Please pray for wisdom to know which M people will be the ones who become faithful disciples of Jesus, good storytellers and leaders and examples who can disciple others, also. Pray that these people will emerge and will receive training, encouragement and discipleship.
Peace, Truth, and no more Fear
Last Sunday we met with the new believers and asked them what was so sweet to them about their new faith. One said now that he trusts in Jesus, he is at peace because he knows Jesus is sovereign over his life and so anything that happens to him is in Jesus’ control. Another shared that it is so good to be able to know and understand truth from God’s Word. His wives both expressed that now they are not afraid, before they lived in fear of spirits, of the dead, of ghosts, of going places, and of meeting new people. Now they have no fear because Jesus is with them. Now there is peace in their home, unlike their neighbors and relatives who are constantly in conflict with one another.
Praise God for these new believers and pray they will continue experience the sweetness of Jesus and share it with others.
Inroads into Men’s Hearts
Pray for effective outreach to S. Asian men with the gospel. Many times their wives are in contact with Christians but unless the men also hear and respond to God’s Word, whole families are not saved. Pray for inroads to their hearts, and for contact and conversations with Christians who will share Christ with them.
This Land Is Being Shaken
There’s been about a year and a half since a Bible Study was started in a certain Gabbra community where the majority of the people are Muslims. And through the faithfulness of some believers, this land has seen the power of our Sovereign Lord through the Christians’ testimony and Jesus’ miracles. “Since we began gathering to pray and study the Word of God, this land is being shaken and people wonder who is this God we serve.” Please continue to pray that each believer in this land be a faithful witness of Jesus’ love, mercy and power over all darkness.
Reading the Bible
The books of Genesis, Ruth, and Mark in the Bible have been translated into Icetod. Although most of the Ik have not been taught to read their language, some men know how to read in English or the neighboring language of Nga-Karimojong. With some encouragement, they have attempted to read these books of the Bible, and get so excited when they realize they can read it! They have been really excited to read the Bible in their heart language. After reading the book of Mark, one pastor exclaimed “This is what I preached about on Sunday, but it’s in my language!” Please pray for continued excitement and interest in the Bible in Icetod, that the Ik have an unquenchable thirst for the word of God!
A Hopeless Ceremony
Today I was invited to attend the final funeral ceremony for the elderly brother of 2 good friends – Bibi C (an elderly new believer) & Binti O (who has agreed to have me come share God’s Story with her). While I sat, I could observe the men outside with the Imam (mosque leader) chanting Arabic rites over incense to Allah. I asked the ladies what he was saying, but none spoke Arabic & they could only guess that he was pleading with Allah to be favorable to the dead man & grant him entrance into paradise, because after this ceremony there was nothing else that could be done for the salvation of the dead man.
Pray for God to keep opening the doors, keep giving us the words to bring hope to the hopeless. Pray the seeds of the gospel will take root in the hearts of our beloved neighbors. Jesus Christ changes everything!
Sad and Feeling Alone
The boy mentioned earlier, Abdi, came to his senses after much prayer. He has left Korr to be with his parents who live elsewhere. He still needs prayer. The school is allowing him to return the end of August when our final term begins, but he is returning under a number of conditions. Pray for the young man – he is sad and feels alone in the world. His family has given up on him, basically due to his anger issues. He needs Jesus. May this last term be one that touches his heart.
Veil to be removed
As an Arab woman listened to the story of how a friend had heard of Jesus and come into the light. She said that she was interested but frustrated when she heard about the Trinity. Please pray for the veil to be removed and for God to reveal Himself to her and others like her as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Turning to the Living God
Pray that the Zigua will turn from Islam, from witchcraft, from traditions and from anything else that they have trusted in, and will put their hope in the Living God and worship His Son Jesus and look eagerly for His soon return.
Water!
Praise God for successful drilling of a borehole that has brought forth plentiful water to a village where fresh water was inaccessible. It is wonderful that so many are blessed immediately and may drink from this well! All are amazed and rejoicing to see fresh water come forth from ground that has long been dry. May villagers recognize that this water is from God and desire to know Him. Pray for continued proclamation of the Gospel in the area and receptive hearts to receive living water (John 7:37-39)
Home For a Week
During Kenya elections, a S. Asian family are all home for a week, school and work cancelled. Pray that there will be many open doors to share Christ with them as they spend their free time with Christian friends.
Deeply Loyal and Newly Interested
One of the men in our town has been a deeply loyal friend and neighbor to all of us over the years. He has been wrestling to find the Truth for years, going back and forth between following Islam but intrigued by Jesus. A few months ago a short term team came to visit our town and a couple of them have been able to stay in touch with this man. Because of their conversations, he recently said he has been inspired to start reading the Bble again. Please pray that as he engages the Word of God, the Spirit will open his eyes to its Truth and lead him to surrender his life to Jesus.
