Please pray that God may raise up Zaramo believers who will devote themselves to the work of the ministry in a town called Mzenga.
Roots that Run Deep
We ask the Lord for wisdom for our Pastor as he shepherds our little flock and as he interacts with non believers in the community. We ask for words of life fitted to the hearer that are given at the right time as he and other church members interact with those in the community. We ask the Lord to consolidate the faith of our community of believers giving them roots that run deep and will keep them through the storms of life. We ask for the transforming work of the Holy Spirit in their lives to be made visible to those around that the presence and power of the Lord would be undeniable. We ask for breaking of the chains that keep non believers from the Lord.
Diaspora in Wisconsin
We rejoice at the profession of faith of Ali6 and his baptism 3 weeks ago. Through Scripture reading and discussions during ESL, he accepted the Lord and soon after decided to be baptized. Pray for his growth in the Lord.
We have had zoom Bible study with a Somali couple in the LA area and two young Somali men in central France. We are encouraged by their desire to grow in their faith.
Building the church
An elder from a community in Nosybe has requested that a church be built so that villagers would have more than just Islam. Praise God for His amazing intervention!
Diaspora in France
Pray specifically for two families we have been visiting for a while, that the language barrier will no longer be a problem as they learn French quickly and that they will understand the grace Jesus has for them.
Pray also for the international students we are befriending, there are quite a few wanting to read the Bible with us in the upcoming days.
WhatsApp Cell Group
During this time of isolation and social distancing, some Islanders set up a WhatsApp group for local believers to send out encouragement each day during the month of Ramadan. It is a huge step in the right direction of connecting islander believers and giving them a place to go for prayer and for encouragement in their own languages. Please pray that more members will be added to this group.
Diaspora in Portland
Our Ethiopian friends desperately want help for the children in their Oromo Church. These kids are caught between cultures–church services use their parents’ tribal language and focus on sensational topics, not real Bible teaching; and the kids meanwhile are growing up in an English-speaking Western culture. We are concerned for the biblically illiterate parents as well. We need wisdom how to make connections, how to truly help…from the outside.
Diaspora in USA
Praise God for a very encouraging response to the gift bags we delivered to 16 graduating international students in California. Pray that we would be able to connect with students over the summer months. They are eager to go hiking, surfing and camping! Pray for the seeds that have been sown to bear fruit in their lives.
Made in God’s image
Oftentimes in Karamoja a woman’s value comes from having children. Please pray that the Karimojong will come to understand that God made women in his own image and that, because of this, they have inherent value and dignity.
Ten Evangelists for Ten Villages
Please pray that ten evangelists or missionaries can be placed in ten Datooga villages without a church by the end of 2020. Pray that the Lord will greatly strengthen and provide for these brave volunteers. Pray that the Datooga will have a reproducing, indigenous, Christ-centered church.
May they be Filled
Please pray that the Lord will bless the efforts of Christians to share the gospel with the Zaramo people. Pray that they will have a hunger and thirst for righteousness, and that they will be filled, as He promised. Pray for the salvation of a man named Mbondo and his family, as the Christian evangelist continues to share Jesus and his Word with them. Pray that very soon they will confess faith in Christ.
Diaspora in Philadelphia
Pray for us as we work to maintain connections with Muslim friends during this time of COVID19.
Pray for the food outreach in Philidelphia to bring new relationships with Muslim families. Pray that there will be some good contacts with people who are sincerely seeking a relationship with God.
New leaders and new groups!
We have been able to add three more developing leaders to The Catalyst team. The Catalyst team now has leaders from the N, S, E, W, and Central areas within this people group. Also there has been at least two new groups started in the last two months through some of these leaders training others, resulting in new generations. Each of these new groups are in a village where there was no group meeting before. The people in these discipleship groups are meeting regularly to study God’s word and as a result are coming to Christ out of I$lam. Praise Jesus!
Please pray for Christ to be formed in these new believers and they would be envisioned and empowered to bring the gospel to the rest of their people, in this generation. Pray that as a result, whole communities would be transformed through their witness and the power of the Gospel.
Diaspora in France
Praise for recent phone calls from island women after a long absence in Marseille. Pray for timely visits and conversations to spur them on the path of knowing Jesus personally.
Pray for direction in ministry for these months ahead, negotiating the challenges of masks and peoples’ continued anxiety regarding the virus, sometimes distancing people even further. Pray for ears to hear well, both physically and spiritually.
Pray for relationships to deepen and wisdom in opportunities to share the Good News with neighbors and islanders; for spoken words to point clearly to the hope and joy of life in Christ.
