A Sick Child in Cameroon
In Cameroon, Mary Ellen Kluck sat on the bed, holding her limp daughter Abbie in her arms. The doctor had just issued his diagnosis: double pneumonia, malaria and an intestinal yeast infection. He suggested evacuating her from Cameroon for treatment.
Mary Ellen was numb and thought, “What will our mission involvement cost us? The life of one of our kids?”
Then God’s presence filled her heart. The words to a song came to her mind:
From heaven you came, helpless babe,
Entered our world, your glory veiled,
Not to be served but to serve,
And give YOUR life that we might live.
She felt peace as she thought of the sacrifice of Christ and His healing power.
Praying Friends in the U.S.
Back in America, Bob and Patty, prayer supporters for the Klucks, took their usual walk. With each step, they lifted up the missionaries who they pray for daily as well as other requests. As they moved through the list of missionaries, they came to the Klucks. Patty felt the Spirit move on her heart. She said, “We need to really pray for Mary Ellen and the kids.” Bob and Patty began praying for God to strengthen her and for the safety of her young children.
After finishing their walk, Bob and Patty went home and emailed Mary Ellen’s parents: “Mollie, you will not believe this. Bob and I pray for Pete and Mary Ellen almost every morning. But this morning I told Bob, ‘I don't know why but I feel like Mary Ellen and the children need extra prayer.’ I share this to let you know, God is looking after your precious family and the Holy Spirit is instructing us of the need.”
Prayer Knows No Borders
A few days later, perky Abbie looked around and announced, “Jesus made me better.” Mary Ellen’s eyes filled with tears.
When Mary Ellen read the email forwarded to her by her mom, she said, “They were praying that very morning in the U.S., at just the time Abbie was lying there lethargic. God loves my children far more than I do and no geographic location can keep them from His care. What a truth to hold onto.”
The Investing of Prayer
When Mary Ellen thinks of Bob and Patty, she knows that this couple has invested in her life and the lives of her children in ways that are immeasurable. “What a wonderful gift of love…. listening to the Holy Spirit’s prompting and praying for those missionaries you support,” she expressed.
Bob was Mary Ellen’s pastor in junior and senior high school. Since the days of youth group, Bob and Patty have prayed for Mary Ellen. They prayed as she worked with Wycliffe as a single nurse in Papua New Guinea, as she married and moved to Cameroon, and yet today. Every weekday morning, as they walk, the Bob and Patty pray for the Klucks.
Bob and Patty pray that missionaries will draw those around them to the truth. They also intercede for their physical, spiritual and emotional safety. Finally, they pray for the missionaries’ children and their marriages. As Bob said, “We are to stand in the gap for others through prayer.”