Last month Michael took a break from his ministry in Imatong to go visit his home village in Lopit. He is one of very few believers in Imohulwa. Pray that his words and life continue to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to his family and friends, and that many from there would turn to Jesus through Michael’s witness among them. Pray that Michael would “use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10), so that if he speaks, he speaks the very words of God, and if he serves he does it with the strength God provides, “so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ” (4:11).
Diaspora in Florida
I talked to my Imam friend. He’s struggling emotionally due to several problems–people not coming to the mosque, his 5 year immigration process on hold, his son not able to get financial aid to attend college as a non-citizen, etc. I read God’s Word with him and prayed for him. He became emotional and said that was precious to him and just what he needed. He told me he’s reading Detrick Bonhoeffer’s “The Cost of Discipleship”, which he loves. But he’s so down (depressed) he doesn’t have the strength to discuss it. I was able to talk to him about the power of Jesus over evil spirits and the need to choose God over the fear of man because these are issues my son is facing. I have been open with him about my son’s struggles. Please keep praying for my imam friend.
Angelo
Angelo is a valuable member of the Kimatong team. As a Laarim believer who was educated in Torit, he has both the language (English, Juba Arabic, Laarim), and the commitment to the Lord needed to be a witness for Jesus among the Laarim. He has been working at the local clinic and is planning to go for training as a clinical officer in order to better serve the community. This plan has been disrupted by the closure of schools, but in the meantime, he continues to preach the gospel and disciple new believers. Praise the Lord! Pray the Lord will pave the way for him to move forward in furthering his education, all for the glory of God.
Farming project
Pray for the ongoing farming project:
Strength for trainers doing farming with believers in the bush.
Wisdom and capacity for the farmers in planning their farms, on their own, in the coming years.
The believers to learn to love and help one another.
Diaspora in Canada
Mo, a new Algerian believer, got baptised on August 9th in Montreal. Please pray for him in his new faith. Pray for both growth and new life.
Evangelist’s open door
Yesterday I got time to visit an old man, Mzee K, who is suffering from a headache for 20 yrs now. I talked to him about the promise of the Lord Jesus to the people who believe in him. I prayed with his family and they asked me to teach them and pray for them. Now I’m asking Jesus to guide me through on how I can teach and show the presence of Jesus to the entire family. PRAY FOR ME
Diaspora in USA
Pray for more opportunities to share the gospel with International Students in Lakewood, California during this season of Covid restrictions. Pray we will be encouragers and a light that attracts them to Jesus
Dubbing of Jesus Film
Mike is an 0 MBB who is gifted in working with Bible translation. He is key in helping organize the O Jesus film dubbing. There have been many delays – so pray for God‘s timing and the right people willing to dub the voices. And pray that the work may be completed accurately and well, and that the O Jesus film will be a tool God uses to advance his Kingdom in O land.
Diaspora in Brazil
Pray for S. in Foz do Iguaçu, with the borders of Argentina and Paraguay closed, the challenges are greater as immigrants have a lot of limitations to work and to get help in Brazil.
Pray that God will continue to involve the Brazilian churches to be ministering among refugees and immigrants.
Pray for their deliverance and salvation!
“Please help, I don’t know how to share this but our family is being oppressed by bad spirits. They even physically harm us and we wake up with scratches. We are really worried and don’t believe in such witchcraft.” This was a voice mail I received from a South Asian Muslim family in Nairobi. We have been sharing the Gospel with them for over 25 years. They have yet to put their full trust in Jesus and have been overwhelmed with health and financial crisis for years. Pray for a believer from a Muslim background who lives in the same neighborhood who will visit them today (Tuesday) to pray for deliverance and share the Gospel. Pray that this is the time for their salvation. Pray that they fully surrender to Jesus and received deliverance.
Diaspora in Minnesota
We praise God for a lot of relationships that have been made in this last month. Finally it seems that people are out and meeting each other.
Pray for the follow up to the meeting held August 7 with the head of the Somali association here in Rochester. Please pray that there could be good lasting cooperation and building of meaningful relationships.
