A long time ago two of our colleagues prayed for a secretary in an office close to ours. They prayed that she would be able to get pregnant. She came to us recently and told us that she is now 6 months pregnant! Our Island colleague was able to share the story of Elizabeth and her miraculous pregnancy with this lady. Pray for her heart to be open to more of Him because of this answered prayer and the similarities in hers and Elizabeth’s stories.

Pray for our believing friends here on Vanilla Island. Pray for great encouragement amongst them and a big effort for meeting together more regularly. Many desire to meet but location and distance pose a big problem.

In this new year, we are focusing prayers for i3 on the unity of the body (for patterns of healthy communication, repentance and forgiveness) and for there to be believing i3 families growing together in their faith, adults, youth and children! Please pray with us.

Praise that there were lots of chances to share about the birth of Jesus and all that was said about Him at His birth. Pray that those who heard would have a growing desire to learn more about Jesus and would seek Him!

Pray for opportunities to love on neighbors and friends this week as many people are very against the idea of “Christmas” thinking it has to do with drunkenness and debauchery. Pray for sweet times of sharing cookies and time and the Truth of Jesus with all we meet.

Tomorrow we are organizing a Christmas meal with the neighborhood, Pray that God reveals himself in a very special way. Sunday will be our Christmas service with the small church community, pray that everyone will be encouraged and strengthened. Also continue to intercede for Peace on this island- the violence continues.

Pray for the large holiday gathering today bringing together believers and expats from around the island. Pray that it would be a unifying event that encourages everyone to share the joy and hope of the season with their friends and families. Pray for the kids that will attend and especially for the group that has prepared some songs and a drama. May we see families grow in their faiths together.

An older island man just finished studying through a set of stories on Jesus, and he has asked to study them all a second time! Pray that this study would open his heart to accepting Jesus as Lord.

Pray for the women’s gathering this week. They are hoping to study part of the Christmas story, as well as make plans for the big gathering on the 17th, including practicing the new Christmas praise song in local language. Pray that it would be a unifying time that would encourage the women to get excited about the holiday season and help them feel ready to share with others the story and significance of Jesus’s birth.

Violence is currently exploding on the island. This week there has been a fight every day in lots of different villages. This morning I heard gunshots, and it wasn’t just tear gas. Pray for the protection of our brothers and sisters here. Pray that God guides the authorities in their decision-making. Pray that He reveals Himself in the midst of this darkness. May God direct our brothers to people who are thirsty for God and ready to receive His word.

Pray for islanders to engage more with the translated Word. There are apps, printed books, and audio players. Pray that they would be used by both believers and seekers. One island man recently asked more than one teammate for the Word, so just this weekend he received a portion. Pray that he and others that now have the Word would read it and be transformed by it.

Our team has had more chances than ever to invite people to read and study the Word with us. Please pray that those who hear will be open to what they hear and that the Lord will speak to them.

Pray for a meeting this week to plan another large group gathering. Pray that the different representatives would be available and that there would be great unity between everyone and that these big gatherings would be a blessing to the body on i3. May the body grow in depth, breadth and unity for the glory of Jesus.

Pray for Mama Fae up on the plateau. Last week her application from our study was ‘to believe and follow Jesus to get eternal life’! Whilst we don’t know what she now thinks about her old book and old prophet, she has made big steps towards Jesus. Please ask for her heart to be fully His, and for her family to follow too.

One of the team members studies with a family each Sunday. They are growing in their ability to make connections between different stories in the Word. However, recently their landlord told them they need to get out because of their faith or pay more for their rent – more money than they can easily pay. Please pray for a change of heart on the landlord’s part.

Pray for an older man and seeker in the capital. He happened upon a weekly study with an islander brother and worker and ended up studying with them! He said he’d join them again. Pray that this connection might continue and that it might inspire both the brother and the seeker to grow closer to Jesus!

One member of the team started studying the Word with a friend. On the second meeting, his brother was there and then this last week another guy joined. May this group grow in size as they grow in knowledge of the One who saves.

Pray for Ma Fae and Ma Dorcas on the plateau, reading and hearing truth each week. Ask for open hearts and courage to question long-held beliefs.

The last two weeks of September were very full with testing and reviewing portions of the Word that have been translated. Praise Him for the work that was done as well as the number of people that were able to be involved. Pray for perseverance in that work and for the Word to speak to all who read/hear it.

One of our house helpers has had some strange and unexplained things happen to her. She fears it’s because of evil spirits. She chose not to go to local religious leaders but asked our team to pray with and for her. She also may start regularly praying with the family she works for. Pray for consistency on this and for God to work in her life.

Urgent prayer request for our sister R in the islands on I2. She has become quite bold in sharing her faith. Her father has just threatened to kick her out of her house if she doesn’t deny her faith in Jesus.  He says that if she refuses to deny Jesus, then he will send for the police tomorrow to come and arrest her.  R says that she isn’t afraid for her life and she won’t deny Jesus, but she is distressed about what would happen to her 3 children if she is arrested.  She is also concerned that the police will destroy the copies of the Word that she has at her house.  Please pray for our sister for courage and peace in her heart. Pray for her father’s heart to be changed. May what the enemy intends for evil, be used for good in the name of Jesus.

