Please pray for the Alagwa translators working on the book of Luke, particularly today and tomorrow. Some translators are Christians, but most are not.
Pray for good understanding and a clear translation, so that many Alagwa will be able to hear and understand God’s word in their heart language.
Please especially pray for the translators who are not believers, yet are spending whole days studying God’s word. May their eyes be open to the good news of God’s love for them.
Needing courage to persevere
Pray for Sa and Ha (daughter of Ab and Ci) that together they will be able to follow Jesus. Ha is very keen, and it seems like Sa believes too, but he has grown up in a very dark home- there is a long history of fear and violence in his home. Pray for Ku, our deaf friend. He came to faith, pray that the seed will take root and not be taken away by his mother who is strongly opposed to it or by the young men who would turn him away.
Seekers
I have received a message from Bu in Kon TZ of three ladies who have regularly come to church on Sundays. One of the three has fully accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, and the other two are still seeking to know the truth. Please pray for Ami, Zuhu, and Had (fake names), but real seekers! Thanks
Bible classes
Some of the women in our church have expressed interest in baptism. In May, a Samburu pastor came from Maralal to explain to the women the meaning of baptism and how our church practices it. He also taught the first Bible lesson for those desiring to be baptized. Since then we have a Bible class in our living room almost every Saturday morning. Usually twenty or more women and two men attend. We are excited that some may be ready for baptism this fall. It is especially exciting that one man has faithfully attended the meetings. Pray that God will open hearts and minds to hear and understand His Word. Pray that God will call some to follow Him whole-heartedly and make their commitment to Christ known through baptism.
Daily prayer request
Join our team in praying daily in the name and authority of Jesus the Messiah that all of the schemes of the “prince of our O area“ will be bound and prevented from keeping people from hearing and understanding and responding to the truths of God’s Word.
Set free from bondage
At the end of June, I was in Tsumkwe to meet with a team of four from Johannesburg to minister to the Tsumkwe secondary school children on how to overcome drug addictions, alcohol and all other related social challenges Tsumkwe people face. The good news is that the team ended up ministering to the teachers, police officers and inmates of the Tsumkwe holding cell as well as to a group of San youth at the Dutch Reformed church.
There was a positive response. The speaker kept pointing to Jesus as the ultimate deliverer from all the bondages of addictions.
There was a huge and evident sign of hunger- people want to hear the Word of truth being taught.
Pray that those who heard the teachings would be set free from bondage and that they would share with others about the power of Christ.
Know the Lord
Pray the Kachipo would know Christ as the Lord, and that apart from Him there is no other saviour they can turn to (Isaiah 43:11).
Pray for Benjamin
Pray for Benjamin, a young evangelist who is working with a new church on the Lokwa border. Pray that he and his young family (wife and baby son) will be a godly example to those around them of a family grounded on God’s Word and following the Truth.
Full healing
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.
Church rebuilding
Pray for the Dorobo church at Songoroi on Mt Eburru that partially collapsed during recent heavy rains. Pray that the rebuilding project will galvanize the believers as they work together, raise funds together and complete their building. Pray they continue to be a light in this area.
Suffering crops
The Ik are seriously concerned about their gardens this year. Due to rodents, army worms, and heavy, early rains, the Ik are planning for a small harvest, if at all. Please pray earnestly, that God provides for the Ik in a very real and practical way, through a bountiful harvest with enough food for the coming year. Pray that they can see God as always good, despite their circumstances or whatever happens.
May the church reach out
Pray the churches among the Nyang’atom would see the Great Commission as a command to tell those around them the Good News, and through them their brothers in South Sudan would hear and respond to the Gospel. Pray that they would “tell of the kindness of the Lord and the deeds for which He is to be praised” (Isaiah 63:7).
Diaspora in SA
We are helping a young Brazilian who was a Muslim. Awhile ago, he started to search for the Christian version of Jesus’ death. He got a bible from his neighbor and as he was going through the Scripture, he had a powerful encounter with Jesus. There are many people like him in our nation as well. A few days ago in Sao Paulo, a refugee from Africa told me: “I was very interested in finding out the truth and I did some research online but I didn’t find anything. It was through a Christian here that I discovered I was seeking a God that I never met in my country.” Pray the Lord will help us find more Africans who are seeking Him.
