Farho.net Prayer Blog

Freezing in Africa

2008-11-18T20:40:00.000Z

With our weather always hot in Abidjan, we've not thought freezing
here was possible. This morning we woke up in our unheated apartment
to 62F and shivering.

On the other hand, we're really grateful for this Arabic course. It is
very encouraging for us. It makes what seemed impossible seem easy.

Heavenly Father, keep the Farhos warm and healthy!
--
Mike and Sue Farho
http://Farho.us

Runny noses in Kairouan

2008-11-11T20:23:00.000Z

Here are some of my photos from our day:

http://www.plurkpix.com/pix/90c.jpg
Lesson about parts of a house.

http://www.plurkpix.com/pix/917.jpg
Field of unmatched shoes at Lat 35°39'44" N by Lon 10°05'35" E

http://www.plurkpix.com/pix/91n.jpg
Mike at the Kairouan, Tunisia Medina today

This morning we had Arabic class while we were all blowing our noses.
How annoying.

Heavenly Father, please heal Mike, Sue and Joshua of their colds.
Thank You for their excellent teachers.

Gratefully,
Mike and Sue Farho

Walking and visiting

2008-10-28T16:36:00.001Z

This is our life now and for the next 6 weeks. We've made several new
friends already.

Thanks to your prayers, we have Internet on our phone. Don't expect
long messages or perfect spelling!

Heavenly Father, thank You for meeting all Mike, Sue and Joshua's
needs as they travel and study Arabic.

With love,
Mike and Sue Farho
http://Farho.us

Farho Family Update

2008-10-21T20:59:00.003Z

We are grateful that the Internet allows us close contacts with our friends and family. We are able to visit with John frequently. He is doing well. His shoulder is becoming stronger and more flexible each day. Joshua is doing well at homeschool. He seems more mature each day, even adding body hair and odors! Sue is grateful that her migraines are becoming rare. The ringing in my ears continues, but the pain I had in my feet is now gone.

Your prayers are needed, as we will be on the road for the next six weeks. We hope to send you weekly updates, but don't know if it will be possible. If you don't get updates from us, you might still find news from us at our blogs: http://blogs.farho.net

Heavenly Father, we ask You again to heal this ringing in Mike's ears. Help him to hear clearly, to facilitate his learning of Arabic. Keep the Farhos safe and healthy during their six weeks away from home.

Prayer is a powerful ministry

2008-10-14T19:52:00.003Z

With Canadian Thanksgiving and USA Columbus Day yesterday, we're thinking about the things for which we are grateful. Right on the top of our list is your ministry, as one of our prayer partners. Your ministry of prayer is the power behind our service here in Abidjan. We can't do anything without your partnership! Today, we dedicate this update to you and your powerful ministry of prayer.

Heavenly Father, thank You for each prayer partner lifting up Mike and Sue. Bless each one and give them the faith, healing, encouragement, joy and the finances they need for each day.

My life is full of joy

2008-10-07T19:26:00.003Z

Today, Radwan and I went to his travel agent to purchase airline tickets for my family to an MK education conference in Niamey, Niger in January. One of the armed guards there ran up to us and greeted me very warmly. He thanked me profusely for giving him a Scripture booklet last month. He told us that his life is totally changed. His life is now full of joy, with Jesus in his heart. What a joy it was for us to hear his testimony!

Heavenly Father, continue to give Mike and Sue many opportunities to share the Word of God and love of Jesus with people in Abidjan. Guide this young man as he grows in his relationship with Jesus Christ.

Ramadan is over

2008-09-30T21:32:00.003Z

The fasting month of Ramadan finishes with the celebration of Feast of Breaking the Fast (Eid al-Fitr), or the Little Feast (al-Eid saghir). It occurs at the conclusion of Ramadan and is held on the first day of the month of Shawwal. For most Sunni Muslims, that was today. For most Shi'a Muslims, that will be tomorrow. West African Muslims are mostly Sunni, so today was a legal holiday in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, where nearly 50% of the population is Muslim. The Lebanese population here is mostly Shi'a Muslim, so they will celebrate their Little Feast tomorrow. Learn more about Islam at our website: http://islam.farho.net

Heavenly Father, we ask You to reveal yourself to Muslims through dreams and visions. Open Your arms to them in new and wonderful ways, so they can trust in Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, for forgiveness.

College of Prayer

2008-09-23T22:51:00.002Z

Main building of the FATEAC Seminary

We are grateful to have Fred Hartley here this week, leading a College of Prayer. It is a seminar/retreat where you are taught how to use the Lord's Prayer as a personal prayer pattern. The event is this year's spiritual retreat at the C&MA West African Theological Seminary. We are all enjoying the good teaching and African worship. Go to our previous prayer blog to watch a short video and hear some of the singing.

Heavenly Father, thank You for all we are learning this week. We're grateful to be Your children. Bless the seminary students and staff through this retreat.

College of Prayer Abidjan Day 1

2008-09-23T19:02:00.002Z

Students singing at the Alliance at the Seminary

This was a beautiful song we sang this morning. It has the same melody as Michael Rowed His Boat Ashore.

