Click on this link to download and print the Prayer Calendar – May 2018
May 1/2
During this “hot season (March – May) please pray for the prevention of fires that can sweep so quickly across the urban poor communities and that each family will continually be alert and aware of the possibility of a fire. Please pray for the safety of all the families.
May 3/4
The residents of urban poor communities struggle daily to earn an income for their families. Typical work for men includes: vending, driving tricycles (motorcycle with sidecar, which transport people around the city for a small fee), jeepney driving, short-term contracts as labourers in factories or on construction sites. For the women: washing clothes for the more affluent living outside of the community, running small sari-sari stores (small neighbourhood community stores), and even working for the government in low level positions (e.g. street sweepers). Every family member must work to contribute, even the children, who help wash clothes, assist in sari-sari stores, and a myriad of jobs for the income of the family. Without access to social services and government health insurance there is simply not sufficient money to go around; what is earned is not enough to make ends meet. Please pray that the Philippine Government will govern with integrity and give justice to the many families who have desperate needs.
May 5/6
Please remember in prayer the 30 families living in the Florante Street squatter community. They faced the threat of eviction as the owner of the land wanted to sell it. This is where the compassion ministry of Hands of Mercy began in 1997. There was a wonderful answer to prayer as the families have been given a loan towards the cost of buying the land by The National Home Mortgage Finance Corp. and the City Mortgage Programme but have been told the shanty homes will be demolished and the families must build new breeze block homes to include a toilet and electricity. This is a mammoth undertaking for these people who live in poverty. Please pray that the Hands of Mercy UK trustees will have wisdom and guidance as they seek to raise money to help as many families as they can to build a home.
May 7/8
Give thanks to God for Keith Barter who deals with the Hands of Mercy UK finance and for John Kingham as he deals with the Receipts and Payments accounts etc., which will be presented to the Charity Commission at the end of the year. Keith has recently been in hospital for two weeks. Please pray that he will know God’s healing touch on his life.
May 9/10
May 10th is Ascension Day. Please pray for the Pastors of the Mercy Community Churches in Mandaluyong and Baguio as they share with their congregations the Biblical account of Christ’s resurrection and ascension as well as His coming again in glory.
May 11/12
Give thanks to God for the eleven feeding areas in Mandaluyong where Hands of Mercy is providing meals for the malnourished children. Please pray that through the regular feedings the children’s health will improve and that people will give financially through the Supplementary Feeding Programme to help buy food for the children.
May 13/14
The shanty buildings used by Hands of Mercy for their compassion ministries in the communities are rented each month. The buildings are crucial when the rain and typhoons come as well as giving protection from the heat of the sun. They are essential for the hygienic preparation of the food for the feeding of the malnourished children. They are also used in many other ways. Please pray that money will be given to cover the rents for Busilak, Block 38, Block 37, Florante, St. Rosario and Barangka. Please also pray for the safety of the buildings as well as the staff accommodation. Burglaries, typhoons, flooding and fires are a constant threat.
May 15/16
Please pray that through the assistance of the Surgical Treatment Programme, children and adults with physical needs will be given the necessary help and resources to undergo corrective surgery. Many children need cleft lip and palate surgery.
May 17/18
Please continue to pray for two of the Hands of Mercy staff members who are suffering with cancer. Tess M. is recovering from an operation and will begin chemotherapy followed by radiation treatment. Myrna is currently having a course of Herceptin injections as part of her post-operation treatment. Ara has been diagnosed with macular degeneration, Jane has a heart defect and taking medication and Sally needed hospital treatment recently. Please pray for all the staff to have a full recovery and to know God’s peace at this difficult time.
May 19/20
Please pray for Maria, Wilma and Alberta staff members of Hands of Mercy. Maria speaks at the Barangka Mercy Community Church, is CSP co-ordinator for Barangka and Team leader for the Agudo community. Wilma speaks at the Sto. Rosario Community Church and is a volunteer therapist with the Disabled Therapy Programme. Berta is a member of the Agudo community team.
May 21/22
One of the Compassion Programmes of Hands of Mercy is giving free therapy to children with disabilities through the Disabled Therapy Programme – physical and occupational therapy, speech and hearing impairment therapy and pre-vocational skills training. Also provided is a literacy programme to enhance their skills in reading and writing. Please remember in prayer our disabled therapy volunteers who provide care and support to the disabled children and their families – Bing, Tess, Analyn, Ara, Remy and Inday. They work four afternoons a week at the Lingap Kalinga Centre. On a Friday morning there is also therapy for disabled children at the Hands of Mercy Block 38 Centre, and later in the morning there is home care therapy for children who are unable to travel to the Centre.
May 23/24
Give thanks that the Prescription Medicine Programme is helping many individuals to purchase their prescribed medicines. Please pray that funds will be available through this compassion programme to help both the adults and children. Although often smiling, many Filipinos are hurting, feeling the stress due to lack of money, no regular work, ill health and bad living conditions etc. Please remember them in your prayers.
May 25/26
The Family Support Programme is an enormous help to the very poor and needy families in Mandaluyong, many of whom need to scavenge each day to afford a meal. Hands of Mercy needs more sponsors to help these people receive supplementary food each month. We may not be able to change the whole world, but we can change the life of a family. Please pray that God will nudge concerned individuals to offer to sponsor a family with food items. £20 a month would make a difference in a family’s life. Please contact the UK office on 01582 416151 if you would like to help a family. At the moment we have 12 families waiting for help.
May 27/28
“Compassion fatigue” is a modern problem. Being constantly bombarded with good causes makes some people switch off. Please continue to pray that in the case of Hands of Mercy sufficient income will be received in order to help relieve the suffering of many of the poorest people in Mandaluyong, Manila and in the north of the country in Baguio/La Trinidad.
May 29/30
The Compassion Ministry of Hands of Mercy has made an amazing difference in the lives of poor Filipino families living in the squatter communities – they are looked down upon and feel they are nobodies, but through Hands of Mercy they have come to know that somebody does care about them. You can see the change in people’s lives and especially for those who have become Christians and belong to one of the five Mercy Community Churches that take place in the squatter communities. Please pray for these families.
May 31
Please give thanks and praise to God for His great faithfulness to the compassion work of Hands of Mercy in the Philippines. Please pray with us as we trust God to provide for the needs of the poor.
Find out about our compassion programmes and how you can help. Visit: Hands of Mercy Compassion Programmes
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