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.
God is moving!
Please pray for Acolin (pronounced “Ah-cho-leen”), a small community in Karamoja. It is known for its drunkardness, but God is moving powerfully there right now. A month ago, a local church showed the Jesus film and many people wept as they watched. About 30 people made professions of faith! Perhaps even more exciting (if possible) is the hunger that is stirring for God’s Word. A local believer named Sarah often plays her audio New Testament, and many come sit outside her home every day to listen, even missing meals, and ask her to “get a radio” for them also. She has given away about 8 so far. She says she sometimes hears her neighbors singing, praying, and weeping late into the night. Pray in whatever way God moves your heart to in this amazing and exciting work He is doing!
MBB students!
We praise God for one Rangi student and four from other Muslim UPGs who have joined Majahida Bible college for Bible Training. Eli from the Rangi people is zealous to reach his own as soon as he finishes school. Pray that many more will come and join the school as these four have done.
God is building His church
God is at work and continues to draw people to Himself. We are praising God that the groups of believers have continued to meet despite the various challenges they face and that there has been some recent growth. The group Masi is leading in the village where he was poisoned has a new person that has joined in the last couple weeks! This is also the village that had no known believers before this group was started.
Please continue to pray for these groups to continue to grow in their understanding of who Jesus is and what He has done for them. Please pray for their protection, especially for those who are leading.
Peace
As unrest continues between and within villages, pray that the Lord of peace would reign in the hearts of men. Pray for pride and greed to be brought to its end and young men of the Lopit mountains to bow their knees to Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.
Are we the same?
“We fast and give to the poor to be good and be able to go into heaven. Isn’t it the same with everyone? Jews? Christians?”
We were on our way for a day out with this family who are now settled in the countryside of NY. The kids were strapped into car seats in the middle of the van and our husbands were chatting in the front seats. She is such a gracious, kind woman and such a gift to spend time with! I answered her telling her of the cross and grace and asked if she had ever heard the story of the prophet Moses. She said that she hadn’t, and listened carefully with true questions throughout. Toward the end of the conversation, she said, “So, do you believe that there is any other Lord besides Jesus?” I was so thankful for her questions that go to the exact heart of everything: grace and Jesus as Lord. Ask for her surrender and for the whole family.
Diaspora in Florida
Pray for D. to make contact with leaders of a nearby mosque. He’s been trying to meet them for 2 months and keeps getting passed to different people.
Ask God for open hearts in two training classes on reaching M’s that we are teaching at different churches.
Discipleship training
Please pray for the month-long discipleship training the Alagwa church is hosting, with the hope to plant a church in a neighbouring village. 18 delegates have already arrived from various places and people groups.
Pray for these believers who have travelled far and are eager to learn, that they will be able to see God’s truth and his goodness clearly despite Satan’s attempts to distract and delay. Pray for fruit from this training: that many will be mobilised to share the gospel in new places. Also pray for a lasting effect on the sending churches, that they would have a passion for the lost, and a vision to keep sending people out.
Praying for freedom
Prayer for Freedom
Please pray for Wana N. A few nights ago she was struggling with demon oppression and/or possession. Two of us were able to pray with her for freedom and security. Pray Jesus reveals Himself to her in a real way. Pray she will know that He alone has power over evil and is able to set her free.
Diaspora in Wisconsin
We praise the Lord for the success of the soccer tournament earlier in August. Our volunteers will have a picnic on the 16th with the families of those we are reaching with the Good News. Pray that the Lord would soften hearts for his Word and that seeds would be planted.
Lack of News
News of the Mbororo is hard to come by. Pray that the lack of news will not keep us from praying. Pray that they will refuse to be involved in the violence against the local populations in CAR and Congo and somehow God will make it possible for them to hear the Gospel.
Good trees bear good fruit
The elders of one community stated that they now know the stories of the Bible. A missionary wanting to help them understand it is not enough to just know the stories, gently asked why the big tree under which we were meeting was not cut down and used for firewood. The community group said it was a good tree and provided for them shade and fruit. Other trees which are not helpful or bearing fruit are cut for firewood, he was told. It was a natural lead in to share that God sees us as trees. He wants trees that are bearing fruit—the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, etc. Other trees will be cut down and thrown in the fire!
Make Disciples of All Nations
Pray for 20 church leaders who are preparing for missionary works of service through intensive periods of Bible training. Pray for their equipping, enabling, and empowering by the Holy Spirit. Pray they would be catalysts for change within their local churches to permanently and actively participate in the Great Commission.
