OM at Urbana: Anna's story

Michael Kaspar interviews Anna Lyman about how she found OM through the Urbana mission conference. See more of Anna's story here.

OM at Urbana: Iraqi Bibles

OM VP Michael Kaspar meets with two Urbana participants in St. Louis this week. You can join the students who are buying Bibles for those in Iraq. Iraqi Bibles are $2 each. Just use this form.

Continue to pray for Shiite Muslims

Here are the last two prayer prompts for Ashura (click pictures to read the prompts), a time that ends in many men performing self-mutilation in remembrance of a Muslim martyr.








Shiite Muslims continue to be attacked during this time. Many explosions have gone off during Ashura gatherings all over the Muslim world this week. Pray for the safety of the Shiites and for someone to tell them about the one who shed His blood for them.

Merry Christmas...

...and thanks for partnering with us through the year

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Day 8: Supremacy of Jesus

This Christmas Eve, remember Shiite Muslims who still need to know the love and the supremacy of Jesus.

Click this picture for today's Ashura prayer prompt from cryoutnow.org.

You can subscribe to their email list here.

For an introduction to Ashura, watch this video.

Day 7: Shiite households

While you are preparing your own home for the joy of Christmas Eve, lift up Shiite families who are in a traditional season of mourning, that they might know the hope that you have.

Click this picture for today's Ashura prayer prompt from cryoutnow.org.

You can subscribe to their email list here.

For an introduction to Ashura, watch this video.

Day 6: Influential Shiite Men

As we are preparing for Christmas, Shiite Muslims are preparing for Ashura, a day of ceremonial chest beating, to mourn the suffering of an Islamic martyr, one of Muhammad's grandsons. Join with us in prayer during these 10 preceding days of Ashura.

Click this picture for today's Ashura prayer prompt from cryoutnow.org.

You can subscribe to their email list here.

For an introduction to Ashura, watch this video.

Day 5: obedient followers of Jesus

Click this picture for today's Ashura prayer prompt from cryoutnow.org.

You can subscribe to their email list here.

For an introduction to Ashura, watch this video.

Day 4: stepping out of your comfort zone

Click this picture for today's Ashura prayer prompt from cryoutnow.org.

You can subscribe to their email list here.

For an introduction to Ashura, watch this video.

y 3: seekers of God

Click this picture for today's Ashura prayer prompt from cryoutnow.org.

You can subscribe to their email list here.

For an introduction to Ashura, watch this video.

Day 2: Dreams and Visions

Click this picture for today's Ashura prayer prompt from cryoutnow.org.

You can subscribe to their email list here.

For an introduction to Ashura, watch this video.

Day 1: Shiites and fear

Today is the first of the Islamic month Muharram and the therefore the first of a 10-day observance of Ashura.

Click this picture for today's Ashura prayer prompt from cryoutnow.org.

You can subscribe to their email list here.

For an introduction to Ashura, watch this video.

PRAY: 10 days of Ashura

Today is the first day of Ashura for Shiite Muslims worldwide. Remember to pray for this time, which ends in self-mutilation rituals. To help you pray, you can sign up to get prayer updates for Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.

Getting ready for Urbana

It's almost time for Urbana 09 and OM USA staffers have been creating the OM booth, a large mixed media display now affectionately termed The Shroud of Tyrone. Read why on our Facebook photo album.

Logos Hope sails from Guyana to Netherlands Antilles

The crew of Logos Hope continues its Caribbean tour this week in Netherlands Antilles. You can follow their voyage from Guyana on the Logos Hope dashboard.

Guest of Honor, The Honorable Samuel Hinds, Prime Minister and

Acting President of Guyana, followed by Logos Hope Director Gian Walser
of Switzerland, leads a procession up the gangway.

Upon the crew's arrival in Guyana, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds expressed his gratitude for the ongoing ministry of OM Ships. “We admire the wide range of aid and relief projects over the years,” he said. “May other organizations follow this excellent example.” That example included crews sent to several communities to distribute help packs, perform dental and medical clinics, and lend a hand on building projects. One team brought a message of AIDS awareness through drama. Logos Hope partnered with both Youth With a Mission (YWAM) and Habitat for Humanity in this port. Learn more about the ship's travels at the Logos Hope website. And pray for smooth sailing through arrival at the next port on Thursday.

Algeria: a terrorist has a dream

Adel was a Muslim terrorist in the late 80's and was selected to go to Afghanistan and work with Osama bin Laden. But he could not get a passport so he stayed in Algeria. He soon saw a list of people Al Qaeda wanted to kill and found that his brother, a Christian, was one of them.

