Today we started our English class with 3 Somali women. It is a wonderful opportunity to be with these women and we pray that God will open up their hearts to hear the gospel. We pray for their salvation. We also pray that God will help them learn English in a fun way and see God glorified. Somali women often struggle to attend class consistently so let’s pray that they will come so that they can understand the gospel at some point. In Jesus’ name. While we are doing our English classes, we have a man teaching Arabic at the same time in the house. Let’s pray that evil forces will not prevail but instead all that would hinder God’s work would be kept far away.
Delivered and Discipled
A praise for how God is working among the Sandawe is for a young woman, E, who was delivered from demonic activity, who is actually from a different area of the country. She also comes from a Muslim background, but came to stay with relatives to seek help. She’s now being discipled and working through a Foundations Bible study book that two pastors translated years ago! Please continue to pray for our local church and for a mighty harvest of souls in Usandawe.
Breakthrough prayer
After so many years of sharing with little response as Is 6: 9-10 talks about, please pray this Breakthrough Prayer for the O: May their eyes be open to really SEE and truly PERCEIVE. May their ears be sharp to HEAR and RECEIVE Truth. May their HEARTS be soft and responsive to UNDERSTAND – and TURN and BE HEALED (physically, emotionally and most important SPIRITUALLY).
Three Dreams
M. grew up as a Muslim. He stopped going to the mosque a few years ago though. He started attending church a few weeks ago. He gave his testimony to me yesterday. He recalls three dreams. The first one: he was asleep and someone was trying to cut his head off with a knife. The second one: he was at the top of a coconut tree and then he fell. The third one: the man Jesus was standing before him and told him to come. That week, he was invited to come to church. He hasn’t missed a Sunday yet. Pray that M can understand who Jesus is and what Jesus is about. Pray that M can be a faithful witness to those around him.
Bible stories
The translation project continues on and always needs your prayers! This month pray that Bible stories would be shared far and wide, that those who hear stories would retell them and that believers would find themselves excited to share stories in the different situations they find themselves in.
Spirit Moving in Marovato
Many Antandroy people work hard to offer sacrifices and please their ancestors. This is the only spiritual direction they’ve known all their lives. Fortunately, Christ is being proclaimed by those who have found Him all around the region of Androy. For these who have been reached with the Gospel, many have accepted this new faith and are following whole heartedly, but not without hardships and struggles. At the moment, they are facing persecution from other religious organizations that believe they should be paying for baptism and partaking of the Lord’s Supper, among other false beliefs. Especially in the Marovato area, people are angry that some of these individuals used to attend their services and now are seeking to know Truth. To God be the glory, in the midst of this persecution, witch doctors and villagers are seeking Christ and yearning to follow after Him. Pray specifically for these new believers and villages surrounding Marovato.
Story telling in the evenings
Please be lifting in prayer the Datooga people of Tanzania. Traditionally at the end of the day Datooga families will gather in their homesteads and share the news of the day or tell stories before retiring for the night. Currently a small group of believers are working on a Chronological Bible Story set, crafting Bible stories in the Datooga language. This project aims to have the stories accessible to the Datooga in their heart language. Pray for those involved in the project – for those involved in crafting of the stories – that they reflect God’s message of Salvation in a way that engages with the Datooga people. Also pray for a desire in the hearts of the Datooga people to be willing to listen to the stories and to respond to the Gospel message. May it speak into their lives and may they know God’s love for them.
For the few believers
The few believers are struggling to read the Bible for themselves. Pray that they may know and understand the truth as they struggle to read the Bible.
Pray that they will overcome rejection from the society and their close family because of their new faith.
Open Sharing of the Gospel
Praise God for an opportunity to openly share the gospel with 20 Alagwa men and boys in one of the villages that the team is doing outreach in. Pray for many to believe and put their trust in Jesus.
