Pray that their fear of the spirits will bring the Mahafaly and Antandroy to cry out to God for salvation. Pray for the local believers (from other tribes) who work and live in the area, to be bold to share the Gospel in love and compassion.

Pray for open doors for the Jesus Film Evangelism Program and for many to believe the message.
Pray that both Mahafaly and Antandroy people see the deceptiveness of the witchdoctors and witchcraft and turn to God and the Gospel.

Pray for the Mahafaly people who are still an UPG. Last year we started working among them with the Jesus Film in partnership with local pastors. Pray for the Mahafaly People, that they open their villages for us to go and do evangelism. They are still hard to reach.

Our evangelism team will visit Amboasary region (Mahafaly). Pray for a good visit and opportunities to share the Gospel with this UPG in south Madagascar.
Pray for the conference which will be held with the FJKM church in Mahafaly-land. May God awaken His church and built it so the local believers can reach the Mahafaly people for Christ.

Pray that the Mahafaly will be set free from bondage of ancestor worship and witchcraft. Please pray that God will open hearts to the truth of the Gospel and the glory of Jesus.

Bible stories continue to be translated into the Mahafaly dialect, and these stories are being shared throughout the area villages by both global and local missionaries. There is a radio station which broadcasts these stories, and when Covid hit, the stories were aired more frequently. This reminds us that the Word of the Lord will not go out void, that his Word is “alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joint and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Pray that the darkness, the ignorance, and the blindness would indeed be penetrated, and that many Mahafaly would proclaim Christ as their Lord and Savior.

One Mahafaly tradition is to adorn their kings’ and chiefs’ tombs with the skulls/horns of the zebu, which figures in many of their rituals. The zebu is seen as a symbol of life and nobility; it links the living to the dead. The dead are seen as intermediaries between the living and God, as they are transformed into another phase of life, to “ancestor.” Pray that the True Intermediary, Jesus Christ, would link many Mahafaly people to the One True God. Pray that the Lord would show his power in ways that the enemy never could. Pray that many would answer the call to missions and be sent to Mahafaly to preach the Good News, and that many would enter the kingdom of the Prince of Peace.

At present we have no AIMers working amongst the Mahafaly, but we know of some believers who exist amongst this remote people group. Praise the Lord that he has the power to save, and that he has a remnant of Light-bearers to reveal his way out of the darkness! Pray for one particular believer that we know of who in the past has traveled to distant towns seeking to gather groups of people in order to share Gospel stories. May he continue to be faithful, as his Lord and Savior is faithful. May many, many Mahafaly people stop adorning the graves of their chiefs and kings, but rather bring their offerings—their very lives—to the King of Kings and Chief of Chiefs. Pray that nearby Malagasy churches would take up the mantel that the Great Commission requires and serve our God in Mahafaly land.

Pray for the Mahafaly believers of southwest Madagascar as they press further into lost areas with the Gospel. In the last few months, one believer has traveled to a new town without groups meeting, gathered a group, and begun sharing Gospel stories with them. Pray for him as he continues to follow up, as well as for this group to trust in Christ and grow into a church.

The Mahafaly of southwest Madagascar are in the midst of a three-year drought that has affected much of Eastern Africa. In this third winter of minimal harvest, many in the Mahafaly villages are going hungry. They say, “We’re at a loss. We don’t know what else to do.” Church leaders, all young believers, face incredible pressure to return to ancestor veneration, witch doctors, and charms to bring the rain their villages so desperately need. Pray for the Provider to provide this people with the sustenance they need. Pray also for the Mahafaly believers to stand strong in faith in Christ in the midst of incredible suffering. Pray for wisdom for the NGOs and Christian organizations seeking to alleviate this huge physical need.

As new Mahafaly believers have come to Christ, they’re committed to submitting to God’s Word in their marriages. They have many questions! They also face challenges as God’s teaching on marriage conflicts with their culture in many cases. Please pray for our team as we plan and host a marriage retreat for our church leaders and their wives in April. Pray for the Holy Spirit to give the leaders His vision for their marriages and homes.

Please pray for three chosen Mahafaly apprentices who are studying with our team this week. Pray for understanding as we teach on marriage and Jesus as fully God and fully man. Pray for wisdom as these men take this teaching to their churches. Pray also for boldness and love as they address issues their churches face: marriage issues among leaders, temptations to waver between faith in God and ancestor worship, and the heavy months of heat and drought that may be coming.

As the new Mahafaly churches work to disciple their “children churches,” they have chosen two leaders to study God’s Word more in-depth. These leaders will then teach the other leaders. In the last month, two other leaders have felt God’s call to take this next step. Praise God!

Pray for:
– the churches as they confirm and support these (possibly) four leaders.
– protection for the families of these leaders.
– wisdom for all the leaders as they disciple new believers in villages where they’ve planted churches.
– passion for all the churches to press out to the furthest reaches of the Mahafaly: the town of Ampanihy.

In the city of Toliara in Southwest Madagascar, evangelical churches work to reach their families, friends, and new areas around them with the Gospel. One church has a vision for planting 40 new churches around the city. Pray for:

– each believer in this church to catch God’s vision for His name going forth.
– each believer to be equipped to share the Gospel and the grand narrative of Scripture.
– wisdom and sustenance for the leaders of this church.
– fellowship and cooperation between all the evangelical churches in Toliara.

God has faithfully started many new churches among the Mahafaly. New leaders face temptation, persecution and suffering. Many of their families pressure them to return to the ways of the ancestors. The intense famine and drought the Mahafaly have experienced the last few years cause leaders to fear for their families and communities. Pray that leaders and new believers will stand strong in their new faith, empowered with His Spirit (Ephesians 1:15-23).

Praise the Lord there are now more than a dozen new churches among the Mahafaly! Please pray for the new churches:- that believers would grow in their faith and be established.
– Pray that they would share the gospel and plant new churches
– Pray for those suffering, as a result of drought

New groups of believers- pray that new believers would be committed to studying the word and meeting together. Pray that they will share the truth with friends and family.

The International Mission Board (IMB) reports that they are praying for rain so that they may have water to baptise the several new believers who have come to faith in the remote areas around the church plants south of Tulear.

We praise God that the International Mission Board (IMB) has seen three churches planted, and leaders equipped to plant other churches, south of Tulear, Madagascar.

IMB reports that they are praying for rain so that they may have water to baptise the several new believers who have come to faith in the remote areas around the church plants south of Tulear.

The IMB has seen 3 church planted, and leaders equipped to plant others, south of Tulear.

The IMB has seen 4 Mahafaly churches planted in villages south of Tulear, southwestern Madagascar. Please pray for the continued development of those groups of believers and that they may be encouraged to multiply their fellowships.

During a survey to Analaiva, we learned that a significant number of Mahafaly migrant workers are permanently settled around the SUCOMA sugar cane plantation. There is potential to work through a local Biblical Baptist church to reach this group. While there are no Mahafaly believers in the church, the pastor is part Mahafaly and has a heart to reach this people group.

There is a possibility for a short survey in 2 Mahafaly villages south of Tulear in June. This will be done in partnership with the Evangelical Baptist Church who has expressed a desire to see a church planted in the Mahafaly dialect. The EBC has proposed a Malagasy pastor (Herman) from their denomination to lead a church planting team to the Mahafaly. We are hoping to get to know Herman better during the survey.