Listening to the Light
The darkness of night brings fear and uncertainty for many Mwani communities living along the coast of Northern Mozambique. Recent insecurity and mid night attacks cause such grief, loss and fear. But as the sun rises groups of people gather and tune in to Radio Nuru (Light) broadcasting the good news of the Light of the world. Please pray for the many people writing or calling in with questions and seeking explanations to the words they are hearing. Pray that these “radio groups” will find the true light.
Diaspora in Minnesota
I praise God that I had the opportunity to talk at length with my friend “A” about Eid AND Jesus, the One who forgives once and for all! It was a great conversation and I’m asking for prayer that we will continue to share openly with each other about our beliefs and praying that God will open the eyes of her heart to hear the TRUTH.
Mark chapter 1 translated!
Dunyi phoned us on Monday, and he and his team finished translating the gospel of Mark chapter 1 last week! They have begun Mark chapter 2 this week. It is widely observed that at the beginning of a Bible translation project, the translation team face a lot of spiritual attacks. May God protect our translation team and all of us who are involved in the Suri (Kacipo-Balesi) New Testament Translation project.
Losing our young leaders
We are struggling to teach the young adult leaders as many of them leave to South Africa looking for money to pay the bridal price. In these past 2 months we have ‘lost’ 4. A lot of time has been invested in training but the future father- in- laws set the bridal price very high and as there are no means of employment here they go to SA. Pray for the Lord to bring the right youth leaders to be taught. We are losing a future generation which is disturbing.
Diaspora in Portland
Please pray for follow up on the good spiritual conversations with a group of diaspora friends that we took to Washington to visit the farm on Saturday, September 1. Pray that these conversations would not be forgotten and would continue.
Prayers not magic
Today a good friend came to ask a worker for money for him to buy special prayers from an imam for his newborn daughter. The worker told him he thought this was magic, not prayer, and offered instead to come pray in the name of Jesus, who has all authority in heaven and on Earth. This new dad agreed but wasn’t home at the agreed time. The battle rages! Ask for the Lord to make himself known to this family.
Diaspora in Canada
38 campers joined us from 6 African nations plus Palestine and Syria. 5 came from Muslim families. Just awesome to see them all heartily singing, “He came from heaven to earth, to show the way, from the earth to the cross, my debt to pay”!
The parents of two little Muslim girls want to meet up with J. and me as soon as possible in September. Their Dad says is having dreams about Jesus.
Diaspora in SA
Please pray for our first church-based workshop for teaching Portuguese that will take place in Londrina for area churches. We do not have a program in Brazil to teach Portuguese as a second language to refugees, but a Pastor and teacher of one church is helping us to organize this workshop. This is just an introduction to show the opportunities we have here to reach the refugees and immigrants all around us. We are already teaching Portuguese to one Muslim from Senegal (Wolof people) but we are open for more.
Peace in the midst of turmoil
You may have seen the news of militia clashes in the capital. It can seem distant until texts arrive from friends about jobs closing down, grenades hitting the neighbors’ homes, flights cancelled with closed airports and fearful children. “Ruth,” “Faith” and “Rose” and “Elizabeth” have all written quite often. Elizabeth sent pictures of their family business burning and car destroyed. She was thankful that all got out in time, but they are wondering what to do next. The government also just shut down FaceBook…unless you have a VPN. It all seems quite dark. Please pray that the believers would rise up with courage and hope and that those around will be amazed at the peace they display. Pray that those who are despairing will recognize that Jesus cries with them, loves them, sees, and offers peace unlike the world’s.
Diaspora in SA
Pray for the seminar “Awareness and Evangelism of Refugees” that we are doing in different churches. It is meant to educate and make churches aware of the “strangers” among them and to equip them to reach out to them.
Pray also that we could have a donation of 60 Bibles to give to refugees.
one on ones
Some brothers will soon begin one on one discipleship, which is a new concept for them. Please ask for teachable spirits and humility and new depths in their walk.
Diaspora in UK
We are enjoying the International Student Ministries at Wales. The Friday night Globe Cafe offers a place for international university students to fellowship through games, discussions and refreshments. Two weeks ago one of the students asked us, “Do you believe that God controls everything or that people have a choice in what to believe?” What a great question! Please pray for deeper relationships with the international students.
Changing lives one stitch at a time in Madagascar.
There is a project called “Mama VaoVao”, which is encouraging Sakalava women in the village to use their skills- hand stitching, sewing sacks, bags, pillows, and hand towels. They have just celebrated their one year anniversary. Many women gave their testimonies at the celebration. One said, “My life has changed, I am now able to care for my household with the money I get. I was just able to buy a table. And I have come to know Jesus!” A little thing can do a great thing in peoples’ lives! Pray for “Mama VaoVao” project to achieve great things in these Sakalava women’s lives, helping them to know Jesus as their Savior.
