Pickern Prayer Gram

Dear Prayer Partners,

I write this today with tears streaming down my face and a heart full of joy and broken at the same time. On the one hand I am so amazed and stand in awe at the fact of God’s amazing love for me and that He sings over me and cares for me like He does. On the other hand I am so broken for the people here. Remember the Macedonia School that we asked you to pray for? The pastor that wrote the material is the same man that built the orphanage we wrote about several months ago. He wrote the material with the Dominican culture in mind. He talks about praying for the area in which you are going to be working. These are some of the things he mentions you should pray for God to demolish the spirit of skepticism, superstition, witchcraft – both believing and practicing it and being the one actually performing it (the witch him/her self), satanic oppressions, infidelity, divorce, lies, materialism, doubt, slavery, darkness, alcohol, drugs, prostitution, robbery, crimes, homosexuality, violence… He names them in that order! Does that tell you anything about the culture here? I started a new ladies Bible study yesterday with some old friends. We did have some new people there that are not believers. There were 13 people there and we had a great time studying the book of Ruth. Only one of them had ever heard the story of Ruth. One! And she was a little girl.

Anyway, inside this house was a “bouquet” (for lack of a better word) of dried herbs and plants. This was not to decorate, but to keep out evil spirits. Now this lady is a believer. Her children are believers. Her husband is not. But you could walk into most any house in the barrio and find one of those in there. It is very real and practiced here. Superstition. Darkness. Witchcraft. Isaiah 44 talks about the people planting trees, cutting them down, using the wood to make fire to cook their food and watching it burn. Then they use the other part of the same tree and carve images to make a god to worship. Verse 20 says: “That kind of man feeds on ashes [and finds his satisfaction in ashes]! A deluded mind has led him astray, so that he cannot release and save himself, or ask, Is not [this thing I am holding] in my right hand a lie?” My question is, what are we holding in our hand? Is it pride, money, position, selfishness, laziness, job, or material things? You see, ANYTHING that we put in our hand and hold onto other than God – is a god. God made our hand for His and His alone.

Our ministry here is to lead others to put their hands into the hand of God. Please help us by praying that God knock down the walls that I mentioned above. They are real walls. We are running into them. We need your help. Please pray for: · A person of peace in a new barrio, Guaricano. This barrio is huge! We have started driving through the streets, praying and seeking the Lord as to where He wants to start working. We have also begun talking to the people there. Pray God gives us His mind and wisdom and that we clearly see the door He is opening.· The Macedonia School students to be faithful and obedient to start their new Bible studies.·

A new apartment complex Bible study possibility, which could lead to a house church. The girl I have been talking to, Kenia, has a desire to reach her apartment building for Christ and wants to have a church in her house. She is in her early twenties. Pray that God continues to give her courage, boldness, and wisdom as she witnesses for Him.· Our daughter, Christie. She just found out that she has Type 1 diabetes. Please pray that they will find the right amount of insulin for her and that her sugar will be leveled out quickly.· Me, Julie. I just found out that I have thyroid problems. I am currently taking medication and am under a doctor’s care.

In Christ,Gene and Julie1C:
FCO Moreno ESQ AV Anacaona
Edif H Apto 6-HI Bella Vista,
Santo Domingo, DN 12006-11
850-390-4090