A missionary training for young Malagasy men has just finished in Nosy Be. Several of the participants are from cities like Diego Suarez and Ambilobe, which have large Antakarana populations. Pray that these young men would continue to follow God’s calling on their lives to full time missions. Also pray for provision for the many Malagasy missionaries who need financial support in their calling to unreached people groups like the Antakarana.
May blind eyes be opened!
False teaching has been sown and rooted into Karamoja ahead of the true gospel, keeping people’s hearts dull to the good news! Please pray for the strongholds of deception to be broken, that the eyes of the blind would be opened to the marvelous light of Christ. Please pray that each Karimojong has an opportunity to hear the true gospel.
Still suffering
People are still suffering from the devastation of the cyclone. Please continue to pray for the food distribution. The folks are still going to need help until early next year when they harvest. We praise the Lord for all the help that has come in enabling us to buy the food.
Assessment
This month we are doing an assessment of the movement. Our teammate A along with 3 local leaders are visiting the remote groups and interviewing leaders and members to get an accurate picture of the movement. Pray that the believers would be encouraged by the visit and we would gain insight into how the new believers are growing and what their needs may be.
Freedom in Christ
From a Rangi evangelist: “There was a young woman named Haulatu who was tormented by evil spirits. I prayed for her and she was released, and continues to walk in freedom. I shared about Jesus with her and she received Him as her Savior. Pray for her. Please also pray for a lady named Zuhura. I have started visiting with her to teach her the good news of Jesus, and she is welcoming this news.” Pray for this evangelist to lead many to Christ. Pray for a strong church to grow among the Rangi people.
God’s Word on phones
We are so delighted to see many people in our village listening to the gospel of Matthew and songs in Sakalava on their phones. We have given out a few phone cards to villagers and there are still others asking to have it as well. Thank the Lord for this way of getting the gospel into the homes of the Sakalava people. Please pray that many Sakalava will come to faith in Christ through this outreach ministry. People here like playing music loud! May the whole village be filled with the gospel of Matthew and Sakalava songs.
Bible story booklet
Jurgen, Katja, and Menja have finished translating a set of Bible stories in the Antanala language and have put them into booklet form. These booklets will be used by the nearby church leaders, and hopefully by others in the Antanala area. Jean Baptiste, and his colleague Aime just finished their one year training at a Bible School in Tana and are serving as missionaries in Ikongo, a part of Antanala land. I just got a phone call from Jean Baptiste and he reports that a new village is open for outreach, and many people are gathering together to hear the Word of God. These new booklets can be used to teach them also. Pray for many to believe!
Kids’ club
Grand finale Kids’ Club final day in O-land coming up! Around 180 in attendance. Our theme of ‘Sacrifices ‘ topped off today, with the other sacrifices all pointing to Jesus and The cross. Jesus as the Lamb of God being offered INSTEAD OF us paying our own punishment for sin (just like Abraham’s story with the ram). Pray for open, receptive and responsive hearts for the kids and their families. Praise the Lord for a wonderful team of helpers!
Baptism
Please pray for two new Zigua believers. We built a baptismal after their interest in being baptized. However, when the day came for them to be baptized, neither one showed up and we haven’t heard from them since. Pray that they would fear God more than man! Pray that Jesus would make clear to them the meaning of baptism and would increased their desire to be part of it.
Clean!
Pray for R. who, until recently, was hooked on tramadol. With some help from medications he has been able to leave it and now isn’t taking anything. He has decided to follow JC and has been coming to church for the last 3 weeks. His parents died several years ago and he is currently living with a Neem believer who helped him through withdrawal. He left his old religion 6 yrs ago but was frightened away from church by relatives after attending only twice. Pray that he will remain firm in his new-found faith and that he could find a means to support himself. Pray for others who want to know more but are frightened of their relatives’ reaction.
Bible Pictures and Stories
One of our Evangelists came to us and reported that in one Bara village, he has started sharing the Pictures of Bible Stories that we offered to him in the training last month. He told us that many people came to see the pictures and to listen to the stories of God. The people have started to ask questions and say: “Oh! This is Adam and Eve? Ow! What happened next?
Please pray that our team of 80 Evangelists and local pastors, trained in Bible Story Tellers will be bold to go into the bush and tell people about Christ using the book of pictures they received.
Pray also that God will work throughout this very simple way of evangelism, and bring Bara people to Himself.
Meeting again!
I thank God that the group of ladies met with me again and are happy to continue meeting. Pray that they will hunger and thirst for the truth and that there will be consistency in meeting together. We are now doing DBS and there is the obedience part whereby one is supposed to share the story with a friend. Pray that God will give them wisdom and courage and they share and that the movement will continue among the Somali.
Needing work and fellowship
Please pray for Asia, a young Sandawe lady who is needing to find work that will likely take her away from her village in Usandawe. She is from a Catholic background and has been attending a Bible Study with a missionary. Please pray that her faith will be strengthened and that she will find work and be encouraged. Pray that she will seek the LORD with all of her heart and that she will find godly fellowship wherever she goes.
