Diaspora in Canada:
Praise God for a young S seeker who stopped by our sharing shack yesterday and was intrigued by our little book on forgiveness in her first language. Pray she will keep her promise to come back and talk about it with us.
Translation project
Menja and I are finishing translating the book of Acts in Antanala.
There is a lot of interest in the translated work. It turns out that many along the east-coast prefer the translated work over the official language.
Menja would like to continue translation of Genesis. That is a huge book to translate, but many have already asked for it.
Restoration
Praise God for a wonderful conference focused on restoration of families, relationships, and ministry. Pray for practical application of the truths learned.
Continue to pray for our pastors: Ribeiro, Mateus, Joaquim, Isaac, and Inarcio to shepherd their flocks with wisdom and grace.
Cry out
Pray that the Antandroy have the “eyes of their hearts” open to the reality of their life and that their ways are not right before God. Pray they will cry out to God for forgiveness of sins and be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ.
Stand firm!
One of our strongest MBBs, Mike, has had so many troubles with his wife, who keeps going back-and-forth between Jesus and her all Islamic family. Currently, she is really struggling and even considering separation and divorce from Mike. Pray that the love of Jesus will overwhelm her so completely that the acceptance of her family will no longer have a pull on her. Pray for her and Mike and their six children to be able to have a strong home built on the solid foundation of Jesus!
Fear of God
Pray for the cattle thieves that they will fear God and stop stealing. Pray that the fear of God falls on them and on all the Bara people, so like the Ninevites humbled themselves to the Lord, the Bara will also humble themselves to the King of Kings.
Update
Praise God for the rain that has finally come after nearly 5 years of drought. We are praying that God would use the rain to bring more people to Himself.
Tirrim is in need of English teachers. Please pray that the Lord would send the right people at the right time to work in Tirrim who grasp the mission and the vision of the school.
Please pray for peace in Marsabit. There have been killings the last few days.
Religion vs relationship
Praise God for an opportunity to share iftar meal with a Saharawi friend and her family. Please pray for the Lord to work in their hearts as they consider the difference between religion and a relationship with God.
Meet together
There is just a handful of believers who meet regularly for church, so pray that all the believers would start gathering regularly and the church would be established. Pray for Laarim Christians to “rid [themselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it [they] may grow up in [their] salvation, now that [they] have tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Peter 2:1-3). Pray for a church that is led by the Holy Spirit, founded on the Word of God, and a light that reaches into the darkest parts of the community.
Seminar
We will have another training seminar this week. Pray for wisdom in selecting the day, time, and location. Pray there be good attendance and deep desire for more growth and learning.
Cease fire ending
Please be praying for Sudan as the 72 hour cease fire ends at midnight Sudan time today. Pray especially for Darfur, where the Fongoro live. Some say they believe the current violence could degenerate into targeted ethnic violence, particularly in El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur State. Pray for those in Darfur and Khartoum as they prepare for more destruction. Pray for relief efforts, congestion at borders, and the dwindling resources such as clean water, food and secure locations. Pray for the families and communities of those who have lost their lives.
Set free
Pray that the Mahafaly will be set free from bondage of ancestor worship and witchcraft. Please pray that God will open hearts to the truth of the Gospel and the glory of Jesus.
Pray for Servant Leaders Readied
As new churches are formed, some are already reaching out to neighboring villages. Pray that when believers start new churches, they ask the Lord to raise up a faithful leader to lead the new flock. Pray for wisdom in identifying, training, and equipping emerging leaders. Pray for leaders willing to go and serve anywhere. Pray for servant leaders who will be generously supported by larger churches, or have means to sustain their families financially while engaged in church planting. Ask the Lord of the harvest for new believers among the Nyamwezi, and for leaders, including Nyamwezi believers, to lead His flock.
Sharing the good news
My colleague J is currently traveling with two Fulani brothers. They are invited to share the good news with Fulani living in the bush of the South Sudan! Pray the Lord would anoint their ministry and they would see much fruit.
Answer to prayer!
Praise: this last Sunday we had 3 new people worshipping with us. One was a woman who has wanted to come but was nervous her husband would be angry. So this is an answer to prayer and keep praying!
Preparing to go
Many Antanala live in very remote areas. They hardly ever come down to the bigger cities and thus have no access to the Gospel. More and more missionaries (nationals and foreigners) are starting to focus on the Antanala and have asked me to help orient them. It is wonderful to see that God is preparing others to go. Pray many will go and find people ready to hear the good news.
