I hope this blog finds each of you healthy and well. My team is praying for you all at home right now! We are staying as updated as we can with the news here in Azerbaijan and at home. I know many schools and universities have been closed or moved to online, many people are working from home, sports and concerts have been canceled, trips have been canceled…it’s a lot, and we are praying for you all!
My team is currently in Baku, Azerbaijan; we are partnering with a local church which has been such a blessing. We are absolutely loving our time here encouraging and praying & worshipping with new & old believers. It’s incredible to see how the Spirit is working here in Baku.
There are cases of Corona in Azerbaijan; Azerbaijan borders the country of Iran which has had a serious outbreak of the virus. The country is taking many precautions to prevent further spread. School has been canceled here for several weeks in Baku, there is talk of shutting down the malls as well, and there is a chance that mosques and churches will be shut down too.
We are participating in many prayer nights with the local believers here, praying against the spread of the virus and for fear to not overcome this world. We are praying for revival and for many to come to know the Lord Jesus…and for us to be a light in this dark time. We pray that the world will cling to Jesus– who is our hope and our peace.
Changes To The Race
The squad originally planned to send my team to Uzbekistan for most of the month to work with a new partner there, but because of Corona we are now staying in Azerbaijan for the rest of the month and will be flying to Kazakhstan for the month of April!
Upon arrival to Uzbekistan from Azerbaijan, our team would’ve been put in two weeks of quarantine, so we wouldn’t have had the freedom to serve and work with our partners in the community.
Originally, we planned to sail across the Caspian Sea to Kazakhstan and the take trains to Uzbekistan, but as a health precaution, the organization is having us fly straight to Kazakhstan to eliminate so many travel days, so the wear and tear on our bodies would be minimal and we would be stronger and healthier going into the next country (and so that we also will look healthier going through customs in Kazakhstan to avoid being flagged).
We are very thankful that we are able to stay on the field. Four squads are being sent home because of the areas of the world that they are in. We are continuing to fight in prayer to stay and to continue to run the race with perseverance.
A Call To Stand:
“To take a stand against the destructive spread of the Coronavirus, we are calling the global Church to a three-day Esther Fast, March 18th – March 20th, to humble ourselves, confess our sins and the sins of our nation (Joel 2), and cry out to God for mercy.
Then, on the third day, as when Esther went before the king, let us gather together in small or large groups and stand as the Ekklesia before the King of Glory!
Let us stretch out His rod of authority out of Zion and rebuke the Coronavirus in united corporate agreement, believing in faith that the storm will abate, stadiums will be filled, and 2020 will go down as the year of the historic advance of evangelism and missions worldwide.
Would you join us for this three-day Esther Fast, March 18th – March 20th?!”
-Lou Engle, The Jesus Fast
Find more information here!
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Would you join us in fasting and praying for the end of the virus, for repentance, and for the furthering of the Kingdom?
We will continue praying for you all back home!
May the peace of Christ be with you & for His church to shine bright with hope for the world to see.
