Syncretism is a big problem among the Christians. Because of this they are still afraid of the spirits, which causes the unbelievers to doubt the power of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. I have access to the kings and elders in the villages (among whom are several important witch-doctors). They listen to me and are surprised by the boldness of the Gospel. Pray that this fearless preaching will have an effect on the other Christians. Pray that they will repent from their syncretistic life style, experience freedom from fear in Christ, and share their testimony with others.
The Way of Righteousness.
Please pray for Khamada who is in England recording ‘The Way of Righteousness’ in Tamajeq (Touareg). This is a wonderful set of radio broadcasts (and also a book) aimed at sharing the Gospel to Muslims. May God use this recording to speak to many Tuareg!
Powerful Name!
During their whole lives, a husband and wife followed and worshiped Ayana (evil spirits). Once he understood that everything they had was being stolen by Satan, and convinced by the Holy Spirit of the Truth, he repented and accepted Jesus as his Savior. His wife, though, hadn’t yet surrendered to Jesus and was being tormented by evil spirits. Her husband asked for prayers and we went for several weeks visiting and praying in their house asking that in the name of Jesus she would be set free. Now, at last, this lady has been rescued from darkness and delivered to eternal life! Before, she wouldn’t leave her bed, but today, for the second time, she came to fellowship and worshiped Jesus with others!
Jesus has overcome!!! There’s none like YOU, Lord!
Listening to the Word and Deciding
Please pray for a number of Swahili young men and an old man in our village who are listening to the audio Swahili Bible and/or reading the Swahili Bible they asked for, along with study guide material which teaches Muslims what it means to follow Christ. They are seeking Jesus and counting the cost of the cross. Pray the Holy Spirit would draw them to Himself and give them the courage to give their lives to Jesus.
Seeds planted to grow
More than 70 villages have already watched the Jesus film! Could you pray that the Holy Spirit will remind people about the movie and enlighten their hearts, making the seeds planted through this simple but powerful presentation of the Gospel grow and be fruitful?
Translation trials
I just got off the phone with one of the translators for the Rangi New Testament. They are in the final checks and are experiencing some trials. This particular translator hasn’t been sleeping at night which makes it difficult to focus on the mentally heavy task of translation. He also often feels pain in his stomach when he goes to the office. Please pray for relief from these troubles and strength to finish the translation well.
Pray for Solomon
Please pray for Solomon, a young Karimojong high schooler who is rapidly growing in Christ and hungry for more. He is about to graduate. Pray that Jesus will provide someone to disciple and walk with him. Pray for spiritual protection. Pray that he learns how to fish for and disciple others. Pray Scripture over him.
Luke recording
Praise God for a great week with 2 Alagwa speakers recording the first lot of passages from the translation of Luke in Alagwaisa. Pray for these portions of God’s word as they are listened to and studied over the next few weeks. May there be much fruit!
Light shown in the darkness
Anjiry is the worst region of Bara lands. It is far away, full of cattle thieves and witchdoctors. The Jesus film was broadcast there by a Lutheran team of pastors. Could you please pray for this dark land- that the light of the Gospel that has been shown upon them would be seen and believed.
Diaspora in Portland
We asked prayer that God would turn opposition into opportunities. Our team recently has had more opportunities than we can keep up with! Ex.— As JC’s health concerns became known, several Muslim women opened up to say they too are facing cancer or surgery—“Would you please pray?” One N. African lady asked our team ladies to take her to the hospital for thyroid surgery, stirring up a reaction by her religious community—“Why do you want Christians to take you?” But she even insisted on a Christian hospital chaplain to join JC to pray for her.
Settling and sharing
People in Pemba have been welcoming to the new team. The team have had opportunities in their relationships to share the Gospel. Pray that the Holy Spirit will guide the team in this process and reveal Himself to the Mwani as their Saviour. Lift up new teammates as they arrive and settle.
