Praise God that the 2 months of focused outreach/ministry on Nosy Mitsio was a blessing to the Antakarana. Pray that seeds planted would grow, bloom and multiply. Pray that the Holy Spirit would work on hearts that have heard the truth.
Maria
Please pray for Maria, a lady who was raised in a church, but married a Muslim. She is new to this area, so just started attending services here. Please pray that her husband would continue to allow her to attend services & that he, too, would come to faith.
God’s provision
Praise the Lord for provision of the exact amount of money needed for a roof repair of the church building in Makumba– the believers there saw God provide and their faith is increased. Pray for continued success in training and discipleship of rural pastors. One pastor, confronted with the truth, chose to obey the Lord by getting married, thus giving up the cultural right to multiple wives. Pray for more Ndau pastors and leaders to follow his example.
Sermonettes
Pray for the 7 believers who have become more serious about their faith and are now on a What’sApp group, sharing Bible teachings with one another. One “worker” aided them by providing “sermonettes” and study questions and now, one follower has provided 2 of his own “sermonettes”. These brothers are sharing the truth with family & neighbors as a result! Pray for continued growth in their walk with Christ, and that their boldness to testify will increase.
Conference
We are hoping to see a conference take place in mid-June for MBB’s here in the capital city of N’Djamena. A brother from Egypt is coming to share and encourage the believers. Pray for the logistics of this happening. Pray that there would be great encouragement amongst the believers and that this might spur on more fellowships to form.
Suffering
Pray for the Mwani of the Cabo Delgado province who’ve been devastated by cyclones, terrorists (al-Shabab/ISIL) and now famine. Thousands have fled the area and are now displaced. Pray for Mwani believers to draw near to their Lord & Savior, and that they’d be salt & light to those suffering around them.
Love Your Neighbor As Yourself
Praise God for several small new churches taking root within the Nyamwezi region! Pray that as these believers gather together that they will take seriously reaching out to their neighbors who are living without Christ. Pray for open hearts, open doors, and conversations which invite relationship with Christ the Savior.
Sharing food
Our immediate neighbours are Somalis. A very friendly family. As they celebrated Eid Fitr, they brought us some cakes and food! … I am not sure we had planned for lunch that day! … But then, love came through these very good neighbours.
We thank God for our relationship, and we pray that He will shine His light in their hearts so that they may see Jesus.
We reciprocated after a few days and we bought them some drinks and scones for the children. They were surprised and excited! Am glad this was well received as my wife is our bridge to the family. The mother of the Somali home is working in Somalia and she will be away for a couple of months. My wife keeps in touch with her and they also pray together on phone.
May God use all these connections to reveal Himself.
Holistic ministry
Pray for minimizing of the marginalization of the Fongoro community.
Pray for God’s intervention to provide basic needs of life. The Fongoro need access to developmental activities to enhance their living standards.
Pray for holistic ministry and for more friends nationally and internationally to stand with ministry among Fongoro.
Step dad
My neighbor, Mama Z, just got married (her previous husband passed away). She was very nervous and told me the reason she is remarrying is she needs help raising her children. Pray that her new husband will be kind to her children and that our families will have many opportunities where they can see Christ’s light shine through us. Pray her children will feel welcome in our home.
No cracks
May there be no cracks of unlove and unforgiveness in the foundation of the fledgling church. May each believer relentlessly pursue reconciliation, truth and love because of the gospel. May they greet each other sincerely with grace and peace and live in this truth.
Harvest
Please pray for ongoing work by Tanzanian Christians among the Zaramo. Pray for the Lord to bring a great harvest of believers, and to build His church in every Zaramo town so all have access to the gospel. Pray for protection from persecution and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Brother A
Lift up our brother A and his family as they share the Good News and teach the believers. They are living in an area where a terrorist group is killing more and more people and many people have had to flee.
Ask for protection around our brothers and sisters, and peace in their hearts because they live in fear due to the unrest.
Examples to the Flock
Pray for the Samburu believers to grow by learning to walk in the Spirit, not by the power of the flesh. Pray that they will not look only to their own personal interests, but also consider the interests and needs of others. Pray that the pastors will learn, understand, and live by the Scriptures, showing their congregations an example of faith, love and purity. Pray that the believers will honor their leaders and submit to them.
