Pray for fruit following the preaching of the Gospel and showing the Jesus Film at Utuliadeka. Well over one hundred people came each night the film was shown in the church, but no one openly declared their trust in Christ. Pray that God will erase doubts and replace fears with bold decisions to turn from former ways to faith in Jesus alone. Pray that this new church will be a beacon of light to those lost in darkness. “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)
Listen
Diaspora in Minnesota: Pray for Mr. H, that he will understand the difference between Christianity and Islam, and see the beauty and holiness of Jesus.
Pray for our Listen event on Aug. 5, a public event which I am hosting. We hope to have about 150 people attending. Pray people will listen well and be intrigued.
Outreach this weekend
Diaspora in England: Continue to pray for the East Midlands outreach which runs until August 6th.
Give thanks that the first day of community events was well attended and God gave opportunities for team members to share the Good News.
Pray for good weather for Saturday the 5th when we have an outdoor event planned in a local park. Pray for many to come with open hearts for friendship and good news.
Open the door
May the Arabs hear Jesus knocking and open the door and eat with him and fellowship with him.
Nachichi wants to be baptized!
Nachichi is the young woman who Love did her homestay with over a year ago. Love had not felt that Nachichi was interested in pursuing a friendship, so she was surprised when Nachichi came to her several weeks ago wanting to hear from the Word of God! Now they are planning to meet together each week for Bible study, as Nachichi has expressed a desire to trust in Jesus as her Savior and be baptized. Pray for Logwe (Nachichi’s husband and Jacob’s disciple) and Love as they disciple Nachichi. And pray the Lord will continue to draw more Laarim men and women to Himself!
Burdened with the call
Pray for the believers who live in the Rangi villages (a great majority of whom do not actually belong to the Rangi tribe) and the churches they belong to. Pray that they would be burdened with the call of the Great Commission and reach out to their neighbors and communities. Pray for many Rangi to believe!
Good Shepherd
Troy, a vet, is spending two days with some of the local Lopit farmers looking at their animals and doing some training with them. Pray that Troy and Robert’s care and concern for the Lopit and their animals would open doors for sharing about the Good Shepherd who “lays down His life for the sheep” (John 10:11).
Serving
Diaspora in Spain: Pray for an opportunity to serve a Saharawi family this summer by tutoring their 11 year old daughter. Please pray for open doors for gospel conversations with this family.
How they will come to Christ if they don’t know Christ?
Pray for the Bara children. What they know is only what the Witchdoctors and Kings of the tribe teach them through the Ancestor’s stories.
The Bara children are suffering. No hope! No future! Just a dread of what is to come. Or they will become malasos (cattle thieves) or will live in the shadow of fatalism.
However, this can be changed by the Gospel. Pray for our children’s ministry, for many to believe the gospel and be saved.
Students returning home
Please pray for Jay and Zina. As the university school year ends, they are seeing more and more islanders leave to go back to the islands. Please pray for opportunities to clearly present the Message, and for the islanders to meet people who will point them to Christ while they are in the islands.
Medical Outreach Aug 6
Our prayer request is for our medical Outreach, August 6 thru 21. We are targeting 4 new villages that are unreached and have no church presence. We want to see that change. 5 TZ doctors from the capital are joining us and our team here of 10. The group of 16, traveling around 4 unreached villages trying to evangelize with medical Outreach and Jesus film is a huge undertaking. We need your prayers for many things: logistics, protection from demonic attacks, finances, clear communication, and common goals. Would you please stand with us in prayer that Jesus would be lifted up in every way and that many unreached peoples would hear of Jesus.
Fearful
Pray for Z, a handicapped lady who has understood much of the gospel but fears to turn from her family’s religion because she is so dependent on them. She understands much of the good news and well may believe it. Pray for grace to overcome her fear.
Needing courage
May God give courage to those who are studying the truth but afraid to follow Jesus because of the cost. May God shine the light into their hearts so they see the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2Cor4:6).
Retreat
Pray for plans that are in progress to go for a retreat for 4-5 days in August with MBB’s. They will be about 30. The secluded location is nearly 3 hours out of the city. They will be going through a training manual on ‘Liberty to the Captives’. Pray that the prayers and declarations in the manual will help set them free, break generational strongholds and release them to be bold and effective witnesses to the saving power of Christ. Pray that they will receive unique resources to provide healing, freedom and keys for applying the power of the cross to claiming the ‘glorious liberty of the children of God’ (Romans 8:21).
