Prayer Priorities – May 3, 2022
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.â€
Isaiah 43 v18-19
We encourage everyone who is praying for UMN not only to raise our requests but to listen to God on UMN’s behalf. Please take time to read this Bible verse slowly to yourself. Pause and ask God to speak through His Word. Then read it slowly again. Settle and calm your mind before you pray.
Praise
- Bajhang: Praise the Lord that a disability inclusive hostel building has been constructed at Banthpali Secondary School Lekhgaun Bajhang. UMN and Local Government contributed to this work which will provide a safe and accessible learning environment to children with disability (CwD). Currently 12 CwD are studying in school and they are staying in an old and risky building. They are excited to move to the new hostel building soon.
- Praise be to God and grateful to Prayer Partners for their continuous prayers for our Provincial project agreements. We have received approvals from Ministry of Education and Health for Lumbini & Sudurpaschim Project Agreements, and they are now at Social Welfare Council for the final stage, while the Karnali Project Agreement has been re-submitted.
- We are also very grateful that Reidun Dalseth (chairperson), Tor Kristian Birkeland (General Secretary and ED) and other colleagues of Himal Partner have been able to have a very fruitful visit to UMN and its clusters to see UMN’s work.
- Nawalparasi: give thanks that the community need assessment and project design workshop for a new Child Rights project went well. There was also a two day visit of BROT (a funding partner) representatives Nicole Debrinski and Petra Kohts which went well. Praise to the Lord as our new colleague Kamana Bhattrai, Project Officer for Livelihood (RECOV) has joined Nawalparasi cluster.
- Kapilvastu: Sangsangai facilitators second phase training for Church leaders was successfully conducted by Jiwan Rai. In addition our new Integral Development Officer, Radha Giri met with Church leaders on Transforming Family and Community and Relationships (TFCR) and had very fruitful discussion. Likewise, the visit of Melsan, Tara, Jiwan and Rup to Chandrauta Samudayik Church in Shivaraj Municipality-1 for the follow-up of the action plan of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Bookkeeping training, and raising awareness in the communities on DRR through the Church was especially fruitful.
Prayer
- Local elections are taking place throughout Nepal on 13 May. Please pray for peaceful campaigning and voting. Also for safety in communities and for our staff, members of partner organisations and for the work in our clusters and hospitals.
- Continue to pray approval of Project Agreements and visa process.
- Continue to pray for staff and their families who are sick or grieving – for Rabbi (ITS) as he has been going through Chemotherapy, for Radha in Kapilvastu (see above) whose mother passed away last week and for the father of Sagar (Peace and Protection) who has been sick.
- UMN has been recruiting a number of new staff. Please pray for the selection of the right people. Every post is important.
- Please pray for UMN Board Retreat and meetings early next week.
- Sangsangai training for Church leaders is taking place in Nawalparasi from 3 – 6 May. 18 facilitators and some leaders from nine churches will be participants. Pray for Jiwan Rai as he facilitates this training.
- The Mental Health project team, Sabina from Kapilvastu and Renasha from Bajhang clusters, are organizing a 10-day orientation program for Community Psychosocial Workers (CPSW) and Psychosocial Support Group (PSG) formation training at Nepalgunj. Please pray for the successful completion of the program, and fruitful learning for all the participants from four clusters: Kapilvastu, Bajhang, Nawalparasi and Rukum.
- Rukum: Pray wisdom and guidance to Thapathali, Rukum, partner staff and community people involved in the Cluster Strategy Plan review workshop. Please also pray for the requirement of a Cluster finance and Project manager health project (Pro-ACT) for Rukum Cluster.
- Mission Hospital Tansen: Pray for our cashiers, insurance clerks and registration staff as they get used to the new system of data entry. Pray that the insurance board will honour their assurance to reimburse the hospital more regularly.
- Pray for our nursing staff as they give care to patients on busy wards
- Pray for Les and Debbie Dornon as they complete many years of service in Tansen and return home.
- Pray for the Tansen school of Health Science nursing and lab students who are doing their practical training in the hospital, their tutors and the board meeting next week.
- Pray for the mental health community to work with mothers groups in Western Palpa.
