Praise the Lord the book of Ruth is almost complete in the very close dialect on Nosy Be. Pray it will be widely read and the message of a kinsman redeemer would intrigue many!
Pray for the team as they plan what book to do next and as they also work on Psalms.
Working together
We want to thank God for a very successful prayer retreat with Som** believers and some missionaries.
We were about 40 in the group for 4 days. What a joy to network with our brothers and sisters as we all praised our God (sang many songs in Somali) and prayed for fruitfulness in the conduct of the Body of Christ among ourselves. The prayers were based on the whole book of Ephesians. Lessons on unity and love in our diversity came out very strongly. Pray with us that God may continue to unite us and grow His Kingdom through us, as we work together as a team in His vineyard.
Intense
This month of Ramadan is typically very intense…
-for those who are truly longing for a relationship with or help from Allah- it is not uncommon for Jesus to meet these earnest seekers in dreams and visions.
-for the moderate Muslim, the month often serves as a religious ‘shot in the arm’… a hope that strict adherence will serve as penance for the other 11 months of the year lived less intentionally.
-for those who are disillusioned with Islam and religion in general- the perceived hypocrisy can leave them feeling further disillusioned, even outright disgust.
-for those who have chosen to believe and put their faith in Christ, it is an especially intense month. There are copious amounts of pressure to conform.
Pray the Lord would meet with each one in a special way this month.
Cast him not away
Please pray for Clive, a brother up on the plateau, who has stopped meeting with the other believers and started going to the mosque again. There are no other believers in his town that we know of. Please ask God to renew a right spirit within him, cast him not away from His presence, take not his Holy Spirit from him, restore to him the joy of his salvation and uphold him with a willing spirit. (Ps 51:10-12)
Let go
Three women are reading Scripture, eagerly asking questions and walking towards Jesus… but they are afraid to let go of Islam and believe Jesus is God. Pray that they would read Scripture with faith and believe God speaks the truth even when He is too awesome to comprehend (i.e. the Trinity).
True and honest
Ask for courage for each believer to identify with Jesus even during the Islamic traditions of Ramadan. May they know how to honor and serve family while still being true and honest about following Jesus.
Little church
There’s a little church at Ambodimadiro. They are maybe 10 people, not more.
The church has existed maybe 25 years.
There has been a better time, with more people. The trouble is they don’t have proper leadership.
Please pray for Catherine and Christine, the two pillars of the church. That they keep on standing firm.
Pray for their husbands , Edmond and Jean. That they may grow in their faith and may become leaders.
Give thanks for another church here in Mandritsara who will begin this month to go one Sunday per month to Ambodimadiro to preach and support the little flock.
Pray that they may grow, both in faith and numbers.
Transformation
Pray for the ladies I am discipling. We are using the discipleship book called, “Come Follow Me’ in Swahili. Pray for consistent attendance and life transformation.
Pray also for sister X, who is still a Muslim, but is studying John with me. Pray that she will encounter the Truth.
Why care?
What is Ramadan and why should we, as Christians, care? During the entire month of Ramadan, friends here fast every day from dawn to sunset. It is meant to be a time of spiritual discipline — of deep contemplation of one’s relationship with God, extra prayer, increased charity and generosity, and intense study of their holy book. As they begin to quiet themselves and fast today, ask that Father would reveal himself to those who diligently seek Him. Ask for dreams and visions of Jesus.
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8
Training team
Pray that the training team would continue to train believers in Darfur and Khartoum. Pray for unity among the team and for leaders to continue serving the Lord faithfully.
Four Gospels
The plan for this year is to record the four Gospels. Both audio and printed copies to be distributed to the communities in both Ethiopia and South Sudan.
Pray the advisor check, the consultant check, and the community review of the four Gospels to be done and then the printing and recording.
Pray for the Jesus video in our language to be done.
Pray for the team’s work ahead and also community to receive the gospel.
Pray for me as team leader for wisdom for leadership.
