Pray for breakthroughs among the Sandawe through Tanzanian pastors and evangelists. Pray God would build His church in Sandawe-land.

Pray for new AICT pastors being moved into Usandawe, that they’d settle well into ministry. The villages of Magambua, Wairo, and Kwa Mtoro will all receive new pastors.

Pray for Tanzanian collegues Deogratius and Gabriel, both from Usandawe area but who are now missionaries serving among the Sonjo and Maasai up near Loliondo in northwest TZ. They are ‘tent-making’ to support themselves and moved to the area this year. Pray for fruitful ministry.

Continue to pray for the Bible translation projects among the Sandawe and the Rangi. Fred and Karen, SIL missionaries, have moved to Dodoma and will be working with the Sandawe and Rangi Bible translation projects. Pray for good progress. Also pray for plans to come together for a Missions Awareness conference for AICT (Africa Inland Church Tanzania) upper leadership.

Pray for Pastor Habonju as he settles in to leading the AICT Kwa Mtoro pastorate, that he’d have a vision for strengthening the churches and continued outreach in the Sandawe heartland villages of Gungi and Mangasta.

Pray for good progress on the Kisandawe Bible translation of the books of Mark and Ephesians.

Pray for trainees who just finished up another 2 weeks of Indigenous Leader’s Training from the Sandawe, Datooga, Sonjo, and Nyaturu people groups. Pray for fruit from learning about abiding in Christ and servant leadership.

Pray for Odilo, who is currently in Dodoma at an SIL training seminar. He is working on the translation of the rest of the Bible into Kisandawe.

Pray for some lay leaders from Usandawe who are attending the Indigenous Leaders’ Training this week in Magambua, led by Pastor Emma Shilikale.

Pray for people to read and understand the Bibles they were given during the outreach a couple months ago. Ask the Lord to build His church among the Sandawe.

Odilo just finished a second Swahili Bible distribution, 221 more Bibles in the villages of Usandawe! Pray for Church growth through the study of His Word.

Please pray for the Bible distribution planned for this week in Usandawe. Pray for good partnerships, logistics, safety and that the LORD would be glorified in this. Pray many will read the Word in their heart language and believe.

There is a new church plant in the village of Handa. The Magambua medical team ran monthly outreach clinics there for several years. This is a wonderful answer to prayer! Immanuel and Janeti are a Sandawe couple who are overseeing that new church. Please pray for them as they serve in this remote location.

Pray for Evangelist Imma and his wife Mama Prisca, who were serving the church plant in Ukombozi village. They’ve been re-assigned to lead the ‘mother church’ in Wairo now, since Pastor Ndaki was moved to Lindi. Pray for wisdom and joy in serving and feeding the flock of believers there.

Please pray for fruit from Odilo’s Luke Film ministry. He recently showed the Luke film in the village of Sanzawa this past weekend. Pray the Spirit will continue to speak to people as they think about the film.

Pray for a Bible training seminar that is happening right now in Magambua village, bringing church leaders from across Usandawe for fellowship and learning.

We praise God for continuing to help us during this time of training. On Thursday evening during our devotion many students made reconciliation with people they have hurt, they forgave their parents, husbands, and some asked for forgiveness. It was a breakthrough moment. We are experiencing changes among them. We praise God also that on Sunday they went to share the gospel and two people gave their life to Jesus.

Pray for us as we teach how to interpret scripture. Pray for the students to continue to mature.

Please pray for the upcoming Indigenous Leaders Training taking place at Nassa Theological College from April 18th to May 8. Pastor Emma Shilikale has organized it, and is hoping for 65 attendees from various people groups, including Sandawe, Datooga, Alagwa, Hadzabe, and Sonjo. They plan to cover the following topics: Pentateuch, Hermenuetics, Cross Cultural Communication (Christian world view), Christian Family, OT survey, World Religion – Islam, Homiletics.

Praise the Lord for the outreach to the village of Mangasta last week. Workers showed the Luke Film in Kisandawe. Lift up those who heard the gospel in this village- pray the evil one will not snatch away the gospel seeds, but that many will believe. Mangasta is 100% Sandawe, with a lot of Muslim influence. A breakthrough in this village would be significant to reaching the Sandawe people.

I just got word that Pastor Msekangale and his Pastorate are planning an outreach to the village of Mangasta from October 30th to November 8th. As part of the outreach, they are hoping to partner with Odilo to show the Luke Film in Kisandawe. Let’s lift up their whole Tanzanian team as they take the gospel to this village in the heartland of Usandawe. Mangasta is 100% Sandawe, with a lot of M@slim influence over recent years.

A couple weeks ago Steve  reported a successful Bible teaching seminar in Magambua among the Sandawe. 47 people attended, and these would be pastors and evangelists from all over, even beyond Usandawe, but many leaders should have come from the recent church plants. Pray these men and women will be equipped to lead and nourish these new flocks of believers in Usandawe.

Pray that the Sandawe believers and church leaders will continue to share the gospel widely and freely with those who still need Christ. Pray for the three villages that have been identified for church plants, and pray that those who are trying to start churches in those villages will have wonderful success.

Pray for the momentum of the church-planting movement among the Sandawe to increase, and that by the end of 2020, two percent of the Sandawe people will be believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. Pray also that in every major Sandawe town and village there will be a vibrant, Christ-centered church that is devoted to evangelism.

