We praise Jesus that “Nancy’s” family continues to worship with the church and an adult daughter is
studying God’s Word with a co-laborer. Please keep praying for the other seekers and
believers from this country to seek the Lord in community together.
We praise Jesus for wonderful Thanksgiving celebrations with our students. Pray that the Thanksgiving lessons taught, prayer, hymn singing and folk dancing are cherished among our friends and continue ongoing spiritual conversations among co-laborers and students.
Pray that God will save “Anthony” soon. He is the son of a believer. We have had many late night conversations with him exploring who God is. Pray that God gives faith to believe.
God is so merciful in mobilizing His church to help with the incoming refugees to our city, there are so
many and many lack any support whatsoever. Pray that God will enable His messengers in the pulpit to speak boldly about how God is sending a wandering flock here that need the Good Shepherd.
A Wedding
Please pray for a young S. Asian woman who is engaged to be married this month. Pray that as she and her parents go through the wedding, the Lord will speak to their hearts and help them see that marriage is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Church. Pray that Jesus’ great love and grace will be clearly revealed, that they will put their faith in Him.
Busy Students
We gave a short break to everyone (teachers and students) and when we contacted the students on our return, they said they were busy with their college studies and can only attend 2 days a week.
Please pray with us that God will release these students from their busy schedules. Also pray for our trip with them to climb a mountain in the Rift Valley on Saturday, that we will have opportunity to share what God will place in our hearts. Please also pray for God to open other opportunities to share during the extended holiday break.
Diaspora in Hong Kong
A North African Muslim teenager who was lost was found-he had gotten into a terrible accident and all his organs were damaged. He has now improved, however he isn’t able to walk again. He was discharged from the ICU and is back home. It will be a hard time for this family especially for his mum to take care of him. Pray for his mum and our continual sharing of the gospel with her.
Our adult Chinese class will have 3 new students and the old students will continue. Thank God He has brought West African Muslims to our class and pray to them to know Jesus and accept Him.
Some African Muslim men do not allow us to visit their wives and children. Pray God opens the doors for us.
Pray for a church willing to learn more about cross-cultural ministry and have a one day course with
outreach on Dec 11.
Mzee M
Jared took Mzee M to the coffee shop the other day. They talked about the Gospel and Jared realized that he has much of Genesis memorized. He recently went to the prayer event from the Kondoa team and enjoyed himself and even engaged in conversation about Scriptures. Praise God for the knowledge he has, and pray he will come to know that Jesus is the only Way to Truth.
Diaspora in Canada
Pray for us as we go out each week to do open-air evangelism on the streets of Toronto. Some people ignore us and some ridicule, but each week the Lord gives us the chance to share with someone—often a newcomer to this country—the news that Immanuel has come to give life and hope. In this Christmas Season pray that many would have open and receptive hearts.
• Pray for J&L in Nova Scotia who will invite African university students to their home over
the Holidays. Ask God to use them to point African students to the One who left His Father and Home to bring them relief and peace.
• Over the next three weeks our MAC Team in Montreal and Toronto will be inviting their English classes to special Christmas parties. We know that this will be the first time that Algerian, Tunisian, Moroccan and other immigrant students will hear who Messiah Jesus really is and why He came to planet earth. Pray for great attendance, unforgettably fun times, and very receptive hearts!
• In Ottawa, the Somali parents of two of our MAC Campers have asked J&J for help.
All the stresses of trying to make Canada home, fending off family attacks as they explore Christianity,
overcoming polio, and raising active kids have driven a terrible wedge in their marriage. They have asked J&J for marriage counselling and help. Over these coming weeks pray J&J can help this couple come to the Truth—”so that they will have sincere love for each other and love one another deeply, from the heart” (1 Peter 1:22)
Woes
Economic woes have led “Mark,” a leader of the body, to leave the island and try to take a clandestine boat to I4. Pray for the Lord to lead, protect, and help Mark to trust Him. Pray for all Island believers who are driven to extreme measures by their poverty. “Donna”, a local believer is threatened by her family who is trying to force her to recant. Ask the Lord to strengthen Donna and all who are persecuted.
