The rainy season was late in the Lopit Mountains this year. Thank God that He has sent rain. Please pray that the Lopit will be able to harvest enough food this year. Please pray that they would see Christ as the creator and sustainer of life. Many believe in the rain maker, who is a go- between between them and God to ask for rain. Pray that they would know and experience a personal relationship with God in Christ.
Diaspora in UK
Please pray for my relationship with two local African families, both are Muslim. Various unavoidable circumstances have meant that we have been out of contact with each other recently. Please pray that friendships can be rekindled and start to grow again.
Bless Angelo
Angelo, our South Sudanese team member in Kimatong, has been participating with the team in using DBS to reach the Laarim. He was excited and refreshed by the DBS training here in Torit and went back to Kimatong with renewed enthusiasm to keep reaching out to more homes and communities, sharing the Word of God in simple Bible studies, so that more Laarim will come to faith. Pray for him! Pray that he will “be strong and not give up, for [his] work will be rewarded” (2 Chronicles 15:7).
Diaspora in Minnesota
You can please pray that God would lead me to a new Somali friend who is searching for TRUTH, as I look for another family to work with this fall, in addition to A. and her family. Pray for someone with a soft heart to be willing to hear the Truth and would let the Truth replace the deceptive bondage she is in.
A New Bride
A Muslim S. Asian woman became a bride. She has been taken into her husband’s household to live, and can no longer hear the Bible stories her Christian friend shared with her back home. Please pray that she and her new husband will meet other Christians in their town and come to faith in Jesus Christ together.
Scholarship students
Pray for 15 O secondary school students on church scholarships- that Christian teachers and fellow students will have a godly influence and powerful witness used by God to draw them to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior!
Diaspora in Canada
Praise for many opportunities during Ramadan to engage our friends in their homes here.
Prayer –” Lord, please send many volunteers who are committed to ongoing relationships with local Muslim people, who have requested help with English, citizenship studies, and homework.” Opportunities abound, volunteers are needed.
Please pray for Somali Christians as they face loneliness, depression and a lot of pressure to revert to Islam by their Muslim relatives. Some also wrestle with addictions, and other temptations. Pray that their witness would be evident and strong in word and in deed, and that they wouldn’t give up.
Pray also for our Somali friend Naomi (pseudonym) to grab hold of Jesus’ death and resurrection in her life, and not to be afraid to stand up for Jesus.
They’ve seen His power
A local brother F, asks for prayer that he would have the courage to share his faith with his family. He’s still a student and so dependent on his family and very afraid of their reaction. His mum and cousin have both had evil spirits and were known for the power it gave them. However since the day he made his decision to follow Jesus some years ago the spirits left them. Though they don’t know he follows Jesus he overheard them talking the other day about how for both of them it was when F walked in the house that the spirits left. They have seen Jesus’s power, pray that they would now come to know his love.
Diaspora in Portland
As the school year comes to a close and we head right in to summer activities, please pray for meaningful spiritual conversations with diaspora neighbors and students at PH.
On May 31st we had an all night prayer meeting during the night of power of Ramadan. Please pray that God will work in a mighty way in the hearts of individuals in this community.
Diaspora in France
Pray for lasting work of the truths of the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector that I will be sharing with Tammy, a former neighbor, and other islanders in the next couple of weeks.
The Lame Can Walk
Please pray for three who have been healed physically by Jesus and can now walk. Praise God! Pray they will not forget what He has done for them but will trust Him wholly to be their Savior despite family members staunchly holding to the prophet Mo. Pray all in their families will realize their need for a Savior to be Healer of their souls.
Diaspora in Detroit
Pray for upcoming outreach events. Our team will be involved in several outreach events this summer including a kid’s camp and a picnic. Pray for good attendance and soften hearts that would be receptive to the Gospel. (June 9 English Club; July 15-19 Kids Camp; July 21 picnic)
Please pray for boldness for us and our church teammates Eph 6:18b-20
Pray that the training was received well by our church member and Bible studies would begin soon.
Needing Jesus
Praise God for a man in one neighborhood who has decided to follow Jesus. He has for some time been struggling with addictions and he was recently witnessed to by an Alagwa believer who told him that he needed to follow Jesus and that he should speak to the pastor. He did! Please pray for him, that he would continue to surrender his life to God. Please also pray for his wife, that the Holy Spirit would move her too to seek Jesus herself.
Diaspora in UK
Attendance at all activities in this final trimester tends to decrease and all the more so with Ramadan. Please pray that women and students who are spiritually open will come to the various activities.
The Mother/Toddler English class has recently moved locations. Please pray that the ladies will come to this new location that is a bit further away.
Praise that an international university student will be baptized this month
To Plant a Church in the Town called “Salvation.”
