Praise God for ‘Mart’ and ‘Light’, who recently, joyfully, came to Christ! They are meeting twice weekly to pray, sing, and study a discipleship course. Pray for continued growth, and that they will share their faith with others. Pray that their mother, siblings, and friends will join the group!
great vision
Pray for the Lord to send laborers into the harvest field- specifically that He would send 70 missionary couples to proclaim the good news along the 700 kilometer Swahili coast.
Let Even the Men Come
Missionaries have invited a S. Asian family to join them on Christmas night for food, a reading of the Christmas Story, and caroling. Please pray that the family will come, including men. Pray for the Holy Spirit to convict them of the truth of the gospel, the trustworthiness of the Saviour, and the ineffectiveness of Islam to bring them salvation.
A Family For Christ in 2017
A certain M family has been hearing the stories of Jesus for over three years. Men, women and children have all received portions of Scripture, sung songs, fellowshiped with Christians. In fact, they live on the same property with an evangelist and his wife! Some seem to have put their faith in Christ, yet still identify themselves as Muslims. Others still do not recognise their own sinfulness nor Jesus’ deity. Please pray that in 2017 the whole family will make the decision to receive Christ as their Saviour and will publicly identify with Him in baptism and discipleship. As Jesus convinced Simon Peter by a large catch of fish, till he fell at his feet and said, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, oh Lord!” may Jesus capture the hearts of those who still trust in their own righteousness, and show them His salvation.
Sad follow up
Initially last night there were encouraging signs of forgiveness and acquittal, but a few hours later, the accused was hanged to the shock and grief of his family and the team. Pray for the Light to penetrate this darkness, for the grieving to be comforted, and for the Lord to give wisdom and grace to the team to know how to minister in this setting. 2Cor 2:14-16.
Christmas on the ridge
The Christmas season is upon us and the Ik are busy finishing their work after a bountiful harvest this year! During this Christmas season, pray that God readies the hearts of the Ik for conversations to be had surrounding Christmas. Pray also that the TIMO team is able to relay the gospel to the Ik through both word and deed, that they may understand the true reason we celebrate Christmas.
The governor is in the Lord’s hand
Religious leaders are opposing our work. There have been sermons against us and the believers. Pray for the governor to resist pressure from the religious leaders and allow us to continue our translation work. Pray the opposition will only increase curiosity and many will read the scriptures in their own language.
Christmas parties
Pray for all the Christmas parties and other opportunities to talk with friends about the Christmas story. Ask Father to open many hearts. May the story catch their imaginations and would they long to hear more!
Urgent prayer- a matter of life and death!
A man is being tried for sorcery in the wake of the death of a chief’s son who was killed last week while raiding a neighboring tribe’s cattle. The chief has lost 4 sons in cattle raids.
If found guilty, the man will be hung today at 6pm.
Please pray for the team as they visit the accused and his family, as well as the chief. May the Lord shine His light into this very dark situation.
Diaspora opportunities
Pray for the island children who attend the homework club. Pray this week they will listen well to the Christmas story. Pray their parents will come to the special holiday event and listen with tender hearts. Pray the Lord will draw many to Himself.
Christmas Opportunities
A Christmas feast is planned in one of the O villages – pray that many will come and be open to hearing the reason God sent the Messiah! M&H will be with us and M will also participate in sharing the story on Christmas Eve Day as well as some Kid’s Club days the next week. Pray for open hearts to receive this Good News! Pray that any opposition to this Good News will be kept away!
The stirrings of Jesus
Two local college-age ladies came into the Anglican church and took pictures of each other kneeling and bowing before the cross. At this point, there are no local people who come to the church; it is for foreigners only. It wasn’t a Sunday or a Friday; they weren’t there for a service, but they did have questions. My husband was there meeting an artist, and gave the young ladies my number. When we met the next day, they were friendly and kind, but hesitant to speak. I wonder if it was the young man that came along with them. One of them did ask some questions about when the believers meet, and said that she wanted to come for the Christmas service. Both said that they would love to come to our home. Pray especially for “Ruth”, who seems sincerely interested, that the opinions of others would not keep her from responding to the stirring of Jesus.
Christmas Explanations
Pray as we draw near to Christmas that we would be able to explain effectively why Jesus came to our Zigua friends and neighbors who are curious.