Diaspora in Calif, USA
Praise God for 38 International Students who came to the Thanksgiving dinner. Pray for our team to
follow up well with those who want to know more about God. There are several activities planned for
December. Pray for hearts to be soft as they hear the Christmas story.
Christmas outreach
The Kondoa TIMO team is having our first Muslim Outreach event tomorrow, Saturday the 4th. There will be a wide range of Muslims coming, some that know a lot about Jesus and some that know nothing. We will be discussing why we celebrate Christmas and it’s meaning in Jesus Christ our Lord. Pray that their eyes would be opened to see God’s glory, that through Christ God would transform many hearts to accept Christ tomorrow.
Support
Please pray for one Alagwa believer as she seeks to support a handful of believers and seekers in a rural area about 50 km from where she lives. Please pray for God’s guidance and for his kingdom to be built. Pray for all those involved: for our team as we seek to support her, for her local church in town to catch the vision, for the Alagwa and Rangi believers and seekers in that location to be built up in Christ, and for the two churches nearest to that location to be a part of the vision.
Diaspora in Portland
Praise God that the Portland Team had a wonderful Thanksgiving potluck/outreach with many dear
friends from all over the world at Pamoja. Please pray for ongoing fruitful relationships.
Please pray for JC as she is currently in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia visiting a bunch of her students. She
has had many significant conversations and opportunities to share important truths and be a light. Please pray for her to have wisdom and discernment. Please also pray for her health. She will be returning home Dec. 9th.
old man wants to be baptised!
We praise God for what is happening among the Datooga people. I would like to share a short story: This morning I received a phone call from a Datooga person asking for baptism. He said there is an old man who would like to be baptized. We are experiencing stories like that at Muhiedagew of people wanting to follow Jesus. Continue praying for the Datooga.
Diaspora in Detroit
Here in Detroit we are partnering with Hope Arabic Church on Saturday 12/4 for a Christmas event. Please pray for soften hearts to be receptive to the Gospel News. Pray that for those who hear the Nativity story will have ears to hear and come to understand that Jesus is Lord.
The Sermon on the Mount
A group of S. Asian women are receiving short devotional text messages from the Sermon on the Mount. Pray that through these messages they may be convicted that their righteousness falls far short of what God expects from them. Pray that they will respond to the messages with their thoughts and questions, opening the way to share the gospel with them. Pray that they may be convinced that Jesus is indeed the Savior and their only hope.
Discipleship
Despite the challenges, there are many encouraging things going on amongst the Laarim. Pray for Dan as he leads four guys through the discipleship curriculum the team developed for maturing believers. Pray for Lowuyo, Kileng, Kato, and Locii as they study God’s Word and apply it to their lives. Pray for deep impact in the community as these men live out what it means to follow Jesus. Pray for the weekly Bible study Joel is leading at Lolepo’s compound – may he and his whole household come to a true faith in Jesus.
Elias
Please pray for Elias, the young Toposa man who had been discipled by Lyn and Troy while he attended secondary school in Torit. He is currently in the Toposa village of Magos where he is looking after 7 churches and 5 prayer and fellowship centers in the area. This is too much for one man! I imagine he identifies well with Paul who wrote: “Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches” (2 Corinthians 11:28). Thank God for the strong disciples in each of the 7 churches – pray the Lord will equip them and other believers to participate more in the leadership of these churches and prayer centers.
Diaspora in France
We have around 10 international students that have been consistently coming to all our events. We have been able to share the whole Gospel with them. Pray for God to keep opening their hearts and pray that they will respond positively to the Gospel.
Pray for H., a student who has now come to church a couple of times and the Lord is really seeking her. Pray that her eyes will be opened.
