Pray for Chief Omar, who lives in a large village in Eastern CAR. Recently one of his relatives was kidnapped for ransom by a rebel group (after coming up with the large sum through the extended Mbororo clan, the child was later released). Despite many trials, Chief Omar continues to show a spirit of openness to the Gospel. Pray that God would use him to lead his clan into streams of living water!
Update from others
AWESOME Toposa worship today. The physical size of the church in Kapoeta has more than quadrupled. And it was packed with Toposa women. No men. About half of them are the result of a new church plant last year. The young Toposa leaders love Discipleship. Their joy and love of the Lord is contagious.
Soft hearts
It is the special month of fasting for most people in my community beginning on May 27. Please pray that during this time when they are seeking to earn salvation that God would soften their hearts to understand HIS saving grace. Pray for boldness for me as He gives me opportunities to share.
Light vs darkness
The kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness do not mix; they clash and display their powers. Thanks be to Jesus for He has the victory; light is not overcome by darkness. Evidence of the darkness shows in the communities about- a young man was sacrificed because he was accused of withholding the rain, then heavy rain fell, so the people feel justified in their actions. Please pray for the Light to shine.
A Tragic Happiest Memory
Pray for Hassan, a Form 3 Rendille student. His Christian parents took him to Ethiopia to live when he was a small child. At some point, his grandparents collected him and brought him to Kenya and raised him as a Muslim. He is a bright student and has been in Christian schools most his life. But his happiest memory is when he first was able to fast for Ramadan. Would love for God’s word to penetrate into his heart. He knows the Bible well, but the enemy is strong. Pray for his deliverance.
Sweeter Than Honey
The Nyamwezi are widely known for their skills in beekeeping and harvesting honey. A welcomed guest may be offered honeycomb dripping with sweet honey. Deliciously sweet! This month many spend extra time reading as they fast. Pray that those who have Bibles or are listening to the Bible on audio players will find God’s Word sweet to taste and desire it more than honey. Psalm 119:103 “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”
Seduction of a cult
Pray for protection from a local Christian cult. They follow the teachings of a man called William Branham and among other things don’t believe in the Trinity. They first appeared on the scene about ten years ago and at that time some of the older believers choose to follow them. Now it seems that there is some mixing going on between that group and the local church. There is much to attract them – a charismatic leader, a place to meet for fellowship, and it’s possible that financial incentives may also play a part. Pray for discernment for local believers, that they would recognise the teachings of this cult for what they are. Pray also against the seductive hold money has on the hearts of some believers, pray that God would bring them to true dependence on him.
A Load of Debt
A S. Asian family struggles with a load of debt they incurred before they became believers. Please pray for the Lord to help them pay off their debt and “owe no one anything except to love one another.”
Pray for Aaron
Praise the Lord for His provision of food through the UN last month as well as abundant rain and crops nearing harvest. For now food continues to be tight for many families, but there is hope.
Please pray for Aaron, a church leader at the Ohilang church. Give thanks for his growth in the Lord over the past year and pray that the Lord may continue to grow and strengthen him. Pray for perseverence, boldness and trust in the Lord as he often needs to stand up under cultural pressure.
Young men still raiding
The cattle raiding which had decreased a bit following prayer focus and the chiefs’ of our people group meeting with government leaders and the chiefs’ of the neighboring people group. However the young men are not at all involved in the peace efforts and they are off raiding with a vengeance…and dying! We had two deaths this last week in our village. This afternoon there has been a steady stream of young men with guns, knives,bows and arrows going past our compound to the river to prepare for a raid (they will gather and “seek the counsel” and “sacrifice” we’re told). Pray that the Lord will make Himself known to this group!
Needing work
Please pray for believers to find good business ideas and good financial disciplines. One had a taxi business that worked well for a while, but now people get in his car just to harass and threaten him.
Antandroy who live amongst other people groups- an opportunity.
Antandroy travel to other areas to escape the drought in their area. They make charcoal and plant cassava and rice. In our village on Nosy Be, there are a lot of Antandroy families. Please pray that God would raise up workers to reach out to these people, while they are far away from their homes.
Diaspora Testimonies Affect Arab Families
When Zainab’s foreign believing sister-in-law in America persevered in love in her marriage to Zainab’s alcoholic brother, her view of Christians changed. She sought out Christians in her home city and said she wanted to read the New Testament. Pray that Arabs who have contact with believers will communicate the beauty of Jesus to other family members. Ask that they would be drawn to study the Word.
Is it enough?
