This week the AICT Pastor will be asking the government leaders of our district permission to show the Jesus film publicly in several areas. Pray for God’s favor and wisdom in this direction. Ask the Lord to prepare many hearts to watch the film and believe in the One whom He has sent (John 6:29).
Safety during planting and cultivating
Insecurity has been growing on the outskirts of towns, and many are concerned for their safety as they go to their gardens to plant and cultivate. Pray for their protection as they go to farm in areas outside of town in order to feed their families. Pray they would know their Savior is the ultimate provider of safety and protection.
Sharing testimonies
While sharing her testimony during an English club recently, friends who know “A” now were astonished to hear what she had been like before she gave her life to Jesus. They loved hearing about what Jesus had done and wanted to hear more. So another team member told her story too. A few days later, some of these friends were together with a third team member and they asked for her story too. After hearing these, one woman said, “So, how do you know all these things? How do you learn more about God?” Team members offered to study God’s Word with her and they’ve been doing that regularly since. Ask for more to join this woman in studying God’s Word and for this woman’s eyes to be opened so she too can give her life to Jesus.
Diaspora in Philadelphia
Pray for GROW, an ESL outreach program the entire Philly team is involved in, as it goes through financial and structural changes. Please pray for increased finances, for student attrition to decrease, and for GROW to have a spiritual impact on those who attend classes. Pray for many seekers to enroll in classes.
Ending cattle raiding
Cattle raiding (stealing cattle from another group) is a frequent practice among the Toposa and their neighbours, and often this practice claims lives on both sides of the fight. Pray that the Gospel will come to those who have never heard it and that practices like cattle raiding will be ended.
Rain, Mosquitoes, Malaria
As the rains come, so do the mosquitoes. Pray for those who are vulnerable for serious cases of malaria, that God would heal them and they would be given opportunities to know the Gospel during their lifetime.
Another baptism
Nakai and Napir, two Laarim girls, were baptized this morning. Praise God for building His church among the Laarim! Pray for these two girls to grow strong in the Lord and share with others the good things God has done.
Trusting God to Provide
The Mahafaly of southwest Madagascar are in the midst of a three-year drought that has affected much of Eastern Africa. In this third winter of minimal harvest, many in the Mahafaly villages are going hungry. They say, “We’re at a loss. We don’t know what else to do.” Church leaders, all young believers, face incredible pressure to return to ancestor veneration, witch doctors, and charms to bring the rain their villages so desperately need. Pray for the Provider to provide this people with the sustenance they need. Pray also for the Mahafaly believers to stand strong in faith in Christ in the midst of incredible suffering. Pray for wisdom for the NGOs and Christian organizations seeking to alleviate this huge physical need.
Independence Day
South Sudan’s Independence Day is 9 July. Pray that all those who celebrate the anniversary of their country’s independence will personally come to know the freedom they can have in Christ. Pray also for the safety of all who celebrate the three day holiday.
Courage to share with their children
Ask that God fill his children with a Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that they know what God’s will is. Pray for husband and wife (who are believers) to share boldly with their children and have wisdom to know how to speak before grandparents who are against Jesus.
Rest and Peace in God
Pray that the believers among the Didinga would find their rest and peace in God and His love for them (Psalm 62).
Story Project
We are set to complete the first recordings of the 18 Bible stories in M this week! We will spend several weeks testing the recordings with different groups to see what revision needs to be made to make the stories clear. Pray that even as these Bible stories are tested, God would give people a hunger to know Him and His Word would move with power here.
Outreach
Pray for a 10-day outreach starting tomorrow. Pray for the Lord to prepare hearts to hear and receive the gospel. There will be children and youth outreach, Bible study for men and women, and showing of the Jesus film. Pray for much fruit.
Sisters seeking
Three sisters are all asking questions about Jesus; one wants to look at the Spirit throughout the Word. One wants proof and a sign. Pray for Jesus to reveal Himself personally to each one and for this family and other families to believe and follow the Lord Jesus.
May seeds germinate and grow!
During Ramadan, there were many seeds of truth planted. Pray that the Lord would cause them to germinate, grow, and produce much fruit! Pray for new believers to be given grace to walk in a way worthy of the Lord.