Pray for Z who gave her life to Jesus. She will be going back home. Pray that she will have boldness and that nothing will separate her from the love of Christ
Leader’s Seminar
Our partners in Nosybe held a Leader’s Seminar from 15-20 November. This was for leaders from Diego, Ambilobe, Antsohihy, and Nosybe. The theme of this seminar was ‘Maturity in Leadership and in Marriage Because God is Mature’. We thank the Lord for the good attendance of 30 leaders. Pray that those who attended this seminar will apply the teaching taught and will mature in their responsibilities as leaders in the church.
Young lady S
Young lady S is starting Form 1 (high school) soon. She lost her mother about 6 months ago, and her brother 1.5 months ago. She has been coming over to Kelly’s house to hang out. Kelly has been sharing with her about God loving and knowing her and caring for her and letting her know it’s ok to be sad and grieve because we have a God who loves us and grieves with us. Please pray she is open to the Gospel.
Trainings
Over 140 evangelists and Bible teachers have been trained to work among the Bara.
Please pray that God the Holy Spirit will remind them of all the teachings and strategies we have taught them and also give them a passion to preach Christ and Him crucified.
May the Bara open their hearts to listen to the Gospel and turn to Christ.
Pull down strongholds
“One who is wise can go up against the city of the mighty and pull down the stronghold in which they trust.” Proverbs 21 v 22.
Please pray for wisdom in pulling down the spiritual strongholds in which the Alagwa have mistakenly put their trust. May these strongholds, which have gripped many Alagwa hearts and held them captive for so long, be pulled down! May many Alagwa find life and freedom in the saving grace of Jesus.
Longing for a breakthrough
The kingdom is growing on the islands, the word is being translated and taught, and the gospel is being shared. Our teams are strong and determined. And yet, we long for breakthroughs, and for strong, stable churches to be planted and multiply.
Believers are plagued by false teaching and division. Ask the Lord to destroy false teaching and drive false teachers away. Ask for true repentance and truth!
Translation progress
The team has translated Mark and a draft of Acts through chapter 26. They have finished the advisor check through Mark 14, and hope to complete the remaining 2 chapters in the next few days. (While in Koi, I was intrigued to observe the thorough process of interacting about word choices, how to accurately convey intended meaning, etc. as they painstakingly checked the draft, phrase by phrase, verse by verse.)
Please continue to pray for John’s health. Overall, it seems to have improved over the last number of months. He does find the heat of Koi to be draining, and tends to use his O2 concentrator more. He also finds the cold in Addis to be difficult, and his being so thin doesn’t help! About 2 weeks ago, his coughing increased and his chest pain returned. He was given a different medication this week, which has eased these symptoms. Please pray.
Follow up on young O patient
G is back home and we PTL for healing from the acute medication reaction, and a solid diagnosis to help us with her long term treatment. Pray that her young and timid faith will keep growing and spread to her mom, grandma, uncle, grandpa and her whole extended family as a catalyst for our community to respond to Jesus’ invitation to come and follow Him!
Beautiful truth
I have started to visit a new small village. For this I have made some changes in the creation story I share: I emphasize how beautiful God created us, our initial role in creation and the fact that we are made in God’s image. We have noticed that people don’t value life as a gift of God (they are very fatalistic). By emphasising this part, I hope they will understand that being restored and saved by Christ means that they can take their place as God’s ambassadors on earth. That is totally beyond their world-view now. Pray God will open their eyes to this beautiful truth.
Katy
Katy is a young Lopit woman Marlene has been discipling over the years. Pray for her as she starts her studies in Juba, that she would make the most of the opportunity and be able to switch to the School of Medicine after this semester (after being placed in Veterinary Science instead of her study of choice). Pray also that she will find godly friends and a good church family while in Juba, and that this may be a time of spiritual, not just intellectual, growth.
Kindness, justice and righteousness
Jeremiah 9:23-24 This is what the Lord says: “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord.
Please pray that God may grant many Karimojong the grace and understanding to know him, and to reflect his kindness, justice and righteousness to those around them.
Diaspora in Canada
Pray for all the ESL students we are involved with. Pray for wisdom and anointing as I share the Gospel with students, some of whom are Muslim.
Prayer of protection for us as we go out to open-air preach in Toronto. Pray for hearts to be
convicted. Prayer for wisdom as we interact with Muslims and others from various world religions on the street.