Disappointed with fundamentalism, Adel decided to leave and went back to his hometown. He talked with a friend from school who was suffering because of her Christian faith. She had heard about the Lord through Christian radio. She had no Bible, no books, only the radio for discipleship. Adel told her, "I can help you; my brother is a Christian."

However, Adel still was not a believer himself. So one night he had a dream in which he saw four doors. He opened the first and it was completely dark. He thought to himself, "I won't go in there". Behind the second door were people drinking and dancing. "No," he thought. Opening the third, he saw an imam preaching holy war and decided, "I have had enough of that." When he opened the fourth door, he saw an incredible light and a man in beauty and glory. The man was holding Adel's friend from school and saying, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." Adel had never heard this verse before, nor did he know it was from the Bible.

The next day he told the dream to his brother who explained "the Lord is asking you to give Him your life". Adel soon proposed to his Christian friend from school. She said no, she could only marry a Christian, and that was the first time he confessed his new faith. He is in full-time ministry now.

Early on, the local police followed Adel and eventually brought him in for questioning. He was no longer wearing Muslim clothing or a full beard, so the police asked what happened. Adel told the story of how God had taken his heart of anger and vengeance and given him a heart of love and forgiveness. The policeman was amazed and said, "Go and preach and if anyone stops you, come and tell me".

Please pray for Adel's continued favor in the country as he is planting churches and following up with new believers.

worship song inspired by Isaiah 58

Beautiful song by OM member Shirley Booth, who writes, "Do I fail to stoop down because my hands are raised too high?" Meditate on this over the weekend:

December International Update

Look over the past month and year with OM International Director Peter Maiden:

start training for Run 4 The World 2010

Lace up your shoes and hit the road. It's time to start training for OM Sportslink's Run 4 The World, Saturday, May 8. Participants raise money and awareness for mission projects worldwide. The 2010 race will benefit OM ministries AIDSlink, Artslink, and Sportslink.

See photos from last year's race and get more info on the OM USA website. Join the R4TW Facebook group to meet other runners (and walkers) from around the world.

"Caste is worse than racism"

Dr. Joseph D'Souza, leader of OM India, explains how "Caste is worse than racism" in this overview of the plight of the Dalits of India. You can partner with the Dalit Freedom Network and help break caste slavery forever.

join us in prayer today

We here in OM's US office will be observing a corporate day of prayer for needs and concerns around the OM world. Please join us. Ask the Lord to lead you to specific Scriptures and feel free to post them here. Thanks for your partnership with Operation Mobilization.

VOTE for photo of the year

You can tell us which picture deserves to be Photo of the Year on the OM Photo Blog. Simply browse the archives and rate each photo from 1-5 stars. Your results will be automatically calculated and we will post the results here at year's end. Thanks for voting!

Sponsor a Dalit Pastor in India

OM plants a church of at least 25 people every other day among the Dalit people of India, considered lowest in the caste system. These churches need trained pastors and leaders. You can help equip these leaders through sponsorship. Learn more about sponsoring one of these pioneer church leaders. And pray for the Dalits. Pray that we will see the end of the caste system in our lifetime.

rough seas in the Caribbean

Crew members ready their media devices while being ferried to shore.

Logos Hope is currently in Guyana, after two recent stops in the Caribbean. While in Bridgetown, Barbados, the Logos Hope crew faced new challenges, such as having to berth the ship at two different locations. For one of the locations, the Visitor Experience area had to be reconfigured to allow for port side entry, a first for the new ship. The crew was welcomed by the Honorable Mr. Patrick Todd, Minister of State who said, “Logos Hope represents a micro-community and is a clear picture of what a larger community should and can be.”

That community got to work together through another challenge in port: rough seas. Captain Dirk Colenbrander and other leaders on board decided to take Logos Hope out to anchor in Carlisle Bay to avoid damage. So the ship's on board rescue boat was used to ferry crewmembers to shore. "The swell was very high,” said Coxswain Adam Gosen of Australia, "but I really believe that God’s hand was holding us steady there.”

Although closed to the public, Logos Hope was able to welcome 14 new crew members from around the world as part of OM Ships' Short Term Exposure Programme (STEP). The program is designed to give a taste of ship life for around three months, though some participants stay longer or come back to take part in the two year program. “I’m loving it," said Alena Kortiakova of Slovakia, "I think it’s going to be a very rewarding experience.”

November International Update

OM Director Peter Maiden offers a glimpse around the OM world in under 7 minutes. Please pray with us through these stories.