The Jiye church continues to grow, with leaders like Loumwa who is faithfully serving in Lopiat. Despite rains making areas like Kassengor difficult to access, the ministry continues with God’s strength. Please keep the Jiye ministry and translation team in your prayers, asking God to guide and empower them.
Translating Mark
Thank you for praying for Jiye. We had a successful training in Kapoeta and the team is now working on the oral translation on the book of Mark. Please pray for each team member:
• Simon Ruma (Anglican church)
• Longe Benjamin (Salt and Light)
• Lia Amukro (AIC)
• John Mark (Catholic)
• Simon Namoni (AIC)
• John (Catholic)
• Popowa Robert (Catholic)
• Jacob Samaki (AIC)
• Daniel Baitte (Salt and Light)
Filled and Anointed
In Jiye, Simon Amoni and Loumwa continue raising more leaders as they start their Oral Bible translations. Simon leads the work in Kassengor while Loumwa leads the work in Lopeat and Moruangipi. Pray for these men to be filled with the Holy Spirit and anointed for fruitful ministry.
Roundtable
Pray for Toposa/Nyang’atom/Jiye round table collaboration meeting to take place soon at Kapoeta for all local churches and ministries reaching the TNJ. Pray for sweet fellowship, unity of vision, and resources such as bibles, audio Bibles and Jesus film for some leaders who need them.
Translation team needed
We thank God for what’s happening in Jiye-land. Pray for Simon Amoni and Loumwa, the Jiye leaders, sharing the gospel in the community. Pray for an Oral Bible translation team that is needed to have the gospel in their heart language. Ask the Lord to call people to this task. Keep praying for the salvation of many in this community.
Traveling
Wanyonyi, Claudio, and Nelson plan to go to Boma on Wednesday and travel for 10 days with Benjamin Challo and other Jie leaders. Getting Petrol for motorcycles has
been challenging. Pray for safe travels and fruitful ministry.
It’s a pretty dangerous time to travel in SS. The Lango are really causing trouble. Pray that this team remains safe.
OBT!
Finally we have launched the Jiye oral Bible translation! Pray for this people group that finally they will hear the word of God in their own language, and hearing they may believe.
Bible translation
Pray for Jiye Bible Translation in Kapoeta this week. Pray for no technical problems, for unity, and Spirit-led guidance to produce a good translation, which will bless many.
Water
Water is still a challenge among the Jiye people. Please pray for provision of water. Thank God that locals are begging this week to dig a dam- pray for 200 villagers and our leaders working on this that at least they will catch rain water. Pray for opportunities to speak of living water. May many come to the source of Living Water.
Closed
Pray for openness in areas that are closed and do not welcome the gospel. Pray for the existing churches, evangelists, and apostolic team, that the Lord will give us breakthroughs in reaching out.
Leadership training
Pray for the IDLF (intensive discipleship and leadership formation) training that will go for one month in Sept. Fourth generation leaders from TNJ (Toposa, Nyang’atom, and Jiye) will come for deep teaching.
Pray for churches to stand firm and leaders in TNJ, who have experienced minimal persecution but many are discouraged. Pray for them.
Needing a school
Pray for provision of even one school in Lopyat region.
Pray for more disciples among the people.
Pray for missionary Simon especially for God’s provision for personal needs. He is moving to Kassengor.
Thank God for the peace among neighbours.
Pray for the rain to come as most people are suffering and migrating to far away villages due to the drought.
Needs
Pray for missionary Simon, especially for God’s provision for personal needs as he moves to Kassengor.
Pray for more disciples among the people.
Thank God for the peace among neighbours
Pray for the rain to come as most people are suffering and migrating to far away villages.
Pray for provision of even one school in Lopyat region.
Grow strong
Pray for the new groups in Rumit and Boma to grow strong and faithful in the Lord.
Training
Pray for three disciples attending the Intensive Discipleship and Leadership Formation training this week.
Pray for Kassengor villages that Simon will be able to help motivate house churches.
Pray for Lord’s provision for Jiye outreach.
Update
Thank God for peace in the region. Pray for the establishment of at least one school in Lopyat. Pray for more disciples and strengthening of new believers.