Pray for islanders as they fast – some fast because they are seriously seeking to please God, some fast because they always have and always will and have never really thought about it, some fast just because everyone else does, some fast and take pride in their achievement, a very few fast and wonder whether it’s enough.
Hearing About Jesus At the Same Time
As Ramadan has begun, the prayer of our team is that we’ll have opportunities to share with the Digo about who Jesus is. In a local village, one of our team members has been breaking the fast with a Muslim family and has had several opportunities to speak His name to them. Please pray for that family as they continue to observe the fast but are hearing about Jesus at the same time.
Leading One Another to Witness
Praise God last Sunday the local church members taught a Disciple Making Movements seminar to their fellow members in order to help them as a church strategize how they will engage their lost neighbors with the gospel! It is exciting to see the local church members leading & exhorting one another in this way! Pray they will put this training into practice immediately – especially during this oppressive month! May Christ’s kingdom come & His will be done here & now!
Life carries on
The ceasefire seems to be holding, although there have been rumours of sporadic attacks by the government forces and complaints by the opposition party. Loads of folks have returned to their homes and life is carrying on. Many are living in darkness and their eyes need to be opened to the Gospel. Pray that we can make inroads during this period of calmness in spreading the good news.
Teetering on the Brink
The Rendille have strong churches and believers in Christ in some villages, but other villages are teetering on the brink of becoming Muslim instead of traditionally animist. Please pray for many Rendille to become evangelists, traveling to those villages that have not yet embraced the gospel. Pray that they will not exchange one false religion for another.
A Seminar For Seekers
An evangelist was able to do a seminar to which a number of people came who have had significant exposure to the Bible and the gospel through Christians. Please pray that the teacher’s words would take root and they would see the contrasts with their Muslim beliefs, especially during Ramadan.
May She Understand the Victory
A young S Asian woman comes to meet with a missionary. Pray that she would pay good attention and have understanding of the victory we have in Jesus as the One who won all the blessing/merit she needs and also took all her shame upon Himself to give her a completely clean heart before God.
May They Eagerly Seek Assurance
Pray that during Ramadan, Borana believers will find that their Muslim friends and neighbours are eagerly seeking to read Scripture with them and talk to them about how to know for sure that their sins are forgiven and they have the hope of eternal life.
No Longer
Pray that the Nyamwezi will no longer think of their identity as being primarily Muslim, but will begin to identify with Jesus the Messiah, and follow Him.
Time to Meet
Mama Sofia came to visit me tonight bearing a pumpkin gift from her garden & the reminder that she still wants me to come pray for her family even though her daughter has been completely healed from malaria for months now. She wants more prayer & to hear more of God’s story! Praise God! Pray for time to meet & for the Salvation of her whole family!
Freedom for victims
Tsimihety are known for being good at business and travelling from place to place to do so. Unfortunately some of the women get involved with prostitution to make ends meet . Pray that an appropriate ministry would be set up for the freedom of victims of this job.
One Man’s Sin Affects Others
Please pray against discouragement among the new believers when older believers shrink back. Ask for repentance, and pray that believers would stand firm and that their love would not grow cold.
James’ arrival
We are happy to welcome a S brother who has been trained in ministry. He seems to have the patience and wisdom this place requires. Pray for the Lord to open a door for fruitful ministry.
Praise report
More Laarim are being added nearly daily to the Lamb’s Book of Life. Loboyi and Angelo (young believers discipled by Jacob previously) have been key players in this. Among these have been a couple of other young men, another woman (influence of new believer Mary Marko), one of the compound guards (drunkard and problematic in the past, now supportive and eager to grow and no drunkenness since his commitment over a week ago), an old chief dying in his village hut, and others! The lady who prayed to receive Jesus on her deathbed just before we evacuated, went to her Heavenly home just a few days later. Unfortunately the lady who was dying on a neighboring compound here when we returned did not have that opportunity; I failed to share the good news with her on my daily visits thinking I had more time.
Grace to believe
Recently Maman asked for a mega voice recorder so he could listen to God’s word. We were glad that he wanted to hear about our God. We gave him one and since then he has been listening to it. Several times I have visited, and found him listening to it. During Easter I invited him to watch a video on the Old Testament prophecy of Jesus and New Testament life of Jesus. Pray he will believe what he is hearing.
