Displaying items by tag: South America

Two years ago, World Missionary Press (WMP) sent 6.4 million Scripture booklets to ministry partners through a project called ‘Blessings for Brazil’. WMP freight coordinator Helen Williams says she is flooded with reports of the Holy Spirit changing hearts. ‘The feedback is overwhelming as our distributors describe new opportunities; one ministry is sending 500 boxes a time to distribution points for pastors. There are places being reached that have never been reached because of the lack of resources. Some use Scripture booklets in the inner city, others take them to remote jungle tribal villages. Optician teams use Scripture booklets for their eye test reading charts. Where literacy is marginal, teachers use the booklets to teach the language - their lesson plan is the Scripture booklet. Eight million more booklets will go out before the end of 2022.

Attacking families is one of the best ways for Satan to ruin a nation - and in Chile, marriages are under serious spiritual attack. Domestic abuse is a social plague. Around 35% of Chilean women have suffered physical or sexual violence by a partner or spouse. The emotional and physical pain wounds all members of the family. If husbands and wives began loving and honouring one another as Christ loves the Church, it could transform neighbourhoods, cities, and even the whole nation. The Chilean people are overwhelmingly Christian in name - roughly 60% Catholic and 20% Evangelical. But church attendances are dwindling, and claims of faith tend to be based in culture rather than relationship with Jesus Christ. Crime, drug abuse, and materialism are increasing. One in seven women are mothers by the age of 14. During Pinochet’s rule the Church ignored the needy people. There will soon be an election for a controversial new constitution.

Geane Prado was diagnosed with bone marrow cancer. After a bone marrow transplant and a round of chemotherapy, doctors discovered Covid-19. Her condition deteriorated; she wrote goodbye letters to her family, and fully surrendered her life to God. While intubated, she endured pulmonary embolism, cardiac arrest, renal failure, and bacterial pneumonia. Doctors said she had 48 hours to live. Her children mobilized a massive prayer chain through WhatsApp, social media and praying at the hospital door. Across Brazil people joined in intercession. God answered them. Within a short time her fever vanished and her condition improved. Doctors called it ‘a miracle’ because it had nothing to do with medicine. After forty days Geane left the hospital not only healed from Covid, but also from cancer.

Colombia is home to two million Venezuelan refugees who fled economic and political crises and now face adapting to and integrating into a foreign culture. But instead of finding support, they often find themselves isolated and discriminated against. Churches across Colombia have been reaching out to these refugees, letting them know they are not alone. Tearfund and local partners have been equipping churches to set up trauma healing groups, which have supported hundreds of women. It was at her local church’s healing group that Julia finally found acceptance, community, and healing. ‘It is the first support that I found here in Colombia for migrants like us. When I arrived at the church I found the peace that I previously did not have. I saw that it was like my family. I arrive and they hug me, I leave and they hug me. It really has made me think about changing my life.’

A prayer report looking at Covid-19 Hot Spots, Flattening the Curve, and Hopes for a Vaccine with links to resources

As of 30^th July, the total global figure for people infected by Covid-19 stands at 16.8 million according to the World Health Organisation. In addition, the current death continues to rise above 660,000.

Covid-19 hot spots

The US remains the worst affected country globally in terms of total numbers of cases and deaths with nearly 4.6 million cases and over 150,000 deaths. A record 78,000 cases were reported in just one day on 24^th July with 21 states labelled as ‘red zones’ categorised as by their case rate of more than 100 per 100,000 people in the past week.

Brazil has opened its air borders to tourists despite no sign of new cases decreasing and registering new record case and death numbers in recent days. One particular high-profile case in the country was that of the Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a long-term sceptic of the severity of the virus. He has since recovered from illness.

South America as a whole now has more confirmed cases than the US and Canada put together. With poor levels of testing taking place, these case numbers are likely far from the truth. A study in Lima, Peru estimated that a quarter of people in the city may be infected, leading to the suggestion that a similar trend may be taking place in other South American cities. Brazil and Peru, along with Colombia, Argentina, and Mexico, are among the top ten countries in the world for new cases each day.

India has become the third most infected country with 1.6 million confirmed cases. However, the true number is likely much higher since testing is not easily available for all; especially for those living in slums where the likelihood of transmission is increased due to close-quarters living conditions and shared sanitation facilities.

Large areas of Europe have managed to dramatically reduce the prevalence of coronavirus, although they have not managed to completely eradicate it. Russia still has the most new cases and deaths daily by far, followed by Spain and France where there have been recent regional outbreaks. Romania and Ukraine have seen continued increases in case numbers after failing to significantly minimise the virus after its first peak.