Faithful but fearful
“Seraj” has been persecuted for his faith in the past and is unwilling to risk meeting with other believers. He has walked with Jesus for years, and is using his life in defense of the oppressed and abused. We are thankful for his faithfulness. Pray for him and others like him who know the truth, but live in fear.
He and His House Will Serve The Lord
A M man has chosen to become a Christian! He brings his son with him to learn the Bible from a missionary, and plans to tell his religiously influential father of his decision. Pray that his wife stands firm with him. Pray that this family can clearly understand salvation through Christ. Pray for their testimony in the community, and that others will follow their example.
Pray for HOPE to replace despair….
A man committed suicide and left behind a wife and 5 children. No evidence that the man knew Jesus as his Lord and Savior. He could not bear the news of his HIV positive status. The wife told mourners that she will follow in her husband’s footsteps. Please pray against that plan.
At the burial, Zeka was asked to share God’s word, and there was a positive response.
Pray for the late’s wife. We paid her a visit and she looked worried. She is unemployed and asked for prayers that God would provide for her family.
She will be going back to her village with 2 kids while the other 3 remain in Tsumkwe with grandparents.
Pray for more workers
Four Malagasy missionaries from Tanala area are in the capital for training. Esperance was so excited to read Matt 9v35-38 in her quiet time…exclaiming,”I have never heard such wonderful news about Jesus!” Please pray for more workers to be sent out into the harvest fields in the Tanala region.
Just Came To Christ
A young Rangi woman just accepted Christ as her Saviour! Here is the report from the evangelist: “I praise God for one young lady receiving Jesus as a Savior of her life. She is called Salmada please join us to pray for her. “
God’s Solution to Our Sinfulness
Two young Muslim women have an appointment to meet with a missionary to hear what God’s solution to our sinfulness is. This is the meeting where they will hear for the first time that the Messiah the Old Testament predicted, who would save His people from their sins, was Jesus. Please pray they keep the appointment and are ready to cast their burden of sin on the Saviour. Pray for their whole extended family to come to faith in Christ.
Set Free in Jesus- a Sakalava testimony
It’s common and admired for Sakalava to be possessed by evil spirits. One Sakalava gentleman recently put his faith in Jesus and wants to be set free from the demons. He was in the capital but wanted to go to Nosy Be to retrieve his fetishes etc to be burned, however a huge cyclone is preventing him from going. Please pray for A and his wife, who is also a follower of Jesus. Pray for their families who are still bound by witchcraft and fear and don’t know yet about A’s decision. It may result in great shock and rejection. Please pray for God’s glory to be revealed in the community through this couple.
Today is the day of salvation
Pray for the Mbororo. The security situation is tenuous and the peacekeepers are planning to pull out soon. Pray in their fear and anxiety, they would call out to the One who sees. Pray for our team and the Zande church to boldly proclaim the way of salvation.
Praise and serious prayer needed
We praise the Lord that the ceasefire between the two parties has been extended indefinitely. With the peace, we were finally able to go out and visit the folks in the bush. We were shocked by the increase in dabbling with witchcraft. Please pray for a turning from traditional practices of witchcraft and false prophets- our people are dying in fear and darkness! There is plenty of “lip” worship in the churches but little “heart” worship… they are so lost.
Teachers’ seminar
Pray for the conference we will be holding for local English teachers this month. We expect over 100 teachers to come from all over the island, some of whom we will have known for years and some we will be meeting for the first time. Pray that we would not only bless them as teachers but that significant conversations would take place during breaks and we would find many who are spiritually hungry.
Cyclone coming!!
Pray for mercy for the people of Northern Madagascar as cyclone Enawo hits. Pray for God’s people to love their neighbors and honor Jesus in their response to this crisis.
Sharing Christ Among The Rangi
Praise God for the salvation work He is doing in people. I would ask prayer for the ministry in the village of Busi. First of all, there is a girl there I’ve begun discussing God’s Word with. There are also two girls who are Muslim secondary school students who come to my home. They love to sing gospel songs. Please also pray for their salvation. Thank you so much for your prayers, may God bless you! –From a village evangelist
A New Sister!
