There is a family struggling with a demon tormenting their teenage daughter. After two intense prayer sessions, last night the demon left. However, several hours later, a demon returned. Satan wants to steal our faith in God’s ability to change this island. There is a clear choice before us, not just to stand in faith but to sound a full volume battle cry declaring that our God will be victorious. I think there is more at stake here than just freedom for this girl and for her family.
In battles there are turning points and I wonder in the long uphill struggle that is ministry here on the island, whether this is such a moment. If it is, we need to seize it, we need to stir others to join. I think this is a moment to step out. Please pray!
A Firm Foundation for this New Believer
A man from a nearby village joined us for worship this week and came saying he was ready to receive Christ! Pray for a firm foundation for his new faith and that his wife and children would receive salvation as well!
Sisters and Moms
Pray that God would continue to give boldness to his children to speak with their families! A set of sisters keep bringing their mom to hear the gospel and one courageously explained personally the gospel to her mom two days ago and her mom seemed ready to hear more. She said her third sister would believe if she heard, but her oldest believing sister is afraid for her to tell her.
In a separate family, the believing daughter is afraid to tell her family… but she brought a foreigner to share… and the mom wants to study the Word! The daughter also wants to invite a local sister to join in. Praise God for this boldness! May God continue to draw families to Himself!
memory cards
Lift up the work of producing memory cards for people in the village with portions of scripture and words from gospel songs on them. Ask that those who receive them really would commit them to memory and start to hide God’s word in their hearts.
Immanuel
We give thanks for several baptisms over Christmas. We also celebrated a number of believers who completed discipleship training. One is the wife of Immanuel. This couple desires to move to Mangasta to minister there. We thank the Lord that they seem to be working through some marriage difficulties and their passion for the gospel to come to Mangasta has been rekindled. Immanuel has not gone through the training but desires to do so. Pray that he will have that opportunity and that other barriers in Mangasta will be broken down.
Clear Presentation
Please pray for the Holy Spirit to continue to work in many hearts in one village where the gospel was shared as part of a Christmas celebration. People were told that Jesus is God’s way for us to be restored to Him. Pray that more people will understand that there is only one path, and that they will choose to follow Christ. Pray for those who have already understood this with their minds, that they will surrender their lives to Jesus.
New disciples!
Pray for Peter Peta, the man of peace and elder that first welcomed the mission team that came to do a survey last April, as he trains and equips 10 new Jiye disciples.
Pray for the mission team of Toposa and Nyangatom disciple makers as they prepare to return for a second mission to visit and encourage these new believers and simple churches they have started.
A Time of Transition
Please pray for a Muslim S. Asian family who are going through a time of transition as their oldest daughter gets married today. Pray for the Lord to touch their hearts and reveal to them the truth of the gospel, the truth of who Jesus really is, and the truth of salvation through grace by faith, not by works.
Preaching Through Agriculture
Pray for my new plan of preaching through agriculture, using God’s ways of farming. I teach people new ways of farming and through this people are coming to Jesus. Pray for two families: the Mbondo family and Malaika family. These are people who have experienced the love of Jesus. Pray for salvation for many Zaramo people.
New Sister in Christ
A huge praise! A couple of days ago a teammate and I were joined by our pastor’s wife on a trip to town to get Bibi a medical check in preparation for surgery. Bibi has responded to the gospel over the last 10 months of sharing it with her. Our pastor’s wife spoke with her and confirmed her understanding, and then she led her in praying a prayer of confession of her salvation in Jesus Christ. A sweet taste of heaven filled the car! Please pray that Bibi can now keep her blood pressure stable for surgery. A young lady who was healed from cancer and came to Christ at our church is now staying with Bibi at the hospital to care for her needs. Praise God for the body of Christ! Please pray for a successful surgery and recovery for Bibi! And for her to grow in her relationship with Jesus!
A godly wife
We have been praying for Kristofa for a couple of years at least. God has answered those prayers in wonderful ways. He is serving as an evangelist in a the fledgling church of Tumbelo. He desires a godly wife. Let’s ask the Lord to lead him to a godly woman who shares his calling and will be a helper in the work.
Diaspora in Brazil
Praise God with us for our Refugee Christmas Campaign. We had 5 nights bringing refugees to our home and went to visit those who could not come at their home. We blessed 54 refugees from 12 African countries with food and each one of them received a Bible, including the Muslims.
Pray for God to reveal Himself to those reading the Bible for the first time and that the Christmas message preached and the demonstration of care and love will continue to speak in their hearts.
Pray for the cities of Foz do Iguaçu and Caxias do Sul where we will start the Diaspora Ministry with the local church in March.
Oh Lord have mercy
In the past 3 weeks alone approximately 20 persons have died in relation to attacks by the extremist group in North Eastern and part of coastal region in Kenya.
Kamuthe Resource Center was attacked and 3 non- local teachers were killed. Saretho primary school was attacked and four pupils or 3 pupils and one teacher were killed. Rumors have it that the group is threatening to attack more places here. Pray for God’s mercy and that the Lord would rebuke these terrorists and they would repent.
