We are grieving the sudden loss of our teammate from an apparent heart attack. The funeral is today. Pray for all the Muslims who attend the service to be touched by the testimony of this woman’s life who loved the Lord and her neighbors. The gospel will be shared. Pray for hearts to hear the good news clearly.
Spiritual attack
Jake & Sadie are O MBBs who have a powerful witness as part of our team. They’re under spiritual warfare attack with physical unexplained illness and symptoms. Pray that God’s full armor, and the weapons with divine power will demolish strongholds will protect them and break any of the enemies schemes through Jesus’ blood shed at the cross. Pray protection for their 2 kids! Pray that Jesus’ power and authority will be recognized in Jake and Sadie’s words & deeds and encouragement and for much lasting fruit.
Update: As of Wednesday Sadie was seriously ill and brought to Kijabe hospital where she is admitted- pray for a clear diagnosis and God’s blessings of grace for full healing and restoration!
Suffering
The people of our district still suffer greatly from the two cyclones that hit in February this year. There is still no clean drinking water in many places, and food prices have gone up. Pray for God’s mercy.
We have started with the project to train a local young man to do the healthcare job we did when we still lived in the village. Sambivele has arrived in the capital, where he is being trained in a hospital. Pray for him to adjust to city life and to do well in his training.
Spiritual attack
Please lift up the team ministering to the Alagwa, who have experienced particular spiritual attacks recently. Please pray for encouragement in difficult times and protection. May they sense Jesus walking especially close to them in these days. And may God’s glory be seen amongst the Alagwa.
Women’s meeting
Pray for the monthly women’s gathering set to happen this week. Pray for open hearts to learn and increasing growth in understanding of the Word.
Truth declared
Pray for opportunities to share the Truth declared at the Queen’s funeral with locals this week. Everyone knows about the funeral here so its an easy conversation starter.
Today I visited Abigail and we discussed how the Queen was a person of service… and how JC came to be a Servant in order to mend our relationship to the Father. Please ask that Abigail would think deeply about this important characteristic of JC.
Imprisoned
We still have a brother and a sister in jail serving 3 and 5 year sentences. So far the advocacy groups have not had any success. Pray for the Lord’s mercy and sustaining grace.
Needing healing
Mzee Mjeja attended church with Jared last Sunday. The man was in need of seeing a doctor so Jared’s choir took up an offering amongst themselves to pay for him to see a doctor. Pray this act of kindness will show that those who follow Christ are internally much different than those who don’t. Pray for healing for Mzee Mjeja both physically and spiritually.
Spiritual rain
The rains have been good this season. Everyone is very happy with the growth of crops and anticipating a bountiful harvest. Pray that the Lord would send spiritual rain to this spiritually dry place bringing a plentiful harvest.
Leaders’ training
Pray for some lay leaders from Usandawe who are attending the Indigenous Leaders’ Training this week in Magambua, led by Pastor Emma Shilikale.
Diaspora in UK
Ask God to open hearts and provide opportunities to demonstrate and speak of His love to the international ladies, children and young adults we work with, many of whom have experienced trauma as they seek asylum in the U.K.
Work as a team
Our church is hosting a dinner towards the end of this month for about 30 MBB’s. Please pray that God will help us start working together as a team in His vineyard; that we will celebrate God’s goodness and faithfulness for bringing us this far. Pray that God will show us how to work as a team to bring in more Somalis to His Kingdom.
Ask for healing
Pray for our friend Adam who was recently diagnosed with cancer. Ask for healing in the name of Jesus. We have shared the good news many times with this family and they are open to prayer. They love the person of Jesus, but do not believe in His death and resurrection.
See who Jesus is
Please pray for S and her daughter N who were open to prayer. Pray for continued spiritual conversations and for them to be willing to read the Gospels and to see who Jesus is.
Saturday Bible study
Saturday morning Bible study in the village of Kerengea: We usually start off with prayer and then go into a time of worship. One of the young boys will often use an empty jerry can as a drum as we sing one of the 33 worship songs in the Laarim language. This is followed by prayer – first a prayer thanking God for the many blessings He’s given us and then we move on to prayer requests. After this, Lolimo, a young teenage boy, reads a Bible story and verse. We then proceed to talk about the story and the lessons we can learn from it. Then we close in prayer and sing the song that marks the end of a church meeting.” Pray for this Bible study to continue, for leaders to rise up from within, and for a church to be firmly established in this village.
