A Few Items For Prayer (by Thom)

We've been especially busy lately and neglected to keep everyone informed of what's happening in our lives. Here are a few prayer requests and praises:

• A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that my colleague was facing surgery on his broken arm. He had the pins placed in and is is recovering very well! We're so greatful for that! Please keep praying for Job as he continues to heal. He's getting impatient to start driving again so I pray that he won't overuse his arm too soon.
• A couple of months ago I had to fire someone who was being very dishonest in their job. It wasn't easy but it needed to be done. The new worker has been very good but recently got sick. He seemed to be getting better for a while but recently took a turn for the worse. He sent a message to me this week that he was "returning to his village." In this culture that phrase is often a euphemism. If someone is returning to his village when they're sick it means they expect to die. Please pray for this man, especially since he isn't a Christian.
• Amanda was presented yesterday with two possibilities for future ministry. One would involve teaching children and the other would be ministering to current and former prostitutes. She is very unsure what she should be doing. Also, how we were take care of the girls is an important consideration. Pray for guidance there.
  
• I came down with the flu at our field conference two weeks ago. While most of the symptoms have passed I'm still having a lot of intestinal problems. Please pray for my health. Because I deal with a lot of money (which can be quite dirty) in my role here I tend to develop a lot of these stomach problems. (Yes, I wash my hands)
• Finally, this isn't about us specifically, but there has been quite a bit of unrest in northern Mali. Yesterday a US military plane carrying food was shot by rebels. Thankfully no one was killed but other recent incidents haven't ended as well. Please pray for Mali.