She was looking at my phone with pictures of our children’s baptism and as she asked questions, her two daughters came in and added their own questions. The conversation led to Jesus’ example of baptism…and then to his perfection, his death and resurrection. Her older daughter said, “I know that story. It comes up on the TV sometimes.” The mom then clarified, “It’s not a local channel. We’ve watched that movie lots of times. And there’s a grandmother who speaks about the Bible on TV too. When she speaks, I want to sit and hear every word. We should watch it together sometimes.” Pray for those who are sending in light through satellite and TV. Ask that “Dream” and her family will not only hear, but believe.
Open doors
Praise God that the ministry in Ikongo is going well and growing. There are open interests from the Tanala people to hear God’s word and follow the discipleship sessions.
There is a plan to go to more villages with the disciples! Pray God would open more and more doors.
Pray God’s protection on Melias and Thadde and Haja and family.
The Hoffmans have visited Sandrohy as a family. (The place they are planning to move to, in the middle of the Tanala people.) The family are very excited and love the place. Pray for all the arrangements needed to be done so that they can move in good time.
Growing Trust and Understanding
Please pray for the ongoing relationship between the Bagamoyo town church members, from other tribes, and the members of our village. Pray for growing trust and understanding. Many church members are deeply invested in the area, some to the point where they are purchasing farm land. Please pray that their motives and interest in the area would not be misunderstood by the community. Pray for growing interest among church members to reach out in word and deed to the Zigua, and for vision and understanding that they are indeed involved in cross-cultural ministry and need to be sensitive to cultural issues.
Coming to Faith as a Family
The women in a South Asian family have been hearing the gospel repeatedly from two missionaries, and are making progress in their understanding of Jesus. Recently one woman who had a diagnosis of MS went to India to have a medical checkup. Before she left, a missionary prayed for her healing in Jesus’ name. All her tests came back completely clear. Her sight, which had deteriorated, has also been restored to normal. Although she is not yet ready to conclude that Jesus has healed her, there is much rejoicing. Please pray for further progress in sharing the gospel with the family, and that as the women are growing in their understanding of who Jesus is, that the Lord would also be sending emissaries to the men, so that the whole extended family will be saved.
More than a dozen new churches!
Praise the Lord there are now more than a dozen new churches among the Mahafaly! Please pray for the new churches:- that believers would grow in their faith and be established.
– Pray that they would share the gospel and plant new churches
– Pray for those suffering, as a result of drought
New groups of believers- pray that new believers would be committed to studying the word and meeting together. Pray that they will share the truth with friends and family.
May they joyfully follow
“Nathan” has heard the gospel many times. He even declares that he believes it is true. He believes that Jesus died and rose again…and does not balk at the deity of Christ, but he is not yet ready to follow Him. He recently sat down with his family and explained the gospel to them as our sister listened with joy! Ask that he will go from seeing and loving Jesus from a distance to surrendering his whole life! We know that demons believe and shudder; may this family believe and joyfully follow Jesus as King!
True understanding of the Gospel
Please pray for the Karimojong to understand the true gospel of Jesus Christ rather then add Christianity as another layer to their existing animistic beliefs in an attempt to seek blessings or to avoid curses. That they would be willing to break from their culture when Christianity conflicts with it, even though it may invite discomfort, rejection, or persecution.
For Just Such A Time As This
Sometimes it’s hard to stay hopeful, or see how a difficult circumstance will work out in the end, but as it says in Esther 4:14 “Who knows but that you have come to your position for just a time as this?”
Mwana is a Digo Christian, who had been out of school for some time and then had trouble finding a school to accept her for the new term. When she finally found a school and got settled, she befriended a Muslim girl, Christine. One day this girl had an attack of some sort and immediately Mwana prayed over her and the attacked stopped! She asked Christine to come to church, but the family wouldn’t give her permission. After some persistent invitations, she was eventually given permission and attended a local church. She was excited that she knew some of the Bible stories they talked about.
Thank God that He placed Mwana in that school at just the right time to bring her friend to church, and pray that the excitement she has will develop into a desire to learn more about who Jesus is.
Does Your God Really Hear and Answer?
