1. Continue to pray for Joshua and Barb Hedges and their five little girls, as they begin living in the Chadian culture. We have received work that Joshua has apparently had malaria during their first weeks in the country. A malaria treatment seems to have helped him regain his strength. Continue to pray for Joshua and another missionary, Mark Seymour, who are working on the Hedges’ home to make it livable.

2. Continue to pray for relief efforts we are attempting to spearhead for the country of Myanmar. We have many friends and associates there.

3. Continue to pray for Craig and Linda Throop and their children, our resident missionaries in Papua New Guinea (PNG) who are now home for a brief furlough. Craig still has three kidney stones. Pray that he’ll be able to pass them without major distress. Also pray for them as they seek medical help for their youngest child Daniel, who faces special challenges. Craig and Linda were in our office last week. We thank the Lord for the opportunity to see them following Craig’s serious health problems before leaving PNG.

4. Continue to pray for Chadian resident missionaries Dale and Jody Davis and son Zach who have been evacuated here to the States due to Jody’s health problems. Jody still requires much rest following an illness she apparently acquired while serving in Africa. Pray for good healing, as the Lord pleases.

5. Continue to pray for Beth Wittenberger as she learns to live with polymyositis. Pray that she will be able to make the necessary lifestyle adjustments and that a regime of medication will be helpful for her.

6. Continue to pray for Don Block as he works on formatting the Falam New Testament. This is labor intensive work which can cause eye strain.

7. Continue to pray for the family of adjunct consultant Dr. Colin Smith who very unexpectedly went to be with the Lord last week. Colin was 53 years old. Pray for direction for his wife as she seeks the Lord’s will for the remainder of her life. Pray too for their five children and their grandchildren.

8. Pray for BI staff involved in planning the annual meeting and consultants’ seminar, both of which occur next month. Pray for the Lord’s blessing on these two events.

9. Pray as many from the staff drive to Elyria, Ohio, for the Baptist Mid-Missions annual meeting July 7-10. At that meeting our oldest active member, Clarissa Barton, will be honored for 50 years of service with Baptist Mid-Missions, our parent organization.

Prayer Requests for June 18, 2008

1. Joshua and Barb Hedges and their five daughters have finally arrived in Chad, Africa, after years of preparation. Rejoice with us, and pray with them as they begin the process of acclimating themselves to an entirely new culture in one of the poorest countries in the world. Their home is not yet livable, so they will be staying with other missionaries in the next weeks. Pray for Barb as she tries to teach her young daughters about dangers to which they’ve never before been exposed. Pray for Joshua as he and another missionary man work to finalize construction on the Hedges’ home. Pray for them all as they try to learn/refresh their French language abilities. Pray that they would exhibit Christ-likeness during these first weeks when culture shock will be an ever-present reality.

2. Continue to pray for efforts to raise money for relief in Myanmar. Pray for good contacts and wisdom as we undertake this endeavor.

3. Continue to pray for Craig and Linda Throop, our resident missionaries in Papua New Guinea (PNG) who are in the States for a short furlough. Pray for satisfying times reconnecting with their young adult children, for good opportunities to share their ministry in supporting churches, and for wisdom as they seek health care for their youngest child, Daniel who faces special challenges. Pray too that Craig’s health will be restored following his debilitating illness in PNG.

4. Pray for Dale and Jody Davis and son Zach, who have returned to the States so that Jody might experience rest and recuperation following treatment and diagnosis in Paris. They are desperately needed back in Chad, Africa, but Jody needs this time of recovery from an illness she apparently picked up while serving in Africa. Pray that her healing would be quick and lasting, as the Lord wills.

5. Continue to pray for Beth Wittenberger. She has recently been diagnosed with an inflamatory myopathy called Polymyositis. Her condition will require ongoing medication and lifestyle adjustments.

6. Pray for two men in the office whose work is particularly painstaking right now. Don Block is formatting the Falam New Testament, requiring hours of meticulous work. Pray that his eyes will be free from difficulty. Gordon Katsion is proofreading the Zarma Bible. This too is very demanding, detailed work. Pray for both men as they work through these projects.

7. Chief Language Consultant Glenn Kerr recently returned from a trip to Europe and Central African Republic (CAR). While in Europe, he and another man from our office researched the possibility of a new translation project. In the CAR, he worked with nationals on a revision of the Sango Bible. He reports having had a very profitable trip.