Man in white
A teammate just had a conversation with a woman who had a dream of a man in white who told her to “Come”! The woman didn’t understand what it meant but she and our teammate plan to start reading the Word. PTL!!! He is doing amazing things! Pray she will come!
Needing a safe house
Please pray for a Som** believer named ‘S’ who is being pursued by her mother because of her faith. Her mum is furious and has been calling her names.
‘S’ is worried, fearful and looking confused. It is a serious threat. Pray for God’s peace, comfort and protection. Pray for a safe-house. She is married and has two young children. Also pray that God may touch the heart of this mother, ‘R’, so that she may get to know Jesus as her Lord and Saviour.
Translation check
There is a translation consultant here for two weeks doing a check of some of the translated Scripture. They are working alongside team and local translators. Pray for wisdom in this process as they make decisions about the text. Pray for good communication and for sessions to be led by the Holy Spirit. Pray too for the local translators who still haven’t trusted Jesus to be drawn to Him through this process. Pray for the translation project to continue to bring His truth and grace into this dark place.
Ramadan starting
The month of fasting for Muslims starts either Wed or Thursday depending on when the moon is sighted. This is an important month for Muslims when they seek to fulfill their obligation to fast from sunrise to sunset. Pray as they seek to please God in this ‘work’, their ears would be opened to hear Jesus saying, “The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.” John 6:29
English classes
Diaspora in England:
My English teaching with S’mali women is going well. The class is full and the women are very motivated and enthusiastic! Pray for opportunities to start sharing my faith in a natural and low-key way.
Fellowship with One Another
Praise God for eight villages with believers starting new church plants. These outreach points are where new believers may join others in fellowship with the family of God. Pray for whole families to come! “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” 1 John 1:5
Local clinic
Pray for Love’s involvement at the local clinic in Kimatong. She tries to go there weekly to pray with the staff and patients, and to be an encouragement. Pray that the staff will welcome her involvement, and that this will open doors of opportunities to share hope in Jesus with the patients. Please pray for this clinic – staffing has been cutback recently due to decreased funding from the sponsoring NGO. Pray that those who remain will be faithful and given strength to manage the workload.
Gospel of Mark
An app of the gospel of Mark has been released on the islands. Pray that it would be shared from islander to islander and that many would be drawn to Jesus as they read and listen to the gospel.
Training went well.
Praise God for a successful Kingdom Business and DMM training in Darfur. Participants learned how to develop Kingdom Businesses to support their disciple making and church planting efforts. The training inspired leaders to share the gospel and seek men/women of peace among each community and village in their city and nation. Pray for much fruit!
Parenting course
Diaspora in England:
I’m running a parenting course at a local church for 6 weeks, which started on 23 February. Ten women have signed up, all S’ mali. Please pray for the course to go well and for a good connection with the women.
Gathering
Please pray for an upcoming gathering that I will host with my Saharawi friends and local believers. Pray that good connections are made and that God will be glorified.
Restoration conference
Please pray for our first congress of local church leadership of Mossurize District. From today through the 19th, leaders of Sunday school up to the pastors will meet in Macumba. The topic will be Restoration, the main speaker Rev. António Combo. Pray we would be restored!
Rain!
We are very grateful to the Lord for the rain that Gabbra land has gotten the last 3 days.
The dry season lasted for a long period and most of the families lost all their herds and struggled without water and food. As we celebrate the rain, we are all celebrating not just a new season, but the fact that life is coming back. Grass will grow back, animals will get stronger and people will be able to have their needs provided.
Thank you for your prayers for Northern Kenya and the Gabbra people. Please continue praying for enough rain that will fill up the cisterns.
Marriages needing help
We are on a week of prayer and fasting. You can join us by praying for some key people in the church whose marriages are being tested.
In addition, the last two weeks the believers shared their vision with us. Pray that God’s will will be fulfilled in those visions.