Pray for blessing on missionary Elijah and his family.
Translation begins
Pray for us as we begin the journey of Bible translation and Jesus film in Jiye. Pray for good translators who will be committed for the long haul.
Persecution is real. Pray for the church.
Jiye leader Simon Amoni told me, “Me and Loumwa had gone to show Jesus film at night at Chumameri church. Many people were gathered including youths, women, children and men. In the middle of viewing Jesus film, a youth came in and started causing some chaos and asking who brought this thing here. He disappeared and after a short time came back with a gun and shot at the screen thinking that would end the film. Thank God none of us were standing. We were all seated and that is how we survived. No one ran away, instead youths caught the youth and took the gun, and we were asked to continue with the film! And at the end approximately 150 people lifted their hands for prayers.” Persecution is real. Pray for the church.
Living among them
Please pray for Kenyan missionary Eliah Korobe serving among the Jiye, South Sudan with Seeking the Lost. He has typhoid and is undergoing treatment in Kapoeta. Eliah has been the front runner for this for work among the Jiye. We are now seeing over 1,000 disciples, with 9 churches and several discovery groups. The Jiye have encountered a lot of persecution and so Eliah moved residentially among them two weeks ago. Eliah will live among them for a season to model discipleship and train up leaders. This is a huge step of faith as the Jiye do not even have a secure water source, they are very remote and impoverished.
Need rain!
It seems the only remaining well in Nwayapack has broken causing everyone to migrate, people are fainting and collapsing along the way. They have been forced to Namurupth which is the next closest well where there is now fighting. Some even walk 80km to Naliel to find water. The situation is very bad. There are many boreholes that need to be repaired, we are a long way from the rainy season at the end of May if it comes on time. Please pray.
Janet
Pray for peace between all neighbours.
Thank God for sister Janet and as she graduates in February and joins her people to make disciples.
Pray for the Jiye Bible translation to be accepted.
Survey
Pray for mission survey to be done from 4th Feb to the 11th. Pray for the survey participants to see the needs of the Jiye and know what the Lord would have them do.
Pray for Elijah and family as he starts his two year work amongst the Jiye in Lopyat, Kassengor.
Churches
Pray for Simon Lomwa, Lokure Mary, Peter Peta, Lochakuwa, and chief Lochebei who are church leaders in Jie. We praise God for newly planted churches in Nawoyagule and Lobarbar and their leaders Sarah and Angelo. Pray for the church to be strong despite the physical hunger and thirst that is sweeping the Jie people especially the area of Lopeat due to the drought.
Jiye update
Pray for God to open many doors for fruitful ministry for the disciples in Kassengor.
Thank God for brother Shalo in Nauyapuru. Ask God to bless his ministry.
Pray for the Jie disciples to be disciple makers.
Ministry update
Pray for Jie disciples to be obedient to Lord’s command.
Pray for Kasengor town to be accessible during the rainy season.
Thank God for peace between neighboring communities.
Ask God for motorcycle for disciples and solution to water problem.
Pray for group leaders to be faithful.
Pray for God to provide for health facilities in all Jie villages.
Pray for Bible translation project that is to start soon.
Persecution
Please pray for new Jiye churches that are undergoing persecution from local Catholics. Our missionary leader serving there just received word that the Catholics have planned a series of meetings to persecute the disciples. This has been a growing trend as Catholic leadership in the region have felt the new expressions of Christian faith that is growing among the Jiye is a threat to their traditions. Please pray for peace, wisdom and Spirit- led response for the believers as they encounter this. Thank you.
New church and answers to prayer
Thank God for Brother Shalo’s new church in Nauyapuru. Pray for the provision of audio Bibles for the church and for each believer to grow in grace and faith.
Thank God for peace between the Jiye and their neighbors.
Thank God for the new school and new air strip in Kasengor.
Provision and persecution
Thank God for opening the Kasengor airstrip and for the new Jiye disciples who joined the training school this month.
Pray for provision of health and education in all Jiye villages and pray against the spirit of persecution that is happening in Lopiat.
