Please pray for one of our local pastors. He has taken a bold stand against immorality in his congregation, and suspended some of the leadership. He needs lots of encouragement, and so do the few remaining believers.
Verdict tomorrow
Once again we are asking for prayer for the release of the believers in prison for their faith. I believe God is greatly honored as we continue in prayer and surrender, asking, and asking again.
Tuesday, February 18th, is the date they now say they will give the verdict. The previous date given for the verdict was Feb 4…but they delayed it 2 weeks. On Feb 6, in response to a UN report, the internal Security Agency gave an international press conference, saying that they had done their job and had turned the “dangerous ones” over to the court. We are not sure what this reveals about international pressure, but it felt like quite a defensive stance deflecting blame regardless of how the court rules.
We pray for the fear of God to fall on all — for those against Him to tremble, for those that are His to shine in awe, worship, joy and peace.
And we pray for the next steps for each one. If God should see fit to release them, pray for families that receive them, for communities that still walk in the dark.
Unity and growth
Pray with us for three groups of Som ** MBB’s all on WhatsApp groups. We thank God for their unity and the content of their communication in uplifting and edifying one another through the sharing of scripture, prayer and practical help. They also get to answer questions from seekers that are also in the groups. Pray that God will graciously grow these groups for the extension of His Kingdom.
Kingdom of Light
One of the young believers shared this story recently:
“I had a dream one night and a man came to me in shining light. ‘I am Jesus’. Jesus told me that he loves me and has forgiven all my sins when he died on the cross for me. He said that he has given me eternal life. Then he told me to tell others about the Kingdom of Light and not to be afraid. I will give you great joy as you do this.”
Even before this dream, the believer had been sharing the two kingdoms story with many people, about the Kingdom of Light and the kingdom of darkness. He’s been calling many others to follow Jesus. The dream spurred him onwards with greater vigor and purpose.
Several people as a result have come into the Kingdom of Light! Pray for these young and new believers to grow and share with others.
visiting friends
Praise for an opportunity to visit the refugee camps with a Saharawi friend who has been in Spain for 20 years. Pray for sweet reunions and the Spirit to move in hearts.
Deep impact
Pray for our GAP program that started this week. This is a camp for recently graduated high schoolers. Pray that it will have a deep impact in the lives of the youth.
Curious and hungry hearts
Diaspora in Georgia: Pray that many of my Muslim friends would initiate spiritual conversations that come from a curious and hungry heart.
God still at work
Hopelessness and suffering are written on the faces of many Bara people, and pain spreads through every layer of this culture—a culture that venerates death, worships ancestors, and refuses to come to the Creator for relief. Yet, the God of the universe is at work! He has not left the world without the testimony of His grace. Through the Gospel, the Eternal One is revealing His glory, restoring, and reconciling humanity to Himself. Below is a link to Sandy’s testimony to what God is doing in her life. Pray many more Bara will experience God’s work in their lives as well.
Salt and Light
Diaspora in England: The refugee centre where I volunteer recently shared that they assisted 1,633 refugees last year. Give thanks for this much needed service and pray that I and other Christians who serve there will continue to be salt and light to the many people from UPGs who use the Centre’s services.
Outreach and engagement
The Sudanese converts are not staying behind; instead, they are walking in obedience by reaching out to their own brothers and sisters in Darfur and the refugee camps. M’, our key leader for outreach and refugee engagement, is intentionally training his leaders to multiply this effort.
Today, M A is following up on the work in Renk, at the Sudan-South Sudan border. Please pray for him to have fruitful engagements and to build strong, new relationships that advance the Kingdom.
Fear of hell
Diaspora in England: Praise for the amazing conversation a few weeks ago in one of our English classes where the M women shared very openly about their fear of hell and their lack of assurance of going to heaven. We were able to share how different this is for Christians. The women asked us questions about our faith and were very interested. Pray for these seeds of truth to germinate in good soil.
Father making threats again
Pray for our island sister, ‘Rachel’. Her father has begun making death threats against her. She isn’t afraid, but she felt like it was wise to alert the police and the Justice Department to his threats. Her father has also barred her and her son from going to their fields. Rachel is praying and waiting on the Lord about how she should respond to this. Pray for wisdom for her with her father. Pray too for discernment from the Holy Spirit as she answers islanders’ questions about Jesus.
