By now, you have probably seen some of the heartbreaking images of the collapsed garment factory building in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The collapse has left more than 1,030 people dead, and more bodies are still being recovered from the wreckage. Though this is the worst-ever garment industry disaster, similar tragedies are not uncommon in Bangladesh. While some factories meet high standards, many have a poor safety record.

Desperate to overcome their extreme poverty, thousands of girls and young women risk their lives every day working in disastrously unsafe conditions. Girls as young as 10 years old work in garment factories where, in addition to the dangerous working conditions, they are often harshly treated for low pay and long hours. The garment industry is big business in Bangladesh—bringing in $20 billion annually.

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On Saturday, I'll be traveling home from a whirlwind trip to India, Cambodia, and Indonesia. On this trip, I’ve met survivors of the Cambodian holocaust, pastors who have been imprisoned for their witness, and countless other believers who are facing tremendous hardship yet faithfully serving Christ. Seeing firsthand the overwhelming challenges our partners face, I am thankful, now more than ever, for the freedoms we have in this country.

Today is the National Day of Prayer—a day to collectively bow before His throne in prayer and thanksgiving to God. This year, I will bow before God with a full heart, one that is increasingly grateful for His grace and mercy poured out in my own life and on our nation. Truly, we have been given a precious gift.

Today, please pray with me:

•             For the expansion of religious freedom, particularly in the Muslim world.

•             For the Christian Church to unify in our commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.

•             For our precious Christian heritage in America to be revived and awakened by the Holy Spirit.

•             For the persecuted Church to persevere in their faith.

•             For us as American believers that the Lord Jesus would personally lead us to more sacrificial giving of our time, talent, and treasure for the advancement of the Kingdom and the preaching of the Gospel.

God, grant us humble hearts that yearn to imitate Christ and to see the world transformed by your grace.

“You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.  My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise” (Psalm 51:16-17).

In Christ,

Larry D. Andrews

President/CEO         

Thank you for praying for the brothers in Christ who were arrested and imprisoned for their faith in Libya two months ago. Praise God they have been released! They, along with their family members, thank you for your prayers and loving support. Pray that those released will know the healing touch of Jesus, both physically and mentally, and that the Holy Spirit will give guidance regarding their future steps. As you know, one brother died in custody. Please continue to pray for his widow and two teenage children, that they will know the peace and comfort of Jesus. Thank you again for lifting these families up to the Lord.

A Message from Carlos Calderon, VP International Ministries

By the time you read this update I’ll be out of town. It’s a long trip that right now has me in Virginia, takes me back home basically to change clothing, and then on to North and South India, Cambodia, and Indonesia.

Before I crash for one night in Singapore (on the way back) in the early part of May, I will have met with 20+ indigenous ministries, working mostly in poor places among Muslims, Buddhists, and Hindus. Larry Andrews, Partners’ CEO is making his first trip to the field, and it will be intense. This is the way I travel, and Larry seems to be cut from the same cloth.

We’ll meet with ministry boards and staff, visit with some of the 4,000+ indigenous workers Partners supports who are working in the hard places of the world. We’ll hear of miracles and dreams and much suffering and hope against all odds.

It will be a fast-paced trip to some of the most amazing places on earth. Amazing because it never ceases to startle me what humans can endure, what injustice diminishes women down to, how poverty and malnutrition degrade a child, what fathers suffer to provide for their families, particularly Christians. But it is even more amazing, because precisely there, the Church is growing under the harshest of conditions. It is like that “dead” plant that somehow survives winter.

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