Sharing the stumbling block
For two weeks we talked about the divinity of Jesus, which is a huge stumbling block for Muslims. So it was pretty amazing to go through different passages of the Bible with him looking at how through His words and actions Jesus showed himself to be God. At one point Papa B said, ‘when you say these things, you dishonour God and you dishonour Jesus. Jesus was a great prophet, He healed people, He raised people from the dead – from the dead! And He suffered, He really suffered! How can you say God suffered, that God was defeated, how can you say God died? You dishonour God with these words.’ It’s not often that I get to talk to people who have really understood what we believe and are grappling with the ramifications, but each time I do I marvel at how amazing it will be for them when God reveals that yes He did suffer, yes He did die and He did it for them. Like most here the fact of the incarnation is incomprehensible to Papa B; that God would come down to live in an unclean human body, that He would go through the physical indiginity of being born, and then to go on to die a shameful and painful death. And yet because of this how much more glorious will it be when God opens his eyes? How could it do anything other than draw out the most extravagant devotion and worship?
Antakarana of Diego
Almost the whole community looks like they are fervent M believers during Ramadan time, with their customs and practices: at the offices, at stores, at schools, taxi drivers, sellers on the street, etc…. Pray for a special touch from the Holy Spirit to open their eyes as more people will go to mosques this period. The government gave notice that Koranic schools will be shut down, because they are making students study the Koran too many hours a day. There are complaints from some parents and students about it. Pray for peaceful dialogue.
Finding Forgiveness
This week begins the 30days of fasting –a celebratory Fast. Our friends will have extra prayers and long, hot days with no food or drink; and then a feast each evening filled with delicacies and treats reserved just for this time. When asked what they will pray for this Ramadan, most answer “forgiveness.” Many hope that in keeping this fast, they will find forgiveness. Join us in asking for our friends to find what they seek, but in an unexpected Way!
New School Term
The new school term is about to begin. Please be praying that all the children are allowed to attend and that they truly have a desire to learn. Pray for patience and wisdom for the teachers, that they can show the children the love of Christ.
Cattle thieves give their lives to the Lord
There are quite a few cattle thieves who have given their life to Jesus. They are being trained to take the gospel to their people. Please pray for protection and that trust will be built.
Prayers For Good Renters
Pray for a S. Asian woman whose income has been drastically reduced and who will soon need to rent out her large house and move to a smaller one. Pray that she will see that God answers her Christian friends’ prayers for good renters, and that soon she will be ready for a Bible study.
Ramadan
Pray for believers who are under A LOT of extra pressure this month of Ramadan. This month all men pray five times a day at the mosque – your absence is noted and questions are asked. Some religious teachers teach that if one person in the village doesn’t fast the whole village’s fast is ruined, other families will state that family members who didn’t pray won’t get fed. They also naturally feel a greater sense of isolation and lack of community than normal. I don’t think any of us really has any idea how hard this month must be for believers.
Soil Packed Hard by Disobedient Feet
Pray for new believers facing Ramadan in all-Muslim families. Ask that they will not walk the same path as millions of other feet, hardening the soil by repeated steps trying to earn paradise and refusing the grace of the cross. Ask that instead, through truth, despite suffering, they would plow furrows and break up the ground.
Pray for Sakalava Fishermen
Sakalava fishermen in Nosybe are facing a big challenge with providing for their families for a couple of months now. This has never happened to them before. Please pray for the few believers who are convicted to reach out to their own people, yet passing through the same challenge. Pray that they will stand firm in their faith. Many fishermen question them, “Where is your God in this situation?” Pray for strength and boldness of witness as well as how to answer wisely. Pray that they will not feel intimidated or hopeless.
Love your neighbor
Pray that the people who attended the “Love Your Neighbor” seminar in Tana, will be motivated to begin building relationships with the Indian population so that they can share the good news with them. This is difficult as there is very little interaction between the Malagasy and the Indians. About the only meeting place is in the shops the Indians own. Pray that churches and believers in Madagascar will use this opportunity to reach out to their Gujarati neighbors.
Men of Peace – to Lead.
Ako’s life was saved this week by the power of Jesus after prayer and medical care were given in His name! PTL for God’s gracious miracle of physical saving which was witnessed by all the women of the area. Two days later the women eagerly listened and welcomed the truth of hearing the Gospel from the perspective of Jesus the Savior, Healer and Deliverer. Pray that the men of Ako’s extended family will become ‘men of peace’ and will be willing to study God’s Word and seek to obey it, leading the women and children to do the same – that the whole extended family group may have understanding and repent, believe and receive Jesus as Lord and Savior (turn and be healed). Pray against FEAR and all the schemes of the enemy to snatch these seeds away or choke them out!
Church Leaders
Three area church leaders are currently receiving further training around Uganda. Please pray that they receive sound biblical doctrine in their training. Pray also for the churches to continue to grow, that those in charge while some of the leaders are away will lead the churches well.