Needing to hold fast
As family members threatened death and fellow believers were followed and also threatened, he turned to the small group of believers and said, “I’m ready to die for Jesus, are you? ” Ask that believers would hold tightly to Jesus!
Pastor Bargokwet in Keringet
Pray for Pastor Silas Bargokwet as he oversees six church plants in the Keringet Forest. Pray for strength and wisdom to serve these scattered churches. Pray for young leaders he can disciple to be future church leaders.
Protection and Safety
Pray for the Somalis in Kenya for their protection and safety. The outcome of the Kenyan elections is so unpredictable. They are fearful that they will be removed from this country. Let’s pray that the leader elected by the people for the people will be compassionate enough for them to stay in this country.
Praises for Rain
June was a very dry month for the Ik, and they complained that the sun had burned their crops. The village elders were busy performing sacrifices in the dry river bed in order to bring rain, with no success. One man even mentioned that maybe God had gone away on holiday and forgotten about them. But during the month of July, we have had rain at least three days per week. When the rains finally began one Sunday, some people said, “We prayed for rain this morning in church! God has heard our prayers and has brought us rain!” Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Please pray that God continues to provide rain to sustain the fields here. Pray also that the Ik come to know that God alone is in control of the rains, and that their animal sacrifices are futile.
A God who closes and opens eyes
A local brother who lives in a distant village was going to visit an old, poor, sick relative. He planned to bring him the hope of the gospel and had in his bag a copy of the NT. But somehow some men in the town got wind of his visit and came in the house looking to make trouble. They pulled his NT from his bag and took a close look at it. Miraculously, after a careful look one man said, “Why this is a just a copy of our book.” He handed the NT to another man who agreed with him and said that this was “their book”. Then they apologized for the intrusion and left. Praise for our Father blinding the eyes of those who would make trouble as he opens the eyes of those who are searching for Him.
Five Faithful
Pray that God will provide five faithful men and women who will put their faith in Christ and be gifted by the Holy Spirit to teach Scripture and make other disciples. May the Lord bring a movement of disciples making disciples among the M.
Openly Confessing and Following
Please pray that the Samburu in the village of Lchakwai will respond freely and openly to the gospel. Pray that the men will begin to openly confess Christ and seek to learn what it means to follow Him. Pray for five men to take an open stand and begin attending church services.
Vivid Dreams
As we have often prayed for dreams and visions for our people here, one specific friend is always heavy on my heart because I know she has had many vivid dreams in the past that have gotten her attention. The other day she told me she wished that sometime she would have a dream that came true, for example that she would dream she was given money and it came. I told her that night that I was going to pray and ask God to give her dreams about things that are true and she should also. She agreed and told me she was excited to come share with me any dreams she has from here on out. Please ask the Lord to give her vivid dreams of Truth about who He is, dreams that she cannot shake and that will stir in her heart a desire for New Life.
Growing Spiritually
Praise the Lord that the Rendille church is growing spiritually, and that there are Rendille believers taking the gospel to other villages where people need teaching. The Rendille are traditionally animists (dealing with spirits) but Islam is making inroads. Pray that the influence of Islam will be broken and that even the Islamic leaders will be saved.
The greatest is Love
A young woman asked, “Can you sing a song of love?” As she listened to a song from I Cor 13 and read the passage, she told stories of counterfeit selfish hurtful love. She is memorizing the song of truth now. Pray for women to learn about and receive Christ’s steadfast enduring love.
Seeds being sown
Pray for the seed that is being sown among the Ndau. Pray for those who hear the message, that Satan will not come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and be saved.
Bibles Given and Given
Please pray for more and more Borana to learn to read and receive Bibles. A Borana church loves to order Bibles and give them away to people who still need Jesus. Pray that through this Bible distribution many will be saved.
They Have Heard But Still Resist
Please pray for a number of Rangi who have heard the stories of the Bible and the gospel for several years now, yet have not decided to put their faith in Christ. Pray for a breakthrough.
Through Them
Pray that through the witness of those who have come to faith in Christ, many more Ndengereko will be saved. Pray that they will continue to stand firm and not return to the practice of Islam.
In a Turmoil
Please pray for the turmoil in the hearts of some in our village. We’ve been walking with a young father who has much sin in his life. He wants to follow Jesus and his commands, but is afraid to lose his wife and children. He is pleading with us Christians to share the good news with his wife and see if she will respond. We have been doing this. Pray for a positive response. Our local imam is also in turmoil. Yesterday morning he used his morning call to prayer to warn people against our deception. He saw our giving vegetables to neighbors as a threat. He warned them that we are trying to lead them off track. Pray that the veil would be lifted and he would see things as they really are!
Speed the Process
Please pray that as the Dorobo churches continue to grow and multiply, the support and encouragement of western missionaries will speed the process. Praise the Lord for the godly men God has raised up to lead this movement to Christ. Pray for those who are still without Christ, especially older men who are addicted to honey wine. Pray that as they put their faith in Christ, He will deliver them from alcoholism.
