Pray that God would open Berbers’ eyes to the evil of enchantments that ask for power from spirits and that they would turn to the cross and Jesus; by his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53)
When He Saw His Foot Healed
A M man with a swollen foot was about to visit a witch doctor when a missionary woman asked if she could pray for his healing in the name of Jesus. He and his two wives agreed. As she prayed, the swelling receded before their eyes. His foot was completely healed by the power of Jesus through prayer. When the man saw this, he spontaneously exclaimed that maybe he should become a Christian. Please pray that he and his whole family will put their trust in Jesus Christ, who not only heals physically but spiritually.
Local translators
Praise God for the persistence and hard work of the local translators. Please lift up one translator T and his family – none of whom follow Jesus. His baby son is very weak and sick and they hope to travel abroad for treatment in May. So much good could come of this trip, but there are also many pitfalls and much potential for misunderstanding. T and his wife have fears about their son, about travel, and about staying in a mostly Christian country. Ask that the enemy wouldn’t get his hands in this situation and that Jesus would be lifted up through it. Ask for Terry, his wife and all the community watching, to see Jesus’ love and power.
A Mist Comes Over Her Eyes
Praise the Lord that a woman who received a book about what the Bible says about heaven has been reading it. She says, however, that she can’t read more than a couple of pages at a time because “a mist comes over my eyes and I can’t go on.” Please pray for the veil of blindness to be removed from her eyes and her heart and that the light of Christ will shine through for her salvation.
Two Dorobo pastors ordained
Praise the Lord for two Dorobo pastors ordained in the Narok area at a big service on Easter Sunday. The two men, Jonathan Nang’ari and Jackson Ng’ayami, both accepted Christ in the late 1990s and attended the Enosotua Dorobo Centre for their basic foundational teaching. Since then they’ve gone on to Bible college and have been pastoring local churches in Dorobo areas. Their elevation to fully ordained ministers in the Africa Inland Church is a big step forward for them and the Dorobo people. Pray that Jonathan and Jackson would continue to serve their people with humility and that the Gospel would spread to other neighboring villages.
Fanjanarivo: Salvation belongs to the Lord!
We showed the Jesus film in the village of Fanjanarivo, south of Betroka, with Pr. Manoela, and Pr. Jean, and we are seeing a harvest. Last week, 10 Bara adults were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
Thank God for his amazing work among Bara and for this fruit. Its HIM who loves this people. We ask you to intensify your prayers towards Bara. God will honor our prayers. He will bring many sons and daughters from Bara into His kingdom.
A Grandfather’s Story
Pray for the salvation of the grandfather in a large South Asian family. He is the one who has eagerly pursued Islam, and has made sure all his five children and many grandchildren follow in that religion. He has been influential in the mosque. But now his family are beginning to read the Bible and to seek peace. Pray that God will also cause this old man to seek peace through knowing Christ, and that he will realise he is “judged already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” Pray that he, with the rest of his family, will come to faith in the Saviour and be set free from their bondage and slavery.
Clearly the Lord Had Been Preparing Her
A Rangi evangelist was on his way to show the Jesus film, and ended up broken down in a village. Eventually he decided to show the movie there instead, and after the showing, there was one lady who adamantly wanted to become a follower and wanted to be baptized right away. Clearly the Lord had been preparing her! At this point, the hope is that she can get some more discipleship soon. Please pray for her to be genuine and to grow despite what is certainly opposition around her.
You’re no longer my son
Pray for M a local believer who was recently kicked out of his family. He was summoned to a family meeting where he was told that everyone was talking about him being a follower of Jesus and that he was bringing shame on the family. His mum told him that he was no longer her son and to get his stuff and get out. Pray that local brothers would provide support and comfort to him and that this rejection and suffering would only drive him deeper into the arms of the father. Pray for provision for practical needs and that his suffering would open up opportunities for the good news to spread.
Young Borana Mother Saved
At Bori Junction, 20 kilometers from Moyale, at the usual Sunday worship service a young Borana mother was saved. Praise God He is building His church among the Borana!
Salt and Light
Please pray for Alagwa believers, who are starting to walk a new path in their community and culture. Pray that they would be wise and courageous to be salt and light amongst their neighbours and family.
Water and Living Water desperately needed
The drought is severe in this land. May God send rain. Rain for
the dry and weary land to be brought to life, and Rain for the souls
of this people who don’t even realize they are dying of thirst for the
Living Water.
Hear Our Cry, Oh Lord!
We know God will answer at the right time! The Lord hears and answers when His people cry out to Him. Pray for the Holy Spirit to work among those who have heard the message to respond in faith. Keep praying for what our hearts long to see – an established church among the Nyamwezi. Pray for boldness in proclaiming the Gospel message among the Nyamwezi, effectively sharing the Good News and the meaning of Christ’s final sacrifice on the cross. Pray for believers from among those who have heard. Pray for the harvest!
Affording a Move
Pray that a new Sandawe believer and his wife who need discipleship and are encountering persecution for their faith can afford to move to live with Christian friends who are willing to disciple them. May they learn that the Lord Himself is Jehovah Jireh, the wonderful Provider for His people.
