Jiwan Jyoti Christian Hospital (JJCH), Robertsganj, Uttar Pradesh, India

Praise God:

• For Dr Subodh Rath’s (Medical Director) recovery from the fracture he had last month.

• That permission has been received from the Chief Medical Officer to hold a Free Plastic Surgery Camp at JJCH Robertsganj from 7 to 18 November 2010.

• That the Ultra Sound Registration was granted.

• For the spiritual input received by Staff (Professional and Non-Professional) through the Mission Update Conference.

Pray for :

• Dr Thomas Jacob, who is undergoing training in Diabetics Treatment at CMC Vellore.

• The Society Registration renewal to progress smoothly and quickly. This has been pending for a long time, and JJCH are in the process of collecting the necessary documents for submission.

• Pending Consumer Cases and Land Matters.

Jeevan Sahara Kendra (JSK), HIV/AIDS outreach project, Thane, India

• Thank God for the monthly support group meetings for HIV Positive Friends which JSK holds on the last Wednesday of each month. Pray that these times of sharing in a ‘safe’ environment will be a great encouragement for people living with HIV. Ask God for boldness for people living with HIV to tell their stories to others.
• Seek the Lord’s favour as JSK seeks to become a more active partner with the government health authorities in responding to the needs of people with HIV in Thane. Thank God for the collaboration in HIV testing and counselling where JSK is now an official testing site. Ask God for breakthroughs to allow JSK to become a place where free ART medication is distributed.  Pray for future steps to collaborate in our in-patient care too.
• Lift up the needs of the children infected with HIV. JSK is currently looking after 22 children living with HIV through the network of home-based care visits Ask God for wisdom as a number of these children are now entering adolescence and struggling with the ‘normal’ issues as well as the knowledge of their HIV status.
• Ask God’s favour for JSK as we meet new HIV positive contacts who have not been treated so far. Many are very ill when we first meet them. Pray for wisdom for Dr Sheba and the medical team to diagnose and work out the appropriate treatment – while also helping with the emotional and spiritual issues too.
• Pray for the JSK staff – for daily growth in God – deeper understanding of God’s heart of love – a fuller living out of the justice and mercy of Jesus – and a more complete living out of love to each other.

Shona Priestley, Project Officer

‘But now, this is what the Lord says – he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you……”’ Isaiah 43:1-2

‘When the earth and all its’ people quake, it is I (the Lord) who holds the pillars firm.’ Psalm 75:3

Are you frightened, grieving, exhausted, surrounded by challenges that seem insurmountable? God the Creator of the universe, the Saviour and Redeemer God, calls you to come to him and promises you rest for your soul. Matthew 11: 28, 29

Give thanks and pray for Dr Santosh Mathew, EHA’s Executive Director and the 5 EHA Regional Directors:  Dr Sunil Gokavi (North Central), Dr Uttam Mohapatra (North), Mrs Margaret Kurian (Eastern) Dr Vijay Anand (North East) and Dr Ashok Chacko (Central).  They oversee the work in EHA’s 20 hospitals and 30 community based projects spread across 14 states of India. Pray for safety as they travel around the country. Pray that they will be an encouragement to those they serve and that they will draw their strength from God himself.

Give thanks for EHA’s nursing schools.  EHA currently has 6 nursing schools:

• 4 General Nurse Midwifery (GNM) Nursing Schools (at Chhatarpur Christian Hospital, Duncan Hospital; Baptist Christian Hospital, and Burrows Memorial Hospital) and 2 Auxilliary Nurse Midwifery (ANM) Nursing Schools (at Makunda General Hospital, and Nav Jiwan Hospital). Total intake of around 130 per annum
• Give thanks for and pray for the staff who work at the Nursing schools – the tutors and support staff
• Pray for the students who have just graduated. For them to settle quickly into their new roles in the hospitals and units to which they are attached, and for God to pour out His grace and mercy through them.
• Pray for the new intake of students this academic year, many from very poor backgrounds and many living away from home for the first time

Give thanks for the renovation work starting at EHA’s Chinchpada Christian Hospital. Give thanks for all the staff at the hospital. Pray that the work will be done well and that the resulting improved conditions and facilities for patients will result in an increase in the number of very poor patients able to access hospital services.