Diaspora in Minnesota
Praise God for new volunteers. Pray the SALT (Somali Adult Literacy Training) training will be well attended and helpful to tutors. Pray that the right Somali families will be matched to each tutor and they will develop deeper relationships and be able to share Truth.
May Henry listen!
Please pray for a form 4 Muslim student at Tirrim Secondary School. After our Spiritual Emphasis weekend, lots of students were asking for Bibles (because we gave some out as rewards). Students were told that anyone could have a Bible if they did some memory work first. So far this past week 8 kids have said their memory work and earned a Bible. Among these 8 was this student ‘Henry’. When asked why he wanted a Bible, he said he wanted to compare it with the Koran. Pray Henry will hear God speaking as he read his Bible.
Pray for Fruit
S. is like many Islanders who have had the truth laid out before them in incredible ways, and yet still reject it – or rather still reject Him. This is a reminder that people are spiritually blind and need Jesus to open their eyes. We can plant a seed, we can water, but it is only Him who makes the seed grow! Please pray that the word planted in this man’s life, and others like him, would grow and bear fruit.
Right people to come
Pray God will send the right people to go into the Didinga Hills and proclaim the Gospel to those who have not yet heard the good news of Jesus.
Young Toposa believer
Pray for E., a young Toposa believer who wants to spread the Gospel with his community. Pray that he will continue to grow in his faith and walk with Christ as he seeks to live a life based on the Truth of Bible.
Pray for growth
In a village just outside of Kwale town, there is a Digo church which has been around for several years. There are plenty of kids and Mamas who attend the church and a handful of men, but it is the same people every week. Pray that the Digo Christians would be bold in inviting their neighbors, and that Jesus would convict the husbands of the women who already attend. We want to see that church grow, and their influence be spread all over that village and beyond!!
Pray for good soil
Please pray for the Karimojong living in Rupa. Two outreach Bible studies currently take place every Saturday afternoon, and have been met with some welcome, some mild interest, as well as outright hostility. Please pray for these precious souls to receive the good news in hearts of good soil. Please pray especially for the Bible stories being shared with the children of Rupa at the same time, whose hearts are equally as hard as the adults. All desperately need Jesus.
Watching Youtube Videos
Please pray for a young S. Asian woman who is watching Youtube videos that encourage her to stay strong in Islam. She continues to cling to her religion although she has often heard the gospel, as do her parents. Perhaps she clings to Islam because she is hearing the soft invitation of Jesus Christ in her heart. Pray that she and her whole family will become disillusioned with their religion and will see Jesus in all His glory and give their allegiance and hearts to Him.
Sakalava Scriptures
The former team made great strides in translations of several books of Scripture into the Sakalava dialect but the work ended as there was a lack of people able to help. Please pray for us to find new people skilled in English who will be interested in translating the Bible into Sakalava. With those identified, the team would be able to get the translation project up and running again.
Open hearts
Praise Jesus for increasingly open hearts asking for truth. Ask especially for the veil to be completely lifted from the minds of four women who are actively studying the Word. Two acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God. All recognize that Jesus died on the cross as the Lamb of God. Some are not certain that this brings salvation. One wants to believe Islam is also true because of loved ones who have died. One isn’t certain she should surrender her will to the Lord. Ask for complete breakthrough.
Treasure ready for distribution
On team day, we dedicated 80 Treasures, loaded and ready to give away. This is a huge milestone that required many hours of Bible story crafting, translation and recording, editing, and choosing/adding memory verses for each one. In addition, almost 200 chapters of scripture were recorded by various Laarim readers. Also 21 original Laarim songs were carefully recorded and included. Despite its small size the Treasure has a speaker that is easy for a group of 20 people to hear well. We are pleased. Now we are planning and praying for the right people to give them to. We consider these to be 80 little digital missionaries to take the Word of God to the Laarim in ways we cannot. Please pray for many Laarim to hear the Word and respond in faith.
Neighbors
Remember the Karana-Gujarati of Madagascar. Pray that their Malagasy neighbors who love Jesus will reach out to them with the love of Christ. Pray for the KM and BT families.
