Prayers Needed!

So I am leaving tomorrow morning for Cambodia...what!?!? I can't believe this is actually happening and that the Lord is willing to use me to serve and minister to these broken people.  I have read three different books (all of which I would highly recommend: The Road to Lost Innocence, Terrify No More, and First, they Killed my Father) about Cambodia, its history, and the current state in terms of sexual exploitation of women and children.  It is absolutely sickening to read the countless stories of this form of slavery and the people that get away with it every single day.  Even with the knowledge I have gained, no one can be fully prepared for what my team is about to experience.

With that, we are in desperate need of prayer! There is going to be so much evil surrounding us and we will be feeling many different emotions as we meet children who have more or less been living in what we might consider hell on earth.  Our goal is to build relationships and show the love and hope of Christ.  We want to assist the Hard Places Community in the work that they do year round in Phnom Penh.  Below is a very specific and detailed prayer guide that one of my teammates put together.  It will give you general prayer requests, day by day requests, and requests from each team member.  Pray that God would do UNIMAGINABLE things in and through us and the Hard Places Community.  Can't wait to update you all after I return!
Alyssa

Prayers for Fondren Church Short-term Mission Group to the Hard Places Community in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Prayers to be praying at all times:

●      Pray for unity, understanding, patience, kindness, and perseverance for our team. 

●      Pray that we, as a community and as individuals, are constantly reminded of how to serve each other and the world around us. 

●      Pray 1 John 4:7 over us each day as we seek to teach this verse through our words and actions! 

●      Pray that we are diligent and manage our time well, so that we may make the most of each day. 

●      Pray for the children at the HPC, that they open their hearts and minds to our teachings; that they come to understand the restoration offered them by Jesus; and that they will experience Christ-like love through our daily interactions. 

●      Pray over our periods of planning and debriefing—that we are moved by the Holy Spirit to speak and act out of Godly wisdom. 

●      Pray for the HPC permanent staff, that we are able to assist and serve them in their duties. 

●      Pray against spiritual warfare—internal and external; please pray the armor of Christ over us every day! 

●      And pray also for safety as we travel to and from Cambodia, as well as throughout the city once we’re there. 

●      Also, praise Jesus for the miracles He will perform in our lives and the lives of others through this mission trip.  Pray that our efforts bear fruit that points back to our Creator!

Specific prayer requests from each member:

Drew Mellon (leader):  “Please pray that I will lead the team to unity with boldness.”

Ally Pace Mellon:  “Pray that I practice patience in difficult situations, especially after experiencing serious jet lag.  Pray that I love those who have been abused, and that I learn to love those who abused them.”

Brent Johnston (leader):  “I ask for prayer in seeking a servant’s heart, that I would walk in the Spirit with boldness and confidence.  Pray that I receive new revelation from the Lord about my call in ministry.  Pray also for the safety of my family while I’m away.”

Scott White:  “Please pray over my time teaching.  Pray that I will have understanding of the staff members’ learning levels and styles.  Pray also that I will have time to truly invest myself in them.”

Deborah White:  “Pray that I will have wisdom and discernment to know how to minister to the Cambodian and American staff as I teach ESL. I will also be working with the brothel men on their Tuk Tuk tour script. Pray that I will relate well with all and not be overwhelmed with the task of teaching and adjusting to the culture. Pray that [Scott and I] will have unity in our marriage for the three weeks we will be ministering there.”

Cissy Prewitt:  “Pray for family unity between me and my two girls.  Pray against false expectations so that the love of Christ may show through me to its fullest and in everything I do.”

Gwynn Prewitt:  “Pray for safety and health, specifically for my headaches and my mom’s kidney stones.  Pray that we remain pain free.  Pray that I won’t be focused on the hard conditions but rather on how I can be a servant.”

Grace Prewitt:  “Pray for safety over the entire team.  I also your prayers for our team that we will all have rewarding experiences, that our souls will be forever changed.”

Morgan Parker:  “Please pray over this trip and how it can impact my future.  Pray that it will open doors that need to be opened if the Lord is in fact calling me to do long-term missions.  I ask protection through prayer from the lies and schemes of Satan--please pray that my trust is completely founded on the Truth of Christ.  And pray that this trip will change me.  In every way.”

Kelsey Marx:  “Pray that I will be receptive to the Lord’s will for me each day.  Pray for discernment and wisdom in navigating the chaos of our riverfront ministry.  And pray against distraction—that I may be mentally, emotionally, and spiritually present at all times.”

Eric Henderson:  “Please pray obedience over me, as well as a steadfast heart.  Pray that I will yield to the guidance of the Holy Spirit instead of my own willingness.  Pray for my devotion to the cause of Christ as I move throughout the week.  Pray for me to have a job upon returning and a proper living situation in Jackson.  And lastly, please pray that I deny myself & carry my cross without wavering.  I don’t want to cheat myself out of anything the Lord is trying to show me or give me or even take away!