The extremist agenda is to get the non-local Christians out of the region.
Several schools have closed and teachers have fled because of insecurity.
Diaspora in UK
Please pray for spiritual interest among internationals following the various Christmas story presentations. That there will be Spirit-led conversations with university students at the Friday night cafes.
Pray for the provision of Christian volunteers to help secondary school immigrant students with homework. That the volunteers will be proclaimers of the Gospel and will be excited to be part of filling this ministry need.
School Is Beginning
Praise the Lord! On New Years Day, 38 Rendille were baptized and publicly professed their trust in Jesus!
It’s time for another year of school at Tirrim. There was an in depth leadership meeting to discuss last year, and how to move forward this year. Goals, finances, academic and spiritual matters were all addressed and we are excited about how God will move in 2020 at Tirrim to develop the Christian leaders of the future and continue growing the church.
Diaspora in Portland
Please pray for one lady in particular who has expressed appreciation and interest when RC shared the Good News with her, for more opportunities to talk with her, and that God will continue to work in her heart.
Built up in their Most Holy Faith
Please pray that Borana people will be growing in their knowledge of the Word of God, built up in their most holy faith, sharing the gospel with their neighbors, families and friends. Pray that as more and more people come to faith in Christ, the decades of tribal warfare with other nomadic peoples will become a thing of the past. May Christ be their peace.
Breakthrough prayer
Lord we pray for salvation and baptism stories to flow from The Diaspora Region and that we may see 3rd generation reproducing disciples in every Diaspora Region unit.
Survey
Please pray for a survey this week of the Datooga people. Pray it is clear how many believers are in the tribe, whether the churches are reproducing and Christ-centered, and that the survey team will return with stories of how God is at work. Pray that the survey team will have a chance to share the gospel along the way and encourage believers who are planting new congregations.
Diaspora in Portland
I’ve met with Sam, my Iranian Christian brother, and we talked with my Iranian student with cancer, on Dec 28th. Pray for the student’s focus and openness and more opportunities to share.
Pray for follow-up among those who heard the Christmas stories in December.
Hunger for the Bible
Please pray for the Lord to work in the hearts of S. Asian friends so they will begin to seek to meet for Bible study with their Christian neighbors. Pray that the Holy Spirit will give them an insatiable hunger to know what is in the Bible and to believe that it is the very Word of God, without error and inspired by Him.
Diaspora in Philadelphia
Praise that our team Christmas party brought out North Africans from Morocco, Algeria, Egypt and Sudan. They took parts in our Christmas story dramatic reading and sang Christmas carols.
Praise for ESL Christmas parties that shared the Biblical account with many students.
Praise for a mosque Christmas party that gave space for the hearing of the birth of Jesus from both books and the beginning of friendships.
Praise for a living nativity outdoor drama that told the story of Jesus (birth through ascension) to 100+ ESL students. Pray for lasting fruit!
New small group
Lift up a group meeting to study together on a Sunday. Ask that others would be drawn to them and to the word and that they would continue to trust despite difficulties.
Chaos in Canada
Please pray for unity and peace and for God to help us be true agents of shalom in our sadly divided community. A recent city initiative to expand services in our community has led to enough infighting among local agencies (some from our favorite people group) that the city is considering abandoning the project. The young men of our community have been involved in multiple shootings in the last few weeks.
Please pray for us to be effective channels of Jesus’ shalom here. Pray for wisdom and guidance in every conversation we have.
The Seaweed Ladies
There is a group of ladies whom we consistently see gathering seaweed off the coast during low tide. They dry it, and then sell it to a business in town. A few team members have been discussing ways to reach out to and connect with these woman. Starting this week, 2 of us are going out hopefully once a week to find a woman who will welcome us and be willing to talk as she works. We hope to be able to share with her how she is loved and valued by God and how Jesus came to save her, and then read a Bible story demonstrating Jesus’ love for women, and also give her an audio Bible to listen to. Please pray that God would lead us to the right women whom He would have us share with, and for them to have open and receptive hearts to the Gospel of the God who sees, knows, and loves them very much!
Pray the seed fall on good soil
H sends her two daughters (8 and 6) to Impact Kids. Please pray that God would give her peace to continue to send her children.
Pray for K: please pray for her as she digests the gospel and more of the Word. May she come to know Him. She is also very stressed, along with all the Algerians we know, at the outcome of the (corrupt) election and protests that are going on today. Please pray that she would experience peace and attribute that to K’s prayers in Jesus’ name.
Pray for ESL: Please pray for the other students (Algerian + 1 Tunisian) who came to G&KB’s Christmas party (Y., A., L., K., W., A. and S.) and read the word and heard the gospel. Please pray that this taste of Truth would create a hunger for more.
Prayers for growth
Pray for deep discipleship among the Toposa believers – for spiritual growth and renewal of their minds.
Pray for Toposa leaders to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.
Pray for Joseph Lobaringa, who is set to go to a Bible school in Kenya for 1 year.