Courage to be obedient
Lodai is a young Didinga man who has been an active member of the church in Torit for years. This year he was in Uganda at a Bible college until all schools closed due to Covid19. He expresses a desire to share the gospel among his people in Nagishot but has not made any active steps towards that. Would you pray that God would put a clear calling upon his life, and that Lodai would have the faith and courage to be obedient to that calling?
Ministering in Practical Ways
Please pray for the Borana churches as they try to share the Word of God with villages near and far who still need the gospel. Pray that the Borana believers will have many opportunities to minister in practical ways to their neighbors with Jesus’ love. Pray that family groups will meet every evening to read God’s Word and pray, and that those who are fearful and lost will join them. Pray for the Borana believers to multiply rapidly.
Diaspora in Canada
Praise: 2 Moroccans and 2 Algerians are (Lord willing) going to be baptized in the next few weeks.
Pray for these four individuals: M. (Algerian, 30s), G. (Algerian, 30s), N. (Moroccan, 50s) and S. (Moroccan, 50s). They are very new in their faith. Please pray for grace to stand in the midst of persecution (earthly and spiritual), their integration into local churches, and sanctification.
Praise: This morning we got a request for two Arabic Bibles. A husband and wife have requested an Arabic Bible, from al-Hayat.tv, that came to me. I just contacted them and they are excited for the Bible. Pray that this would lead to a Bible study with this couple.
Diaspora in France
Pray for connections with hearts who are seeking, for openness in conversations, and hearing well with mask challenges. “Lord, make hearts tender to be receptive to the Gospel.”
Pray for the opportunity to be a part in the opening of the community center in Strasbourg the last 2 weeks of August. Pray that I will be an encouragement and help as ME’s team launches this new outreach. “Lord, be honored and magnified and made known in this community center.”
One Small School
Tanzania is one of the few countries in the world that has kept its schools open, and among the Zigua one small Christian school is holding forth the word of life in a Muslim community. Pray for many families to come to faith in Jesus the Christ through the influence and instruction of that school and the Tanzanian believers who run it.
Diaspora in Missouri
Pray for A, a Somali cousin who is considering giving his life to Christ. May the Lord continue drawing A to Himself.
Possibly Coming
A missionary couple hopes to come visit the Digo soon to see if they might work among them long-term. This would be a huge encouragement to other Christian workers and Digo believers who are few. Please pray for the Lord to enable their travel and speak to their hearts as they explore possibilities for ministry.
Diaspora in Canada
Please lift up N & L in Toronto as they start a weekly Bible study with 3 Sikh men who recently came to the Lord. N. led one to Christ through an evangelistic social media ad in the first weeks of the covid crisis.
Pray for B & C in Winnipeg. They have practically adopted an 18-year-old Somali who was severely traumatized by the war in his homeland. Pray that this young man’s heart would soften to the Gospel as he spends time with B & C and their kids, and as B. joins his Somali soccer team.
G & K in Montreal have just completed the Bridges video series on Muslim evangelism with 22 French Canadians. Fifteen of the grads have made new North African friends, and 5 have already given away Arabic Bibles. Pray for much fruit among these new Québécois evangelists.
A Woman of Faith
V is a woman of such faith and energy. However, she is discouraged by her family – particularly by her sisters who were all brought up in the faith but none of whom are actively following now. She is persistent in prayer, bold in calling them out, and loving in the way she serves them. But she is disheartened at their closed ears. Not to be stopped though, she instead pours into her daughters and nieces. She is currently staying with her sister and every morning she and her two daughters (aged 13 and 5) all read the word, sing and pray together. Just recently, another sister has also started joining them. Pray for her as she disciples these ladies! Please also pray for her physical needs – she needs to find a new house and also a job that allows her to be a present mum for her two girls. Life is not easy for her, but her joy in the Lord is an inspiration and a challenge.
