Praise God for two Christian Tanala, Maman’i Prisca and Menja, who are helping the missionaries settle well and are eager to work together for the gospel. Menja is working with the missionary to translate Bible stories into the Tanala language.
This shows that God started to work among the Tanala long before any missionaries came to the area.
Tsara Andriamanitra! (God is good!)
Despite the danger
One Arab brother said, “What kind of Father would put his son in danger? God would not want this for me.” God the Father sent His Son into danger that led to death; and the Son with all authority laid down His life only to take it up again. Pray that each one would value Jesus more than safety and would know that the most loving act of all is to tell others of eternal hope.
Six Baptised in the Ocean
Praise God for 6 believers ocean baptised right here on Easter Sunday! One of them was Serena who gave her life to Jesus on our front porch a few months ago. Another was Baba Franki who rededicated his life to Jesus after his Muslim wife left him & their young children late last year. Pray for these believers to grow in their faith and for others to come to Christ through their testimony.
Testimony of new believer
“It used to be only the school children who learned about God, but now that the missionaries have come, even me who does not know a,b,c,d can learn to follow Jesus,” said Mary Marko a few days after her joyous new birth. The Jesus Film had deeply moved her and the Creation to Christ story by Noblesse translated by Angelo was the clencher for her coming to faith in Jesus. Praise God for this new believer. Pray for peace in Laarim land. Conflict has forced the missionaries to leave for at least several weeks until peace returns.
Young, Hurting and Vulnerable
Please pray for M, a young Muslim woman who fled to the city due to a difficult situation in her home. (Her husband had married another wife). M is young, hurting, and vulnerable. Please pray for her protection and that she would meet believers in the city. Please pray for healing in her family and for her to act wisely.
Community of Morarano
The community of Morarano watched the Jesus Film last Wednesday. Pray that the seeds of the Gospel remain in their hearts and a church be born in this place. More than 90 Bara watched the Life of Jesus. Pray that God protect this people, so involved in witchcraft, that the seeds of truth won’t be stolen by the Devil.
May the Lord provide
Please pray for the Sandawe people and their neighbors as the rains have come to an end with little to show for it this year. There will be little to no harvest for many. Last year’s harvest has run out and food prices are high. They are in need of both physical and spiritual nourishment. May the Lord provide.
Face to face
“I want to believe, but I don’t know how.” This young Berber was talking on FaceTime with another Berber in a different country, hearing about her new faith, about what she was reading in the Injil. Last Monday he met with another believer face-to-face for the first time. Praise Jesus for new contacts over the internet and ask for disciple-makers to follow up each one.
Even Expose Them
Pray that those Zigua who have begun to study the Scriptures and learn about Christ will put their faith in Him and will refuse to participate in the evil deeds of darkness but instead even expose them.
Turning to the Lord
Pray for the drought in Gabbra regions to be over, and that during the season of Ramadan, many Gabbra people will reject their old ways of salvation and will turn to the Water of Life, Jesus Christ.
Plentiful Rains, Floods
Now that the rains have started on the south coast of Tanzania, they have brought flooding. Some people have lost houses. Some have lost their whole crop of sesame, which was to be sold for income for the year for their families. Please pray for the Lord’s compassion, and that the tragedies would provide opportunities for Christians to show Christ’s love and share the gospel freely.
Steadfast and Immovable
Pray that those who are sharing the gospel among the Rangi will be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that their labor is not in vain in the Lord.
Strength to stand firm
The dad’s offer of a nice young wife for his son seems so appropriate. BUT – the son is a young believer, and the nice young wife is one of the top madarasa (Islamic training) students around and from a strongly ‘religious’ family. Pray for God’s wisdom and grace for ‘Calvin’ as he asks and seeks for how to respond. Praise God for wonderful godly counsel from ‘Jake’, who went through the same thing 10 years ago – and now has been blessed with a wonderful Christian wife and son – after standing firm and going through much persecution.
Many Come to Christ
Pray that in the time leading up to Ramadan, many Somalis will hear and believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and by believing will have life in His name. Pray that during Ramadan their testimony will have a powerful impact on those who are still hoping to gain God’s favour by good works.
Those Who Are Actively Going
The Samburu have a reproducing, indigenous church, but there are still villages and large remote areas of the tribe that do not have the gospel. Pray for those who are actively going to those areas, that they will find many receptive people and that churches will be planted.
Terrible Need and Gracious Rescue
Pray that God will use this devastating famine to draw people to Himself. Many are struggling to survive, watching their means of support and source of food (animals) dying in front of their eyes. Even our schools are struggling to afford food for the students. Prices have tripled since January. Pray for people’s terrible need–and God’s gracious rescue–to turn many to Christ.
