The Lord has connected me with two ladies who would like to facilitate a trauma healing group in Noel, MO. Please pray for the collaboration and preparation for this group and that that our Father will bring together exactly those who need to find hope and healing through His Son.
I have begun to meet and get to know some of the members of the African community and other diaspora communities through the ESL program in town. I would love to have some ladies come to the apartment. Would you pray that they would be interested in meeting and talking outside of class and that our schedules will allow for this to happen.
Needing help
Pray for a S. lady who has been divorced and doesn’t have an income. She is in debt for the house, so she needs to move immediately to a smaller house. Pray for an opportunity for her to work so she can support herself. Ask for the Lord to bless, encourage, and provide for her. May she look to You and put her trust in You.
Diaspora in Wisconsin
The visit of the team from NW Ohio went very well and they were a blessing to our team here. They were able to share the good news on an individual basis with our neighbors. Pray for those seeds to find good soil and sprout!
Praise the Lord for the ESL classes and tutoring that continue to provide opportunities to share the good news. May many believe in the One who was sent!
Sharing the Word of God
Borana Christians have found that sharing the Word of God, whether read or heard, is bringing people to faith in Christ, and helping believers grow strong in their faith. Please pray that December will be a season when the Scriptures are widely read, heard, believed and followed, resulting in great growth and new congregations being established.
Diaspora in Canada
Please pray for open hearts for our Muslim friends and loving bold gentleness in our connections with them. Please pray for wisdom to know how and if to navigate through partnerships with the city and Somalis.
Studying & Seeking
Mama and Papa Pepe have a lot of knowledge of the Bible. But they still think people need to pray hard and do good things to get into heaven. Mama Pepe told me she reads her Bible in official Malagasy and when there’s something she doesn’t understand, she listens to the Sakalava Matthew on her memory card and then writes in what it means. Praise God that she is reading and thinking about the Bible. Please pray that they would come to know that only trusting in Jesus will save them.
Diaspora in Detroit
Tomorrow, December 7, we have invited around 25 Arab families to join us, and many volunteers from area churches are working hard to prepare for a really great afternoon. Please pray that the invited families will be able to come and hear the Good News of Christmas and enjoy a wonderful time of fellowship with believers. Details are still coming together for the various kids programs for this event and many volunteers are still needed to accommodate all the children we are expecting. Please pray that the Lord will provide and that He will meet with us and reveal Himself to these families.
Training and Christmas party
We have a training for the S. Fellowship here from 10th to 12th Dec. On that final day, we have a Christmas party for all of us. Pray for provision to cover the budget and that people will get to know Christ better.
Start the Wheel- March 29, 2019 update
In March we asked the Lord for 3 different Discovery Bible Study groups to start, with each group having 4 local people studying by the end of the year. At that point we had no one. We asked for at least 3 people who would fearlessly “start the wheel” of pursuing Jesus in our community. While our numbers were not as neat and tidy as we had prayed for, what did miraculously happen was that we had 4 groups running consistently, and at least 10 people truly and intentionally encountered the Word of God with us. Some came in and out because they traveled. Others came and went for reasons unknown. But all of them left with a better understanding of the Scriptures and having been prayed for by us and with us. There are 3 people who have started the wheel, 1 having been baptized, and 2 not believing yet but continuing to move toward Jesus. We praise Him for this supernatural response to our prayers!
Radio ministry update
Pray for the second transmission tower we want to put up to reach even more peoples in Northern Kenya. We’ve run into some snags. Please ask God to help us resolve the issues and move forward. The call- in program is a huge success. Every day 1000 people call in with a wide range of questions. Pray for stamina and wisdom for the 2 men answering the phones!
Wife in Troubled Marriage Given Encouragement
Praise the Lord our neighbor’s husband has agreed to allow one of our female Tanzanian teammates to come regularly to study in their home with his wife about what God teaches for being a good wife & mother and follower of God, though she is still not allowed to worship with the church. What an awesome Redeemer God we serve! Pray this time will be used faithfully to build our sisters in the Lord and our neighbors’ marriage and be a beautiful witness of Christ to lead this whole family to salvation!
Emmanuel
Pray for a young man named Emmanuel. He is the only believer in his clan and often persecuted because of having gone to school. He wants his clan to know Jesus. They are called the Ngiyowi and they live in a village called Loputuk. Pray for Jesus to work in their hearts! Pray specifically for his dad, Louse, who is a fierce warrior but recently has gotten sick, pray that he will repent and turn to Christ for true life.
Now They Are Making Disciples
Pray for pastor Ndaki as he continues to teach 70+ new believers who have gathered since the outreach in Handa finished last month. He’s using the MSINGI (“foundation”) Bible study book to teach them. Pray for their rapid growth in the Lord. Praise the Lord again for the Sandawe beginning to reach out with the gospel beyond their own tribe.
