GUYANA — Each year on the first Friday in March, women from more than 170 countries and regions observe a common day of prayer under the banner of the Women’s World Day of Prayer (WWDP). Through special worship services held on a rolling basis on this day, and through ongoing prayer and service throughout the year, women from many different social and religious backgrounds affirm that “prayer and action are inseparable and that both have immeasurable influence in the world”.
The WWDP worship service has a different theme each year, centred on a particular country, and national WWDP committees across the world donate funds to organisations, including Bible Societies, which are involved in Scripture-based projects to help the disadvantaged of that country, especially women, children and young people. National committees may also choose to support Bible work in general.
God’s wisdom
This year, the WWDP movement focused on Paraguay (see World Report 405/6). Its chosen country for next year is Guyana. Under the theme ‘God’s Wisdom Provides New Understanding’, women across the world will pray and raise funds for projects in this country of just 751,000 people which is one of the poorest in the Americas. Guyana shares borders with Brazil, Venezuela and Suriname, and Bible work there is overseen by the Suriname Bible Society. But with average incomes very low and many people’s lives having been severely disrupted by devastating floods in 2005 (see Latest News #328), few people can afford to buy Bibles.
An information sheet about Guyana is available from smort@ubs-wsc.org
Alternatively, look on the UBS Intranet under Fundraising/Resources/ Country Information/Guyana.
Further information about the WWDP movement (in English) can be found at www.wwdpnatcomm. org
(WR 414/15 - 08/09.07)