The small group of believers has begun to meet again and pray for and encourage one another. Thank you for praying! Pray for courage and sweet fellowship.

Believers that used to meet and encourage each other are now not meeting because of persecution, people leaving, and fear. Ask that God would embolden His children and that they would have fellowship with one another.

The house of a recently orphaned teenager burnt down. A new believer was filled with compassion and shared her clothes, dishes… and also the Word with her. A brother in Jesus wrote a song about God as Father to be sung for her. Ask that the believers would continue to speak the Word as they minister in love.

One Arab woman saw her Berber friend reading the Word and began to read with her. Later she texted: ‘I love to read the Word; will you study with me too? I love the Lord Jesus.’ Ask that she follow Jesus wholeheartedly as Lord and that those who believe will continue to hold out light to friends!

An Arab man is married to a new Berber believer. He is open to the gospel and asked to meet with another believer last night for coffee. He asked many questions, listened to the gospel, and accepted prayer, but he is not yet ready to surrender. Pray he would bow his knee and be given faith to receive Christ’s gift of life! Ask for the salvation of his family… including all 5 children.

As an Arab woman listened to the story of how a friend had heard of Jesus and come into the light. She said that she was interested but frustrated when she heard about the Trinity. Please pray for the veil to be removed and for God to reveal Himself to her and others like her as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

“If I deny Jesus only with my mouth, he knows my heart, right? I am so weak. I love my family. ” An Arab man texted heart-wrenching questions in fear, knowing the threat is real. Ask that he and other Arabs would set their hearts on Jesus and remember His worth.

As they discussed the Night of Power and visions, an Arab woman described how her mother had seen a dove come from heaven and touch her head. A blind woman was walking with her and when told about it said, ‘You should have let me know! I would have asked for my sight.’ Yet right after the story when they heard of Jesus…they rejected him. ‘We ask for visions, but not of the Messiah.’ Ask that in their longing to see, they would not reject the only One who gives sight!

A 16 year old Arab girl asked to see and read the gospel in Arabic. She read chapters at a time and asked insightful questions. Her 13 yr old brother came up and said, “Of course, you are talking of Jesus, right? And have you spoken of Peter or John the Baptist yet?” He had read for hours on the net! Pray that young Arab children would hear and believe!

A man who has believed for years was baptized last week. He has tasted persecution and fear but in great courage chose obedience. There were many tears. Ask for many more to believe and obey.

When Zainab’s foreign believing sister-in-law in America persevered in love in her marriage to Zainab’s alcoholic brother, her view of Christians changed. She sought out Christians in her home city and said she wanted to read the New Testament. Pray that Arabs who have contact with believers will communicate the beauty of Jesus to other family members. Ask that they would be drawn to study the Word.

Please pray against discouragement among the new believers when older believers shrink back. Ask for repentance, and pray that believers would stand firm and that their love would not grow cold.

Please ask that brothers and sisters would be willing to partner together in suffering. May they rejoice in others’ boldness rather than distancing themselves in fear.

Pray that each one would love Jesus above all else- above families, jobs, acceptance, safety. Ask for courage to speak truthfully especially as pressures increase during Ramadan.

One Arab brother said, “What kind of Father would put his son in danger? God would not want this for me.” God the Father sent His Son into danger that led to death; and the Son with all authority laid down His life only to take it up again. Pray that each one would value Jesus more than safety and would know that the most loving act of all is to tell others of eternal hope.

This Saturday a few brothers and sisters will gather together for only the second time in years in this huge city with millions of people. While they were before Jesus in prayer last week, they were bold, but after they separated, fear crept in again. Pray for boldness in proclamation and boldness in gathering.

Ask for brothers in the battle of the unseen that they would stand strong fully armed (Eph 6) and would honor Jesus above family and safety.

As friends discussed Islam at university, a young believer was simply quiet. When others asked about the silence, she said, “I don’t know much about your religion.” This raised questions in the mind of another student. She has since given a Bible to the student and they have been reading and studying beginning with Adam. Praise Jesus for the courage of our sister. Pray that she will also receive the certain coming suffering as fellowship with Jesus.

Several young men who used to want to ask questions about Jesus are now more concerned with building houses, finding wives, and getting jobs. Pray that these men, and others like them who have just graduated from university, will be stirred again to ask questions of Jesus.

Friday about 10 Arab women are attending a Resurrection Tea at a believer’s home. They will hear the story of Abraham and of the cross and resurrection. Ask for the gift of faith.

He has been a believer for years, and has been drawn close to the heart of Jesus, feeding continually on His Word. However, there has been much fear, and he had distanced himself from the lost. This week, someone recognized the words he spoke as coming from the NT and asked him if he could receive a copy. With great new courage, this brother gave a stranger the Word of God. Pray for continued boldness and that this believer and others will disciple others!