It is not well known how severe the situation is in Africa since there is a major lack in testing. The International Rescue Committee have said that they fear the continent is “fighting the epidemic in the dark” with limited data to work from hampering their response to the pandemic. Other countries around the world struggling to contain the virus include Indonesia, South Africa, and Israel, where the numbers of new cases and deaths are rising.

Has the curve flattened?

In some countries around the world where good social distancing has been practised, masks worn where necessary, efficient testing and quarantining has taken place, and test-and-trace systems have been implemented, the rate of infection has been shown to fall and in some places be reduced to 0. This has been fully enacted by small countries and island nations and has seen positive results from larger countries such as New Zealand, Vietnam, Taiwan, and Iceland where the virus was once prominent.

In other countries, there has been impatience during lockdown, not waiting long enough for case rates to fall before reopening. This prevents a reduced rate of transmission, which doesn’t work towards the eradication of the virus. Through further restlessness and more easing of lockdown restrictions, the rate of transmission has increased again producing a so-called ‘second spike’ as shown by the recent dramatic increase in cases in the US or Israel.

The efforts that have been put in place by countries all over the world have reduced the impacts of the virus, though. Without the measures such as social distancing designed to reduce transmission, the new numbers of cases would likely not have dropped, and the death toll would have been much higher by now.

Vaccine update

Over 165 vaccines are currently being developed by teams all over the world in the race to find a solution to the pandemic. 27 of these are currently in human trials to prove that they work as intended and are safe for wide-spread use.

A vaccine produced by the University of Oxford has been shown to trigger an immune response creating neutralising antibodies and T-cells in the recipient after a single dose in 90% of participants, although not without possible side-effects such as fever and headaches. Larger trials will take place across several countries to ensure the vaccine is safe and then “challenge trials” will be performed where willing participants are deliberately infected with coronavirus to observe the vaccine’s response.

Let us continue to declare that the novel coronavirus is defeated by the blood of Jesus.

We pray for divine intervention and for God's name to be glorified even as each nation and government tries its best to flatten the curve and finally arrest this epidemic. 

We release wisdom, skill, and integrity upon our leaders. 

We pray for protection, wisdom and strength, for those working to bring treatment and comfort to the sick and their families.

We pray special grace and help for the vulnerable population and nations. We pray for refugees and displaced peoples. We pray against domestic violence and other crimes that have become rampant during lockdowns.

We pray for a safe, effective, and affordable vaccine to be released soonest but without including aborted baby cells in its creation, neglecting proper testing protocols, and without including any digital ID tracing (“health passport”) which could bring about totalitarian control.

We continue to release faith, hope, and love over the peoples of the world. May the Church seize this opportune time to manifest Jesus our Lord and Savior to those who are seeking answers and peace.

Pray: Lord God, the One who has Almighty power, we agree according to your promise in Matthew 18:18-20 that this virus will be stopped in its tracks. That the medical researchers will get a download from Heaven on how to quickly develop a vaccine to counteract COVID-19 and a cure for those who have become infected.

We also agree in prayer, asking that the Body of Christ worldwide will rise up in love and boldness, trusting in your blood to cover and protect us and throwing off fear, so that we can be available to serve, bless, and bear witness to those around us who are terrified and depressed at being infected.

Let us seize this unprecedented opportunity to make you known to those without hope in Christ!

Thank you for your promise that surely, you will be with us "always, even to the very end of the age”  so that we can carry on with the mission you have given us for our world (Matthew 28:20).

A prayer report looking at Covid-19 Hot Spots, Flattening the Curve, and Hopes for a Vaccine with links to resources.

As of 1st July, the total global figure for people infected by Covid-19 stands at 10.3 million according to the World Health Organisation. In addition, the current death toll stands at over 500,000.

Covid-19 hot spots

Brazil has been hugely impacted due to a blend of inconsistent and incoherent rules, and economic inequality making access to healthcare difficult for poorer citizens. This has given the country the highest number of deaths globally over recent weeks and second in confirmed cases. To make matters worse, the true number of cases is likely much higher due to their low rate of testing with a study by the University of Sao Paolo Medical School estimating that the true rate of infection is 15 times greater.

Elsewhere in South America Chile, French Guiana, and Peru have recorded among the top 10 countries in the world for confirmed cases per 100,000 population despite stricter lockdown restrictions than Brazil’s.

These statistics may be in part explained by differing test rates between countries making international comparisons difficult. The same issue applies to how deaths are recorded in different countries.