Only In Jesus
Pray that as Muslim S. Asians return to their usual schedule after the end of Ramadan, the Lord will continue to speak to them about the things He was trying to bring to their attention during that month of seeking to draw near to Him. Pray that they will seek Him and find Him as they seek with their whole heart, and that they will realize salvation is found only in Jesus.
Diaspora in Florida
I sent a copy of Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus to a Muslim friend as a Ramadan gift. He hasn’t replied. He and I spent two and a half hours in a friendly argument about the credibility of the Bible and Christianity last year. Please pray that he would be curious enough to read the book.
May They Grow
Please pray that the Ndengereko who have come to faith in Christ will continue to grow in their understanding of the word of God. Pray that they will gather faithfully for worship every week. Pray that they may share the gospel with their neighbors. Pray that other Christians from different tribes may live among the Ndengereko and be proactive in sharing the gospel with them. Pray for a strong, reproducing church.
Diaspora in UK
Thank God for the continued participation of Muslim ladies in the weekly Zoom English lessons based around Bible stories; pray for a spiritual hunger as we explore the book of Ruth.
We praise God for the way He has unified the International Women’s Sewing Group volunteers through weekly Zoom prayer times and opportunities to sew for medical personnel.
Zealous for Jesus
Please pray again that as the Digo have been known for their zeal for Islam, soon they will display even more zeal for Jesus. Pray for one particular young Digo man who has become a believer in Christ and is being discipled. Pray that he may reach many others with the gospel. Pray also for the few Christian outreach workers who live among the Digo, that they may stay strong and continue to share the gospel without losing heart.
Diaspora in Portland
Praise God that people’s hearts are being touched by the love of God shining through Pamoja volunteers. Seeds are being planted. Pray for a great Harvest!
Pray that God will give me just the right questions to ask and words to share -words that will open hearts to Jesus.
Pray that this will be a great time for all of the Portland team to develop deeper relationships with people in their community and for continued opportunities to share the lasting hope we have in Jesus.
The Jesus Film Almost Ready
The Datooga translation of the Jesus Film should be ready by the end of August 2020. Please pray for all those who are translating, recording and preparing the video. Pray that it will be used widely and that many Datooga will come to faith in Christ as a result.
Diaspora in USA
Pray the Lord will open hearts and give me opportunity to speak truth to my Muslim and Sikh friends. I have been bold with my faith, but many have a, “That is good for you” mentality. Pray for conviction of sin and longing to know God.
Pray for the many summer outreach plans that people in the Diaspora Region have. May God show us favor and allow those to happen. Picnics, camps, and soccer tournaments are all great avenues to share truth. May they take place as planned.
A Young Man Needs Jesus
Please pray for Richard, a 19 year old boy, who needs spiritual deliverance from evil spirits, faith in Jesus and revelation of salvation as well as emotional and physical healing. Pray God would stretch out His hand to heal and deliver.
Hatred Replaced by Love
The Borana have traditionally been at war with other tribes around them who speak similar languages, and the enmity goes back for generations. Pray that as more and more people come to faith in Jesus Christ, all the ethnic hatred will be replaced with love. Pray that Borana Christians will carry the gospel even to their enemies, recognizing that while they were still His enemies, Christ died for them.
Watching the Jesus Video to Close Ramadan
On a major Muslim holiday, more than fifteen Rangi women and children came to watch the Jesus video instead of celebrating and feasting with their neighbors. Please pray that these seekers will continue to be drawn to the Lord Jesus Christ and be willing to leave behind their old religion and ways. May they joyfully embrace the salvation of the Lord!
Become Family in Jesus
Please pray for Bibi M. She has expressed interest before in coming to see the Jesus film at our teammates’ house but did not come. Then Ramadan started and Bibi M wanted to wait until after. Please pray that now that Ramadan is done, Bibi M and her husband would come and watch the Jesus film and hear the Gospel. Pray that the Father would soften their hearts and draw both to Jesus. We would love to see Bibi M and her husband become family in Jesus!
Courage despite difficulty
Please pray for one of our Karimojong sisters, who has steadily been growing in faith and obedience to the Lord. Both she and her young son have experienced abuse from her community. Please pray that she will not be discouraged, but will keep her eyes on Jesus, and continue to live boldly and lovingly.
The Bible Completed
Please pray again that the Datooga Bible will be completed this month. And pray that it can be widely distributed in both written and oral form, through all the villages and shepherding camps, and that people will be fascinated by what they hear.
