Ecumenical Prayer Cycle: Cape Verde, the Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal

As I wrote about in a recent post, part of my vicarage at Saint Peter's Church this year is providing a supplemental paragraph about countries in the weekly Ecumenical Prayer Cycle created by the World Council of Churches.  As we pray for each country listed in the prayer cycle during the Intecessory Prayers at Saint Peter's on Sundays, the paragraph is included in our bulletin insert to provide context for those intercessions.

This week's countries (12/9 - 12/15) are Cape Verde, the Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Senegal.  While the paragraph below provides some basic information, check out their WCC page for additional prayer resources.

We give thanks for the many gifts bestowed upon a number of West African countries this week while also praying for the resolution of major issues facing the region. The small island nation of Cape Verde recently graduated from the United Nations' list of Least Developed Countries and also uses one of the highest percentages of renewable energy of any country in the world. Senegal experienced a peaceful transition of power following the election of President Macky Sall in April. Female-genital mutilation however continues to be a prevalent violation of the rights of girls and women in a number of the countries we pray for this week, especially in the Gambia. After years of civil war and unrest, Guinea-Bissau faced yet another military coup last spring that allowed for increased drug trafficking in the country.

God's peace,
Dustin

Dustin is currently a vicar at the Lutheran Office for World Community and Saint Peter's Church in Manhattan, having recently completed his second year of a Masters of Divinity program at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. While seeking ordination in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, his focus is on the intersection between worship, service and justice building in de-centralized faith communities unencumbered by a traditional church building. In his free time, Dustin likes playing frisbee, hiking and pretending to know how to sing.