One of the most exciting events at the Center is a 2 week/50 hour English camp. Short- term teams from America serve alongside us as students are immersed in the English language. While the students learn a lot, we love the opportunities that this time gives us to develop deeper relationships and to speak about God’s truth. Please pray for the next English camp that will take place in mid-February–that God would lead the right people to sign-up and be a part of this camp. We currently have 10 students registered, but we would like to have 20-25 students. Thank you for praying!

One of the most shocking experiences for many who come visit us here in GM is the escalator ride down to the metro platform. This city has some of the steepest, longest escalators we have ever seen—this is a 30 second video, and it only gets you half way down. Enjoy the ride!

Two new interns have joined our team! We are so thankful to have them here. Please pray for them as they transition into life and ministry in this place. They begin their survival language course tomorrow, and even without that, they have been out exploring the city and taking public transportation on their own. A great start to what we pray will be a great experience for them!

One of our favorite elements of living here in the city is getting to know the various vendors near our apartment building. This is our “fruit guy” that we get fresh produce from–he proudly posed for this portrait on a warm day in November.  Join us in praying that through our words and actions, the light of Jesus would shine through us EVERY DAY as we navigate life here–even in tasks as simple as buying fruit.

We have quite a unique team here in GM– 4 of the adults on the team are TCKs ourselves, and we recognize the journey our own precious children are on as they grow up overseas. We cannot thank you enough for faithfully covering our children in prayer! We ask that you pray for each one of them, that this coming year they would be blessed with health, friendship and a deeper understanding of His love for them.

Would you join us in praying for health?  Over the last week, at least 5 team members (young and old) have been sick. This time of the year is always difficult when we are all picking up strange viruses that our bodies aren’t used to!  We try to stay healthy with fresh pomegranates and all the mandarins we can eat, but using public transport and having children in school will always stir the germs up!  With that in mind, the medicine that is available to us is usually not in English or the language of this country.  A lot of times, it is imported from surrounding countries–an added difficulty in translating dosages and application! So, will you join us for good health in the coming “colder” months here?

At a recent school program, the theme included clothing and customs from different countries–including GM. Although some of the children above are not from here, their costumes represent different regions of this land. They also serve as a reminder (a very cute reminder!) that a new generation is being raised up in this place. Please join us in praying that these little ones would come to know God in a real way, and that He would be the light in their lives!

What’s for lunch today? One teammate shares his favorite, local lunch.

My favorite lunch treat in town: a hot shawarma!  A delicious mixture of meat (primarily pork) is grilled on a vertical spit and shavings are cut off the block of meat for serving.  The meat is then served in a wrap along with onions, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, and special sauce.  Not necessarily healthy, but ALWAYS DELICIOUS!!

In 2017, our team will post monthly prayer topics with specific prayer points. Please join us in lifting up these requests. Thank you!

New Year’s is one of the biggest celebrations in GM. Despite the holiday spirit, many people are bound to superstitions that they believe will bring good luck for the year. From the burning of a traditional wooden tree to the first guest of the year, many rituals are practiced in hopes of ushering in a    successful year.

Prayer Points:

• Praise God that He is the Hope for this New Year.
• Pray that Christ would reveal himself to the
  people here in powerful ways.
• Pray that the One who is Peace will reconcile many to himself, breaking through barriers of tradition, mistrust, and doubt