Planned But Not Yet Started
Please pray for a ladies’ Bible study group, being planned with an Alagwa believer. It has not yet started, maybe in part due to good rains which have meant that farming is taking much of the ladies’ time. Please pray that God will make this group happen in his way and time. Please pray for a continued passion in the heart of the Alagwa believer to see her friends and neighbours hear God’s word and find his truth.
Needing boldness
This Saturday a few brothers and sisters will gather together for only the second time in years in this huge city with millions of people. While they were before Jesus in prayer last week, they were bold, but after they separated, fear crept in again. Pray for boldness in proclamation and boldness in gathering.
Swearing to Their Own Hurt and Not Changing
In spite of the devastating drought, the local Rendille church members have been supporting their pastor and partially supporting an evangelist in a daughter church every month, as they had just committed to do before the drought began. This is an amazing show of faith and maturity and sacrifice. Pray for them to continue and not lose heart.
Every Bit of It Is True
For eight months I’ve been reading through the Gospel of Luke with my househelper. Last week after reading about Jesus’ death and resurrection, I asked her what she thought of it. She said confidently and boldly that she believes every bit of it is true. She says she is a Muslim but also understands that if she confesses with her mouth and believes in her heart that Jesus was raised from the dead, she is saved. I suspect there could be many other people who genuinely believe, without access to His Word, fellowship or teaching. Please pray especially for them, that God would lead them to believers who can help them grow in their faith.
A New Friendship
A young South Asian woman came to decorate two Christian women’s hands with henna for a wedding, someone they had never met. During the course of the conversation it became evident she would like to have ongoing contact, and she listened to one believer’s testimony of trusting God during trials. Pray for the friendship to grow, and for her salvation and that of her family.
Healing the Hearts
The O believer’s child, H, whose one eye was blinded has been to the eye specialists. The eye is pronounced dead. The family responsible for the accident has been rude and had not said one word about being sorry. H’s family struggled with feelings of anger and resentment. Finally the whole family gathered with our mission team to look at all that Jesus had to say about forgiveness, loving our enemies and praying for those who persecute us. H’s parents chose to obey Jesus, and forgive the guilty family. They led their children to also forgive. Two days later the family who caused the injury unexpectedly came to H’s parents to apologize and assure them they would try to pay for all the expenses! Praise God for this miracle of healed hearts and relationships. Pray that H’s whole family, and all the O believers involved will be encouraged and strengthened to speak boldly of the grace and forgiveness made possible through Jesus the Messiah. Pray for understanding of God’s grace in all His Truth for many O – the healing of many O. hearts!
Stepping Out in Prayer
Praise God for an Alagwa believer. She shared how she had been praying for her husband as things had not been good between them. Previously, she had gone to one of the team for prayer. This last week, some of the problems began to reoccur, so she just started to pray on her own, and saw God change the situation around. What an encouragement to see her stepping out in prayer.
Happy To Listen With All Her Friends There
Praise God for an Alagwa lady who was really excited to hear about Jesus at a Christmas party. She is now listening to the Bible stories in Alagwaisa and loves to hear them and wants to know about God. Praise God that two other Alagwa women are involved in sharing Jesus with her, and that she is also happy to listen with all her friends being there. Please pray that she and her whole family will follow Jesus together.
Health related challenges
The Fulani face lots of health challenges related to their lifestyle. Pray that they will understand what new practices they need to adopt to be healthy. Pray that openness to new ways of living will include openness to new life in Jesus!
Life-Giving Rains
Please pray for the Zigua. Finally the life-giving rains are here. Everything is green and new. People have planted their maize, though it’s early days, the crop looks solid. But so does the grass. As fast as the maize grows, the weeds are faster. Each morning our little village empties out as people go to hoe the weeds out of their fields and keep the birds at bay. As they go out to tend to their fields, we pray for the spiritual harvest. We too, pray that the birds of the air, will not steal our scattered seed. We pray that the soil is good. We pray that the weeds will not choke out our tiny plants. We long for the Kingdom to arrive here. Please pray with us.
Physical and Spiritual Hunger During Famine
Because of the ongoing drought in north Kenya, God’s people have been sending funds so the local church can purchase and distribute food. When the food is distributed, 2 Rendille evangelists share God’s Word. Over 90 “Treasures” (Bible solar players) have been given out, as people beg for spiritual as well as physical food. The Rendille pastor in charge continues to ensure fair distribution to all, setting up systems and observing financial accountability for all purchases. A Muslim leader asked our pastor where the food was coming from. The man then thanked our pastor for his work.