Diaspora in Minnesota
Pray for the group of Somali grandmothers as they learn English and we teach them how to drive. Praise for all the opportunities to share the Gospel news to those that I am teaching to drive. Pray for my Afghan friend, that he will continue to seek the truth found in Jesus.
Diaspora in Canada
We ran Camp Rhino Manitoba from August 21-26. We had 18 kids from 6 different nations. Praise God that it ran smoothly, no major hiccups, or incidents. 5 of these kids made decisions to follow Jesus and make him Lord. We had several others respond to
putting Jesus first in their lives. Please pray for us as we plan follow up with our campers. Pray that they would remember their commitment and that the Holy Spirit would go with them and protect them as they go back to school in a week.
Jesus said, “Follow me!”
Praise God for the publishing of 2,000 copies of a discipleship course written specifically for new believers in Jesus from a Muslim background, now translated into Swahili. Ask the Lord to raise up discipleship relationships and spiritual growth between believers and new believers as they study through these twenty lessons though the book 1 Peter together.
Have mercy
Joy’s father had taken a turn for the worse and he’s in hospital… maybe he won’t leave. Joy is desperate for him to meet Jesus before he passes. Would you pray with us for the Father’s mercy on Joy’s father? And comfort and peace for Joy.
Persecution
Pray for Toposa believers in Kauto, South Sudan, there is severe persecution going on so that some have run for their lives 100 km. The persecution occurred after the baptism of 100 people and sharing the Lord’s table with 400 believers.
Diaspora in Canada
Last month, we asked for prayer for a new Iranian couple (M & M), friends of a student attending the Christianity Explored class that we teach and they accepted the Lord and are planning to get baptized! Praise God for His work in their hearts!
This month, another Iranian couple (A & M), family members of another student joined the class. Please pray for the discipleship & commitment of the new believers, as well as the salvation of the new couple attending.
You are her help, O Lord
Please continue to lift up Umjuma, the widow, in your prayers. Last month she experienced yet another loss – the death of her mother-in-law. Umjuma had been living in the same compound as her mother-in-law and had found her to be a great support and help. The losses she has faced this year have been so heavy, and yet I am encouraged by her faith and tenacious clinging to the Lord in times of trouble. As she raises her three children, as well as her three nieces/nephews, pray for her: “Hasten, O God, to save [her]; O Lord, come quickly to help [her]… [She is] poor and needy; come quickly to [her], O God. You are [her] help and [her] deliverer; O Lord, do not delay” (Psalm 70:1, 5).
Boldly speak
Help the new believers to be discipled faithfully and truthfully. May they have courage to seek out other believers face to face. Let them boldly speak of Christ and him crucified and risen. May they be filled with the Spirit of God and speak and live with holy power.
Diaspora in UK
We are thankful for the 60+ families from 15+ language groups who have participated in Sewing class, English class or Homework Club this past academic year.
In June, English and Sewing classes ended with parties that provided an excellent opportunity to speak of God’s love with these international ladies. Pray that the gospel seeds that were sown would bear much fruit.
Diaspora in Hong Kong
Recently we had a new classmate who didn’t know English since his father arranged for them to study in the madrasa (Koranic school). Now he hopes to learn English and Chinese more. May he find the truth through God’s words.
Please pray for our Chinese Class members who are mainly from W. Africa and we hope they will get to know Jesus more through our class and relationships with our teachers and God’s words.
Children’s ministry
The children’s ministry has started again in full force. The first day (today) more than 340 children came. Hallelujah! Pray for these children to learn and grow in faith.
Also we had 2 days of training with 5 pastors from the Reformed Church of Madagascar, and our partners visited 4 new villages with the Jesus Film.
Diaspora in Canada
Praise that my friend H is faithfully attending church with him and is continuing to grow in his faith. Please pray that his siblings will be led to Jesus as well.