HIV/AIDS in Thane, Maharastra

Around 2 million people live in Thane where HIV continues to be a silent time-bomb. An estimated 100,000 people are infected or have a direct family member living with HIV/AIDS. The damage that HIV does is multiple – broken relationships, deep mental and spiritual anguish, failing health, impoverishment and finally death and the further meltdown of family structures. Because of the fear and loathing the disease evokes this takes place in silence.

Give thanks for Jeevan Sahara Kendra, which offers services to people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS in Thane. Currently Jeevan Sahara Kendra’s services are severely limited by inadequate premises. Give thanks that when the Lok Hospital moves into larger premises, Jeevan Sahara Kendra will be moving into the old Lok Hospital premises.

Emmanuel Hospital Association, India, Palliative Care Services

Praise God for:

• The quick and effective support networks formed with local doctors, village leaders, World Vision and the pastors and congregation of four local churches, including one that runs a Bible school. World Vision is willing to sponsor children of patients to continue in school.
• The comfort and care that the patients who died over the past few months received, physical, emotional and spiritual.

Pray for:

• Suitable volunteers willing to visit and provide simple home care. At present there are three potential volunteers who will undergo training.
• Identification of patients in the Shalom target area.
• Quick supply of morphine tablets. This has been held up for three months.
• All the patients, who face much more than their illness (poverty, transport issues, lack of knowledge about their illness, concerns about children’s future).

Shalom Delhi, India

• Praise God for the blessings of children and families. In particular, give thanks for Savita, Jeremiah and their baby boy, born on 17 September; and for Geeta, Yadav and their baby girl, born on 12 September.
• Mrs Aliamma John, Shalom’s Home Care co-ordinator, retired on 30 September after more than nineteen years’ service with EHA. Give thanks to God for her long and faithful service and ask that He will continue to bless Mrs John as she settles into retirement.
• Praise God for the team at Shalom who willingly care for people infected and affected by HIV.
• Pray for the new staff members who have recently joined Shalom, that they will imbibe the vision of Shalom in caring for people infected and affected by HIV.
• Pray for God’s hand on the initiation of Palliative Care in January 2011.
• Pray for the staff member who was affected by the floods in Delhi.
• Ask that more churches would take on the responsibility of caring for HIV infected and affected families and for the eunuchs.
• Pray the Lord’s protection on Shalom staff as they travel to various places in and around Delhi.

Dr Stephen Alfred ~ Lok Hospital/Bethany Hospital, Thane, India

• · Abraham and Hannah in Dolkam are well. The believers gathering there need much grace and encouragement as they often face opposition from family and the community around because of their faith in the Lord Jesus. Pray for wisdom for Abraham and Hannah as they faithfully minister to these new believers.
• · Pray for Stephen and his wife, Claire, and for their sons, Joshua and Benjamin, who both have important academic years ahead. Ask that, in the busyness of studies, the boys would remain focused on The Lord, and pray that God would give Stephen and Claire wisdom in regard to future places of study for them.
• · Give thanks for a new church plant, recently started in the Savarkar Nagar area of Thane. Around 45 believers, mainly first generation Christians, gather there and around 25 believers from the Church Stephen attends, who live close to the new church, will be worshipping there also. Stephen says: “It is exciting to see God working and we would value your prayers for this new church.”
• · Remember in prayer the present (Lok) hospital, where they are currently seeing a record number of patients. Although the system is designed to cope with a maximum of 250 people at one time, this recently soared to a high of 690, mainly because of an increased incidence of dengue fever and malaria. Dealing with such high numbers puts considerable pressure on the system. Please pray for sustaining grace, especially for the staff who are in the front line.