“And You Will Be In Front To Lead Me”
Please pray for one Alagwa man who started following Jesus some time ago but has been struggling and has avoided fellowship with other believers. Last week, he prayed a prayer of repentance. He told God “I will be behind, and you will be in front to lead me.”
PLEASE PRAY for this man; that this prayer will continue to ring in his heart, and will bear fruit in his life. The battle is real, but God is faithful.
Film Jesus: The seeds are been planted
Please pray that the Jesus Film, shown in the villages of: Ambatomanga, Fandranarivo, Mananove, Ambatomasy, Lanabinda, Bararata, and Beharena, to about 800 people in total (most of them Bara), would continue changing lives and bringing people back to God through the Work of the Cross?
Pray also that God rebukes satan and his demons and prevents them from taking away the seeds of the Gospel sown in those hearts.
captive freed
The Somali man who was captured by bandits and held for ransom has been freed after the ransom was paid by his extended family. He is on his way Europe. Pray he will find Jesus there.
Plight of women
Girls are married when they are still very young, from the age of 12 years old. Pray that the light of God will shine and change people’s attitude and worldview. Women have long days. They work from 5 in the morning till late evening. Pray for them, like Hagar, to see the God who sees them.
Fighting Schoolgirls
Praise God for two young women who heard an explanation of how the Bible speaks to the problem of anger. One of them said she would send Psalm 37 to her school friends who were involved in fighting. Pray for them to see that only the Bible has answers to life’s problems. May they have a hunger to know what other issues it addresses.
Easter’s King of Glory
Easter weekend we had two showings of The King of Glory movie. The first night there were some glitches and low attendance, but the second night went smoothly and more people came to see it. One of those was an evangelist, who has asked if the movie could also be shown in his village. Now there are plans to do that. Pray for the people who saw the movie at Easter will remember what they learned and put their faith in Christ as the promised Messiah and King. Pray for good attendance at the next showing, and that the evangelist will be helped in his ministry through the things people learn about Jesus as they watch. Praise the Lord for answering prayer.
Broken families
We see the broken families all around us. Men refusing to take
responsibility for the needs of their families living only for their
wants, addictions, pleasure. ‘Father hunger’ is huge in our city. May
hearts be changed by our Good, Good Father. May He draw whole
families to Himself.
That’s a Good Message
Earlier this month we celebrated a dear friend’s birthday. On the way to the restaurant, she was expressing frustration over how difficult her sister is to live with. I responded to her, saying that Jesus taught us we have to forgive people. I said, “And in fact, Jesus tells us to not only forgive, but to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us.” She thought about it and then said, “Really? Jesus said to do that?” I shook my head and she (jokingly) said, “Well then I’m going to start following Jesus. That’s a good message.”
Please pray with us that God would hold back the darkness in our friends’ lives, that in moments like these, the forces of evil that wage war for our friends’ souls would be held back long enough for our friends to feel the warmth of the Light of Truth and Love. Pray for Christ’s power and authority to break the chains of deception for the Swahili people.
Rainy Season Chats
The rains have finally come to the coast of Tanzania. As people are confined at home during the downpours, please pray they will listen to recorded Bible stories and talk together as families, making the decision to become followers of Jesus Christ.
School update
Praise God for his work in the new schools on the Ik ridge as the first term is now coming to an end! Although the number of students fluctuates daily, praise God for this provision for the Ik. Continue to pray that the Ik children develop a deep desire to learn and go to school. Pray that their parents allow them to attend, despite the fact that they will have less hands helping with the garden and chores. Pray that God gives the teachers lots of patience and that they can show the children the love and grace of God.
He Has Lost So Much; May He Find Christ
The grown son in a S. Asian Hindu family has lost his business and his reputation, his wife and children, his friends. But his mother and older brother and family have become believers in Christ. Pray that he also will come to know Christ through their witness, and that his wife and family will be restored to him.
Sheep Need Feeding
Many residents of Tsumkwe town continue to live without the understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The few who profess to believe hardly get the nurturing that is needed to come to the knowledge of the truth and live in it. Informal research by Gospel workers living in Tsumkwe has found that most of the people are nominal ‘Christians’. Please pray that the few Christian leaders would prioritize feeding the flocks with God’s word. Oftentimes the leaders are so busy with many other things that they have no time for the sheep.
Why Do We Still Sacrifice?
After watching the story of Abraham, the Prophets and Jesus as the final sacrifice, a man wondered: if Jesus is the final sacrifice, why in the Gabbra culture are there still those rituals of sacrifice? As we explained to him the meaning of the cross and that there is freedom in Jesus Christ he decided to follow Jesus. Pray that he continues to seek for answers and may he be completely free from customs and rituals. Pray he be a witness among his own people.
