We want to praise the Lord for the men whom we have been discipling and who are leading the fellowship groups. Three weeks ago we came together to pray for the villages and they decided that we should be coming together to pray once a month. We were so happy for this decision. Also two men who came requested to do TEE (theological education by extension). Please pray for a way forward for them to study and that the Lord will provide books for TEE.

We keep seeing God provide more opportunities to share the gospel. For the last three months Farming work has provided a good platform to share the gospel. Thanks for praying for the field day. We had around seven young people come. After visiting the farms, we sat, then Aron and Clement began to share the gospel with the young men. Please pray that the gospel will transform their hearts. End of the month we will be visiting their villages and do a follow up.

We have had a busy month working alongside men in the farms and getting more opportunities to share the gospel. There is a group of five young men who came to request seeds from us and after we gave them, they have kept coming. We have been sharing the gospel with them. We are going to have a field day and would love to visit other demonstration plots with them. It is our prayer that they will see the power of the Lord and desire to follow Christ.

Pray for a solution to the bird problem. Birds are eating the crops, so children are staying home from school to help chase the birds away. Pray for a solution so that children can return to school.

Pray for those who we are sharing the gospel with- that the Lord would open their hearts to receive  Jesus Christ.

After 15 years of faithful labor among the Lopit in Iboni, the Lopit believers have cleared a spot under a shade-tree to be used for worship – the first church plot in Iboni! This is a great encouragement to Robert and Carole, who long to see Lopit believers become a faithful and fruitful church. Pray that these believers will “grow up in [their] salvation, now that [they] have tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Peter 2:2-3).

Robert is now leading eight Lopit men in four different villages in TEE (Theological Education by Extension). Remember these men in your prayers, “asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give [them] the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that [they] may know him better” (Ephesians 1:17). Pray for Clement, a Lopit believer, who has agreed to lead two young men through the TEE classes in his village of Ibahore. Pray that God will continue to raise up Lopit believers to lead His church amongst their own people!

We are leading a Discovery Bible Study on the compound of the rainmaker in Iboni every Wednesday. We thank God that this man has welcomed us to come and share from the Word of God, and we pray that he would humble himself before the One and Only God, and “Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime; [for] it is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms. He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone” (Zechariah 10:1).

Robert is now leading eight Lopit men in four different villages in TEE (Theological Education by Extension). Remember these men in your prayers, “asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give [them] the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that [they] may know him better” (Ephesians 1:17). Pray for Clement, a Lopit believer, who has agreed to lead two young men through the TEE classes in his village of Ibahore. Pray that God will continue to raise up Lopit believers to lead His church amongst their own people!

The church is growing among the Lopit! Robert is traveling to Imuluha from Iboni every Sunday to lead believers in a church service there. There is a man who attends this service who has had exposure to Christianity but needs to be discipled. Pray that he would faithfully attend the services, and grow in his love for Jesus and his knowledge of the Word. Please keep praying for God’s kingdom to expand to all 56 Lopit villages!

Andrea P. is leading Sunday school during the Ohilang church service. As she takes the children through a chronological Bible story set, pray that they would understand the message of God’s love and salvation as revealed through God’s work throughout history. Please also pray for someone Andrea can disciple to help her lead the Sunday school.

It is encouraging to hear about Aaron, a Lopit believer, who has been pouring into the church in Ohilang, taking leadership, and helping push forward the building of a structure for their services. He is leading choir practice with 25 kids every night, and Andrea P. has also been encouraging him to pray and read the Bible at his home to disciple his wife and children. Pray for this man to “be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe…not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness…hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined…holds firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it” (Titus 1:6-9).

One of the challenges of Bible translation in South Sudan is that each village of any language group can have its own nuances, making the creation of one word bank for a particular language very difficult. The Lopit Bible translation has not been well-received in some villages for this very reason. However, the team is encouraged by the believers who are willing to look past the translation issues because they see the value of having God’s Word in their heart language (even with “mistakes”) to study for themselves. Pray that the Lopit will learn to live, not “by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).

Robert is doing TEE (Theological Education by Extension) with a couple of Lopit men. During the training, one of the men realized within the first couple of studies that he had not yet fully given his life to the Lord. He did so and is now growing in the Lord! Pray that this new disciple of Jesus will grow deep roots of understanding and faith as he continues to study the Word with Robert.

The churches in three Lopit villages – Imuluha, Ohilang, and Ibonni – want to meet together once a month for worship and fellowship. This is possible because of peace between these three villages. Pray that these believers would commit themselves to meeting together monthly to “spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together…but encouraging one another” (Hebrews 10:24-25). Pray that the love and peace between the believers of these different villages would display the unity of the Spirit and attract many others to come and find out more about Jesus.

Marlene made two trips to Lopit last month to do some literacy training with teachers from the school in Ohilang. A few other teachers from the nearby village of Imuhula walked five kilometers everyday to join the training – after having taught their classes that morning! The teachers had a lesson with Marlene in the morning, then went the next day to school and applied what they had learned, and then returned in the afternoon to discuss what they found. Thank God for teachers who are committed and have a desire to grow in their capacity to teach! Please pray for these teachers to impact the next generation in a positive way, as role models and as committed Christians.

