Several visits to mosques and homes are planned for Ramadan. Pray for Gospel opportunities and soften hearts to be willing to hear that Jesus is more than a prophet. Pray that they would initiate these conversations with true sincerity.
Story telling
Global Link Afrika missionaries Ambrose and Esther write: “We are in stage three of story telling in the villages of Natopojo and Namalera. In the second stage we shared stories about the fall and God’s judgement. Most people were sad about what happened and the state of the world today. We see a yearning for answers/solutions. Pray that the Holy Spirit will birth faith in the hearts of the people from the communities as we share the news about the promised saviour.”
Diaspora in Canada
* Please pray for our Muslim friends during Ramadan to have visions of Jesus, and for us to continue to engage them productively during this time.
* Pray for “I”, who is boldly proclaiming his faith in his homeland. Please pray for him to stay strong in faith, and boldly, gently, respectfully, proclaim Jesus.
* Pray for “A” whose paranoia has increased markedly lately – please pray for his willingness to seek treatment for this and addictions. His love for Jesus is still very evident.
* Pray for “A” and “H” – brothers who lost their Christian Mom a few years ago. “H” is a believer who struggles with mental illness and loneliness and has begun coming to church with me lately. “A” is a self-avowed unbeliever now but is still eager to talk with me. Please pray for his healing from a debilitating immune disorder, and for a genuine heart change to seek after Jesus.
Witnesses
A new team of 11 missionaries is spreading the good news amongst the Mwani people. Pray for their neighbors, shop keepers, and others they meet to have open hearts to friendship and gospel conversations. Ask Father to bring seeking friends to each one. Pray for the Lord to build His church among the Mwani.
Encounter Jesus
Faith is a girl from this people group who is studying medicine in Khartoum. She returned from Khartoum for a month recently because of the recent coup in Sudan and the closure of the medical school. She has now returned and begun her final module and should graduate and return to this area mid 2022. Pray her faith in God will grow as she encounters Jesus.
Salvation
Our hearts’ desire and prayer for the O is that they may be saved. We can testify about them that many of them are zealous for God – but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they do not know the righteousness of God (through Jesus), they seek to establish their own, and so they do not submit to God’s righteousness. Christ (the Messiah) is the fulfillment of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. Pray that many O will submit to God’s Gift of Salvation and Righteousness through Jesus the Messiah!
Open his heart
We are getting to know a man in his 30’s named ‘L’. He has come to our house and heard the Word. Pray that the Father opens his heart to see the beauty of the Son and the Good News.
The moon has been sighted!
“O mwezi uoneha!” The cry goes up as people pass the word onto their family and neighbors: “The moon has been sighted!” Ramadan has begun. For Islanders not a drop of water or a crumb of food will pass their lips from sunrise to sunset for 30 days. They will even endeavor to spit out rather than swallow their own saliva. It’s a long and strenuous month as Muslims all over the world seek to please God and earn points with their efforts. Please pray for the 700,000 people who hail from these Islands. Pray that their tomorrow will be different from today through coming to faith in Christ our Lord. Lift up the small but growing number of Island believers across the nation, that they would be protected by the Lord of Hosts as they boldly and courageously proclaim Christ as their Lord and Savior and share how he has transformed their lives.
Healing
Praise God for a secret believer in one village who prayed on her own for her own healing, after having sustained an injury which continued to cause significant and debilitating pain at times. God graciously and instantly healed her some weeks ago and she has not had any pain since. Please pray that she would continue to see more clearly the God who loves her and cling to him. May she be transformed from one degree of glory to another.
Diaspora in France
* Pray for H and J: two students we are walking with and mentoring. Every day they are coming closer to the Lord. Pray for soften hearts.
No points required!
We trust God that there will be a move of God among the Karana people in Madagascar, who play such an influential role in the economy of the country, despite being a minority. Being a Muslim people group, they are celebrating the month of fasting: Ramadan. Attending ritual prayers, fasting from sunrise to sunset for 30 days, being a more serious Muslim—all in order to earn as many “good points” to outweigh the bad on the scale they’ll have to answer to on Judgement Day. Pray that many Karana will be reconciled to the God who loves them and provided the free gift of salvation for them—no points required!
Pray for peace
Please continue to lift up Elia as he provides leadership for several Toposa churches. He asks for prayer for peace in the church and freedom from persecution, that he and his evangelists would be strong and faithful as leaders, for literacy and education for the children. He comments that illiteracy among the Toposa is very high, which contributes to the challenges in the church. Pray for Elia and the other Christian leaders, that their “bows remain steady, [their] strong arms stay limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel…who helps you” (Genesis 49:24-25).
