Ministry of Margaret Nelson
Uganda, Africa


February 17, 2004

Prayer

The Equator passes through the southern part of Uganda, and where I live is about 80 miles north of it. If you ever come to visit us, you will land at the Entebbe International Airport which is right on the Equator. So our seasons don t have a lot of distinction as they do in North America. The temperature is about the same all year long (low 90s F.), and our seasons are based mostly upon the rains. December through February is the hottest time of year, due to the long absence of rain during that time. There are few or no clouds to shelter us from the hot sun, so the temperature, especially in February, can easily go above 100° on a daily basis. People don t do much aside from hunting shade.

We are now in that hottest time of year. This week I've probably averaged drinking between 3 and 4 liters of water a day. You get so dry so quickly that it s very easy to grab a liter of drinking water and down it, without even coming up for air! I never knew I could be so thirsty until I came to Uganda and experienced the tropical sun in all its might. Sometimes it s even hard to quench the thirst; you just want to never stop drinking.

As we all know, life can be hot in other ways as well, and any time of the year. I want to experience a never-ending, never-satisfied, thirst for God, for His Word, and for prayer! Living on a mission field and living by faith financially makes a person much more dependent upon God and upon prayer, both your own, and that of others. Rather than it being a scary thing (as it was somewhat in the beginning) I have come to really love how this lifestyle makes me so totally dependent upon God.

Lately quite a number of people have been asking me for prayer requests. I used to include a list of prayer requests/answers in my newsletters, but for some reason, when I changed from a written newsletter to an email format, I left that out. At this point, I would like to share with you an article about missionaries, called An Individual Influence, by Mark. A. Taylor. It was written probably in the mid-1980s and I cut it out and pasted it in my Bible where it remains to this day. Then at the end of this newsletter, I am going to give you a list of prayer requests which I will include in each one from now on, including answers.

An Individual Influence

Paul once wrote about being content with insufficient financial support (Philippians 4:12), but we never get the slightest hint that Paul was ever content with insufficient prayer support. He continually asked for prayer (Romans 12:12; 15:30; 2 Corinthians 1:8-12; 1 Thessalonians 5:25; 2 Thessalonians 3:1; 1 Timothy 2:1; Colossians 4:2; etc.). Here are some of his requests that we should apply today:

It is not enough for the home church to pray for the missionaries. Missionaries must pray fervently for the home church. Paul prayed for the church always (Colossians 1:3; Philippians 1:4; 2 Thessalonians 1:11; Romans 1:8; 1 Corinthians 1:4; 1 Thessalonians 1:2; 2:13). It is important for the missionaries also to be persistent and specific. Missionaries, just look at some of the specifics for which Paul prayed in Ephesians 1:17-23; 3:14-21; and Colossians 1:9-12.

Prayer Requests

Thank you for praying and being part of God's army!

Margaret Nelson