Pray for the social media accounts that have been created to share verses and songs in the local language. Let’s pray that God uses this channel to reach many people. Pray for all the resources in local languages to be widely shared and thoughtfully read.
Musa
Earlier this month, Musa was on a trip to the city where he was in the final stages of planning to move there to serve on a team sharing the gospel with Somali people. He was killed in a tragic car accident on the road along the way. He leaves a wife and family mourning his death, along with many others whom he has influenced and impacted through years of ministry.
My cry is this: that in Musa’s place, God would raise up 10, 20, or 100 more men and women who would follow in Musa’s footsteps, to go to places where unless someone goes, lost people will continue to live and die without hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Pray the Lord comforts Musa’s family and at the same time raises up a harvest of passionate, compassionate, and transformed workers who will go and share the love of Christ and the power of the gospel among those who are living and dying without knowing Jesus.
Want to spend time together
Diaspora in Georgia: Pray for two Muslim ladies who I’ve begun developing friendships with. Pray that they would be tender and open to the Gospel while seeing God’s love shining through interactions they have with Christians. Pray that they would reach out and want to spend time together. Also, one of them, Z, is recovering from a herniated disc, so also pray for her healing.
Aslan
Diaspora in Canada: Pray for two dear cousins who are struggling academically, firmly committed to their Muslim faith, to be open to stories of God’s love and grace in Jesus. One is reading and watching the Narnia Chronicles and has been very interested in the role of Aslan, especially at the stone table. Pray that our discussion of the sacrifice of Aslan and the sacrifice of Jesus may bear fruit.
Oral Bible Translation
It is one year now since we started the Oral Bible Translation (with Spoken Worldwide) into the Northern Sakalava language. We have finished the books of Ruth and Mark and they have been released to the public through radio broadcasting, and to individuals’ phones. We are about to finish the book of Genesis—God willing this will be released this month.
The impact of the translation is great as people come to understand the word of God in their heart language. One of my friends in Ambilobe wrote to me: “So we went and taught using the audio of Ruth. They enjoyed listening and were very interested in discussing the meaning. After that two people decided to follow Jesus even before we asked anything! They said the story showed them they want to follow Him. I don’t know how God does it, but He did! Praise Jesus!”
Traveling
Wanyonyi, Claudio, and Nelson plan to go to Boma on Wednesday and travel for 10 days with Benjamin Challo and other Jie leaders. Getting Petrol for motorcycles has
been challenging. Pray for safe travels and fruitful ministry.
It’s a pretty dangerous time to travel in SS. The Lango are really causing trouble. Pray that this team remains safe.
Exploring reason for Easter
Diaspora in Wales: Pray for the women’s literacy and sewing classes. In the weeks leading up to Easter:
Pray for the teachers and students as we explore the reason for Easter.
Ramadan starts Mar 10th which brings a heightened spiritual awareness but class attendance tends to decline.
Need more teachers
Pray for 4 teachers that a local elementary school is looking to hire to help with the overwhelming student to teacher ratio (800 students:8 teachers). Pray the Lord would bring Christian teachers that would be strong in their faith and a light to the community!
Pursue truth
Pray for progress in evangelism: that those whom team members are regularly sharing with would join Bible studies and seriously pursue truth and understanding.
Innovation
Throughout these years, the Lord has provided us with various strategies to reach the Bara people and, more recently, the Mahafaly people.
However, we realize the need to INNOVATE our approach, as Technology has finally reached Betroka. Yes, Facebook and all media have reached us.
Last week, in partnership with GNPI (Good News Productions International), the NOMAD Academy (National Outreach using Media And Discipleship) offered us valuable training on producing biblical stories, short films, testimonies, as well as media editing and assembly.
Our primary goal is to create material for projectors that weekly proclaim the message of Jesus in various places in southern Madagascar. Additionally, we aim to develop contextualized content for discipleship and missionary mobilization among local churches, using videos, interviews, and other resources.
By all possible means, we want the Name of Jesus to be known, as we truly are co-workers with Him.
Evangelists
The missionaries in Hurri Hills are starting to prepare for a home assignment, which will leave the local evangelists working on their own. Please pray for all of the details to be sorted out so that the evangelists can continue on well during the missionaries’ absence. Pray for provision and fruitful ministry for the evangelists.
Grow and stand firm.