Faith Comes By Hearing
As we look this advent season to our Hope in Jesus Christ, we praise God that New Testament audio Bibles will soon be ready in the Nyamwezi language. Access to scripture is an essential component to church planting in any culture. Due to low literacy rates, many Nyamwezi must hear, rather than read, the Bible. They have a strong oral tradition and a keen ability to memorize detailed stories. Pray that many will hear the New Testament and listen to it intently. Pray for completion of this audio project by Faith Comes By Hearing, and for distribution in this vast region. Pray that the audio Bibles will help many come to salvation, gain basic biblical literacy, and grow in their faith. For the first time in their lives, these people will have the opportunity to hear the Bible in their own language, study it, and allow it to change their lives.
Pray for northern Nosy Mitsio
Please pray for the Antakarana people of northern Nosy Mitsio. A wealthy business-owner wants to build a large tourist resort on Nosy Mitsio and he’s made many big promises to the local people if they would allow it. However, the people have recently learned that the agreement requires them all to be removed from their homes, their rice-fields, their cemeteries, and other sites important to them. It would affect approximately 10 villages and several hundred people. Reportedly very large sums of money have already been paid to the regional government, but without consultation of the local government who would normally manage such agreements. The people of Nosy Mitsio feel like they’ve been greatly tricked, but some are also afraid that the rich people will resort to violence to get what they want. Please pray that the people of Nosy Mitsio will have peace, that they won’t be forcibly removed from their land, that self-interest and corruption won’t be prosperous, and that God would judge all those involved. Pray that this becomes an opportunity for the people of Nosy Mitsio to seek God as the just and loving judge who defends the cause of the poor and helpless, as seen in Jesus.
Growing Education
Pray for a way forward for education among the Zigua. So many kids don’t go to school at all. Pray for literacy to increase, and a hunger to read God’s Word.
Four Girls Asking For Bible Stories
Continue to pray for the S. Asian Muslim family who are listening to Bible stories. This week four single girls came asking to hear Bible stories from a Christian neighbour. First they saw her nativity set, and asked to hear the story of Christmas. They listened intently. Then she shared the stories from Creation to the Fall and God’s promise to Eve that her descendant would crush the serpent’s head, then ending with Isaiah’s prediction that a virgin would conceive and bear a child whose name would be Immanuel, “God with us.” Thursday the whole family group meets again together, mothers and children as well as the single girls. Pray for nothing to interrupt or prevent these weekly “Bible Classes” from happening, and pray that the whole family will put their faith in Christ.
Good News of Great Joy
Pray for islanders who have the chance to hear the Christmas story this month; whether from workers or on TV. Pray for open hearts, and that what they hear would catch their imaginations and settle in their hearts. Pray that God would bless them with the desire to know more of who Jesus is. That they would receive it as good news of great joy!
This month is also the Arabic month that celebrates the birth of their prophet. Pray for religious leaders who have studied in greater detail the life of their prophet and their book. Pray that disillusionment and dissatisfaction would grow, pray that Gd would give them with a hunger for more.
Pray for local believers as they celebrate Christmas. Pray for times of joy as they come together. Pray that Gd would gift them with the creativity to see what island celebrations could look like. Pray for those who are without fellowship, pray that they would be overcome with joy that Jesus came to seek them out.
Prepared by the Spirit
Please continue to pray for the Holy Spirit to prepare hearts and minds to long for and know Jesus. Pray for our team of Christians too—for preparedness, for boldness and obedience in the ways that we live, and for what we share with the people around us. Pray for open doors to share about Jesus during the Christmas season.
An Alternative to Abortion
Pray for a Zigua friend who came and asked for money to abort her fifth child. I told her that seeking an abortion is both dangerous and a sin. We discussed alternatives and I have assured her that I will help her in any way I can (such as vitamins, and some work to increase her household income) should she decide to keep the baby. Pray for her to keep her baby and through this stressful time to come to faith in Christ.
Pastor Reuben Sankok passed away
Pray for the Sankok family and the churches at Narianta and Olosho Rongai. Pastor Reuben Sankok, who lived in Narianta and started the Olosho Rongai church passed away on Friday from acute spinal meningitis. Do lift up the Dorobo churches. This is the second pastor to die in five months. Pray that God will comfort their grief and that He will raise up others to fill Reuben’s place in leading these young churches.
We preached in the church there on Sunday December 4 and then showed the Jesus film in the evening. More than 100 attended the show, crowding into the small church which had been started in the 1990s by Pastor Julius Ng’ayami, our pastor who died of leukemia in August. Most of the viewers were Christians and after the showing, there was a time of fervent prayer as the people said how much the movie had touched them and reminded them of what Jesus did for them on the cross. Pray that message will continue to be shared among the Dorobo.
