An update on Saidi. Thank you all for praying for this man. The evangelist who had been discipling Saidi was able to go to his village to visit him. The evangelist was very encouraged. The good news is that Saidi is strong in his faith and is walking with Jesus. The lapse in communication had something to do with an issue with his phone. The discouraging news is that Saidi’s wife wants nothing to do with Jesus and has left Saidi. Their three children are away at school. Not sure to whom they go during school breaks. Continue to lift this family to the Father. Nothing is impossible with God!
A Tutoring Centre
From a Rangi evangelist: “I would like to share needs for Rangi ministry. First of all I thank God for the way he continues to call me in his work here. Today I met two teachers from Busi Secondary School (the local high school) and we talked about registering entering students for tutoring here at our Christian community library. We want more than 70 students. And the ministry will be called Mwikalo Muuja tuitions (tutoring) centre. Please pray for the roofing work, funds for the windows and doors, floors and plaster.” Pray for God’s blessing and for the salvation of many Muslim students who will go there for tutoring.
Peace and Calm to the Child
Praise God that Mama F accepted prayer for healing in Jesus name for her little 4 year old daughter who was convulsing and foaming at the mouth one night. Praise God that He answered immediately by bringing peace & calm over the child. Another seeker who was there, Mama S, confessed afterward she believed all that she heard spoken & prayed & is a Christian now! Another woman who was there, Mama N, now wants to join in on the weekly prayer and storying time with the other ladies! Praise God! Pray for faith in Jesus that endures for the Swahili!
God’s plans for her good
She was imprisoned for 23 days when she was expecting her son, the gift she had prayed for. There she saw a foreign believer forced to put on the veil and say the words required by her captors. When she stood up for the woman, she was punched and a tooth was chipped… but she was not afraid. She said, “I knew that if God had plans for me out of prison, he would set me free.” He did have plans! He drew her to himself. Pray that she would live full of courageous faith. Pray for others being persecuted to stand firm and exalt Christ.
Local Believers
Many of the San will say that they are believers, but few are truly following the Way. Pray for the believers to be bold in their faith both in their walks and talks. Pray that they would be united in their love for Jesus and that there would be no strife over doctrinal differences. Pray for the church leaders to lead the sheep.
Refugees being shunned
There are 1028 Mbororo refugees at DIGBA, DRC who fled there from the Anti – Balaka who attacked their camp in Zemio. They are being shunned by the local population so will find survival extremely difficult. Pray for not only humanitarian aid to reach them, but that local believers will not distrust and refuse to help them.
Praise for rain and language
Praise God for a great rainy season in the Didinga hills, people are enjoying an abundant maize crop, they will slowly harvest their maize during the coming months. Pray for open hearts for the gospel as the Jesus film is shown in communities, pray for small bible studies to form as a result. Praise God that the New Testament in the Didinga language has been found and added to the recorders!
New Mahafaly Church Leaders
God has faithfully started many new churches among the Mahafaly. New leaders face temptation, persecution and suffering. Many of their families pressure them to return to the ways of the ancestors. The intense famine and drought the Mahafaly have experienced the last few years cause leaders to fear for their families and communities. Pray that leaders and new believers will stand strong in their new faith, empowered with His Spirit (Ephesians 1:15-23).
Understanding Forgiveness
Forgiveness seems to be a concept that the Ik don’t fully understand and embrace. Even after paying back debts for theft, the Ik tend to hold the term “thief” over others, seemingly unwilling to fully forgive them. Please pray that the Ik begin to have a better understanding of what forgiveness is. And that they can begin to see themselves as sinners in need of forgiveness through Jesus Christ.
Progress! Now Ask For More
We had two days of amazing meetings. We all met to discuss and find voice actors for the Jesus Film that is almost ready for recording in M as well as the Luke text in M that is almost ready to print! It was very encouraging to see the progress being made. God’s timing is so good! We are now planning a discipleship making movement training to happen here in our village in November to encourage and equip M believers. We will share more details about this in the near future but for this week please be praying for all the logistics of this training to come together and for God to raise up these M believers to be disciple makers who will catalyze a movement that will spread through the M hills and beyond.
Sitting Around the Fire at Night
Traditionally at the end of the day Datooga families will gather in their homesteads and share the news of the day or tell stories before retiring for the night. Currently a small group of believers are working on a Chronological Bible Story set, crafting Bible stories in the Datooga language. This project aims to have the stories accessible to the Datooga in their heart language. Pray for those involved in the project – for those involved in crafting of the stories – that they reflect God’s message of salvation in a way that engages with the Datooga people. Also pray for a desire in the hearts of the Datooga people to be willing to listen to the stories and to respond to the gospel message- may they know God’s love for them.
