Pray for Vietnam, Vanuatu, Wallis & Futuna, Yemen

For almost a year we had been praying for countries of the world.  As we are nearing the end of the list we have 6 countries left to pray for.  Today we start four days prayer for Vietnam, a country that is about 3 times larger in population than Canada. Predominantly coastal settlements there are large cultural differences between North & South Vietnam.  Decades of war and Marxists indoctrination, present time Socialist government presents challenges to Christian mission.

Communist North Vietnam conquered South in 1975 and also ruled Cambodia for the next decade causing much bloodshed.  The communist government is still in control making the reconciliation difficult. Even though freedom is repressed, the rise of social ills is on the rise – AIDS epidemics due to prostitution, drugs, exploitation of children are too common.  Pray for spiritual and moral changes and Christian witness.  Vietnam is still one of the worst persecutors of Christians in the world, registered churches are controlled by agents only for maintaining services, forbidding evangelism and outreach.  Unregistered churches are razed and constantly harassed by police.   Adventist church in Vietnam has only 10 churches.  But number of companies and house-churches has grown to over 120 with membership of 10,000 in the past couple of years.  Pray for new believers, for mission, for church leadership, for equipping the church, and for God’s protection.  Pray for Vietnamese emigrants who are returning to their homeland.  Many had accepted Christ in America and Europe.  Pray that their witness will present Christ to the nation.   The least reached with the Gospel are communist adherents, Buddhist Khmer and Muslim Cham people.  Pray for outreach to these people groups. 

Wednesday we lift in prayers Vanuatu, a collection of 12 large and 70 small islands south-east of Solomon Islands, formerly called New Hebrides, independent since 1980.  Has large Adventist presence, 1 out of 14 are believers.  Evangelical Christianity is on the rise from formerly French Catholic and British Anglican influence.  Pray for leaders to exemplify integrity.  Outreach is still needed to pockets of ethnic tribal groups on some islands.

Thursday we pray for Wallis and Futuna, French Catholic has been predominant influence on these three groups of coral islands in South Pacific.  Evangelical church has emerged only in 1985.  Adventist presence is very small.  Pray for individual believers seeking and discovering Biblical truths.

Friday we lift in prayer Yemen, a land of Biblical times, home of the Queen of Sheba.  It’s capital Sana’a traces its roots to Uzal, grandson of Shem, descendant of Noah.  Formerly known for its frankincense and myrrh, today it is the poorest country in Arab world, growing qat, narcotic, as its main product.  Recent collapse of Somalia into anarchy, and Eritrean/Ethiopian war affected the country’s economy as refugees flooded in.  The current unrest after the Arab spring 2011 continues, making it difficult to consider mission, when people are occupied with day-to-day survival.  There are no Adventists in Yemen.  Few missionary efforts over the past decade are yet to produce results.  Pray for Christian mission to find opportunities for need-oriented evangelism.