Jacob was recently encouraged by a youth, Lokwan, who came to faith through the witness of Nyao, one of the young men he regularly spends time with in the Word and prayer. Praise God for Laarim who are coming to faith through the witness of other Laarim believers! Please pray for Lokwam to grow in his faith and to stand firm against the pulls of the world. And pray for Nyao to continue to grow in love and boldness for Jesus.
God is love
Praise for a successful Valentines event with rich conversations. Pray they would feel and believe that God is love!
Meaningful outreach
Pray that the Church will minister in meaningful ways to the Karana during the two important dates on the spiritual calendar – Easter for the Christians and Ramadan for the Muslims. Pray for a meaningful Easter Outreach to the Karana during Ramadan.
And yet…
Right now we are getting good responses from our radio outreach. But on the ground people are hungry for food and drought is always at the door. Yet, on a very happy note our Radio Station and Church hosted a large soccer tournament where thousands of people came and the Gospel was clearly shared. God is at work! Yet it is still hard for many to come forward due to family opposition. Despite the opposition our Baptism classes are full in each of our outreach Churches.
Praise God for all those who have heard the Gospel! Pray for courage to believe despite opposition. And pray for rain and God’s provision for hungry people.
OBT!
Finally we have launched the Jiye oral Bible translation! Pray for this people group that finally they will hear the word of God in their own language, and hearing they may believe.
Two Digo men
Two Digo men, one is named Juma, the other Ali. Juma stated that, having embraced Jesus as his Savior, he believes his faith will empower him to stand firm even if facing persecution from his Islamic neighbors. When Ali heard the Gospel, he accepted Jesus into his heart and openly confessed Him as his Savior, unaffected by the presence of his friends. Let’s pray for Juma and Ali to thrive in their faith, and encounter Christians who can support their growth in the Word of God.
New brother
We have a new brother! He’s been having dreams about JC for about 5 years, has been reading the Word and sharing with his sister. And he has decided to follow Jesus!
Since he chose to follow JC on Sunday, Sam’s family kicked him out of the home and he wasn’t able to get any of his belongings. He said beforehand that he knew his family would persecute him, and that JC is worth it, but now he is actually experiencing it. Please lift this new brother up. Ask for the Father to miraculously provide for his needs, and to fill him with joy and strength. Ask for wisdom and discernment for the team as they walk this journey with him. Pray for his family to soften and his sister to continue seeking Truth.
Struggling and alone
Pray for one of the believers (A) who is struggling with mental illness as well as demonic oppression, and currently has little to no Christian support. Pray that the few believers currently in the village will reach out to her. Pray the Lord will stretch out His hand and deliver her.
Run to Jesus
The month of fasting will begin very soon (March 10th). Ask that our Brothers and Sisters will run to Jesus daily for refuge. Ask that they will hold fast to their shields of faith so they can withstand all the flaming darts of the enemy. May they be full of His light even in the darkest nights.
Theological training
One weekend every month for the next 10 months we are having theological training for our leaders. We have 18 students, and our first sessions were last Friday and Saturday! Please pray for open hearts, minds, and growth and maturing in the Word. We are praising the Lord for this opportunity and His provision!
Expand to all 56 villages!
The church is growing among the Lopit! Robert is traveling to Imuluha from Iboni every Sunday to lead believers in a church service there. There is a man who attends this service who has had exposure to Christianity but needs to be discipled. Pray that he would faithfully attend the services, and grow in his love for Jesus and his knowledge of the Word. Please keep praying for God’s kingdom to expand to all 56 Lopit villages!
Love and care
Diaspora in Hong Kong: We have started a language/homework class with K, a Muslim family. Pray for us to find a suitable venue at a local church to expand this ministry and accommodate more participants. Pray the Lord would open their hearts as we help and share.
Pray for provision and support for Muslim sisters T and N in meeting their basic living needs. Pray that they would experience the love of Jesus through our actions and care.
Grow in love and devotion
There are 3 new believers on our island! 1 couple and 1 single! All led to Jesus by our sister “R” (same one from last week who is traveling for training). Pray for them as “R” is away and for their hearts to grow in love and devotion to Jesus!
Sustainable response
Pray for sustainable response for:
– Agriculture food Security /Sufficiency programs, specifically the FAITH Project (Food Always in the Home).
-Pray for ADAPT Program (Agriculture Development Aquaculture Production for Transformation.
Pray these projects and programs will really help people.
Pray many will listen to the Gospel and believe.