Diaspora in France
Praise for a well-attended kids club on Wed, with some island children included. Pray for the continued work of the Spirit as they hear truth from the Word. The next club will be the last Wed of October. Pray many children will come.
Continue praying for fruitful conversations with ladies on the streets as well as island friends. Pray for a desire to study the Word and seek after our Father.
Peace talks
Remember how revenge is part of this culture? Revenge killings are on the rise, and planned peace meetings with the neighboring tribe, scheduled for this month, might not happen. Pray for God’s intervention. JESUS is the only one who can change hard and revengeful hearts to soft and forgiving hearts (as He has done for some)!
Diapora in Florida
Pray for strengthened relationships with our Muslim families. Pray for trust and deep spiritual conversations.
Pray for the women’s sewing club, Sara’s Daughters, to attract more Muslim women consistently.
Pray for a place and its funding where Orlando Muslims can go to meet for Sara’s Daughters and for other activities; that it will be a welcoming place and a place of refuge.
He Is the Savior
Please pray for a S. Asian family who have heard the gospel numerous times but still resist accepting Jesus by faith. Pray that they will realize their deep lostness and that He is truly a living and powerful Savior, the only way to God.
Spiritual obstacles
Ancestor worship and witchcraft is an ever present concept in the lives of the Tanala people. It brings poverty and fear. However, they dare not leave this way of life, in fear of the witchdoctors and the ancestor spirits. It is a heavy obstacle when it comes to preaching the Gospel. Many say that they would like to follow Jesus but the spiritual powers are pressing hard on them. Please join us in this cosmic battle field. Pray that the people will embrace the Gospel and they will fully adhere to it.
Diaspora in Portland
Please pray that God will open up the hearts and eyes of our Muslim students to hear, taste and see the Lord is good.
Please pray for JC as she interacts with a Saudi lady who has come back to Portland to have her baby. She is due anytime and is relying on JC for all her needs. Ask the Lord to open her eyes to the goodness of God.
Please pray for MC to be a witness to his Egyptian friend as he goes to help him out in Cairo during the month of October. Please pray for his safety with the recent riots. Ask God to reveal His goodness to this man and his family.
Diaspora in Canada
Continue to pray for follow up with kids from their summer camps. Please pray that the spiritual conversations would come to mind and that the Lord would continue to be working in their hearts. Pray that the parents would also be touched and find refuge in Him.
Spirit come
Pray for the little church in Nagishot with so few adults & so many children to grow in maturity & to learn to love the Word.
Ask the Lord to send His Holy Spirit to hover over the Didinga hills, as He hovered over the earth during creation, to form a desire in people’s hearts for truth & to draw them to Jesus (John 6:44).
Completely On Her Own Initiative
Praise God for two “secret” believers in one village, both of whom have recently called their friends to join them in studying God word. One did this completely on her own initiative. May they all continue to hear God’s truth together and apply it to their lives.
Connecting in the classroom
Pray for the new English classes starting this month. Pray for those teaching , that they would show love and friendship to the students and for sweet and long lasting relationships to be born as result. Pray that the connections would grow, so that Light can be shared in an appropriate and relevant way.
Coastal Peoples Coming to Christ
Praise God over 20 people are now attending the weekly Sunday services lead by local believers from our church in the outreach village where 11 people gave their lives to Jesus a few weeks ago. Praise God the new believers are persevering in their faith and gathering together despite persecution! Continue to pray for wisdom and discernment for our church as they disciple these young believers. Pray this would continue to multiply, with local believers spreading the gospel and discipling the Swahili all along the coast!
Diaspora in Brazil
Continue praying for our team in Passo Fundo as they have had many opportunities to get involved with the Senegal community. Pray for more people to join them in reaching out to this Muslim community with the Gospel.
Hard Times
Please pray for a Rendille pastor who is a sign language Bible translator. He has been sick for a long time now, and not seeming to improve. Please lift up his family, and the church as this is a very hard time for the community. Also, there seems to be a mumps outbreak at the Christian school. Almost an entire primary class has it. Please pray for healing and protection over those not infected.