Give thanks for the good visit of Elijah and Loramio in Lopiat and Kasengor and the baptism that was done. Pray God would continue to build His church in these villages.
intense persecution
Please pray for workers among the Jiye in South Sudan. They are facing intense persecution. Pray for clear communication between missionaries and village elders. Pray for favor and openness for the teams.
Actual numbers of decisions for Christ are hard to discern because of the tribal nature of the Jiye. However, they have recently baptized 75 people. They currently have 10 churches with approximately 150 people in each church.
Persecution and resistance
Pray for Elia and the team among the Jiye. There is persecution and resistance and Mary the key leader was persecuted recently. Catholic leaders went and instructed the people negatively about the Gospel work which caused a negative perspective to emerge. Elia has been very effective and fruitbearing among the Jiye. He and the recently trained students from Harbigners Bible School in Kenya, have talked with the elders and community to clear things up and refute the Catholic accusations. Despite all of this, of the nine churches, 4 are going on well but one has died. Pray for the team of locals to have encouragement and persevering faith. Pray for them as their Jesus Film equipment has not been working well and is losing its charge quickly and takes 5 days to charge. They need new equipment. Thank you for praying.
Desparate situation
The water situation in Jiye land is very desperate and needs urgent prayers. No rains and very high temperatures (up to 47 degrees (116F) during the day) are making the situation dire. Encouragingly, the disciples are still keeping the groups and churches going even at this hard time. Missionary Elia and two other Toposa leaders have gone to the Jiye to strengthen the believers for three months, from April 1st until June. Pray the Lord will flood this land with rains and with His Holy Spirit.
Desperate situation
The water situation now in Jiye land is very desperate and need urgent prayers. The disciples have been sending many messages to missionaries for help especially about the lack of water. This has been caused by a dry season with temps up to 47 degrees (116 F) during the day. Encouragingly, the disciples are still keeping the groups and churches going even at this hard time.
Missionary Elia and other two Toposa leaders are heading there to strengthen the groups and leaders for 3 months from 1st April until June. We hope to receive rains by June in order to have a mass baptism of Jiye believers.
Prayer requests
Please pray with us for:
1. The disciples’ spiritual growth
2. The leaders’ Training in March
3. Peace with neighbors
4. Provision of health and education facilities
5. Water in remote villages
Prayer requests
1. Pray for disciples, leaders, and sustainability
2. Pray for the young churches
3. Pray for water in lopyat
4. Pray for peace with neighbors
5. Pray for the outreach in January till March
Outreach and follow-up
We are starting follow-up and outreach to old areas and new areas on the 28th. We have four different teams of 3 going out with the Jesus Film in different directions. Pray for fruitful ministry and many to come to Christ.
Warriors hostile to the gospel
Among the Jiye, women are receptive to the gospel, but young men are hostile. These men see themselves as warriors, and drunkenness is a stronghold, along with their traditional beliefs. Pray that they would hear God’s call to be warriors for Him and to be filled with the Spirit rather than with alcohol.
Prayers for Jiye
Pray for disciples in Kasengor, Lopyat and Buma among the Jiye.
Pray for peace with neighbors
Pray for God’s provision of desperately needed hospital, schools, and water.
Pray for faithfulness in the disciples’ lives.
Pray for the Jiye disciples in refugee camps.
Sent out
Just talked to Mark on Sat phone. The 17 disciples being trained the past three months (2 of which were Jiye the rest were Toposa and Nyangatom) have returned to their villages with commitments to engage 74 new villages in their areas. In one Jiye location last month we partnered with IAS and Across and drilled one bore hole. Through that we gained much favor. In that village 2 women of peace were discovered. In the last month these ladies began 6 discovery groups which have become 3 new churches meeting under trees. Also over the past two months there have been 40 new baptisms. 2 of which were Jiye. Pray for these 17 disciples as they begin their ministries in these 74 new locations and fulfill their faith commitments. Pray for the new Jiye believers among these 6 new groups to continue to multiply. Exciting times.
training and outreach
Pray for Joseph and Nakelio who are leading a discipleship training program and follow up among the Jiye for the next 3 months. Pray for much fruit.
Outreach
Pray for the outreach planned for next week among the Jiye. Ask God to prepare many hearts to hear and respond to the gospel.