Robert and Carole greatly desire to see the church at the forefront of the effort to promote peace between the warring Lopit communities. The years (decades?) old hostilities have left the people in these villages in fear for their very lives. Pray that as Robert and Carole disciple believers in Iboni, these men and women would set the example for all the Lopit to seek peace, “not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead…[to] turn away from evil and do good; [to] seek peace and pursue it” (1 Peter 3:9-11).

We are praying about the community’s desire for a church building in Ohilang. We thank God for Lopit believers who want to gather for services, and for the desire to have a building that establishes a church presence in their community. Pray that the believers will really get behind the effort to gather materials and to work at putting up a simple building. More than a church building, though, pray that these Lopit believers would come to Him “as living stones, built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5).

It’s been a bad year for rains, gardens are failing, and people in Laarim, Lopit, and Latuko communities are worried about what they will eat for the rest of the year. Many people are talking again about going to the refugee camps in Uganda and Kenya. Pray to the Lord, He who “makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate – bringing forth food from the earth” (Psalm 104:14), that He will provide the food that is needed. And pray for wisdom for our team members as they seek to respond with compassion to the situation.

Troy, a vet, is spending two days with some of the local Lopit farmers looking at their animals and doing some training with them. Pray that Troy and Robert’s care and concern for the Lopit and their animals would open doors for sharing about the Good Shepherd who “lays down His life for the sheep” (John 10:11).

Pray that the Lopit would earnestly seek the Lord. Pray they would “acknowledge the Lord…press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to [them] like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth” (Hosea 5:15; 6:1-3).

Please pray for the two faithful believers in Imoluha (a village in the Lopit mountains), Thomas and Clement. Both of these men have remained faithful to the Lord while facing much opposition from their community, including their own wives. Despite the opposition, they deeply desire to help their village, not only by being a witness for Jesus there, but with practical skills. Pray for Thomas as he pursues medical training at the Torit Health Institute, and Clement as he pursues veterinary training. Pray for them from 1 Corinthians 1:8 – “He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Please pray for Apukay, a Lopit believer that Marlene and Andrea P. discipled when they lived in Iboni. She has remained faithful to trusting in Jesus as her Savior, even when so many others who made such commitments have fallen away. However, as an illiterate woman in a village that has no church or other believers, it is hard to grow as a Christian. God’s “divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by His own glory and goodness” (2 Peter 1:3) – pray the Lord will empower Apukay to live a godly life for Him.

I have not been back to Ohilang since my father passed away last spring. Today Marlene and I are going back to the village to mourn with the people that my dad spent his final years of ministry with. While this will be hard, I also know it will be good to grieve together with the community that my parents and I have been part of for the last three years. Please pray that this is a time of healing, of growing deeper relationships within this Lopit community, and of sharing the gospel as we remember my dad’s witness and love for Jesus.

Please continue to lift up Umjuma, the widow,  in your prayers. Last month she experienced yet another loss – the death of her mother-in-law. Umjuma had been living in the same compound as her mother-in-law and had found her to be a great support and help. The losses she has faced this year have been so heavy, and yet I am encouraged by her faith and tenacious clinging to the Lord in times of trouble. As she raises her three children, as well as her three nieces/nephews, pray for her: “Hasten, O God, to save [her]; O Lord, come quickly to help [her]… [She is] poor and needy; come quickly to [her], O God. You are [her] help and [her] deliverer; O Lord, do not delay” (Psalm 70:1, 5).

It has been so encouraging to see Umjuma align herself closely with the local church in Torit since resettling there after Luka’s passing. Young as she is, she has taken a real leadership role through her presence and commitment. Recently she was the preacher for the Ladies Fellowship, and she shared about building your foundation on the Lord so that when the storms of life hit, you are prepared. Please continue to pray for Umjuma, now widowed and raising young children on her own, that though the winds blow and beat against her, she will not fall, because she has her foundation on the rock (Matthew 7:24-25).

Pray for the Lopit: May the gospel be preached where Christ is not yet known, that “those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand” (Romans 15:21).

SIL (Wycliffe) has taken on Lopit as a full time Bible Translation project this year. They have a couple of Lopit translators living and working in Juba and working on the New Testament. As they gather resources together so that they can make use of the existing materials that our team has worked on with the community already, pray that there will be good collaboration between the SIL team and the missionaries (past and present) working among the Lopit. Pray that God will bless this translation, and speed along its progress.

