We had a community-wide outreach back in June, and it was a great opportunity to do evangelism with the local church, show the Jesus Film and encourage one another. Since then, we’ve been able to do several children outreaches and showings of the Jesus Film in out lying villages, and we’re planning another one for August 26. Please pray for us as we continue to follow-up on recent outreaches and prepare for the next one. Pray the seeds of the gospel would fall on good soil and bear much fruit for His glory.
Serve the living God
As I walk through nearby villages, I see trees set apart and sometimes even surrounded by strong walls, with cow skulls hanging from the branches. Sometimes food offerings are left there. This is all related to the ancestral worship. Let us pray that the Tsimihety people will see the light of Jesus Christ, and serve the living God rather than the dead.
Way to have fellowship
Continue praying for Z, who has heard enough to understand but who is reluctant to go against her family.
Pray for Z’s brother “Oswald,” who is a language helper for one of the team. He declares that he’s a Muslim but not really into religion as he sees his sister Z severely handicapped. Pray that in language study and chatting afterward, he might hear and understand that following Christ is not just religion but a living way to have fellowship with God.
IDLF
Pray for the IDLF (intensive discipleship and leadership formation) training that will go for one month in Sept. Fourth generation leaders from TNJ (Toposa, Nyang’atom, and Jiye) will come for deep teaching.
Pray for churches to stand firm and leaders in TNJ, who have experienced minimal persecution but many are discouraged. Pray for them.
Sharing testimony
Tomorrow (Wednesday) Lucia and her son, both Laarim believers who have been in Torit for the last few years, will be going out to Kimatong for 10 days to visit family and members of the community she is from. They are both very excited for the opportunity to share their faith and testimony with the Laarim. Pray that the story of what God has done in their lives would deeply impact all who hear them, and that God would open hearts to receive his gift of grace.
That they may stand
Continue to pray for our local brothers & sisters in prison for their faith. Historically, they have 2 choices…to recant OR stay in prison, which may lead to the death sentence. Pray for them to stand strong in the face of extreme pressure and persecution.
Surrender to Jesus
Please pray for Mama Zubeda and her family. Mama Zubeda is a believer and shares the recorded Bible passages in Alagwaisa with her family particularly. She loves Jesus and listening to the Bible too.
She asked her husband if she could get baptised, but he said not yet. (He is not a believer, and isn’t ok even to be prayed for, although he also really enjoys listening to scripture.)
Please pray for Mama Zubeda to grow in her understanding of God’s love for her and that she take time to listen to the Holy Spirit. Please pray for boldness and courage to obey him. Please also pray for her husband, Dosla, and their 12 children to surrender to Jesus.
Tormented
Would you join us in asking again for Sharon to be freed from a tormenting evil spirit and that all former ties would be broken? We are going to be fasting today and then from 4 pm onward asking again for the Holy Spirit to give release and victory. We know He is able to deliver fully. May His name be exalted and our sister be delivered and strengthened.
Ministries
Thank God for the opportunity to serve in local schools. Pray that many students will be transformed.
Thank God for the Youth program. Pray that those who are still in bondage to drugs will be set free by Christ.
Pray for the women’s ministry. Some women are facing challenges, pray that God will help them stand firm.
Value, worth, and honor
Diaspora in Spain: Praise for continued conversations with an S friend about value, worth and honor. Please pray that she would come to see the high price that Christ has paid to redeem her.
Islanders abroad
Rachel has returned from the islands so the family is reunited and we continue to visit each week as we have done for the past 9 years. They have heard many stories in that time and we have seen increasing understanding. Continue to remember them that they would recognise their need of a change of heart. Pray too for us that we would know what to share with them each week.
Hospital outreach
The youth from one of the churches are planning to start visiting patients in the hospital. They hope to be able to pray together with patients and also show love in practical way by giving out soap and sugar. Please pray for opportunities to show and speak of Christ’s love, and for the opportunity for discipleship among the youth.
“And when he [the Holy Spirit] comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgement.” John 16:8
Please pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit amongst the Karimojong, that there will be conviction of the realities of sin, righteousness and judgement. May there be a deep understanding of why Jesus came and what he offers to us.
Come along side
Diaspora in France: Praise God for the deep discussions we’ve had with various friends when they have visited us at home.
Pray for wisdom with one Iranian friend who is seriously struggling in her faith and believes God doesn’t love her anymore because of the hardships she’s experiencing. Pray for her heart and for us as we come alongside her.
Rebuffed
There is a village near us that hasn’t yet experienced the Truth that sets free. During this past week, one of our ministry partners went there with a team to share their faith (all from their own tribe). However, the team was sent away, as the village does NOT accept Christians among themselves.