Grieving Mother
This past week, a few of us visited an Indian Muslim family. The mother is still grieving the husband who passed away on the day of Eid this year. One of the daughter in laws just recently received radiation for a cancerous growth in her back which caused paralysis in her legs. That’s the reason why we visited them, to see and pray for her. The other daughter suffers from breast cancer and is on treatment at the moment. This family has suffered much and the mother is not coping well. I tried to share Jesus with her. Please pray for this family that they will find the truth and the truth will set them free. We pray that God will bring healing to this family and we ask for miracles to take place so that they will see God’s power and glory.
Unity
Pray against the schemes of the enemy to bring division and strife among 2 families of believers. God knows the details. Pray for them to choose the way of Jesus- forgiveness and grace for those who’ve offended us, as we’ve also been forgiven and given grace even when we didn’t deserve it.
To Read During Boring Hours
Last week we had an unexpected encounter with a fisherman who took us on a hunt for a specific shell we were looking for. During the adventure, we got to share with him that Jesus loved fishermen and hung out with them often. We told him there are a number of stories in the Bible where Jesus spent time on the water with His disciples. Our fisherman excitedly told us he would like to have a Bible to read during his “boring hours” on the fishing boat. We assured him we would bring him one and before we parted he reminded us, “Please bring me your book!” Since then we have not been able to find him again. Please pray for this man and the many other Swahili men who make their living on the ocean. Pray that Jesus would draw these men to Himself and make them fishers of men.
Rapid Multiplication
Between 4 churches in our Rendille town, there are close to 150 people that desire to be baptized in December! Right now, pastors are hosting classes on baptism. Please pray for the pastors as this is so exciting, and yet challenging too. Some of the youth are signing up to be baptized for the certification at the end of the baptism class. Apparently, Kenyan schools look kindly upon students who have this certification. We pray that even those who only signed up for the certificate go to the classes and hear the TRUTH proclaimed and make their own proclamation to follow Jesus.
Baptism!
One new sister invited a friend to come hear the gospel. He believed last Tuesday and both were baptized Saturday (and an Arab believer too)! Pray for courage to be a witness and for unity among the believers. The Berbers love the Berber songs from Algeria…the Arabs love the songs from Egypt… May they encourage each other and sing together!
The S family
Pray for the S. family. The bibi (grandmother) in this family has professed Christ and the mama and granddaughter are open to hearing more about Jesus. There has been little fruit in the life of the bibi since her confession. Pray for God to grab ahold of the hearts of this family! Pray that the Gospel would be made clear and that they would count the cost of following Jesus and see that He is worth it. The village members have also been bothering bibi saying she only wants to go to church to ask for money. Pray for her protection during persecution. Pray for increased wisdom for our team as we continue to disciple.
Wants to follow Jesus!
Pray for a young man named Ochen who said he wants to follow Jesus yesterday! Pray that Jesus will show Himself to this young man who often has bad dreams. Pray for his friend Joseph who also heard the message but didn’t respond. Pray for both Ochen and Joseph who were challenged to share the message of good news that they heard with 5 others each.
prayer for O
Pray for our clinic workers who are involved in regular Bible study – pray that they will respond to God‘s word – “Yes Lord, as you promised that your Word will not return empty and void, but will accomplish all that You have planned and purposed for it. Thank you for the ways you are going to work this out in O-land.”
Amazing news.
One Bara village has decided that they are tired of witchcraft and of witchdoctors taking their money, so they burned all their witchcraft charms! They have asked the churches and pastors to come tell them about the Good News. Fernando will join those going from the church and will show the Jesus film. Please pray that the Spirit will move in hearts of the villagers and that a real transformation will take place in this village.
20 pages at a time
One young woman has been sharing with her classmate and she asked for a Bible. When she brought an Arabic one to her, she was afraid and asked that instead this friend send 20 pages a day! May she read and understand. May each believer have courage to speak of Christ!!
So Many Came
We recently asked for prayer for some upcoming outreaches in the villages. Praise the Lord that many locals came! The truth was preached and heard by hundreds. Over 300 came the first day! May those seeds of truth take root and may God use His Gospel to draw many who heard to saving faith in Christ! The teams were also able to give out reading glasses in those village communities. As the locals receive help from these reading glasses in the physical sense to gain better sight, may the Lord also bless each one with spiritual sight to see Jesus as Savior!
Beaten for Listening
It has been confirmed that kids have been beaten by the Madrasa teachers if word gets back to them that the children are coming to our house to play or hear the chronological Bible stories I have been sharing with them this year … My heart is broken for them. I am praying all the seeds for the Gospel that have been sown in their hearts will be protected and will bear fruit in God’s full time. Pray for the salvation of their hearts, minds, bodies & souls!
Follow up on Faiza and Abdil
Faiza and Abdil came yesterday and listened carefully to the good news of Jesus. We agreed to meet again tomorrow for further discussion. Thanks for your prayers. Let’s keep praying they understand fully, put their faith truly in Jesus, and surrender to Him as Lord of their lives.