Enlightened
Pray for those South Asians who are beginning to investigate the Bible to realize it is reliable and true. Pray that when they read the words of Jesus and encounter His claims, they will be enlightened and suddenly realize it is the truth. Pray that they will count all things loss compared to the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus the Lord, and follow Him.
Larger Than He Thought
A pastor has been surveying a large area where the Datooga live to see where to put ten new pastors or evangelists to share the gospel and start churches. He has spent over a month surveying the area and has discovered there are even more villages and towns with Datooga people who are still unreached than he initially thought. He will take some time to survey even more territory. Apparently the Datooga are a large group and there are still many parts of the tribe that need the gospel. Pray for many Christian witnesses to go to all these different areas and share God’s Word with those who still have no way to hear it.
Deep Dissatisfaction
Pray for young Somalis in their 20’s and 30’s to have a deep dissatisfaction with Islam and a deep hunger for Christ. Pray that Christians of all tribes and denominations who have Somali friends will not think it is useless to share the gospel with them, but will lovingly and earnestly try to persuade them to believe. Pray that the Holy Spirit will work mightily to raise up the next generation of Somalis to be faithful followers of Christ.
A New Church Planted
A new church was launched in a Dorobo area yesterday in the Loita Hills near the Tanzania border. Lenkoti, son of the man who has agreed for a church to be built next to his house, prayed to accept the Lord at the service. Pray that Lenkoti will grow in his faith. Pray that the believers from AIC Entasekera will continue to help this new church. Pray that this new church will be reach out to other Dorobo people in the area and across the border into Tanzania. An older Maasai man named Timothy was there. He said he had been doing evangelism in the Loita area for 40 years, for many years with little fruit. He said he had spent three days some years ago on the top of a hill overlooking the place and he prayed over the area that God would plant his Word and that a church would grow. Now he was overjoyed to see a church going up. He came forward and insisted on praying for the young man who had just accepted the Lord.
Laarim disciples
Please pray for these key Laarim believers: Maria, a young girl who has taken some initiative in the past to lead Bible studies and worship for others; Lokolong, a young teenage boy who reads the Laarim bible well (there are so few who can do this among the Laarim!) – may he hunger and thirst for God’s Word; Marino, village chief, to “grow up in his salvation now that he has tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Peter 2:2); Logwe, blind, and yet he “sees!”
Healing and trust
A few weeks ago a group of Lopit believers met together to talk and resolve conflict among them. The Lopit team feel like it was a positive meeting, paving the way for healing and trust. Pray for these committed, faithful brothers and sisters in Christ not to quarrel, but rather “that all of [them] agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among [them] and that [they] may be perfectly united in mind and thought” (1 Corinthians 1:10); to resolve to know nothing “except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (2:2).
Pray for Charles, Margaretta…
Pray that God will open doors and hearts to the message of the gospel in Nagishot and the surrounding hills. Pray specifically for a number who have expressed interest in hearing more from God’s Word: May God draw Charles and his family, Margaretta and her family, Night, Mayo, Leno and Elly, Dominique and Gothil into the kingdom of light where there is love, peace, honour, life and freedom.
Traumatized Twins
A month ago, several Rendille youth were attacked and killed. A roommate of one of those killed has moved here with his twin sister. He’s struggling to work through the trauma and grief of losing his friend. The twins came to our home last night, we laughed, talked, prayed and got to know each other. We told them our home is always open to them, shared how God has used grief and trauma in our lives and reminded them there is HOPE. We also told them we are not counselors, but God has recently brought a Christian Rendille counselor out of Nairobi and to Korr because of Corona and we offered to take them to meet her. They agreed and tonight all of us will meet over chai, and discuss next steps. Please pray God uses the horrendous attacks that have happened in the North for His glory. That these twins would feel hope, breathe hope, and motivate them to share this Hope with others. Pray for healing.
Needing to lean in to Jesus
Please pray for one believer in a village who has been rejected by those living around her because she follows Jesus. Pray for her to persevere and really lean into Jesus for his strength and comfort.
Christ-centered churches transforming every Laarim village!