“Rachel” had been given a Bible a while ago. She said, “I was reading about Abraham and I looked for Ishmael and I couldn’t find him. Isn’t he in the Torah?” Her eyes don’t work well, so her daughter read aloud the passages in Arabic of Hagar and Ishmael. When we continued to sacrifice of Isaac, she said, “In the Koran, it isn’t Isaac; it is Ishmael.” She still spoke in amazement of Abraham’s obedience and said that even today, they offer sheep on the Eid so that their children can live. When I explained that Jesus’ death paid for our sin and allowed us to live, she told me that this is another place the Koran and Injil disagree. Even after hearing about how Jesus lovingly chose to die for the purpose of our life, she shook her head. Pray for Rachel and her two daughters to continue to read the Word, and to believe in our only hope: Christ’s death and resurrection.

“Seraj” has been persecuted for his faith in the past and is unwilling to risk meeting with other believers. He has walked with Jesus for years, and is using his life in defense of the oppressed and abused. We are thankful for his faithfulness. Pray for him and others like him who know the truth, but live in fear.

God answered your prayers for fellowship! The brother who has been a believer for 14 years (“Yohanna”) but had never met another local believer face-to-face, met “Ivan.” Ivan has been a believer for 2 years and does not live in the same city, but was traveling through when my husband sent him a text about connecting! It was a gift of encouragement for Ivan to see 14 years of Yohanna’s faithfulness and it was a gift of courage for Yohanna to hear that Ivan had told his wife and children of his faith! They spent a few hours rejoicing in fellowship and have been sending Scripture to each other via phone now that they are apart. There is another mature brother in the city that is still afraid to meet the others, and a fourth who is young and willing to meet anyone but the older ones feel he is a risk. Pray for increased love and boldness.

He is a believer, but has never been to a church building. The church building here is for foreigners only. He also has never met with a local believer, so has no local house church. When we offered to introduce him, the other believer was afraid to meet. He has worshiped with our family in our home. My husband and he were studying language together just as I was headed out the door to practice for choir and he asked if he could just go to see the church. We all headed out the door together, and I thought he would just take a tour. Instead, he and my husband sat and prayed together. And as the odd crew from three continents came in to practice singing, he joined in, asking if he could come just for practices. Continue to pray for courage and fellowship for our brothers and sisters here.

“Mary” has said over and over, “I feel so at rest when I am with any of your ‘group’.” As we walked last week, another friend joined us, and they discussed the differences they see in the lives of Christians. “Mary” has a Bible; the friend that joined us, “Naomi,” has asked for a Bible, but has canceled each time we were officially planning to meet. “Mary” said that she is too busy to read it. “Naomi” says that she wants to read and study it, but with her husband traveling, transportation is difficult. Pray for each of these women that they would recognize that any beauty in believers is all and only Jesus and that they would be drawn to faith and the Word.

Pray for our local brother who so often feels alone. He knows no other local believers in our city. When there are threats or danger, he tends towards isolation which increases fear. Ask for wisdom for him to know when to meet with foreign believers; he is so welcome, and invited, but concerned. Pray that he will know when and who to share with, and that God would gather local believers here to encourage one another.

Zahara, a woman who had read the gospel online and had asked for an Arabic NT, missed our meeting to receive it because of sickness. As Fatima and I walked at the park a few days later, Zahara called to say that she had just seen us walk by. Only her eyes were showing and I would have walked right on by without her call. As we continued on walking together, she explained that it must have been God’s favor that we meet. Praise Jesus for his arrangements! Then she and Fatima got into a conversation about the troubles in the country and comparing Christians and Muslims. Zahara said, “It is easier to enter Islam if you have not yet met a Muslim.” She turned in apology to her fellow Muslim, but Fatima was nodding. Hypocrisy is always horrible. Pray for these women who are drawn to what they see in followers of Jesus, but who are still trying to hold onto Islam if only it is “done right.” Pray that they will find the yoke of Islam too heavy to bear, and that they will see the open arms of Jesus on the cross, holding out forgiveness and grace.

One young Arab simply came to ask if he could park his car within the church yard for a few days. He lives near the old church that is for foreigners only, but knows the guard. The other man wanted to ask a few questions, “Do you worship three gods?” “What do you think of Deedat?” We spoke of the mystery and wonder of the Trinity and of Deedat’s tendency to take bits of truth out of context and twist them and challenged him to read the Word for himself. We offered one in Arabic, but he refused. Pray for this young man and others like him who are uncertain enough in their religion to be searching for confirmation on the web. Pray that they will not accept false affirmation or hope but would continue to search until they are satisfied in Jesus.

Two local college-age ladies came into the Anglican church and took pictures of each other kneeling and bowing before the cross. At this point, there are no local people who come to the church; it is for foreigners only. It wasn’t a Sunday or a Friday; they weren’t there for a service, but they did have questions. My husband was there meeting an artist, and gave the young ladies my number. When we met the next day, they were friendly and kind, but hesitant to speak. I wonder if it was the young man that came along with them. One of them did ask some questions about when the believers meet, and said that she wanted to come for the Christmas service. Both said that they would love to come to our home. Pray especially for “Ruth”, who seems sincerely interested, that the opinions of others would not keep her from responding to the stirring of Jesus.

