Thomas and Clement are two believers in a Lopit village that is a 1-2 hour walk from Iboni. Since Luka died and Umjuma has moved back to Torit, they have committed to taking turns walking to Iboni to lead Sunday morning services for the believers there. This is such encouraging news! These men have faced persecution in their own village, and yet, like the faithful who defied kings and cultures before them, they have trusted in God, “…willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God” (Daniel 3:28). Pray that their witness and testimony would encourage the believers in Iboni, Ohilang, and elsewhere, to do the same.
Missy believes!
Missy is a student who has been in correspondence with someone online for a few months about heavenly things and has expressed a desire to follow and be dunked! She’s agreed to meet ‘in person’ so a teammate and I met her today.
We asked: “Who is Jesus to you?”
She replied, “He’s God [that’s so important here!], my protector, the One I run to whether I’m happy or sad to tell everything to. He’s Lord, who we must give authority to in all parts of our life.”
We also asked, “What does it mean to be a disciple?”
She replied, “Someone who follows the way of Jesus, who learns more about Him and tells other people too.”
Pray that she would continue to thirst after Him and grow.
She also willingly agreed to meet Joy so please pray for wisdom and protection as we try to set that up.
Diaspora in Canada
The driving school that I started has refugee teens clamoring to get in. Young men, mostly from Africa, would never open up with me about their needs. But get them behind a steering wheel and they talk straight from their hearts. Who knew that sitting in traffic would be the perfect place to share the love of Christ!
Opportunities
New opportunities
Please pray for over 10 villages near Kaabong, where Ugandan missionaries Timothy, Mark and Ian are prayer walking and hoping to start church plants. Pray for God to lead clearly and to open doors.
Pastors
Please pray that God will raise up leaders for rural church plants, who have a passion for the gospel and for shepherding the churches.
Dormitory
Frontier Missions Team (a Ugandan mission organisation) runs a 6 month residential missionary internship programme near Kaabong. They are hoping to construct a dormitory that will enable them to host more interns, and also run residential training and equipping programmes for local pastors. Please pray that God will provide the resources needed for this, and that their internship programme and residential trainings will be a blessing to many.
Diaspora in France
* Pray for the current situation in Europe and how it affects some of the international students.
* Pray for guidance and a special attentiveness to the Spirit during these times.
* The ministry in France is continuing, with a group of Afghan refugees meeting at the café for French conversation and fellowship with a few people from our church. Please pray for deep relationships to develop here.
Kids club
We have Kids Club plans for 5 days out of the next two weeks. It’s the first time since corona. Pray that the kids (possibly up to 200) may hear and understand the good news and that many will come into God’s kingdom of light. And that they will experience God’s love in the process, and have a lot of fun!!!
Diaspora in UK
* Pray for the refugees in Croydon, a mixture of UPG’s including people from Sudan, the Horn, Afghanistan, Turkey, Syria, Iran, and Iraq.
* Two of the Muslim language students with whom I am doing Chronological storying have reached the New Testament and we are looking at the life of Jesus together. Please pray that they will be able to see Jesus as more than just a good person and an important prophet.
*I have the capacity to start storying with one or two more students. However, finding potential students with a suitable level of English is proving difficult. Please pray that the Lord will lead me to people who would enjoy this type of study.
Spouses and Translators
Pray for the spouses of secret believers that they too might surrender their lives to Jesus. Pray for couples and families coming to Jesus together.
Pray for the translators: one particularly who was antagonistic towards Christians, but now his heart has been softening for quite a few months now. May the Holy Spirit draw him to fully surrender his life to God.
Diaspora in Minnesota
* One Somali man has heard the gospel from a variety of people over the last month and God seems to be working on numerous levels with him. Pray that God will open his eyes to the truth.
* Many Afghan men and women have asked for ESL support. We have a team of people gathering to start a class for them. Pray this will be a fruitful endeavor.
Love as Jesus would
In Kotido, among the Karimojong, we meet twice a month with some of the church leaders. It is a time of fellowship, prayer, mutual encouragement, and training. Thank God for these meetings, and pray for His guidance in this time together and that He would raise up people from the church we are partnering with (COU) to walk alongside and help in these meetings.