Pray for open heart
Diaspora in Florida: I am in discussions with Imam A about God’s Word. Pray for an open heart.
Stand firm
Pray for the believers to grow in discipleship and courage to stand firm in the faith when faced with challenges. May they stay on the narrow path and refuse temptations to take the easy way.
Bible study
Diaspora in Washington DC: Pray for 5 English students to join us in a weekly study of God’s word on Tuesdays. We praise Jesus for 3 that have initially participated.
Wisdom and discernment
Pray for wisdom and discernment for local leaders and community influencers to promote unity and peace rather than division.
Pray for healing and comfort for families affected by the recent violence and loss of loved ones in Medani and Juba.
Pray for law enforcement to effectively restore order without escalating violence, ensuring safety for all communities.
No longer
Maroamboka village, where we used to live, is the place of witch doctors. Seven of them live and work in and around Maroamboka! Some of them are so powerful that people come all the way from the capital to consult them. In short, Maroamboka was more or less the stronghold of Satan.
And it is precisely in Maroamboka that the church is growing! And it is Maroamboka where people come to hear more about the Gospel. Why? My friend Issa noted that the Lord has a sense of humour. Issa said, “The evil one must have been happy when we left Maroamboka. But it is as if God woke the evil one out of his evil dream by using Maroamboka for His mighty and glorious work.” I like Issa’s conclusion. Pray for the church to continue to grow in size and influence.
Coffee time
Diaspora in Wales: In January, we started a coffee/tea time following the Monday Women’s English Classes. Pray that this informal time of fellowship will deepen a sense of community enabling ladies to meet other teachers and students while using English.
Pray for breakthrough
Diaspora in Germany: Pray for those who are suffering or in need, especially in migrant camps.
Pray for breakthroughs in the lives of people who are lost, lonely, or struggling.
Pray for receptive hearts and meaningful connections in the outreach ministry.
Persecution
The young men leading the church in one Lopit village are still going through persecution. Early in January they were seriously beaten but they have said no to idolatry and are very active in the church. Pray for them to stand firm in their faith, and that the Lord will give a lasting solution in this village where persecution happens often for believers.
Eyes of their hearts opened
Diaspora in Michigan: Pray for Mr. I and Mr. J to have an encounter with God, and for the eyes of their hearts to be opened. Both are spiritually open, but neither have truly accepted Jesus as Lord. Please pray for our Friday night conversation cafe that includes a 30 minute Bible story. Mr K and Mr R are actively searching to know more about the Bible and Mr J said he would believe if he saw a dream of Jesus. Please pray with us for a Bible study group to form with them.
New interest
Praise the Lord for new interest in His word from two friends on the plateau, Mary and Elisheba. We have started studying with Mary but Elisheba has been busy with the election. Ask that, now the election is over, Elisheba would be free to study with us, and that Father would open both their hearts to understand His plan and their need for a Saviour.
Save our friends
Diaspora in Georgia: Pray that the Lord will make it evident that He is moving to save our Ms friends Naya, Amy, Slim, Mia, Kudu and Sue and their families.
Praise the Lord for weekly opportunities to share Scripture with seekers and new believers. Pray for much fruit this month.
Looking for a wizard
One of the young men from our church lost his brother in a cattle raid. The tradition here is that the community usually looks for a “wizard” to hang for the suspected cursing of the one who died in sickness or in raids. The prayer request is that a hanging will not follow this funeral or any other funeral. Pray this evil practice will stop and the light of the Gospel will shine brightly in the church and will show another way to live.
Month-long outreach
The four leaders of the Toposa team have embarked on a one-month apostolic outreach to Lochoa, seeking persons of peace and strengthening the 11 churches in the area. Artis and Jejo, who are currently in Naliel, will later follow up with them and provide the necessary supplies to support the work.
Please pray for the Toposa Apostolic team as they step out in radical obedience, reaching the lost and building up the body of Christ. Also, pray that God provides the needed supplies—Bibles, audio Bibles, and Jesus film—to equip and disciple the people they reach.
Verdict delayed
For some reason, the verdict for those in prison got pushed back to February 18th. Still no word on why. Pray for them. They need super natural peace and strength in Jesus. And let’s not forget their families. They’re longing to be with their loved ones. We’re hoping for a quick & quiet resolution so everyone can come home soon.