Her first question was, “Why do you call yourselves children of God?” As she heard of the sweet closeness of that relationship that God longs to draw her to, the conversation went on to the prophets and she asked, “Who came first, Abraham or Jesus?” She had no idea that this same question was asked of Jesus himself centuries ago! She listened carefully to the testimony of Jesus as the Word that was before all time, but that came to earth as Jesus through the miracle of a virgin giving birth. She was taken aback by the thought that Jesus is God, but continued to ask questions of his death and was enthralled by the details of his resurrection. She said, “We can find all the prophet’s graves, but not the grave of Jesus.” It’s true; there are places people think may be his grave, but because it is empty, it is tricky to know. =) Pray for “Kathy” that she would receive the faith of a child that believes the incredibly mystery of Jesus as Living God and Savior.

Ladies from the neighborhood congregated at the home of the newborn baby. Conversation swung from how to deal with disobedient growing children to the fires in Israel. Self-righteousness fought with helplessness. One declared with tones of satisfaction that the fire was God’s judgment on Israel for their treatment of Palestine. Another pled with humility for advice to simply get her daughter to obey. Each listened as believers spoke of the root issue always being sin, of God’s love for each nation, of the need for repentance and forgiveness offered at the cross. Pray especially for “Janet” and her daughter, that each will recognize their need for personal repentance and that they would receive the gift of life that they have heard of for years.

“Faith” sat with tears at our table again. She was on her way to the dentist and had her phone stolen; then she got a call from her husband’s employer that her husband was taken by the militia. He had been kidnapped in the past for a paltry ransom; this time he was suspected of being a terrorist and held for two days. No money was required. Her brother had an argument with her father and left for Italy on the boat, illegally. She apologized for her tears and said, “Praise God. In all things we praise God.” Please ask Jesus to reveal to her who it is that she is fighting to praise! He is the living water that satisfies! Years ago now, we read John 4 together. She has the Word in her home, but does not know to turn to Jesus there. We receive these sorrows in surrender, begging that they will bring her to her knees before Jesus.

“Naiomi” has just been invited to come to our home this Saturday (Dec 3). Pray that she will have the courage to come and that embers of her interest in Jesus would be blown by His Spirit into full light! When we met unexpectedly a week and a half ago as our children played at the park, she told me that she was curious by nature and that she had read some of the New Testament and prophets online and had watched the Jesus film too. She specifically asked, “Can you tell me what you believe about Jesus? Do you have an Arabic NT that I could see and read?” I told her that I did and asked if she would like to read it together and she said that she would! She is free only Fridays and Saturdays, so please pray that she would not be kept from studying the Word of Jesus!

Please pray for “Katy,” a new friend of less than 3 weeks. She is in an abusive situation at home, and yesterday I shared Matthew 11:28 with her and prayed for her in Jesus’ Name. She said that she had been having dreams about me and had gone to ask one in her family who knows about dream interpretations. In her dreams I’m constantly planting trees. Her sister said that maybe the trees were to build a house in Paradise; I suggested that they were women and people I care for and want to have freedom…tending to them. And she “prayed” that I would live long and be able to help the many who come. She puts huge significance in dreams (most do). Pray that she will have a dream of Jesus! That she would trust in the Lord and be like a tree planted by water, and does not fear when heat comes. (Jeremiah 17: 7-8)

A brother in the East has been arrested for sharing his faith online. The authorities found him by tracing his IP computer. Pray for courage and grace for him and all the believers. Pray none would shrink back, and that they would be discerning in communications.

Thank you for praying for our daughter’s friend and her mother who suddenly disappeared. They’re back! Our daughters tearfully embraced for a long time. There are a lot of rumors flying around about where they went and the mother is being very secretive and defensive. But she seems to trust me. Pray for them to come into the Light and experience the miracle of restored relationships.

Please pray for an Arab woman who is meeting a believer for the first time this Wednesday. She has heard the gospel through the internet and wants to meet someone to talk with them of Jesus. In a neighboring country, a man is also asking for a call from a believer and wants to be baptized! Pray for clarity in communication and for continuing follow-up face to face!

Pray for two brothers in the faith who were imprisoned and tortured and video recorded recanting their faith. They had not told their families of their faith. Pray for each one who hears and sees this evil, coerced confession. Ask that God would tenderly draw these wounded ones…and that what the enemy intended for evil, He would use to further declare His glory! Pray the darkness of the enemy would be exposed and that the grace of Jesus would be irresistible.

My daughter’s close friend and her mother just disappeared. Her father and other adult children have had no contact and have no idea where they might have gone. There are many sorrows in this home: knives have been pulled (and the daughter came to our house), forgiveness refused, and when my daughter was sharing about Jesus, the older sister told her to stop talking about these things and pulled the little girl inside. Pray that Jesus would mightily intervene, that the mother would have an experience like Saul/Paul and recognize the truth and worth of Christ. May Jesus guard this precious girl and awaken her heart to faith.