I read about bristlecone pines and found myself with new appreciation for our precious missionaries that take the Great Commission literally (as we all should).

Bristlecone pines are so interesting. They are highly resilient to harsh weather & bad soils.

“Bristlecone pines tend to occupy new ground. They do very well where most other plants cannot grow such as in rocky soils in areas with virtually no rainfall.” (“The Secret of the Bristlecone Pine” Homiletics, July 2002)^[2]Please pray for our spiritual bristlecone pines as they occupy new ground. These men and women thrive where most of us could not. They move to places where God’s Word often falls on rocky soil & they may see very little fruit for their efforts.

Pray for their effectiveness, resilience, & safety.

Ref:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristlecone_pine

Lutzer, Erwin W. The Cross in the Shadow of the Crescent: an Informed Response to Islam’s War with Christianity. 37969th ed. Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2013. (Chapter 6)

“The Secret of the Bristlecone Pine” July 2002, Homiletics, pp. 21-23.