Training for Sunday School Teachers
On this Wednesday, June 27th, delegates from all four churches on the Ik ridge will be meeting together for a second training as Sunday School teachers. This time the focus will be on the New Testament and each church will be given a book of bible stories already translated into the local language. Pray that all the churches participate and learn a lot. Pray that they understand and find the resources they are given helpful and put them to use. Pray that those attending continue to have a deep desire to train the next generation in Christian living.
Diaspora in UK
Church-based outreach teams in UK are yet to pick up despite some interest. Pray that UK churches will priorize outreach to diaspora peoples around their churches.
A couple from Canada will help with a 4-week research of Unreached People Groups in key UK cities from mid-July to mid-August. Pray for the necessary contacts to be made and some logistical hitches to be overcome.
Courage despite fear
Pray for the young man and his friend who asked for and received the Word from a local believer. Praise Jesus for increased courage. This brother had previously been very afraid and the last time he gave out the Word, the man was connected to the militias and threatened his life repeatedly. This time, the man who received the Word is excitedly reading. Ask for new life and continued increased boldness of witness!
Convinced
Please pray that the Rendille people will see the lives of their Christian friends and family and be convinced that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. Pray that the Rendille will not succumb to the influence of Islam, but will instead share the gospel with the Muslim teachers who have been sent to convert them.
A blind man’s ministry
Yesterday Logue came by again. He is the blind man who became a believer about one year ago. We had asked him to come to record the new worship songs he has created. With him was Lokio a teenager who leads him around and Thomas another new believer. I took the opportunity to do a discipleship lesson with them. Using the story of the Baptism of Jesus we discussed baptism. I learned that Lokio had become a believer under Logue’s influence. I asked Logue how many others he had led to faith. He thought a bit before replying “Eighteen people.” He went on to say that he gathers together children and others in his village and gives his testimony, sings songs and shares in fellowship with them. He stated thanksgiving for his blindness as, “it keeps me from cattle raiding which has killed so many of my age mates.” Pray for Logue and his ministry.
Up and coming leaders
We are so thankful for some of the younger members of one of the local churches who are coming up in leadership. Pray for this new generation of leaders that “their love would abound still more and more in real knowledge and discernment, so that they may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ”.
Diaspora in Portland
Important conversations are happening… ESL strawberry-picking field trip; Eritrean Iftar meal; Somali graduation. Fellowship with believers has been rich… at our international prayer gathering, Eritrean Church, and an Ethiopian home. And there are ESL end-of-year celebrations and a field trip to a farm in Trout Lake, and a month of preaching, and more, just around the corner. Pray for God-ordained opportunities, and the right words from our mouths.
Families coming to the Lord!
Some complete families have recently turned to Christ on the islands! Pray that these new believers would cling to the Word of God and to each other. Pray for courage to share the good things God has done for them.
Kids program
Sarah and Kelsey run an after school program for kids. They have finished the Bible stories in the Old Testament, and have just now started the New Testament with the story of Jesus’ birth. Pray that the kids truly take in the stories and see how Jesus transforms lives.
Opposition
A teammate was recently invited to show the Jesus film in a local Digo village and about 45 people showed up. 30 minutes into the movie a man came and demanded it be turned off, when that didnt happen he threatened to destroy the video equipment with his vehicle. At that point the movie was put away and everyone went home. Pray that this incident won’t keep people from returning the next time the movie is shown, or discourage the new Digo Christians as they move forward in their faith.
Diaspora in UK
Pray for the Outreach to Somali people in Cardiff, UK. Outreach remains at a very initial stage and so we are praying for more openings to share the gospel.
encouraging survey
A recent survey of the Antakarana in Madagascar is very encouraging. Pray for workers, especially Malagasy to join the work of evangelism and discipleship so that a church planting movement would catch fire and blaze across the Antakarana.
Burning Questions
Pray for a S. Asian widow who will meet soon with a missionary. May God give her burning questions about spiritual matters and eagerness to ask her friend about those topics. May the Holy Spirit open her understanding to receive spiritual truth. May she put her faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.