Living water
She had a dream of a white house surrounded by white flowers. Inside was a faucet. As she drank from the faucet, she found it sweet and satisfying and woke with her thirst quenched. She later read John 4 about Jesus as living water. Ask that Berbers would continue to receive dreams and be satisfied in Jesus.
Unity Demonstrating Christ
Please pray that the unity among believers in the Sandawe area will be a clear demonstration that Jesus is the Christ. Pray that many Sandawe who are hearing the Scriptures in their own language will put their faith in Him, and that they will be welcomed into local churches and grow.
Less and Less Receptive…Yet Burdened with Sadness
Continue to pray for the salvation of a Muslim S. Asian family. The very sad death of a dear uncle this week is reminding them again that life is uncertain. Since Ramadan they seem less open to the gospel. We are asking God to remove the blocks in their hearts, reveal the utter hopelessness and futility of their religion, and bring them all to the conclusion that Christ is the way, the truth and the life. Please pray that the funeral of this uncle will prompt them to deeply question the foundations of their beliefs.
No Other Name
Please pray for the Holy Spirit to give the Zaramo a recognition of their own sinfulness and God’s holiness. Pray that they will realise that all their works of “righteousness” are like filthy rags. Pray that they will hear and believe that there is no other name than Jesus whereby they can be saved, and that He who knew no sin became sin for them, so they could receive the righteousness of God through Him.
Grazing Areas and Water Holes
Pray that as outreach to the Gabbra in the northern deserts of Kenya continues, that those who are coming to faith in Christ will spread the word about His salvation as they follow their flocks and herds to the grazing areas and the water holes.
Rejoice over a lost sheep found
Praise God for a new female believer in Vanilla Island. After watching a video that took her through God’s story from creation to the second coming she said “I’m not even in His family and yet he carried my sins and they are really heavy! He loves me so much!’” Pray that she would daily grow in her faith and that she would develop a deep intimacy with J. Pray that God would place an urgency and a passion for sharing him with others. Pray that her husband would see her being changed by God’s love and recognise he needs what she has discovered!
Filling the void
The Ik have recently been working on a road project and getting paid in large lump sums. Instead of saving the money, many people have been using it on hard liquor and getting drunk which has caused trouble in their communities. Please pray that God works in the hearts of the Ik, that they may see the harmful effects of heavy drinking, and desire to use their money in other ways. Pray that ultimately, they recognize that the void they are trying to fill with alcohol, can be filled to overflowing with the love and grace of Jesus Christ, and choose to follow Him.
Following the Good Shepherd
Pray that as the Datooga follow their flocks and herds, they will learn about Jesus, the good shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep. Pray that those who can read will regularly share Scripture with those who can’t.
Tell us more!
An island sister was recently preparing wedding food with a large group of women when some of the women started talking about the way God was responsible for all the evil in the world as well as the good. They brought our sister into the conversation and she was able to tell them that she didn’t agree. She then had the entire audience of women captivated as she told them the story of creation all the way to Cain and Abel. Afterwards women were asking her how she knew these things and if she could tell them more! Praise God for this sister’s boldness and ask that she would be encouraged to step out more and more in faith to share the good news. Pray that God would bless these women with a strong hunger to hear more, and that they would seek her out for more stories.
The Next Generation
Please pray that the Borana church will continue boldly sharing the gospel in those towns and villages that still remain mostly Muslim. Pray that believers will be trained in the Scripture and that the next generation of Borana believers will be eager to follow Christ even more passionately than their parents did. Pray that Borana believers will begin to share Christ with neighbouring tribes who formerly were their enemies.
Godly Tanzanians Sharing the Gospel
Praise God for the godly Tanzanians He has sent to our team! These are skilled professional men & women sacrificing to work in the most impoverished, marginalized unreached region of Tanzania to reach the Swahili for Christ. In the world’s eyes it is utter foolishness to choose to serve where we are! God has recently filled 2 desperately needed positions with an overqualified accountant and a couple who is well known for their Christian leadership & integrity on a national level. The accountant is willing to work for a fraction of the salary he deserves and the couple has turned down a salary because they are able to live off their own personal investments & income. We are in awe of how God builds His Kingdom. Pray He will protect our team from the evil one, sin and temptation. Pray that our team DNA will be that of Christ and His Cross – that we would die to ourselves so that Christ will be made famous among the Swahili.
Not forgotten
Her niece is a believer and begged, “Please don’t forget her, she’s close!” A few days later, her aunt turned her wrist to show the pattern of her veins spelling God in Arabic. “Whenever I feel alone, I look at my wrists and see God does not forget me.” Then a believer showed her Isaiah 49:15,16 where God declares we are engraved on His hands and never forgotten and she heard of Jesus’ wounds on the cross. Pray that Berbers will know of the cross and that they have not been forgotten.
