Viña Prayer

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. Hebrews 4:16

I am reminded of the song about “More love, more power, more of You in my life” as I write this request.  We are so grateful for all of God’s help, but our prayer today is to ask boldly for ‘MORE’ in several areas:

More People.

The team producing DEDITOS is so small, each episode takes a very long time to complete and get into ministry even with everyone multitasking. Pray for God to bring the right production, distribution and administrative support people to the project in His timing.

More Speed.

The episode currently being produced, God Liberates His people, is taking an especially long time to complete.  There are many special shots and special effects.  This episode is about Moses before Pharoah and includes many of the plagues.  The next episode to be produced is about the children of Israel in the desert.  It too will have many special shots.  Pray that we would continuously find new and better ways to maximize our time, efforts and resources to complete the episodes more quickly.

More Financing.

DEDITOS began with some solid start-up funding, but that is starting to run out even as the doors seem to fly open for the series to be used in ministry around the world. Viña’s small crew of missionaries and national believers here in Guatemala are inexperienced in fund raising. Please pray for the resources it will take to complete the project… approximately $30,000 U.S. dollars per episode. And we currently plan to produce 9 more episodes for the series.

Let’s Pray,

Heavenly Father, thank You for all of Your help and answers to prayer!  Thank You for the progress so far of the Deditos project!

We come boldly today to ask for MORE.  More people in every area of the Deditos project, so the work can be completed more quickly. Not just more people, but the right people in each area of production, distribution and administrative support.  More wisdom in how to use time, efforts and resources to the maximum. More money to pay for the people and equipment to complete the project well.

We boldly ask for MORE in all these areas, because you invite us to come BOLDLY before Your throne of grace.  In Jesus name, Amen

I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark. John 12:48 

A creative missionary shares a Deditos video with children using her ipad

We are beginning to sell and distribute many copies of the Spanish Deditos Volume 1 DVD with lessons.  Let’s pray for these materials… and all the materials produced by Viña to have a great effect!

Our Father in Heaven, we praise You and thank You for revealing Yourself through the stories of the Bible.  Thank You that we can come to know You and be in relationship with You.  We pray that many children and adults will come to know You and grow in relationship with You by watching and studying the Deditos Bible story videos.  We ask that everyone who has a copy of the DVD and lessons will use them effectively.  If they have forgotten the Deditos videos or other materials they own produced by Viña and laid them aside, remind them to use them, and show them times and places that the audios, videos and lessons can be used.  Help them overcome any barriers to using the materials.  Open the hearts of those who watch by Your Holy Spirit.  Speak to them and invite them to trust You and to come closer to You.  Let Your Word shine into the darkness and bring many to Your light!  In Jesus name, Amen.

He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. Ephesians 4:16

There are some transitions happening in the next few months as several missionaries

Viña staff 2012

leave the staff of Viña.  As these changes take place, we ask that God would re-enforce the people already here to make a unified team that can continue all the needed functions.  And for wisdom if more new staff or partner need to be added in any part of the work.

Let’s pray,

Heavenly Father, You are the divine organizer who fits things together perfectly.  You have unique plans for each individual and for Viña’s ministry as a whole.  We ask for You to arrange the people and the responsibilities at Viña so that all the needed functions are covered.  We ask You to bring the right people, whether staff, partners or volunteers, to Viña to cover all the processes for Deditos production and for running the whole ministry of Viña.  Put the right people in the right places in Your right timing.  In Jesus name, Amen. 

Praise Reports:

• The financial seminar went well.  Continue to pray that each person will put into practise what they learned.
•  More contacts were made last week for promoting and distributing the first volume of Deditos in Spanish at a church leader’s conference.  We praise God for their enthusiasm and pray those who bought the Deditos DVD would use it well with many children.

Guatemalan currency

On Thursday, April 19 and Friday the 20^th,  the employees of Viña will attend a seminar to help them apply Biblical principles of money management to their lives.  Their salaries are not high, and each family needs help to make the most of their earnings.  The wives are invited to participate too.

Let’s pray,

Heavenly Father, thank You for the wisdom that is revealed in Your Word.  Thank you for each person employed by Viña.  Please help each family to thrive financially.  Bless this seminar to bring understanding to each family about how to live securely and to avoid the traps of debt and buying by credit.  Please make the way straight for each wife to participate or for each husband to be able to clearly share what they have learned.  We pray against distractions, conflicts or illness that would try to hinder this time. Bring unity to each marriage in the area of how they use their money and resources. Help each family apply these Biblical principles to their daily lives.  Bless these families for their service to You.  In Jesus name, Amen.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Psalm 107:1

We give thanks for:

• The Viña staff had several days off to celebrate the end of Holy Week with their families.  Everyone had a safe holiday!
• 25 copies of the Deditos Volume 1 DVD in Spanish were sold at a missions conference at the end of February.  More copies have been sold since them.  This is the beginning of releasing this DVD in Guatemala into the hands of churches and children’s workers who will put it to use to bring God’s Word into the hearts of many children!
• The Buglere New Testament recording was successfully completed in the allotted time!  Our technicians were able to return to Guatemala in time to spend most of Holy Week with their families.
• The Rehab script is almost done and has turned out well.  There are several final reviews needed to bring it to completion.  We are encouraged by having a new member in the scriptwriting team!

