In our area, many men are married to more than one woman. Four of the women who regularly attend church are all married to the same man, and he does not show any interest in the gospel or joining them at church. Recently, he has outright forbidden his wives to attend church, threatening to divorce them if they continue. Several of the women have still continued to attend, but it is a difficult situation for all, especially since there are also many children involved. Please join us in praying for this man, that his heart may soften to Jesus, and that he may come to know the truth that his wives have already discovered! Also, pray for wisdom for those speaking into this situation and supporting the women as they seek to do what is right.
Diaspora in Canada
We had a wonderful sunny day of bike repairs, fellowship, and engagement with our neighbours on Saturday. About a dozen kids came to get bikes and left happy. We shared a hot dog meal following. A local sign shop owner has committed to making us new signs for our big kids’ bike build program. One local youth imam came, and Jas said he’d like to arrange faith dialogues between his youth and Christian kids. We’re also kicking off ‘faith around the fire’ this week, or as soon as the signs are finished. Pray for deep conversations around the fire and for the Spirit to draw many to the Lord.
Have Mercy
Pray for the Spirit to move among the people. We know apart from His work we will see nothing significant happen here. Pray for God to have mercy on the Kanembu people and visit them even though they have rejected him.
Dreams and visions
Kelly has had the opportunity to use the Bible to teach her neighbors English. After a good time reading Scripture, Kelly showed them a video of a Muslim coming to faith through visions/dreams. They were all very excited and want to meet again. Pray for dreams/visions in the lives of these people to bring them to Jesus.
Seeds
Mike and Faith are a retired couple. They moved from their home area looking for some freedom from the weight of the local practice of belief. Father brought us together, allowing for a growing friendship and the opportunity to discuss what true freedom really means. Mike has rejected all religious belief, trusting in science instead, while Faith is torn by her sense of loyalty and the evident hypocrisy. Please ask Father to open their hearts to truth and for seeds being planted to bring life!
Evangelism
Working together with a young pastor and his wife (Dories & Alphossin) we have
taught some young believers to go out and evangelise. Currently, they are travelling
alongside Dories and Alphossin and are learning as they go. Pray for many open hearts to hear and receive the gospel.
Neighbors’ needs
A key young man from S’s family, who we’ve been reaching out to for regular teaching, has big changes coming as he was selected for a county position and has gone for training and an uncertain assignment location following that. Pray that God will put people in his path who will inspire his continuing to seek truth and embrace Jesus as Lord and Savior. Continue to pray for Gail’s complete healing from Lupus (same family)- she’s doing great physically and spiritually right now.
Christian – Muslim dialogue on 14th May
We have a dialogue with Muslims on Saturday. The topic is – Who is Jesus?
Please pray for clear minds in the audience to hear, understand and believe the truth about Jesus’ identity and His work. Pray that the Holy Spirit will work powerfully through the discussions.
youth outreach
We had a youth camp recently and 100+ young people came. It was very good. The workers’ children, MBB’s children and a good number of seekers’ children participated.
God has granted us a good platform with the Youth. Pray for transformation as they continue learning each week.
There is a great financial need for those who have graduated from primary and secondary school as they prepare to join the next level. Please pray for provision.
We are following up with the parents of our youth and God is giving us opportunities. Please pray that the Lord may draw many to Himself.
Praise God for another home church born recently, pray that many neighbors will be reached.
Armor of God
Please pray for two believing women in different villages who we are teaching to recognise the devil’s schemes and resist him (1 Peter 5 v 8-9). Praise God for their engagement in this teaching! Please pray for perseverance in putting on the armor of God, that daily they will set time aside to meet with God in prayer and His Word.
Diaspora in France
* Pray for us to be able to discern the needs of the people in front of us and then be able to share the Gospel in a way that speaks to people, just like Jesus and others did for so many people in the Bible
* Pray for H, M and JK, 3 students who continue seeking the Lord. Pray particularly for M that she will take that one last difficult step of paying the price to follow Jesus because He is so worth it.
English classes
Pray for the English classes that we’ve just started. Pray for contacts through this class, for students who want to go deeper. Pray the community sees Jesus through the way we serve.
Diaspora in Washington
* Afghan: Build your church God, among our Afghan brothers and sisters. Help us to listen well and connect our new friends with your word in their language. Praise you God for the hands and hearts that have labored to translate it! We praise God for several new friends who have rejoiced to have a Bible here as they lamented the loss of the Bible they had to leave behind in Afghanistan!