My worker came for medical help this morning which lead into me sharing the gospel of Christ. She had never heard of salvation through faith in the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ for her sins. She had no idea how God would ever receive her into heaven. Now she knows & says she believes. Praise God for a new sister in Christ …. Serena!
Dorobo prayer conference
Pray for our upcoming Dorobo prayer conference for pastors and elders of the Dorobo churches. We’ve had to reschedule the meeting one week later, so the new dates will be April 3-6. Pray that the men will be encouraged by the time to be together and pray for each other. Pray for the teaching that will be shared during this conference. At our last prayer conference a number of the men asked for prayer to break the stronghold of alcoholism among the older Dorobo. Their cultural view of drinking honey wine is to get drunk as fast as you can, and this has held many of the older men back from making a commitment to Christianity. Pray that God will break this stronghold and that the older generation of Dorobo will learn to follow Jesus and be filled with the Spirit of God.
Praising God in song
Praise God for the gathering of believers to learn new worship songs in the island language. Praise God for those that have written songs and those that came, sang and danced! Pray that God would be stirring their hearts to worship him in deeper ways and that new worship songs and dances would be pouring forth.
Malaso, Key people to reach the Bara
The amazing and glorious thing about the “Malasos’” conversions is that they are Bara. Hallelujah! They are the very “traditional” Bara people. The 2 Malasos I’ve mentioned in our last prayer request are from villages that didn’t have any Christians before. Hallelujah twice! Now a church is being born!
The Malasos consider themselves to be the original Bara people. They are deeply rooted in Bara worldview, culture and customs. The malasos are the ones who know the deepest, darkest parts of Bara culture. They practice witchcraft. Often they are demon possessed. They make pacts with demons for protection through cow’s blood. So, seeing a Malaso come to faith is a great miracle among Bara UPG.
When one of these malasos, are changed by the Gospel and renounce his lifestyle, culture, and even “the richness and respect” that being a malaso brings, even sometimes being persecuted by the family, becoming very poor, to follow Jesus, indeed, it is the power of the Holy Spirit working in their hearts.
So keep praying for the Malasos. They are the ones who could be the next Pauls, Peters, Jim Elliots, or George Mullers to their own people.
Amulets, Charms, and Binding Cords
Many Nyamwezi believe that wearing amulets and charms will keep them safe. Some charms have bits of bone or powders in them, or small bits of paper with Koranic verses written on them. Many young children can be seen with lengths of black cord tied around their bellies or wrists, or wearing a necklace of black cord with a small pouch tied to it. Pray against the spiritual forces at work, for freedom from fears that bind hearts, and that those who are believers in Christ may boldly proclaim the Good News and introduce others to the One who made the materials in the charms and bracelets. He is more powerful than those materials or the powers ascribed to them. He is Almighty. He is the Victor over darkness. He sets the captives free.
Complicated Relationships Make the Way In Difficult
Our new brother ‘S’ is having trouble finding acceptance among the Christian churches here. Complicated relationships and fears of Muslim reprimand over his change in faith seem to be at the root of it. Please pray that as he weathers these storms his eyes will be fixed on Jesus and not on the failings of His followers.
Pasture for their animals
Fulani are pastoralists and they depend on pasture for their animals. Pasture is very scarce. Pray for enough rains in order to harvest sufficient animal feed during the short rains in the months of July- September.
They Overflow the Building
The Rendille live in scattered villages and these villages move several times a year. One village that is not far from us is Rungumo. It’s actually several villages and they range from 4 -8 miles away from ours. Not far if you have transport – but a long hot walk if you go by foot. These villagers are hungry for God’s word and requested that someone come teach them. A Rendille lady evangelist, Ndubayo, and Samuel, a mason who works with us, have begun holding Sunday services there. 200 come – including children! There is a little shelter with a tin roof where there used to be a kindergarten class, but it had to close down due to lack of funds. Samuel and others from the village have resurrected this school and hired a temporary teacher to continue the classes. This year there are 40+ students. And under this structure the villagers have met on Sunday. They overflow the building. Praise God for the interest in hearing God’s word. Pray for a person who can come teach them on a regular basis and give them a good foundation of the Christian life and walk. There is a battle going on for the Rendille hearts – Islam is making inroads all over northern Kenya. We need God’s power and we need people to help fight in this battle!