Explaining Easter
Diaspora in Wales:
Praise for how God is providing good attendance among attendees and volunteers in the English, Sewing, and Homework Club classes.
Praise for the opportunity for teachers to explain Easter in their English and Sewing classes this term. Ask for good discussion time and receptive hearts to the Easter message shared by each teacher in the classes.
Praise for literacy classes that are new to the Women’s English program. We are seeing real progress among women who do not read or write in any language.
Missions internship programme.
Please pray for Solomon, a committed Karimojong believer who is actively sharing the gospel and discipling others. In March he travels to northern Karamoja to take part in a 6-month missions internship.
Sharing his faith
Diaspora in Canada:
Pray for Med*, a new MBB believer as he boldly shares his faith with UBER passengers and people he meets at Iranian protests. He brought Sham* to attend church and they ‘peeked’ into a few online Discipleship Explored classes.
Please pray for Sham’s salvation and for Med’s safety as he continues to witness boldly for Christ.
Vet training
Please pray for Troy as he heads up to Toposa land next week to do some veterinary work and training with Mark Keter and his disciples. Pray that God would use Troy’s visit to encourage, build-up, and empower the Toposa believers.
Ramadan
As Ramadan begins next week, pray for the people of Wonderland, that we might have opportunities to bless our neighbours and friends, that God would bless their desire to seek good things from HIM, and that they might know the Truth and Grace of the Triune God.
Developing friendships
Diaspora in England:
I am continuing to befriend and share the Gospel with people in the refugee community. Pray that this year I will see some of these relationships develop beyond a grateful acceptance of friendship and assistance to one of discipleship. Pray many will gratefully accept friendship with God and the salvation He offers!
Turn their eyes
“Father, when your children find bitter water in the wilderness and cry out… turn their eyes to see the tree that heals the water. So many still live in grief. May they look to the cross and know that Jehovah is the God who heals. May each heart receive healing through the wounds of Jesus and increasingly know Him, the resurrection and the life.”
Relationships developing
Diaspora in Florida:
Pray for connections we have made with North Africans- for relationships to continue to develop and opportunities to share truth.
Choose Whom to Serve
Pray for whole families to come to Christ. Often it is one of the spouses, but not the other, or the children coming to church and not the parents. Pray for whole households to choose to follow Christ.
“It made me glad to hear them say, ‘Let’s go to the house of the LORD!'” Psalm 122:1
Desires healing
Diaspora in Canada:
Pray for a family whose matriarch has driven several of the family away from Jesus by her anger and harshness. Pray that the grief of these grandkids and anger at the loss of their mom would be healed, and that they and their grandma would be reconciled. Pray for healing for the one member who comes to church faithfully with me, he has lots of questions, but eagerly desires his family and himself to be healed.
Schools closed
It is disappointing and challenging for everyone in Kimatong that the schools in the village are not functioning. This means the children are either leaving for Kakuma refugee camp in order to go to school, or not receiving any education at all. Some of the children and youth the team have built relationships with have moved to Kakuma. Pray for them.
Special events
Diaspora in Spain:
Pray for the new opportunities for ministry that we have in Salamanca.
Pray for two events: one in the countryside with 150 refugees March 12, and then a special dinner for 40 new couples. Pray for the gospel message to be well received.
Sheila
Sheila, a young Rangi orphan girl, gets to spend her Saturdays after school at the home of a Christian. Pray she sees and hears and comes to know the Love of Christ for her.
New students
Diaspora in Brazil:
Pray for good adaptation for all of the African students that arrived at Redenção/Acarape last month.
Pray that the event on International Women’s Day will have touched many hearts and they will seek lessons and fellowship at our place.
Pray for God’s wisdom to recognize the men and women of Peace among the students.
Calendars
We have been giving out calendars this month, which feature local proverbs alongside proverbs from the Bible. Pray that as we give these out we might have good conversations, and that these proverbs would spark a desire to read more of God’s word.