The US has the most confirmed cases in the world, growing to almost 2.6 million as a result of a recent big increase in the rate of infection in southern and western states after many regions loosened lockdown restrictions prematurely.

Over Europe the rate of infection has stabilised to a confirmed case number of 130,000 per week; half of the rate at its peak of the virus. Hotspots on the continent can be found in Russia where the new daily cases remain around 7,000, and with smaller regional outbreaks within the likes of Ukraine, UK, France, and Germany.

Other countries around the world struggling to contain the virus include India, South Africa, and Saudi Arabia, where the numbers of new cases and deaths are strongly rising.

Has the curve flattened?

In some countries around the world where good social distancing has been practised, masks worn where necessary, efficient testing and quarantining has taken place, and test-and-trace systems have been implemented, the rate of infection has been shown to fall and in some places be reduced to 0. This has been fully enacted by small countries and island nations and has seen positive results from larger countries such as New Zealand, Taiwan, and Iceland where the virus was once prominent.

In other countries, there has been impatience during lockdown, not waiting long enough for case rates to fall before reopening. This prevents a reduced rate of transmission, which doesn’t work towards the eradication of the virus. Through further restlessness and more easing of lockdown restrictions, the rate of transmission has increased again producing a so-called ‘second spike’ as shown by the recent dramatic increase in cases in the US or Iran.

The efforts that have been put in place by countries all over the world have reduced the impacts of the virus, though. Without the measures such as social distancing designed to reduce transmission, the new numbers of cases would likely not have dropped, and the death toll would have been much higher by now.

Vaccine update

Two drugs have received emergency use authorisation from the Food and Drug Administration for use in clinical trials on patients to test their effectiveness in treating coronavirus. The first of these, hydroxychloroquine, had this authorisation removed after studies showed the drug not to be effective, and the second, remdesivir is awaiting data. It will likely be months before a treatment drug can be proven, and longer before it can be widespread.

Numerous vaccine trials are taking place around the world including one produced by the University of Oxford taking place in Brazil with 5,000 participants, and a smaller trial in Germany generating positive results in its initial phases.

Let us continue to declare that the novel coronavirus is defeated by the blood of Jesus.

We pray for divine intervention and for God's name to be glorified even as each nation and government tries its best to flatten the curve and finally arrest this epidemic. 

We release wisdom, skill, and integrity upon our leaders. 

We pray for protection, wisdom and strength, for those working to bring treatment and comfort to the sick and their families.

We pray special grace and help for the vulnerable population and nations. We pray for refugees and displaced peoples. We pray against domestic violence and other crimes that have become rampant during lockdowns.

We pray for a safe, effective, and affordable vaccine to be released soonest.

We continue to release faith, hope, and love over the peoples of the world. May the Church seize this opportune time to manifest Jesus our Lord and Savior to those who are seeking answers and peace.

Pray: Lord God, the One who has Almighty power, we agree according to your promise in Matthew 18:18-20 that this virus will be stopped in its tracks. That the medical researchers will get a download from Heaven on how to quickly develop a vaccine to counteract COVID-19 and a cure for those who have become infected.

We also agree in prayer, asking that the Body of Christ worldwide will rise up in love and boldness, trusting in your blood to cover and protect us and throwing off fear, so that we can be available to serve, bless, and bear witness to those around us who are terrified and depressed at being infected.

Let us seize this unprecedented opportunity to make you known to those without hope in Christ!

Thank you for your promise that surely, you will be with us "always, even to the very end of the age”  so that we can carry on with the mission you have given us for our world (Matthew 28:20).

Join in Online Prayers:

World Prayer Centre, Birmingham, UK – Virtual House of Prayer

iHop Kansas Prayer Room

247 Prayer Coronavirus Prayer Room 

Additional Prayer Resources for Coronavirus

A coronavirus prayer from Pete Greig

19 Things to Do in response to Coronavirus

Prophecy Today UK’s Responses to Coronavirus

PrayerCast Video and Prayer Briefing
CSM Nigeria Article
Lausanne Resources
Operation World EBook on the impact on Mission

WW11 Veteran Gets 180k Praying

Reporting from John Hopkins University: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/data/mortality

Further data on Europe and the world: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/geographical-distribution-2019-ncov-cases

When Sara was 14, she left home and joined the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Attracted to the group’s Marxist ideology and in search of acceptance, Sara joined FARC to bring about a Colombian revolution. Years later she was urged by fellow guerrillas to denounce her family, who had become Christians; they knew the gospel ran counter to their violent ideology. But Sara left FARC, rejoined her family, got married, and now places her trust in Christ. Because God saved her from a violent life, she feels compelled to share His Word with others who have given their lives to the guerrilla group. She and her husband now distribute Bibles to youth. Their ministry has not gone unnoticed, as FARC leaders have threatened them many times.