Came to Our House for the First Time
Praise God for a great visit with our friend Y. We ended the visit by holding hands and praying together. Pray that the presence of Christ in us will increase her appetite to be delivered from all her fears, anxieties, and distresses, and to have Jesus’ peace. Pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal Jesus Christ to her in all His glory.
for seeds to sprout!
A gifted Fulani teacher was asked to go to a nearby village to share of Jesus. Over 30 men and women and children gathered to listen for over an hour and then asked questions. Ask that these truth seeds would take root and grow to abundant fruitfulness!
Rain
Although the Ik have had a couple of heavy rains in the past months, they have not received the amount of rain necessary to sustain the crops. The Ik rely heavily on rain as they are subsistence farmers, growing their crops solely to have food for the next year. Without rain they have no food. Some of the Ik have begun to sacrifice animals, hoping this will bring the rains. Others have fled to a refugee camp across the border in Kenya. Many more will follow if rain doesn’t come soon. Pray that God sends rain now, and in abundance, to save the crops. Pray that the Ik will see that the rains come from the one true God, not because of their animal sacrifices.
Brothers in battle
Ask for brothers in the battle of the unseen that they would stand strong fully armed (Eph 6) and would honor Jesus above family and safety.
Audio stories from Genesis
Pray for all the necessary preparation to be done for the production of audio recordings of Genesis in 2 languages in June. Pray for good recordings and for eager listeners!
Meeting For the First Time
In a new settlement 60 kilometers south of Moyale a plot was ‘designated’ for a Borana Church. Nine local women and AIC members from nearby villages cleared part of the plot last Saturday and built a 10′ x 20′ “place of worship”. This building is sticks (tree branches from the clearing and a sheet of plastic on the top to protect from the sun). On Sunday they met to Worship the One True God our Saviour and Lord, Jesus Christ. Praise God for this precious gathering!
Five Men From God
Please pray with us for five Samburu men to make a decision to follow Jesus by the end of 2017. One man has said twice that he will come to church but he has not yet come. A number of men have been asking for the “treasures” (a MP3 player with Bible Stories, Songs, and Scripture in Samburu). A number of men have been willing and sometimes eager to listen to the stories of Jesus’ death and resurrection in our house. But we don’t see men who are really seeking God. We pray particularly for Lemusi. He will not come to the service on Sunday morning. He thinks that the services are only good for women and children, not moran (warriors) and men. Only God can call these five men to himself. Pray that He will work in their hearts.
Easter searching for Hope
Easter morning, I was preparing for church when a woman wandered through the gate. She approached us and said, “I am a widow and I live in a distant village and I have walked here this morning because I want to hear your message. It has been told to me that you speak words of hope. I need hope!” Pray that she finds peace by following Jesus.
We Asked God for 100 Adults
A few weeks ago our small Digo church asked God for a big request, which was to bring 100 adults to our Easter celebration. For comparison, last Easter the church didn’t want to celebrate, and at Christmas we only had two others join us. In faith that God would provide, we rented a tent, 100 chairs and bought lots of food. As the Jesus film started I counted 98 adults, then I found 2 people whom I had not counted: an exact number of 100 adults present! With children included we served food to 165 people. Many stayed to watch the Jesus film and hear testimonies of other local believers. God is moving among the Digo!
Thanking Elohim with joy
God is answering prayers! A group of manyattas in the bush about 20 minutes by car from Moroto are asking for church to happen weekly. The first Sunday the missionary and his interpreter showed up, 10 men and women knelt and ask Jesus to be their Lord and Savior. They repented of their sins and desire to walk in a new life. The missionary and Lokiru John have started bible study on Thursdays. The first one, the people were ready and waiting 45 minutes before it was to start! There were about 35 or more adults wanting to learn about Jesus. Please pray that foundational truth would become life and reality for these people. The spring rains have not come, the place is like a desert, but the Lord is watering souls. Praise God for He is good, His love endures forever!
Like A Student Who Shows Up Early
Pray for a M man who comes to hear Bible stories regularly from a Christian in his town. He described himself like a student that so desires to learn, that he gets to school early. He said his wife is encouraging him to go so that he can bring back another story to share with her. Pray they will decide together to become followers of Christ.
A Great Big Wedding
Pray for a large Muslim wedding celebration on Sunday April 23rd. Over 1000 guests have been invited. Three Christian women will attend as guests of the family. Pray for open doors to share the gospel, and for future contact with those who are interested in knowing more.
“Pray for My Husband To Get Work”
Please pray for my friend and her husband, that they would see the power and authority of Jesus, specifically in the provision of a job for the husband. Pray that the wife would understand that anything good she sees in us is only the Spirit of Jesus living in us. That HE is the friend she truly needs. Pray Hebrews 1:3 for all the Swahili people, that they would see and believe “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.”