Diaspora in Canada
Pray for W: This is the Algerian woman who wanted to debate with me for most of the evening during the Christmas dinner and over e-mail since. She has written pages and pages of accusations of Bible corruption. My one praise in this is that we are discussing Scripture, even though she seems to be just repeating things she has heard from people such as Ahmad Deedat; although she claims it is from her own reading. Please pray that the word of God would pierce her and convict her.
The Lord provides
I can’t control my joy for this young Nyangatom boy named Daniel. The Lord has provided for him to go back to school. He starts at Turkana Talent High School. Please pray that the Lord will provide for all he needs. Pray also for his spiritual life that he may continue in the life of Christ and share the Gospel with his class mates.
Diaspora in France
Praise for more children who came to kid’s club who heard a clear presentation of the Truth, as well as 3 friends who came to our outreach. Ask that their hearts will remember and search for a relationship with the Father.
Pray for an opportunity for a DBS with an islander sister. She tends to be difficult to connect with but always ready to have conversations.
Pray for new opportunities for spiritual conversations with islanders; for their hearts to be opened to hear and seek after the Father.
showing interest
The wife of a believer, who has previously been very closed to the gospel , recently said she was “coming to believing”. Ask that her heart would be fully surrendered and that she would know that He who started the work will complete it.
Breakthrough Meeting
The women of our local church held a meeting after church last Sunday. The officials of the ladies presented the year plan, told the women about conferences and seminars to prepare for financially so they can attend without stress. Right now ladies gather at church 4 times a week to meet, pray, sing, and attend church. But the most encouraging thing was that they told the women instead of continuing to gather at church to pray together on Wednesdays, they should gather in their communities. They were also told to ask women who aren’t attending AIC to join them in prayer and fellowship, and to visit widows, orphans and the sick. The goal is to be a LIGHT and to welcome others into the family of God.
Diaspora in USA
Pray for A from India- that he would receive God’s gift of salvation. He has heard and now needs to make a decision.
Pray for both USA and International students who will be going on a ski trip in January- that they would hear the Gospel clearly and believe. Pray that they would ask questions from their hearts so to get a better understanding of their journey with the Lord.
Diaspora in Florida
Pray for more opportunities for DM to meet with his Muslim friends. They work so much, it’s hard to get time with them.
Praise God for 12 Muslims that came to JM’s Winter Tea in December. Pray for good relationships and follow up with these ladies in January.
Pray for the Lord to provide a place for meeting with Muslim friends and do activities.
3 new contacts
Pray for 3 new contacts for the team and believers – for discipleship and facilitating Bible studies through them. So many seeds are planted regularly among the O, pray that God would draw them to respond and receive and start the disciple making movement now – in 2020!
Diaspora in Europe
Pray for mid- January New Years celebration in our church. It is a free dinner for the poor people of the city. KB will be responsible for sharing with refugees and migrants present. Pray for clarity and soft hearts to respond to the Gospel News.
Bold evangelist
One young woman is a bold evangelist, broken-hearted over friends that refuse grace, boldly identifying with Jesus, diligently declaring the gospel, unafraid to face the mysteries and questions. Her physical health is not good; some of her family are involved in witchcraft. Pray for strength and protection from the evil one. And praise Jesus for her classmate that just believed and received a Bible and is reading, sending screenshots and questions!!
Diaspora in Canada
7 of G & KB’s Muslim friends joined them for an evening of good food, Bible reading and gospel sharing at their family Christmas dinner. Lots of conversations have continued from this, and they look forward to more in the new year.
God continues to bring the kids to the children’s drop- in program every month. After Impact Kids on Saturday, one Muslim father gave them $20 dollars to support the program!
The Al Massira study has continued with R (a believer) and his wife, F, (still Muslim). They studied the story of Noah last weekend. F continues to think and answer thoughtfully and openly as we read the word together. They have gone through four studies together now.
Please pray for these gospel opportunities.
Invitation to join a prayer initiative for Somalis
We are inspired by the prison break story in Acts 12 where a bright light illuminated Peter’s prison cell as he was awakend by the angel. His chains fell off and he walked out past the guards, and through an iron gate that “opened by itself.”
Please pray with us for the light of the Gospel to shine brightly to awaken Somalis to the truth, that Jesus is the Messiah, and the Injeel or Evangel (Gospel) is a generous invitation to join His Kingdom. Lets pray they will be freed from the prison of deception, from the lie that Jesus did not really die on the cross, and freedom from fear of the threat of death against Muslims who choose to follow Jesus. https://arriveministries.org/jan-10-2020-awaken24-global-prayer-initiative-kick-off/
For healed hearts
A thirteen year old boy has been sick for years with a heart condition. He was pale, always short of breath, and stick thin. They knew he needed to see a specialist, but just didn’t have the money. God provided the money and he has recently gone to see a specialist. They are still working out the exact nature of his heart condition, but already he is eating more, the color has returned to his skin, and he can walk across the room without being short of breath. Praise God he is getting the care he needs! Pray that he would be completely healed and that his healing would show God’s glory to his village.