We work in the health field in Kotido, and the need is big. Pray that God may help us to make a difference to the people we treat, and also to influence our co-workers, so they provide good service, that their heart may go out to the marginalized Karimojong, and they may care and love them the way Jesus would.
Diaspora in Georgia
* Please pray that I will continue to grow in friendship with two ladies from the local mosque and that through them I will meet others, including African immigrants.
* Praise the Lord for stirring the hearts of His people. Praise the Lord for local believers and churches that are beginning to pray together with me for God to open doors for ministry to UPG Africans in the area. Pray that at the right time I can host a gathering of various people who are interested and want to participate in outreach, so they can meet and encourage one another.
An update from Kilo
I shared the gospel with Kiwope and he was born again! Let’s pray for his faith to grow and boldness in sharing the good things God has done for him.
Identity Struggles
Pray for a new believer, Chacha, who struggles daily with putting off the old nature and putting on the new one. He is despondent over the difficulties in his life and recently his home and all he owned was burnt to the ground, leaving him homeless. Pray that he will put on his new identity in Christ as he wars against his old nature – pray for renewing of his mind, discerning truth, knowing God’s power and presence, and knowing God’s peace that passes understanding. “Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.” (Colossians 3:10)
Diaspora in Missouri
* Pray for MH our truck driver friend from Somalia. He has a citizenship interview on March 24. We’ve been encouraging him and helping him to prepare. He drives 45 minutes to visit us and we are praying that he will have a deeper hunger for the Truth. Pray that his heart would be softened to be receptive, that his ears will listen, and his eyes see.
International students
* Please pray for the International Students who have heard the gospel recently. May they believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing they would have life in His name (John 20:31). Pray that these conversations would not be forgotten and that seeds of the Gospel truth would germinate in their hearts.
Secret believers
Pray for a neighbourhood where some of the team live. There are a few hidden disciples and many more asking questions, along with a strong attraction amongst many to listen to God’s word. Please pray for a community of believers to start meeting regularly this year. It’s a big prayer but nothing is impossible for God! May the fear of consequences be overwhelmed by knowing the love of God in their lives. Please pray Ephesians 1 v 18-20 for the secret believers and those who are drawn but too scared to commit themselves to Jesus.
Stepping out in faith
Pray for Kileng, Lowuyo, Kato, and Locii all stepping out in faith in one way or another to lead fellowships and serve their neighbors. At the end of December, Dan and Joel cooked a meal for these guys to celebrate finishing the 10-weeks of curriculum and to encourage them to continue growing and standing firm in the faith. Pray that even though the missionaries are gone, the Spirit who is with the Laarim believers will make them strong.
Diaspora in France
* Pray for the islander families affected in the commuter plane crash on Feb 26 near the smallest island, 14 people were lost. This affects all of the islands, including the diaspora. Pray for the few believers to be godly comforters in this tragedy, for our teammates as they walk with these grieving families and wisdom for the airline company and the country.
* Continue praying for ‘salty’ texts/conversations with island friends on WhatsApp.
Follow together
Please pray for a couple who have had a consistent gospel witness for many years. Praise God the husband is now opening his heart more to Jesus and thinking about the possibility of following him. Pray that this couple would make a decision to follow Jesus together.
Diaspora in Portland
* Pray for Mr. A from Algeria. Praise the Lord he returned safely from Algeria. Pray for his spiritual growth. Pray that God will provide him a job, and a Christian wife.
* Pray that we can be a blessing and encouragement to our churches. Pray that we can challenge these churches to engage the unreached diaspora in their own backyards.
* Pray that God will open up the eyes and hearts of those who are coming to our DBS on Sunday evenings.
Polygamy
Please pray for Godly leaders. Polygamy is accepted here and unfortunately something not easily given up! Please pray for this new generation to embrace the gospel and have courage to leave these practices behind.
Please continue to pray for our adolescent/youth age girls who still don’t have rights to study or marry whom they wish. Many are still forced/sold into marriage to much older men as a 2,3, or 4th wife! I do want to Praise the Lord for the slight changes we are seeing, some families are sending/allowing their daughters to study and the laws in Mozambique are starting to change in their favor!!! Please pray for the church to be a good example in these changes.