As a Couple Seeking Jesus
Pray for a young Alagwa couple who is seeking Jesus. The husband’s desire is to follow Jesus, but he wants to move together with his wife who is not yet ready. Pray that God will give them understanding of His word and courage to follow it.
New teachers, new students
There are 4 young Ik men who have stepped forward to teach the Ik children. Primary classes have now commenced on the Ik ridge. An answer to prayer! However, class sizes fluctuate daily and resources are limited which can make it a challenge to teach and to learn. Please pray for the Ik teachers to have endurance and perseverance in teaching. And for the Ik children to continue to be eager to learn as the rigor of the school days continue. It has been heartwarming to hear the children sing and laugh as they play school in the evenings.
Lord, help our brother
‘S’ who entered the Kingdom after seeing a vision, hearing an audible voice telling him that “Jesus loves him” and then listening to the Word in his own language and becoming convinced about The Way, The Truth and The Life, is in need of fellowship and employment. His village has rejected him. Please pray for his protection, growth, and powerful witness to his own people.
A Book About Heaven
A South Asian Muslim woman- educated, responsible, very entrenched in her family- has accepted a Christian book about heaven. Please pray that she reads it, understands who Christ is and the salvation He offers, and that at the right time she takes the initiative to discuss it with the Christian who gave it to her.
The Holy Spirit is moving
There is an excitement among the prisoners and wardens (guards) at the Moroto Regional Prison as they are grasping the truth that with Christ in them, they can live as He did on earth. Please pray that the seed that has been sown will find fertile soil and that nothing can snatch the truth of God’s Word away from their minds and hearts. Please join us in praying that this truth with spread through Karamoja.
A Strategic Meeting
A team of believers are meeting to ask God for His guidance about the next few months of ministry among the M. Pray for their unity of heart and mind, and that when they return to the village, God will use them to proclaim boldly the message of salvation through Jesus. Pray that those families whose children received temporary relief from demonic spirits will seek them out to hear about the salvation that results in complete freedom through Christ.
Asking for God’s Favour in the New Year
We in the town of Busi are progressing well. We thank the Lord for our kindergarten. Last year we graduated 33 students, and this year we thank God that in answer to prayer we have 34 students. We also thank the Lord that last year we had many opportunities to discuss the gospel of Jesus Christ with people. Please join us in praying for God’s favour on us so we can continue serving Him. Pray for me (the local Rangi evangelist) and my family, for the school, and for those who have been listening to the gospel. Thank you very much!
Lord, Give Us Five Men
We have recently returned to live and work in a somewhat remote area of Samburu County. Our vision is that by the end of 2019 a Christ-centered, sustainable, multiplying church will exist at this location. At present, no Samburu men are attending the Sunday church services. Pray with us that five Samburu men will become disciples of Jesus by the end of 2017.
An encouraging note is that already several men have expressed their strong desire to receive solar powered MP3 players with Bible stories and singing in Samburu. A couple have said that they would join the church but we have not seen them on Sunday yet!
The Grace of God Came Pouring Down
Bibi Chai, gave her life to Jesus this week! Her health had been declining rapidly with heart failure & E felt God was telling her to give Bibi the opportunity to respond to the complete simple story of the Gospel the next time she shared God’s Story with her. When she got to God sending His Sinless Son – God With Us, and The Final Prophet who God promised to send from the beginning – who sacrificed Himself and shed his blood on the cross as the payment for all our sins – Bibi cried out …” Yes! I believe! Jesus is my Savior! He died for my sins! Thank you Jesus!” She said this over and over again! E, in awe at the power of God through the Gospel, explained to Bibi that she was now a sister and fellow member of the family of God and that God is her Heavenly Father who sees her, hears her prayers, loves her and sent Christ to save her. Bibi Chai said “Amen! Amen! Amen!” over and over again!
