What a week of prayer!

I probably accomplished more this week than I accomplished in all of last month, and I firmly believe it was due to the mobilization of ~16 million Southern Baptists. Thank you! To give you an idea, my list would be far too long to include in this knee-mail :*-)

As most of you know, Jasmine was born in the West Bank and is being raised here; consequently, "American culture" is something she knows little about. Her first Stateside Assignment came when she was almost 2.5 years old, and it fell during the Christmas season (Nov '01 thru Jun '02). A well meaning relative took Jasmine to visit "you-know-who" at the mall. I can only begin to tell you how terrifying that experience was for her as we've seen her "act it out."

I asked Jasmine what she had to add to this week's Wednesday Weekly, and she specifically asked you to "pray that (she) would stop being afraid of Baba Noel" (the Arabic name for Santa Claus). I told her you would pray, and we would see a difference this week.

Please feel free to recommend the 'Wednesday Weekly' to other like-minded intercessors in your circle of friends. Invite them either to send me an email at scoterry31684-subscribe@topica.com or to subscribe at our Wednesday Weekly website.

Matthew 24:14

* Be sure to sign up for the Wednesday Weekly.

+ You prayed with us that the progress at the Prayer Center would bring honor to God and further His Kingdom... we have a fresh blanket of new clean dirt that feels like the Garden has been formatted; we're in discussion with a work team who can show us how to make the walls ready for the large ceramic tiles sitting in my office; we've been able to come up with a rough sketch of the Garden layout; an irrigation store is willing to give us their "best price" on the parts and will be advising how to put it all together for the coming March volunteer team; and two new desktops are in place with two others being repaired. Each step of progress has been patiently taken, and we can see how future visitors/intercessors will make a difference in the lives of unreached people groups as well as being a part of what's going on around us. Thank you for praying!

+ Since God has given us another year to share the true meaning of Christmas with the girls and staff at the Lazarus Home for Girls, you prayed with us as we began preparations for a Christ-centered Christmas party... We were able to obtain a local Christian group that does puppet shows with the Message of Truth for the party. Thanks to some special donors, we were able to buy some gifts for the girls.

+ You joined us in praying for Jasmine's Christmas play. She will be singing a solo and needs extra pray to help her remember her lines... Thank you for praying. Jasmine has her lines down and loves singing in front of the mirror as if she is on stage :-)

<T H I S  W E E K><

<>< Please continue to pray for the final arrangements for the Christmas party on the 17th at the Lazarus Home for Girls. Join us in praying also for the salvation of the girls and staff at the home.

<>< Please pray for a special Christmas party given for people who were not born into a Christian family and for people who want to know more about Jesus.

<>< A co-worker and I are meeting with a work crew who might be able to help us with "the uttermost walls." Pray that we would communicate our needs clearly and that we would receive the help we need to proceed.

<>< I may have a chance to "clear up some confusion" about an order of olive wood praying hands, and I need an abundant amount of grace to see this through.

>< Pray for Team Czestochowa. >

CALENDAR UPDATES

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1-4, Week of Prayer for International Missions

* As I mentioned above, your fervent focused intercession enabled us to gain a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment. *Thank you* again!

5, Pray for Omar’s salvation.

* (sigh) Not yet, but don't give up - I haven't!

6-7, Pray for Shirin and Jasmine as they work on home schooling material.

* Shirin thanks you for your prayers and says, "We are moving along and Jasmine is excited about learning to count and read."

Just another example of how God really does reveal Himself in nature...

Last April on a Sunday we took one of our "nowhere" drives, my husband was quietly driving a back road. I was occupied in the front passenger seat watching the scenery.

I noticed out of the corner of my eye that my husband was straining to look out my window. This startled me, since his eyes should have been on the road in front of him. I asked him what he was looking at out the windows, and he quietly replied, "Nothing." His eyes went back to the road in front of him.

After a few minutes, I looked over at my husband and noticed a tear. I asked him what was wrong. This time he told me, "I was just thinking about Pop and a story he had once told me." Of course, because it had to do with his Pop I wanted to know the story, so I asked him to share it with me.

He said, "When I was about 8 years old, Pop and I were out fishing and that's when he told me that the pine trees know when it is Easter."

I had no idea what he meant by that, so I pressed him for more information.

He continued on... "The pine trees start their new growth in the weeks before Easter -- if you look at the tops of the pine trees two weeks before, you will see the yellow shoots. As the days get closer to Easter Sunday, the tallest shoot will branch off and form a cross. By the time Easter Sunday comes around, you will see that most of the Pine trees will have small yellow crosses on all of the tallest shoots."

I turned to look out the window and I couldn't believe my eyes. It was a week before Easter, and you could see all of the trees with the tall yellow shoots stretching to Heaven.

The tallest ones shone in the sunlight like rows of tiny golden crosses.

Click here to see a picture of pine tree crosses.

Just For Fun............

It tests your powers of observation, using an extremely common object: a US one-cent coin. (Apologies to our non-US readers.)

This is interesting..... Take a look, and see if you can choose the right penny. Do NOT look at a real penny first- I know you've seen a real one. See if you can pick the correct one here. I'm surprised at the number of people who did not choose the correct one 

Download a 12-sided 2005 calendar.