A few weeks ago an elderly man from our village walked into our church service in the neighboring village. He was wearing a Muslim robe and prayer cap, and appeared obviously out of place, but was right where God wanted him. The preacher quickly modified his sermon to share the condensed version of the gospel story from creation to Christ. The man stayed and listened intently through the whole service. At the end of the service he stood up and announced that he is ill, needs healing, has tried to pray to his God, but his God does not hear him…But he heard from a Muslim background believer and some of the other believers that our God hears our prayers. Would we pray for him? Of course we would! Will you pray for him too? He stayed after the service for more prayer with the Tanzanian believers who poured prayer and witness over him. Please pray for this man’s salvation & healing!
At Last! Progress Through Difficulties
We continue to give thanks for Odilo, the Bible translator, and his weekly meetings with several small groups of Christians in the area. He told me the other day that the believers really need a good foundation in God’s Word. Please pray for him, and for the groups he is teaching. May the Lord renew their minds and they study His word.
We are finally starting to see some signs of reconciliation in the local Magambua church. Please pray for the church as one of the prominent leaders just died unexpectedly. He leaves a wife with 5 children, some of whom are grown but they are also raising some of their grandchildren.
Towards Faith
Praise God that a twenty six year old Muslim man named ‘D’ has been listening to the Gospel story with much interest and an open heart! Pray that he will turn to Christ and be able to bear the discouragement from family and the community. Thank God that he was invited to study the word by his friend ‘B’ who is a disciple from the same community. Pray that disciple ‘B’ will invite more people into a study of the word.
Running the race
It is exciting that the Toposa are being reached by many church teams who come at the invitation of missionaries. Please pray that all those who hear the gospel message may grasp it with both hands, run with it, and make it known among their own people.
Psalm prayer
Psalm 100:2 “Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs.” Please pray this psalm for the Nyang’atom, that it would become a reality in their lives. Our Lord instructs us to pray for each other …. with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. Let us join together and do just that for the Nyang’atom.
Pendulum
The Lokwa live in an area troubled by the surrounding tribes, the closeness of the Ugandan border, and the road that runs through it. It seems to swing like a pendulum from relatively safe to very unsafe. Constantly swinging. Many have left the area, gone to refugee camps and other countries which offer protection, including the pastors and their families. Please pray for peace so that people may be able to safely return to their homes and try and get their lives back to some form of normality.
Love through relief food
It’s a hard and long dry season for the O since they missed the April/May rainy season. A gift of relief food is being given through the people of Jesus. Pray for the ones organising and distributing the food. Pray that the Love of God through Jesus will be accurately expressed and understood, and would draw many to Him. Pray that the Nov/Dec rainy season will be early and ample – that both physical and spiritual needs will be met by the power of the Holy Spirit.
No news is good news?
The old saying that ‘No news is good news’ doesn’t necessarily ring true in this land. As we have no one in this area to report about this unreached people group, we can only imagine what is happening there. The country is in desperate need of prayer as it teeters on the brink of returning to full scale war, and so this area and people group are needing us to lift them up to the Lord. May He make Himself known among them, that they would hear some good news, that of salvation in Jesus Christ alone, in amongst all the daily bad news that permeates South Sudan.
Delightfully Surprised
Last week when I visited Mama Federiko for our regular listening time of the Word in Kisandawe, one of her neighbours and friends, Mama Pili joined us.
Mama Pili has been coming off and on since the beginning of our ‘listening’ times but quite abruptly would stand up and walk away without saying a word. She is an old widow with a couple of adult daughters who do nothing to help her but rather take advantage of her whenever there is an opportunity. She struggles with health issues and poverty.
This time I brought Helena, a young Sandawe lady, with me to discuss the things the listeners heard after our listening time. Questions were asked about the passages, understandings were shared, explanations were given and the gospel reviewed. I was a little surprised to hear Mama Pili sharing her understanding of the events in Luke that were heard but more surprised by her answers which were spot on…And she sat there throughout the entire session!
It was not until Helena and I were walking home and talking about how things went during the listening time that she mentioned Mama Pili’s salvation. Apparently, 3 months ago Mama Pili gave her life to the Lord after a particularly trying time of demonic possession. Since then she has been attending the AOG church in Magambua. As I thought back over the last few months it all made sense to me. I had noticed a more friendly disposition and even some joy in her eyes when our paths had crossed but had no idea it was Jesus who had made the change.