ESL classes on line and in person are beginning soon, as well as in home tutoring with our friends here. Please pray for many opportunities for gospel engagement here.
Please pray that as the weather cools, people will be drawn to faith around the fire – backyard meetings at our house. Please pray particularly that our high-rise neighbors will come.
Open doors
Please pray for open doors to share with our friends and neighbours in NA2 capital. Pray for the local body as they develop leaders and shepherd new followers.
Diaspora in Atlanta
Praise the Lord for a successful first African Friends Party, and that one woman put her faith in Christ that evening.
Praise the Lord for new introductions to African women at the local hair braiding salons.
Pray that many Africans come to the ESL classes and meet Jesus there.
Pray that our local churches will be prepared to welcome and incorporate Africans into our fellowship.
Put their trust in the Lord
For a few months now, Jacob has been going with Lolimo to do an oral discovery Bible study in the village of Karamarok. Lolimo attends the primary school with some of the boys from that village who are believers, and he wanted to invite his friends to meet together for Bible study. After their first visit with Jacob, they agreed to start meeting weekly at their home in Karamarok to continue doing DBS as Angelo had done in the past. Jacob is pleased with the participation from these boys and is praying that from among them leaders will emerge and be equipped to lead the Bible study themselves. Please join him in that prayer, and that many more people in Karamarok “will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord” (Psalm 40:3).
Diaspora in Spain
Please pray for wisdom, discernment and open doors as I look for bridges to love, serve, and build friendships with Saharawi people in Jerez.
Praise God for my visit with a Saharawi friend, S. She told me that she is interested in learning English and will talk to her friends to see if there are others who would like to learn.
Pray for a disciple making movement among the Saharawi that spreads farther and faster than anyone could ask or imagine (Eph 3:20).
Deliverance
Please pray for a lady I met in a village today while sharing a Bible story. She is severely mentally and/or spiritually ill. Please pray for deliverance for her.
This is a great opportunity for God to gain glory and fame in this village.
Diaspora in Portland
A Syrian young man and I have been meeting and texting back and forth for a while. This week, he told me his refugee mom in Lebanon had just asked about me. He’s told me that his deceased Orthodox father had a love for Bible study with Syrian evangelicals. Pray this Portland son would carry on his dad’s love for God’s Word!
Leadership training
We are hoping to start up a church leadership training program. Please pray for discernment for us as we move forward with this new adventure. Pray for our hearts to be in tune with the Holy Spirit and may He raise up godly, committed leaders who will inspire their fellow brothers and sisters to grow deeper in their faith. Pray that the Spirit would provide lots of opportunities for those involved with the training to be bold and put into practice what they are learning.
Missouri, USA
Pray for more students to join the Noel ESL classes. Pray for good interaction with students and opportunities to talk about spiritual things. We are asking for receptive and soft hearts to listen and not just hear the Gospel news.
Visiting
Many of the Saharawi who live in Jerez are spending time this summer visiting with their family members in the refugee camps in Algeria. Please pray that as they gather and spend time together, they will have spiritual conversations. Pray that those who will return to Jerez, come open and ready to hear about Jesus.
Love of Jesus
A couple weeks ago, a local woman with connections to our church lost her home and all her possessions in a fire. The church came together, donating various items and seeking to support and encourage her. Please pray that the love of Jesus and His provision shown clearly to her through this event would impact her spiritually, and that the local church would continue to step up and serve their community in His name.
Diaspora in South Carolina, USA
Our Congolese refugees are getting settled here in the Charleston, SC area. We are able to take the Congolese refugees to church so pray their hearts will be open. God is giving opportunities to share our faith.
Diaspora in Florida
Pray for deepened friendships and communication with our 3 imams with whom we interact.
Pray for renewed relationships with the ladies’ side of the ministry, Sarah’s Daughters. The imam’s wife has withdrawn a bit. Ask the Lord to bring women to us with open hearts.
Reading
Mike is reading the Word. He has started in Genesis. Please ask that Father would open His heart and mind to truth. Ask that Mike would be overwhelmed by the magnitude of this revelation as he begins to see the big picture. Pray that he would ask questions.