Open their eyes
The Toposa were created for a great purpose in the Kingdom of God. Pray that one day they will be able to see that they were created by God like clay formed by a potter’s hand (Isaiah 64:8).
Something is happening
Praise God for the new thing He is doing among many M. He has delivered many from the kingdom of darkness and brought them into the kingdom of His dear Son. Pray for the leaders and new believers to grow in faith and be protected from the schemes of the Enemy.
May Ha’s family and neighbors come too.
Pray for Ha, our neighbour to the south, she has come to faith in the past six months! Since Easter time, I have regularly had time reading through the gospels with her. Pray for her husband Da, that he too will believe. He and his brother Ma have been eagerly listening to the Fulfulde audio recordings that we gave to Ha. Pray for Ka, a widow and Ha’s neighbour. Pray that she will not be afraid to call Jesus Lord, that she will not fear community ridicule.
Meeting together
Pray for the small groups of believers that are meeting. Pray that these groups would be places where believers would come to understand more and more their new identity in Jesus. And where they are equipped to do the good works that God has prepared them to do. Pray that their meetings would be characterised by worship, love for one another and joy.
May they come to know the Shepherd
Pray the Didinga would know Him who “tends His flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young.” (Isaiah 40:11).
Abide in the word
Ask that new believers would hold tightly to the Word of God and be discipled in the truth. Ask for those in the diaspora and those in-country to humbly abide in the Word… and know the truth that sets them free.
New believers
Pray for the new believers who are youth. Three young men were baptized this past week, and ten more youth will be studying the discipleship lesson on baptism this week. One who was recently baptized with his family members is an unschooled youth with definite spiritual insight. Pray for the believers’ boldness and courage to share their testimony and all that they are learning with others.
Mobilizing
Today on the bus, I met a young man from Kilwa who is a believer and wants to get involved in outreach. His name is Mwekwa. Pray for the right connections to get him trained and plugged in. Pray for many more local believers to reach out to their Muslim neighbors.
Captivity
Recently the sorghum gardens, which were looking great, were attacked by stalk borer. As the Lopit people continue to walk as captives of this world and the deceptions of the evil one, they sought the ‘land lord’ to perform a ceremony in order to remove this plague. Pray for the hearts of the people to turn to the Creator of the world, rather than His creation as they seek solutions to the daily challenges of life in this harsh land. Pray for release from fear and that they may receive freedom in a knowledge of our loving heavenly Father and His care and provision for us.
Lord have mercy
This past week a Mzee was seen exiting a local mosque, it was suprising because for the past 20 years this Digo man has been following Jesus. He said he is going because he knows what the Bible teaches about Jesus but he never learned what the Quran says. Even with the little time he’s spent at the mosque, it’s evident how quickly Satan works to turn people’s minds against God. Please pray that through conversations with missionaries and encounters with other Digo Christians this man would recognize the lies he is being told, and return to Jesus.
May they meet together
Pray that believers would be motivated to meet together. Pray against all that might keep them apart whether it be busyness, fear, lack of trust or something else. Pray that love might grow and that they would begin to see each other as family.
Translation work progressing
During the last two weeks I have been teaching the Suri (Kacipo-Balesi) team (five young men) an introductory course in the principles of Bible Translation. This week we are working intensively on the writing skills and on the orthography of the Suri (Kacipo-Balesi). In the coming weeks we start the translation of Mark. Praise God for this!!!
Praise also that we have found suitable office space and rooms for the future translators to live in Aman, Ethiopia. Pray that they will adapt to the place and working environment soon.
Pray for good team work, for protection (spiritually and physically), and also for enough finances (until now, we have only initial funding and no full long term coverage).
Love your neighbors
In the after school program on Mondays and Fridays, the children have been memorizing Matthew 5:44 in their local language, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” This is very difficult for the Ik as nearly every night lately the neighboring tribe from Kenya, the Turkana, have been raiding the surrounding villages. Fortunately, no one has been hurt recently. Please pray that the Ik can take this verse to heart, and that they can reach out, pray for, and even care for both the Turkana and the Karimojong. Pray that the children continue reciting this verse in their homes and that their friends and families can hear it too.
New leaders!
Praise God for the new leadership now in place in the church planted amongst the Alagwa in one village. There are two elders and two deacons. Of the four of them, two are Alagwa and two are not Alagwa but have come in to the area as teachers at local schools. Pray for these men, that they will continue to grow in the love of God and in their leadership.