Fallen into sin
Please pray for my two key friends (and translators) among the Ik; they have distanced themselves from the church and gotten involved with alcohol, adultery, and child abuse – a very sad and concerning development. Pray they ‘come to their senses’ like the prodigal son, and return to the Father.
Open village
After doing a survey in a new village this weekend, the FUEL team had the opportunity to share the gospel with the villagers of this new village. The villagers were so open! The young guys in the village went door to door to invite the villagers to the gathering and many children came. An old man said he thought of the team as his children. A piece of land was offered to the team if they wanted to stay. Amazing!! Visitation to this village by the FUEL team will continue every Saturday. Praise the Lord for this new opportunity of ministry here on Nosybe. Please pray for the Lord to work in hearts of the villagers and that they will be open and receptive to the gospel!
Burdened for the Older Generation
Most of the Dorobo pastors in one area have been burdened for the older generation of Dorobo who haven’t yet accepted the Gospel and are still in bondage to drunkenness. So they have planned for a three day prayer meeting this week. They have raised money for food and are expecting over 500 people. A leader has been asked to speak on Thursday on breaking curses, as they feel the bondage to drunkenness has become a curse over their people. So he’ll be there from Wednesday to Friday. Pray that the older generation would hear, understand and be set free from their bondage to drink.
Ministry update
This is from Kenyan missionary John working with the Toposa: Thank you for praying. We had a good trip to Narus. We did some training and visited villages where our disciples are reaching- Napeikeny, lopua and Kokoro. Many have been led to Christ and they are being discipled to reach others.
There is a new group of younger guys being discipled in Kapoeta. Pray they will also be taking the Gospel out to unreached villages amongst Toposa.
Taken Right Out of Church
Praise God on weekdays and Sundays, Swahili children come to our home and/or church to hear God’s Story being told. Many have shared they no longer want to attend the daily Islamic classes. However, some parents are now refusing to allow their children to come to church anymore. Today some adults came and took away the children from church and went right to madrasa. Please pray the seeds of the Gospel will remain and bear fruit!
Meeting together
Pray for the believers who were called together last weekend by a local brother who came to visit from Clove Island. Many people came together to meet and talk about things like Kingdom finances and to pray and share together. Please pray that this sweet time will make them eager to continue to meet together on their own; to pray together and fellowship together regularly.
Leaders being trained
Jacob is mentoring Lokolong into a leadership role leading three Discovery Bible Studies (DBS). Lokolong has keen insights into Bible Stories and shows potential for spiritual leadership. Passionate about outreach, Angelo has started additional studies, and mentors young believers who help lead. Altogether, there are 16 DBS each week in different locations within Laarim land with over half of the Bible studies led by Laarim believers. Pray for lasting, eternal effects that will change the heartbeat of their culture to honor God.
Word going out
We have started distributing memory cards with Matthew, Ephesians, and many Scripture songs on them. Pray as people listen to them that the words will enter their hearts and that they will share what they learn with their friends.
Chatting on WhatsApp
There are a number of young South Asian women I met at a wedding a few months ago who like to chat with me by WhatsApp. Would you pray that the Lord will have them initiate conversations about spiritual things that open doors for the gospel? One of the young women would like to meet for coffee on Wednesday.
One Bold Young Man
Praise God our 4 Tanzanian interns and 7 other believers just completed a 6 week Global Disciples course at our church. Praise God for the opportunity they received to apply their training in our community. Many Swahili heard the gospel, a few have secretly responded to it, and one bold young man has not only professed faith in Jesus, but is also publicly identifying as a new believer by attending our church! Pray for the new believers’ growth and protection. Pray for continued opportunities to share the gospel wherever God leads these believers.
Refugee camp living conditions
The Mbororo refugees are living in harsh and difficult conditions, which you may think they are used to as nomads. But this generation of Mbororo is suffering, having left behind solid brick homes and contemporary structures which may no longer be accessible to them if at some time in the future they wish to return. Pray that they seek God in these difficult times. Pray they know Him as their comforter and provider and Saviour.
Three Prayers
First, thank God with me for Salmada, a lady who shared that she accepted Jesus in 2016, and though her siblings tried to stop her continuing with Jesus, now she called and told me that she still loves Jesus and she is a Christian up to today. Second, pray for my plan to have Compassion International services here. And third, pray for the kids here. There are some who don’t have school fees but they love school.
A New Age Set
This is a very significant time for the Samburu. In August a new ‘Age Set’ will be initiated. Boys from all over Samburu will be circumcised and form the basis of the Age Set. They will begin their 14 years of being moran, the warriors and defenders of the tribe. Some of these boys are only 12 years old, the oldest ones may be 25 years old. Some boys from this area have seen the Jesus Film repeatedly. Some have believed in Jesus and two have been baptized. Pray especially for those boys, that they will continue to follow Jesus first throughout this time. Pray that this entire Age Set will seek to know God and that many will follow Jesus.