May the Light shine!
The Ndau people are a people group feared by many because of their powerful ancestors and witchdoctors. They are bound by these. Please pray for the bondage of Satan to be destroyed over them that they might live a life of frreeedom in Christ. How they live in darkeness! Pray for God’s light to penetrate that darkness….
Child Brides
Child brides are quite normal among the Zigua, partly because hardly anyone attends or completes school. Another reason is that parents do not trust their children to abstain from premarital sex. The result is a cultural practice where girls are locked inside once they begin menstruating until the time when their parents can give them a “coming out party” This period is sometimes 2-3 years! After the party, the expectation is that the girl will soon be married. Please pray people come to know Christ, and this part of their culture be transformed.
Why do you call yourselves children of God?
Her first question was, “Why do you call yourselves children of God?” As she heard of the sweet closeness of that relationship that God longs to draw her to, the conversation went on to the prophets and she asked, “Who came first, Abraham or Jesus?” She had no idea that this same question was asked of Jesus himself centuries ago! She listened carefully to the testimony of Jesus as the Word that was before all time, but that came to earth as Jesus through the miracle of a virgin giving birth. She was taken aback by the thought that Jesus is God, but continued to ask questions of his death and was enthralled by the details of his resurrection. She said, “We can find all the prophet’s graves, but not the grave of Jesus.” It’s true; there are places people think may be his grave, but because it is empty, it is tricky to know. =) Pray for “Kathy” that she would receive the faith of a child that believes the incredibly mystery of Jesus as Living God and Savior.
Relying on the Wrong Medicines
Zigua people here rely heavily on natural and super-natural medicines that vary from reasonably effective to harmful. Pray that they would be able to put their faith in the Great Physician who is able to heal.
God answering prayer
Recently the little church prayed for rain and as they watched, they saw storm clouds coming! And it rained! The next Sunday a woman gave this testimony: “God answered our prayer for rain. He didn’t fill our water tanks, but He did fill our cups!” Praise God for these faithful believers. May He bring many more.
need for personal repentance
Ladies from the neighborhood congregated at the home of the newborn baby. Conversation swung from how to deal with disobedient growing children to the fires in Israel. Self-righteousness fought with helplessness. One declared with tones of satisfaction that the fire was God’s judgment on Israel for their treatment of Palestine. Another pled with humility for advice to simply get her daughter to obey. Each listened as believers spoke of the root issue always being sin, of God’s love for each nation, of the need for repentance and forgiveness offered at the cross. Pray especially for “Janet” and her daughter, that each will recognize their need for personal repentance and that they would receive the gift of life that they have heard of for years.
multiplying the workers
Pray for two men to be trained in Bible storying who will then go to their villages and share the stories. Pray for God to prepare good soil for the seed and that many would believe!
Turning to the Truth
At a recent seminar, one returning attendee brought a friend. The returning man has something in him that makes him really thirst for the truth, but doesn’t seem able to take the leap to actually GIVE his life to Christ and change. The new friend has studied the Quran and it seems he really “heard” well during the seminar. Please ask that both of these men would find that their hearts understand and are willing to follow Jesus, and that they would be a light where they are.
They Just Couldn’t Wait
After a second session in which they heard the story of creation, the women in a Muslim family asked for another story sooner than planned. They find it difficult to wait a whole week for the next episode. Please pray that as their appetite for God’s Word increases, their spiritual understanding will also widen and deepen, and that when they hear how Jesus fulfilled the prophecies and was our perfect sacrifice, they will take courage and put their faith in Him. Praise God for the openness the women and children exhibit. Pray for the spiritual progress of the men in the family, too.
pray for opportunities
A team of Christians meets twice a month to pray for opportunities to share the gospel in conversations with South Asians who need Christ. So far only two of the team have had those opportunities. Please pray for each person on the team to have at least one conversation about salvation in Christ with a South Asian person in the next few weeks.
Salt Makes Us Thirsty
Mama Naa brought a gift of sea salt – beautiful, white crystalized and fresh harvested from her salt flat. Before that it was chickens. Before that it was cashews & fresh coconut milk. Before that it was tomatoes. Mama Naa has struggled and sacrificed to put her daughters and sons through school by the toil of her hands and has succeeded in doing so. She is hungry to learn all that she can about farming better. She is a light in this community. E had a long visit with Mama Naa on Sunday with talk of the adoption of our children which led into E sharing about being adopted by our Father God and how she can call him Father and speak with him face to face because of her adoption as his daughter because of the Saviour-Son, Jesus. Mama Naa was stunned and intrigued. Pray for more talks. Pray we would be the salt of Christ making our neighbors thirsty for His salvation.
