The Laarim villages where missionaries live and minister are all abuzz as the new missionary team return from ABO and resettle. Pray the excitement would continue and that people would be curious to know the reason for the hope they have and their motivation to leave home and live among them.The joy of a few new believers is such a great encouragement to them all, words are difficult to describe the wonder of the grace of our God we hold so dear. Please pray especially for the new believers; but also for the new team members as culture shock and sickness take their toll.
Praying for hearts of gratitude
Isaiah 51:3 -The Lord will comfort Israel again and have pity on her ruins. Her desert will blossom like Eden, her barren wilderness like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found there. Songs of thanksgiving will fill the air.
Please join me in praying that as God’s Word takes root in the lives of those He calls in Karamoja, that a spirit of thankfulness will permeate this region and change it’s spiritual makeup to have thanksgiving to God and as a foundation gratitude for His mercy.
Families to come
Praise God for a recent wife of a persecuted believer also receiving Jesus’ gift! Pray that M & H will stand firm together against all the schemes of the enemy, and that the persecutions bound to come will strengthen their relationship with Jesus. May they grow in their faith and knowledge, and also teach their children the truths of God’s grace through Jesus!
Cattle raiding
As the start of the dry season is upon us, please pray that the constant raiding and killing would stop, and not increase as it usually does at this time of the year. Pray that the gospel would penetrate deeply into hearts to change the Toposa from the inside out.
A Worshipping Widow Begs for Healing
Pray for the believers who are being ignored or are facing opposition from their own people because of their faith in Jesus Christ. Recently, a widow that was an Ayanna worshipper (a spirit of darkness) confessed Jesus as her only Savior and Love of her life. She has eye problems and is constantly praying for Jesus’ healing. Some of her neighbors have said to her: “Stop praying to this God. Jesus is not able to heal you; turn back to Ayanna.” Her answer is always the same… “I believe Jesus is able!” Pray for this lady and for many other believers who are being pushed to leave their faith in Christ. May the Holy Spirit strengthen their faith and may God reveal Himself miraculously among them, so others might declare that there is no one else but Jesus. Pray for the healing of people’s bodies and souls.
End of season woes
This has not been a good rainy season for majority of the country, and this area is no exception. The dry season seems to have arrived way too soon for most. Please pray that those who are able to harvest at this time, are able to store enough to last the given time before the next rains arrive to grow more crops. But above all, may we constantly pray that the gospel would continue to reach the Nyang’atom people in spirit and truth.
A Grandmother Asks For Prayer
On the way home from a prayer walk, E was invited in to pray for an elderly sick Bibi (grandmother) we know. Bibi Chai enthusiastically responded as E prayed in the Savior’s name for His healing comfort over her. But Bibi doesn’t know the Savior yet. E offered to come share the Story of God with Bibi as she rests in bed. Pray the family would agree to have her come and share.
Lopit is ‘Abuna’
‘All is well’ in the Lopit region, as the title indicates. Bible studies are well underway among the men folk in a few villages around the Iboni area, we praise God for this news as these men eagerly await their study time each week. Relationships are being built and built up, again we just praise God for this happening – its all about HIM!!! Pray and praise our Almighty God!
Dorobo leaders prayer conference
Twenty-four Dorobo pastors and church leaders came to Naivasha for a three day prayer conference from October 3-6. Since some of them had moved to other church denominations, we hadn’t seen some of them for years. They all came together with one accord and we had two full afternoons of prayer as well as teaching each morning on the challenges of church leadership, taught by Pastor Godfrey Ng’ang’a of the AIC Naivasha. We gathered a lot of information on the growth in the different areas where we had started preaching points back in the 1990s. In some areas, more than 50% of the Dorobo are believers and attending church! Other places the growth has been slower, but even there most areas have at least 10% who are believers and attend church. All of them said the seed had been planted in the 1990s. I was amazed and humbled. At the retreat we planned a number of church visits to encourage the pastors and believers, and we will show the Jesus film at a number of these churches as part of our visits. The pastors asked prayers especially for the older men in many villages who are still bound to their old ways of heavy drinking. Pray also for the planning of another prayer conference, scheduled for mid-March 2017.
