God our Father,
We give you thanks for Christ's revelation of yourself, his care for people, and his joy in obedience. For the value he gave to human labour, the strength he promised us for service, the call to follow in his way. For all opportunities of work and of leisure, all truth that we have learned, and all discoveries we have made. Give us deeper reverence for the truth, and such wisdom in the use of knowledge that your kingdom may be advanced and your name glorified, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Zhuang

• Please pray for several expatriate families currently outside of the country.  Pray that they would be able to return as planned or even sooner.  Pray also that the Lord would use them to motivate others to prayer and action.
• Pray for the newborn son of workers.  Due to medical complications they may need to stay out of the country for another 6 months or more for rehab and observation. Pray for full recovery and that the time spent outside the country would also be fruitful.  We give thanks that our Father is in control of changed plans.
• Continue to pray for those in language study.  Pray that they would be able to learn to effectively communicate the love of God to others.  Also pray for good language helpers that will be able to give them cultural understanding as well.
• Pray for those involved in campus work.
• Pray for local workers that are serving faithfully.  Please pray also continue to pray for unity among leaders.

Shan - Tai
The Shan are a people related to the Thai. In Myanmar there are more than 5 million Shan in the northern Shan state. Approximately 1 million are dispersed through the rest of Myanmar, China and Laos. Shan are known to live in the west too. Their warfare and the resulting tensions and economic hardships have caused as many as several hundred thousand Shan to slip into other countries illegally to find work. The historical roots of the Shan are in Yunnan, China, where about 270,000 Shan are still found today. In China they are known as Dai, Shan or Bai Yi.

 

Precious stones such as rubies and jade are still mined from the mountains where the Shan Tai people live. The market streets have young men begging for money without arms or legs; the dynamite used in extracting the precious stones has also removed body parts from some of the workers.

• Wisdom indeed is needed; not just for those in the mining business, but for all Shan Tai people as they make a wide range of choices each day that effect themselves, their families and ultimately their eternity.
• May your wisdom be mined out by the Shan Tai people and valued even greater than life.
• Daniel was a man that knew the one true God early in life and lived fully to honor Him.  Father, may Shan Tai youth hear the story of Daniel and be inspired to turn to the Lord with trust in all areas of their lives.  We pray for Shan Tai youth to live lives set apart for God. These children might one day influence government authorities. May they open wide their mouths to praise the living God and provide a way for whole nations to hear and then choose to worship and follow Him.