Pray for a S. Asian Muslim family who seem very hungry for God’s Word, yet cling to Islam. They are eager for friendship with Christians, and welcome them to their home. They turn conversations almost immediately to spiritual topics, asking many questions for hours. But then they argue with the answers they receive and seem to be trying to convert the Christians to Islam. Still, their loneliness and restless unhappiness shows. Pray that very soon they will become far less interested in Islam, not even remembering to compare whenever we read the Bible together. Pray that they will truly try to understand the Word of God. Pray for the Holy Spirit to open their eyes so that the spiritual truths can be discerned and embraced.
For the First Time
Please pray for so many Gabbra families who for the first time would like to send their kids to school but have no means to do so!
Local Pastors Seeking the Lost
This past week, a group of 34 local pastors got together and discussed how they were going to strategically reach out in our local area. Reports are that the conversations were good and fruitful. Our prayer is that each would actually put into action what was discussed and result in the word of God going out into areas it has yet to reach. Also, please be praying for continued unity and partnership in the Spirit for these churches and their pastors. May the way they love each other and the lost, and their boldness for the Gospel grow daily and result in much glory given to God.
Great Joy and Warm Welcome
Praise the Lord for Emmanuel, God with us, and God with the Digo. Pray that as Digo believers celebrate the birth of Christ together, there will be great joy. Pray their celebration and warm welcome to their Muslim neighbors will open hearts to welcome Jesus in.
Shepherds Still Adore Him
Shepherds were graciously visited by angels and given the privilege of being the first visitors to the newborn King. Please pray that the Datooga believers who are pastoralists will be like those first shepherds who worshiped Him, then told everyone they saw about the Messiah’s birth. Pray that more and more will come to adore and serve our Savior, and that during this season of church celebrations, new congregations will spring up as a result of the witness of other local church outreach efforts.
Waters of Life
Pray for AIC Korr, for revival, compassion and healing. Also pray for the other surrounding village churches and their pastors and elders. It’s an exciting time of baptisms and Bible translations and Satan wants to destroy all the growth. Pray against Satanic attacks!
Praise God!! Korr looks like a jungle! We even had to pay someone to slash the grass in our yard! Praise God for the rains.
Seekers seeking
Please pray for some of the young men of one village who are meeting weekly for Bible study. They are mostly seekers. Pray that the Holy Spirit will be powerfully present and that these men would follow Jesus wholeheartedly.
By Faith He Goes to School
Please pray for a young Gabbra man who is going to the Northern Bible Training Centre. Pray that he remains faithful to the calling God has placed on his heart. Pray for his wife that is expecting their second child. Pray for provision for this family as he is away to study. As well pray against any evil attack. We know that enemy doesn’t want these plans to succeed but we believe in the victory that Jesus has won for us!
First love
It is beautiful to see one new believer who can’t stop reading the Word and feels the presence of God as she reads; two other older believers are systematically studying and obeying, loving to hear the voice of God and obeying. But pray for those who have known Jesus a few years who have lost their first love, who used to love to read, study, gather, pray… but are overwhelmed by the things of earth now. Pray Rev 3, for each to love Jesus as they did at first.
Chances to share Christmas stories
Pray that God would give us opportunities to share the Christmas story. Pray that islanders would be amazed as they encounter Gabriel’s words, Joseph’s dreams, the wise men’s journey, Herod’s anger and the angels’ song! Pray that these stories would catch the imaginations and hearts of those who hear them!
Cattle sick, growing church
Praise for those in the Magos area, their food stores are full!
But cattle are sick.
The church is growing- pray for the Word to bring transformation in many lives.
Pray for pastor Elia as he continue to reach out.
Increasing courage!
Praise Jesus for increasing courage!! One recent believer has been afraid to tell anyone in her family, but a few days ago, she shared with her sister. Her sister had already been receiving verses from another local brother online! Two days later, she heard the gospel again and believed!! This newest sister is already boldly praying for family members and said she’s sure her mom is open!! Pray that each believer would love Jesus more than they fear persecution and share with those they know!
Christmas Opportunities
Praise the Lord for the Borana reproducing, Christ-Centered churches. Pray that during this Christmas season new believers will be brought into the fold, new congregations will be planted, and the Holy Spirit will give power to all for witnessing of the grace of God in sending His Son to earth.
Sharing great joy!
Ask that the Child given to mankind will be proclaimed!