Noblesse (our Congolese/Rwandan team member on the Laarim team) asks us to join him in prayer for “Christ-centered churches transforming every Laarim village.” Please join us in praying for three villages that Noblesse is focusing his ministry on:
• For Chauwa, that God will raise up among the young believers some who will be ready to take responsibilities of leadership as they grow in knowing and loving our Lord Jesus.
• For Lotopocho, pray that God will lead us to start a home church in this village. Pray for Robert Lomua Loyepi, a young believer from this village, that he will be able to see the need of starting to share the Gospel in this area.
• For Ngarahac, this is a place that I (Noblesse) don’t know anyone who is a Christian. Pray that the Lord will lead me to a home of peace; a home that the Holy Spirit is preparing to receive Jesus Christ.
Victory in Battle
As the Antakarana children on Nosy Mitsio continue to come and hear Bible stories, the adults have started to be more insistent on teaching dahira (Muslim prayers in song) to the young boys which has kept them from coming as often. Pray for victory in the Spiritual battle that is being waged for the hearts of the young ones. Pray that their parents would turn to the Lord Jesus.
Staff on Their Own
Please keep the radio staff and equipment in prayer as the missionaries will be on home assignment this summer for a few months, which means they won’t be on the ground as managers or to do maintenance, so the staff will have to be more independent! Pray that it will be a time of growth and maturity and increased impact! Pray for many Gabbra and Borana to come to Christ through the Christian radio programs.
The only way
Jesus, would you set free those holding onto Islam out of a desire to honor their families. May each one be willing to hear the truth of the only way, truth, and life— the Lord Jesus.
Confess Christ Openly
Pray that the Lord will sustain and encourage the few Christians who still live among the Zigua and continue trying to share the gospel with them. Pray for the believers who have hidden their faith to confess Christ openly. Pray for the salvation of those who have been listening to the Word of God and sending their children to the Christian school.
Wall coming down
I have a very good friend who is a Hindu. We have known each other for more than 10 years. I enjoy fellowship in their house at least twice a month, often more. He and his father are very strict Hindu in the visual application of their beliefs. My friend is strongly opposed to talking about anything spiritual. As I labor to turn the conversation toward Christ, he quickly changes the subject. But slowly that wall is beginning to come down, especially with his elderly father. Please pray with us that Christ will draw this family and they will open the door to hearing The Gospel. Pray that they will see that there is only one true God and one true Savior!
Going out to share
Praise God for seeds planted as church members went to share the good news of Jesus door to door in a nearby area two days last week. May there be good soil in people’s hearts for God’s word to take root in. Pray too for the believers who shared their faith; may they grow in boldness and continue to reach out to others.
Turning to God
Please pray specifically that people will turn to God (and not to the witchdoctors) in these difficult and challenging Covid days. Early on, a large quantity of Government advice leaflets were distributed throughout the community and we began a program of teaching people how to wash their hands effectively. We made two short videos – one in Portuguese and one in Chindau– demonstrating this technique and giving advice. Before lockdown, a number of churches were also visited to give a short presentation. This was followed by a scriptural message pointing people to Jesus and encouraging believers to share the hope we have for eternity. Ask that God will continue to bless these efforts and that souls will be set free from bondage.
Two Percent
Pray for the momentum of the church-planting movement among the Sandawe to increase, and that by the end of 2020, two percent of the Sandawe people will be believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. Pray also that in every major Sandawe town and village there will be a vibrant, Christ-centered church that is devoted to evangelism.
May they trust in Jesus
The name Abdi means hope or trust – and is a very common name here. Pray that God would draw many of the of ABDI’s and their families to become strong disciples of Jesus who will make more disciples who will make more disciples of Jesus – beginning the O people group disciple making movement!
A Movement of Conviction
Praise the Lord for the few believers who live among the Ndengereko. Pray for a movement of the Holy Spirit to convict the Ndengereko of sin, righteousness and judgment, and that many of them will put their faith in Jesus Christ for their salvation.