Diaspora in South America
The UPG’s we are working with are:
* Senegalese (Wolofs & Fulanis) – Pray that God will open more and more doors of relationship as they have a very strong Muslim community and very closed to relationships outside the community.
* Guinean – We are planning to work with Guinean Muslims in a city in northern Brazil where there is a university that has more than 600 Africans. Pray that the new DR members could move to that region soon.
* Muslims of different ethnicities – Brazil has become a place of migration for different Africans (Nigerians, Congolese, Sudanese, Egyptians, etc.), they are not part of large clusters, but in large centers today it is possible to find them. Pray for open doors for fruitful ministry amongst them.
Freedom
Freedom from fear and bondage
Ugandan missionaries Lawrence and Simple have been building relationships in 3 Tepeth communities. They have seen that witchcraft has a strong hold in people’s lives. Please pray that as Lawrence and Simple share the gospel, many will see that Jesus offers a better way, free from fear and bondage.
Hunger
We are currently in dry season, and food is scarce. Some people have migrated to neighbouring regions to try and find food. Please pray that the rains will come soon, and that this year will bring a good harvest. Please pray that God will provide for people’s needs, and that as he does, he may clearly be seen to be the provider.
Diaspora in Canada
* We were saddened at Christmas that our Somali friends M & A, who over 2 summers sent their kids to our MAC camp, have separated. When M refused to renounce his faith in Christ, A demanded that he vacate their condo. She is now trying to turn their 3 kids against their dad. The good news is that M’s faith has become even stronger, and he is anxious to share the Gospel with other Somalis in the Capital Region and beyond.
* Shortly after a ski day in January, my Nigerian Muslim university grad friend J got word that he was hired for his first job in Toronto. I helped him move 5 hours down the highway to Toronto. All that time together strengthened the trust level so that now we have a weekly Sunday afternoon Bible study.
* Our Chinese Christian neighbor has asked J. and me to help her lead a Christianity Explored series for neighbors in our 2 town house buildings. Pray for the right timing to start the dinner-and-video series and that our invitations will be accepted by neighbor’s around us—nominal Christian, Buddhist, and Muslim.
Marriage
Please join us in praying for Cecelia and Angelo. Cecelia is the lovely young woman that we knew from Ikotos as a little girl, and who has been living with us for the last 5 years. She is truly like a daughter to us. Angelo is the young man who has been an integral part of the Laarim team. He has stated his desire to marry Cecelia, and she has returned the sentiment. We are thrilled! It is wonderful to see two strong Christians with a heart for ministry seeking a righteous path towards marriage. But in this context, it’s also really hard! There will be “negotiations” between the two families over the dowry, which to us can seem like insurmountable demands. Pray the Lord will make the way for these two to come together in marriage, setting an example for the church and believers.
No show in class …
We have various classes taking place as a way of connecting with these friends. For one reason or another, they have stopped attending! Surprisingly, they all do not turnup. Main reasons they give is that they are busy with other courses, … which is true.
Please pray with us that God will give us other ways to connect and network with these friends and that we will use every opportunity to share the love of Christ, either by words or by our lifestyle.
May salvation come
I have friends I love very much, but still their spirits are not open to accept the Gospel, please help me pray for them:
1. Salim
2. Random
3. Seleani
4. Selemani
Our community center preschool is still doing well. This term we have 66 students enrolled. Pray for the children and their parents to believe on the One whom God has sent for their salvation.
Diaspora in Canada
In Winnipeg, we work with newcomers to Canada from a variety of backgrounds such as South Sudanese, Eritrean, Somali and Iranian. We need prayer for how to minister to each person individually and find ways of connecting so they don’t feel so isolated and alone. We are expecting more refugees in the coming months.
Worship in spirit and truth
“Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: ‘People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship – and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.” Acts 17 v 22-3 May the Alagwa know Jesus, the fulfillment of all their spiritual hunger and hopes. Bring an awakening amongst them as a people Oh Lord! May they know they were made to worship God in spirit and truth!
Lots of Jesus, lots of rice.
And in this way the Gospel has spread among the Bara.
The cross in the center, Jesus Christ the only Way, and the good deeds to prove God’s love for them in times of distress.Today was “rice day”. 400 children from our program will have a good meal for 4 days at least.