Rwandan missionaries
We are thrilled that Noblesse is making plans to return to the Laarim in August for three months. He is coming with two other Rwandan men, Bienvenu and Perez, as part of their exposure to missions. Pray for these three men as they raise needed support from their churches in Rwanda. Pray the church will take their role to send seriously and give with joy. Pray the Lord will use Noblesse, Bienvenu and Perez to build up and strengthen His kingdom among the Laarim.
Believe in the Son
May Arabs believe in the Son and receive eternal life. May they obey the Son and see life and may the wrath of God be removed from them. John 3:36
Camp Soar
Preparations are progressing for Camp Soar, August 13-18. Jay & Laura are very thankful for the team of volunteers coming from Central Baptist Church to staff the camp. A Nigerian seminary student, Zubby, is lined up to speak at campfire and share the Gospel. Sponsors are needed for at least 60 African newcomer children/youth, to enable them to attend camp and hear the Gospel. Pray that many of these campers will come to know Jesus.
Family meeting
Pray for a family of believers who have been meeting together for a year with a worker who is leaving soon. Another team member will take over meeting with them (although it will be less often). Pray for this transition and that they will meet on their own and continue to grow.
Outreach week
Pray for the AIM Borderless Team’s Midlands Outreach Week beginning this coming Saturday. A Midlands city centre church is seeking to reach out to the diverse community on their doorstep.The church building is situated in the middle of a community of people from a North African background. They have asked AIM to provide a team to help them run a special events week. Pray that God will prepare the logistics to run smoothly, prepare the Church leadership as they plan and prepare, and the hearts of the team to be filled with the Holy Spirit’s compassion to reach the unreached with the gospel in this community. And pray for many to hear and believe the gospel!
Ready to receive
Summer often feels like a season of lost momentum. Schedules change and people travel. Ask that the Holy Spirit would water the truths that have been sown. Pray for Him to stir more questions and curiosity so that when reunions happen heart-soils will be ready to receive seed that will produce 100 fold.
Find Hope and Peace
In our urban centers, many of the smaller shop owners, fruit/vegetables stands, and blue collar workers are Berber. They work hard to make a living and are often mistreated. Please ask that these gracious and patient people will find true hope and peace in the only ONE who can offer true hope and peace.
Hosting boy
Praise God for the opportunity to host a 9 year old boy from the Saharawi migrant camps this summer. Please pray for a Kingdom impact for him and his family!
Reprimanded
Please pray for the village kids who spend time with the missionaries. Several of them have been reprimanded and/or physically punished by the Muslim religious leaders of the village for doing so. Pray that the light and love of God would bring life into their hearts.
See the need
Nanguoko, Natiyote, and Lokolong are all Laarim believers. Pray that they will see the need to grow in their relationship with the Lord by joining with other believers for times of Bible study and prayer. Pray also for Khalifa as he disciples Loduko, to help this young man understand God’s love and salvation through faith. Pray for all the believers in Chawa to discern and understand that, “the ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them” (Hosea 14:9).
United with Christ
Please pray for the Bible translation work, as the teams are drafting Ephesians and Philippians. Please pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the translation and also for the translators, especially those who are not believers. May they understand deeply what it means to be united with Christ!
Book release
Thanks for praying – the book release celebration went well. Let’s be praying that those printed words would be well used, loved, and believed. Let’s also pray for the continuing i3 translation project as they do remote checking on 1 Sam with islanders on i3, a worker on i1 and consultants abroad. Pray for good internet connection, good communication and a great result.
Soccer ministry
During the school break a sports ministry through soccer has been going on, headed by Malagasy missionaries. Pray for good opportunities to witness and for openness for students to participate.
Build friendships
Diaspora in Georgia: Pray for Muslim ladies N, R, and others that we met at a mosque visit, that we can connect with them and build friendships for sharing the gospel.
Pray for the Lord to work in the heart of an Indian Hindu lady, M, to draw her to faith in Christ.
Turn to the Lord
Pray for Zaya, who has heard of good news over 2+ yrs. but hasn’t shown much interest. Her husband recently died. Pray that she might understand the consolation of the gospel and turn to the Lord.