Stand firm
Please pray for one seeker who is under pressure to go back to Islamic classes with the ladies in her community. They have threatened to turn their back on her and exclude her if she doesn’t attend the mosque with them. Last time she gave in to this, she struggled for months with demonic attack as a direct result. Please stand with her, that she might also find the strength in Jesus to stand firm this time.
New post
Pray for Evangelist Imma and his wife Mama Prisca, who were serving the church plant in Ukombozi village. They’ve been re-assigned to lead the ‘mother church’ in Wairo now, since Pastor Ndaki was moved to Lindi. Pray for wisdom and joy in serving and feeding the flock of believers there.
Make known
Mark and Lorna Keter are Kenyan missionaries among the Toposa of South Sudan. Pray that Mark, Lorna, and their team will “make known among the nations what [the Lord] has done, and proclaim that His name is exalted” (Isaiah 12:4). May God keep drawing Toposa to Himself.
Never let go
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom.” 2 Corinthians 3, 17
Please pray for an Alagwa believer who is step by step being released from many hurts in the past which left deep scars and ways for Satan to continue to oppress her. Praise God for the freedom she already has and for the way she is more secure now in her identity in Jesus. Pray that she would know the gospel in increasingly deeper ways and that she will cling to Jesus when pain, lies and fear threaten to overwhelm her. May she know that God, who called her, will never let her go.
Considering baptism
Praise God for our brother Abdi, his faith in Jesus Christ is growing, he is considering baptism before leaving Kenya. He will probably be leaving by the middle of next year! Pray that he can make this important decision before that time. Also, pray for his boldness for sharing his testimony with his family members.
Disappeared
A young believing girl has been trying to leave the country for a while… but from all we see, she has a loving family. She wants more freedom and says she is suffering. She disappeared yesterday and her mom has been frantically calling. (Over 15 times in 2 days.) We have talked to all our connections but can’t find her. Pray for her and her family.
AIC
The AIC church raised awareness and money for missions on Mission Sunday last month. Bags of food and supplies were purchased for Luka and Umjuma. It is exciting to witness the church stepping up as senders! Pray they will have wisdom as they continue to move in faith to send and to go. Pray for Luka and Umjuma as there is no team out there for a few months, and remember them as they carry on with the work in Iboni. God is with them; we are never alone.
Family units to believe together.
Cal is a young O believer who we’ve prayed for in the past. He’s been stagnant in his faith after marrying a Muslim wife, but recently he told us he’s been sharing with her and she’s also become a follower. He’s also been faithful in 3 recent Bible studies, and encouraged his wife to follow up with us as well as studying with him. Pray that their faith grows strong and deep, and spreads among their extended family too.
Diaspora in France
Praise God for the connections between non Christians, baby Christians and strong Christian friends this past month. Please pray for them to grow in understanding of who Jesus is and for these new relationships to deepen.
Needless death
The team in Kimatong feel the pain and burden of the senseless loss that seems so much a part of life among the Laarim. There is the death of young men in cattle raids, fights that break out at dances that lead to one boy dead and two girls shot in the leg, death from preventable and treatable diseases…sometimes it’s overwhelmingly hard to live in such darkness. Pray for the day when the Laarim “…will delight in the fear of the Lord” (Isaiah 11:3) and “they will neither harm nor destroy…for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (11:9). And please pray God’s special grace over this team as they minister in this place.
Seeking Jesus
Pray for one young man whom I’ve shared with, who has started being discipled weekly by a Christian leader. This young man has even started attending church. He is a young man that gave me much insight into the Digo worldview and I am excited that he recently reached out again and wants to seek Jesus.
Diaspora in Washington
• My student N.’s family has attended worship with the church the past 5 consecutive weeks! May the
Lord continue to reveal himself to these dear friends!
• We are preparing for several upcoming holiday student events. Please pray God opens many ears, eyes, and hearts and empowers us through His Holy Spirit to speak, listen, share, and teach in those moments together.