Send us your questions advice, comments or prayer requests!

Ramadan in Abidjan

2008-09-16T23:11:00.002Z

Photo by mohamed.shaaz

We are more than half way through the month of Ramadan. It has been the best one that we've experienced thus far for having opportunities to spend quality time with our Muslim friends. One thing that I've done differently is to make my visits in the morning. People are less stressed and are more open to talk. I've also had more opportunities than ever before to eat with friends when they are breaking their fast.

Heavenly Father, thank You for these opportunities you are giving Mike and Sue. Bless their friends with dreams and visions about Jesus and His love for them.

Learn more about Ramadan at http://islam.farho.net

The curse of Malaria

2008-09-09T22:01:00.003Z

Every 30 seconds a child under 5 dies of Malaria in Africa. Malaria in Cote d'Ivoire is increasingly caused by the chloroquine-resistant Malaria parasite. It kills 63,000 children under the age of 5 a year here. That's more than 7 small children every hour in Cote d'Ivoire. Adults are also killed by Malaria.

We're grateful for your prayers for Joshua. He is doing very well. Please pray for Joshua's African French language tutor, Gerard. He is sick now with Malaria. When we visited the maternity section of the main Ivorian hospital in Abidjan last May, the doctors thanked God for President Bush. They said many lives have been saved here because of the USA gift of free vaccines and medications for pregnant women and children under 5 years old.

Heavenly Father, we thank You for being our Healer. Thank You for healing Joshua's Malaria and John's shoulder. Please heal Gerard and strengthen all three of them.

Joshua Malaria update

2008-09-08T11:34:00.004Z

Joshua slept well last night. The very strong medication and your even stronger prayers are healing him. He had some headache all day, but is sleeping now. I woke him up and gave him his last pill at midnight GMT last night.

He's doing OK at home school this morning. Now he'll need a couple days in the house to recover. That will be torture for him. We might have a friend come over to play Legos with him.

Thanks for taking the time to pray for Joshua! We praise God for you!

Send us your questions advice, comments or prayer requests!

Pray for Joshua. He has Malaria

2008-09-07T16:08:00.003Z

Please pray for Joshua. He has Malaria. We gave him a treatment right away. We're trusting in God to heal him. More than seven young children die every hour of Malaria in Cote d'Ivoire.

Heavenly Father, we trust You to heal Joshua and take away his severe headache and nausea. Help him to get back on his feet again. In Jesus name. Amen!

Send us your questions advice, comments or prayer requests!

John recovering well

2008-09-02T21:42:00.002Z

Your prayers for John's recovery from shoulder surgery are being answered. He is still having some trouble sleeping, as would be expected with his surgery and his arm brace. He's working some every day at Gold's Gym. Soon he will be going away for 3 weeks at US Army National Guard Camp. That will be a challenge!

Ramadan is off to a smooth start here in Abidjan. I'm visiting my friends in the morning. Traffic is crazy in the evening as frazzled, starved and thirsty people are in a hurry to get home for food and water.

Heavenly Father, thank You for touching and healing John's body. Give him strength and good sleep at night. Continue to give our friends dreams and visions about Jesus our Christ and Savior.

What is Ramadan?

2008-08-26T22:40:00.004Z

Ramadan in 2008 (or the Islamic year of 1429) is September 1-30. Dates may vary according to the sighting of the moon. It is the third pillar of Islam, when Muslims around the world celebrate the holiest month of their year. During Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, Muslims from all continents unite in a period of sunrise to sunset fasting and spiritual reflection. Our friends tell us that one of the most important aspects of Ramadan for them is an increase in commitment to their families.

Heavenly Father, during this holy time for Muslims give them dreams and visions of our Savior Jesus Christ. As they discipline themselves and resist temptation, open their hearts to their need for the Savior.

Learn how to pray for Muslims at the 30-Days of Prayer for the Muslim World website. Visit our Islam pages more information about Islam and the fast of Ramadan.

Dates in Islam, Hajj (pilgrimage), Holidays for Muslims, Islam in Arabia, Pillars of Islam, Pray for Muslims, Ramadan, Ramadan prayer guide

Pray about John's shoulder pain

2008-08-22T14:24:00.003Z

Please pray for our son John's shoulder surgery recovery. He's home but couldn't sleep last night because of pain. He is getting a different pain killer now.

With love and gratitude,

Mike, Sue, John, and Joshua Farho

http://farho.us

John's shoulder surgery Thursday AM

2008-08-19T23:20:00.002Z

Photo of John in Iraq with some kids.

I had a good phone conversation with our son John today. He appreciates your prayers about his shoulder surgery on Thursday morning. He has had some annoying pain in one shoulder since his tour in Iraq. I don't completely understand his injury. but trust that the doctors do. I think it is called an arthroscopic outpatient surgery. He goes in at 6:30am, and out after lunch time. He will have three weeks of recovery. Then he has three weeks of National Guard camp in September. He is also taking a full load at college and working as a personal trainer at Gold's Gym. Oh to be 22 years old again!

