Pray for Khalifah who now has the responsibility of leading the small flock of God in Chauwa. Pray that the Holy Spirit will empower him in that responsibility. Noblesse hopes to continue encouraging Khalifha through periodic phone calls while he is in Rwanda. There are very few spots in Kimatong where the network picks up cell phone signals, so pray that these men will be able to coordinate these times to talk, and that it will be an encouragement to them both.
Outreach
Full Gospel Church Moroto is in the middle of a two week outreach to different areas of Moroto town. Please pray that the gospel message will be shared clearly, that God’s Spirit will touch people’s hearts, and that many will come to know Christ.
Three Ugandan missionaries have just arrived in a village called Lotirir. They will be serving in the church health centre for one year. Please pray for them as they settle in, build relationships, learn language and seek to serve the community, showing Christ’s love in word and deed.
Update from TZ evangelist
Praise be to the Lord Jesus! I greatly praise God for the ministry He has called me here to the Zaramo people.
1. We continue to do the work of the Gospel to reach people with the word of truth spiritually and physically:
Spiritually – we go from house to house sharing the gospel. We also pray for them and for the sick and needy.
Physically – we do manual labor such as farming and animal husbandry to help the community realize the greatness of Christ Jesus through the work of our hands.
2. One of the ministry difficulties we face here is that we are not working with a particular denomination. Rather we are growing house churches, which is a good system. But sometimes when Zaramo are saved, they want to join a church with a building with many people – believing this is the real church. Sometimes this results in them joining a church that does not disciple them to maturity (non-spiritual churches).
Living among them
Please pray for Kenyan missionary Eliah Korobe serving among the Jiye, South Sudan with Seeking the Lost. He has typhoid and is undergoing treatment in Kapoeta. Eliah has been the front runner for this for work among the Jiye. We are now seeing over 1,000 disciples, with 9 churches and several discovery groups. The Jiye have encountered a lot of persecution and so Eliah moved residentially among them two weeks ago. Eliah will live among them for a season to model discipleship and train up leaders. This is a huge step of faith as the Jiye do not even have a secure water source, they are very remote and impoverished.
Transformation
Pray for a great harvest in Madagascar: for all those who are reaching out to islanders to see a great transformation in the hearts of the islanders they love. Pray for many islanders to come to know the Lord.
Quiet
Our classes in English and Computer have gone quiet. Students have been engaged in many other classes and have little time to attend our lessons.
Pray that God may release them to give priority to our classes. Please also pray with us for more students for new classes that we plan to have for French, Leadership, and Piano/Organ. A few students are interested.
Praise the Lord for joyful times we are having engaging with them in outings. Anything to get them out of their ‘lockdown’ in this congested suburb where they all live is always attractive to them.
Pray for God’s wisdom and direction on how to engage them when we are all together having fun.
prayer time
We have just started to meet with the Christian mamas in our neighborhood for a time of prayer and fellowship and an encouragement to reach out to their Muslim neighbors. Please pray this time of prayer will be fruitful and that those who they invite will show up, be excited and feel encouraged to share God’s love with others.
Need rain!
It seems the only remaining well in Nwayapack has broken causing everyone to migrate, people are fainting and collapsing along the way. They have been forced to Namurupth which is the next closest well where there is now fighting. Some even walk 80km to Naliel to find water. The situation is very bad. There are many boreholes that need to be repaired, we are a long way from the rainy season at the end of May if it comes on time. Please pray.
Now we believe
This past Friday we showed the Jesus Film in a Gabbra community where we are establishing new relationships and there is only one Christian family. It was a beautiful moment of fellowship. After the film, one of the elders declared, “It was very good you shared this story with us, for before we had only heard of Jesus, now that we have seen we can believe in Him.”
Pray with us that many will hear, believe, and become followers of Christ Jesus in this village.
Talks
Pray for upcoming talks about how to move forward with leadership training and development with local islander believers, leaders and co-workers. Pray for wisdom in and guidance to know when to do these meetings, when to start and who to invite to be a part of this training process.
Diaspora in UK
* Pray for Somalis and Sudanese – spiritual eyes to be opened to see their need for Jesus; there is no church in the Somali area of the city. Ask the Lord to build his church!
* Thanking God for the opportunities to serve in various ministries.
JF for Kanembu
The Jesus film is currently being translated into the language of the Kanembu. Please pray for the process of this translation. Ask that the voice actors and others involved in the project would be protected as they work, that they would remain faithful to do their tasks, that equipment and communication would work well and efficiently and that the translation would be true to the Word. May Jesus’ words and life come alive for the Kanembu people as they watch this film.
Diaspora in Portland
* Last year I joined the board of a local organization, Equipping Leaders for a Lifetime of Service (ELLS), committed to helping African church leaders get accessible Bible training. The ELLS board is eager to also make this available to Diaspora church leaders in the US. Pray for wisdom.
* I have been adapting and simplifying Berding’s Bible Fluency course for possible use with a couple of our close Diaspora families. Music, symbols, instruction, interaction, and other kinds of worship are used to help people feast and meditate on God’s Word. Pray the course would be a blessing to many.
Translation printed!
