Formal ministry is closing for the year as the Ndau are subsistent farmers, and will be in their fields all day working. The children, youth, & ladies’ ministries are already closed and the little Bible School will close at the end of October. Pray for the folks to stand firm, remember what they’ve learned, encourage one another, and continue to desire to have a deeper knowledge of who God is and who Jesus is. The break is a long one- until February. Pray the Spirit will continue the work He has begun in these precious lives.
Diaspora in Philadelphia
Please pray for good opportunities to disciple Z and K, two Algerian believers, amidst their busy work schedules.
And for outreach to Algerian believers, and follow-up conversations with L and A, who are very open and interested.
Pray for meeting and sharing Truth with ESL Arab/Berber friends, both new and old. May the Lord open their hearts to the gospel.
Prayers for patients
Missionaries and Kenyans regularly visit the hospital to pray with the patients and their families. Last week, after seeing a missionary praying for others in her child’s room, a Somali mom invited the missionary to pray for her child. Pray this family will meet Jesus during their stay at hospital. Pray many Somalis will come to see Jesus is the LORD.
Diaspora in Minnesota
Many Somali ladies have been calling LS since school started, asking for help. Pray for LS as she shares about the tutoring ministry (SALT) with her church body in Minneapolis in October- pray that she might be able to recruit several new tutors, who will have a heart to love Somali women and share the gospel with them.
Coming on Sundays
Our team is having many opportunities to interact with people. We have started teaching games to a group of young boys. Some children are coming to our Sunday service, last Sunday we had about 19 children! Let’s pray that they keep coming. Also some men and women are frequently joining us on Sundays as well. Let’s pray that they keep coming and have ears to hear the word of God.
We’re sharing, discipling & visiting with many, but one man (*Ali) has been a regular every week. Pray for Ali and many others to respond and believe in Christ.
Diaspora in Florida
While D & J are away in Kenya, ask our Lord for faithful people to follow up the work with Muslim ladies in the weekly sewing class, prayer meeting for Muslims, and our contacts. Praise the Lord for the interests of those who are working alongside D & J. Ask the Lord to grant faith to seeking Muslims.
Promising female discipler
Praise for Maria’s baptism and leadership in the community. Pray as we disciple her to disciple the other young women who also are ready for baptism! Pray for a real breakthrough among the female Laarim population—these youth and also the adult women and the “abuba” (grandmas)!
Boys growing in their faith
There are several Toposa boys who are in Torit for secondary school – pray they would grow in their faith while they have a strong church in Torit around them and that they would be able to share their faith with their classmates throughout the school year.
Diaspora in Portland
Please pray for our volunteers at the ESL center in Portland to connect deeply with our students. Please pray for them as they invite new students into their homes and that they will have wonderful spiritual conversations.
Pray for our Portland team to follow up on conversations from our potluck dinner on Sept. 28. Please pray that God would allow deep spiritual conversations to happen and relationships to deepen with our diaspora friends.
Radio needs
In November we are looking forward to hosting a possible donor for two more transmitter relay sites which would boost our signal to a much greater extent east and west opening more doors among the Dasinach and Turkana on the west and the Borana and Somali on the east.
Very exciting times!
Please pray for funding for every day running (staff salaries) as this is an area we are struggling to generate.
Hunger and openness
The Kachipo live in the Boma plateau region of South Sudan. They believe in the existence of a supreme being- God -as well as lesser spirits. They offer sacrifices and pray through a medium in times of calamity. Although they are deep into witchcraft, they are very receptive to the gospel, and in the past few years a church with over 150 people has begun. There is a great movement of the Spirit amongst the Kachipo, and though there is no Kachipo Bible, (the translation of the gospel of Mark has just begun!) they are hungry to know the Word of God. Pray for this reality for the Kachipo: “At that time gifts will be brought to the LORD Almighty from a people tall and smooth-skinned, from a people feared far and wide, an aggressive nation of strange speech, whose land is divided by rivers…” Isaiah 18:7.
Jesus’ people
We were thrilled to hear last week that some more of our friends in Yo were baptised. Three of the women that we mentioned in our last prayer letter, Hap, Kaa and Har, along with another of Ab’s daughters, Aa, made this bold statement that they are now “Jesus’ people”. Pray for them that God will strengthen their faith and help them to withstand possible opposition from their community. Give thanks that Hap’s husband was not ashamed that his wife has chosen to follow Jesus.