Pray for many good relationships and Gospel conversations in a new village our teammate has moved into. Pray that one day there would be a group of believers meeting together there.

Pray for local believer B who was seriously injured in a workplace accident. The local body is trying to support him to seek care abroad – pray for healing and provision.

Rachel has returned from the islands so the family is reunited and we continue to visit each week as we have done for the past 9 years. They have heard many stories in that time and we have seen increasing understanding. Continue to remember them that they would recognise their need of a change of heart. Pray too for us that we would know what to share with them each week.

Pray for a friend of mine who is terminally ill. It has been difficult to visit her as she is so sedated she’s always asleep. Pray for God’s help for these visits and for more opportunities to share Truth with this woman and her family.

Pray for i3 believers, especially sister E and her family. A friend of E’s husband was at a meeting at the big gov office on i3. There was a discussion about a new faith that was spreading rapidly, and they identified E as the leader. The friend defended E as a good person, but warned her husband that they need to be careful. Pray for peace for them, and wisdom in what to do about an upcoming retreat being hosted on i3. They don’t want to cancel it, but do want to do it in a less open way than they often would.

Please pray for Jay and Zina. As the university school year ends, they are seeing more and more islanders leave to go back to the islands. Please pray for opportunities to clearly present the Message, and for the islanders to meet people who will point them to Christ while they are in the islands.

Pray for a family of believers who have been meeting together for a year with a worker who is leaving soon. Another team member will take over meeting with them (although it will be less often). Pray for this transition and that they will meet on their own and continue to grow.

Thanks for praying – the book release celebration went well. Let’s be praying that those printed words would be well used, loved, and believed. Let’s also pray for the continuing i3 translation project as they do remote checking on 1 Sam with islanders on i3, a worker on i1 and consultants abroad. Pray for good internet connection, good communication and a great result.

On Saturday July 15th we are having a ceremony to launch our newly arrived printed Word! It contains Genesis, Exodus, Luke and Acts with beautiful island-style artwork. Please pray for the launch: for things to go smoothly, for everyone to feel involved and included, for protection from unfriendly eyes. Please ask that the book and audio players would be distributed wisely and used well. Ask for an increased hunger for the Word!

The first copies of the printed books with Genesis, Exodus, Luke and Acts have made it to our island! Pray for plans to wisely distribute and celebrate these few precious copies, for them to be well accepted and used and for more copies to follow them shortly.

Please pray for Ma Dorcas and her family, whom I’m trying to start storying with up on the plateau. There is definitely interest, but it is a chaotic household. The most recent ‘setback’ is that once again a relative has taken their Book to read for themselves. In a way this is great news! But I long for us to read together. Also keep praying for Matthew and Harvey, brothers on the plateau who fell out a long time ago. There are possible plans for them to meet – please pray for reconciliation.

Praise for the wedding of two island believers this past weekend in a Jesus- centered ceremony on i1. They will shortly be returning to i3 and combining their families of 6 kids. Pray for their marriage; that they would establish good patterns of relating to one another. Pray for their kids in this big transition, especially the 2 moving to i3 after several years on i1.

We have received our first shipment of Genesis and Exodus! For the first time we have scripture in bound books that look beautiful and like respected Holy books in this island’s local dialect. Brought over from Tanzania by a friend on a boat. More coming in his next shipment. Please pray for these first books to be the start for all scripture to be made into such respectable books. Pray for the others to come without issue. Pray for safe distribution amongst believers and beyond!

Pray for two upcoming wedding celebrations, one between two workers and one between two locals. Pray that plans would come together and that there would be a true sense of a community coming together to celebrate. Pray too that these events would give a richer vision of what marriage is, and how the island body can celebrate them together.

Pray that the monthly women’s gathering this week would be a powerful time of studying the Word and praying together. Many i3 believers (both workers and islanders) will travel to i1 for the wedding of two workers, pray that this wedding would bond believers together and help model the focus for godly marriages.

Our team is continuing with monthly disciple-making trainings for local be!ievers. The next training is coming up soon. Pray for local followers to remain excited about growing in their faith. Pray for a hunger and thirst for righteousness and a daily desire to spend time in God’s word and in prayer. Pray for boldness and courage for local followers to be sharing their faith with those around them rather than giving into the temptation to hide His light.

Please pray for Jay and Zina who have shared with an island friend in Madagascar. Pray for him as he is more and more interested in the good news but also really doesn’t want to give up his Muslim heritage, culture and values.

Praise that in recent days and weeks, islanders have helped lead three new people to Jesus: two older men (including the father of an island believer) and a friend of a younger believer. Praise that the commitment and prayers to share and see new people come to Jesus are being answered. Pray for even more fruit and for these new decisions to be followed up with steady growth.

God is doing something! 8 more were baptized today here on i1! Five with the local group, and then Ma A, her daughter A and their neighbour! Ma I had invited them so they could see what baptism actually involves, and then they decided that they were all ready to make the decision themselves!