We are swiftly approaching the end of December and the end of 2017. Since January we have been praying that five Samburu men would follow Jesus by the end of this year. Thank you to all who have been praying with us and asking God for these men. We have had a lot of contact with men this year. A number of men have received a “Treasure” (solar-powered MP3 player with Bible stories, scripture, and Christian songs). We cannot measure how much God’s spirit has been working in hearts of men we know. Until now, we have not seen those five men make a commitment to follow Jesus Christ. Please continue to pray with us for those Samburu men as this year ends and 2018 begins. God is sovereign and He will answer our prayers in His time.

In the last seven weeks more than a hundred “treasures” have been distributed among the Samburu in our area. A “treasure” is a solar powered MP3 player. These treasures have three sets of Bible stories, the gospel of Matthew, Paul’s and John’s letters, Christian songs, and the soundtrack of the Jesus film, all in Samburu! As most of the Samburu in our area are illiterate, these treasures give them the opportunity to hear the Word of God in their own language. Quite a number of Samburu men are eager to receive one of these players. Pray that God will speak to the hearts of many Samburu as they listen to His Word

Often when people come to faith in Christ, they still struggle with old habits. Pray that the Samburu will be completely set free from their old ways of relating to one another, and that they will be filled with the wisdom from above that is pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, not partial or hypocritical. Pray that this spirit of God’s wisdom will permeate their lives.

A young Samburu man is good friends with Christian missionaries in his area. Recently he got married and they attended the wedding. Pray that he and four other men will openly follow Christ and become open, committed members of the local church, which so far is only attended by women and children.

“Please give five men to the church at Lchakwai in 2017.”

Please continue to pray with us that five Samburu men will decide to follow Jesus by the end of 2017. Pray for many opportunities to proclaim the gospel. Pray for conviction, that they will recognize their need for a Savior. Pray that they will seek after God.

Pray also for the women who attend church that they will understand the Word that they hear and the songs that they sing. Pray that they also will truly seek after God. Pray especially for the four women who try to meet on Friday afternoons for praise and prayer.

Pray for women in the church to understand the Word more deeply. Pray they will seek hard after God and mature in their faith. Lift up the four women who try to meet regularly on Fridays for prayer and praise.

Please continue praying for five men in the village of Lchakwai who will become faithful followers of Jesus and strong participants in the church.

Pray that God will raise up 5 men in a small village who will boldly confess their faith in Christ and be the leaders of the small church. So far the church has only women and children in it.

Please pray that the Samburu in the village of Lchakwai will respond freely and openly to the gospel. Pray that the men will begin to openly confess Christ and seek to learn what it means to follow Him. Pray for five men to take an open stand and begin attending church services.

Pray for Mama M, a Samburu sister in Christ, who is going through some trying times. Normally her husband is quite reasonable, but recently he has been drinking too much. He has mistreated her, her two co-wives and their children. Last week her mother died. In addition, last week a planned fire got out of control and burned down her house, the houses of her co-wives and the house of her mother-in-law. Pray that her faith and trust in the Lord will remain strong in the midst of these troubles. Pray also that her husband will stop drinking, and decide to follow Jesus.

Several Samburu church leaders are on a committee to establish a Bible school for pastors and evangelists. Right now, each pastor has to serve several congregations. Pray for the Bible school to be established and flourish.

The Samburu have a reproducing, indigenous church, but there are still villages and large remote areas of the tribe that do not have the gospel. Pray for those who are actively going to those areas, that they will find many receptive people and that churches will be planted.

Please pray with us for five Samburu men to make a decision to follow Jesus by the end of 2017. One man has said twice that he will come to church but he has not yet come. A number of men have been asking for the “treasures” (a MP3 player with Bible Stories, Songs, and Scripture in Samburu). A number of men have been willing and sometimes eager to listen to the stories of Jesus’ death and resurrection in our house. But we don’t see men who are really seeking God. We pray particularly for Lemusi. He will not come to the service on Sunday morning. He thinks that the services are only good for women and children, not moran (warriors) and men. Only God can call these five men to himself. Pray that He will work in their hearts.