Prayers for the women in church
Pray for women in the church to understand the Word more deeply. Pray they will seek hard after God and mature in their faith. Lift up the four women who try to meet regularly on Fridays for prayer and praise.
Children for Christ
“Jana, I will tell this story in my village,” said a little Bara girl named Izaiah, when she heard the story of Creation. Could you please pray for the 160 children we have in the Coworkers Children Ministry Program? May God save them and change their hearts so that they become a light in their own families and villages.
Famine Relief Among the Gabbra
Please keep praying for the drought and famine program and supplies, as well as support for ongoing relief as the need has not diminished yet! Some people have lost almost all their animals, which is their whole livelihood.
Healer and Provider
The hospital in our town has been plagued with strikes, staffing issues, and a lack of resources for months. Currently the nurses are on strike which tremendously hinders the amount and quality of care that people can receive. Please be praying for the Swahili people that this would be a time when the power and authority of Jesus to heal would be demonstrated to those who cannot receive needed medical treatment. Pray for the believers here to be bold and courageous in proclaiming Christ as healer and provider.
God is speaking in dreams
Pray for one woman who has had many dreams from God – she has seen both her prophet and Jesus in the dreams. She said ‘Mohamed was nothing like Jesus, he was all dressed in black and wizened, but Jesus was all in white and shining’. Pray that she would be freshly amazed that God is speaking to her! Pray that she would begin to pursue him wholeheartedly.
Cholera update
When we helped to open the Cholera Treatment Ward at Kimatong Health Center last Sunday, I anticipated it being flooded with up to 50 or 60 cholera victims. However, our maximum number of cholera patients in the ward this week was six. One severely afflicted patient arrived during the night in our absence and it was so gratifying to hear the nurse exclaim with joy the next morning, “We followed the protocol and we saved him!” Indeed he and several other lives were saved by the implementation of the treatment ward. AIM is getting more credit in the community than we deserve for the ebbing of the cholera epidemic. We try to turn the credit back to God and indeed the prayers of many have had an unseen impact. Pray God’s mercy would be recognized by the Laarim.
Children Came Asking To See The Jesus Video On Id
From a Rangi evangelist: I feel encouraged to do God’s work where I am. On Id some children from our neighborhood came to my house and said they didn’t want to go and celebrate Id but they wanted to come to my place. They asked to see the Jesus film! We watched the film together, we prayed, and then we took a photo. After that, they left to go to their homes; they really made me happy. Help us by praying for them.
Seeking First His Kingdom
A S. Asian family who were formerly Hindu have walked through difficult times financially. Please pray that as they faithfully walk with Jesus Christ and seek first His kingdom, all that they need will be added to them. Pray that He will display His greatness and glory in their lives, and that they will not lose heart.
Praying for new birth
One of the bonuses of getting to participate in labor and deliveries, is that the extended family is also involved in all the follow up visits, and opportunities to share are multiplied. Pray for response – that many will receive new birth in Jesus!
Prayer for those in Prison
We are saddened by a recent surprising turn of events as two of our closest friends were arrested without bail on serious charges that appear to be fictitious. Pray for their hearts to turn and trust God completely through this tribulation. Pray that through this they would know Christ is Redeemer physically and spiritually. Pray also for their children at home without mother and father. During our visits, we have seen the marginalized have little choice but to accept oppression and corruption as part of life. Praying this would change. Pray while they await judgement in court this week, that they would be granted a fair and just trial.
leaders needed
Praise the Lord for slow but steady growth of the church in Ohilang. Pray that the Lord will raise up bold and faithful Lopit leaders for this church.
350 gathered!
Praise Jesus for the gathering of over 350 Fulani believers and for the 3 who traveled far to join them and then returned to their own village changed. Continue to pray that these men would share what they are learning and faithfully disciple new believers.
Ladies conference
On the 13th September the annual Ladies Conference will start in Chimoio and finish on the 17th. From our area there will be 60 ladies attending and we will be hiring a truck to take them to and back from Chimoio. I am super excited as we have never had so many go and I think that it will be of great benefit to them. They learn so much at these conferences and the topics addressed are pertinent to their lives and lifestyle. Can I ask you to please pray with us for the travelling, conference itself and for those bringing the studies?
The Lamb of God
Pray for many opportunities to share the story of Abraham’s sacrifice this month. This story is remembered and celebrated during the Eid festival happening this week. Pray that the story would prompt questions about the character of God, and their own relationship with him. Pray for the desire to hear more stories.
