Christmas Greetings from Veral Blake ~
Saint Vincent & The Grenadines
It is beginning to look a lot like
Christmas here in St. Vincent & The Grenadines. Just a few more days . . . this year Christmas is on a Sunday. Throughout the country in many villages and
towns, in homes and on houses, the blinking of beautiful Christmas lights are
glowing, and sparkling, with glorious splendor. Sunday evening openings of
businesses for shoppers have now become a norm. This is a recent happening in
our country which considers Sunday a holy day. You may think it
incredible when I tell you that the biggest Christmas activity in the city is
the annual Prisoners' Christmas Concert. It is truly
amazing the talents that are confined behind bars, what waste! There is truly
no other time of the year like the season of Christmas. After 50 years it will
the first time, I will be spending it without my darling wife, Norma. She is
greatly missed but she is in a far better place where there is no pain or
sorrow.
Sadly, an article I read recently
indicated that the statistic about Christmas is not good. It is said that more
suicides occur at Christmas than any other time of the year. This may not
be so in St. Vincent & The Grenadines, but especially in large countries
around the world, where Christmas is celebrated. Why is this so when
Christmas should be such a happy time? It has a lot to do with our perception
of Christmas. The disparity is too overwhelming for many that few have and
enjoy so much when so many have little or nothing at all. This year our
ministry Ambassadors For Christ, will join with HighPoint Church St. Vincent,
my home church, to bless 100 poor and needy Children with Christmas packages
who attend a Secondary School in our community
We are ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT GETTING
INTO THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT whereas it should be LETTING THE
SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS GET INTO us.
The traditional Christmas meal here
in SVG, comprised of local peas & rice, macaroni pie, baked ham, not
turkey, roast beef, vegetables. For drinking there is what is called
‘sorrel which is a flower that is picked and put to dry then hot water
is poured on it and then it is spiced up with a local black wine. Believe me
that is a favorite of many people. There is also what is called “ginger beer”.
It is not a beer at all, but local ginger prepared in a special
way to make a drink that truly itches the throat, but that’s how most
people love it. We will have one hour of church service on Christmas
morning specifically worshiping through the singing of carols and a short
sermon. Several radio stations on the Island have consented to broadcast a
special Christmas message from me free of charge as part of their programming
for that day. Pray that God will use this message to transform lives.
From my family to your family A
BLESSED Christmas to you and a bright & prosperous New Year.
Veral Blake
PRAYER & PRAISE – December 21, 2022–January 3, 2023
12/21
Linda Summer
The
Agape Puppets, USA/Worldwide
Praise
God for the 150 people who came for a hotdog roast and hayride at Linda’s home.
They partnered with her home church, Highlands PCA, and a local supporting
church, Subligna Baptist Church. They performed a puppet show for the children
and thankfully, heard so many children calling on Jesus, asking Him to be their
King!
12/22
Charlie & MaryBeth Berry
Cru
(Unto), USA/Worldwide
Following the devastating destruction of Hurricane
Ian in Southeast Florida, their Disaster Relief team loaded up the Unto mobile
relief van and headed to areas where recovery help was greatly needed. Their
Unto team and local volunteers went to many damaged homes to help clean up and
make repairs, sharing Jesus’ love by helping relieve the suffering from the
massive storm.
12/23
Tyler & Lara Patty
Josiah
Venture, Czech Republic
Pray
for Tyler as he takes up an expanded role as the Director
of Higher Education for JV and pray for Lara
as she takes on a new role of Event and Networking Coordinator
for the team. Pray also for the rest of their team as they seek God for developing
new strategic initiatives.
12/24
Greg & Pam Smith
InStep
International, Inc., USA/Worldwide
The
Kidz Christmas Projects in Costa Rica are set through churches which will serve
the underserved children and communities with the celebration of Christmas.
This is the sixth year InStep has hosted Christmas in Costa Rica celebrations.
MERRY
CHRISTMAS!
12/25
Andrea & Emory Fleming
OM,
Ireland
Pray
for the Flemings during their furlough this month. Pray for their new director
who has arrived and for their team during this transition. Their Team Retreat
was a great time of bonding and being together, for the first time in six
years.
12/26
Bill & Joy Carrera
Wycliffe
Bible Translators, Peru
Pray
for quick and positive resolution with the FAA board to approve Joy's medical. Pray
for endurance for teachers and students at the accelerated pace of the
curriculum due to a shortened school year.
12/27
ISAIAS & JUDITH CATORCE
TMS
Global, Philippines
Pray during December 27–30 for Robert with District
Youth in Olonggapo City. Pray for the once-a-month training for Young
Ambassadors For Christ (YAFC), street preachers in Gensan, and Transformational
Disciple-making Framework (TDF) through PWEDE training in T'boli with
Pastors by Isachar.
12/28 J & P
Central
Africa
Pray as they process how to best move forward in their lives and
help women with all that they have learned. Pray for a special time with
their families during their home assignment as well as enriching meetings with
supporters. Pray for political peace and stability in Central Africa.
12/29
Keith & Rita Haywood
Operation
Mobilization, USA/Worldwide
Churches are now considering
Ministry Proposals: Continue to pray for the churches they are talking
with about new partnerships.
12/30 Mihalis & Lois Litsikakis
AMG
International, Greece
AMG
International is Celebrating its 80th Anniversary this year so in
the following days they will have for the first time a retreat with AMG
coworkers from the broader European and Middle Eastern region. Please pray for
the work of AMG in this part of the world.
12/31
Andrew & Inna Ryzhkov
Byelorussian
Mission, Inc., USA/Belarus/Israel
Praise
God that Byelorussian Mission was able to send off thousands of Bibles and
Christian Literature across the country. At their semi-annual Pastors
Conference this fall, they were able to gather national statistics regarding
the competition of VBS/Summer Camps, and to their great joy, 2,836 children
accepted the Lord this summer!
JANUARY 2023 ~ happy new year!
1/1 Doug & Lisa Mitts
Greater
Europe Mission, Germany
Pray
for Doug and Lisa as they transition to Dallas for their home ministry
assignment during 2023. Pray for their flights, settling into Dallas, and
getting things to normal. Please ask God to supply their needs for this next
year. Pray for the Spirit to lead them in ongoing work with GEM’s Spiritual
Life Team.
1/2 Mark & Pat Terry
Cru,
USA
Pray for Aayla, a teacher in Ecuador, to mature in
her faith and tell others about Jesus. Pray for Jenny and other ISP staff and volunteers. Pray for the teachers’ movement in Ecuador
to grow. Pray for revival to
spread through the four regions of the country: Amazon Basin to the east, the
Sierra mountains, the west coast, and the Galapagos Islands.
1/3 OLI
& JUDY JACOBSEN
Ethnos360,
USA/Asia
Please
pray for the Leadership Retreat for their expat and Filipino leadership teams
in the Philippines during January 3-6. Pray for Oli and his coworker
leading the discussions. During the last half of January, pray for their time
with their missionaries in the southern part of the Philippines, then as they fly to
Singapore to meet with their SQ board, and to Asia Pacific to meet with
their board there.
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable,
always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.” I Corinthians
15:58 (NASB)
Our monthly Prayer &
Praise Calendar is also available on fba.org/globalmissions