A new initiative to plant a church in Ukombozi (“salvation”) has begun among the Sandawe. The village seems to be a mix of Nyaturu and Sandawe peoples.Pray for unity for the team of believers, and for safety and good health as they share the gospel door to door. Pray for open hearts and that the Lord would save those He’s been drawing by His Holy Spirit. Pray also that the rains won’t hinder the outreach.
New villages
The Catalyst Team identified 20 more M villages that they want to start new discipleship groups in in the next few months. When this happens then approximately half of all the M villages will have discipleship groups meeting regularly! Ask the Lord to go before and prepare many hearts to seek Him.
Peace needed between villages
Pray for peace between villages in Lopit. Cattle stealing and revenge have made it to where people of certain villages cannot travel to other villages. There is a effort underway to make peace. Pray those involved would be filled with wisdom and integrity. Pray for believers to be strengthened to pursue peace, seek reconciliation. Pray the Lopit would come to know the God of peace, and the peace that surpasses all understanding.
Found
Saidi, an MMB for whom we prayed, went off the radar for over a year. He has resurfaced and is growing in Christ. A Tanzanian pastor who had mentored him but had lost touch, was telling his story in church one Sunday and that very afternoon, Saidi called him. The pastor has been able to resume mentoring him and Saidi is feeling supported by the church as well. There is no church in his local area so this is important for him to belong to a body of Believers.
Young Wife
A young Muslim wife will soon have her second child. She recently heard the gospel presented twice in the same day. Please pray that the word that fell on her ears will enter her heart and produce faith in Christ.
Capture Her Heart
We recently began studying the Scriptures with a woman who came from a churched background. But years ago, after experiencing a lot of hurt and disappointment from the church, she converted to Islam. She is illiterate so our study with her is the first one that is strictly oral. Please pray that Jesus would capture her heart and she would find Him to be her source of salvation and healing. Pray as well for others to join this study who may be illiterate but can come and hear the Word of God.
Sharing the gospel
A few hours ago, Rosina, Melias and Noel set out to survey the village of Djabala on Nosy Be. We are hoping that Noel (one of the Malagasy missionaries) will be able to evangelize the Antandroy people there–who speak his mother tongue! It is incredible to think that Noel, from the south of Madagascar, is getting to share the gospel in his heart language so far north. They found the person of peace, the Olo Be, and made a connection with him. Noel was very excited, saying he will return. Praise God for this opportunity! Pray for many open ears to listen to the gospel message.
Dorobo Church Expansion
We thank the Lord for a trip in which we visited seven bomas (homesteads) and had two fellowship meetings. There are two Dorobo villages in the area – Olepishet with about 250 adults plus children and Ilkimati with a similar number of Dorobo living side by side with Maasai. We stayed with Pastor Joshua Kujuka who has helped start a church in Olephishet with almost 200 members! Joshua has also started a small group meeting in a school at Ilkiimati with a handful of believers. He asked for help in reaching out in this area. So we’re praying that God will prepare hearts as we decide when we can go in with a team of our Dorobo believers to do some evangelism.
Fellowship with nomads
We’re having wonderful moments with the nomadic people who have brought their flocks to the pastures near our house. Each Sunday morning we fellowship and worship Jesus together. Almost each Sunday it’s a different group of nomadic people. Many have already gotten the audio Bible device and have been listening during the nights.
Today another four nomads left with their audio Bible and one of them with the written Bible. It was beautiful to see the joy on his face to be able to read for the first time his own Bible and he is thirsty to learn more about the gift of salvation.
Please pray for the nomadic people. Pray that they become faithful witnesses of Jesus’ love for all wherever they travel.
Also pray for the Literacy Program for adults. Our desire is that many more still have the opportunity to read and study the written Bible.
Isolation
Ongoing conflict between locals and the Mbororo in both DRC and CAR continues the feelings of distrust and hatred. The Mbororo cattle are often accused of destroying the local population’s crops. Pray for the Mbororo who must feel a deep sense of isolation. Pray for local believers to be willing to risk the opposition from other locals in order to reach out to them with the Gospel.
Finished projects!
We have lots of finished projects over here in Nosy Be: Caleb and Groupe Tsinfitika (the Sakalava music group) finished their album this week! Please pray that these scripture-songs reach the Sakalava far and wide with the gospel. Also, we completed the translation of Sally Lloyd Jones’ “Jesus Storybook Bible” into the Sakalava language. We’ve been reading the stories on Sunday as they come out, and the kids love them! Continue to pray for the salvation of many Sakalava people!
Diaspora in Brazil
Praise God for the Passo Fundo team of 10 from 8 churches. Pray for God ordained conversations with the Diaspora in Brazil. Pray for open and receptive hearts to hear the Gospel message and to break down barriers that keep Diaspora people from choosing the Truth.