Lonely
Joy, a local sister meets with 2 of our colleagues regularly for fellowship, study, and praying together. Her younger son sometimes sits in and has started to read the word and is hungry for more. Please pray with us for protection over them and for continued growth in their faith and understanding of the Son. Joy is very lonely for local sisters to fellowship with. Would you please ask that Father would bring women to himself? Also, ask that His Spirit would fill Joy’s heart and she would be overflowing with the peace and love that characterize her life with God, the God of all comfort!
Now a child of God
Praise God for H, a woman who lives in a village south of mine. She is the sister-in-law of one of the Lord’s disciples. She has been attending a Bible study for about 4 years. For a very long time we had the impression that H didn’t really understand what she was hearing. We were sometimes discouraged by the slow progress. Often she simply repeated words she heard from the MP3 player but did not seem to understand the meaning. Then, little by little, the Holy Spirit worked in her life and opened up her understanding. We can truly attest now that she is a child of God. Her faith grows stronger week by week and she stands firm in the face of the remarks and mockery she hears from neighbors. She now asks deep questions related to her faith. We praise God for His work. She would like to be baptized soon.
Creation to Christ
Pray for ‘Heather’, ‘Nicola’, ‘Mary’ and ‘Hannah’ with whom I have been going through a film from creation to Christ which explains how God had planned to send a Saviour since the beginning and shows how sin brings sadness and destruction. Pray that this would help them see their need for Jesus and the lack of hope in their own religion.
(mistakenly posted under Chadian Arabs)
Baptized.
We are so glad that some of the teenagers that go to our youth program decided to be baptized. They went themselves to the local church and asked if they could be baptized. This is awesome! Pray they will grow and mature in the Lord and share with others the good things God has done for them.
Small Eid
This morning is the beginning of “Eid Sghir”, the “Small Eid”, It is a 3-day celebration marking the end of the month of fasting and is a time to spend quality time with family and friends and practice various social and religious rituals and traditions. Eid Sghir typically begins with the Eid prayer, often held in a designated outside area where the men gather to pray, followed by a lavish breakfast and family visits. Charitable donations to the poor are also an important part of this celebration. As our friends across this country celebrate, please ask that there would be a time of sober review of this past month and that there would be a common sense of disillusionment and frustration at their inability to meet the required standards. Ask that there would be a new hunger and thirst for something that is missing. Ask that they would begin a new pilgrimage in search of the only truth that can fully satiate that hunger and thirst, filling that void. Ask that they would meet the Son and trust in Him!
Engaging
Diaspora in Washington DC:
We praise Jesus for our students engaging with God’s word in the Bible Lessons. Please pray for them to seek the truth of God’s goodness in Jesus. Pray that as our students visit local churches, interact with Christians, and read the Bibles they have received- they will say: “Who is like the Lord our God…”
Interested
Jay and Zina in Madagascar, during a prayer walk, met an islander who they shared the gospel with. She is interested in learning more. Pray for her to continue to seek the truth and find Jesus.
Jonah
Jonah is a kind generous young man who loves spending time with us. He comes with a very dysfunctional family history and does not want his son John to grow up in that kind of environment. Pray that as we spend time together, conversations will turn to the ultimate, perfect Father and he will be drawn to His Son as he tries to ‘play it safe’ and participate in the fasting month here. He loves being a dad and is so proud of his son. Ask that this family will come to faith in the Son and that John will grow up learning the truth.
Lasting suffering from cyclone
Crops were destroyed by the cyclone in February and many people are still struggling with famine and poor immunity from disease. Friends have died. We’re told some people are so desperate they are selling their children for food. Please pray for God’s mercy and provision for suffering people and for opportunities to share the Bread of Life.
Families
Pray for holiness and effective witnessing of Bara believers to their families, that the Gospel will spread among them.
Pray for the Bara children that they can find Christ in the children’s programs. Pray for the Bara women that they can be set free from oppression.
Faithful shepherd
This last Sunday a Christian shepherd that had participated in our Bible study for nomads in 2019, came back and told us he has been sharing the Word of God to his people in his village and now there are 25 new believers, including the main elder of the village. They are asking for more teaching and would like to become part of ‘our’ church family. His testimony is: “I used to watch my family’s animals, but because of the drought, most of them died, so now I have more time to spread the Good News, but I also need help to make my people understand better the Bible.”
Please pray for these new believers, pray that the Lord would send us more workers so we can continue discipling and building up the Body of Christ in the Hills among the Gabra people. Praise Jesus for this open door and for wisdom as we make arrangements to visit and continue teaching this new group of believers. God is moving!
