
The work of MedSend grant recipients around the world brings them to the front lines of a battlefield where poverty and lack of healthcare attack families and communities. Often, serving in areas where there is a lack of modern equipment, absence of adequate facilities, these Christian healthcare professionals rely on their training and know-how to relieve the pain and suffering of so many people. And when their skills reach their limits, these healthcare professionals can attest that trust in the Great Physician has pulled their patients through.
This week, we ask you to join us in praying for healing across the world. Specifically, we'd like you to lift up these prayer requests with us:
- Pray for all people who are suffering around the world
- Pray for people who are in desperate need of physical healing
- Pray for people who are in desperate need of spiritual healing
- Pray for under resourced countries and their leaders
- Pray for healthcare missionaries who are committed to healing and providing comfort to the physically and spiritually ill people in the communities they serve
- Pray for comfort and peace for those people who are dealing with loss
- Pray for spiritual awakening in countries where strife and conflict now flourish

Tenwek Hospital in Kenya is a Christian mission hospital. MedSend Surgeon Dr. Andrea Parker serves at Tenwek alongside her husband, Dr. Bob Parker. In a recent blog post, she shares how the constant barrage of a complicated patient load and the prevalence of challenging health issues can take its toll on healthcare providers. READ MORE
As Christ-followers, MedSend grant recipients often live and work in communities that are resistant, if not openly hostile, towards Christians. Their skills and expertise in healthcare provides them with access to many areas that are completely closed to any other kind of Christian witness.
While gaining entry is a victory, many countries also prohibit proselytizing. But as we have learned in hearing the many stories from the field, physical care often opens the door for spiritual conversation and care. As a result, MedSend grant recipients are able to touch the vulnerable, and those yearning to hear more about Jesus.
According to the World Watch List (a list of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted for their faith), a shocking number of Christians were killed in 2019 for faith related reasons: an average of 11 Christians killed every day for their faith. In addition, thousands of Christians are arrested and imprisoned, their churches and gathering places attacked… in other words, they are under siege in these countries. The World Watch List estimates that there was a 14% increase in the number of Christians experiencing high levels of persecution, rising from 215 million in 2018 to 245 million in 2019.
This week, we’d like you to join us in praying for courage and strength to be ignited in these individuals. In particular, as Islamic oppression continues to significantly impact Christians (especially Muslims who were born into Muslim families or who grew up Muslim). The consequences of these individuals making the decision to follow Christ can mean ostracism, employment and social discrimination, or even death.
This week, we ask you to join us in praying for courage and protection, especially for the Muslims who are coming to Christianity.
Specific prayer requests are:
- Pray for the people who are experiencing persecution in their home or adopted countries.
- Pray that those who are persecuted are emboldened by the unchanging Word of God, and that they gain confidence in God’s steady presence.
- Pray for the protection of MedSend grant recipients, as they practice healthcare and live in places that are ordinarily hostile to outsiders. Pray that they are able to form fruitful local relationships that will help them integrate more fully into the communities in which they live.
- Pray for the persecuted Christians in Muslim communities, that they will be protected from harm. Pray for strength and hope in for these situations.
- Pray for those Muslims who are being drawn closer to Jesus. Pray that they are able to find their identity in Christ. Pray for hope and assurance as they experience isolation from family and community.
- Pray for MedSend grant recipients who have the opportunity to encounter people who are searching for spiritual healing. Pray that they are given the words they need to offer solace and relief. Pray that they are emboldened to share the gospel with those who have not yet heard.

Pauline Kilroy left behind all that was familiar to go to the Middle East. Her heart has been called to the people of the region, and in 19 years serving as a nurse, she's been able to reach and impact people through her healthcare profession, and by living in community with the people to whom God has called her. READ MORE
Did you know that 57% of MedSend grants are for women serving on the field? In the case of these women--MedSend grant recipients—helplessness is not a word that would come to mind. However, they often find themselves called to places that are exceedingly vulnerable. And in these places, the women who are their patients and neighbors are among the most vulnerable.
According to OpenDoors USA, persecution against women is the number one trend in global persecution in 2019. “In many places, they experience a ‘double persecution--’ one for being a woman and one for being a Christian,” the organization reports. The fact that so many women MedSend grant recipients are heading out to live and work in these areas where persecution of women persists, is cause for particular concern. But despite the adversities, MedSend grant recipients are also persistent: many become fierce advocates for their female patients, helping equip them in a myriad of ways, from prenatal care to counseling for those suffering with fistulas, to learning about proper nutrition for their children and families.
Motherhood, in particular, is vulnerable to the extreme. In many cultures, a woman’s value is often assigned based on the number of children she has. When infertility is an issue, a woman can be ostracized or left destitute. The maternal mortality rate in developing countries makes up 99% of the global maternal death percentages. On average, 800 women die from pregnancy-related causes during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum, according to data from WorldBank.org. MedSend healthcare professionals are helping provide care to women at all stages of motherhood, in an effort to prevent and improve these alarming rates.
This week, our prayer focus is Strength. In particular, we ask you to join us in focusing on the Helplessness of Women and on Motherhood in the areas in which our grant recipients serve. Additionally, we pray for the strength of our grant recipients as they care for those most imperiled in the community.
Specific prayer points are:
- Pray for female MedSend grant recipients who are living and working in areas that have hostility towards women.
- Pray for grant recipients who care for women in communities and within cultures who ostracize them based on their gender.
- Pray that the maternal mortality rates in the developing world will continue to improve with increased access to pre-natal and post-natal care.
- Pray for girls, that they will be instilled with resiliency and strength from a young age, and that they will be shielded from those who do not see their true value.
- Pray for economic opportunities for woman and girls living in poverty.
- Pray for girls and women who are trapped in sexual exploitation and forced labor.
- Pray that MedSend healthcare professionals are able to make an impact in the lives of Christian women in cultures that persecute Christians. Pray that the support they give provides comfort and strength as these women grow in their faith.

Triphonie had already experienced sorrow in her motherhood journey. After several miscarriages, she was pregnant again. And this time, her care is being overseen by OB/GYN Dr. Rachel McLaughlin, a MedSend grant recipient and Serge missionary, who is just as determined as Triphonie to deliver a healthy baby. READ MORE