Open and free
A challenge we have are lack of literature, including Bibles, for new believers. It is too expensive for them to buy. Additionally hymn books and books for discipleship and spiritual growth for new believers.
The state of the Gospel now among the Zaramo is that they are now openly, freely coming to Christ. The gospel is no longer a secret for the Zaramo. One can freely carry his Bible without harassment or public disturbance, unlike before. The Zaramo are coming to the Lord at a greater speed!
Pastors
Please pray for our three local pastors and their families. They have been tried and tested in so many ways. Please pray that Mateus (Isabela), Joaquim (Julieta), and Isaac (Lauvness) will continue to persevere in their faith and continue to be lights of Christ among the Ndau. Please pray for Cecilia and I and the ministries we have been given amongst the Ndau; and for more workers to be sent into the harvest!
Peace and comfort
A tragic accident
On Thursday last week, there was an accident in Kotido and a young girl passed away. Pray that God may comfort her family and that his peace may fill their hearts, even though though they don’t understand what happened. The family are neighbours to my language helper. Please pray that, God willing, I may have the opportunity to visit the family, have time with them, and that God may give me the right words to share with them.
Seek the peace
Jeremiah 29:7. Pray for peace in the region. There are frequent cattle raids among the different Karimojong clans. When this happens, revenge is common, and as a result several deaths have occurred. Furthermore there is an ongoing disarmament process. We know that Jesus is the only one who can bring true peace, so please pray for peace in the region and that the Karimojong people may experience true peace.
Fara Sika
Fara Sika is a small village in the southern territory of the Laarim community. Jacinta has been a missionary there since 2005, together with James who joined her in 2007. They are both from Kenya. It is a joy to see how God is growing His church in Fara Sika after the many years that Jacinta and James have been investing in there. We thank God for these faithful servants! Pray for them, that they will continue to “live holy and godly lives as [they] look forward to the day of God and speed its coming” (2 Peter 3:11).
Seeds
Please pray for a neighbor woman, A, who I have shared the Gospel with and has been asking a few questions. Pray that God would soften her heart and that these seeds would be planted in her heart.
New church!
There is a new church plant in the village of Handa. The Magambua medical team ran monthly outreach clinics there for several years. This is a wonderful answer to prayer! Immanuel and Janeti are a Sandawe couple who are overseeing that new church. Please pray for them as they serve in this remote location.
Way forward?
After Luka’s death and others leaving, we are really asking the Lord what AIM ministry in Lopit looks like now and in the future. We are hopeful about Robert and Carol’s return after their studies (at least a year from now), Landi joining the Lopit ministry later this year and Andrea’s return, however right now there are more questions than answers as we think and pray about Lopit ministry. Pray we will have the wisdom and understanding to see what God is doing to reach the Lopit with His salvation, for He says: “Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?” (Ezekiel 18:23).
Generous Gifts
Praise God for the generosity of a Muslim Nyamwezi village leader who has given his land for a church. The fellowship of believers have build a temporary shelter of thatch while they construct a permanent building. The generous village leader frequently sits just outside the church on Sundays and listens to the sermons. Recently he offered another larger piece of land nearby for a church clinic. He says before he dies he wants to help his community in every way he can. Pray that he will come to Christ and not stay in the shadows, but receive the invitation of Christ to follow Him and join the fellowship of believers.
Stand firm
Ambohitsara is a very small village with maybe about 300 habitants.
There is a small church there with faithful Christians.
Please pray for Zaely and Norizy. These are two women (sisters-in-law actually) who are the pillars of the church. Zaely’s husband became a Christian about 2 years ago.
He was following the regional training for village church leaders in the hope that he would become the future leader of the church but he has had a lot of opposition from his family and is not in church every Sunday. Please pray for this couple.
Please pray for Zaely, Norizy and the other faithful Christians, that they stand firm in their faith.
Be set free
Please continue to pray for the gospel to be made known amongst the Ndau people who are still trapped in bondage through witchcraft and ancestral worship. Pray that they would encounter and turn their lives over to Christ Jesus and be set free from ancestral/traditional fear which enslaves them.
Please pray for the churches that do exist would grow in Christ and not in religion. Like so many church problems around the world, being transformed by Christ is not popular but doing “churchy” things that look good is easy and attractive. Please pray for spiritual growth and maturity.