Not be ashamed
Pray for Karana who are followers of Christ. Pray they will not be ashamed or fearful to proclaim to their families and communities that Jesus is God in the flesh, died for the forgiveness of sins of all people and now lives forever in power and glory.
Sharing in the midst of chaos
The last week of fasting is often chaotic with Eid shopping as well as people greatly anticipating the end of the fast. Pray for opportunities for both us and local believers to share personal testimonies with many in the midst of the chaos. Pray for intentional, bold sharing to happen. May the Lord open hearts to receive His Good News.
Loneliness amid Celebrations
As the end of the fasting month approaches people here are now excited about the upcoming Eid celebration. Although it is a huge feasting celebration like other big annual holidays, it can be a hard time for families or individuals who are struggling financially or feeling rejected or excluded. Pray that in loneliness and rejection those who are struggling might find comfort from Emanuel, God with us. Pray that the words of Truth and Life and Love would reach those who are hurting today.
Night of Power
Tonight Muslims around the world will stay up all night praying and seeking God, asking for their sins to be forgiven, for revelation, and for dreams and visions. It is the holiest night of the year. It commemorates the night the prophet Muhammad received a revelation of the Quran. Pray that God will give many a revelation of Jesus.
Calling him
For several weeks Love has been going to a small village named Tiiringot, to share the Bible stories translated into Laarim in two compounds.
While there, she met a young man, Amos, who came and helped her share the Bible story in one of the compounds. It turns out that he knew the stories and had been discipled by previous team members some years back. Please pray that Amos would understand that the Lord is calling him. Pray that he would take this opportunity to grow in his walk with the Lord, and to share with his community the hope and new life he has in Christ.
Health issues and faith
Diaspora in Toronto:
Praise for a great time of fellowship, Bible reading, and prayer with Asher and Henry today. Asher had not called or answered calls or visits for two weeks. Praise that he is sober and happy… pray for his continued health and recovery.
• Pray for Alvin, son of a believing family, who has serious health issues, and is very angry with God about them. Pray for him to encounter Jesus and find healing for soul and body.
• Pray for Henry, another Christian brother with mental health issues, that he will find other Christian friends to encourage him and that he will find constructive ways to serve God.
Futility
As we end the season of fasting, pray that people will realise the futility of trying to attain the glory of God through their own efforts and that they will search for the true way from Christians. Pray for those (few) who have said that they want to follow our Lord, that this period will make them search to know more whether through audio and video files (e.g. Lumo) or through asking questions. Pray that they will also talk of the better way to those of their friends who are fasting.
Soften her heart
Theresa (Sandy’s sister) speaks excellent English and teaches it to high school students in a distant city. She is a joyful person but struggles with depression and loneliness as she lives alone away from family. Julia spends time with her whenever she visits her sister Sandy. Ask that the Son would soften her heart and that she would have a hunger to know the truth and seek it until she ‘finds’ the Son. We have shared scripture with her by text on her phone. Ask that she would download the whole Word and read it.
Filled with doubt
Pray that during this month, as many strive to seek God more devoutly, that their hearts would be filled with doubt and a lack of peace about the path that they are on. Pray that many would begin to search for truth as they find Islam empty.
How was Christmas?
On the day after Easter, a Muslim neighbor asked, “How was Christmas?”, clearly not knowing Christians had just celebrated Christ’s resurrection, or its meaning. It was an open door to share with her the hope we have in Christ that those who believe in Christ are forgiven of all sin, promised a place in Heaven with Jesus, enjoying eternal life with Him. Pray for boldness in local believers to share of their Lord Jesus Christ with those whom they live among.
Clear testimony
Diaspora in Georgia:
Lord, please save the seven international students in my ESL class: Edem, Aliyeroh, Sayaka, Paola, Mayra, Nayeli, and Veronica. May each of them give a clear testimony of faith in Christ by the end of our class mid-May. Thank you for bringing them to my class to read through the gospel of John together this year. Thank you for the clear evidence that several of them now believe in Christ and consider themselves Your disciples.
New villages reached
Pastor Tomoeira has been broadcasting the Jesus Film for the past 3 months. He visited 21 villages and reported 25 Bara being baptized in one of these villages!
Blessed be the name of the Lord!
Open to the truth
Pray for the Muslims that we have been sharing Jesus with, that their hearts would be open to the truth of the Lord. Abdu, Adu, Rah, Mus, Sha, Abdu, Sali and Ani all have been hearing about Jesus and have a good relationship with us. Pray that God brings more opportunities during Ramadan to share the good news.
