A few weeks ago our small Digo church asked God for a big request, which was to bring 100 adults to our Easter celebration. For comparison, last Easter the church didn’t want to celebrate, and at Christmas we only had two others join us. In faith that God would provide, we rented a tent, 100 chairs and bought lots of food. As the Jesus film started I counted 98 adults, then I found 2 people whom I had not counted: an exact number of 100 adults present! With children included we served food to 165 people. Many stayed to watch the Jesus film and hear testimonies of other local believers. God is moving among the Digo!

Please join us in our prayer of faith: “Father God, please bring 100 adults to join us for chai at our church on Easter Sunday.”

Please pray that as the Digo have been known as the most zealous of the coastal peoples for Islam, that now they will become the most zealous for Jesus.

Praise God for Abdullah, an older man who has been a powerful witchdoctor his whole life. He was told the Gospel and he fought with the spirits in him who were telling him to resist the good news. However, he decided to leave the work of being a witchdoctor, the spirits left him and he is now filled with the Holy Spirit. In this last month he has continued to remain firm in his decision, bringing 3 others to Christ as well. Pray that he can remain firm despite the fact he is now without a job or income. Pray that he can continue to be a bold witness in the face of much opposition.

M. grew up as a Muslim. He stopped going to the mosque a few years ago though. He started attending church a few weeks ago. He gave his testimony to me yesterday. He recalls three dreams. The first one: he was asleep and someone was trying to cut his head off with a knife. The second one: he was at the top of a coconut tree and then he fell. The third one: the man Jesus was standing before him and told him to come. That week, he was invited to come to church. He hasn’t missed a Sunday yet. Pray that M can understand who Jesus is and what Jesus is about. Pray that M can be a faithful witness to those around him.

In a village where little truth is actually known about Jesus, the Jesus film in the tribal language was shown at the prompting of a bold Digo Christian man and his family. Almost 100 curious people showed up to hear Jesus speak their language! May His words penetrate the Digo hearts in the village of M and accomplish what He purposes. His words will not return to Him empty.

Pray for two men to be trained in Bible storying who will then go to their villages and share the stories. Pray for God to prepare good soil for the seed and that many would believe!

Pray for the Africa Inland Church of Tanzania which hopes to start a primary school and a high school for local students in the town of Tanga. Usually a high school or secondary school is for students who are boarding there, so this is a new experiment. They hope that local young people can stay with their families as they reach adulthood, and will become strong productive members of the local church, involved in evangelism to their own friends and neighbours.

The Digo are in the middle of a very dry season; pray for the rains that will help the crops grow, and that the Digo will come to know the One who can give them living water.

Please be praying for the children of local believers who are teased and bullied for not attending Madrassah (Quaranic school). Ask that they would have perseverance and joy, and that they would be an example of Jesus’ love to their classmates.

Please pray for a relationship that may be beginning soon among two Digo women. We are hoping that N will take F under her wing and begin to do Bible storying with her in Digo. It will be much more effective than a native English speaker doing it, and exciting to witness a Digo discipling a Digo!!

Sometimes it’s hard to stay hopeful, or see how a difficult circumstance will work out in the end, but as it says in Esther 4:14 “Who knows but that you have come to your position for just a time as this?”
Mwana is a Digo Christian, who had been out of school for some time and then had trouble finding a school to accept her for the new term. When she finally found a school and got settled, she befriended a Muslim girl, Christine. One day this girl had an attack of some sort and immediately Mwana prayed over her and the attacked stopped! She asked Christine to come to church, but the family wouldn’t give her permission. After some persistent invitations, she was eventually given permission and attended a local church. She was excited that she knew some of the Bible stories they talked about.
Thank God that He placed Mwana in that school at just the right time to bring her friend to church, and pray that the excitement she has will develop into a desire to learn more about who Jesus is.

Rejoice in the way Jesus is moving in Digoland! Two women who just started attending a local Digo church are eager to know more about who Jesus is! Pray their families will continue to allow them to attend church and they won’t be harassed by others.

Two weeks ago the church in Tsimba began sending Digo men in pairs to do evangelism in a new area. Last week there were 14 professions of faith by Digo people in response to these Digo men’s message! There is still much follow-up to do, but this is a very encouraging beginning! This week two ladies from the church have gone to the same area for outreach. Pray that the individuals doing the outreach would be encouraged in their faith and that the seed which has been planted will have landed on good soil.

As Christians we are to “go and make disciples”. This week two Digo believers from the young church here in Kwale are going out to a nearby town to tell people about Jesus! Please pray that Jesus will begin to work in the hearts of the people they’re going to meet.

Thank you again for your encouraging prayers! As a result of the prayer request we sent about Grace, there were a few people who donated money to her and she was able to go on her trip!! She is currently in Uganda with her YWAM group!
Please be in prayer for the local Digo church in Kwale, it has recently gone through some difficult times with leadership. Ask that they will always seek God first and not let this situation cause a rift in the “baby” church.

Pray for Digo believers in Kwale who are enduring trials these days. Pray for hope and a deeper knowledge of God as they walk through these times.

There is Christian Digo family whose oldest daughter is the one I am going to ask you to pray for, her name is Grace. Grace is 20, she’s involved in YWAM in Mombasa, and her group is getting ready to go out on their mission trip. Most of the students in the group are middle class Kenyan, so the funds are not an issue for them, unlike Grace who comes from a very poor family. BUT she is praying and trusting that God will provide just what she needs! Our prayer for Grace is that she’ll continue to be an example of Jesus’ love to other Africans, and grow in her faith in Jesus. It’s so encouraging to see a young Digo woman with such a heart for missions!!

Pray for Digo believers in Kwale who are enduring trials these days. Pray for hope and a deeper knowledge of God as they walk through these times.

There is Christian Digo family whose oldest daughter is the one I am going to ask you to pray for, her name is Grace. Grace is 20, she’s involved in YWAM in Mombasa, and her group is getting ready to go out on their mission trip. Most of the students in the group are middle class Kenyan, so the funds are not an issue for them, unlike Grace who comes from a very poor family. BUT she is praying and trusting that God will provide just what she needs! Our prayer for Grace is that she’ll continue to be an example of Jesus’ love to other Africans, and grow in her faith in Jesus. It’s so encouraging to see a young Digo woman with such a heart for missions!!

Ramadan starts on Monday and the Digo will be trying hard to please God. Pray for the believers living among them to make the most of every opportunity to share the hope of the gospel.