A comedy depicting Jesus as a gay man has prompted almost two million Brazilians to sign an online petition calling on Netflix to remove it. Netflix has not yet responded or commented. ‘The First Temptation of Christ’, created by the group Porta dos Fundos, portrays Jesus bringing home his boyfriend Orlando to meet the Holy Family. The petition calls for the 46-minute holiday special to be removed, as it had offended Christians. Porta dos Fundos won an international Emmy for its holiday special last year. Brazil is a deeply religious country, where the Catholic Church and the evangelical Christian movement frequently criticise LGBT+ rights.

From the vanishing Solomon Islands to the burning Amazon rainforest, mothers speak up from danger zones. Alice, in Brazil, fears for her two-month-old son: ‘It is hotter than when I was a child, and I don’t know how it will be when he grows up. There is more pollution, he’s already having breathing problems. I am privileged to live in this paradise, but I look around today and fear that we are losing it.’ Baby Rafsan lives in Dhaka, Bangladesh, the most overpopulated city in the world. His mother said, ‘We fear for our futures but not enough to quit using cars to save the climate'. By 2050 one in seven people will be displaced by rising sea levels - that’s 18 million people. Bangladesh will not exist in 100 years if carbon dioxide emissions remain the same. ‘My baby should not be wearing a mask’, said a mother in Delhi.

A briefing on the forthcoming Latin American elections by Yanira Gonzalez - IPC's Regional Representative and Leadership Team member

We really need God’s intervention in the next presidential elections in Latin America. We are facing the DECEPTION of the enemy that makes us pray for our nations not according to God’s perfect will, but according to the manipulation of the media, our bias and agendas.

Please pray for gubernatorial elections that will affect 3 strategic countries:

• Argentina general election - 27 October 2019
• Bolivia general election - 20 October 2019
• Uruguaya general election - 27 October 2019

Like the rest of the Continent, Latin America 2019 presidential elections presents two visions: Conservatism or progressivism & socialism; biblical faithfulness or political correctness. We definitely need to 'Watch and pray'!

The Bible, in Timothy 2:2 commands us "to pray for those who govern and for all authorities." An act of reflection and responsibility. This role has changed in the last 20 years in Latin America, where Christians have formed and strengthened political movements capable of obtaining legislative seats, influencing presidential elections and transferring the debate from ideas to beliefs.  Four of the last election campaigns in the region have been under the influence of Christian parties. The candidates supported by these parties won the first round in Brazil (Jair Bolsonaro), Colombia (Iván Duque) and Mexico (Andrés Manuel López Obrador).

Prayer points in regards to the presidential elections of these 3 countries & Latin America:

1. That our nations in Latin America would turn back to God. May God help us. We need him desperately to renew our hope and restore our land. We need his forgiveness and healing. May His Spirit sweep across our nations and draw many out of darkness. May believers everywhere draw close to Him and seek his face like never before. “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord…” Ps. 33:12
2. That Latin America would be faithful in praying for leaders and those in authority, knowing that their decisions directly affect us too. May God give them wisdom and courage as they lead our nations. May He give them a desire to listen for his voice and follow his ways. May God in His mercy, appoint principled, godly men and women into positions of authority in our nations. “When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.” Prov. 29:2
3. That Latin America would recognize God’s Sovereignty over all. His word reminds us that He is the One who ultimately has the power to position all those in leadership, and to remove them. It is “God who changes the times and seasons; He sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.” Dan. 2:21 “But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.” Ps. 33:11
4. That Latin America would recognize the real battle is not fought against what is seen, but what is unseen. The real enemy is not a person or political party, but is Satan himself, and his dark forces that oppose God and fight against Truth. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Eph. 6:12 “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.” 2 Cor. 10:4
5. That Latin America would not succumb to worry, fear, or defeat. That we wouldn’t grow so weary that we just give up, and tune out...God is the One who sets free and has the power to restore our nations.
   
   "They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord."  Ps. 112:7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:6-7

6. That Latin America would pray for those in authority who are unjustly attacked and accused. That God’s protection would cover His people, that He would surround them with favor as a shield. “No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn…” Is. 54:17
7. That Latin America’s hope would remain in the Lord. That we would recognize His great Power. That we would trust Him and believe that He is Able, and nothing is impossible with Him. “Look at the nations and watch-- and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.” Hab. 1:5

Yanira Gonzalez - IPC Latin America Representative / Leadership Team

More at: www.clamor.global