Nigeria: a weight-lifter’s extra problems
Even before she left the shores of Nigeria for Brazil, Mariam Usman knew that winning a medal at the Rio 2016 Olympics would be a tough call. She would not pretend to be a magician or claim perfection where there is none. Usman believes one can only reap where one sows. She was the only weightlifter representing Nigeria in Rio. She competed in the +75 category and amassed 265 kg, finishing 8th in her group. ‘It is painful to come to the Olympics and see people who are your contemporaries perform better than you; not because you lack the ability but because you were not prepared like them,’ she said, She added that training for the Rio Olympics was non-existent in Nigeria, while her counterparts from other countries have been training for three to four years. ‘Other competitors had everything they needed: training grants, competitions and access to the most modern equipment. I had nothing.’
Spring up o well!
WEEKEND of PRAYER
Spring up O Well
Leading up to the Cumbria Prayer Conference on October 8th, we’re taking a team to Ulverston, Cumbria for a Weekend of Prayer from Friday 2nd to Sunday 4th September 2016. We’ll be supporting a local prayer group and local churches in this prayer mission.
“The spiritual legacy of George Fox has been neglected in the Ulverston area, but it can be reclaimed as we seek the LORD together.
As well as praying for the whole area we will be seeking to 'unstop the wells' – to reclaim the spiritual inheritance of that work of God centred at Swarthmoor Hall 300 years ago.
We shall also be praying in support of local churches in the development of the “God for All” initiative, which has the aim of giving everyone in Cumbria the opportunity to discover more of God and his purpose in their lives by 2020.”
The Timetable:
Friday 2nd - Evening of Prayer waiting on the LORD in the Quaker Meeting House, Meeting House Lane, Ulverston 7.30 – 10.30pm on Friday 2nd September
Saturday 3rd - A prayer journey to some of the sites connected with George Fox in the area.
Evening of prayer and worship
Sunday 4th - Morning meeting with a local church or home church
Join us to Prayer Walk the first leg of the Cistercian Way from Grange over Sands to Cartmel Priory on the Friday morning.
(This is a 3 to 4 mile walk over Grange Fell taking in views of Morecambe Bay and the Leven Estuary across to Ulverston)
Accommodation & Cost: Can be arranged with local hosts.
Meals: Some sustenance may be needed when we are out and about, but we’ll plan to share meals as a team or with our hosts.
If you are interested in being involved in part or all of the weekend and would like to know more please get in touch for more details. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Web Links:
Cumbria Prayer Conference
God for All, Cumbria
UK Wells
2nd National Prayer Weekend
CWR are launching the second National Prayer Weekend, and you are invited to join in!
23-25 September 2016 thousands of churches, communities and individuals will be lifting up their locality to God in prayer. The heart of National Prayer Weekend aligns with the aims of World Prayer Centre to pray for families, communities, the marginalised and the world and to impact our nation to see God’s Kingdom come.
The idea is simple. The National Prayer Weekend is an opportunity to gather prayer requests from people in your local area and introduce them to a God who loves them through the power of prayer.
Last year, more than 1,300 individuals, groups and churches joined to cover the nation in prayer. We know that God can do immeasurably more than we can even imagine. So it is with great expectation that we invite you to join in 23–25 September 2016 as we pray for our local schools, hospitals, businesses, neighbours and whole communities.
Feedback from the National Prayer Weekend 2015:
'We felt for us the weekend was the beginning of us praying for our community in a way we haven’t done until now.’
‘We are now embarking on a time of praying for a different street each day. This has come about as a result of the NPW’
‘The weekend shifted the attitude of prayer in our church’
JOIN IN:
Visit www.national-prayer-weekend.com to join in, access free resources to help plan your prayer weekend and to get your pin on the prayer map to make your mark on the nation.
SPREAD THE WORD:
Follow the National Prayer Weekend on Facebook and Twitter to add your voice to a worldwide praying community sharing stories, pictures and prayer ideas.
We believe that local people praying for their community and neighbours can change the whole nation. One life, one street, one community at a time.
South Sudan
Five years after becoming the world's newest nation, South Sudan is broken. The joy of independence quickly faded back into conflict. Years of fighting and civil war have crippled nearly every sphere of society. Pray for the government, where the president and vice-president are political and military rivals. Pray for security: due to looting, rape, and mass killings, people are confined to houses, reduced to unimaginable fear. Pray for the economy, as South Sudan has the highest inflation in the world - 300%. Pray for the health of this nation that is suffering acute malnutrition. Many South Sudanese have only known war, conflict, and strife. A culture of revenge is prominent among the more than 60 major ethnic groups. The people of South Sudan are desperate for forgiveness, healing, and reconciliation. These are precisely what God offers by the blood of Jesus Christ.