Praise God for the progress of the translation work- they’ve printed the first book in the local language of “Vanilla Island”. Prayer is needed for wisdom in how to distribute it without jeopardizing the work there.
A former Mus. coming to share
A MBB who was a very senior official in his former faith is coming to share with the locals.
Please pray with us for the training that he will give to the local Christians and the debates he will be engaging with the local people. Pray for ready hearts to receive the seed of the gospel and that God will prepare us to disciple the many new believers that will come to faith. We especially seek your prayers for safety for everyone during and after the meetings. We pray that plans for the visit will run smoothly and God will be glorified and we will be blessed with new believers.
Creation to Christ
Mama Moses and I have started a bible study with the neighbor women: Mama B, Mama Z, Mama H and Mama S. We are doing a six lesson study from creation to Christ. God is working so much! Please continue praying for these mamas as they learn more about Christ. Pray the seeds will fall on prepared soil. Things are happening and all we can do is trust God that these women will accept and follow Jesus. Mama B has privately said to me that she wants to follow Jesus. Pray that the walls of fear will be crushed.
Thank you for praying
We’ve now had two great meetings with groups of this family we asked you to pray for. Pray that God would work powerfully to draw them. This is the same group that after reading the story of Jesus healing the paralytic who was carried to him by his 4 faith filled friends and lowered before Jesus in the full house, the young man said, “I have learned a lesson from this story, Jesus is God!!“ Then the grandma piped in, “Why don’t we ask Jesus to heal Gail (granddaughter who was diagnosed with Lupus last year and has severe polyarthritis) completely, and we four who are sitting here will be Jesus’ witnesses!“
We prayed in the name, power and authority of Jesus. Pray with us for Gail’s complete healing! And the group’s salvation and witness! Gail is a bit better today – we had increased her steroid dose, and we continue to pray with perseverance for complete healing!
Diaspora in France
Pray for the Iranians, Afghans and South Americans who we are spending a lot of time with this year. Pray also for the many Africans who we are discipling either to equip them to evangelize or they are discovering Jesus for the very first time. Pray specifically for the period of transition where most of these students realize the cost of the decision they have to make. Pray that they will be bold enough to make it and pray that we as a church will be there as a strong support system.
Diaspora in Toronto, Canada
* Pray for peace and reconciliation among our Somali Christian brothers and sisters here, and for healing of the wounds of addiction and mental illness among them.
* For increased openness among our Muslim friends in our neighboring apartments, and for the time spent there in tutoring and teaching ESL to bear Gospel fruit.
* For some people committed to long term ministry to Somalis to come alongside us as we anticipate retirement.
Gospel coming
The Team Leaders for the new team to the Kanembu people will be moving to their new town soon. May the Lord soften hearts of their Kanembu neighbors and others they will meet. May the, “…gospel [come to the Kanembu], not only with words, but with power, and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.” (1 Thessalonians 1:5)
Diaspora in Calif, USA
* Pray for salvation of 2 Buddhist families, a Sikh family and several Hindu students who have all heard the gospel in the last 6 months in various ways.
* Pray for the International Student club at CSULB to be able to start meeting again in person. California has reinstated many restrictions this month, hindering all clubs from meeting.
Tsara Rano
It is humbling to witness the daily struggles of villagers here, who mainly worry about what/how they will eat the next day. Theirs is a life where small accidents can quickly become life-threatening. Pray for the Hofmanns, who are grateful that they can be here for their fellow villagers when things go wrong. Cases of malaria, worm infections, and many severely malnourished babies have been worse in the past 10 months than in the previous 10 years. Jurgen has started visiting a new village, Tsara Rano (“Good Water”)—praise God that the Bible stories are being well-received there, to the point where the King’s wife has been asking when Jurgen would visit them too! Pray that God’s love, peace and joy would bloom among the Tanala.
Diaspora in Detroit
* Praise God for the Welcome House getting going to welcome new refugee families. Pray for Brother D. as he runs this. Pray for boldness for the volunteer team as they visit. May the good news flow from them! Pray for the additional 7 volunteers we need to settle 2 Afghan families this month.
* Pray for local Arab Muslims as they come in contact with our partner church Hope Arabic Church. May racial lines fall, and the gospel be lifted up!
* As many Afghans come, the majority are still in hotels. Please pray for housing, and for a Christ-like love that will go beyond tribal lines
* Yemeni Arabs live in an isolated area guarded spiritually by the local mosques. May God make a way for the gospel to break through regularly.
Word take root
The Lord is calling and sending workers to the harvest field in Betroka, and finally opened the border doors to allow them to enter! The Bassos (team leaders) have returned to continue to serve the Bara people, followed by 3 new team members in March. Pray that the team and community will bond and form good relationships as they partner in Christ to reach the lost. Ask that the word of God would take root in many souls and flourish.
Diaspora in Washington
* Afghan: Build your church God, among our Afghan brothers and sisters. Help us to listen and help connect our new friends well with your word in their language. Praise you God for the hands and hearts that have labored to translate it!
* Sudanese: We pray for growth in the number of Sudanese students we serve and an open dialogue about your truth God.
