Since 2015, more than 130 evangelists have been trained to witness in Bara land. Pray that God will empower and strength them to accomplish their work of witnessing to such great salvation. Praise God for this “army” of evangelists that are in Bara area, and ask God that they may be fruitful to His Kingdom.
Diaspora in Kentucky
*Praise God for opportunities to engage Somalis locally and globally. Please pray that the lost would the saved, believers built up, and healthy churches established.
* Praise God for reminders of His love and faithfulness. Asking for contacts whose hearts have been stirred up to seek the Truth.
Guide them back!
Please pray this week for the Gabbra people. The last few weeks in Dukana we have seen a decline in Church attendance and the drums of the Iyana (shaman) have been drumming at night. Please pray that the hearts of the new believers and seekers will not be turned away after false promises and superstition! Pray that they might be guided back to Christ and the Church body!
Denied Jesus
Two believers… one for almost 20 years, one for almost 2… have recently denied Jesus because of fear of family and because of grief. Please ask that every believer love Christ more than life, more than family and share the gospel because of love.
Diaspora in Canada
* Please pray for the Somali believers in Toronto. We have a large incidence of mental and emotional distress among the local believers, as well as inter and intra family struggles.
* Please pray for a daughter of one of the families who has reverted to Islam.
* Please pray for us to regain contact with other believers who’ve cut off contact with us.
* Pray for a seeker friend who needs fellowship.
* Please pray for a desire for real Christian community and for us to be agents of that community here.
* Please pray for SF continued healing and for making phone contact with Somali contacts during the lockdown. Please pray that the number of local COVid cases and the hard lockdown here will be lifted soon.
Transformed
Bible studies in Iboni are going well! We praise God for consistent and regular attendance at each of the six groups that meet for discovery Bible study each week. Pray for each one who attends to grow deeper in their knowledge of and love for God, and that they would “be transformed by the renewing of [their] minds” (Romans 12:2).
Diaspora in Hong Kong
* With the help of a church, we were provided 20 bags of clothes to deliver to African Refugees amidst the cold weather. Praise the Lord.
* Schools are supposed to provide Zoom lessons for the students amidst Covid-19. However, it’s difficult for the African students, especially Chinese language and mathematics subjects. One student is being helped by a volunteer. Pray for their relationships to grow.
* SW hopes to have 10 volunteers to join with the same heart for reaching Muslim people and each with 10 prayer partners as well. Pray for God’s guidance.
* We started to visit two African Muslim families and each of them has four children. N’s family was quite open but not F’s family. Pray for their open hearts.
* Pray for the first meeting of our core group on Feb 18 that we can set up our goals and find creative ways to connect with African Muslim people.
JESUS FILM AND A HARVEST FOR THE LAMB
The JESUS film in Bara language, in partnership with Pastor Emanoel Blandino, has been shown in 201 villages as of December. We have news of much fruit. Please pray that Bara will understand the message of the Gospel, and will turn to God. Please pray for boldness for our partners in going to more villages. Our goal is to reach 100 more Bara villages this year.
Pray that God will use this simple tool to open many eyes to the truth of the Gospel.
Diaspora in Florida
* Ke & Da are meeting with Imam A and some mosque members every other Friday to discuss our beliefs. Last Friday A agreed to read the book of Matthew to see what it says about Isa. Ke & Da agreed to read the first 4 chapters of the Quran. Pray for God to speak to A and bring him home to Him.
* Praise God for a picnic ladies tea party JM had with her Sarah’s Daughters group and some Muslim friends in January. Pray as we try to raise funds to renovate a house to hold Sarah’s Daughters events in.
Diaspora in Portland
* Please pray for a snow day outreach planned for this Saturday, February 6, that we would have deep spiritual conversations with the ones that we invite to join us from the diaspora. Please pray for safety as well for everyone who comes.
* Please pray for wisdom and safety as we begin to have in person classes again next week. Please pray that God will provide the volunteers that we still need.
* Please pray that our team will be marked by a 1 Peter, “fervent love for one another” that draws the surrounding diaspora to Himself.
* Please pray for our Discovery Bible Study that the two Somalis would continue to come…. that God would open up their hearts and they would believe.
* Please pray for Mr. A from Algeria that he would grow in his faith and that his wife would be able to join us soon from Algeria. It was exciting to see him lead our Discovery Bible Study on Sunday.
Resuming Bible reading
We had stopped having Bible reading with our student Abdi (MBB) because of the coronavirus last year. However, we are going to resume the Bible reading this week with him face to face, praise the Lord! May the words of God continue to strengthen his faith and bless him!
Exceedingly Abundantly More than we are asking
God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think. That is, He hears what we are asking, and He is able to do more than that. We don’t know what to ask, but the Spirit asks with us, and Jesus who searches the hearts knows what the Spirit is really asking. Then He does more, much more. Please pray that the responsiveness and openness to the gospel among the S. Asians of East Africa will continue to grow and that there will be a great movement to Christ among them in 2021.
Diaspora in France
* Praise for the opportunities to visit some Muslims in person last month. Hearts are so covered with lies. Pray for their blindness to be pierced with the light of Jesus by the power of the Spirit.