Trial update
The final court hearing with the verdict has been postponed, so our friends are still in prison. Pray the Lord would sustain and encourage them in this long ordeal.
Please pray the judge would not be swayed or intimidated from doing what is right. That he would fear God rather than men.
Reading the Word
Please pray that the S. Asians who have Bibles and Christian literature in their homes will be motivated to read them, and that as the Word enters in, they will see the light of Christ. Pray that they will find the Word of God authoritative and compelling. Pray also that they will see the difference between faith and works, grace and law.
Search Leading to Jesus
Pray that the Ndengereko will become deeply dissatisfied with Islam, with secularism, with materialism, and with witchcraft. Pray that their search will lead them to Jesus, and that they will not fear what man can do to them if they choose to put their faith in Him.
Spirit of fear
Lord Jesus, remove the spirit of fear that paralyzes believers and keeps them from witnessing, from preaching, from identifying with You. May the charade of pretending to be Muslim for the sake of ease or safety be stopped in the name Jesus. May each believer love Jesus more than life, more than honoring their family.
Protection
Please pray that the M believers will continue spreading the Word of God. Pray for protection from the evil one, from divisions and factions, from doctrinal deviations. Pray that as they share the gospel many others will believe.
Past and Future
Please pray that the Digo people will welcome missionaries who come to teach them about Jesus. Pray for more missionaries to come work among them. Pray that as they have been known for their zeal for Islam in the past, in the future they will be known for their zeal for Jesus.
Grieving and suffering
Please ask that God would increase the faith of believers who are being persecuted or grieving. Several have said, ‘If God cared and was powerful, he would have stepped in.’ One wrote: ‘God is not useful.’ Please pray that each see that God is not expected to obey us (even if our orders are framed in prayer) or our definition of good. Ask that each one know the true goodness of God and surrender to His higher better way despite suffering.
The Good Shepherd
Pray for the Datooga in shepherding camps to listen to the Scripture portions and stories that have been recorded in their language. Pray for them to hear clearly the voice of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, calling them into His fold. Pray also that as shepherds mix with one another, the believers will share the gospel with those who have not yet heard it.
Rain
The Toposa see the spiritual world controlling the rain. For example, if you sacrifice a chicken the rain will come. If you are a Believer and refuse to sacrifice a chicken, you are the one who kept the rain from coming. When there was no rain it was because the evangelist brought the Gospel to our village. Pray for the Lord to intervene and bring freedom to the captives. Pray that many would listen to the Gospel and believe, and worship the One True God who showers us with all kinds of blessings- including rain!
Growing faith
Praise Jesus for the growing faith of several sisters and their mom. Ask for their three brothers to also believe and for men and women to be able to gather in their home to worship Jesus.
Children’s Bible
We’ve brought out a children’s Bible in Swahili and have been reading it to the neighborhood children and some have really taken an interest. One particular boy, Jared, has really enjoyed listening to the stories. Pray that he, and others of this young generation, would see the Truth, recognize it and accept it.
One in Christ
Pray for the Holy Spirit to give Borana and Gabbra Christians many opportunities to demonstrate their oneness in Christ, that has broken down the barriers of the dividing wall that existed between them. Pray that through this unity and love, many others may be saved as they recognize who Jesus really is.
New work
Pray for the work among the marginalized Fongoro people of Sudan and Chad.
Pray for growth of the gospel spreading among Fongoro.
Pray for new believers to grow mature in Christ and to influence their community by gospel proclamation in word and deed.
Pray for new believers experiencing persecution or rejection among their community.
Pray for the team ministering among the Fongoro to have an open door for fruitful ministry.
Meeting faithfully
Praise Jesus for the Arab men who are meeting together faithfully. Ask for couples, families, and women to be able to join in. Transportation and gender separation make this a huge challenge.
News from evangelist
From an evangelist among the Zaramo: Praise the Lord Jesus! I am so grateful to see how Jesus is doing wonders here. I am well, and continuing with the ministry. People are receiving Jesus. Pray for the work of Jesus in Mzenga. Pray for me.