* Uyghur: We pray for your protection for those who believe, and we pray for those here that they may be able to hear your word God in their heart language.
Friendships
An evangelical worker recently asked a pastor’s son, “Who is you closest friend in school? The boy replied, Mohammed! The second son said Hussein was his closest friend. The daughter replied her best friend was Aisha. Pray for cross-cultural workers, sent out as families to live among those who do not yet know Jesus as the Son of God. Pray for their living faithfully in Christ and for His protection over the families. May the friendships developed bring about fruit for the Kingdom and a light into the lives of their friends that they may no longer be held in darkness but come to Jesus.
Translation update
SIL (Wycliffe) has taken on Lopit as a full time Bible Translation project this year. They have a couple of Lopit translators living and working in Juba and working on the New Testament. As they gather resources together so that they can make use of the existing materials that our team has worked on with the community already, pray that there will be good collaboration between the SIL team and the missionaries (past and present) working among the Lopit. Pray that God will bless this translation, and speed along its progress.
Open door
Jean and Melias (two of our Malagasy partners in Nosybe) did a survey in Ambanja this past week which went well and were able to have Bible Studies in different homes. Sadly they had to leave at the end of the week because of other commitments, however, we see this as an open door for when the CEFOI Bible students go there for a week of evangelism in June. Please pray for prepared hearts and that there will be much fruit for God’s glory. Please pray for leaders to be able to continue with these Bible Studies.
Diaspora in South America
* The Portuguese Class is growing in Passo Fundo and J. & A. are helping some students who have been open for relationship. Please pray specifically for M., an African Muslim, who is more and more open to relationship.
* More and more we are hearing about sexual violence against immigrants, including cases of human trafficking of young women. Pray that God will give us wisdom on how to help these women and engage against this practice.
What’s it gonna take?
Pray for so many O who have heard and are hearing God‘s word regularly – that their hearts may be pierced, drawn and convicted by the Holy Spirit, and they too would ask, “what must we do to be saved?“ Pray that many would respond to the Good News of God‘s grace through Jesus, rather than their attempts at pleasing him through good works.
Church growing
The Father is growing the church in the capital city and we are hearing reports of a number of people following the Son or choosing to be ‘dunked’. Please ask that they would be rooted in the Word, in prayer, and in a Believing Community.
Celebration
Our Easter service had a wonderful turnout, and we shared a meal together afterward to celebrate the resurrection. It was encouraging to see many from the community travel out to the church and we pray it may continue to open doors for conversations and further relationships with those who came. Please pray that this could be the first step for many to hear the truth of the gospel, and stir up a desire to know more!
Persecution
Lucino called this morning and told me that Christians in Lomutar, Toposaland, have been beaten severely. This is the same place where persecutions started in 2020. Please pray the believers would stand firm in their faith and the Lord would rebuke the men who oppose Him.
Needing salvation
Jared and Mzee M have been going to a neighborhood Bible study together and Mzee enjoys it very much. He sings hymns and engages in conversation. Pray for the desire to follow Jesus in his own life.
Shara and Mama Sam started lesson 1 of a 6-lesson Bible series. Pray they will be able to continue this study and that God would use it to soften Mama S’s heart to accept her Savior.
Through the shadow of death, I will fear no evil
Funerals are opportunities for Christians to share their hope with others who do not yet understand the eternal blessings that can be theirs. We mourn the loss of a beloved Christian who was taking Bible courses to become a full time church worker. During his life he shared the Gospel with his family, village, and in neighboring areas. The student’s faith in Christ was evident not only in his life but also became his final testimony at his funeral. How different a Christian funeral is as hymns of hope are sung about resurrection rather than the typical wailing and piercing cries of unquenchable lament! Pray that those who stand in need of peace with God accept the gift of God – to be saved by grace through faith.
Bible study with Mo
Just before the start of Ramadhan we agreed with Mo that we would start a Bible study together after the 30 days of fasting. Please pray with me that God will guide him so that he makes time for this. That God will speak clearly to both of us in a new way and that this will transform our hearts and lives.
Confidence in Christ
Many of this generation are being taught that their feelings define truth and that if they follow their heart, they are being most true. Jesus, we pray that you would expose this lie, that instead of trusting their own deceitful hearts, (Jer 17:9,10), they would allow you to search their hearts and transform them. May they put their confidence and trust in you and be like trees that put out roots by the stream and bear fruit without fear. (Jer 17:7,8)
Diaspora in UK
* Pray for our restarted ladies craft and chatter event. It’s a great way for our church to reach out to the unreached people groups in our community.
