An update on Saidi. Thank you all for praying for this man. The evangelist who had been discipling Saidi was able to go to his village to visit him. The evangelist was very encouraged. The good news is that Saidi is strong in his faith and is walking with Jesus. The lapse in communication had something to do with an issue with his phone. The discouraging news is that Saidi’s wife wants nothing to do with Jesus and has left Saidi. Their three children are away at school. Not sure to whom they go during school breaks. Continue to lift this family to the Father. Nothing is impossible with God!

Please pray for Saidi, a Sandawe Muslim background believer for whom we have prayed before. He has broken off contact with the evangelist who was discipling him. We are not sure what is going on and if he might be questioning his new found faith. He does not have much support from any church or believers in his home area.

Before Christ left the earth, He prayed to His Father that believers would be “perfectly one, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and that You loved them even as You loved Me.” Please pray that this supernatural unity would be evident among the Sandawe believers, and that many would be saved as they observe it.

Please pray that the unity among believers in the Sandawe area will be a clear demonstration that Jesus is the Christ. Pray that many Sandawe who are hearing the Scriptures in their own language will put their faith in Him, and that they will be welcomed into local churches and grow.

Please pray for the Sandawe people and their neighbors as the rains have come to an end with little to show for it this year. There will be little to no harvest for many. Last year’s harvest has run out and food prices are high. They are in need of both physical and spiritual nourishment. May the Lord provide.

Easter weekend we had two showings of The King of Glory movie. The first night there were some glitches and low attendance, but the second night went smoothly and more people came to see it. One of those was an evangelist, who has asked if the movie could also be shown in his village. Now there are plans to do that. Pray for the people who saw the movie at Easter will remember what they learned and put their faith in Christ as the promised Messiah and King. Pray for good attendance at the next showing, and that the evangelist will be helped in his ministry through the things people learn about Jesus as they watch. Praise the Lord for answering prayer.

Pray that a new Sandawe believer and his wife who need discipleship and are encountering persecution for their faith can afford to move to live with Christian friends who are willing to disciple them. May they learn that the Lord Himself is Jehovah Jireh, the wonderful Provider for His people.

Please pray for many Sandawe believers who are brand new in their faith. May they receive sound teaching and grow into faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. Praise the Lord for these new brothers and sisters, some of whom are coming out of Islam.

Please pray for two showings of a movie entitled “King of Glory” over Easter. Pray that many friends and neighbours will want to come with their church friends to see it, and that it will open up fruitful discussions about Jesus the Saviour. Pray that the love and unity evident in the believers will convince their friends that Jesus truly is God’s Son, the Way, the Truth, the Resurrection and the Life.

Praise God for three recent baptisms of new believers this past Sunday, all Sandawe folks! Pray for their growth in Christ, and that others in their families will come to faith in Him.

Pray that the believers may be one as the Father and Son are one and be brought to complete unity so that the world may know that You sent Your Son and that You love all peoples.

We were able just recently to get a fresh shipment of the Msingi (foundation) Bible study books. We’re planning to distribute them to all the churches in Usandawe for them to use for discipleship Bible studies. Pray for these new believers especially as they work through the study, that their faith would be established firmly, and for older believers to be equipped anew! Pray that the Sandawe Christians would share the gospel with unbelievers.

A praise for how God is working among the Sandawe is for a young woman, E, who was delivered from demonic activity, who is actually from a different area of the country. She also comes from a Muslim background, but came to stay with relatives to seek help. She’s now being discipled and working through a Foundations Bible study book that two pastors translated years ago! Please continue to pray for our local church and for a mighty harvest of souls in Usandawe.

Our new brother ‘S’ is having trouble finding acceptance among the Christian churches here. Complicated relationships and fears of Muslim reprimand over his change in faith seem to be at the root of it. Please pray that as he weathers these storms his eyes will be fixed on Jesus and not on the failings of His followers.

‘S’ who entered the Kingdom after seeing a vision, hearing an audible voice telling him that “Jesus loves him” and then listening to the Word in his own language and becoming convinced about The Way, The Truth and The Life, is in need of fellowship and employment. His village has rejected him.  Please pray for his protection, growth, and powerful witness to his own people.

Eva, the young girl who has come out of Islam and been delivered from several demons so far, has a family who are unhappy about what’s happened to her and they are coming from the coast to take her back home. She doesn’t want to go. She is being discipled here by the pastor’s wife and we are praying that either the Lord would somehow thwart her family’s intentions to take her back home or that he will use it to help her grow further and be a witness to her family. She’s so young in both age and spiritual maturity. Would you pray for her?

