Prayer Spotlight

Arago is a small community of about 150, five miles west of Myrtle Point, OR. There is very little industry here, just a few dairy farms and some logging. It is very beautiful country with mild temperatures year-round.

We are about ½-hour from the coast, so we do get our share of wind. In the winter the whole Coquille Valley tends to flood from the large amount of rain. Many fields and roads are under water for long periods. The plus side to that is that the fields are rich in minerals for farming in the summer, and there are multiple water fowl in the flood waters all winter long. Many of the farmers even put up duck blinds on the flood lands for hunters.

Please pray for wisdom as we deal with many hurting families. Drugs have invaded this area with a vengeance. Depression is also a major issue, as well as unemployment, which is very high for the whole Coos County.

This hamlet (pop. 860) is on the north fork of Long Island, 6 miles from the Orient NY-New London CT ferry and 110 miles from New York City. We see cycling clubs, motorcycle clubs, fishermen, and nature lovers.

Our town, comprised of seniors or summer homes, is a go-through to Orient and Greenport – one would need a reason to stop here. The church, established in 1843, has a rich history; we’re compiling documents to begin a weekly historical tour. The church also has a working 1903 Hook & Hasting pipe organ, and our monthly hymn sings feature this beautiful instrument.

We’ve made inroads in our neighborhood and a local continuous care senior community. This wealthy area is very cold to the gospel. Pray for opportunities to reach out to our community. Pray for the Word of God to penetrate this area. We are the last Gospel-preaching lighthouse in this area and our enemy knows it; pray we’ll be bold in our witness and pure in our testimony.

Please pray for the mini-conference taking place at Word of Life in New York Monday – Thursday. Please pray that the missionaries will be encouraged and refreshed in their service for the Lord.

Praise the Lord for a great visit to Calvary Bible Church in Yorktown Heights, New York. Brian & Carole Wechsler visited this former field August 22. Many in the church were unaware of how Village Missions had sent and helped with the salary of their Village Missionary, beginning in 1981. Brian says, “We were warmly received and it was a joy to see how this church has a vibrant testimony to the Lord. We are grateful also for the support this church sends to Village Missions.”

On August 30 Brian will be speaking to the Barnabas Group in San Diego, CA, and on August 31 to the Barnabas Group in Orange County, CA. He will be reporting to them how Barnabas has helped Village Missions. Pray for good opportunities to share and to make further connections.

Once primarily a farming/forestry community, more people now commute to jobs in Truro or in Halifax and Dartmouth. The people are friendly and like to help their neighbours. There is a mixture of people with loyalty to their traditional church and others with little or no church background.

We try to demonstrate the change Jesus Christ makes as Lord of our lives through our involvement in community organizations like the school, fire department, and recreation center. We also try to demonstrate the genuine love of Christ to our neighbours and friends in the community.

Pray for at least one committed Godly family to move here, to join us in reaching neighbours with the Gospel. With only four families, it’s a struggle to do the work that’s needed, as finances are lacking and the workers are few. (Matt. 10:36-38)

We’re one hour northeast of Las Vegas, NV, just minutes away from the popular Valley of Fire, where people from all over the world come to visit. We live in a predominately Mormon community. Schools are excellent here, focusing on the arts. Population is about 8500.

In September we begin a new outreach for the community – a Community Bible Study at the local library or community center, for non-churched people. It will be a great place to meet for those who have questions about Christianity.

Please pray for our Youth/Music Ministry. As the church continues to grow, we would like to see God provide a Youth/Music Ministry leader.

Thank you for your faithful prayers on behalf of Village Missions! Please remember these as you pray this week:

1. Please pray that God will call many to the ministry of Village Missions. Several fields are open – we need Village Missionaries!

2. Brian and Carole will be traveling to New York August 20 to speak at Calvary Bible Church in Yorktown Heights, NY, and then going to the Village Missions Mini-Conference at Word of Life in Schroon Lake, NY, August 23-26. Please pray that we will be able to build bridges at this former field that still sends support to Village Missions, and please pray that the roughly 28 couples and 29 children at the mini-conference will be encouraged in the Lord.

Dear Praying Friends:

As the August deadline for formal applications to Village Missions approaches, pray that God will call many to the forgotten mission field of North America. Perhaps someone reading this needs to be open to God’s call upon your life or perhaps you know someone that could serve as a Village Missionary to a country church.

The harvest in rural North America is plentiful but the workers are few!
Please pray!

With a population of about 1500, we’re near the Finger Lakes of central NY, amidst rolling hills and farm land. Our church is experiencing growth and the growing pains that come with it. I’m spending a lot more time counseling new Christians (praise God) but it takes away from other duties.

My first case of implementing church discipline was a heart-wrenching experience and my worst experience in ministry to date, yet we have already seen the positive effects it has had on the body of Christ here as a whole. We continue to look to God for all things and pray for His Spirit’s leading.

This beautiful, scenic area is in the mountains east of Albany. The people who are not retired commute into the towns for work or go to Albany and Troy. Many people also travel to attend church in the city. We’ve been here just over 5 years and have seen some growth, but there is a large need for salvation. I have many opportunities to witness to unsaved friends, but few respond to the Gospel. We need dedicated Christians to want to attend and help make a difference in this area.