Opposition and Opportunities among the O of East Africa
God’s Word continues to be “sown” broadly through now 3 memory card players out in the communities, and much personal sharing and testifying to the Gospel. Many will listen openly, many oppose even listening. Pray that God’s Word will go forward with Power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.
A Special Graduation
The first Christian school in a village recently graduated its first kindergarten class. Pray for the Muslims who attended, that they will ponder what they heard and saw and seek our believers to understand more.
Jesus Through a Child’s Eyes
One day I saw a tiny little girl in my neighborhood who I had never seen before. She was about a year old, just the age that it would be totally normal for her to be terrified of me and my white skin. But when I sat down near to where she was standing with her brother, she looked right into my eyes and came running at me as fast as her legs would carry her and she fell into my lap and stared up into my eyes for the longest time, smiling. Ever since that day she’s had the same reaction each time she sees me. When she hears my front door opening or hears my voice, she comes running. These days she’s getting a little faster. She continues to stare into my eyes and giggle. I feel so confident that it’s not me she’s looking at, but the One who lives inside of me.
I have been told that based on things I said when I was a baby, I was able to see Jesus and knew Him. I can’t remember those days in my life and I wish I could, but I can look at this little girl and feel confident that whatever it was I saw all those years ago, she’s now able to see in me. Through all my flaws and persistent sin and inability to speak her language fluently, she’s seeing the Spirit that even this broken temple I walk around in can’t dim for a child’s untainted eyes and pure heart.
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” The children in our people group will be hindered from coming to Him in many ways, from false teaching and indoctrination, to growing up with a deep fear of even considering the thought of following Him. Pray that these chains would be broken and they would have the freedom to seek Him out. Pray He would break into their lives in creative ways and help them to recognize His Spirit in their own homes and neighborhoods. Pray that the things they are being taught would not settle into their hearts as truth, but instead that they would hear what is True from others who would be sent to them. Pray for those who are sent to be welcomed to speak stories from God’s Word.
The Prayers of a New Believer
The young South Asian girl who hopes to attend Bible school was very encouraged last week when a group of short-term Australian missionaries came to her church in Kenya. They gave her a donation and encouraged her not to give up hope. Please pray for the Lord to encourage this young believer that her prayers are being answered by a loving Father who is generous and kind. Pray that as she walks through the process of being called into ministry, she will learn how to ask people for prayer and declare her faith in Jesus boldly to those extended family members who she thinks will be shocked by her desire to study the Bible. Praise the Lord that her immediate family are all believers and strongly supported by their new church family.
Released!
The young man who was being tortured for his faith in a psychiatric prison has been released. But he is struggling mentally. Please pray the Lord heals him.
THE WORK FOR CHRIST IS NOT IN VAIN: THE HOPE WINS
“…the people walking in darkness have seen a great light, on those living in the shadow of death, the light has shone…” (Isaiah 9:2)
A witchdoctor converted to Jesus Christ a few weeks ago in one of the Bara villages! Many of the Bara people, and the Malasos (thieves whom we are praying for conversion), saw the transformation that took place in this witchdoctor’s life and also gave their lives to Jesus Christ. At least 140 Bara were baptized!
God is working. The harvest is plentiful. Lift up your eyes.
Could you please pray and praise the name of the Lord? He hasn’t stopped working, and HE WILL accomplish his mission. Blessed be the Name of The Lord.
From the Koran to the Bible
Pray for a young woman who hopes to attend Bible school. Two years ago her family came to Christ out of Islam. No longer does she study the Koran. Pray for the Lord to encourage her faith by providing what she needs and opening the doors for her to study God’s Word.
Sorrow upon sorrow
“Faith” sat with tears at our table again. She was on her way to the dentist and had her phone stolen; then she got a call from her husband’s employer that her husband was taken by the militia. He had been kidnapped in the past for a paltry ransom; this time he was suspected of being a terrorist and held for two days. No money was required. Her brother had an argument with her father and left for Italy on the boat, illegally. She apologized for her tears and said, “Praise God. In all things we praise God.” Please ask Jesus to reveal to her who it is that she is fighting to praise! He is the living water that satisfies! Years ago now, we read John 4 together. She has the Word in her home, but does not know to turn to Jesus there. We receive these sorrows in surrender, begging that they will bring her to her knees before Jesus.