We have recently returned to live and work in a somewhat remote area of Samburu County. Our vision is that by the end of 2019 a Christ-centered, sustainable, multiplying church will exist at this location. At present, no Samburu men are attending the Sunday church services. Pray with us that five Samburu men will become disciples of Jesus by the end of 2017.
An encouraging note is that already several men have expressed their strong desire to receive solar powered MP3 players with Bible stories and singing in Samburu. A couple have said that they would join the church but we have not seen them on Sunday yet!

In the last four months, a Samburu pastor has visited the village of Lchakwai for a few days each month. We praise God that this has been possible and for the encouragement those visits have been to the Samburu people. The last time Pastor visited he brought six “treasures” (audio players) with him. Each of these plays the 31 Samburu Bible stories, Samburu Christian songs, and all of the Samburu Scriptures that have been translated so far (Luke, Matthew, Galatians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, Philemon, and the epistles of John). He gave one of the “treasures” to the women of Lchakwai village, one to the men of Moru village, one to our watchmen, one to the women of Raragon village, one to our friend Lemusi for the young warriors, and one to the woman who first so insistently asked to have a church! Pray that God will use His Word as these Samburu listen to these “treasures.”

Please pray for 78 Samburu who were recently baptised at Gatab. Pray that they will walk faithfully with the Lord, growing up in every way into Him.

Keep praying for a faithful Samburu speaking pastor for the church in Kurungu, and please remember Solomon, now at Ukambani Bible College, in his studies.

Lord, we pray for all those amongst the Samburu who have looked to you for salvation in faith. We pray that they will feel the burden for sharing this good news with others. We pray that they will get adequate teaching to understand the gospel in a way that will help them to clearly and simply explain it to other Samburu in a culturally sensitive, but non-compromising way. We pray that they will clothe themselves with ”gospel shoes”, a readiness to share the gospel wherever they go. We pray that you will give them opportunities to share and lead them to people whose hearts are prepared for the gospel in the way that Lydia the purple seller’s heart was. We pray that, as they speak, Samburu will be convicted by your Holy Spirit of sin, righteousness and judgment. We pray for those hearers that you will remove the veil from their minds that keeps them from understanding your Word. We pray that you will help them to see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ and shine the light of the gospel in their hearts, bringing them too to a saving faith in Christ, to the glory of God. In Jesus’ name Amen

Another prayer request for the Samburu today: “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation”- Colossians 1: 21-22
The Samburu believe in one creator God, the giver of all good things. They pray to him often and ask for his blessings. Yet they have a very limited definition of sin. Most would say that they have not sinned and therefore are not alienated from God. Therefore they do not feel the need for a Saviour to reconcile them to God. Pray that many will recognize their sinfulness, seek and find reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ. Pray specifically for Lemusi, a morani (warrior) friend of ours, who shows compassion and concern for many, observes the rules of Samburu tradition, yet doesn’t understand his need for Jesus.

One thing that seems to hinder the gospel from taking root among the Samburu is the consumption of local alcohol by men and women. It is quite common that after a market day, where many people meet and animals and other goods are bought and sold, some of the men come home drunk. Money they received from selling an animal was eaten up in buying alcohol rather than food for their families. Their treatment of their wives on those days is not the best. Even men who seem interested in the gospel when they are sober, fall into this trap. A number of women make an income by brewing and selling alcohol, especially on market days. Pray that Satan’s hold on them all will be broken. Pray that there will be a seeking after God rather than alcohol.

In one area of Samburu, a small group of women meet under a tree on Sundays to sing their praises to Jesus and pray together. A few teenage girls who trust in Jesus participate as well. None of the women can read or write. This week (July12-17th) a Samburu Pastor will be visiting this area, visiting in homes, and preaching at the Sunday gathering. Pray that through his visit God will bring encouragement to the few believers. Pray that he will be able to speak with men who have shown interest in the gospel and that God may draw them to put their trust in Jesus.

Please continue to pray for the churches in the South Horr Valley. Churches in South Horr are, according to reports, not doing well, with in many cases, only a very small percentage of adults (both men and women, but mostly women) attending. There are many more children in attendance. Apparently the PCEA is the only exception with about 40 adults in attendance.