May he believe
An Arab man is married to a new Berber believer. He is open to the gospel and asked to meet with another believer last night for coffee. He asked many questions, listened to the gospel, and accepted prayer, but he is not yet ready to surrender. Pray he would bow his knee and be given faith to receive Christ’s gift of life! Ask for the salvation of his family… including all 5 children.
She’s found Hope!
A young woman sent pictures of the passages of scripture she has been reading and texted, “I have found hope and life and forgiveness in Jesus. God has called me to tell all who will hear of His Way of Light.” She has been reading the Word to her two sisters and their children and to her Arab friend and her children and asked to be sent verses daily. Ask for continued hunger, zeal, and proclamation.
Sovereign Serendipity
Sovereign Serendipity! They BOTH came! Both Mama F (who recently professed Christ as her Savior) & Mama S (who has come for prayer & God’s Story) joined the Christian ladies’ prayer group in my home this week! They risked the exposure of being seen gathering with local believers. They arrived just in time to hear our pastor’s wife narrate the story of Ruth. BOTH wholeheartedly participated in the discussion and prayer afterwards. What an awesome God we serve! Pray for their spiritual and physical protection & for the salvation of their whole families!
A Day At the Hospital
An all-day visit to a mission hospital with a father and mother who were worried about their precious 21 year old daughter provided opportunities to discuss prominently displayed Scripture, share the gospel, pray together, and receive blessings through the kind, helpful behaviour of the Christian medical personnel. Please pray that this very Muslim family will continue to grow more and more open to knowing the one true God through Jesus Christ whom He has sent.
A Radio Studio and A Church Building
Pray that a radio studio and church building can be completed soon. Pray that many people will become believers through hearing the radio programs and through hearing the Word of God taught in the church.
New family member!
Rejoice with us and the angels! We have a new brother in the family! Pray for him to have grace and strength to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and to share his experience with others.
He Has Broken Off Contact
Please pray for Saidi, a Sandawe Muslim background believer for whom we have prayed before. He has broken off contact with the evangelist who was discipling him. We are not sure what is going on and if he might be questioning his new found faith. He does not have much support from any church or believers in his home area.
Good news from the islands!
Baba S has been our go-to person to help write Bible stories and gospel presentations. He loves to record and memorise them, and he recently asked us if he could play them to his whole family! Pray that as they listen they will be transformed by them. Mama Bey is elderly and house-bound. She always asks to hear stories about Jesus, and recently told us that she now follows Him! Angel is a young mum who is married to a strong believer, they are both illegal immigrants. She has been soaking up the Word and recently decided to follow Jesus and be baptised!
Prayers for the Dead
Pray for witnessing opportunities with friends who don’t share our faith- they will gather together this afternoon in their individual homesteads to say prayers over their dead.
May they find Living Water
The water table seems to have shifted way lower – and it’s been a challenge finding a good water source here. Pray that God will provide good and abundant water – and that many conversations surrounding the search for water will be advancing His Kingdom.
Cholera!
Several people are sick with Cholera in a Laarim village. Pray for the medical personnel and team members treating the sick and educating the village about prevention. Pray the Lord would heal the sick and open hearts to spiritual healing as well.
Biblical Manhood
Our teammate was invited by his friend to the cashew forest to witness his 8 year old son’s circumcision. By the time he arrived the Islamic ritual had already taken place and the bewildered boy bravely sat trying to hold back the tears streaming down his face as he sat on the blood stained mat. This is the rite of becoming a “man” in this culture that will soon be followed by a tribal celebration over several days. On the walk back the boy’s father gathered various roots that he explained would be used to ward off any spirits that may come to attack his vulnerable son. May the Swahili come to know the Savior – the Son of our Father God who restores true Biblical manhood.
Conviction of sin
Pray for conviction of sin among the unsaved Ndau and that it will encourage them to seek the peace and deliverence found only in Christ. There are so many still living in darkness.
Turning to the Witch Doctor
Because of the nurses’ strike we have many medical needs and ongoing health requests, and a number of Gabbra people are seeking to get healing from the ‘elgade ayana’ (shaman /witchdoctor). Please pray that God will step in and turn them from Satan to Jesus.
Children Ministry
Children are a great strategy for reaching out to people still unreached. We have in our Children Ministry more than 200 children that, every Saturday and Wednesday, come to listen to the Bible Stories. Please pray that those children will be changed by God, and serve as an instrument of sharing the gospel in their own villages and families.