The churches in Sandawe areas continue to spread the gospel, and continue to plant churches, praise God! Two more have been planted in the villages of Handa and Mabanzini. And there are a couple more lay leaders who are planning to take a Bible course. One pastor also hosted an eye surgery clinic last week. Please continue to pray for the churches and the work that will continue among the Sandawe people.

East Africa has had abnormally heavy rains this rainy season. For some, this has meant a good harvest, for others, too much rain has meant a poor harvest. Please pray for the Sandawe and others that they would be able to harvest sufficient food for the coming year. Pray also for Believers that they would be bold in their witness both in word and deed.

Building plans are under way for an evangelist’s home in Lahoda where there is a fledgling church. Let’s ask that this building will soon be complete so that an evangelist can minister there permanently.

A young Sandawe couple has recently moved to southern Tanzania for a year long internship that includes not only discipleship but also training in agricultural methods. Please pray for a good adjustment for Immanuel and Janet and that they will learn much during this time.

One of the pastorates in the Sandawe area is undergoing leadership transition. Please pray for both leaders and church members to adjust well to change and that passion for the lost will grow in this area.

We give thanks for several baptisms over Christmas. We also celebrated a number of believers who completed discipleship training. One is the wife of Immanuel. This couple desires to move to Mangasta to minister there. We thank the Lord that they seem to be working through some marriage difficulties and their passion for the gospel to come to Mangasta has been rekindled. Immanuel has not gone through the training but desires to do so. Pray that he will have that opportunity and that other barriers in Mangasta will be broken down.

We have been praying for Kristofa for a couple of years at least. God has answered those prayers in wonderful ways. He is serving as an evangelist in a the fledgling church of Tumbelo. He desires a godly wife. Let’s ask the Lord to lead him to a godly woman who shares his calling and will be a helper in the work.

Pray for pastor Ndaki as he continues to teach 70+ new believers who have gathered since the outreach in Handa finished last month. He’s using the MSINGI (“foundation”) Bible study book to teach them. Pray for their rapid growth in the Lord. Praise the Lord again for the Sandawe beginning to reach out with the gospel beyond their own tribe.

Praise the Lord for the recent Handa outreach where Sandawe churches partnered with a church in Dar to reach neighboring Nyaturu people with the gospel in Mkolahanje. They are also taking steps to place a full time lay leader there for follow up and discipleship.

Please pray for the unity of the Spirit and bond of peace among the
leadership of the churches of Kwa Mtoro. Ask the Lord to galvanize the
believers in the Motto church, that they would hunger and thirst for
righteousness and would sanctify Christ as Lord in their hearts. Pray
for the Lord to make connections between the Motto church and Mangasta
village. Pray that the Motto believers would burn with a joy and a
boldness to share the gospel with their neighbors, always being ready to
give an answer for the hope they have in Jesus.

Let’s continue to pray for open doors in Mangasta. ‘Lord, would you not let the leaders in the other churches become discouraged or complacent because of the barriers that have come up in efforts to reach Mangasta. Would you bring healing and restoration to the family that wants to move to Mangasta to be a witness in that village. LORD, we ask you to remove the barriers and make a way for your light to shine in Mangasta. We ask these things for your glory and for your Name.’

132 people responded to the Gospel during the Handa outreach last week! Thank you for praying. Let’s pray that every single one becomes grounded in the Word and walks in a manner worthy of the Lord. The Magomeni team was taken by surprise and very encouraged by the response. Let’s pray for good follow up and more shepherds!

Let’s give thanks and pray for a multi-church outreach happening in the village of Handa this week. A city church several hours away is partnering with some of the local churches in Usandawe to do an outreach in this village where there has been a witness for several years through the monthly medical outreach. There was some momentum some years ago to send an evangelist to this village but there was not one available to go at that time. There are a handful of Believers in Handa but there is not a “church” to speak of. Please pray that more will come to Christ in this village and that the Believers will begin to meet regularly. Pray also that God would bring or raise up a shepherd for this area.

Lord, we continue to pray for open doors and opportunities to bring the
gospel to the village of Mangasta. The people there seem welcoming but
there have been political barriers. Please resolve these issues so that
Your light can shine in this place.

We give thanks for a wonderful, God-honoring, gospel message service on
Sunday, September 23 in the village of Tumbelo, in which Kristofa was
officially installed as evangelist. There is a small congregation which
has been meeting under trees or a tarp for a couple of years during
which time Kristofa has been discipled by the local pastor. He also had
the opportunity to attend a 6 month Bible course. He is now living in a mostly complete
house in which the congregation can also meet during the rainy season.
Please continue to pray for Kristofa and for funds to complete his
house. There are no doors or windows, few furnishings and the rainy
season is just around the corner.

Continue to pray for leadership and discipleship among the Sandawe churches. There have been several opportunities recently for further training for Believers in sharing their faith. Ask that they will not merely listen but that they will take what they learn and apply it. There are a handful of new church plants with young leaders. Please pray for wisdom for these men and women, that they will be resolute in challenging situations and that they will shine like stars in the darkness.

Give thanks for a recent outreach in the village of Lahoda. People visited homes and shared the gospel with many families. They were warmly received by some, but not all. Most were eager to attend the evening meetings in which Christian films were shown. The population in this area is growing rapidly. Please pray the church will grow in numbers and in maturity.