What a joy it was yesterday to participate in the baptism service for four believers in the Sandawe church. One of those included E, the one we mentioned in the last update who was delivered from demonic activity, and who has been going through some Bible study with local church leadership. She had been suffering from evil spirits since childhood, but now no more since putting her faith in Jesus! She was eager to be baptized as an expression of her new found faith, especially since some of her family came to collect her and return her to her home area.
So the service was a spontaneous one for E’s sake, and included other young people who have been going through classes/training. Since the baptismal pool at the church was empty, we rushed down to the house after the sermon to fill up containers and a rain barrel to take up to the church for the baptisms. We were both soaked from the sloshing of water, but our spirits were not dampened, being full of joy for these young believers who made a public declaration of their allegiance to Christ!
Please pray for E, as she leaves to return to her home area, pray that we’d be able to help her connect with a church and especially someone who can continue to disciple her. We are concerned for her that she be surrounded by a supporting faith community, please pray for that as she returns to a coastal area of TZ.

Several months ago, a young man “went crazy” and attacked three people, one of whom was his mother. One of the other women that he attacked died. It has become apparent that this attack happened under demonic influence and he has no recollection of the incident. He is currently in jail but both he and his mother have been given Bibles and the mother seems hungry for God’s Word and is going to Bible Study. Please pray for both of them as well as the family of the one who was murdered.

Several weeks ago during a ‘listening to Scripture’ visit at Mama Federiko’s house, a different neighbour came by and sat down to listen. When the player was turned off she turned to me and asked me if I remembered her. I was a little embarrassed to admit that I did not. She then reminded me of the day several months back when I was called out to another village to attend to several victims who had been callously cut with a machete by a crazed and demon possessed young 22 year old male. There were 3 victims, one died at the scene after her arm was hacked off, one had her Achilles tendon severed and the other was the young man’s mother who had head and shoulder cuts. How could I forget that incident? I remember being told how it took several men to subdue this young man and it reminded me of the man in the tombs in the village of the Gadarenes who had to be chained to protect himself and others because of the demons who ruled him.

This woman now sitting opposite me was the young man’s mother. Her name is Sebastiana. She showed me the physical scars of her wounds and shared her heartache over her eldest son’s situation and involvement in witchcraft. He is in prison now, aware of himself and waiting for his case to come before a court. He has no recollection of what he did. Sebastiana told me that until that incident happened she only went to the Catholic Church sporadically but since then she’s been hungry for the Word and wanting to study the Bible and learn how to live right. She asked me if I had a Bible I could give her. She wanted to take it to her son in prison who was spending time with a catechist and she wanted one for herself so she could look up the Scripture verses she was being given by the catechist in our village.

She then asked me if I thought her son could be saved. I told her that only Jesus can save his soul no matter what happens to his body. She asked me how that could be and I had the opportunity to explain the gospel in simple but clear terms. She nodded her head and said “Yes that’s right”. I wasn’t sure where she stood in her relationship with Jesus and what she actually understood about receiving Jesus as her Saviour. When we had finished talking I asked her if she would like me to pray for her and for her son. She willingly agreed and as I was praying for them to find a relationship with Jesus she was repeating every single word I was saying.

Sebastiana now has a Bible to study and so does her son John in prison. Please pray for them both. God alone can turn this situation into one that frees them both from Satan’s grip and witness to Christ’s saving power to everyone else around them.

Distribution of Mega Voice players is underway. These are new solar devices that have been updated with all the current Kisandawe scripture and songs. Please pray for safety for the men traveling around from village to village to distribute these players. Ask the Lord of the Harvest to use these devices for His Kingdom and glory and to draw many to Himself.

We heard recently of an Islamic leader in a village several kilometers away who has been listening to scripture in Kisandawe and has given his life to the LORD. He says he can no longer teach Islam. Please pray for this man that he will receive further discipleship and grow in his faith.

Just before Christmas, a young woman from a different town had a demonic manifestation in the Sunday morning church service. She had been severely tormented by the demon for many years and was ready and willing to both give up her religion of Islam as well as be freed of this particular demon. She prayed the ‘sinners prayer’ and is hungry to grow as a disciple of Jesus. Her name is Eva, and she has Christian relatives. Would you please pray for this girl to be discipled and taught from the Word.

