Petersons' Prayer Guide - December 2007

“…Yet a ruler will come out of you (O Bethlehem), one whose origins are from the distant past…. He will be highly honored all around the world. And He will be the source of our peace.” Micah 5:2,4b & 5

There is something so very special about this time of year. I love the decorations, the music, the special gatherings and events, the holidays and time to look back and look ahead. My prayer for you, along with myself, is that in the midst of the busyness, we will enjoy some precious, private moments with our God to adore Him, to thank Him, and to listen to Him. What an amazing, incomparable God we have!

Last month I mentioned that we were trying to plan a little vacation. I want to thank those of you who prayed that God would work out the details for us. We found an unbelievable deal on a hotel in Clearwater and were able to spend two nights over there. Friends gave us free tickets to go to Disney World as a family – a really fun day! We had Thanksgiving here at home and several friends joined us for parts of it to help celebrate Gary’s birthday as well. There was time for some shopping, watching some good movies, and taking a boat ride to see dolphins playing in the waters of the Gulf. We packed a fair bit in, and thoroughly enjoyed this time out as a family. Thank You, Lord!

In the midst of everything else, we did a big push and managed to get our patio roof replaced before our building permit expired on the 13th. It’s a good feeling to have that job completed!

Thank you too for praying for Gary’s full schedule last month. There were a lot of great contacts made.

One of the biggest events on his plate for the coming month is a first for the Wordspring staff. They’re calling it, “Christmas Around the World” and are inviting the community to come and experience Christmas from a cross-cultural perspective. It will be a Public Relations event, and there could be as many as 800 guests. Gary will be heavily involved in preparations and on the days it is being held (Dec. 14-15). Please pray that there will be a good response from the community, and that it will open doors for future involvement with Wycliffe. Pray that the staff will be flexible and work well together as a team.

There are school groups coming for a program on Dec. 4th & 6th. Gary will also assist with orientation for new Wycliffe recruiters on the 6th, and will be giving the morning tour on the 7th and 18th.

For the rest of December he will be the main person on call for special tours, filling in where needed most and responding to inquiries. Last December we had many guests around Christmas, and we hope we will have many this year, too. A lot of tourist attractions in Florida (except the major ones like Disney) have had a downturn in visitors this year, partly due to the price of transportation. Wycliffe has been affected, too. Though we’ve had many more kids and youth for our Education program this year, our regular visitor numbers have dropped off some.

We have a tradition of giving small gifts and cards to teachers and neighbors at this time of year. Please pray that God will use these efforts to shine His light and love in the lives of those we touch. Pray that we’ll be sensitive to the opportunities He brings our way and that we’ll do a good job of pointing people to the Reason for the Season.

Please join us in prayer for the people around the world who will be hearing or reading the Christmas story in their own language for the first time this year. Pray that God will speak powerfully and lives will be changed as they encounter Him and His great love for mankind. Pray, too, for missionaries who are working overseas and who are separated from their loved ones during this season. It can be a lonely and difficult time for them.

We’re so grateful for your invaluable prayer support during 2007. May the blessings of Jesus be on you and those you love as you celebrate His coming and as you live out His life in the year ahead. Robyn & Gary Peterson