* Moroccan: We pray for the persecuted church and for those separated from loved ones because of that persecution.
* 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.
Evil plans thwarted
On “Clove Island,” there is a sister whose family had asked her to renounce her faith or face serious consequences. On the day a family member and an religious leader would be coming to see her, their plans were thwarted and they never came. Give thanks that so far there has been no new conflict/meetings; the sister’s faith remains strong and she has talked about having peace.
Diaspora in Minnesota
* Our UPG are Somalis. They need to have their eyes opened to the truth of the gospel. They need to be released from the fear they hold themselves in. Ask God to stretch out HIs hand and deliver them.
* We need to find innovative ways to encourage the local church to reach out among the Somalis.
Stalled
Pray for the stalled Toposa Bible translation. Ask God to remove obstacles that keep Toposa from hearing His word in their language.
Taxis
Pray every taxi ride we take provides us an opportunity for sharing good news. May He send drivers to us who are searching for Him.
Diaspora in France
* Praise for a recent reconnection with an island friend in Marseille. Pray for ‘salty’ conversations with B and others on the phone. Pray that their eyes would be open, and their hearts softened to the Gospel Truth. Pray that there will not be language barriers to understand the freedom of the Gospel versus Islam.
Diaspora in UK
* Refugees in the Croydon area are a mixture of UPG’s including people from Sudan, the Horn, Afghanistan, Turkey, Syria, Iran and Iraq. Meeting the needs of large numbers of recent arrivals needing food and clothing has led to less opportunities for relationship building. Please pray that the Christians involved in this work will find the right balance as they seek to meet peoples’ physical and Spiritual needs.
Medical clinic
Pray that plans for a much-needed medical clinic amongst the Makwe would continue to move forward. Praise God that needed documents are being processed and progress has been made. May the beautiful hands and feet serving in the clinic bring good news of great joy to many and transform hearts and lives among the Makwe. Pray that the newly assigned missionaries heading to Nacala will be blessed with all they need to make it to the front lines there.
Diaspora in Portland
* M.W. is spending time with a woman from Egypt who also recently became a mom, pray that relationship would grow, and she would continue to be curious about our faith.
* S.W. is having a lot of great conversations with a Persian man who now has a Bible in his language. Pray these conversations continue and that he will see that Jesus is the only way.
Celebrating Fellowships of New Believers!
Praise God for new church plants, now over 300 in the Tabora Region in the last ten years among the Africa Inland Church. Praise God for elders and lay leaders who faithfully lead and teach in individual local churches despite hardships. Praise God for the 51 itinerant circuit preachers who persevere, caring for and overseeing multiple local churches. Pray for three new churches launched in villages where there has never been a church. Pray that those planting churches and their families and those working with them will know the exhilarating joy and blessing to be a part of expanding the Kingdom of God. Pray the Nyamwezi Breakthrough Prayer: “Lord, remove the veil from the eyes of the Nyamwezi and give them a longing to know your truth, that they may have new life in Jesus.”
Diaspora in Hong Kong
* All students of the Chinese Teaching Course passed the exam. They have the passion to serve among the Diaspora ministries although they come from different churches and companies.
* Due to social distancing measures starting from Jan 5, all the tutorial classes and Chinese classes are canceled. There will be three Chinese classes starting from Feb 7 and run by zoom. Pray that the participants can understand through zoom learning.
* I started devotional sharing with African Muslims and hope that they are willing to listen to God’s words. Please pray for “F” who refused to receive the message. Pray God to open her heart for Jesus.
* Pray for me to have wisdom to prepare the gospel and Muslim Background Believers materials for African Muslims.
Praise!
Mama S has accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior! She comes from a Muslim family and is married to a Catholic man. After reading the Bible and watching the Jesus film with me and a few other neighbors, the blinders were taken off and the Truth was revealed to her heart through the Holy Spirit. Pray for the upcoming discipleship process that I will be leading her through. Pray that she will gain a new family with the believers in this town.
Diaspora in Europe
* Praise the Lord with us for a successful Winter Retreat with International students in Nantes. We had many wonderful conversations, worship, and time in the Word with the students.
* Praise the Lord for committed students who are coming to weekly international student meetings in La Rochelle. R. & N. are encouraged by the faithful commitment many students display in regular attendance, especially one student from Algeria, who is always the first to arrive.
* Pray for the ongoing great collaboration in the Paris Ensemble that K.K. coordinates. Pray for wisdom as the leadership team organizes an impactful year of collaborative activities such as prayer mobilization, training and disciple-making until all of Paris has a viable and fruit- bearing witness.
Faithful disciples
Thank God for the faithful disciples reaching their own people and neighboring communities.
Pray for all the missionaries to use the dry season well and reach out.
New believer!
Please pray for a young boy who is a new local believer. Now just a month ago he became a follower of Jesus Christ, may our Mighty Lord empower him to stand firm in Jesus Christ. Also pray for our brother Eric, the local believer whose wife left him. He is trusting Jesus Christ.
Janet
Pray for peace between all neighbours.
Thank God for sister Janet and as she graduates in February and joins her people to make disciples.
Pray for the Jiye Bible translation to be accepted.