* Pray for wisdom and opportunities to share in this mask and distancing world, especially as it seems eminent that another confinement will be put in place in the near future.
* Pray for the leadership of this country especially in these next two week as decisions will be made that could greatly effect organizations and churches. Pray for believers who will be pleading for positive responses.
* Pray that the big outreach (kids club) in a needy area of the city will be able to take place in April, as the two previous dates had to be cancelled because of Covid. (This is early, but we have been preparing and praying for months!)
Diaspora in Washington
* We continue to praise Jesus! for providing many spiritual conversations among unreached people in this area and we ask him for more!! Hebrews 4:12
* We praise Jesus! that 3 men have indicated they would like to study God’s Word from the Bible with JR. Please pray God provides more opportunities to study and that all of these men would see their need for Jesus. Acts 16:30
* Please pray with us for the new women’s evening conversation class we’ll be launching this week. We hope to encourage conversation between students in different classes and foster deeper relationships with our students & volunteers. Colossians 4:6
* We praise Jesus! for his mercies that are brand new each morning and how he is pouring himself out among our friends by providing jobs, physical healing, and increased English language. Please pray with us that our friends would return thanks to Jesus and receive his salvation. Luke 17:15
Plans
We were to make our first evangelistic campaign to the Datooga who live alongside the Serengeti plans on the Bunda outskirts side, but the rains this year made it impossible. We hope to do it between June and July when it is dry. We want to target a purely Datooga group in their villages. Please pray for this plan to work. Thanks
Diving into Scripture
Pray for Bible school students who meet for classes two weeks out of every month. Pray that they will be able to consistently carve out this time to dig deeper into Scriptures, study Biblical foundations and be equipped for service. Pray for their needs and for the staff teaching. Pray that they will have clarity in their calling in bringing God’s message to others. Pray for their assigned work on Sundays in the city and also to be effective witnesses when they return to their ministry sites the other two weeks of the month. Pray they will be able to form Christ-centered churches as they bear witness to Christ among the households where they serve.
An encouraging report
I received a call 3 weeks ago from the couple who leads our training for believers in the marketplace. They excitedly shared that God is at work drawing more Muslims to Himself. There are some who have made a commitment and others who are interested to know more. Please pray for these seeds of the Gospel that are being planted to bear fruit 100-fold. Pray for effective discipleship for the new believers. Pray for our team of marketplace believers that the vision to reach the unreached in the marketplace will grow and that there will be a strong prayer movement for the Karana emerging this year.
Abused
Two young women feel that God is not answering their prayers. They are caught in abusive households and pray for escape. Ask that each will know they are set free by truth, that their families can be changed by the power of Christ, that we can love those who hurt us. And may the church have compassion and wisdom to know how to help and stand with them.
DROUGHT IN BARA LAND
Since January 2019, Bara people have been facing a difficult period of drought. There has been very little rain, which makes life even more difficult than it already is. No crops. No rice. And the last of the manioc was consumed last month. Because of COVID-19, the price of food has risen, and made life even more complicated for Bara people. Famine has spread all over southern Madagascar, and this includes Bara land.
Please pray for rain and also for a change in people’s mentality. We have been teaching Farming God’s Way since 2014. May God use this to help this people come to Himself and to change their way of life.
Hurt
There was a hurtful conversation between believers who live near each other- one is Berber, the other Arab. May each one see themselves first of all as lovers and followers of Jesus, in one family by the blood of Christ. May Jesus bring peace and reconciliation by the cross.
Acceptable to God
It is not outward washing that makes our prayers acceptable to God. It is not keeping rituals or rites that opens God’s ear. Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. Please pray that our S Asian friends will realize the only washing that cleanses hearts is the blood of Jesus. Prayer that is through Jesus is how we come into the very presence of the living God, the most holy place. Pray for our S. Asian friends to come to faith in Him.
Courage to Share
Pray for those who are being discipled to share with boldness with their families and neighbours.
Please pray for believers whose spouses are not following Jesus. Please pray that they would have courage to faithfully witness to their spouses and that their lives would demonstrate Jesus’ love.
Arrests
5 local bel’s have been arrested- 4 adults and 1 new born. They have been charged with human trafficking. Pray for God’s intervention!
Disciples growing
We are THANKING the Lord for the men who are being discipled. In Feb. 2020 there were 2 coming…and now there are 10! Praise God. The Sunday after Christmas, 8 of them were baptized. Continue to pray for the Oral Bible Story Project as 10 stories are in various stages of translation. ASK God to use these stories to take the Gospel to some who have never heard.
Stoke! Opportunity for a miracle!
We have prayed for Z before: She and her brother are natural leaders. She is a best friend and clinic assistant and has had a severe stroke this past week. Our hearts are burdened with the physical needs for rehab and healing! Our hearts are even more burdened with the spiritual needs, knowing that right now she is perishing without Christ. Pray for a breakthrough against the kingdom of darkness – for God’s gracious drawing of her and her family into his kingdom! And for the physical healing for Z in the name , Power and authority of Jesus the Messiah!
