Dear prayer partners, God is at work. He never stops working to accomplish His plan of salvation. The Bara people are included in His plan. By God’s grace alone, there are converted Bara and more being converted. Could you please join us in praying that the Bara who are believers and those who are believing in Jesus would take responsibility to share the gospel with others in words and actions? Pray that the way they act in daily life would demonstrate to others the power of the Gospel to regenerate people. Pray  they live a life worthy of the Gospel.

“… how can they believe if they don’t hear? …”

The Gospel of Luke in the Bara language is being broadcast everyday, through a small radio station in Betroka. Pray that God will attract Bara people to listen to the radio program when the Gospel is been broadcast at 18:00h. Ask God to use the broadcasts powerfully to take the gospel to further areas.

Also, the gospel of Luke is broadcast in the open market in Betroka. Many Bara, around 10 o’clock, just hang around the market. Pray that God touches their hearts in such a way that they become interested in listening to more of Jesus’ stories. Also pray that the guy who is playing the Gospel remembers to do it!

FARMING IN GOD’S WAY AS A TOOL TO REACH BARA PEOPLE

On the 30th of September we will have the “I Encounter of Farming in God’s Way: Remembering God’s mission to all people and Farming in God’s Way as a strategy to increasing crop production and Reaching Bara People.”

We spect 35 Evangelist from Lutheran Church/Synodon of Betroka. They are coming from the villages where Bara People live. We hope that God continue to break their hearts about missions and teaching about His Love for all the Ethnicity.
May God challenge them to continue preaching, loving Bara people and living lives worthy of the Gospel, without syncretism.

May God give them grace to use the new Farming Methods overcoming their own “planting culture” and apply Farming in God’s Way and its content as a toll to evangelize Bara People.
( to see pictures go after 05/September on our facebook: Luis Fernando Basso Basso.)

God is at work. He never forgot His Special Creation the Man. We cannot deny this. He is the Ruller of the World, and all the nations will come to glorify him. In that very Day, we will see all the nations, tongues, tribes – well the word is Ethnicity – before him, worshiping the Lamb.

ONE BARA GIRL, FROM ONE OF THE MANY BARA’S VILLAGES THAT SURROUND BETROKA, AFTER COMING TO SABS (SATURDAY AFTERNOON BIBLE’S STORIES) SAID: I WILL TAKE THOSE STORIES AND TELL TO THEM ( MY PEOPLE) IN THE VILLAGE.
WHO KNOWS HOW GOD WILL WORK? COULD HER BE A MISSIONARY TO HER VILLAGE, LIKE THE SAMARITAN WOMAN WAS FOR HER IN JOHN 4?
PLEASE, PRAY THAT THE GOSPEL SPREAD RAPIDLY AMONG BARA. GOD IS AT WORK.

OBS: SABS – IS A BIBLE STORIE PROGRAM THAT JANAINE AND NARINDRA ( MALAGASY MISSIONARY LAIDY) ARE RUNNIG EVERY SATURDAY AFTERNOON. THE FOCOUS IS TO REACH CHILDREN AND TEACH THEM ABOUT JESUS AND THE GREAT COMMISSION. SOME OF THEM GOES TO CHURCH, BUT DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE GREAT COMMISSION. THOSE THAT DOESN’T GOES TO CHURCH, ARE BEING EXPOSED TO THE GOSPLE IN HOPE THAT, THEY WILL UNDERSTAND THE GOSPEL, FOLLOW JESUS AND BE MISSIONARIES TO BARA PEOPLE.

“…Seeing it is God, that said, Light shall shine out of darkness, who shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ…” ( 2 Co 4:6)

The Bara pray to “Zanahary who made hands and feet,” and numerous sacrifices are made for the living and the dead. The hazomanga velo officiates during rituals at the hazomanga (sacrificial altar place; which also refers to the person who officiates – the patriarch). The ombiasa (diviner, witch-doctor, traditional healer, astrologer) also leads some ceremonies.

Anybody can call on superhuman powers, especially on the helo, which are spirits of living nature, spirits of life, to make a vow (sareky) and ask a favor, in exchange for the sacrifice of a chicken or a sheep, for which the patriarch’s intervention is not required. In some cases a person becomes a medium for the helo and is then consulted by those in need. The helo, they believe, are small dark spirits who live in particular trees or in particular water spots, or in particular creatures such as eels, that get fed with locusts, frogs or meat from a sacrificed cow.

