May 2021 Prayer Requests

Dear friends,

We really appreciate your faithful prayer support in these complicated times. We are grateful that the infection rate is decreasing in Estonia and we can resume our church activities and worship services on May 3, although with restrictions on capacity and of course safety precautions.

Please pray for vision and wisdom and creativity as congregations and different ministries are making plans to re-open and thinking about what to do in the summer.  Please pray that we would be able to fulfill the mission of the church and reach as many people as possible.

Please pray as there are charge conferences in several congregations this month.

We also ask for your prayers for Camp Gideon, as we prepare for the summer season.

We are grateful to God for the congregation in Jõhvi, which celebrates its 50th anniversary on May 9. It’s a wonderful congregation that shines the light of Jesus in the community with the message of the Gospel and by serving children with disabilities and so faithfully running Camp Gideon all these years. We are so thankful for Pastor Artur Põld who has served so faithfully in Jõhvi.

I am grateful that God is giving strength to continue my ministry. I thank God that there have been several encouraging developments regarding my Green Card renewal. Please pray for the upcoming interview in the US Embassy where I need to explain my situation.

Also, please continue to pray for our brother in North Africa – his court case was moved to the latter part of May. He has been considered guilty of ‘undermining the Islam faith”. Please pray for him and the upcoming court session!

Also, I invite you to pray for the DS of Ukraine UMC, Oleg, who is seriously sick with COVID.

Please continue to pray for Estonia’s Covid situation. Next week, school-age children will be allowed to return to in-person learning and many businesses will be granted a larger degree of freedom of movement.

Pray for the faculty, staff, and students of the seminary as we will continue to do online learning probably until the end of the school year. Students preparing to defend their diploma papers and graduate need special prayers for endurance and grace.

For leadership, pray for wisdom to complete all the necessary preparations for the Accreditation review next fall. We have done so many improvements, but there is still work to do before wrapping up the school year.
We are grateful that the seminary’s strategic plans for the next three years are taking shape and we always know that God can do things we cannot yet imagine as possible. Praise God that despite the difficulties this year has brought, the seminary team is excited about what God will do in the future!

The last two months have been the second distance period. This time it was harder. Even after we had done online services the whole year, suddenly the whole period we had one technical problem after another. We tried to involve different team members in contact service and have fellowship.

Praises and highlights:

• Ele with her company designed Holy-Week packages for children and families to have fellowship moments every week.
• Palm Sunday prayer-walk in Võru.
• Dedication of Võru Food-banc new rooms.
• Through the Estonian government, support renewed sound equipment and instruments.
• Renewed Web-.page www.elupuukeskus.ee

• Creativity with techniques, involving our elderly congregation members by phone-conferencing into zoom, zoom prayer, alpha, phone conferencing healing-room, zoom Aldersgate events and even Holy Spirit retreat with prayer rooms

Please pray for:

• wisdom to our government that school-children from 5-8 grade could also go to school.
• Summer camps, children and youth activities, and discipleship.
• New strength from God.
• Aldersgate 10 tour and celebration on Summer Conference.

• Pray for reopening churches from 3rd of May. Pray for people coming again! Safely, but not fearing!
• Pray for people who feel depressed and lonely.
• Pray for our seminary students, that they will finish their school year well! Especially for graduating ones.
• Pray for young people and children, that they grow in faith, also in isolation time.

Pray for the Open Doors Days that will be held virtually throughout May, that God would use that to draw new students to the Seminary to prepare for ministry!

Pray for the situation in the school where Lívia teaches which is undergoing construction (limiting workspace), combined in-person and online teaching (stressful) as well as leadership issues. All in all, pray for divine peace and strength!

Pray for the Seminary team working on the accreditation report. Pray that we would all be able to get it done in time to allow us to relax over the summer.

Our request for prayers is for the lighthouse center teenagers who do not have a strong motivation to learn. Pray that they know the importance of education and to work hard. Pray that they are not distracted by other teenagers who are in gangs and are a bad influence.

In May we are planning to hold several youth services, please pray that the Spirit of God will touch the hearts of the youth and transform their way of life.
The beginning of summer is the beginning of more active preparation for the camps.

Pray for the possibility of holding all planned camps so that the pandemic does not become an obstacle.

We also plan to continue holding the Alpha course for teenagers in the city of Kunda in May.