Let’s give thanks! 

Thank you Heavenly Father for hearing our prayers, for answering and helping the work move forward at Viña!  First, we thank you for the death and resurrection of Jesus that we just celebrated!  Thank you for demonstrating Your love for us!  Next, thank you for the good beginning to sending out the Deditos Volume 1 DVD into Guatemala.  Keep opening up new doors of how and where it can be distributed and used.  Also, thank you for the successful recording of the Buglere New Testament.  Please guide the technicians in the mixing process and prepare the Buglere people to be ready to receive Your Word into their lives.  And lastly, thank you for the good result in the Rahab script writing and the new member of the team.  Keep guiding the scriptwriters to create engaging stories that are true to Your Word that will draw many children into personal relationship with You!  In Jesus name Amen.

• Viña is currently working on making connections with churches and organizations interested in buying Deditos in Spanish and in Kaqchikel. Please pray for wisdom to know what is the best way to do this!
• Viña is also in the process of filming the Wilderness Wanderings episode of Deditos. Please pray that the filming will take less time while advance with the same good quality.
• The Buglere New Testament recording is 70% finished. However, there are less than 2 weeks in the time they had allotted. Please pray for wisdom to know how to make great advances in the time that is left.

Let’s pray:
Dear Lord, thank you for how you are in charge of each step of the Deditos process. Please guide the film crew to know how to film in good quality in less time. Give them new ideas, patience, and unity. Please transform the lives of those making the movie as well as those who watch the DVD. Also, guide the communication with pastors, teachers and others who are interested in using Deditos. Help us to get the word out about Deditos in the best way possible. May your name be glorified and may you draw more children to know you in a greater way! Also guide our brothers who are recording the Buglere New Testament. Please give them your peace and wisdom to know how finish the 30% in the time allotted. We know that with you anything is possible. Please work in a miraculous way in this recording project. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The recording of the Buglere New Testament is moving ahead!  There are many good readers and everyone is working hard. But the schedule is tight and the recording is running behind time.

Let’s Pray: Heavenly Father, thank You for everything that is going so well on the Buglere recording.  Please help them catch up and stay on schedule so that the recording is completed with out the complication of extending the technicians time in Panama.  Please continue to protect and encourage the families back in Guatemala of the Viña technicians who are doing this recording. In Jesus name, Amen.

“[Rahab said] I know the Lord has given you this land….For the Lord your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below.”  Judges 2:9,11

The script is the first thing that needs to be completed before a Deditos episode can take shape.  A new script writer has joined our team, and she is in the process of revising the script of the story of the taking Jericho.  The focus of the story is the faith of Rahab.  Please join us in praying for God’s guidance for an excellent result.

Let’s Pray: Heavenly Father, thank You for adding to the script writing team!  Thank you for the story of Rahab in scripture, and how she was included in Your people because of her faith.  Please guide, inspire and direct the final revisions of the script of Rahab, so that it is engaging and helps many to be encouraged that they can also be included in Your family by their faith.  In Jesus name, Amen.

Our team is working on the final logistics of printing lesson books and creating the first volume of the first 3 Deditos episodes in the Kaqchikel language of Guatemala.  One of the last steps is finding someone to print the books at the best price.

Let’s Pray

Heavenly Father thank You that so much progress has been made and so much work has been done to create Deditos in Kaqchikel!  Thank You for all your help and guidance on this project!  Now, please guide the last details of the process so these stories can soon encourage and draw many Kaqchikel children closer to You! In Jesus name, Amen.

But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? Romans 10:14

Two of Viña’s technicians will fly to Panama on Sunday, February 26 to begin recording the Buglere New Testament. Only 5 weeks have been set aside for this project, so the schedule will be full every day to reach the goal.  The Buglere live in the mountains of western Panama.

Let’s pray,

Heavenly Father, we thank You for creating the Buglere language and people.  Thank You that the New Testament they have in print will soon be available to them to hear in audio.  Please guide and bless the whole process this recording.  Give Carlos and Isidro safety and strength as they travel to Panama.  Watch over their families in their absence.  Especially protect and keep Isidro’s wife in peace as she is pregnant and expecting in May.  Help each voice actor to study their parts well, arrive as scheduled, and read their parts effectively, Bless the equipment to function as it should and that no piece of equipment would be forgotten or malfunction.  We entrust this project and all the people involved into your hands.  Keep them healthy so that no workdays will be lost.  Help everything to be completed in the allotted time.  In Jesus name, Amen.