Please pray for her growth and discipleship and that the Lord would help this old woman not only know the provision of the Lord to the widow and the fatherless but also that she might witness for Jesus to her friend and neighbour Mama Federiko.
‘Elale’ (thank you)
As one of the few areas in this war weary land that is still relatively safe from the fighting, we do indeed thank the Lord! The Didinga are, however, still badly affected by the rest of the country’s troubles of run away inflation and food shortages. They have crops that they can harvest to survive, but are unable to afford anything else, like oil, sugar, salt, soap, etc. The church struggles on with the few believers. Pray for many more Didinga to come to know the Lord and Savior! Pray for workers to serve the Lord among the Didinga in this beautiful mountain range.
Two by two
Pray for the new believers among the Lopit. They are struggling but hanging in there. 3 members of the old TIMO team arrived safely back to a wonderful welcome by the Lopit. Praise God! Pray for more laborers in this beautiful harvest field. The fledging church needs mature godly leaders. Please pray!
Praise INDEED
We praise the Lord for two boys and one girl who have expressed that they have made a commitment to follow Jesus and trust him as their Lord and Savior. Two of these youth have gone to other locations for a season: one off to school and the other to the cattle camp. Pray that we would make the most of each opportunity we have to disciple and mentor the youth and children and pray for these new believers wherever they go to continue growing in their trust, love, and obedience to Jesus.
An Influential Leader Looking For Common Ground
Please pray for the chairman of our sub-village. She is a person of major influence and seems to be embracing us and wanting change for our village. As of yet, she isn’t all that interested in the Christian God, but she is looking for common ground, telling us that we all believe in one God. She also believes in the power of prayer. She has a story of a day when there was nothing to eat and she prayed and a stranger whom she had helped years before dropped in with some money and gifts of food as a thank you that same day. Would you pray for a powerful encounter with Christ?
Going Down With a Fight
We have felt the darts of Satan’s attack from every direction – he is crushed, but not going down without a fight. Please pray the Lord would protect His people physically, mentally, and spiritually. Pray Jesus would continue to glorify His name & expand His kingdom on the coast whatever the cost! We want to see Jesus break the bonds of enslavement to sin & hopeless extreme poverty. We want to see His salvation go out to the coastlands as He declared in Isaiah 51:5, “My righteousness draws near, my salvation has gone out, and my arms will judge the peoples; the coastlands hope for me, and for my arm they wait.”
Pray for those who stand in opposition to God’s kingdom
In the past month or so there has been increased scrutiny of local believers and workers; this has mainly been instigated by religious teachers but some government officials have also been involved. Pray for these men who are seemingly so full of anger, judgement and fear. Praise God that for them too there is grace! Pray that they would encounter the God of love who wants to set them free from their chains. Pray that God would reveal to them His holiness and the depth of sin in their own hearts. Pray for radical ‘Road to Damascus’ experiences of Jesus!
Remembering God’s promise to use all things for the good of those who love Him, pray that any additional pressure the local believers feel would only serve to push them closer to Him and to one another. Pray that all believers on the island would speak and act out of love and never fear.
Knowing the Good Shepherd
Pray for believers to be bold in speaking forth the truth with those who believe that Christianity and Islam are simply two different “dhehebu” (denominations), worshipping the same God. Pray that the Nyamwezi would know God not as a distant supreme being, but as their Father who longs for a personal relationship with them, who sent His son to die for their sins, who leads us as a Shepherd. Pray for those ministering to the Nyamwezi that they would not “cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.” Acts 5:42
More, More About Jesus
Rejoice in the way Jesus is moving in Digoland! Two women who just started attending a local Digo church are eager to know more about who Jesus is! Pray their families will continue to allow them to attend church and they won’t be harassed by others.
May They Dare To Call Him Father
Recently one of my dearest friends asked me about repentance. She said, “If you repent, but you keep doing the same sin, will God forgive you? Or do you believe that if you repent and continue doing the same thing He won’t forgive you?” She explained to me that in Islam, there were some who believed that if you asked God for forgiveness and kept doing the same thing, you wouldn’t be forgiven again. But that there were others who believed you could keep doing the same thing over and over and God would always forgive you.