Pray that the Datooga will have reproducing, indigenous, Christ-centered churches in every major village and town throughout the tribe.
Bold sisters
Praise Jesus for bold sisters who are telling their family of Christ! Their mom declares Jesus is Lord, but wants the Koran and Mohamed to also fit in somehow. Pray for continued boldness for each believer to testify to the gospel of grace. Ask for fathers and brothers to believe too.
Grieving
In two villages, Zigua people are grieving because their Christian friends who lived among them for three years and were sharing the stories of Jesus have now returned to their own countries. Please pray that all those who have heard the gospel will put their faith in Christ, and that they will keep in touch with their friends who had to leave.
Sorrow and faith
One sister’s friend was killed by militia. Another sister’s friend died of Covid and the family was shut away, unable to mourn. A third lost a long-awaited unborn baby. Pray that in the midst of death, each believer would remember that Jesus knows what it is to have a friend die. He proclaimed to the imprisoned John that the lame walk, the dead are raised, the blind see, the poor hear the good news… and blessed is he who is not offended on account of me.’ Pray that believers would trust when they do not understand. Ask that they would share in the fellowship of his suffering and the power of his resurrection.
New Team Leaders for an Unreached Village
Pray for the preparations that are being made for a new team out in one of the unreached villages in our district. Ever since we showed the Jesus film there last year, they have continued to ask us to come back. We are excited and thankful that God provided team leaders who were recently able to go out and visit this village to get a feel for it and find a house to rent! Pray for all of the preparations to go as smoothly as the Lord would allow, that God would continue to prepare the hearts of those who He will place on the team to be ready to serve Him and this village, pray for wisdom for the team leaders, and pray for the Lord to draw many many many of these people to Himself as His good news is proclaimed there!
Tourism Hit
There are currently no COVID19 cases confirmed on the island of Nosy Be, but people are still feeling its effects. The island depends heavily on tourism. Since Madagascar has closed its borders indefinitely, that source of income is completely gone. Many people pick ylang-ylang flowers and sell them to a factory to be turned into oil. But the price per kilo is one fifth of what it was last year. People are struggling to pay their loans and feed their families. Pray that the church would come together to help people. Pray that God would show Himself to them as the Great Provider.
Church Leaders Being Trained
Regarding Sandawe and Datooga, because of Covid-19 Pastor Emma Shilikale has shifted gears to accomplish his Indigenous Leader’s Training. Instead of a large gathering bringing trainees from all of central TZ, Emma is traveling around to each cluster to distribute the training materials. So he’ll teach each smaller group cluster, then they’ll continue to work on it in their locations, and he’ll follow up with them by phone and another visit. Pray for safe travels for him and that the Lord would use this format to equip His people for service.
Gatherings
Pray for wisdom in knowing how to more forward with a discipleship group on Sundays. Will it be possible to meet in two smaller groups? People are afraid to meet, but still very much in need of community. Ask for them to sense the Spirit’s leading and for unity.
Like the Samaritan Woman
Please pray for the few Rangi believers to be like the Samaritan woman, who was so excited about having found the Messiah and so transformed by her encounter with Him, she brought many others to believe in Him, too.
Denial
Despite cases now being confirmed on the islands and some deaths of prominent leaders, whose symptoms looked very much like the virus, some people are still refusing to believe it is here. They are still carrying on life as normal. Ask that they might realise the gravity of the situation and act accordingly. Ask that in a spiritual sense too, they would have their eyes opened to the seriousness of the situation and cry out to the only One who can truly Heal.
Hard times bring salvation
People in Bara land are so afraid of this virus that they are crowding into the churches! Our partner churches here are doing 4 services every Sunday to accommodate all! Starting at 4 in the morning! We’ve seen many Christians repenting from their sin and committing themselves to be faithful.
We’ve had many Bara villages pleading with us to come; they want to see the Jesus film. We can’t go but Pastor Emanuel is going. He has been in more than 6 villages the last 4 weeks broadcasting the film (and following the recommendations for COVID-19). More than 1000 people have watched the Jesus film and The Last Judgment.
So the hard times bring glory to God and salvation to people!
Passion for the Word of God
Borana churches have a passion for the Word of God. Please pray that those believers who have the Word in written and recorded form will be immersed in the Word, meditating on it day and night, discussing it in their homes and with friends wherever they go. Pray that the Word of God would find good soil and bear much fruit.
Multiply and Grow Strong
Please pray that the Ndengereko believers and churches would multiply and grow strong, and that God would send more evangelists, pastors and missionaries to carry the good news of Christ to them.
