In Cyprus
What our days and weeks look like what is the schedule
1. Monday-Friday—24x7 prayer is going on all the time. The international community of believers who are living among us at this complex as well as visitors from other places in Cyprus are signing up for one-hour slots every day so that there is non-stop prayer going on for Cyprus. We are seeking the face of God, “one thing I ask of the Lord that I may dwell in His courts and see the beauty of His face”
2. One hour in the morning is spent alone with the Lord.
3. One hour is spent in a small group meditating on selected Scripture and praying for one another
4. One hour plus in corporate worship and intercession for Cyprus
5. Afternoons (1-3pm) free to rest and connect with each other
6. Evening (4-10 pm) are spent prayer walking through cities and universities developing and following up with relationships that our being established through our times of prayer walking
7. Saturday and Sunday are free to follow as the Spirits leads
8. Monday and Friday it starts all over again
How is God using us? Why has he called us to this work in Cyprus?
1. To be part of a worshipping community that is listening to God’s heart and intention for Cyprus and interceding on behalf of Cyprus, to be a community of disciples where Jesus is manifested, and to reach out and touch those who have never met Jesus through everyday activities like talking at a grocery store, or playing soccer, or asking for directions as we walk through cities and universities.
2. To come alongside and serve this movement of God in Cyprus as support doing whatever is needed to bring to fruition what God has planned for this work
3. To photo journal and record what God is doing here, to be a recorder of God’s wonderful deeds and miracles.
A Quick Story
Friday during our corporate worship time we had two visitors, the police, they had come because they had received complaints that we were holding “religious” activities. We were told we needed a special permit and would have to stop all meeting together in the open. Initially we might have been discouraging because we had already seen fruit from our meetings together in public. We had one Turkish girl who was staying at the complex join us one day, and we knew that many others were taking notice of our worship and also hearing about the wonder and love of Jesus from the few songs we knew in Turkish that we were singing. But on the other side we took great joy knowing that this was a spiritual attack and it was evident to us that our work of prayer and sharing Christ was bearing fruit and that the Enemy was trying to thwart our work here.
We met together to seek what the Lord wanted us to do and we sensed he wanted us to double our efforts in prayer. We also asked for discernment on knowing when to verbally share our faith with the Turkish people and when to simply share through our lives. We as a group have had many chances to openly share Christ with the owners and their families here where we are living (see photo below) and God has blessed each of those conversations. Yet we have sensed that because of the wrong conceptions we do not want to be confused with those who have in the name of Christianity tried to force conversions and change other’s culture and lives unnecessarily to conform to Western ways and not necessarily the Way of Jesus. Please pray for us!
It is really freeing to be here to serve and “set the table” of sorts for others to be able to have more direct ministry with Turkish people. Our family along with the Kane’s, and the Stewarts all Antioch Network staff families find ourselves doing just this. We have found it challenging at times with all the kids between us (9 and one in Nols’ tummy) to prayer walk and enter fully into the times of worship and prayer. Yet we feel honored and blessed beyond words to be called to this work and to serve behind the scenes and be faithful in the little things. We have a strong sense that the Lord is allowing us to be a part of History, where God will draw for Himself a remnant of Believers here and once again God will be worshipped in this place. Just as in the days when Paul first brought the Good News of Jesus to this place two thousand years ago….”let us not become weary of doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
PRAYER REQUESTS
• please pray for unity we have people from all over the world working together with different backgrounds and ministry styles pray that, “we stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together with one accord for the faith of the gospel
• Pray for the families and all the children there are 18 children all together, pray for their safety that the Lord would be using them mightily and pray for the moms.
• Pray for discernment from the Holy Spirit how to share Jesus in a way that honors the Turkish Cypriot people and in accordance with God’s perfect timing.
Love. Noleen Ryan & Ethan
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