Enduring persecution
Pray for a brother here who is facing persecution from his family. He spent a couple years on another island to escape this, but returned in the last few months. Last week, this persecution culminated when he came home one day to find his uncle had taken all his things out of his room and burned them. He reported his uncle to the authorities, but they sided with the uncle (that it was in his right as a parent to teach his “son” a lesson for converting.) His mother told him she was worried for him and that he should leave the island again. He spoke with team members and a local brother, who encouraged him. For now, he has decided to go to a different island. Ask for him to connect with local brothers and sisters there and for him to grow in strength and boldness.
First church!
We praise the Lord for the beginnings of an indigenous church among the Laarim! Last month was the first ever Laarim- led worship service in the village of Yei. It was a service complete with Laarim gospel songs accompanied by a drum, and the telling of a Bible story by a Laarim youth. This is one of numerous little churches sprouting up in different villages throughout Kimatong. Pray for these churches to grow and spread throughout this people group.
2 men!
We have prayed for Samburu men of northern Kenya to come to Christ. There are currently two attending a Bible study in the our living room, while 17-27 women regularly attend. Pray God’s Spirit will work in the hearts of those attending, that they may understand their need for a Savior and Christ’s great love for them. In the last year, we have given out approximately 300 solar-powered audio players called Treasures. Pray that those who have received a Treasure will listen to them and hear God’s voice. Pray they will seek to understand more about Jesus and decide to follow Him.
Funerals
This time of year sees many funerals in the Lopit mountains as rain spreads water born diseases and this combines with the end of the hunger season and a lot of hard work in the gardens. Pray that the words shared at funerals may cause people to think about their eternal destination and the great gift of eternal life in Christ.
Life without fear
There are Bible stories available in the Didinga language. Pray the people would be keen to listen to the stories and would believe them! They are a people steeped in witchcraft traditions which keep them living in fear. Pray for them. Pray God would send them messengers who would bring the wonderful news of salvation through Jesus Christ, and for them to know a life without fear.
Faithful witness
“Sally” came to faith several years ago due to the faithful witness of workers who live in her community. Since that time, Sally has grown both in her walk with the Lord and her boldness in sharing Him with others. This growth has led to much persecution – including being beaten, having her kids taken away, being kicked out of her house, and put in jail. In the past two months Sally has twice been given the opportunity to come and speak to a group of older women who teach their holy book in the community. Both times, Sally has boldly proclaimed the gospel message and the result has led to both greater persecution and interest from some of the women. There are now five others who are secretly following Christ as a result of Sally’s faithful and bold witness even in the face of persecution. She was recently brought before the local religious council, but no serious action has been taken against her yet. Pray for Sally and for her children as they continue to boldly live for Christ and face the consequences of doing so in their community.
Feeling helpless
Lord Jesus, please stir again the hearts that you have rescued, but that are feeling helpless. Give power and strength to your children who are despairing when businesses crumble and roads are closed and water and electricity come and go. We ask for joy, joy that confounds the darkness…and strengthens the soul and causes others to long for hope.
Discipleship groups
The discipleship group is going well, but only one woman is faithful. The other two are not consistent. Pray for consistency and growth.
Afraid
Please pray that each new believer would be courageous to read the Word of God and obey it. Pray for roots in the truth to grow deep. So many are alone, afraid to meet, afraid to have the Word seen on their phone, afraid to pull out a paper copy, afraid to tell others. Many want to leave because of fear, as well as the conflict, explosions, and physical difficulties. Ask for perseverance.
Fires
It has come to the time of year again where the folks are burning their fields in preparation for planting. The downside to that is that they don’t control the fires and many people lose their houses and all their belongings. One of our members here in Espungabera has just lost everything she owns. Please pray for the folks to be cautious and for Mai Bongai as she rebuilds her house…and for the many others that will need to do the same.
Diaspora in Portland
Please pray for the start of a new school year at Portland. Please pray that God will provide for the needs that we have. Praise for all the new volunteers who have joined who have a passion for reaching the diaspora.
Please pray that God will open up the hearts of our diaspora students to spiritual conversations this school year.
Harvest Time
Praise God for the harvest of sorghum and peanuts being brought in this month. Pray and ask that the Lord would bring in a harvest of souls among the Lopit people. That the Word being shared might take root and transform hearts and lives.
Radio ministry
The radio ministry is doing well, but so far we only broadcast for 5 hours a day. We’ve had a great response and the biggest request at this time is more hours. So please pray for us as we try to install two wind turbines next month to increase our broadcast time and scope- we hope to boost the signal from 350w to 1000w. Our reception is very far but at the outer rim it is weak and we would like to strengthen those areas and get into area not yet reached with the message!
Praise God we are reaching towns like Marsabit, Loyangalani, Karare Kituruni, Kalacha and may many more. We have not yet had good reception in Korr but we are hoping to get there with this upgrade.