Pray that the Bara people will be delivered from darkness through the power of the gospel.

Pray for Jean-Pierre and Mbola, Malagasy missionaries with Jesus Family, who have recently completed their formal training and are preparing for their placement in a Bara village outside of Betroka. They have a vision for seeing a Bara church planted there.

Bara People, Still Unreached.

“…Seeing it is God, that said, Light shall shine out of darkness, who shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ…” ( 2 Co 4:6)

The Bara pray to “Zanahary who made hands and feet”, and numerous sacrifices are made for the living and the dead. The hazomanga velo officiates during rituals at the hazomanga (sacrificial altar place; which also refers to the person who officiates – the patriarch). The ombiasa (diviner, witch-doctor, traditional healer, astrologer) also leads some ceremonies.
Anybody can call on superhuman powers, especially on the helo, which are spirits of living nature, spirits of life, to make a vow (sareky) and ask a favour, in exchange for the sacrifice of a chicken or a sheep, for which the patriarch’s intervention is not required. In some cases a person becomes a medium for the helo and is then consulted by those in need. The helo are small dark spirits who live in particular trees or in particular water spots, or in particular creatures such as eels, that get fed with locusts, frogs or meat from a sacrificed cow.

Just the light of the Gospel, can illuminate their hearts to them be brought out of this Darkness.
Lets pray that the can listen the Gospel and believe in Zañahary son.

Pray for Jean-Pierre and Mbola, Malagasy missionaries with Jesus Family, who have recently completed their formal training and are preparing for their placement in a village outside of Betroka beginning in October. They have a vision for seeing a Bara church planted there.

Jesus Family Movement has 2 Malagasy missionaries who have committed to church planting among the Bara. They will be going out for an initial survey of several Bara villages in July.They will choose one of these villages to live in for long-term ministry beginning next year.

The situation for many Bara has become increasingly desperate: drought, failed crops, increased violence from cattle thieves and an often corrupt military presence trying to control the situation are just some of the current struggles. Compounding these challenges is the flooding happening around the capital of Madagascar which is driving food prices even higher. Please pray that God would use the difficulties the Bara are facing to turn them to the One who gives real hope.

The group of Bara translators is currently in a village testing the draft of Acts. Pray that they would make good progress and that God’s Word would work powerfully in the hearts of the hearers. Pray especially for one man, J.M., who was part of the translation team and has drifted away, that God would bring him back to Himself and to this work, that many other Bara would hear God’s Word in their own language.

The Bara area remains in turmoil due to cattle thieves. Pray that this would cause the Bara to turn from the animistic ways of their ancestors to the one true God.
Pray that God would change the hearts of the cattle thieves and that they would bring change to many other Bara.
Pray that the churches in the Bara area would have a burden for the Bara and that they would reach out effectively in word and deed.
Scripture: Continue praying Luke 10:2, as well as Galatians 6:9, that the workers God sends would not grow weary but persevere.

The Bara translation team continues to work on the book of Acts. They are nearly finished with the rough draft & then will begin a series of checks. Next up is the book of Colossians. Please be praying for the Bara translators to remain committed to the work & to find the time to meet together for translation. Many things interrupt the work & cause divisions among the team.sage

Due to the changes in the Bara area from the instability and outside influences, many Bara are now open to education. Our team is preparing to partner with local people to teach adult literacy in order to help the Bara adjust to these changes and give them the opportunity to read the Scriptures for themselves. Pray that many Bara who not only learn to read and write but also hear and respond to the Good News through this effort. Pray that local people would be passionate and equipped to effectively reach the Bara as well.

The people in the village of Maroraja are eager to hear the stories from God’s Word. Please pray that they would they would truly understand God’s message to them and that it would transform their lives. Also pray for the local evangelists like Tolotra who are reaching out to the Bara, that they would communicate the Good News effectively and for their safety as they minister in a dangerous area.

Praise God for the progress that was made in checking the translation of part of the book of Acts in Bara. Also praise Him for safety for the team’s travels. Pray that they would be able to continue with this much needed translation amid the challenges.