Prayer focus

THANK YOU, GOD

• For all our prayer partners who are standing with us at CCI/Ukraine in prayer during this difficult time. It is precious to know that so many are praying when there are no safe locations in Ukraine and no safe times of day. It is a privilege to know there is an army of prayer partners each time we entrust our lives into God’s hands when going to bed. Thank you for standing with us, and thank you for not growing fatigued.
• For CCI/Georgia being part of the steering committee meeting last week, with nine leaders representing children’s day centres in three cities of Georgia, as they continue to plan Christmas events for a total of 100 children.
• For the warm atmosphere and meaningful exchange at last week’s CCI/Armenia Follow-Up Meeting for Camp Leaders. They thanked God for the past summer camps, and they looked into the future as a network of Christian camps to see how they can reach more children and youth together.
• For Camp [Name Withheld], Country X, a day camp was held on the theme “The Harvest.” Twelve children aged 7–12 participated. No photos were taken during the Bible classes because the church is new and the staff are being cautious. This also applies to the two weekend day camps run by Church Name Withheld for 37 campers during the autumn school holidays, November 16–20.
• For Camp Ark, Ukraine, which held an opening camper follow-up meeting for 43 campers in September. This was the first session of their weekly Saturday club for “Newers,” their new campers.

ACTIVITIES

• Our team at CCI/Ukraine is working around severe electricity shortages, with only about three hours of power during the day and nine at night. Electricity is scarce due to massive Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure and residential buildings, and night hours bring drone and missile strikes. Outages vary by location and time, which makes work difficult. We try to catch at least one hour online together each day, then carry on planning next year’s events from our homes.
• CCI/Georgia is meeting with a team of five people to help organize a winter youth camp for 50 participants in Georgia.
• This week CCI/Armenia is working on a Christmas program for 40 children and youth with a church, which includes a Christmas skit, poem recitation, and activities to teach children about the meaning of Christmas and share the Gospel.
• CCI/Country X is meeting with a newly appointed pastor of a local church to discuss camp staff training for their summer camps and camp program planning.
• Camp Ark is preparing their Christmas meetings for 45 Newers. The team is working on the Christmas Bible lessons and the Christmas program as a whole. 

INTERCESSION

• Please, pray for God’s protection. In western Ukraine, which had been considered somewhat safer, a residential building was destroyed last Wednesday at 6:30 a.m., with 34 killed and 100 injured, and 26 unaccounted for. It was part of a massive attack across the city, with 255 reports from residents about missing relatives, damaged property, and other consequences. Please, pray for safety, comfort, and strength for all who are affected.
• Lift up the campers who are preparing to help their churches run Christmas programs for children and youth in Armenia; that they may grow as part of their church teams, serve well together, and be strengthened in their faith.
• Remember CCI/Country X as they meet with the newly appointed pastor, asking the Lord to guide their discussions on staff preparation and camp planning.
• Intercede for the Camp Ark team as they continue to grow in wisdom and unity. Their Saturday club meetings are training the campers and laying a foundation that will culminate in the summer camp, where the children’s growth and learning will be celebrated and deepened. Pray also for the campers to grow in their faith and for new leaders to emerge from among them.
• With the sharp increase in Russian missile and drone attacks on Kyiv and many homes destroyed, please pray, as God reminds you, for God’s protection over our Kyiv staff Oksana and Pavlo, their families and homes, and the CCI/Ukraine office located in a residential area.
• Thank God for protecting Oleg, Andriy, and Maxim—the husbands of our staff Oksana, Dasha, and Jenya—this past week as they serve near the war’s front line. Pray for their continued health and safety.