Diaspora in Detroit
As a group we are having lots of interactions with non-believers, but we would like to go the next step with them. Please pray with us as we ask God to give us ideas that would lead to Bible studies. Pray He would go before and prepare many hearts to receive Him.
Story Project
We are in the testing phase of our stories. Last month I was able to meet with groups in 3 different locations and get feedback for our stories. A highlight for me was being able to travel to one of the villages with two ladies who I’ve invested in much this last year and hearing them explain the stories to the group we met with. Many people loved listening to the stories and expressed interest in knowing more about the Word of God saying, “These stories are important!” and “We need to listen to them again to really learn them!” In November we are hoping to have the stories available on memory cards so that people can do just that! Pray for us as we make the changes we need and final recordings over the next two months. May God’s Word move with power among the M people!
Oral translation of Luke
We praise the Lord for His help in orally translating the first half of the Gospel of Luke! Please pray for the second half. Its a big task and we all need strength and perseverance and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to produce a good translation.
Solar- powered Jesus Film
Let us give thanks to the LORD for a successful showing of the Jesus film in Kisandawe in a nearby village using a new solar kit. This kit allows Odilo, the evangelist for whom we have often prayed, to carry all of the equipment on his motorcycle, thus being completely independent of missionaries for this ministry. Continue to pray for Odilo as he has several more listening group seminars scheduled.
Asking for elders to respond
Pray that some O leaders will respond to the Gospel and will stand firm against the devil’s schemes and the fear he incites. Pray that these leaders may embrace persecution and stand firm, not shrinking back. And that they will in turn grow, share the Gospel with many others and make more disciples!
Peace-makers
Thank God we have two peace-makers who are willing to work with us in the community. Pray for Far’sa and Far’ya, who want to help their people by doing different things such as English classes, workshops, children programs etc. Pray for their salvation and our partnership: may God use all these activities to show Somali people His love, grace and salvation.
Diaspora in France
Pray for connections with former Island friends and direction with new ones. Pray for a special leading to those who are seeking to know Jesus. “For I am with you and no one will lay a hand on you, because I have many people in this city.” Act 18:10 Ask God to lead us to them!
Two Beliefs
Pray for Muslim background believers in Jesus who embrace what they are learning about Christianity, yet confessing they believe both persuasions. Pray that as they read the Word of God that they would no longer be able to hold these two religions together but they would choose to place their hope in Christ alone. May they not suppress their joy of discovery in drawing near to the Way, the Truth, and the Life. John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Knock and it shall be opened
Praise God with us for seekers inquiring about unclear translations. It opens doors for great conversations. In the passage on prayer, the word for “knock” was used. Although a proper word, real entrance doors in Laarim are few and far between. So when a listener heard the phrase “knock and it shall be opened”, he immediately thought of the more frequent use of “knock” as “beating (people)”. He recognized this idea did not fit with the other parts of the story!
Lord of the Harvest
Ask the Lord of the Harvest to send laborers into His Tuareg harvest field. Pray for the few believers to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. May the yeast of faith spread throughout the whole lump of dough!
Battling believers
A new sister wrote to say she has been fighting evil spirits in her dreams. When she calls out the Name of Jesus, they go away. She said it’s scary but amazing to know that God is real. Yesterday at 1:30 am she wrote asking for verses…so that she could sleep. Ask that she and other battling believers stand strong according to Ephesians 6.
Evangelistic outreach
We are partnering with our Pastor from AIC and a local Digo Pastor to go visit more villages in this area. We plan to do a mixture of open air preaching, showing the Jesus film and door to door gospel presentation. Please pray with us for these events to be very fruitful for the Kingdom! Our first trip is tomorrow!
Diaspora in Canada
Please pray for our 4 Christian students (1 from France, 2 Algerian MBBs and one Haitian); that they would bond with their fellow Muslim students and have opportunities to proclaim the Gospel. In total we have 13 students. Ask the Lord to open the hearts of our Muslim students. Ask that we as teachers would be winsome and wise in lifting up the name of Jesus.
No longer welcomed
Hope (a believer) just wrote about a recently orphaned young woman who is no longer welcome to stay in the home of extended family. She asked for prayer, and for verses to pass on. She was filled with compassion and said this woman is interested in Jesus. Ask that Hope and the believers that meet in her home will continue to reach out in compassion with the gospel of grace.
Diaspora in Philadelphia
We have several Algerian believers in the area but it is proving almost impossible to connect with, though we really want to. Please pray that impossible schedules would align, and that these believers would connect and find encouragement from each other! Please also pray for 2 of them to find a church body to plug into consistently. There is also a chance that one might be able to live with the H. family, so please pray about that possibility, too.