Heavenly Father, we trust You to heal John's injured shoulder. Give the doctors wisdom and steady hands. Protect John from infection and further injury. Strengthen him as he juggles a very hectic schedule this fall.

Grateful for simple pleasures

2008-08-12T21:37:00.003Z

Downtown Abidjan across the lagoon

We're grateful for so many little things in our lives here in Africa. It's true, we miss much about our lives in the USA, but God meets us here in simple and pleasant ways. As I was making my visits today on my motorcycle under a clear blue sky, cool breezes were blowing off the Atlantic Ocean. August is simply the best month to be alive in Abidjan. Before putting Joshua to bed tonight, we enjoyed another simple yet precious pleasure. We watched a one hour resume of today's Olympic events on French TV5.org.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the beauty and cool weather in Abidjan. Give Mike, Sue and Joshua much joy as they serve You in this city of about 6 million needy souls. Open doors each day to share the love of Jesus. Protect John as he serves at the Nebraska Army National Guard Camp this week.

Prayer for 08-08-08 at 08:08am

2008-08-08T08:08:00.003Z

Thought I would celebrate this awesome date with a special prayer for you, posted on 08/08/08 at 08:08 am. That makes this an 080808 0808 GMT prayer!

Heavenly Father, we thank You for giving us a new day to know You and love You. We thank You for giving us the fruit of Your Holy Spirit to enable us to obey You. We thank You for Your patience with us each day and year You've given us. Empower us anew to be Your faithful servants on this planet we call home. Enlighten us as we reflect Your glory. Cause Your love to overflow from us to all our neighbors and every nation of the world.

We pray all these things in the name of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who died to make our pardon possible. Amen

Send us your questions advice, comments or prayer requests!

God took away my fear!

2008-08-05T23:47:00.002Z

On Aug. 7, 2001, a number of our friends experienced a living nightmare. God supernaturally saved us from being caught in the maelstrom of that evil day. I don't want to open the wounds that so many experienced that day. I need to share one friend's healing after that frightening day. Last week, she shared that the fear was so overwhelming that she couldn't sleep for days. Then she cried out to God to take away her fear. Immediately, a wonderful feeling of peace came over her. I can honestly tell you that she is now one of the most courageous people I know.

Heavenly Father, thank You for healing those who were so terribly wounded that day 7 years ago. Make this anniversary of that event one of increasing peace and comfort for all. Protect Your servants who serve You in areas of intense spiritual warfare. Deliver them from the evil one and his schemes to destroy them.

God, if you exist, prove it to me!

2008-07-29T22:40:00.003Z

A Lebanese man became frustrated and angry at what seems like God's indifference with what is happening in Abidjan. He climbed on the roof of his house in front of his friends and cried out, "God, if you exist, prove it to me!" That night he had a dream in which God spoke to him. He reached out and grabbed at a red star that was flying by him. The star burned him. Then he awoke, to find his right arm burned and blistered to his elbow. Now many Lebanese are telling his story of new faith in God to their friends.

Heavenly Father, we know you exist and thank You for Your presence in our lives. Open closed hearts to Jesus as they hear this man's story. Give Mike and Sue opportunities to encourage them in their faith.

Modeste Church School

2008-07-22T22:39:00.002Z

I have an important meeting Wednesday with the head elder of the Modeste Bambara C&MA Church. The Christ Community Church 808 Team was able to leave some cash to do some work on their school building. They want to fix up their one room classroom a little before school starts again this fall. It is an exciting project. The Ivorian government likes the school so much that they provide a teacher! That is a really big deal, since the church and the villagers can't afford a salary for a teacher. They grow vegetables for the Abidjan market.

Heavenly Father. Thank You for the generosity of Christ Community Church and their college students. Use this C&MA school to train boys and girls to read, so they can read Your Word and mature in Christ.

See a photo of the school

Learn more about the Modeste Church

C&MA DNA

2008-07-16T14:37:00.004Z

Our Christology . . . what we believe about Jesus
Our core values . . . how we live our beliefs
Our strategies . . . how we decide what we’ll do together as a movement for God

Taxi strike day 3

2008-07-16T10:10:00.003Z

The strike continues. No danger to most people, just a huge inconvenience for those who use them to shop and get to work. There is a strike of government workers planned for tomorrow.

Here are some photos from http://Abidjan.net:

Send us your questions advice, comments or prayer requests!

Taxis on strike in Abidjan

2008-07-15T22:40:00.003Z

This photo by Abidjan.net pretty much sums up the problem. No taxis, means no way for most of the population of this city of nearly 6 million to get to work. The taxi drivers are on strike because they can't afford to buy fuel at the rates they are authorized to charge. The drivers set up road blocks to stop people from taking other forms of transportation. We were warned that there could be trouble, so we've stayed here in our neighborhood.

Heavenly Father, help the people in Abidjan to find ways to make ends meet during these extremely inflationary days. Give the government authorities wisdom as they try to calm down the situation.