Step up
The Lokwa continue to struggle with little communication coming from the area. The church leaders seem to have stepped up and run the church with no pastor. Please pray for the people to not only remain rooted and abiding in Christ, but reaching out to others with the message of salvation.
Finding the true path to God
Pray for the four new believers to grow in their understanding of the scriptures and have courage to share what they’ve experienced with others. Pray their families would believe. Pray for those who are listening to the scriptures to believe. The chief recently shared that he had prayed and asked God to show him the true path. That night he had a dream and God showed him the way of Jesus was the true path to God. Pray that many more would have similar dreams!
Excitement in Nagishot
Ask God to open doors for fruitful ministry among the Didinga. This past weekend saw the long anticipated missionaries arriving in Nagishot, after a period of not having any on the ground for over a year. Pray the people would not only welcome them, help them settle and learn language, but be open to hearing the good news they bring. The new arrivals are working with a young pastor. Pray for unity and great team work.
Building
Praise the Lord the Tanala elders of the area have welcomed the idea of the Hoffman family coming to live in their midst to share the gospel. Pray for the Lord to prepare hearts to hear and believe the good news of God’s salvation. Pray for the Hoffmans as they begin building their new house in the Tanala area. Pray for the logistics- building materials like cement and tin are hard to get and the roads are treacherous in the rainy season.
The Church as a Light in a Muslim community
Pray for the church in Ruaruke. The Lord continues to bless them with marriages, births, a working well, and community projects starting up. Pray that they would be a light and that they would use these blessings to bless their neighbors.
Grace to believe
“Samuel” is a quiet thoughtful man. He comes with a group of young men to talk with my husband about what he believes about Jesus. He is disillusioned with Islam and would not really call himself a Muslim, but he doesn’t align himself with any other religion either. Sometimes he asks to talk one-on-one, with more serious questions that he doesn’t want the others to hear. Pray that he would surrender to Jesus, that he would not be drawn into philosophy for philosophy’s sake, but that he would receive the simple gift of child-like faith and believe.
Perfect Love Casts Out Fear
Please pray for those Alagwa who are living in fear of the consequences of following Jesus. Please pray that they would know the love of God which casts out fear. Please pray that their eyes would be opened to know that Jesus is worth the cost of being rejected by family and community. Ask Jesus to give them courage.
What Does Jesus Mean To You?
Praise God for the eleven leaders in a mosque and others who viewed the Jesus Film! Pray that they would respond to the call of Jesus, as Lord and Savior. Pray they would desire further conversations about Christ. One man stood afterwards and said, “I am 83 years old and have never heard this story. Thank you for sharing it with us.” Ask God for a hunger and thirst for the truth and for the atmosphere of openess to continue.
Desperate Drought
“I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink”. Mt. 25:35
Before the church service started, members of some families approached the missionaries with the following request: “It’s been a long drought season and all water we had in the village is gone, there is not even water to drink; the priority is the small children and pregnant ladies. We have purchased water several times and the money is also all gone. We are thirsty.”
Pray that God may send us rain in abundance. May this community see the love and care of God through His provision. Pray that this time of struggle draws the Christians closer to Him, and may the non-believers start to seek our mighty God, realizing that He is our living water.
Transformed to Serve the Gospel
A family has come to Christ through the witness of missionaries in their area. They have invited unsaved family members and friends to attend a Christian outreach concert on Saturday night, where they hope those people will hear the gospel. Pray for encouragement as they share Christ with the people they love.
Live a life pleasing to the Lord
Please pray for the believers who are living among the Swahili people to keep their conduct honorable as we are called to in 1 Peter 2:12 so that they would see our good deeds and glorify God. Pray that the local believers would be given a new hope and passion to see their neighbors come to know the Truth, and the courage to reach out with a grace-filled boldness.
A Witchdoctor’s Dilemma
Pray for one family in which many members are secretly seeking Jesus. Pray especially for one who has been a practising witchdoctor. Whilst she is eager to hear God’s word and understand it, please pray that she would be open about being a witchdoctor, repent and allow Jesus to cleanse and fully heal her.