Diaspora in Canada
* Praise God that through 7 personal Zoom “faith discussions” in February and March the whole plan of salvation was shared with B., a newly graduated Nigerian Muslim engineer. B. was not ready to put his faith in Christ at the end of the talks, but on his own asked if we could do a weekly Bible study with him. Pray that the Spirit of God would convince and convict B. during a chapter-by-chapter study in Mark’s Gospel.
We carry the hope of Christ and His salvation
Join us in fervent prayer for the Nahara- that they would hear and believe. That we would boldly believe and declare the message of the cross. That the Muslim Nahara would leave their fetishes and receive the freedom of the Gospel. Also, a cyclone hit our area and many homes are down. With the increased rain, malaria is rampant and omicron-flu is present in force. These challenges come at a time when fields need tilling and care is at its peak; without this people go hungry. Many people have lost their crops due to flooding. Pray that the people of this region will pull through this challenging time, that we will stand strong with them, and that the gospel of Christ will ultimately triumph and bring life to this region.
Fasting
Ramadan has just started in our community, meaning many are fasting and taking part in the prayers. Please pray for God to show up in mighty ways during this time. Pray for boldness for the young local church, pray for dreams and visions, pray for wisdom as our team spends time with our friends and neighbours during this month long fast.
Women Gathering
We praise Jesus for the Women’s Gathering that recently happened. Ladies from 5 different Gabbra communities came together to pray, worship and be ministered to by the Word of God.
Many women came to an Evangelical Church for the first time, women who are starting a new journey in their relationship with Christ, because they are understanding that our choices today can change the entire course of our history.
They were very moved by the fact that the men prepared their meals and served them (which is not part of their culture).
Continue praying for God’s transformation in the hearts of Gabbra families and may many be a witness of God to others daily.
Diaspora in Minnesota
* We have been asked to help start an ESL program for 15 Afghan refugees. Pray for wisdom as we begin this class in the next few weeks. Pray for opportunities to share Christ and for open hearts to receive this good news.
* Pray for increased connections among our Somali friends through Ramadan, even though connecting with them will be harder.
Let the little children come
We are really seeing fruit in our children ministry: we have a children’s group each Friday and more than 50 children come. We also had a children’s camp last summer with 50 children and a special event at Christmas with 240 children! Please pray these children will trust in Christ.
Also pray for a musicians’ group which meets each week for discipleship. Pray they will grow strong and mature in their faith.
Believe
Ask that believers believe and therefore speak because they know that the One who raised Jesus will raise them also (2 Cor 4). May they increase in faith; speak what they believe; know the certainty of the gospel (Christ’s death and resurrection) and not fear because God raises the dead. What can mere humans do to us?
Diaspora in Hong Kong
* During this wave of the pandemic many refugee families need assistance, especially for kids. We were thankful that a church offered to provide them with packages of food and other necessities, and they even helped deliver them. It opened a door for the gospel.
* Thank God our Chinese classes have just finished, though we encountered many technical problems since our African students used phones only and their wifi was not so stable. However, they keep on learning Chinese.
* Our Chinese class will change the schedule during Ramadan. When I talked with my students whether they will take off Ramadan for spiritual retreat as their annual leave. They were so excited to talk about it. Pray for us to seize every opportunity to share our faith with them.
* A few members of a church want to help the Chinese class- pray for vision to see UPG’s know Jesus.
Know nothing except Jesus
We are becoming more aware of the effects of prosperity teaching, from the obvious to the subtle. We see this in church members and also seekers and believers in the community. This can come through the radio, phones, or sadly through church sermons. Please pray for the true gospel to be fully embraced and for believers to resolve “to know nothing… except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” I Corinthians 2,2
Stroke
We have prayed for *Rivkah over the last 11 years. She is a secret believer in her 60’s and had a stroke about 2 months ago. She is unable to walk unaided and also has problems with her speech. She has moved to live with her daughter who lives in a satellite village at the other side of town. Pray for her in her recovery and for wisdom as she and her family make decisions. Pray that she might seek healing and strength through Jesus and learn to put her full trust in Him.
Bible study training
The Lord says, “My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets” (Malachi 1:11). Please pray for the students of the Kingdom builders school to go out from their training and make known the great name of Jesus among the peoples of this nation. Pray for the Lord to bring new students, possibly men and women like Lukolong in Nagishot who need more training in Bible study and sharing methods. Pray God will give Steve, Gina, and the leadership team wisdom to know how to offer this training to those who do not live in Torit.
Breakthrough!
Pray for Lasting Fruit from a wonderful 5 days of Kids Club with so much Gospel truth shared to over 200 kids! May the kids remember their memory verses, and many of them share with their families & bring about Response! Pray breakthrough prayers for us & our AIC team – for a breakthrough of God’s Spirit drawing many O to become strong disciples of Jesus who will make more disciples – starting that Disciple Making Movement in O-land!
