Odilo is a Sandawe Bible translator. Recently he has received many requests for help with understanding the gospel and the Scriptures better by a number of people in surrounding villages. For instance, in the village of Jogolo there is a couple in the Anglican church who have given their lives to Jesus but don’t know much about the Bible. They have asked Odilo if he would disciple them. There is a small group of 5, some saved, the others maybe not yet who meet with him every Saturday and he teaches them the basic tenets of the faith. In the village of Manantu there are 3 separate groups with whom Odilo has been meeting with. Originally it was to test the newly translated epistle to the Galatians but now they are back in Genesis, going through the Word, and he is teaching them similarly to the group in Jogolo. In the village of Lahoda the Pentecostal pastor who had only been preaching repentance of sin and avoidance of alcohol and other such sins has realised he doesn’t really know the Bible well. He has asked Odilo to teach him from the Scriptures so he can teach his congregation better. In the village of Moto the evangelist (who is from a rival tribe) has asked Odilo to come and help him teach the congregation better from the Scriptures. These are encouraging events. I think Odilo (who has only just recently begun to understand the gospel more clearly and developed a passion for it himself) needs our prayers to be able to teach what he understands accurately and boldly, and to have the time, stamina and resources necessary to be able to travel to each of these villages weekly to continue teaching all these folks. And pray for others to catch that passion, too, amongst the Sandawe. Pray that others would join him and help carry that load with him. Odilo could use the backing of the church and other believers, in this ministry he himself has taken up on his own. Pray they will.