A KING IN A SEARCH OF THE KING
Recently, we had a Bara king come to Zaona’s house (Zaona is a Bara converted man). The king of that village is not a Christian. Sometime ago, we gave him one AudioBible with Bible stories in Bara language. Last week he told Zaona that he was interested in praying to Jesus. So, he invited us to go to his village and broadcast the Jesus film. This is a great opportunity to share the gospel to this people group that is so resistant to the Gospel.
Please pray for JESUS FILM PROJECT opportunities and fruitful work.
Disciple
Please ask that new believers who are proclaiming and seeing fruit will be discipled well and disciple well… will teach to obey all Jesus commanded… will abide in the vine.
What shall we do?
‘When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”’ Acts 2:37.
Please pray for the Alagwa, that the Holy Spirit would bring true and life-giving conviction to them and prepare their hearts to receive Him. Pray that as God’s word is shared, many would be cut to the heart and be willing to ask: “What shall we do?”
Jabs and Jesus
Please pray with me for our student and friend – Mun.
We have been discussing whether to take the Corona vaccine jab when it arrives in Kenya next month. He believes he should as there are many varieties available, but he is also aware there is a lot of conflicting news on the vaccines. I told him that if we pray, God will give us the answer as He is All-knowing, Sovereign and Healer. Mun. is eager to hear more on this. Pray that our interaction will lead Mun. to know the Great Physician who not only heals our diseases but our sins and souls.
Break the power
Pray that Victor’s neighbours will continue to come to hear the stories on Sundays at his place, and that those who hear will not only be hearers, but doers also, telling their friends and neighbours the good news of Jesus Christ. We pray, Jesus, “Break the power of him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil – and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death” (Hebrews 2:14-15).
Healings Among New Fledgling Churches
Praise God for recent demonstrations of Christ’s character revealed to Muslims who were in need of physical healing and spiritual release from demons. One man was healed from chest infirmities and oppression by demons. Local healers could do nothing. Another woman now walks after her legs were paralyzed and burned like fire for three months. God is using these acts to draw people to Himself in areas with new church growth, confirming the message that Christ “came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10) Praising God for His extraordinary power in these events to set people free. Pray these new believers and others in their households will grow in their faith and join in fellowship praising Almighty God with other believers.
Restored to health!
God has graciously restored John to health and provided for him a portable oxygen concentrator; he will take the tank with him back to the village where the Wycliffe team is based as they work on the translation of the New Testament into Suri. John is a valuable member of the translation team. Pray that God will sustain him in good health and use him to get His Word to the Suri.
Grace to receive for “Frank”
A young man we’ll call Frank is in medical training, and has been working with us in our medical ministry to get more experience and knowledge during his Covid delays from finishing his schooling. So Frank has been exposed to daily Bible teaching, prayer and regular witness through our clinic work. He’s gone from strong resistance to softened seeking for truth. Pray that the Holy Spirit would convict his heart and draw him to the Father as a strong disciple of Jesus who will be used powerfully to make more disciples….
New workers!
We praise God for Luka and Umjuma who have responded in faith to God’s call on their lives to move to Iboni. This young South Sudanese couple will be living in the house left by Marlene and Andrea and will be mentored by the Betts. Pray for the Lord’s provision for their physical needs, and that the church in Torit will walk this missional journey with them. Pray for spiritual strength, assurance of the Lord’s presence and guidance, and strength to persevere. Pray the Lord will open a door for fruitful ministry and that many Lopit will be saved!
Encouraged and Supported
Pray that Andrew and Eunice, who share the gospel and make disciples among the Zigua, will be encouraged and supported in that work. Pray for many Christians to rise up and focus on the Zigua people and their great need for salvation. Pray for the Lord to strengthen the Zigua Christians and make them bold witnesses for Christ. Pray for a reproducing, indigenous, Christ-centered church among the Zigua people.
New opportunities
With international travel restrictions in and out of Australia and New Zealand likely to continue for some time, ask God to raise up more Aussie and Kiwi citizens and residents to make disciples among Africa’s UPGs who are living in Australia and New Zealand.
Growing Up
Please pray that the small group of believers who are growing in discipleship to Jesus Christ in one town will be greatly strengthened to begin sending the gospel to other Zaramo towns and villages. Pray that the evangelist/teacher who leads the group will be filled with the Holy Spirit to lead the group in just the ways they need in order to grow in Christ.
Meeting together
A mixture of Arabs and Berbers have been gathering faithfully to study and pray together. Praise Jesus for their love for each other and their desire to grow in fellowship. Ask the Lord to meet with them and encourage each one.
Read and Understand
Pray for those Ndengereko who own Bibles to read them and understand the word. Pray that those who have Christian friends would hear the gospel from them. Pray for the Ndengereko to be dissatisfied with Islam and eager to become disciples of Jesus Christ. Pray that strong, vibrant, Christ-centered churches will be planted among them.
Fruit!
Two new believers in the south and one more asking of Christ. Hallelujah! Pray for the Amazigh sisters who are sharing the gospel boldly. One just sent Matthew 5-7 online and feels that the one seeking is close to believing. May each one be fruitful.