Today, in the neighboring village, where we have weekly Bible studies, we had an amazing time of prayer, declaring salvation over the lives of those villagers.
Pray with us, cry out for God’s manifestation to them, that ministering angels visit them and that soon, we hear testimonies to the Glory of our Father God!
Isolated
There are a few brothers and sisters who have no connection with other local followers. The suspicion and fear and lack of trust is profound. Pray for those in isolation. Ask for them to be willing to seek fellowship around the Word.
Meal
Diaspora in Florida: Praise my friendship with a young Muslim man “Larry” continues to grow in love and in truth. Pray that God would pierce Larry’s darkness of mind and heart with the light of the gospel.
Pray for the Aug 19 meal with Baptist Church and Islamic Center. The imam will talk for 15 minutes about Jesus in the Quran and the pastor will talk for 15 minutes about Jesus in the Bible. This was the imam’s idea!
Holiday Club
Pray for the children and young people who attended the holiday club in July and August, that they ponder what they heard and respond to the Lord calling them to trust and follow Him.
Pray for those from Ambodimadiro who are studying the Bible through T.E.E. – that they might grow in their faith and love for the Lord.
Darfur update
Regarding the security situation in Darfur, western Sudan: In Darfur there is still fighting and many displaced people are there because of the war. I thank God because DCA is still doing a good ministry among the Sudanese community in this situation. In the past 3 months,13 people accepted Christ and 147 heard the Good news. Pray many more will accept Christ. And pray for an end to the war.
Point to the Light
Pray for the local elementary school that serves 800 Rangi children. Pray for more Christian teachers and helpers to point the students to the light. Pray for the children to hear and accept the good news.
Camps
This year our 2 summer camps are Aug. 14-19 for teenagers, and 21-26 for children. We thank you for praying for these camps: that hearts may be transformed, that we will all be protected from any accident or illness, that the staff will be committed and united and that we will all have the joy and strength to carry out this ministry.
Translation projects
Continue to pray for the Bible translation projects among the Sandawe and the Rangi. Fred and Karen, SIL missionaries, have moved to Dodoma and will be working with the Sandawe and Rangi Bible translation projects. Pray for good progress. Also pray for plans to come together for a Missions Awareness conference for AICT (Africa Inland Church Tanzania) upper leadership.
Fired
Please pray for our sister Joy. She managed to get a cleaning job this summer but was fired for talking with her colleagues about Jesus. Ask for peace and courage in the face of this disappointment. Pray also that her husband Simon, who is not a believer, would come to see that Jesus is worth it!
Church building
Construction of the church building in our community continues. Please pray for God’s provision in all needed resources – workers, knowledge, funds, equipment, etc. Please pray also that the local church would continue to take ownership of this project and not become discouraged.
We have several new seekers reaching out and asking questions. Please pray that they would become convicted by the Truth of the gospel and seek to grow in their knowledge about Jesus.
Pray many will believe
Diaspora in Georgia: Pray for many immigrants in our ESL classes to believe the gospel and come to Christ this year.
Pray for a discovery Bible study at the Pregnancy Center to be well-attended by immigrants, even some Muslims who would not be afraid to participate in a group setting.
Pray for a Bible study in the home of an African Christian who wants her neighbors in the mobile home park to know the Lord.
Pray for an international Bible study in my home this fall to be well attended and to help new believers grow.
Word being shared
The Word of the Lord is being shared among the Laarim! Two months ago, we started two new evening Bible studies. We are now seven weeks into a twenty-five-week Bible story set at the home of Lonyia and at the home of Pellegrino. It has been wonderful seeing kids start to take over leading the worship songs. People faithfully share praises and prayer requests. Wow, praise the Lord! Apart from these two homes, Love and I (Tessa) continue to share out in the village of Karamarok and at the home of Susanna, one of our believing friends. I also share at the home of Natiote in Chawa, while David continues to faithfully meet with Kalifa as they spend time in the Word together. Praise God! Pray for the Word to work in people’s hearts and for the Spirit to ‘convict them of sin, and righteousness and judgment’ John 16:8.
Fearless hearts
May the Berber believers know that in this world we have tribulation but Jesus has overcome the world. May they live victoriously with fearless hearts.
Terminally ill
Pray for a friend of mine who is terminally ill. It has been difficult to visit her as she is so sedated she’s always asleep. Pray for God’s help for these visits and for more opportunities to share Truth with this woman and her family.