Healer
As our friends come to the end of one month of fasting (Ramadhan), we pray that Jesus, the Great Physician and Healer, will heal their spiritual blindness. I particularly want to mention my good friends: Moh, Mun, Naj, Abd, Ham, Iss, Abu, Suf, Ali, Kass, Ahm, Yaa, and Hak.
May they see the true Light and have their hearts transformed.
Diaspora in Portland
In these last few days of Ramadan, please be praying for the immigrant and refugee community in Portland, OR. Pray for the imams and the spiritual leaders in the area to encounter Jesus in deep, profound ways and for their hearts to be softened toward the beautiful truth of the Gospel. Pray that their hearts would be unsettled, leading them to a place of peace in the arms of the Father.
Meeting and Sharing
As the month of fasting comes to an end this week, pray for continued opportunities to meet with friends in their homes and to share in their lives in special ways. Pray that Jesus will work in their hearts and that many will come to know and trust in Him.
Update on trial
God has answered our prayers and the judge has moved forward with this case telling both sides that the case will not be changed from now on (no moving to use sharia law), the verdict will be given according to the constitution, and the judge was very sympathetic to our cause. All glory to God! The judge will give his verdict after the Eid holiday on today. Let’s keep praying for this case, the judge, our friends, and for great news after Eid!
Translation check
Pray for consult checking of the translation that is happening this week. Pray for good internet connection as the outside consultant will be video chatting into the meetings. Pray for good communication, good energy levels through hot afternoons and ultimately a faithful and dynamic translation.
Gathering
Joy’s mother’s died several months ago. She doesn’t know if her mother put her faith in Him and regrets not sharing more with her. As the family gathers for the Eid holiday on Thursday, Joy wants to share with her father and family. They know she is a believer. Pray for boldness and wisdom for Joy and open hearts for the family to really listen and engage.
Teacher training
Marlene had an excellent week in Mura, Lopit doing a teachers’ training course. William, a Lopit man from this village, is starting a secondary school (grade 9-12) for his community, and Marlene was able to spend the week with the teachers (who all profess faith in Jesus), encouraging them to see the classroom as a place for the light of Jesus to penetrate the darkness. Pray for the teachers to grow in their faith and to have courage to stand for Jesus in the school and the community. Pray for William as he leads the school and the church in Mura, Lopit, that God will give him endurance, courage, and faith.
Believers to grow in Christ
Recently, God connected me to 3 MBBs (M. background believers). One of them wants to study the Word with me but he appears to be very busy at his workplace. Pray that the Lord may release him to have time for Bible study. The other one is also busy, and I am so glad he has been sending me daily Bible verses. I thank God for this! I think he also sends them to all his contacts. Pray that God will enable us to have a one-on-one connection so that we can grow together. The 3rd one has a very different approach to the way forward. Maybe that’s God’s way!
May the Lord give us wisdom and clarity of direction to show us the way He wants us to go and what we should do.
Flora and Abuba
Pray that Flora, Fiona’s translator, would choose to follow Jesus. She has heard and translated the gospel message – pray that she would believe it. Ask God to keep reminding her of His Words of truth.
Please pray for Elly’s good friend and disciple, Abuba. She was baptized back in 2017, but recently renewed her profession of faith with the group of women who prayed for salvation with Fiona and Elly last month. The Lord is working in her and transforming her heart and mind. Pray that she will read the Bible Elly left with her and continue to grow in her understanding and faith. Pray that she will be a light in her home to her three children, and to her mother who is heavily involved in witchcraft.
Not Grieving As Others Do
“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints” (Psalm 116:15). Pray for ready hearts to receive the Gospel message of hope and peace as it is preached to unbelievers during the funeral and wake of a fellow co-worker in Christ. In front of the whole village, God’s grace is clearly explained to many who don’t know Jesus personally. On these occasions, not grieving with the same bitter despair as others do, local Christians have opportunity to explain to all gathered their eternal hope and assurance of salvation in Christ. Pray for spiritual hunger for souls to be ready to place their faith in Christ now. May a new movement begin even through this hard loss!
Body of Christ
Only a few years ago there were very few, if any, Christians among the Laarim. Now every Sunday small groups of believers are meeting in all three of the villages we have team members in. Pray for the church meeting in Cauwa where Noblesse lives, in Yei where Jacob lives, and in Kali where Dan and Joel live, to grow in what it means to be the body of Christ.