* One of the church leaders and I attended an iftar (breaking fast during Ramadan) at one of the local mosques. Please pray for growing relationships and opportunities to share the gospel.
Translation begins
Pray for us as we begin the journey of Bible translation and Jesus film in Jiye. Pray for good translators who will be committed for the long haul.
Diaspora in Hong Kong
1. Thank God we were able to share His words during the Chinese Zoom class during Ramadan. Pray God’s words dwell in their hearts and they ponder it.
2. We will go visit our friends during Eid. May God guide us to have good sharing times.
3. God has started to stir up the church to be concerned and take part in the Diaspora ministry in Hong Kong. Pray to God to provide more volunteers for us.
Diaspora in Portland
This year, Easter came in the middle of Ramadan, so we planned a lavish banquet for our cousins after 8 PM when their fast was over. But first we invited them all to gather at 7 PM to listen, as I “storied” the entire chapter of Luke 24! These dear friends listened more carefully this time than ever before. Many voiced appreciation for God’s Word. Pray that the story of Jesus’ resurrection may play over and over in our friends’ minds, opening the way for true forgiveness from God!
Revisit village Z
On the 8th May I will go with the local pastor to revisit the village Z where we went after Christmas to talk of ‘Good News’, hoping to follow up with some of the people we had visited. We will stay until 9th pm so that I can go visiting and not just fill my time with seeing patients as rather happened last time. Pray for open hearts and minds, much time for visiting, fluency in speaking (most of the women there only speak Neem) and much fruit from this visit.
Believe the message
Pray that more Bara will open their villages to watch the film Jesus. This is a very effective tool to introduce people to Jesus. Pray the Holy Spirit will speak through the film and many would believe the message.
Open hearts
Praise God for an invitation to read the bible with a lady called Nakiru and her neighbours. Please pray for Nasur, a Karimojong believer who is facilitating/leading these times. Pray that God’s word would bear fruit the lives of each who come.
Ready to speak out
Praising God for a new believer ‘Ruth’, sister to the first in their village ‘Faye’ Although I had talked with Ruth on several occasions, it seems that Faye had been talking with her and letting her listen to the Neem Creation to Christ audio stories. Ruth in her turn seems to be speaking to her husband about it and says she gave him the Arabic New Testament that I gave to her (and then realised that she doesn’t read very well). Pray that he too will believe and that the enthusiasm of these ladies to talk of our Lord will not wane and will bear much fruit in their village.
Brought to fullness
Please pray for the new believers who have received very little face to face discipleship that, just as they received Christ Jesus as Lord, they would continue to live their lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as they were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Pray that they live believing that in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and that in Christ they have been brought to fullness. (Col 2)
Follow Me
Mama Hay has had a dream of Jesus calling her to follow him. Her 2 year old son has been suffering from demonic attacks. She has studied a six lesson series from creation to Christ and she wants to follow him but admits she is scared of her family. Pray for courage and strength that she will follow what Jesus has called her to do.
Ramadan ending
The end of Ramadan is in a few days. Ask that as we meet up friends and neighbours that the Father would open a door to speak of Him.
Night of Power
Tonight Muslims around the world will commemorate the night on which Allah first revealed the Qur’an to Mohammad. Many will spend the night in prayer expecting blessings and mercy. Pray that the Lord will bless them with a revelation of His Son.
Celebrating Easter and Pentecost
The Believers on Nosy Mitsio had a good Easter celebration and are looking to plan a service for Pentecost. A new family joined them for Easter. Please pray for Petera, Francine, Shilo and his family and Edmond and his family.
Baptism!
On Good Friday, we had the privilege of baptizing three new believers (Praise the Lord!), one of whom is a young man who grew up in this community – the first truly “local” believer. May God be glorified in their lives, and please pray they stand firm in Jesus in the face of discouragements and hardships that will surely come.
Persecution is real. Pray for the church.
Jiye leader Simon Amoni told me, “Me and Loumwa had gone to show Jesus film at night at Chumameri church. Many people were gathered including youths, women, children and men. In the middle of viewing Jesus film, a youth came in and started causing some chaos and asking who brought this thing here. He disappeared and after a short time came back with a gun and shot at the screen thinking that would end the film. Thank God none of us were standing. We were all seated and that is how we survived. No one ran away, instead youths caught the youth and took the gun, and we were asked to continue with the film! And at the end approximately 150 people lifted their hands for prayers.” Persecution is real. Pray for the church.