Now the Unreached Have Become Missionaries!
Praise the Lord for the recent Handa outreach where Sandawe churches partnered with a church in Dar to reach neighboring Nyaturu people with the gospel in Mkolahanje. They are also taking steps to place a full time lay leader there for follow up and discipleship.
Diaspora in Canada
Praise: We had a great first Al Massira study with R&F, an Algerian couple that
moved to Montreal a year ago. He gave his life to Christ in Algeria but she has been too afraid
(of family and relatives) to look into Christianity. She really enjoyed the introductory study last
night. Their son (S.) goes to our monthly gym afternoons.
Praise: God is blessing on our ESL and kids programs- adults are mingling with Christians and God is bringing up good gospel opportunities. Muslim parents are willingly sending their kids to learn English AND the Bible.
Pray for wisdom as we plan our Christmas event for our ESL students and for deepening
relationships with the kids and their families at our kids sports drop-in.
Bring them into the Kingdom of light!
Please pray for two people, Faiza Yusuf and Abdil Jabaru. A Tanzanian evangelist plans to visit them today and share the gospel with them. Pray for the Lord to save them.
Diaspora in UK
Leicester is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the UK and recently it became the first
city in the UK other than London where the ethnic minority population is thought to have
passed the 50 % threshold. Among the ethnic mix in the city are large groups from North Africa
and the Horn. Our organization has been approached by a church situated on the edge of an
Estate where around 3,000 Somali people are living, asking for assistance as they seek to reach out to their neighbors. Please pray that God will raise up workers for this ripe Harvest field. Ask God to go before and prepare many open hearts.
Saved from death. May he be saved from eternal death.
A young Muslim man tried to commit suicide this morning. His life has been in turmoil for a long time. His sister and brother in law are Christians and are trying to support him. Please pray that Christ’s peace will come into his life through the influence of his sister.
Diaspora in Canada
Pray that God would call many students from our ESL classes, that they would have a deepening interest in Jesus and Christianity. Please pray that many would sign up for a discovery Bible Study early in the new year.
Struggling to Remain Strong
The believers among the Digo are still struggling to remain strong. Pray for strength among the believers who are remaining in villages that missionaries used to live in. They have asked for more missionaries to come alongside them but right now pray that they will rely on the Holy Spirit to guide them and encourage them.
Despite Persecution
Praise the Lord, in a village where our church does outreach, the gathering of 11 new believers continues despite persecution. They have now begun to collect materials to start building a simple structure to meet under to protect the growing group from the sun & rain! Pray for the growth, perseverance, and protection of the new believers.
Diaspora in Portland
Praise the Lord for a safe trip and return from Egypt for MC. He was able to help and connect
on a deeper level with an Egyptian Muslim family that they have been reaching out to in
Portland. Please pray that God opens up the hearts of our dear Egyptian friends to the truth of
the Gospel.
Captured by the Love of the King
Last week just before our study time with our one baptized believer, a 16-year-old neighbor showed up at my house. She was just home from boarding school and came to greet me. When I explained to her what we were about to do, she begged to stay. I went to get permission from her mom who was sitting outside with two other neighbors. The three women discussed it and decided it would be okay. Please pray for this normally reserved girl who was highly engaged and excited during our study! Pray she would come back this week and that her heart would be captured by the love of the King.
Diaspora in Brazil
Pray for our teams in Sao Paulo and Rio Grande do Sul. Pray God will lead seeking Africans to them and that they will be willing to join a discovery Bible study.
Diaspora in France
Praise for a recent reconnection with some island friends whom I hasn’t talked with for
some time. Pray for wisdom and open hearts to hear truth as I visit again.
Praise…we have four new sisters and one brother in the islands and are encouraged to hear of
God’s work in hearts. Pray for God to break down the walls in the hearts and minds that
prevent islanders here to consider and embrace the Truth.
sowing seeds
One valuable skill that the recent short-term team brought was experience in “Farming God’s Way”. They shared their insights and the “secret” to abundant crops. This coastal region is beset with poor soil and even poorer farming methods. Pray that the new skills and methods would take root among the people and that their hearts would prove to be good soil for the gospel to take root in.
Peace in CAR
Pray for peace in CAR. Many are suffering from the ongoing violence. We hope to establish a team at Obo whose main focus would be on reaching the Mbororo who are taking refuge there. Some of them have also suffered from attacks by the militant Muslims who have invaded their home areas. The local population is suspicious of the Mbororo as some of their people group have also been accused of being involved in terrorist attacks. In order for a team to be established there, we need peace in the area. At present the eastern border of CAR is occupied by militants and no one can enter or leave the country from there. Pray for the Lord’s intervention so that the Gospel can be proclaimed to the Mbororo.
