"What I'm Thankful For" When I started this page, I had no idea what I would talk about. There are the usual things, recipies, traditions, things we are thankful for, etc. And yes, those are wonderful things to share. The greatest thing I am thankful for is the Lord Jesus Christ and his dying for me. But it is something that we Christians take for granted in this great country we call America. Many other countries aren't so fortunate. They are punished severely or even killed for their faith in Jesus. I dedicate this page to those that are being martyred for their precious Savior Jesus Christ. Below are ten countries that need our prayers. I have listed each and what their needs are. I hope that over this holiday season you will be drawn to pray for the people that are being tortured or killed in these countries. I also pray that it will open your eyes to the fact that we so often take it for granted that we can go to church, read our Bible, profess publicly that we love the Lord and not suffer any consequences for doing so. Yet, what do we do? We keep Jesus to ourselves. We don't tell others about Him. We leave our Bibles lying on the table gathering dust. We go to church because it is our weekly duty. May our eyes be opened to the fact that we have incredible freedom to worship our Savior and may we learn to take advantage of this awesome freedom. Please remember to keep the countries below in your prayers. God bless you. :) Saudi Arabia- For a Saudi to profess Christ means an automatic death sentence. Pray for the protection of secret believers as they meet so that the church can grow. Sudan- Christians are frequently attacked, especially in the Nuba mountain area. Their homes and churches are burned as part of the government's Islamization program. Pray for the supply of literature and the ability to run training seminars in order to strengthen the church. Somalia- Anarchy has reigned since 1995 and Islamic law is applied indiscriminately. Christians are treated with hatred and aggression. Pray for an end to the violence that believers face. Yemen- Yemen is one of the most unreached nations in the world. Pray that the few believers there will learn how to witness and evangelize. North Korea- With this country still held in the grip of communism, believers are very isolated. Pray that Christians in the south will one day be able to encourage their brothers and sisters up north and thus broaden the church. China- House churches are under increasing attack from the government. Pray for believers who are scattered or imprisoned when their meeting places are broken up. Laos- To date, Christians are known to be in 11 of the 16 provinces. Pray for the continued evangelism in this Communist country where the Party declared Christianity as the number one enemy of the State. Vietnam- Although the tribal church continues to face the brunt of the government's brutal repression, a revival is expanding the churches! Pray for more tribal leaders to be trained to meet the demands. Iran- Muslim converts in Iran have little access to fellowship or literature. Pray for their faith to grow despite the lack of discipleship. Morocco-Pray for Moroccan Christians to be bold, even though they face humiliation and harassment from friends and family and ar under threat of arrest if they evangelize. For more information on the persecuted church visit one of these sites: "Open Doors with Brother Andrew" "Voice of the Martyrs" ~Thankful~ I'm so thankful I'm thankful for my Mom and Dad They really make me glad. I'm thankful for my house even when there is a mouse!! I'm thankful for my clothes Even if I have to wear hose :( I'm thankful for my food Even when I'm not in a good mood. But most of all... I'm thankful for God. written by my daughter Tricia Akers 9 years old November 11, 2000 To see the rest of my place here on the net, click on the link below to the river guide. :) "BACK TO THE RIVER GUIDE" Get Today's Date & Time on your web site - click here!