We can thank the Lord for a former short term missionary, who came back with his friend for many years to train and disciple the young men they led to Jesus while volunteering at a boys’ school in South Horr, the neighbouring town to Kurungu. In God’s providence, after just over a year of full-time discipleship ministry in South Horr, he was suddenly in need of new accommodation. He is now safely installed on the property outside Kurungu. Which means, that on top of continuing with his ministry to the young men and others in South Horr, he is also able to play a more active role in the church in Kurungu.

Please continue to pray for the churches in the South Horr Valley. Churches in South Horr are, according to reports, not doing well, with in many cases, only a very small percentage of adults (both men and women, but mostly women) attending. There are many more children in attendance. Apparently the PCEA is the only exception with about 40 adults in attendance.

We can thank the Lord for a former short term missionary, who came back with his friend for many years to train and disciple the young men they led to Jesus while volunteering at a boys’ school in South Horr, the neighbouring town to Kurungu. In God’s providence, after just over a year of full-time discipleship ministry in South Horr, he was suddenly in need of new accommodation. He is now safely installed on the property outside Kurungu. Which means, that on top of continuing with his ministry to the young men and others in South Horr, he is also able to play a more active role in the church in Kurungu.

In the most recent post, I had asked for prayer that another Samburu pastor could come in the months when the first pastor would not be able to visit, while we are gone overseas. (“Pray that another Samburu pastor will come during the months that he is not able to come.”) God has answered that prayer in that Pastor Lemeidimi of Wamba has committed to coming in those months. Praise the Lord for His work in raising up these men who will sacrifice to travel and minister to the Samburu in our area. Pray for much fruit from their work.

Martin and Joy Koch, missionaries to the Samburu, will be going on Home Assignment for eight months. They leave their small village of Lchakwai on May 20th. One of the Samburu pastors from another area has committed himself to visit Lchakwai four times, for a week each, while they are gone. He will preach at the Sunday Service in Lchakwai, visit homes, and encourage believers and seekers. Pray that another Samburu pastor will come during the months that he is not able to come. Pray that nothing will hinder him from coming as he plans. Pray that God will richly bless that ministry.

A Samburu TIMO Team recently finished. The two single men on the team started meeting with the men of Moru every Friday night to hear a Bible Story recorded in Samburu and to talk about it. A missionary named Martin has been going up to Moru Friday evenings to continue that meeting, now in the home of one of the men. However, participation has been poor. Pray that God would move those men to desire to know God more. May some of them make a commitment to Christ and eventually be the leaders of a church in Moru. Pray with us to that end.

Lord, we pray that the Samburu will have the veil removed from their minds, that, as they are blinded by the god of this world, You will open their eyes and help them to see the glory of God in the face of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We pray for the church amongst the Samburu.. especially for godly leadership, according to 1 Pet 5.. men who will shepherd the flock willingly, not for selfish gain, but eagerly, not under compulsion, but willingly. Please eliminate strife, corruption, and bring sacrificial love and integrity. We pray for revival amongst the Samburu believers. God, please raise up a Samburu-speaking pastor for the Kurungu church.

Abortion is common in Samburu. Young unmarried warriors have girlfriends. It is common, almost expected, that they will have sexual intercourse with their girlfriends. Understandably a number of girls become pregnant, but it is not acceptable for an unmarried girl to give birth. That is very bad in their culture. Therefore, the only solution seems to be abortion. Pray that many Samburu, women and men, will recognize the sanctity of the life God has given, reject abortion, and change those traditions that lead to this dilema.

Please pray for the mobilization of the existing Samburu church into missions and church planting among their own people. There is particularly a need for this outside of the few major towns where the churches are (Maralal for instance). In the northern Samburu land there is a great lack of faithful pastors.

Pray that the Training in Ministry Outreach (TIMO) team would continue to grow in understanding of the Samburu language and culture and that the skills that they have already would build bridges with
the community. Pray also for more boys and men to turn to Christ; in areas where churches are starting, it is mostly women and children (especially girls) who attend the services.