Broken People
A Muslim S. Asian family is broken and unhappy, living lives of discouraged trouble. Recently the mother received a Gospel of John and some reading glasses. Please pray that as she reads the gospel, she will find the Lord Jesus inviting her to come to Him in faith, and that the whole family will feast on the bread of life.
Movement growing!
Just in the last few months there has been some incredible growth! There are 3 new discipleship groups that have been started in 3 new villages! There are a total of at least 40 new believers in all 3 groups combined! Other exciting news is that the original 7 groups that were started last year have been growing as well. There are growing numbers of believers in all groups and there are 8 new leaders being trained! Pray for these new believers and leaders to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and to abide in Jesus daily.
Sophie
Pray for Sophie, who came to faith during Ramadan 2 years ago. Pray for her as she continues to grow in her faith and seek the will of Jesus. Pray that she may stand strong in His Word and that she will not feel all alone as she is the only believer in her village. Pray for many more to be saved!
Jie
Jie is one of the most unreached people that share similar culture and language dialect with Toposa. We had a survey trip in April for Jie Lopeat and we found one of the greatest needs is water.
John, one of the Kenyan missionaries working among the Toposa, got information that Jie of Lopeat have sought refuge among the Toposa of Mogos, 35km away, in order to get water. The dam that was helping them has since dried up.
Pray for them and that peace will prevail between them and Toposa. Historically they used to fight and steal cattle but peace was made some time last year. However, they still they get their animals stolen.
Bara Jesus Film
We showed the Jesus film and the number of non-Christians who watched was great. I think that more than 200 came to watch the film in Bara language. Our prayer request is that God envisions His church here in Bara areas and makes the Christians bold to share about Christ, especially with those who watched the film.
Diaspora in Portland
Please pray for the upcoming trips to J and M’s farm this summer. We have lots of Muslim friends who are excited to come. Please pray for a good team of volunteers to help out and build intentional relationships with those who come.
Fighting again
There has been fighting again between the Arabs (who started it this time) and the Neem. Houses and grazing land were burned and 23 died. The government finally has things under control but there is no doubt that ill will remains. Arabs here think surely the Neem started it as they hear little reliable news. Pray that the truth will come out and more importantly pray that this violence will bring people to think about the One Way to God.
Diaspora in USA
Praise for the many opportunities M and I have had recently to share the gospel with several International Students. Pray the seeds will grow and produce much fruit. Several of our students will be graduating in May and returning to their home countries.
More than a prophet!
Please pray that the Nyamwezi who are drawn to Jesus will come closer and trust Him fully. They need to see Jesus more than a historical prophet, pray they will know Jesus is God Incarnate, God in the flesh! “I and my Father, We are One.” (John 10:30)
Effective outreach
Pray for the Nyang’atom community. There are 3 churches in this UPG! These churches are going on well and each church strives to fulfill the great commission. Nyangatoms are so receptive and they are the right community to impact the Toposa and Jie since they share similar language and culture. Pray for effective outreach among their own people and among the Toposa and Jie.
Pray for Joseph, a Nyang’atom believer, who we’ve assigned to help the church in Lotimor and to make more disciples in targeting to reach the Toposa. Pray for him for God’s guidance, support provisions, and the churches to grow and reach out to their neighborhoods the Toposa.
Diaspora in Detroit
Please pray for opportunities during Ramadan to share about the Kingdom of God.
Pray for the preparation and recruitment for teams for the summer and beyond.
On June 1, we will train our teams to better equip them to share the Gospel. Pray for proper preparation and good response from teams.
Fasting
Praise God for a new believer who got really excited when he studied about why Christians fast: I’ve never heard this before! Pray for him and other seekers and believers who are under pressure to fast for Ramadan. May they draw close to Jesus and know their salvation is only in Him.
In Order to Go Forward in Mangasta
The village leaders are very welcoming, but one village elder who used to own the land that was given to the church has said he wants 2 acres back. Pray for wisdom for the church to graciously resolve this issue. The village leaders want there to be peace and resolution between the church and this particular person before an outreach is done. Pray that the way we handle this will be used by the Lord to show His love and compassion. Pray also for Pastor Musa. Because Pastor Musa worked many years in a town near to Mangasta, he would love to be part of the church-planting outreach because many people from that area know him. Pray for all the outreach team’s schedules to come together well.
Grow strong
Mike, One of the very few strong O believers has a wife who still is very young and unsteady in her faith. In the past she’s been easily pulled away by persecution and extended family pressure. Pray that she’ll stand firm and even grow in her faith, relationship and knowledge of Jesus through the extra pressure of Ramadan! Pray that her and Mike’s relationship will grow healthy and strong too.