I asked her, “What do you believe?” She thought about it and said, “Okay, I’m NOT saying that God is like a parent or a father. I’m not saying that. No. I’m not saying that. But, God knows me better than I know myself. He created me. He knows my motivations and why I do things. So because of that, I believe that He will continue to forgive me even when I make the same mistake over and over.”
To our friends here, one of the most offensive things that we believe is that God is our Father. Clearly, this friend was scared to seem to communicate that. Generally we avoid that reference when we share with people, knowing that most of the time it is a barrier and not a bridge. I had not talked with this particular friend about that image, yet God has so clearly put it on her heart anyway. She is trying to resist the idea, yet there’s something in her that longs to be able to call Him Father.
Please pray that our people would have their hearts opened to God being their true Father. A perfect Father who can be everything their own fathers were not. Pray they would cry out to Him and not be afraid to seek that relationship with Him. Pray for those of us working with these people, to have opportunities to speak that Truth into their lives in a way that is a blessing and a source of hope.
Slaves No Longer
The M have been slaves to Islam and demonic spirits for generations. But these days more and more of them are hearing the Word of God and considering the claims of Jesus. Please pray for the gospel to be made clear to them, and that they will be set free indeed.
Men Who Would Turn the Dorobo World Upside Down
Please pray for a Dorobo pastors and leaders prayer conference being held in Naivasha from October 3-6. This will be a get together of the pastors and leaders who have come to Christ since 1994 and have been pastoring or acting as elders in churches among the Dorobo people. As we pray together, we will also be looking to see if there are any ‘regions beyond’ where churches still need to be planted. Pray for effective prayer together. Pray for a time of refreshment for these leaders. And pray for inspiration to carry on with the task of evangelizing the Dorobo people.
Three Young Men Confessed Christ
We are so thankful for how God has enabled our team and Tanzanian Christian staff to be a vivid witness here already and we feel many “doors” are open to us. Our Tanzanian Christian colleagues are actively involved in the young adult ministry of the church in the neighboring village, which is pastored by our Tanzanian farming partner. Recently, three local Muslim young men came forward in church to testify of coming to salvation in Christ through the outreach of this group. Praise God! Please pray for their spiritual growth & protection in Christ. Pray they will share with others what God has done for them.
An enthusiastic reading student
One of the Alagwa ladies we have been praying for is coming almost daily for Bible study. She is desperate to learn to read and write. So we study the Bible and pray together, and then I help her with her literacy. This is such an answer to prayer, as I was praying she would have a renewed passion to know God more. She always wants to study the Bible first, and I believe God is speaking to her. She is also sharing with one of her neighbors who is not a believer. Her husband is a believer, although he seems to be struggling with community and family pressures. Please pray for him to stand strong in his faith.
Trusting God in her poverty
Would you pray for Mama J to have the joy of the Lord, despite her desperate poverty. She seems to truly trust the Lord, pray she would tell others what the Lord has done for her. And pray that her small business would be profitable and that she would be able to keep it going.
Betroka, not far from your knees!
“… how can they believe if they don’t hear? …”
The Gospel of Luke in the Bara language is being broadcast everyday, through a small radio station in Betroka. Pray that God will attract Bara people to listen to the radio program when the Gospel is been broadcast at 18:00h. Ask God to use the broadcasts powerfully to take the gospel to further areas.
Also, the gospel of Luke is broadcast in the open market in Betroka. Many Bara, around 10 o’clock, just hang around the market. Pray that God touches their hearts in such a way that they become interested in listening to more of Jesus’ stories. Also pray that the guy who is playing the Gospel remembers to do it!
Women of faith and their husbands
In March, we asked you to pray for three ladies in one village who, having listened to the Alagwaisa Bible stories, wanted to follow Jesus. Two were concerned about their husband’s reactions, as culturally a wife should follow her husband’s religion.
Update-Praise God that these women are continuing to study the Bible and seek God. Praise God that one of them has been listening to God’s word with friends who aren’t seeking Jesus. She also lent her audio player twice to a man in her family who also really wants to hear God’s word. He kept it for so long, we gave her another one. Her face lit up as she received God’s word again. Please pray for an ever-deepening hunger for God and His word among these women and their families. Praise God that all three women are listening to God’s word with their families and friends. Please pray that they will continue to seek God for themselves and obey His Word. Please keep praying for the salvation of the husbands.