Opposition
There is strong spiritual warfare and opposition happening on the coast where we’re seeking to expand the work. Our Opposer has his grip on that place and those people. Asking that the strongman be bound and for the Almighty One to have His way.
All Follow Together
Please join an Alagwa believer who is praying for her husband and children to know Jesus too. They all listen to God’s word on audio players and some are really drawn by the beauty of God’s word. May the family all follow God together.
Diaspora in USA
Please pray we would be bold as we share God’s Word to the International Students we meet with each week. Pray that their hearts would be soften and that seeds be planted deeply and to take root. We are seeking for those students that the Lord has been speaking to already as well.
From the mouth of babes
Almost 300 children have come to our Bara children program. Many of them are Bara. Pray that Jesus will convert these children and use them to witness in their villages and families about the great love of Jesus.
Bible stories for women
Recordings of Bible stories for women have recently been completed. Pray for those that receive the stories to be transformed by the Gospel.
consequences
Pray for a local brother who has been meeting with other locals and telling them about Jesus. He was discovered sharing and was kicked out of his village, and told he may not return. Praise God that this has not stopped his faith, but fueled it and now this group is continuing to study together in a different village. Pray for help and grace for this group.
Great Commission
This week the Lutherans are having a conference in Betroka about Mathew 28:18-20; could you pray that the Great Commission mandate of Christ will get deep into the heart of believers and they will really engage in evangelism to the Bara?
Hard hearted
“They’re so hard hearted!” This is the observation from our recent 5 – week volunteer. “They listen well, but then they just don’t come. We need to pray that they remember what they hear, and that family groups would come to Jesus together!!” Please pray with us from Ezek 36:26, ‘May God give the O new hearts, and put a new spirit in them; Oh Lord, remove from them their hearts of stone and give them hearts of flesh (which are soft and responsive)!’
New family members!
There is a new brother and sister in our family in H2H! We’re giving thanks for them and asking God to make them a blessing to the Y community and to draw many more to Himself. Please pray with us.
School ministry
Pray for the outreach ministry among the Rangi. Pray for the Lord’s provision for the school and other projects which bless the community. Pray that many will hear and believe the gospel!
Those who seek, find
The Holy Spirit is on the move in H2 among locals. Many people are coming with questions and with a hunger. People are eagerly seeking. ‘To those who seek, they will find.’ We’re asking for that promise to come to pass for these multitudes.
Pressing Further
Pray for the Mahafaly believers of southwest Madagascar as they press further into lost areas with the Gospel. In the last few months, one believer has traveled to a new town without groups meeting, gathered a group, and begun sharing Gospel stories with them. Pray for him as he continues to follow up, as well as for this group to trust in Christ and grow into a church.
Resolve the Issues, Lord
Lord, we continue to pray for open doors and opportunities to bring the
gospel to the village of Mangasta. The people there seem welcoming but
there have been political barriers. Please resolve these issues so that
Your light can shine in this place.
Scripture in heart language.
Pray for the ongoing work on translations. The work on the Gospel of Luke is well on its way. The complete Gospel has been translated and is currently being digitalised (and pre-tested). After that we will have to go through the book to make changes, choose what words to use and what not. While I (Jurgen) am working on that, our translator, Menja, is working on a draft translation of the book of Acts. Please pray for us to have discernment as we translate.
The Power of the Word
In the past few months we have given out 4 Bibles to people who are seeking. Every single person handled them with tenderness, gently opening the front cover and reading the first words of Genesis. We have seen the power of the Word in this place. Please pray that whether the Word of God goes out in written or spoken form that it will land on good soil. Pray for protection over the Bibles that are in unwelcoming homes. Pray and believe with us that God’s Word will not return void.
Needing courage to obey
Ask for a family who want to be baptized… that they would have courage to actually do it, and that they would hear the voice of the Spirit more clearly as they obey and walk in repentance.