Ask for his name to be called out and heard:
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
Ask for his kingdom to be established, and
for justice and righteousness to be performed. (Isa 9)
Open Proclamation
Pray that the miracle of Christmas & the birth of Jesus would pierce the hearts of unbelievers, that they would recognise this event as life-changing & that it would prompt them to seek him for themselves. Pray the open proclamation of the Christmas message would cause unbelievers to re-evaluate their lives in light of it. Pray the joy of believers in this season would prompt an openness in non believers to new faith possibilities.
First Christmas Ever
For many of our outreach Gabbra church plants this will be their first Christmas ever. So as a ministry team we are praying about how to make this year memorable and use the great event to draw more people to Christ. Pray that their hearts would be open to accepting the Prince of Peace! Also, praise God for all the rain this last month: grass is tall and livestock are full!
Christmas party island style
Local believer Sophie invited her sisters and her neighbors to join us for a meal and a viewing of the Magdalena film. It was a packed little living room and front porch, full of women and their children, which was cool. Please pray for His light to shine in their hearts and for Sophie to have lots of follow-up conversations
Diaspora in Portland
Thank you so much for praying! The Gospel was shared very clearly in Arabic and English at our Christmas event (Dec 20) and the people at our table were mesmerized with hearing and understanding–for the first time–the whole Gospel!
An Iraqi lady leaned close to me and asked . . .”If Jesus paid the full price. . . What motivates you as Christians to do good?” I was able to share with her how it is our great love and deep respect for God and for the debt that He paid for us. . . that motivates us to please Him. . .
She answered that for the first time in her life she completely understands why it is good news. .
Translation testing
We have started monthly meetings for testing the newly translated scripture drafts with new believers. Testing is a crucial part of the translation process, but also the hardest part to make happen.
Ask that these believers would not only be committed to the work but also start to take a more proactive role.
Christmas Baptisms
Praise God that this Christmas we will be baptizing new believers. Pray that God will bring more people to Him during Christmas time.
Submission of Kings
The King of one village and his wife had decided to follow Jesus, but it wasn’t seeming to make much difference to their daily lives. A local pastor moved into the area and took the responsibility of going to preach in the village weekly despite struggles with their dialect. He was well received and the king has since been thinking seriously about the practical consequences of following Jesus.
Meanwhile the king in another village had a son who went away to study and then returned with news that he had become a believer and been baptised. The king has now decided that he and his family will also follow Jesus, having been convinced through the testimony of his son that the stories he had been hearing were in fact true!
Praise God! Keep lifting up the kings of these villages as they allow the gospel to transform every area of their lives.
Bible Storying and literacy
Pray for the Spirit to give Didinga a hunger for the Word and for God’s Truth as plans are put together for a Bible Storying workshop and literacy classes next month (January).
Diaspora in Portland
Please pray that God will intervene on behalf of an Egyptian family we have been reaching out to- that He will open their hearts to the Gospel.
Please pray that God will open up the hearts of a Libyan family we have been spending a lot of time with- that God will open their hearts to the Gospel as well.
Please pray that God opens the hearts of our students as we prepare to share about the true meaning of Christmas with our Muslim friends this month through many different outreach events.
Christmas celebrations
Please pray for the Christmas celebrations. May they be opportunities for Alagwa to hear the gospel clearly and respond.
A Village Homestay
Pray for Pastor Josphat Musanga as he and his family will be hosting missionaries Jeff and Mandy this Wednesday to Sunday for their village home stay. Pray that he and Jeff and Mandy will build a good relationship for their future work with the Dorobo. Pray that through their partnership Dorobo will come to Christ and churches will be planted and a missionary movement empowered among the Dorobo people.
Diaspora in USA
Pray for Mo, one of the ESL students in Noel, MO. Pray that our opportunities to visit will continue and that we can share about Jesus. He drove 50 miles to/from to visit with us and desires to do it again! May we be a sweet aroma and proclaimers of the Gospel news.
Pray for people to join the DR US Unit to strengthen and expand our work across the US.
Pray for God to raise up people to work among Somalis in Twin Cities, MN. There are great opportunities to partner with others.
Diaspora in UK
Praise for spiritual seeds sown through conversations at Friday night International Student Globe Café.
Pray for open hearts to hear and accept Message of Christmas story presentations at each ministry activity (Sewing, English classes, international students). Pray for the blessing of tender hearts to hear and accept the Gospel message.
Pray for provision of Christian volunteers with secondary school immigrant area homework clubs.
Pray for spiritual harvest from the seeds sown.
