From 27-29 November, the Sakalava music group from Nosy Be are visiting Mandritsara to have a three day workshop with Tsimihety worship musicians, looking at ways of sharing the story of the Bible through songs in local dialect. Please pray that this would be a real encouragement to both groups as they share testimonies and ideas. Please pray that this would lead to the growth of God’s church amongst the Sakalava and Tsimihety people.
The two weeks of training for village church leaders went very well with 113 leaders attending the first week! We were particularly encouraged to see many of those who have been involved in the training for the last 7 years, bringing other potential leaders from their churches. 45 of the 113 attending have signed up for the next 6-year round of residential training due to start in October this year. Pray for these leaders as they return home and serve their churches.
39 Tsimihety women suffering from obstetric fistulae have recently been operated on during a special camp at the Good News Hospital in Mandritsara. Please pray for these women – for their physical healing and that their full honour would be restored in knowing Jesus.
There is residential training taking place over the next two weeks (16 July to 27 July) for Tsimihety village church leaders. Leaders of 80 village church groups have been invited. Please pray for lasting fruit as a result of this training.
Please pray for the work of the Good News Hospital in Mandritsara, at the centre of the Tsimihety region. The project has a vision for a church to be established in every town and village in the Mandritsara district, and in the capitals of the other districts in the Tsimihety region. 70-80 village church groups have started through contact made through the project over the last 20 years. Please pray that this vision would become more of a reality in the coming years, and that the project would maintain a clear gospel and church-planting focus.
Please pray for the vision to establish new churches within the southern part of the Tsimihety region, which until now remains largely unreached. This will be the focus of the Good News Hospital, Mandritsara, community health outreach during 2018.
Please pray for the weekly Tsimihety Bible translation workshop which takes place each Saturday morning in Mandritsara, the central town of the Tsimihety region. This group of men and women is led by Madame Marline and is the only multidenominational gathering amongst Tsimihety believers that we are aware of.
Tsimihety are known for being good at business and travelling from place to place to do so. Unfortunately some of the women get involved with prostitution to make ends meet . Pray that an appropriate ministry would be set up for the freedom of victims of this job.
Pray for the participants of a TEE conference that has recently been held in the region where the Tsimihety live. Pray for local pastors and church leaders to become aware of the need to reach this unreached people group. Pray that local churches would be willing to send out workers into the harvest field.
Katy is a doctor in the local hospital in Mandritsara. Pray for wisdom and faith opportunities, as she sees to many Tsimihety patient’s needs. Pray that there will be many opportunities to share the gospel with Tsimihety for the Lindley family (AIM missionaries).