Brand New Believers Need Sound Teaching
Please pray for many Sandawe believers who are brand new in their faith. May they receive sound teaching and grow into faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. Praise the Lord for these new brothers and sisters, some of whom are coming out of Islam.
She Needs Peace of Heart
Praise God for another visit with Yas. As with so many of our other Muslim friends, she wants to promote and explain many things about her religion. We listened attentively and asked questions to learn more. Then, as we talked about other topics, her anxieties and troubles emerged, especially in relation to her adult children. This gave us an opportunity to offer to pray with her just before we left. “Oh, that would be wonderful!” We sat on the couch together and prayed aloud for the children. “I hope I can learn to pray like that. That was wonderful. I feel…so happy and good right now!” she exclaimed as we went. Please pray for Yas, that the Lord will open her eyes to the Saviour and teach her to pray in spirit and in truth, through Him. Pray that we can have many more visits, and that she will accept an invitation to read the Bible together in order to have peace of heart and mind.
Courageous believer
As friends discussed Islam at university, a young believer was simply quiet. When others asked about the silence, she said, “I don’t know much about your religion.” This raised questions in the mind of another student. She has since given a Bible to the student and they have been reading and studying beginning with Adam. Praise Jesus for the courage of our sister. Pray that she will also receive the certain coming suffering as fellowship with Jesus.
He is Risen!
Easter weekend is just a normal weekend as far as the islands are concerned. However through expat workers and Christian satellite channels many will have the chance to hear the Easter story this month. Most islanders believe that Jesus was replaced by Judas on the cross and that Jesus was taken up to heaven unharmed. Pray that the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection would capture the hearts of islanders and that the truth would overcome these lies and that many would begin to walk towards the light
Easter celebration
Sunday we will meet together with Fulani believers to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection. Pray God’s incredible sacrifice will become more meaningful to all of us.
Hard Times in a Rangi Village
Please this week pray for Salmada, because she has encountered challenges to her faith from her parents and brothers who don’t want her to be a Christian. Salmada is asking us to pray for her. Besides that, please pray for the family of the local evangelist, Patrick. Villagers and neighbours around them are coming every day to beg for food and help, since there has been such a severe drought this year and food is so scarce. He finds their needs and requests heavy; everyone is suffering.
New tools to preach the old message
Because of the bad history between Christianity and Bara people, it’s difficult to preach the Gospel among them, or to even approach them. Finding new and creative ways to approach and preach the Gospel faithfully is very necessary. Farming God’s Way and Literacy Program, are two open doors to evangelism among Bara.
Recently we gathered 18 Evangelists and a Pastor to train them in these Creative Evangelism Strategies. Both programs went very well, and the trainees appreciated the new tools for evangelism. Pray that God helps the evangelists and the pastor to use these wonderful tools to reach the areas where Bara people are still Unreached.
Remain Faithful to Classes
As the Kenyan schools are closed for the holidays, the Muslim children are sent to Madrasa everyday. Our school is packed with small kids learning to recite the Quran. Please pray for their salvation. One student in our English class has already left and a new one has come. This is often the case with Somali people, perhaps due to their nomadic culture. Please pray that our students will remain faithful to our classes and learn English. But more importantly, that we would build friendships to speak the word of God into their lives.
Precious beginnings
A small group of believers and seekers is meeting in Singila, Moroto. Pray for pastor Raphael and his wife Susan as they shepherd the flock. Pray for Antony, a Karimojong believer, who is being mentored by the pastor to be his assistant. Pray for the believers and seekers to attend church and Bible study faithfully. They struggle with hunger, evil spirits, and malaria, which prevent them from coming.
Given a Place in the Prison
Two weeks ago in Moyale town Africa Inland Church was finally given permission to build a church building on the Prison Compound. The permission comes after a long delay and much opposition from ‘others’…even though the ‘others’ have had their Islamic place of worship for many years. Please ask the Lord to bless the ministry to prisoners and to ransom many from the kingdom of darkness and bring them into the kingdom of His beloved Son.
Why is Good Friday Good?*
On Good Friday, a young Muslim woman will be spending the whole day with a missionary. She has already asked to hear why this day is so “good.” Pray for her heart to be ready to receive the truth without any reservation. Pray for all obstacles to be removed and the veil of darkness to be lifted from her eyes, that God would shine His light into her heart, giving her “the knowledge of the glory of God displayed in the face of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6)
Healing the Blind
An O believer’s child, H, was struck by his playmate’s mom with a stick. It blinded his eye! This week they are going to specialist eye doctors and they request we pray for a miracle of healing for H’s blind eye. We read of Jesus miraculous healing of Bartimaeus’s blindness in Mark 10:46-52. According to Heb. 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” We read of even more serious blindness in 2 Cor. 4:4 “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” Pray with faith for Jesus’ miraculous healing of H’s eye, and for the blind minds of the O people – that they may understand the gospel and turn and be healed!
Lord make a way
Please pray for the Fulani women who have shown interest in the gospel but whose husbands are not yet open. Their husbands have not permitted these women to come to the believer gathering. Ask for the lives of the husbands to be surrendered to Jesus!