Translation check
We are now in Addis Ababa for advisor check and consultation for the book of Mark to be complete and recording to start. Also Luke advisor check to be completed so that the Jesus film can be dubbed.
We are also working on Matthew, John, Titus, Jude, 1,2, and 3 John, James, and Philemon.
Please keep praying for us for God’s wisdom in translating well.
Find salvation
Pray for Ibrahim to continue to ask questions about Jesus and for God to open his eyes to the Truth. I have shared with him a lot, and he has audio recordings of the scripture. He loves to watch the Jesus film. Pray for Ibrahim and his son to find salvation in Jesus Christ.
New group of believers
Recently we visited a Gabbra community near the Ethiopia border, and they had heard the gospel from a shepherd and are now 40 believers! We spent the day celebrating Jesus Christ with these dear brothers and sisters. It was 3 hours of non-stop worship with songs and dance. After Eddy had shared the Good News, the elder of the village said: “We want to know more about this culture of Jesus, and please don’t stop coming to teach us how to be Christians.”
Next visit, we will be sharing the Jesus film and it is our prayer that the story of Jesus’ life brings them more understanding of God’s great provision of salvation for all humans!
Pray that they continue rejoicing in the presence of God and His almighty Love.
Neighborhood trauma
Diaspora in Toronto: Pray for our neighbourhood traumatized from gunshots in the apartment complex where most of our friends live while our bike clinic was operating, then machine gun fire a block from our home; murder suspect wounded by police. Pray that our home will indeed continue to be the House of Peace and Reconciliation (“Guriga Nabaddda iyo dib u Heshiisiinta”). Pray for more openness to our message of peace in Jesus.
Need to be careful
Pray for i3 believers, especially sister E and her family. A friend of E’s husband was at a meeting at the big gov office on i3. There was a discussion about a new faith that was spreading rapidly, and they identified E as the leader. The friend defended E as a good person, but warned her husband that they need to be careful. Pray for peace for them, and wisdom in what to do about an upcoming retreat being hosted on i3. They don’t want to cancel it, but do want to do it in a less open way than they often would.
Let the little children come
Pray for the children of believers here. Training them in truth can be risky for the parents in the community. Especially for those who remain secret followers. There is strong local pressure to participate in all local education including religious education. Pray for wisdom as parents seek to follow Jesus and exalt His name in their house. Ask that they would not unknowingly “forbid” their children from coming! “Let the little children come!!”
Double in size
Summer is a time locals travel a lot, and towns on the coast double in size. Pray for divine appointments as teams go out into the crowds seeking to share the Truth.
Growing
Diaspora in Washington DC: We praise God for the faithful way he continues to deepen relationships with friends like at our recent July 4 Picnic! Thank you for praying with us!
Praise God for summer Grow English at the park. Pray with us for our volunteers and students who have faithfully participated and continue to learn about the love of Jesus while they grow their English. Pray for many gospel conversations.
Rely on God
Recently, Marino’s wife (Mama Labong) has asked Love to come and share Bible stories with her. She and Marino lost a son earlier this year in a cattle raid, and it seems God is using that to help Mama Labong see her need for Jesus in her life and family. Love is now going weekly to Marino’s compound to share from God’s Word with four women, several teens and children, and Marino (already a believer). Pray for Mama Labong and the others – “Let [them] who walk in the dark, who have no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on God” (Isaiah 50:10).
Father draw many!
Pray our Father draw many O to Jesus! May the Spirit of the living God fall in power, wisdom and freshness for all of the outreach AIC team and every MBB in O land, and use them to advance His Kingdom, to convict many O hearts and harvest much lasting fruit.
Spiritual discussions
Diaspora in Wales: Praise that the final day activities for this past term went well focusing on the theme of God’s love (English class) and the reason Abram was asked to sacrifice his son (Sewing class). Earlier this year, one lady who attends English and Sewing classes as an asylum-seeker from a Muslim country was baptised at a local church.
Pray for for good spiritual discussions as team members visit with ladies at a joint English class and Sewing group picnic on Aug 7th.
9 year old
Diaspora in Spain: Continue to pray for the 9 year old Saharawi boy that I am hosting for the summer from the refugee camps. Pray the Lord would work in his heart and the hearts of his family members so they might one day know Him!
Pray for Gospel Seeds to Take Root
Pray for fruit following the preaching of the Gospel and showing the Jesus Film at Utuliadeka. Well over one hundred people came each night the film was shown in the church, but no one openly declared their trust in Christ. Pray that God will erase doubts and replace fears with bold decisions to turn from former ways to faith in Jesus alone. Pray that this new church will be a beacon of light to those lost in darkness. “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)