PTSD
Diaspora in Hong Kong: Please pray for a Somali Christian and his wife, who does not share his faith. We hope to build a friendship in Christ. Pray for her heart.
Pray for E, a believer from a Muslim background, who is struggling with PTSD and seeking peace in the Word of God.
Dispensary open again
Praise the Lord that Pastor Mahalu in Magambua village was able to invite some Christian medical personnel from the government to re-open the AICT Magambua Dispensary. Care is happening there again with believers treating people and augmenting the witness of the local church. Pray for many to find Jesus there!
Tuesday /Thursday activities
Diaspora in France: Pray for our weekly activities which take place every Tuesday and Thursday. May we be the salt and light of Christ for the students during these times. Pray for good talks with students and for the Lord to open their hearts to the gospel.
Verdict
The believers in prison in Libya for their faith will appear before the judge on Tuesday and hear the verdict. Please pray the Lord would trouble the judge and those involved in deciding the sentence and they would ‘let His people go’. Pray for their unconditional release and reunion with their families.
Engage
Pray for creative ways to engage the locals who are seeking the truth, without being a threat to their community. Ask for more laborers to engage the locals through different platforms.
People of light
We have been helping an islander and her aunt who travelled to the mainland for medical care. Give thanks for this opportunity to serve an islander and show Jesus’s love – the doctor treating them is also a believer! Ask that their interaction with so many people of light would impact them deeply and bring them to Jesus. Ask for wisdom for the doctor and a good medical outcome.
Retreat follow-up
Praise God that my Saharawi friend and her daughters came to the retreat as they planned. The Holy Spirit was clearly working and we have had some fruitful conversations since. Please pray Jesus appears to them in dreams and visions and calls them to Himself.
Tide turning!
The village of Tsiombivohitra where I went almost weekly (for years) to teach and preach the Bible stories, now has a large group of Christians. When I used to go there were only two young people who believed in Jesus.
Sometime last year, the sown seed seems to have taken root. First, the young couple started coming to Maroamboka on Sunday mornings to seek the Lord with the brothers and sisters in the FLM church. But not much later, they started bringing about 20 people from Tsiombivohitra. The tide in Tsiombivohitra village seems to have turned. It is just a small village which means that the believers are slowly becoming the majority. They have now agreed with the FLM leadership to build a sister congregation in Tsiombivohitra.
But this village is not the only one where people are coming to a living faith in Christ. There are plans to build a church in at least two more villages. Praise the Lord He is building His church! Pray for these new believers to walk in the ways of the Lord.
Children’s ministry
Pray for the impact of the Compassion International program, that is being run with the support of many of the believers from AICT Magambua church, that many children from the community will come to faith in Christ through the witness and care of this ministry.
Translation
The translation team is working hard and making good progress. Pray the Lord will continue to bless and enable them to make a good translation.
Pray the Lord would protect the team and this work from those who oppose us. Ask the Lord to convict one woman in particular who is causing us trouble. May she repent!
Book of Exodus: Hope for Redemption
Thankful for the Pioneer Bible Translation team who have recently published the book of Exodus in the Nyamwezi language. Pray for those who read it to understand how God’s acts of salvation in Exodus begin to reveal His divine purpose to redeem and guide. May the Nyamwezi know that God longs to free them from bondage and lead them into the Promised Land.
Build Your church
Pray for the believers to grow in deeper understanding God’s love and the significance of the cross and resurrection that reveals God’s depth of love for us all. More opposition is expected with religious leaders in the area as they try to grab the new lambs and drag them back into the kingdom of darkness. Pray that the NBs will not just endure persecution, but thrive in faith and in their dependence on Jesus and embrace the persecution.
May God’s Church be built and thrive here! We trust that the gates of hell will not prevail against it–as Jesus promised.
Boldness in sharing
We seek your prayers for safety of our brothers who continue to boldly share the gospel in S** language on the streets. May God prepare the hearts of those who will listen and believe the Truth.
Divine intervention
Pray for guidance for religious leaders to speak messages of peace and reconciliation instead of inciting conflict.
Pray for solidarity among different ethnic and religious groups, fostering understanding and cooperation in these challenging times.
Pray for divine intervention to change hearts and minds, leading to a cessation of hostilities and a pathway to dialogue.