Pray for the church pastor as he mentors these men in their leadership roles.
Sharing across borders
Pray that the Christians among the Nyang’atom living in Ethiopia will use what they have to share the Gospel with their family and friends, especially those living across the international border in South Sudan.
Praise report from outreach
We give praise for the 3 ladies that gave their lives to the Lord this past week. Two of them brought their paraphernalia from the the witchdoctors to be burnt and the other is going to bring hers as her house was far away. Please pray for them to stand strong and for Joachim & Matteus as they disciple them. Another 3 gained for the Kingdom and lost to Satan! Pray for their protection from Satan as he will try and get them back. We also pray that they will be shining lights in the darkness.
Walk worthy
Praise Jesus for the boldness of a young believer who is reading with several seekers. Ask for perseverance and hope and continued courage. May she and the other new believers walk worthy of the calling they have received with all humility, gentleness, patience and love.
Training
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.
New Church!
Pray for Pastor Joseph Mayagi as he follows up with a new Dorobo group in Ilkilorit on the Tanzania border in the Loita Hills. We did village visitation and outreach in Ilkilorit in November, speaking to many and showing the Jesus film at night. Joseph said he would follow up and start a church under a tree as interest grows.
Pray for courage from the Holy Spirit
Pray for my neighbour Mary Ann. I have ‘walked’ with her for the past 4 years following a late miscarriage (first baby had died at 7 months old) and then her desperate attempts to conceive again. She came to the Lord during this time along with her husband. They live in a large extended middle class muslim family house and family are very religious. The couple have been worshipping secretly and have not ‘come out’ in the open.
Amazingly she finally got pregnant last year and we prayed all the way through that she would keep the baby and she now has a son! They are still secret believers, reading their bibles and watching preachers on TV, but fearful of losing everything if they were to stand up. They need the power of the Spirit to set them free to live in integrity and transparency.
I am worried that now she has the miracle baby she may cool off and make decisions regarding his upbringing that compromise and jeopardise their fledgling faith.
Dorobo missionaries!
Pray for our Dorobo church leaders to be able to organize a time in the next six months to visit the B people on the coast, a Muslim group of hunter gatherers. Pray that they will understand the importance of reaching out with their faith to other tribes. Pray that their similar backgrounds of hunting and gathering might open a door of understanding. Pray that God will touch the hearts and call one or two Dorobo church leaders/ pastors to minister cross-culturally to the B.
Safe in the Ark
With so many Mwani in Northern Mozambique dying without Jesus, Momade has opened a ministry to save souls. In Kimwani, it is called “Safina” which means “ark.” Pray that God would be gracious to bring lost Mwanis through Safina’s doors, and that they would turn to Jesus as their Lord and Savior!
Bible distribution!
We have been praying for a good way for the new believers in this movement to get bibles and the Lord has answered! S and M went around to their different groups and took orders for those who wanted a bible. Each person was willing and able to pay the $2.50 that we paid. Pray for protection as S and M distribute these bibles this week. Please pray for these new believers who are receiving a bible for the first time that they will have a deep hunger to read it daily and for the Holy Spirit to open their minds to understand His Word.
Rangi Bible student!
Pray for Y. Eliakimu from Bu, a Rangi who has a call to serve God among his people. He is going to Bible College. Please pray that God will use him to reach many with His saving arm.
Stand firm and grow
Pray for Cal, a young O believer, who has struggled with lots of fear. His father is trying to arrange a wedding for him with a Muslim girl. He wants to wait for a Christian wife, but speaking up will bring lots of attention and persecution. Pray that he will stand firm against the schemes of the enemy, and be bold and even grow through any persecution or ostracism from the community – that he will realize that Jesus is worth it! Pray that God will provide a strong Christian wife in His time.
Prayers for believers
Pray for Ar that God will help him to remain above reproach and walk in the light. Pray that his family will be drawn to the gospel through his life and witness. Pray for Ab and Ci and Am, that they will live in harmony with one another and with their community, and continue to witness boldly.
Burning Villages
The Makwe are under threat with the presence of a militant, extremist group terrorizing their areas. Some have been killed, many houses have been burned and the Makwe are afraid. Many have left their villages in search of better protection in the larger towns. Pray that God would bring peace to the Makwe. Pray that these events would cause them to question their religious beliefs and seek truth. Pray that they would come to know the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life!