Interaction between communities
Pray for social integration and cohesion between the Christian and Mbororo communities, for trust and respect, an acceptance of different cultures and customs, and building of a community spirit among all the population. Pray for opportunities to share the Gospel effectively.
Message to the Shepherds
We thank Jesus for the number of shepherds who have come for fellowship every Sunday morning. There is usually a different group of people (nomads) gathering. But most of them get very interested in learning more about the work Jesus has done on the cross and the gift of Salvation. This week they watched a whole Bible Study about the King of Glory and all have the audio Bible with them to listen as they shepherd their flocks. Pray that by the teaching and by listening to the Word of God they will be taught by the Holy Spirit and become sons and daughters of God and not only receivers of the Great Message, but messengers of the King Jesus!
Identified As Christ’s
Many areas among the Nyamwezi had no representative of Christ- but they do now! Praise God! Pray for pastors and evangelists serving specifically among the Nyamwezi, that the Spirt of God would be poured out into people’s hearts. Pray for those Nyamwezi who do believe in the power and resurrection of Jesus Christ that their belief would move toward entire life conversion, “identified as his own”. (Ephesians 1:13)
Diaspora in USA
Pray for the right mix of international students and Americans to go on our annual camping trip to Mammoth Lakes in August. Please pray that the Lord will be preparing and softening hearts to be receptive to the Gospel News. Pray that those who know the Good News would be ready to share the right words and speak boldly as well. We could also use another driver or two.
Serving the Least in the Community
From a Rangi evangelist: Please pray for me this week. There is a mama called F. I began discussing with her about Jesus. Pray for her salvation. The second request is that you pray for two teenagers who are crippled and really need a lot of help. Also please pray for some Muslim families who want to send their kids to Christian school but need school fees.
Diaspora in Portland
Praise we had an amazing trip to the farm beneath the snow capped mountain of Trout Lake, WA. We had over 50 people from Morocco, Libya, Egypt, Algeria, Turkey and Syria. There were many new people and some that were returning friends of ours. Please pray for deepening relationships with all those who came.
Please pray for us as we embark on our summer programs at P. House that God will grant favor with all those who are coming.
Please pray for the leadership change at the mosque in our community. Please pray that the new imam will be a man of peace.
School Opening Again
From a Rangi evangelist: “Praise the Lord I am able to travel by motorcycle for ministry. Please pray for the work of God here in the town of Busi. On Monday I will reopen the Christian school after the break. There are many children who want to attend. Please pray that all who want to attend are able to do so, and that the Lord will provide so parents can afford to pay the school fees.” (Most of the children are from Muslim families.)
Diaspora in Florida
DM has been asked to spend time with S., a sheik friend, while S’s children & wife are away this month. Pray for opportunities to share the Injil.
JM has sewing and cooking classes that meet at Hobby Lobby and in people’s homes. But we greatly need a place of our own for this work. Pray for a property and finances. Pray for the ladies who come to class to be open to the gospel.
Diaspora in Philadelphia
Please pray for a former Muslim ESL student who is starting to read the Bible with JF. Pray the Lord will speak and he will have ears to hear.
Pray for K to develop a significant relationship with the family of a young girl she will tutor for the summer.
Believers’ house burned
Our Zigua believers’ house burned to the ground yesterday. Most of their belongings are now ashes and they are forced to sleep in a small banda until a new house is build. Pray for Emanueli and his family. Pray for their encouragement and Emanueli would have many opportunities to share truth with his neighbors. Pray that this tragedy would be used for God’s glory.
Emanueli’s grandson was upset that his school clothes had burned. Yesterday we prayed with him that God would provide new school clothes for him. Today the clothes were found on their clothesline! His grandma had forgotten she washed his clothes yesterday and hung them out to dry before the fire. God’s so good.
Diaspora in USA
Please pray the US Breakthrough prayer with us: For the glory of God and the salvation of our Muslim friends, Lord raise up 10 new team members, 20 new long-term church partnerships, and 30 new Bible study groups.
Super Seminar
Pray for a church leaders’ seminar planned for next week July 29-August 1st. We expect about 30 men and will spend a day studying God’s plan for missions and another day on how to do inductive Bible study. Pray for the men as they travel and for real encouragement during our time together.
Diaspora in Brazil
Pray for the Portuguese class in Tabejara, Brazil that started with 17 students from Senegal. This was an answer to prayer because we were hoping for at least 5 or 6 students and we thought holding the class in a church building would be off-putting. However God has been good to us and He hears our prayers. Pray these Senegalese students would be open to hear and respond to the gospel!
Pray for the DR workers in Brazil and opportunities to mobilize churches to reach Diaspora.
Samburu Reaching Samburu
A very encouraging thing has been happening in Samburu land. Samburu pastors have been joining together to reach out to the Samburu people in a certain area where a small church already exists. Most of these little churches have only one or two men who regularly participate. What an encouragement for the Samburu men to see seven to ten pastors visiting their homes. Pray with us that these weekend outreaches will bear much fruit. Pray especially that Samburu men will join the Samburu women in praising God.
