack to happen recently or the worst. But it hit close to home for me, because well, London was home for 12 weeks and because I still have friends there.

I've heard or read several comments since then, coming from US citizens, about keeping Muslims out of the country. They say if Europe didn't let so many in, there wouldn't be attacks happening there so often. They say if we start letting refugees in, we'll have the same problems. Since 9/11, Muslims have been labeled the enemy in my country and by many of our allies.

I emphasized the word "labeled" above, because I don't believe any person of any faith, or any other category for that matter, is my enemy. (Unless we're talking sports. Then a Cubs fan or Jayhawks fan will always be my enemy, but only regarding sports.) And if you're a Christian - and I assume many of you reading this are - you should agree with me.

The Bible says that we do not battle against flesh and blood. We are fighting the SPIRITUAL forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Do you know why Jesus said to pray for your enemies? I'm sure there is more to it than I understand, but a big part of it is because you can't pray without loving. No matter how much you dislike someone, when you start to pray for them, you start to love them. You start to see them the way God does. You start to understand that they need Him too.

The people flying planes into buildings, the people driving vehicles into crowds, the people killing themselves just so they can kill others for believing differently. They all have the same enemy I do. They are fighting someone who wants to destroy their soul and steal their eternity with God.

And they are losing because they believe a lie. A lie that they've been taught their whole lives. A lie that has just enough of the truth to make it seem real. A lie that they're willing to give their lives for;

when they do that, that's when they no longer have a chance to believe the truth. That's when the real enemy wins.

St. Paul's Cathedral is called "the people's church." During World War II,
it was considered a symbol of hope. It is still used for regular church services.

Christians, the enemy has already lost the battle for us. We know the Savior. We've received Him. We get to spend eternity with Him. Even if the enemy manages to kill us, he's still lost. And if we can show the truth of God's love to one of our "enemies," he loses again.

So yes, pray for Manchester. Pray for London. Pray for every person affected by acts of terrorism. They need God. They need His peace. They need His joy. They need His hope. They need His Love. But don't forget to also pray for those who persecute you. Because they need God too. They need His Love. They need His truth. They need Him.

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." - Ephesians 6:12

Call to Prayer: Over and Over and Over Again

I ran. I jumped. I skipped. I shouted. I was celebrating. My parents had taken my little sister to another doctor's appointment earlier that day, and now that I was out of school for the day, they were sharing the news with me. She only had to get one shot every day! God was answering our prayers to heal her from diabetes.

Fast forward 13 years. She has continued to receive four or more shots a day almost every day since then.

I still believe God can heal her. I still believe He promised to do so. But in the years since she was diagnosed, I've spent very few of them praying. In fact, by the time I started college, I had all but quit praying for my sister's healing. Not because I didn't think she would be, but because it was a far-off "eventually-this-will-happen" kind of faith. She had learned to live with diabetes and so had I.

When a problem arises, it's easy to ask God to fix it. When a problem stays, it gets harder to ask. We lose faith. Or think it's a lack of faith to ask over and over and over again. If God heard us the first time, He'll answer when He wants to right?

But praying every day is exactly what we're supposed to do. It allows us to show God, and ourselves, that even though He didn't act yesterday, we still think He will today. It encourages us to keep expecting.

In Luke 18, Jesus told the story of a widow facing injustice. Every day she went before the judge and pleaded her case. Every day, the judge refused her request. But she continued. Eventually, the judge was so annoyed that he gave in. After telling the story, Jesus said, "And will not God give justice to His elect, who cry to Him day and night?" God wants us to continue bringing those requests to Him even when they seem unanswered.

When I challenged myself to pray for at least half an hour every day this month, I knew God wanted me to pray for my sister's healing every day during that. It's been hard. Some days, it's not at the forefront of my mind, and I forget about it. Most days, I just don't want to have to ask AGAIN. I want God to answer that prayer, well, 13 years ago.

But by asking even when I'm tired of asking, I'm learning that trusting God means not giving up on Him. It means asking for the change again today, even when the answer has been no for so long. Today might be the day that the miracle happens. But if I don't ask, the answer will definitely be no.

Join the conversation: What dreams and promises do you need to start praying for again? What will help you trust God enough to start asking again?

"Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened." - Matthew 7:7-8 (NLT)

Call to Prayer

"Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As He finished, one of His disciples came to Him and said, 'Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples'." - Luke 11:1

Prayer. It's so simple, yet it's probably the hardest part of the Christian life. At least for me. It's easy to say a quick thank you or make a small request throughout the day. But I still struggle to set aside a place and time each day to really enter into God's presence.

To be completely honest, I actually dread it.

Don't get me wrong. I appreciate that I have the ability to talk to God anytime, anywhere. I like knowing that He wants me to talk to Him and that He'll speak to me. That is why those random moments throughout the day are so easy for me. But something in me resists going in my room, ignoring every distraction, and just praying.

A few times in the last two weeks or so, I've pushed past that resistance. Now that I have, I finally understand why it's so hard for me to do regularly.

I don't think I'm good at it. And I hate doing things I'm not good at.

I've read the Bible verses. I've read the stories of biblical heroes and other great men and women of God who prayed. I've seen prayer work in my own life and in the lives of others. I've seen my prayers answered. I've read multiple Christian books about prayer. I've even written and led small group lessons about prayer. Somehow, I still manage to feel like I don't have a clue what I'm doing when I try to have my own prayer time.

I don't think I'm the only one. (At least I hope I'm not alone in this.)

Today, I have started a journey. I challenge you to join me. I am asking God to teach me to pray. I'm making the commitment to set time aside specifically for prayer -- a minimum of half an hour every day in May. I have two main goals for this. The first is to finally form a habit of daily prayer time. The second is to really understand persistence in prayer.

Are you taking the challenge? What commitment are you making for this month? What do you hope to learn or understand better by the end of this challenge?

My prayer wall where I keep reminders of people, promises, dreams, and
ministries I want to pray for