Last month Marlene made several trips back and forth to Ohilang from Torit to close up ministry and help move Umjuma and her children back to Torit. On one occasion she met with a dear old lady that she has known for years. Over the years, Marlene has shared with this woman parts of the gospel, but on this occasion while talking about the passing of Luka, Marlene was able to share with “T” her sure hope that she will see Luka again in eternity. Marlene then shared the whole gospel, creation to Christ, with “T”. As they were talking it became evident that “T” had stopped speaking to Marlene and had started talking with God! This felt like a great gift to Marlene in the midst of much loss and sorrow over the last weeks. Pray for “T” to grow in her trust in the Lord, and that He will teach her through His Spirit.

It has been good to have Chuck and Shelley, former Pioneer missionaries among the Lopit, back in Lohutok for a couple of months. They have spent quite a lot of time with Paulo going through several TEE (Theological Education) books, as well as time with Thomas and Clement encouraging and teaching them. We thank God that despite several years away, their passion for discipling the Lopit has remained. Pray that those they have discipled in the past and during this stay will continue as faithful followers of Jesus.

Thomas and Clement are two believers in a Lopit village that is a 1-2 hour walk from Iboni. Since Luka died and Umjuma has moved back to Torit, they have committed to taking turns walking to Iboni to lead Sunday morning services for the believers there. This is such encouraging news! These men have faced persecution in their own village, and yet, like the faithful who defied kings and cultures before them, they have trusted in God, “…willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God” (Daniel 3:28). Pray that their witness and testimony would encourage the believers in Iboni, Ohilang, and elsewhere, to do the same.

After Luka’s death and others leaving, we are really asking the Lord what AIM ministry in Lopit looks like now and in the future. We are hopeful about Robert and Carol’s return after their studies (at least a year from now), Landi joining the Lopit ministry later this year and Andrea’s return, however right now there are more questions than answers as we think and pray about Lopit ministry. Pray we will have the wisdom and understanding to see what God is doing to reach the Lopit with His salvation, for He says: “Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?” (Ezekiel 18:23).

Last month, peace talks between the villages of Lohutok and Ibahure were arranged by an inter-church committee for the South Sudan Council of Churches. It was encouraging to see the church rise up to address this decades-long conflict between the villages. The peace talks seemed to go well, and an agreement was signed between the two villages. Please pray for a lasting peace, that will only truly come by salvation through the Prince of Peace.

Marlene has been back in Ohilang for about a week now. She is closing her ministry there for a time, either to lead the Inbound team, or until the team builds up again so she won’t be out there alone. Pray that these few weeks she is in the village will be a blessing, both to her and the community. Pray the Lord will continue to strengthen and build up the Lopit who have come to faith. And keep praying for more workers to participate in reaching the Lopit with the gospel.

Jordan was able to arrange for the mission coordinator for this region and one of the women in the church, to go out to Iboni to visit Luka and Umjuma. Owinja and Betty spent 3 days with Luka and Umjuma, participating in their ministry to the Lopit, as well as encouraging them through fellowship. Betty came back to Torit with a new perspective about the plight of the Lopit. Truly “the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4). Pray that Owinja and Betty will serve as catalysts in the Torit church to send out more laborers to preach Christ among the Lopit and other unreached peoples in South Sudan.

Umjuma is trying to start a women’s ministry in Iboni. Her desire is for all the women in Iboni to come together. That’s a big dream! But pray that she will be faithful to whatever the Lord is calling her to do, not to give up, and not to become discouraged. Pray the women will come and that God “will make [Umjuma] a light for the Gentiles, that [His] salvation may reach to the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6).

Please pray for the reconciliation talks between Lohutok and Ibahure villages. This is to take place on Fri 17th Dec. Please pray for wisdom for those leading it. For the local believers to stand up and speak against the history of violence and revenge and for hearts to be changed. Pray for the peace of God which surpasses all understanding to be present over the days leading up to and days following these talks.

Katy is a young Lopit woman Marlene has been discipling over the years. Pray for her as she starts her studies in Juba, that she would make the most of the opportunity and be able to switch to the School of Medicine after this semester (after being placed in Veterinary Science instead of her study of choice). Pray also that she will find godly friends and a good church family while in Juba, and that this may be a time of spiritual, not just intellectual, growth.

The AIC church raised awareness and money for missions on Mission Sunday last month. Bags of food and supplies were purchased for Luka and Umjuma. It is exciting to witness the church stepping up as senders! Pray they will have wisdom as they continue to move in faith to send and to go. Pray for Luka and Umjuma as there is no team out there for a few months, and remember them as they carry on with the work in Iboni. God is with them; we are never alone.

Continue to pray for the Bible study groups that were meeting with Marlene in Ohilang. While she and Andrea are both on home assignment, pray that these seekers and young believers will keep meeting and stay faithful to Jesus. “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all” (Isaiah 7:9); pray for Itak, Iouru, Aaron, and all the other believers, to stand firm!

In the last few weeks Marlene has been able to follow up with her friend, Ilouru, who expressed a desire to follow the Lord. They are now meeting on Tuesday mornings for Bible study! Pray for Ilouru and her husband, Itak, to “turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus” (Acts 20:21), to invite neighbours to learn from the Word, and for the light of the gospel to continue to grow in the village of Ohilang.