Sharing Christ with Children
Please pray for an open door for a missionary to share Christ with Sandawe children. Pray for loving connections, opportunities to share Bible stories, and language facility. Ask God to bring many of these children into His kingdom.
The Word Becomes the Main Event
The D family listened eagerly to the overview account of the Bible and the first day of creation. It was obvious that the snacks and conversation in the first half hour were simply preliminary to this “main event.” They made a few comments, asked a couple of questions, observed a point or two that was similar to the Koran. At the end they were eager for prayer for the needs of various members of the family. This week they are expecting lesson 2 on Thursday, and it’s obvious they plan for the Bible study to be an ongoing event. Praise God for the opportunity to meet with the whole family in their home. Praise God for their openness and interest. Please pray for the Spirit to enlighten their eyes and take away any fears, so the light of the gospel can shine in their hearts and the whole family will be saved.
Pray for relationships in Ampasindava
Please pray for relationships in the village of Ampasindava on Nosy Mitsio. An older lady with no known relatives has recently moved to this village, after claiming the royal ancestors directed her here through a dream. Many people on Nosy Mitsio think she’s been exiled from the mainland and that she’s a witch who curses people, yet most are afraid to interfere with what may be the work of the ancestors bringing her here. Relationships in the village of Ampasindava are already being strained, as this lady has been blamed for some recent sicknesses and spiritual oppressions, and people in the village are divided on whether or not she should be blamed for it (which is causing them to break relationships with each other). Please pray that the team leaders living in this village would be led by the Holy Spirit to respond to every person with God’s truths during this time of conflict. Pray especially that this village would know the peace of Jesus, that both their fear and their trust in the ancestors would be destroyed, and that all would be reconciled to God and each other through Jesus our Lord.
Won the Green Card Lottery!
Pray for this Muslim family who leaves December 9th to move to America. They will be living with a Christian family as they look for a job and a home. They have a young son and a baby on the way. They won the “green card lottery” to be able to go, and despite the chaos in their home country all the paperwork went through for passports and visas. They look on it as a miracle and keep saying, “The Lord wants this.” Believing in the Lord’s mighty purposes, I agree with them! Pray that the Lord with continue to draw them and that they will see his mighty acts of grace and truth. They have heard the gospel here and have the written Word of God. Asking for their salvation!!
Love Is Opening Doors for the Gospel
Pray for a South Asian family who are becoming more and more open to the gospel. Visits with their neighbours, missionaries, are frequent and loving. God is opening new opportunities to pray with and for them in their trials. He is healing family members who have serious illnesses. They are listening to the stories of the Bible. Now the whole extended group have requested to hear the Bible stories together at their house. Please pray for the Lord to work mightily through His word and bring the whole family to faith in Christ.
New life!
Praise God for 4 new believers among the Fulani! Pray for them to be bold and tell others what the Lord has done for them. And praise the Lord for the dedication of the scriptures in the Fulani language. May many read it and believe.
Not By Works or Legalism
“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
1 Corinthians 1:18
Pray against work-based salvation and legalism: Pray that the M will understand that hope for forgiveness and acceptance with God is available only through Jesus’ work on the cross.
Planting trees
Please pray for “Katy,” a new friend of less than 3 weeks. She is in an abusive situation at home, and yesterday I shared Matthew 11:28 with her and prayed for her in Jesus’ Name. She said that she had been having dreams about me and had gone to ask one in her family who knows about dream interpretations. In her dreams I’m constantly planting trees. Her sister said that maybe the trees were to build a house in Paradise; I suggested that they were women and people I care for and want to have freedom…tending to them. And she “prayed” that I would live long and be able to help the many who come. She puts huge significance in dreams (most do). Pray that she will have a dream of Jesus! That she would trust in the Lord and be like a tree planted by water, and does not fear when heat comes. (Jeremiah 17: 7-8)
Translating the Bible…Orally!
Praise God for the Alagwa from different villages and churches, and community leaders from surrounding areas who have agreed to be part of the Oral Bible Translation project. Please pray that all of those involved would work together well. Please pray especially for those who don’t know Jesus. May God’s word touch them deeply as they translate it.
