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.
New believers
Thank you, Holy Spirit, for the way you are transforming individuals and families. Thank you for new believers within one family and for their boldness to share with other Berbers online and for new brothers through their witness. May each new believer continue to abide deeply in Jesus, eat the bread of truth, and speak the gospel.
Waiting for Workers to Come
The Digo are waiting for more Christian workers to come live among them and share the gospel. Pray for doors that hinder to be flung wide open and for the Lord of the harvest to send laborers to the Digo.
Shared Widely
The Datooga are a very large tribe spread over a huge area in Tanzania. Pray that those areas without the gospel can soon receive the good news of Christ and His love. Pray that the Jesus video, the Scripture recordings, and the Datooga Bible will be shared widely, and that hearing the Word of God will bring faith.
Live a life worthy
May each Arab believer live a life worthy of the calling they’ve received, humble, gentle, bearing with each other in love. Ask that willing humble shepherds courageously teach everything Christ commanded in love without any thought to power or position.
Bible Stories
Pray for school age kids being discipled on Nosy Mitsio. Pray that hearing the stories from the Bible will change their hearts and that they will be the generation that turns to Christ.
Every Corner of the Tribe
The Borana pastors want to keep spreading the gospel to all the small settlements and villages where people have not yet heard about Jesus and His salvation. Pray that the Lord will put it on many hearts to take the gospel to every corner of the tribe. Pray that as the number of believers grow, they will be salt and light.
Opposition
Please pray for an Alagwa man who has started to follow Jesus. He is now encountering opposition, including being physically attacked. Please pray that he keeps following Jesus. Pray also that God will send people to encourage him as he works away from home.
Bible study groups
Pray for 4 Bible study groups scheduled to meet this week – that they would not fear but hunger and thirst for truth and righteousness. Pray that the Holy Spirit would grant them understanding, and that many would respond to receive salvation through Jesus.
Translation work continues
Pray for John and his team translating the New Testament into the Suri (Kacipo-Balesi) language. They are currently doing advisory checks on Luke and Matthew, and are drafting chapter 3 of the gospel of John.
Deliverance through Darkness
Due to insurgent violence, the town of Mocimboa has become a place of loss and grief running to the depths of traumatised hearts. Desperation for rescue permeates weary minds. Pray that God would send angels to guard over his people and rescue them. Pray that truth would reign through the darkness of fear. We trust in our good and all-powerful God. He knows each heart and loves them dearly.
A Running Club
In a community center in the predominately Islamic part of the city, many young Somali, Swahili, and Arab girls come to spend time with the Christian staff. We’ve recently started a running club, and are dreaming of many other programs such as art and music classes to initiate relationships with families in this community. The goal in each of these programs, clubs, and classes is always to bring the name of Jesus into homes and to families. Please pray for us workers to be bold in making Jesus famous on the Swahili Coast! Pray specifically this week for the young 20-something girls S, L, and A! (Swahili, Arab, and Somali, respectively)— that they will be drawn to Jesus in the lives of the workers there and that intentional Gospel conversations would happen even this week!
Questioning the Status Quo
On the Island, cultural events have gone underground, with weddings and funerals being held quietly instead of community-wide events. Mosques are closed, a strange thing for Islanders. Pray that disruptions in the normal rhythms of life and worship would cause people to question the status quo. Pray for the brothers and sisters, both local and expat, that they would be people who resolve conflicts, forgive and work together with love and mutual respect.
Watching and Praying
After sharing the Jesus film with one family, we are now receiving requests from others who also want to watch it. Pray for this seed to be watered by the Holy Spirit and that the people’s hearts will be opened to understand what they see. Alongside this, the Bible story set is still in its infancy but the local workers are faithful and it’s going very well. Pray for this group of people as we wrestle with scripture, culture and sharing the good news in a clear, understandable and reproducible way.
Translating the Book of John
Please pray for the Alagwa translators currently working on the book of John. May those translators who are not believers yet come to trust in Jesus as they work. Please pray for many Alagwa to recognise their need to repent and come to Jesus. May they know Jesus the Truth who can set them free.
A New Church Ready to Begin
Praise the Lord. We had done evangelism and showed Jesus film at a Dorobo area called Ilkilorit several years ago near the Tanzania border. AIC evangelists followed up. We just heard they’re ready to start a new church there as soon as the Kenya government opens up permission for churches to meet. Pray for the Dorobo man who invited us for the first visit, and his family. Pray the Lord’s blessing on this new church.
Diaspora in Missouri
Praise that several people whom we have formed relationships with through the garden are interested in having extended outings together. We are planning trips to botanical gardens and parks with walking trails and lakes.
There has been a large surge of Covid cases in Noel, especially among the diaspora communities. Pray that the Lord would protect these who are ill from serious complications and that He would use this virus to draw many in these communities to Himself.
Ongoing Multiplication and Discipleship
A Rendille graduate of the Northern Bible Training Center is waiting for his new ministry assignment. While he is waiting, he got permission from the chiefs to hold Sunday services for a small number of people, and has trained them to go to their villages and share the message he gave in the church. On Sundays, the youth in the surrounding villages share what they’ve heard, and on Mondays, the mothers meet to share what they heard.This new pastor also gained permission to hold sport events within the village. If anyone comes to play from outside the village, the game has to end, but as long as it stays within the village they can play. The new pastor is using this to share the Gospel with young men before they play. Praise God for working through the COVID19 restrictions!
Diaspora in UK
Please pray for four men from the local refugee community who I am meeting with one to one for English Language classes. All of them appear resistant in some way to the Gospel but at the same time they are open about the needs in their lives.
Please pray for the city of Leicester which is one of the most multicultural cities in the UK. The various communities include a large number of people from North Africa and the Horn. The area has been hit hard by Covid, currently around 1 in 10 of all the new UK cases are from the Leicester area. Pray in particular for the churches and those involved in outreach and community work in the city to have an open door for effective ministry.
Praying for the Nyamwezi
Lord we ask that your spirit be at work in believers, drawing them closer to you and calling them to live lives that more fully reflect who you are. We ask that you would give them boldness and courage to speak your words of truth when opportunities arise with their neighbours and friends. Father we ask for our muslim brothers and sisters that they would increasingly find that their religion does not meet their needs, that it is an endless striving for what they cannot achieve leaving them disappointed and disheartened. Lord in this soil we ask that your seed be planted, take root, and flourish!
Diaspora in Canada
Please pray for many local youth who have requested bikes from our bike ministry. Please pray that contacts made repairing, donating, and lending bikes will lead to further conversations about our Hope in Jesus.
Please pray for young Somali Christians who are struggling with addictions,. I have once again been allowed to visit one in jail – he is facing serious charges. Please pray that words of repentance may turn to a heart of repentance and a new life in Jesus.