Cast off
Pray that each believer would cast off the old ways of thinking where lies are acceptable, where you are justified by good deeds, where safety is in silence. Pray that each would put on the righteousness of Christ, who is truth, who justifies by faith, who casts out fear with perfect love.
Translation Underway!
The first ever translation of the Old Testament into the Nyamwezi language is underway! Pray for the translation team as they meet together daily translating the book of Genesis. Pray for the team to work well together, for clear thinking and wisdom in accuracy, and be committed to the longer work of translating the entire Bible.
Call on Jesus
Pray for Logwe, a Laarim believer who is facing much stress in his life. Pray that he would remain firmly trusting in the Lord and walking with Him. Pray that he would know “The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth” (Psalm 145:18), and that he would call on Jesus for help in times of trouble.
Ramadan starts April 2
Ramadan starts April 2. Pray that many will find Jesus satisfies their deepest longings.
Also, ask that the devil will not discourage local followers during Ramadan.
power of darkness
Please pray for my friend M K who lost his business due to power of witchcraft. Imani spoke to him concerning God’s word and what it says about the power of darkness. He plans to have a session with him every day to teach him more about God’s word. Pray that God would prepare his heart to receive His word.
Choosing elders
Pray for pastor Julien of the Baptist church in Mandritsara.
He is about to nominate new elders. For wisdom from above for him, that he will discern God’s will, and that the members will also know God’s will and approve.
Ramadan pressure
Pray for believers who are living with Muslim family members during Ramadan. Pray that they not deny Jesus, that they do not fear, that they find deep satisfaction in Jesus, the Bread of Life.
Marriage and relationships
We have heard that some church members continue ancestral worship. We need wisdom to find how to talk to them. Pray the Holy Spirit will convict them of their sin.
Many couples in the village are struggling in their marriages and young girls get pregnant very early. We would like to give a training about what the Bible teaches about marriage and relationships between boys and girls. Pray for open hearts.
Hosting youth conference
The Mossurize youth have been chosen to host the country’s Annual Youth Conference in August for the American Board Church! Please pray for us as this will be the first conference out in the “bush”, and the first time for our humble youth group to host! We only have 5 months to prepare! Please pray for all of us spiritually and physically!
Please pray for revival and the Lord’s presence on this conference and the blessed opportunity to minister on such a large scale!
Mid-week groups
Please pray for the team and church leadership as we launch new mid-week groups in the church with a whole church seminar on 9th April. We have a vision to see these groups intentionally encourage:
* more personal growth in church members’ relationship with Jesus
* more accountability with one another
* and more reaching out to their neighbours and communities.
May your Kingdom come, may your will be done, Father, amongst the Alagwa!
Jesus Film testimony
The Jesus film was shown in a new Gabbra settlement where the majority of people worship Ayana (a god of darkness).
As we were visiting and getting prepared to start the film, a group of Ayana believers started playing their drums and worshiping evil spirits. We stayed in prayer and played Gospel songs that declare God’s salvation. After starting the film, the loud drums stopped and we had a great number of people coming to watch the Life of Jesus. Afterwards we asked for questions or comments and an elder said: “We had heard about the name of Jesus, but now that we’ve seen Him, can start to believe in Him”.
Pray that Jesus’ power be manifested in this village, that the light of Jesus shine and darkness flees. And that as they remember the story of Jesus and His sacrifice, they turn their lives to our Savior Jesus Christ.
Seeking God
I have heard from Petera, (Malagasy team mates), and he said they praise the Lord that the many cyclones this season have not effected the rice harvest. He asked for prayer as they engage with the community during ramadan. Pray for the Holy Spirit to change hearts as people seek God during the upcoming month.
Enthusiastic
Pray for a family who was visited by a team member and a local believer and shared Truth with the family. The little 8 year old girl excitedly stated that she would share this story with her dad when he got home. Please keep praying for more and more opportunities to share with this family and for all of them to share in this little girl’s enthusiasm about sharing the Truth about Jesus.
Reading the Bible
Mama S. has shown a willingness to read the Bible with Shara. Pray that God would continue to draw her closer to Him and that they would have deep and intentional times of Scripture studying.
Pray for the Christian women of our street, that we would continue to build each other up and pray together for a breakthrough of the Gospel amongst our neighbors.
Needing rescue
May those who are prideful in their education and wealth be humbled and recognize their need to be rescued by Jesus the Lamb of God. May those studying Scripture believe that the Word from God is true; Jesus is the Son of God, perfect and holy; He did die, his substitutionary death satisfies the wrath of God; He did rise and overcome death and sin.
Pray for the Jesus Film project.
About 232 villages have already watched the Jesus Film, but we are starting to have some kind of demonic resistance to visit villages.
Please pray that we will find a “highway” for the Jesus Film to be broadcast in Bara villages.
Pray for fruit among the villagers and that the name of Christ grow glorious among them.
