“Rachel” had been given a Bible a while ago. She said, “I was reading about Abraham and I looked for Ishmael and I couldn’t find him. Isn’t he in the Torah?” Her eyes don’t work well, so her daughter read aloud the passages in Arabic of Hagar and Ishmael. When we continued to sacrifice of Isaac, she said, “In the Koran, it isn’t Isaac; it is Ishmael.” She still spoke in amazement of Abraham’s obedience and said that even today, they offer sheep on the Eid so that their children can live. When I explained that Jesus’ death paid for our sin and allowed us to live, she told me that this is another place the Koran and Injil disagree. Even after hearing about how Jesus lovingly chose to die for the purpose of our life, she shook her head. Pray for Rachel and her two daughters to continue to read the Word, and to believe in our only hope: Christ’s death and resurrection.
Hunger for the Word
Pray the Didinga would be hungry for the word of God and eager to know Him. Pray for clear bold gospel proclamation and grace to believe.
“You’ve got to hear these words!”
Praise God that over 90 people plus a truck and its crew showed up for Bible study last week. It was impossible for all to hear but those who could hear listened intently. Many asked for a Treasure (MP3 player) afterwards so that they could learn at home. On another day an old man stood up in the middle of the study and turned to the crowd farther back and said, “Quiet down back there and huddle in closer. You have got to hear these WORDS!” They don’t want to miss even one morsel of the spoken word. A fitting close to the study of Hebrews. God is so good!
Oh to see a church planting movement!
Pray for Pastor Guillaume as he gets training in church planting movements, to know how to apply what he’s learning to the Sakalava church plants he’s involved with. Pray for these churches to have the vision of sharing their faith and planting many more churches!
May Chief lead his people to Life
Pray for the Chief, who was baptized recently. Pray he will study the Bible and do what it says and live a life worthy of the Lord. Pray he would be bold to share God’s goodness and the salvation He offers with his people.
Conviction of Sin
Two young women from a South Asian family will be meeting with a Christian woman to hear the Bible story of the Ten Commandments, and the requirements of God’s holiness. Pray for the revelation of the Law to bring the conviction of sin, and pray for them to be led to faith in the Saviour.
Baptised In The Ocean
Last Sunday a local woman, who had been spiritually searching and attending our church here for a while, finally gave her life to Jesus & professed her faith in Jesus Christ as her Savior!
On Christmas day one of the new local believers was ocean baptized right here! Praise God for this bold witness and beautiful encouragement to the believers!
Praise God for opportunities for our team to share God’s witness with some of our neighbors & even some of their children! Some of these children are coming to church with our children now. Pray for their physical & spiritual protection & for the salvation of their whole families!
They Continue Hearing the Good News
Please pray for the Rangi people in the town of Busi who continue hearing the good news. Pray for those who are learning about Christ, that they will put their faith in Him. Pray for encouragement for the evangelist, P. as he continues sharing with them.
Let the little children come
Pray for the pastors being trained in children’s ministry and Sunday school. Pray they will see the value of ministering to children and raising up the next generation of believers. Pray for grace and strength for the youth of the church to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. There are many temptations and obstacles and little encouragement.
The Wife Is With Her Husband
Praise the Lord that the influential M man’s wife is also ready to follow Jesus with her husband. They are talking over how to share this with the man’s father. Recently the man shared with his Muslim father the recordings of Bible stories “from creation to Christ.” The father listened and did not object to them. Pray that when this family confesses their decision to follow Christ, the father will not be angry but instead will be moved to consider receiving Jesus as his Saviour, too.
Gospel recordings and chai time
Pray for the scripture recordings being made for audio Bible distribution. Pray for eager listeners and many to embrace the Truth.
Pray for the ‘old man chai and discovery Bible study time’ that the Lord would bring salvation to the households these men represent.
God is at work
“…my Father is still working…”, said Jesus. And He is! This is one of the greats truth Bible tells us. God is still at work.
In the village of Amatomaña, another witchdoctor, name Bera, gave his life to Jesus. He wants to know Jesus better and follow His “lalana” (way).
Please pray that Bera can understand the Gospel and doesn’t fall in any kind of syncretism.
Warm welcome
Pray for the Karimojong to warmly welcome the new teams and help them learn language and culture. Ask the Lord to open hearts to the Good News the teams are bringing.
Suffering for Christ
Pray for the believers who are suffering for their faith. Pray they would stand firm. “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed…. Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.” 1Peter4:12-13, 19.
Courage needed!
She was in tears because she was afraid to tell her parents the truth. She lives with her extended family in the capital in order to go to university. She hadn’t told her father yet of her faith in Jesus, nor had she told her parents that she had quit going to university because of threats there. Yesterday, she texted to say that she wasn’t coming for our regular time to study the Word. Her parents were visiting her from their home village. She wrote, “I can’t come, but I will tell my mom what you taught me of Jesus.” Later she wrote to say that she had spoken to her mom and had prayed that she would know the truth. Pray that she would have courage to live in truth also regarding university, and ask for favor with her father. Pray for each of our brothers and sisters who live in unbelieving families that they would know who to speak with and when to speak and what to say. We continue to ask for Jesus to draw their families to Himself!
Pray for rain
Pray for good rains to arrive this month as the community looks to planting. Pray they would acknowledge the Lord has the provider of all good gifts and bow their knees to Him.
Pray for Jesus Film showing tonight!
We showed the Jesus Film on Sunday night in the Sango language. We had a crowd of about 250! Some of those in the crowd were Mbororo, some Zande. One of the Mbororo ladies cried when she saw Jesus on the cross. Several of the Mbororo kids sat at my feet and asked all sorts of questions. The Mbororo chief, Omar, has asked that we come show the film at their camp Thursday night! We are ecstatic! Pray for good weather, open hearts, and no technical breakdowns. Jean Baptist will be with us to introduce and close the film for us. He does a great job.
Schools for the Ik
Recently two schools were opened on the Ik ridge beginning with classes of P1 and P2. Most of the Ik are illiterate and there hasn’t been a school here for some time. We are so thankful for this opportunity for the Ik to receive an education in their heart language of Icetod, as well as begin to learn English. The teachers are all Ik men and have been involved in the local churches, even preaching on Sundays. Pray for the four teachers, that they can be a light for the students and community. Pray that the team here would know how best to support the teachers and students, and help the school to prosper. Pray that the children have a desire to learn and that any barriers to attendance are negated. And thank God for this blessing for the Ik!
Bibi Chai is Still Growing
Recently I had a sweet visit with Bibi Chai – a new believer. Loved the prayer & fellowship with her. Now her daughter stays to listen to our time together instead of leaving the house. So pray for her salvation too.
May Christ-Centered Churches Spring Up
Please pray for God’s continuing work among the Zaramo. Pray for those who are Christian and living among them to have a bold and fearless witness, coupled with love and compassion for the lost. Pray for Christ-centered churches to spring up. Pray for more missionaries to be raised up to go work among them.
English Classes for Three Women
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.