Encouragement and power
There is always a reason to be thankful and the most important is that we are not working in our ministries alone (no matter how difficult things may be) but the Holy Spirit is with us and Jesus Himself is building His church and His Kingdom. HE is always the victor and the One in control. Praise His Name for His work among the Sandawe! May the Name of Jesus be honored and lifted high among the Sandawe. May the believers walk in a way worthy of the Lord.
The Lord is my Shepherd
As we spend more time in the Datooga communities, we see the people caring for their livestock of goats, sheep and cows – taking them to find pasture, carrying the new born lamb or goat in their arms if the distance is too great for them to walk, looking out for predators, taking them to find water, searching the bushes for ones gone astray or lost; it is a reminder of David’s Psalm 23 The Lord is my Shepherd, and also of Jesus saying He is the Good Shepherd. As the Datooga herd their animals may they come to know Jesus as their own Good Shepherd and know he cares for each of them.
Sent Out Two By Two
Two weeks ago the church in Tsimba began sending Digo men in pairs to do evangelism in a new area. Last week there were 14 professions of faith by Digo people in response to these Digo men’s message! There is still much follow-up to do, but this is a very encouraging beginning! This week two ladies from the church have gone to the same area for outreach. Pray that the individuals doing the outreach would be encouraged in their faith and that the seed which has been planted will have landed on good soil.
A Rangi Believer’s Energetic Witness
A Rangi believer visited the village of Busi Sept. 5th and showed the Rangi Jesus Film. Pray for the salvation of Aziza, Mohamed and Adinani who saw it. He continues to show the Rangi Jesus film in other Rangi villages. He drives his motorcycle and uses his motorcycle battery to power the film.
This man has gone to 2 workshops about farming God’s way. He was so blessed by the training that on Sept. 15. he sent this whatsapp: “I am happy; today I taught my first class on farming God’s way at Msalato Theological College. I will continue on Friday. This is a class of pastors. They will teach what they’ve learned wherever they go. The Lord is very gracious to us. I praise him.”
Recently he messaged: “Thank you for asking how I am doing. I am doing well but have no one for accountability.” Pray that God would give him another Christian to have fellowship with.
Pray for the village of Marimbehely
The small village of Marimbehely on Nosy Mitsio has been diligently meeting to hear Bible stories for several months now. Two members of the group have demonstrated a lot of passion for learning the stories, discussing them, sharing the stories with others, and even leading the Bible study group themselves. The TIMO team is currently away from Nosy Mitsio for “month out”, but the people of Marimbehely have said they want to continue meeting and discussing the Bible stories in the absence of the team. Please pray that the Holy Spirit’s power and conviction would hold them strong in their pledge to continue in the team’s absence, that the Holy Spirit would reveal to them the truths of God’s character and actions through the Bible stories, that any obstacles or spiritual warfare would be overcome mightily and visibly by God’s power, and that the people of Nosy Mitsio would see that Jesus is the ultimate answer to their hopes and the ultimate freedom from their fears of the ancestors.
You prayed…God answered!
You prayed: Please pray for three ladies in one village who, having listened to the Alagwaisa Bible stories, want to follow Jesus. Two are concerned about their husband’s reactions, as culturally a wife should follow her husband’s religion. They are starting to pray for their husbands. Please pray for these ladies that they will continue to pray and give their lives to Jesus wholeheartedly and continue to grow in their understanding and in faith. Please pray for the husbands, that God, by his Spirit, will open of the hearts these three men to know His love and forgiveness.
Update 9-27-16-Praise God that these women are continuing to study the Bible and seek God. Praise God that one of them has been listening to God’s word with friends who aren’t seeking Jesus. She also lent her audio player twice to a guy in her family who also really wants to hear God’s word. He kept it for so long, the woman had to be given another audio player. Her face lit up as she received God’s word again. Please pray for an ever deepening hunger for God and his word. Praise God that all three women are listening to God’s word with their families and friends. Please pray that all 3 will continue to seek God for themselves and will obey God’s word. Please keep praying for the salvation of their husbands.