Pray for healing
An O believing family had a miscarriage this week. Pray for God’s healing physically and emotionally, and that spiritually they will grow in their faith and relationship with God as He holds them close in this hard time. Pray for the O communities around them who have such deep needs for healing from Jesus: “Oh Lord, stretch out your hand to heal where there is need among the O, physically, emotionally and most of all spiritually to come to know Jesus as their Savior, Healer and Deliverer!”
Diaspora in France
Pray that the truth of Christmas presented clearly at the kids club Christmas party on the 11th and the team outreach the 14th would be received and believed.
Praise for renewed contact with some of my island friends; pray for clear opportunities to share again the hope of Christmas and the Spirit to open hearts to Himself.
Jesus the Savior
Please pray that the Holy Spirit will reveal to the Ndengereko at Christmas time that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the World, sent to liberate the captives and give sight to the blind.
Diaspora in Europe
Pray for Pedro’s short-term outreach trips into Morocco. He and David are there now. They just reported that one person in a new region received Christ today.
Pray for the finances needed for two building projects here in Jerez. This week papers are being signed to purchase a building in the town center that would become a center for all of the refugee ministries through Tharsis Betel. Ask the Lord to bless this ministry.
Pray also for the new people of peace identified in Strasbourg, Antwerp, Turnhout and Marseille to begin Discovery Bible Studies.
Assessment today and tomorrow!
Please be praying for “A” as he goes with Sadi from the Catalyst team to assess two more discipleship groups today and tomorrow. We want to see and better understand what the Lord is doing among the M! We have assessed 4 groups so far and have 5 more to go. Over the last two months we have had to postpone the assessment many times due to unusual frequent rain.
Please also pray for wisdom as we seek to add a few more key people to the Catalyst team to train up as movement catalyzers in other key areas. This will be a huge step towards seeing Gospel impact throughout this people group and beyond. Thank you!
Diaspora in USA
Pray for the International student ministry at CSUN to connect with more international students and for gospel conversations.
Please pray also for all the other international students from all over the Diaspora Region who have heard the gospel the past few months, that they would yearn to know Jesus as their Savior.
Zeal for Jesus
Praise the Lord for outreaches that are continuing among the Digo and that a small Digo church continues to meet even though the missionaries have left. Pray for the Digo to turn to Jesus, that as they have been known for their zeal for Islam, they will become known for their zeal for Jesus Christ.
Diaspora in Portland
Pray for the December 1, 8, 15, 22 “Storying” of God’s Story of coming to earth at Salem’s International Prayer Gathering. For these 4 weeks, RH teams up with a young man from Sudan (Arabic), and a gal from Rwanda (Swahili) to share God’s gift of Jesus for the “nations”.
Pray for those who come to the Salem prayer gathering who do not have a personal faith in Jesus the Messiah. Pray that we will share clearly and that those who hear will find life.
Jesus Film in New Village!
Pray for the village of Kisangasa where we will be showing the Jesus Film for the first time. As we went out to invite people today, they seemed excited and ready to come on Friday night. Pray that hearts are prepared before hand. Pray the Holy Spirit falls and moves in the hearts of our friends and neighbors. This is a village that is devout in their Islamic beliefs and almost the entire village attends Islamic class everyday. Please pray for freedom from bondage and that where the movie is shown would be holy ground.
Diaspora in Europe
Could you pray for follow- up with 9 teenagers here in Malta who have made a decision to follow Jesus! and for their baptisms? Also please pray for the right people to do the renovation on our ministry center we will be using here in Malta. We want to have a place where diaspora peoples can feel welcomed.
Shepherds Know the Good Shepherd
For the last year, the Datooga churches have grown and new ones have been planted, thanks to pastors and evangelists carrying the Word of God to settlements of shepherds and villages that are interested in knowing Jesus, the Good Shepherd. Please pray that more and more churches will be planted among the Datooga and that the pastors of those congregations will resemble their Chief Shepherd as they care for their flocks.
Diaspora in Philadelphia
Pray for opportunities to share the Gospel during Christmas. Pray for clarity and a deeper understanding of the story of Jesus, His death & His ressurection to defeat death. Many only know tidbits of information, but not the story of who Jesus really is and why He came down to earth. Pray for many to want to hear the whole story!
With Greater Impact
As we head toward Christmas, we remember that last year our big community celebration was met with some opposition for the first time ever. Pray that the opposition last year would actually lead to even more people joining us this year. Pray that the story of Christmas would go out even more boldly and with greater impact than it ever has before. Pray that hearts would be softened to joyfully receive their King.