A couple of days later our Tanzanian partner & pastor’s wife came to visit and pray over Bibi Chai along with E & some other sisters of the faith from church. It was a sweet time of prayer and fellowship as Bibi again declared her faith in Jesus Christ as her Savior. The pastor’s wife led her in a beautiful prayer of assurance of her salvation in Christ. As Bibi finished praying aloud, the rain came in a glorious, merciful farming rain & Bibi declared … “Look! See! The Grace of God pouring down on us!” & tears of joy rained down as they danced a little joy dance of thanksgiving to God that day!
Now please pray for Bibi’s spirtitual growth and physical protection as a young believer in Christ in a very fragile physical state. Praise God that the daughter that she lives with welcomes our visits and seems to continue to care for her as best she can. Pray she would come to Jesus too as she sees the love & unity of the Body of Christ lived out in her home. Pray for wisdom for the local believers to continue to know how to best love & fellowship with their homebound sister in Christ as the newest member of the Body here.
Pray for hunger for God
Many Fulani follow their religion more as a lifestyle and hence stick to that religion as part of their culture. Pray they may have hunger for God and seek Jesus Christ.
A woman who wanted to sleep in her own house
Ephesians 6:12 states, “For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
A frantic old lady came into our living room and started talking a mile a minute in Gabbra, and we could only understand a few words like, ” I have had enough! I don’t want them any more” Rachel tried to explain that our Gabbra was basic, and we needed a translator; but she continued, “You know Gabbra. You know Gabbra.” Then continued in her explanation. Praise God our translator (also driver and mechanic) arrived just in time and helped with translating for us.
She had been sleeping on the ground and traveling from village to village looking for peace. She was convinced that Satan was in her house and she was told by the shaman that if she entered her house she would die. She had visited all the shaman and religious leaders of every sect and religion looking for a cure; but every time she attempted something, her fear would grow and not only was her house haunted, but she now felt that Satan was following her everywhere like a hyena on her trail. No matter where she went, she was in horror. Wherever she tried to sleep, she would be tormented.
Finally, she had come to us, for there was no other place to go. Rachel and I then had the joy to share with her the power of Christ. We told her stories of His time on earth, and how He had healed so many. We explained that He had power over Satan, and His minions, and how He desired to save us. We shared about the need to be saved and the need to be not only released from Satan’s grasp but firmly latched onto Jesus’ hand.
For almost an hour we shared the wonders of Jesus Christ, and the joy it is to be found in Him. We then asked if she wanted Jesus to be her Savior. She turned to us and said, almost exasperated, “That is why I have come! There is no other way!” We then had the privilege of praying over her and leading her in the sinner’s prayer. What joy filled her small figure, and her face began to shine!
We then walked to her house, which had been vacant for 6 months, and and she boldly took the first steps inside. We followed her in and knelt to pray. The old lady took my hand as we began to pray for Jesus’ blessing and protection over that home and asked, in His name, that all spirits of darkness and fear leave that place. What a joyous prayer time as we felt the room lighten up and the Holy Spirit around us.
As we closed our prayer time, Rachel asked the lady, “How do you feel in your house now?” And with her white hair hanging freely down on her cheek and a huge smile on her face she declared, “I am free! The house is free!”
Our hearts rejoiced as we walked back towards home thinking of the awesomeness of our God! Yet we are still in prayer for this woman, that God would sustain her and help her to stand in a village which is bowed down to shamanism and Islam. We know that if she stays strong, and clearly shares her story, it will be a huge statement to the community. Please pray with us for her that she may stand strong and that many more would come out of the darkness and into the light!