Katie Acker:  “Pray that I would have boldness in sharing my faith in Christ with the kids while also loving them as Christ loves them.  That I would gain clarity on what my next step is in ministry and where Christ wants me to go.  Pray protection over my family and friends back home, that I would not worry or be anxious about what’s happening at home.  And I ask prayers over my attentiveness to God’s voice so that I will walk in obedience during the trip.

Alyssa Nobles:  “Pray that I would see the hope through the evil and despair in the people that we encounter. Also, pray that I would be able to share with others back home about my experiences while honoring the dignity of those in Cambodia.”

Prayers for each day:

Thursday, June 13, & Friday, June 14

●      Please pray over our travels! 

●      Pray for safety, health, rest, and peaceful hearts. 

●      Pray that we (and our luggage and supplies!) make all of our flight connections and that our bodies adjust quickly to the time differences!  If you want to pray over our specific flights, we’d really appreciate that, too!

Flight schedule

Jackson to Dallas:  Leaving 7:10 AM 6/13 on American Airlines, arriving 8:35 AM

Dallas to Seoul, South Korea:  Leaving 12:10 PM on Korean Air, arriving Friday 6/14, 4:30 PM (1:30 AM CST)

Seoul, South Korea to Phnom Penh, Cambodia:  Leaving 6:40 PM 6/14, arriving 10:05 PM  (6:05 AM CST)

Saturday, June 15 & Sunday, June 16

●      Please pray that we feel rested and adjusted to Indochina Time (ICT)!  Over the weekend we will be debriefed on Cambodian culture and history, specifically that which has been affected by the Khmer Rouge.  During these two days, we will visit the “killing fields” as well as a museum that showcases the horrible story of this regime. 

●      Pray that in so seeing these places our hearts are further broken for the injustices that have occurred in this country.  Pray that through these experiences we will have a better understanding of the Khmer peoples’ hearts and thought processes.

●      We’ll also be attending a church service with The Hard Places Community Sunday morning (somewhere around 7PM CST), so please be praying that we’re well-rested and attentive to the Holy Spirit during this time!

Monday, June 17—Thursday, June 20

Our four full ministry days will look something like this:

Wake-up early; breakfast at the hotel; go to the Boys’ Center for morning worship and VBS with the kids; break for lunch & planning; afternoon ministry (Kids’ Club, river front, teaching English, etc.); dinner; debriefing, prayer, and worship with the team; and finally, sleep!  For Kids’ Club, we’ve planned four lessons on four different kinds of love, respectively:  Monday—Friend love; Tuesday—Family love; Wednesday—Romantic love; Thursday—God’s love.  Through our time at Kids’ Club we hope to demonstrate the difference between how God wants us to love our friends, family members, and significant others, and how the world teaches us to treat others.  We also hope to show that God’s love for us is greater than any other kind of love we can give or receive. 

●      Please be praying over this ministry with us! 

●      Pray that the kids learn how to love one another, as well as how they should be loved—what love is and isn’t according to God’s wisdom. 

●      Pray that these lessons will impact their lives in big ways—that they can understand the injustice of abuse as well as the abolishment of shame, fear, anger, and other strongholds through the acceptance of Jesus’ loving forgiveness.

Friday, June 21

            Friday will look a lot like our other days with the exception that we’ll have an end-0f-the-week celebration during Kids’ Club instead of an organized lesson-period. 

●      Pray that in this time the kids will experience uninhibited happiness! 

●      Pray that the children will understand our Christ-like joy for them and our hope for their lives! 

●      Praise the Lord for this experience of sincere fellowship through singing and dancing and laughter! 

●      And, finally, may we all praise Him for His unfailing love and the rest that it gives our souls.

Saturday, June 22, & Sunday, June 23

Saturday we will be spending time with our team in Phnom Penh before catching our flight late that night.  Though our schedule is tentative for this day, it will most definitely include daring each other to eat bags of fried crickets. 

●      Therefore, pray for our health and well-being. 

●      Pray that we use this day to process the week before it—all the blessings and God-ordained conversations and heartaches and so forth. 

●      Pray that we’re still focused on furthering God’s Kingdom even if we’re not preparing and directing mission activities. 

●      And pray that we’re able to get everything together for a timely departure.  Also, please pray over our specific flights:

Return flight schedule

Phnom Penh to Seoul:  Leaving 11:20 PM Saturday, 6/22 (9:20 AM CST), arriving 6:35 AM, Sunday 6/23 (3:35 PM CST 6/22)

Seoul to Dallas:  Leaving 11:00 AM (7PM CST 6/22), arriving 9:35 AM CST Sunday 6/23

Dallas to Jackson:  Leaving 6:35 PM, arriving 7:55 PM

Thank you so much for praying over us during this time!  We’re so very thankful for you and your faith.  We could not do this ministry without you!