Pray for an end to the war in Sudan!
PoP
Pray for Eliah Korobe, one of our team, who is accessing new areas in Blue Nile. Pray that the Lord will give him a person of peace in this Muslim area and open the door for many to hear and believe the Gospel.
Good restart
Diaspora in Wales: Praise God for a good restart this term of the Women’s English and Sewing classes. Pray that God will continue to provide ladies to attend and volunteers to teach/help.
We are thankful for the opportunity that women have to discuss simplified chronological Bible stories in the Women’s conversation class. We pray for receptive hearts.
Come to faith
Pray for the people we have been sharing with to come to faith and salvation by the work of the Holy Spirit. One family in particular, brothers and a sister, have been listening. Pray for their salvation.
Also, pray for I. and I. We have been talking with them; pray they will accept the word and it will bear fruit.
Baptism
Last Sunday brother Jackson shared the story of Jesus’ baptism in one the communities outside of town. At the end, one of the ladies asked “Can’t we be baptised since we have also repented of our sins?” Praise God! Please pray that God will give wisdom for the next steps, and for His provision in the practical details. Pray these women will continue to grow and mature in their faith.
Know Jesus as their Rock
Pray for Saharawi teens who are living in Spain and navigating the influences of peers. May they come to know Jesus as their rock, their identity and their only hope.
Emptiness
Diaspora in Florida: Pray for one of our imams, “Bruce” leading a group on an Umrah. Pray that God would show him the superficiality and emptiness of it all.
Pray for continued open gospel discussions with our Muslim friends.
Price is high
A brother from the small community of Jesus’ disciples is having doubts. He feels it is not safe to continue in the faith. The pressures are very difficult for a follower of Jesus because all of life and traditions here are anchored in the fear of ancestors and Islam, thus, wanting to honor the God of the Bible, young believers are constantly confronted with choices, rejection, family and community isolation. Let’s pray for this brother, his family, and all those who would like to follow Jesus but are discouraged because the price to pay is very high!
Sunday school
Andrea P. is leading Sunday school during the Ohilang church service. As she takes the children through a chronological Bible story set, pray that they would understand the message of God’s love and salvation as revealed through God’s work throughout history. Please also pray for someone Andrea can disciple to help her lead the Sunday school.
Bible translation
Pray for Jiye Bible Translation in Kapoeta this week. Pray for no technical problems, for unity, and Spirit-led guidance to produce a good translation, which will bless many.
Celebrations and Challenges
As I write this, I am on my way to India for 10 days. Twenty-five years ago, God used us to start a work in India to reach the K people. K had only a handful of indigenous believers and no full-time field workers. God has used earthquakes, persecution, and passion stirred by His Holy Spirit to grow the beginnings of a movement of K people to following Him. So we are celebrating the accomplishments in K: the NT, the Jesus Film, gospel radio broadcasts, a K themed gospel movie, gospel music CDs, many field workers, new believers, and more.
But challenges continue – the authorities are persecuting believers even more this year, funding field workers is becoming more difficult, and some are tired and discouraged that things are not happening as fast as they’d like. Pray for God to bring joy, a new passion, and great excitement from this time with gospel workers.
Counting the cost
We finished up Character 1 at the end of January. Pray for these 23 students to come to Character 2, which starts today Feb. 19th, and for other students to join. This is a great opportunity to continue to share different stories from the bible and connect with students more as they continue to learn. A few of these students are seeking and counting the cost. Please pray for them.
Recording Mark
The team of Bible translation for Suri Kachipo community is preparing for recording the book of Mark tomorrow! Please pray for the whole process to run smoothly and for the recording to be a great blessing to the Suri people.
John.
Seeking Allah Finding Jesus
Diaspora in Florida: Pray for a young Muslim man, “Larry” reading “Seeking Allah Finding Jesus.” Pray that God will use it to expose the lack of proofs for Islam and to open his heart to Jesus.
Demon attack
Pray for A., a young man who is known in the whole village because he sits in the city center every evening and goes through a “demon attack,” as the locals tell us. Pray the Lord would deliver him from his spiritual oppression and use this as a wide open door for the name of Jesus to be known and glorified in the city.
Revive your people
Pray for revival in Toposa land. The fire seems to be going down and our team is getting discouraged. Pray that the Lord will raise them up again for deliverance of many TNJ (Toposa, Nyang’atom, and Jiye).