Not Witchcraft
Please pray for Mama Soja and her family as they continue to grieve the death of husband and father. He died very suddenly and unexpectedly. He was widely known in the community both in the church in out. There has been a lot of talk of witchcraft. Mama Soja is holding fast to her faith. I have no doubt that her steadfastness in Christ is a faithful witness in the community. Let’s pray that her faithfulness will be a shining light and that the LORD will use this difficult situation to draw others to Himself.
Vision for new school
Pray for the Africa Inland Church of Tanzania which hopes to start a primary school and a high school for local students in the town of Tanga. Usually a high school or secondary school is for students who are boarding there, so this is a new experiment. They hope that local young people can stay with their families as they reach adulthood, and will become strong productive members of the local church, involved in evangelism to their own friends and neighbours.
Who can stand against us!
Please keep praying for those who continue in opposition to the spread of the good news here. Pray for the two religious teachers who have redubbed the Jesus film (widely available in the local language) to bring it in line with Islamic teaching. Pray that God would bring them to the point where they recognise that they have done the very thing they accuse believers of – changing the word of God.
Pray for those in positions of power who are being asked to tighten religious freedom; pray that they would be willing to stand for freedom in the face of opposition. Pray that all that is happening would not only bring greater freedom here but also stir up curiosity and hunger to know who Jesus is.
Pray that all believers on the island would abide ever deeper in the truth that if God is with us who can be against us!
Troubling news
A brother in the East has been arrested for sharing his faith online. The authorities found him by tracing his IP computer. Pray for courage and grace for him and all the believers. Pray none would shrink back, and that they would be discerning in communications.
Rains/Reigns
Praise God that a few good rains all around the area have relieved the O peoples’ urgent concerns for their herds of cattle, goats and sheep. Now the animals can remain out where the small amount of feed is, and drink water there, rather than making the LONG every other day treks to where the traditional wells are in the dry riverbed. Pray that it will be an abundant rainy season. The O people still need the reign of Jesus as Saviour and Lord in their lives and hearts – Pray that many will realise this urgent need and receive God’s gracious provision! Pray that God will raise up (3-6) O ‘people of peace’ who will facilitate the spread of making disciples, Jesus’ style.
update on missing girl and mother
Thank you for praying for our daughter’s friend and her mother who suddenly disappeared. They’re back! Our daughters tearfully embraced for a long time. There are a lot of rumors flying around about where they went and the mother is being very secretive and defensive. But she seems to trust me. Pray for them to come into the Light and experience the miracle of restored relationships.
Drought in Digo Land
The Digo are in the middle of a very dry season; pray for the rains that will help the crops grow, and that the Digo will come to know the One who can give them living water.
Pray for Mamani’Jordany
Please pray for Mamani’Jordany. She has been one of the most enthusiastic members of the discovery Bible study in Marimbehely (on Nosy Mitsio), and has helped lead the meetings several times. While the TIMO team was away from the island, she became possessed by an ancestral spirit, had a long illness, and has been performing ceremonies to try to appease the spirit. Please pray that she would receive freedom and liberation through trusting in Jesus!
Name Changer
Pray for Christian women who have converted to Islam in order to be married to a Muslim. One woman, I will call her Angel, attended a vibrant Christian church for 15 years, sang in the choir, and then she married a Muslim. As part of her conversion to Islam, Angel has taken on a new Muslim name and is being taught how to worship in the mosque. After five years, she still feels like an outsider. As we read Scriptures together, her face lit up with joy, and she recalled a choir song that she had once sung. She sang it aloud and has not forgotten any of it. Pray that she will be able to return to worship and fellowship with others knowing Jesus as her Lord.
Mayhem!
Please continue to pray for the Ndau in the rural areas. Normal way of living has changed drastically for them over the past few months. Over the past few years it was a battle to “survive” because the rains did not come on time thus giving them poor harvests. This year many are not going to prepare their fields being fearful of the soldiers and police that are roaming around. At the roadblocks much of their “stuff” gets confiscated or they have to pay to pass. The soldiers have also been known to demand “relish” such as goats, chickens and even cattle from the folks. Life is not easy for them. Please continue to pray for them as well as the peace talk mediations that have once again been postponed to the 7th November 2016.
