Broken

Last night I spent 6 pm to 6am in prayer for the nations with around 16 other people. I originally was only going to go for half the night- go home at midnight and get some sleep so I could have energy for today. But my heart was caught.
We heard the cries of the nations last night, and joined and prayed for things, some general and some specific. Some countries that kept my attention were:
A section of Africa. There is much persecution of believers there. This has a lot to do with the Islamic faith, and believers must be wary about what they say where. Sometimes people just disappear. There is one country though where revival is happening. Believers are multiplying so fast that the government does not know what to do with them all. It just can't keep up. This is awesome! But there is also one country that is one of the most closed countries in the world, and the missionary presenting said that last he heard, there were 4 Christians in the entire country. Four. In the country. This is not a small country. And the only one he's ever met was in Canada as an immigrant.
Asia. In a country in Asia there are a whole bunch of people groups who do not have any access to the Bible. They are smallish people groups, but there are very few missionaries. In 1908 someone put out a call for 300 missionaries to this region. Today, there are 30. Why, as Christians, do we not heed calls of need? Where are the other 270 people that need to go here and translate the Bible and tell these groups about Jesus? Because they are so hungry for truth. I cried and cried when the missionary was talking about this. There are so many people and languages in this area and no one to go. Raise up, you comfortable people who sit in your houses and wonder where God is leading you. Go looking for your answer. Because there is brokenness and there is a cry and your passion is wasted on your living room couch. Hear the call of the people at the ends of the earth. Will not someone risk everything for the only thing that matters anyway?
Another country in Asia, where about 1.7% of the population is Christian. This country touched my heart when it was being presented, and I wish I could tell you about it. I want to go there.
Thailand. There is a lot of the sex trade in Thailand. A lot of North Americans go there for sex tourism. The Thai people are beautiful, but trapped in spiritual bondage. Pray for them. There are so many hurts (as in any country, but these were highlighted last night so these specific ones are on my heart), and so many dark places, yet there are people turning to Christ.
Germany. This is definitely one that was close to me, probably because I was there in May. Germany could be considered a least reached country. There is a general trend of turning away from Christianity there, and the need is great. Berlin was highlighted, because that is where we were. The people in Berlin are very cold, untrusting, efficient people as a general rule. They are suspicious and they know about Jesus, so bringing the gospel to them has to be done differently. Catholicism goes way back in Germany, and faith there is often stagnant. Pray for a revival in Germany, another reformation in the land of the Reformation, where people turn back to Jesus with their hearts and minds, and open them. Although the wall fell in Berlin in 1989, the wall stayed in people's hearts. Pray that it would fall there too.
Pray for our own countries too. There is a lot of repenting that needs to be done in Canada and the States too, and many things to pray for. We have many broken people here. We have the nations in our backyard. And we have injustice, stagnant faith, and so much pain in our "free" country. Pray for the nations, but don't forget to pray for our own country as well.
Mexico. Pray for revival in Mexico. Pray that the Catholic Church would not oppose the evangelical church and that people would trust God and turn to Him.
I got challenged with whether or not I would be willing to go. Spend my life, or a significant portion of it, in another country. Even a closed country? Would I go? I was passionate last night. Could I be passionate for life? I think so. Or, why don't more middle-aged or retired couples go out on the mission field? What is stopping them?
I can't explain everything from the whole night, but these were some that impacted me. And so I got 3 hours of sleep and now we're going shopping in the States today. It'll be fun.