Madhepura Christian Hospital, Bihar, India

• A Students’ Discipleship camp of Union of Evangelical Students of India (UESI) was held from 9 to 11 Sep 2010 on the campus at Madhepura. 27 young men and women from Purnia, Bhagalpur, Hajipur, and Madhepura attended and all had a blessed time. Please pray for the students and their follow-up.
• Praise God for the two-day HIV seminar organised on campus by the Mennonite Christian Service Fellowship of India (MCFI) for their field workers in the Birpur area (Nepal Border).
• The hospital’s Nursery Intensive Care Unit (NICU) was inaugurated 2 Sep 2010 by Dr PD Koshy. Praise God for the generous donors who made it possible to set up this NICU, which can accommodate six children at a time.
• Give thanks that Dharamsala could be renovated with hospital funds and additional toilets built so that more patients can be accommodated.
• Praise God for Dr Augustine (Family Physician) and Dr Blessy (Junior Doctor) who have joined the Hospital staff team. They are His answer to the longtime prayer for additional doctors at the hospital.
• Pray for God’s wisdom and guidance in putting together a plan (Master Plan 2010–2015) for Hospital Development.
• A Spiritual Awareness was held during October, with Mr Nakshatra Singh from Amristar as the special guest. Pray that the benefits of this week would be far reaching and long lasting.
• The hospital is, at present, running short of accommodation for nurses. Ask that the Lord will provide the necessary resources to construct a new nurses’ hostel.

Week Commencing 2 January

Jeevan Sahara Kendra (JSK), HIV/AIDS outreach project, Thane, India

• Please pray for our staff as they meet families affected by HIV every day. Ask God to give sensitivity and clarity to our staff to help the families make positive choices and address long-standing needs. Pray for protection as our staff travel extensively in often chaotic traffic.
• Ask God to equip local churches to minister to people with HIV. Pray for a deep move of the Spirit to see more churches open their doors to people with HIV – and for the church families to be generous and patient in caring for families affected by HIV.
• Thank God for an encouraging HIV awareness and testing camp that JSK conducted with two local churches in September. Over 80 people received voluntary and confidential HIV testing.  We were happy that most tested HIV negative and so we were able to give them counselling on making significant changes in their lives. The five who were found to be HIV positive were counselled and linked up with JSK and the local churches for further care.
• Ask God for help in the major transformation as JSK shifts to the building currently housing the Lok Hospital. Pray for God’s enabling to bring in key staff necessary to run an (initially) 10 bedded in-patient care facility, as well as a planned ART clinic and TB clinic in addition to the on-going testing and counselling and general OPD work.
• Pray for the many widows who have lost their husbands to HIV. These women are often HIV positive themselves and are usually unwelcome in their late husbands’ families. Ask God to help JSK find creative ways to link up these widow-headed families with local churches.

Mike Millar, Events Project Officer

As we move into the close of the year, let’s reflect on what we have done during it and what we will do in the year to come.

For me, it’s been a year of huge change: of learning, of making new friends and of challenges to long-held views and beliefs. What has it been for you?

Lord, who sent your Son to change the hearts of mankind, we thank you for the opportunities that change provides:

• another chance to try to improve
• a clean sheet to start again
• more people to learn from and fresh lessons.

Whilst we go through change, we have the constant that is forever, God who is love.

During this year the EMMS events have had their ups and downs: we had a wonderful inaugural Scottish Ride to commemorate the Edinburgh 1910 Mission Conference, we didn’t manage to run our own bike ride in India but we have still got some of our supporters cycling there for palliative (hospice) care in India, in November.

We thank you, Lord, for the privilege of serving you through our events. Bless those who have done or are taking part in our events and give them the strength to carry out their task. Without you, our efforts are nothing, so we ask for grace for all those involved in palliative care in India, Malawi and around the world.

Next year we return to Malawi for our 4^th ride there. This time we are raising funds for, and visiting, the David Gordon Memorial Hospital at Livingstonia. The funds we raise will make a huge difference to many lives there, so we ask for blessing upon this enterprise and for a full team of riders.

The coming year also sees us trying our new ways of fundraising – shorter, smaller events – and also using different media to reach a wider audience. We ask for your prayers for guidance and success in this.

Through your prayers we are sustained in what we do and those who we support in field are even more reliant upon them. They work in the knowledge of the love of God and that there is a world wide web of prayer to give them strength.

Christmas Day

“… the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.’” Luke 2:10-11 (NIV)

This Christmas Day, as we welcome again the baby who is Immanuel, ‘God with us’, let us rejoice in the ‘good news of great joy’ that is ‘for all the people’.