Pray with East Timor, May 31, 2026
Lectionary Selection: Matthew 28:16-20
Prayers for East Timor
Our Gracious God, creator of the universe, we thank You for the vision and passion You have planted in our hearts to carry out for others. We entrust our mission statement into Your hands. Continue to lead and guide us with your wisdom so that Your plan is fully realized and align our church’s and institutions’ goals with Your will, so that every step we take brings positive impact and hope to many people.”
“God, make us worthy of Your calling. Fulfill every work of our faith with Your power, so that our mission can be carried out with love and truth and glorify Your name.”
We lift up the country of Timor-Leste into Your mighty hand. May You continue to keep us in peace, justice, and prosperity for all its citizens. May your blessing and grace continue to pour out to the people life and their struggles.
God, as FUSONA, the diaconal department of IPTL, the Protestant Church in East Timor, we recommit to continue serving and working for the well-being of the poor, the vulnerable, and marginalized people across the entire country with the support of our partners. May Your wisdom continue to guide and lead us to serve with love and compassion. We continue to lift our siblings who have wholeheartedly supported this ministry so generously. May God’s blessing continue to pour into their life. In Jesus’ name we prayed. Amen.
Mission Moment from East Timor
Continuous Support is Continuous Watering of a Tree to Bear Good Fruits
Timor-Leste, or East Timor, is a country that emerged from colonial rule just twenty-five years ago. IPTL, the Protestant Church in East Timor, is a tiny minority in a predominantly catholic majority East Timor. FUSONA is the diaconal department of the IPTL.
The continuing ministry of FUSONA through the providence of education at the Philadelphia School in Lissadila village, a very remote place, in partnership with Global Ministries over two decades, is a continuous commitment enabling the emergence of a generation of children and young adults to be capable and knowledgeable in taking leadership in the community, church, and the state in the future.
Education has brought light to the community’s children through science, empowering students to be intelligent and make just decisions, defend the powerless, and work for peace and stability. The school has empowered a young generation for future leadership, equipping them with the skills and abilities to serve, lead, guide, and develop their respective communities in various areas, such as agriculture, health, and education. This is the great part of educating one generation, whereby the educated generation will continue to educate the next generations as a natural part of a strategic and integrated program.
The lectionary reading in Matthew 28:16-20 reminds us of the Great Commission, where Jesus commissions his disciples to go out to teach and make disciples of all nations. This Great Commission can be fulfilled by each of us doing our own part that is integrated to the whole, even when what we individually do is a very small part of the whole, such as financial support to the teachers, constructing school buildings for students, supporting the operation of the school, and so on. IPTL and FUSONA are grateful for the ongoing partnership with both the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ through Global Ministries. This is a continuous support through the ministry of children’s education, watering a tree to bear more good fruit. It is heartwarming and gratifying to see that more and more children in the community are being educated, many of whom have become very successful in their personal and professional lives and, in turn, continue to contribute to their respective communities.
Partners in East Timor
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