Pray for Ajoda, a southerner who has said she wants to follow Jesus and has prayed to accept Him as Saviour. She doesn’t understand French to come to church. Pray for bible studies with her, where she listens in her own language (she can’t read), and then we discuss in Arabic. She understands very little of the Christian walk.
Growing friendship
Love has been faithfully meeting with Nakai in the village of Karenge to share Bible stories. She is encouraged by this growing friendship and the opportunity to share God’s Word with her friend and any others who come to listen. Love is still visiting Tiringot, the village next to Karenge, but waiting for an invitation from someone in the community to ask for her to share Bible stories. Pray for Nakai to come to a saving faith in Jesus as she hears God’s Word; pray for a spiritual awakening in Tiringot and that people in that village would “seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near” (Isaiah 55:6).
Discipleship contines
Pray for the ladies I’m meeting with. Discipleship is continuing at individual level in their homes or businesses, and as a group on Sunday morning. Pray for those who come on Sundays who are still Ms, that as we do DBS, that they may encounter Him. Pray for M, who is a seeker, and her family at risk of breaking apart, pray that she may run to Him who is the Prince of Peace. Pray for M and L who are believers that they may grow in their faith. They are running small businesses, let’s pray that God will provide a way to expand their businesses.
Resist the Devil
Spiritual warfare is ongoing for our local family. Two of our sisters experienced severe attacks recently. Pray that they both would stand firm in the strength of His might and hold on to the shield of faith so the flaming arrows don’t injure them. Ask that these two sisters would walk in victory everyday over lies of the world, the flesh, and the devil. May they submit to Jesus and resist the Enemy so that he will flee. Ask that He would be their Hope and Light in the dark. Ask that the enemy would not be allowed to steal their peace or their sleep. Pray for them to abide with Jesus and soak in His Word so they are prepared for these attacks.
Needing reconciliation
Please pray for the church leadership in Mandritsara. There have been significant challenges dividing the church. Pray for forgiveness and reconciliation. May God’s will be done in this situation. Praise the Lord that a minister from the UK (Julian) and his wife (Debbie) a dentist, have joined our team at the Good News Hospital. Pray for them to learn the language well so they can encourage our local pastors and strengthen the evangelical team.
Unengaged
Mr. HW owns two hardware stores, one in our city and one about 2.5 hours east of us, in part of the area where a sub-group of Berber live. He and his family are of that people group. They are presently still an unegaged group. Ask that we can build a relationship that: 1. Brings Mr. HW and his family into the kingdom and, 2. Opens a door of entry into that group of people.
Persecution
Praise God for work being started in new Toposa areas. However, persecution has started as well. Pray for the Churches in Kauto- Namurpus region where I got a call from leaders on the field that people have started persecuting the disciples and burning their fellowship places. Pray for God’s intervention and protection.
See the Light
Continue to pray for Yous’, Se’d, Ma’amat, and Bra’am. We are currently going through 1 John together. Pray they continue to come as some have been traveling. Pray that they see the need for a savior.
Pray during the month of July that the students that Stephen and Alicia work with will see the light of Christ and be drawn to him.
Breaking stones
Each Sunday a small group from church goes to share in a village 5km outside of town. Sometimes when we arrive we find community members have already left to break stones to earn money for food. We are wondering if we could stop where the largest group breaking stones is, and ask if they would like us to share from there, before going on to the village itself. Please pray for God’s direction as we explore this possibility. Please pray for protection for those breaking stones. It is very difficult work.
Loves to read
Diaspora in Hong Kong Praise the Lord. L, the Ugandan Muslim lady we prayed for who loves reading from the book of Luke. She continues to read, just as she used to recite the Quran. I often pause so that she can stop and reflect on what she has read. Please continue to pray for her, that God may use His Word to touch her heart. Now she is no longer homeless, but the room lacks air circulation and the summer heat has caused her skin issues. Please pray for her to find relief from these conditions.
Women’s seminar
Please pray for a women’s seminar we are going to have on the 27-30 of this month and a leadership seminar in the beginning of August . Please pray for both to bring restoration, liberation, salvation and encouragement for all involved!
Surrender
Mike is a strong, O MBB involved in the translation work. Pray he will stand firm and keep growing in the midst of trials. His wife continues to be used by her family and the community to try to punish, distract and pull him back. At times she has professed faith in Christ, now again she’s pleasing her family and turning against Mike. Pray for God’s grace and that she would surrender her full allegiance to Jesus and not agree with the divorce her family wants.