Please pray for an open door for a missionary to share Christ with Sandawe children. Pray for loving connections, opportunities to share Bible stories, and language facility. Ask God to bring many of these children into His kingdom.

Please pray for Mama Soja and her family as they continue to grieve the death of husband and father. He died very suddenly and unexpectedly. He was widely known in the community both in the church in out. There has been a lot of talk of witchcraft. Mama Soja is holding fast to her faith. I have no doubt that her steadfastness in Christ is a faithful witness in the community. Let’s pray that her faithfulness will be a shining light and that the LORD will use this difficult situation to draw others to Himself.

A well has recently been dug in Magambua, to supply the Christian medical clinic and the community. Praise the Lord that plentiful water was found. Please pray for wisdom in its administration. Pray that each person who benefits from the new source of water will be given an inner thirst to know Jesus, who gives the water of life.

We continue to give thanks for Odilo, the Bible translator, and his weekly meetings with several small groups of Christians in the area. He told me the other day that the believers really need a good foundation in God’s Word. Please pray for him, and for the groups he is teaching. May the Lord renew their minds and they study His word.
We are finally starting to see some signs of reconciliation in the local Magambua church. Please pray for the church as one of the prominent leaders just died unexpectedly. He leaves a wife with 5 children, some of whom are grown but they are also raising some of their grandchildren.

Last week when I visited Mama Federiko for our regular listening time of the Word in Kisandawe, one of her neighbours and friends, Mama Pili joined us.
Mama Pili has been coming off and on since the beginning of our ‘listening’ times but quite abruptly would stand up and walk away without saying a word. She is an old widow with a couple of adult daughters who do nothing to help her but rather take advantage of her whenever there is an opportunity. She struggles with health issues and poverty.
This time I brought Helena, a young Sandawe lady, with me to discuss the things the listeners heard after our listening time. Questions were asked about the passages, understandings were shared, explanations were given and the gospel reviewed. I was a little surprised to hear Mama Pili sharing her understanding of the events in Luke that were heard but more surprised by her answers which were spot on…And she sat there throughout the entire session!
It was not until Helena and I were walking home and talking about how things went during the listening time that she mentioned Mama Pili’s salvation. Apparently, 3 months ago Mama Pili gave her life to the Lord after a particularly trying time of demonic possession. Since then she has been attending the AOG church in Magambua. As I thought back over the last few months it all made sense to me. I had noticed a more friendly disposition and even some joy in her eyes when our paths had crossed but had no idea it was Jesus who had made the change.
Please pray for her growth and discipleship and that the Lord would help this old woman not only know the provision of the Lord to the widow and the fatherless but also that she might witness for Jesus to her friend and neighbour Mama Federiko.

There is always a reason to be thankful and the most important is that we are not working in our ministries alone (no matter how difficult things may be) but the Holy Spirit is with us and Jesus Himself is building His church and His Kingdom. HE is always the victor and the One in control. Praise His Name for His work among the Sandawe! May the Name of Jesus be honored and lifted high among the Sandawe. May the believers walk in a way worthy of the Lord.

Odilo is a Sandawe Bible translator. Recently he has received many requests for help with understanding the gospel and the Scriptures better by a number of people in surrounding villages. For instance, in the village of Jogolo there is a couple in the Anglican church who have given their lives to Jesus but don’t know much about the Bible. They have asked Odilo if he would disciple them. There is a small group of 5, some saved, the others maybe not yet who meet with him every Saturday and he teaches them the basic tenets of the faith. In the village of Manantu there are 3 separate groups with whom Odilo has been meeting with. Originally it was to test the newly translated epistle to the Galatians but now they are back in Genesis, going through the Word, and he is teaching them similarly to the group in Jogolo. In the village of Lahoda the Pentecostal pastor who had only been preaching repentance of sin and avoidance of alcohol and other such sins has realised he doesn’t really know the Bible well. He has asked Odilo to teach him from the Scriptures so he can teach his congregation better. In the village of Moto the evangelist (who is from a rival tribe) has asked Odilo to come and help him teach the congregation better from the Scriptures. These are encouraging events. I think Odilo (who has only just recently begun to understand the gospel more clearly and developed a passion for it himself) needs our prayers to be able to teach what he understands accurately and boldly, and to have the time, stamina and resources necessary to be able to travel to each of these villages weekly to continue teaching all these folks. And pray for others to catch that passion, too, amongst the Sandawe. Pray that others would join him and help carry that load with him. Odilo could use the backing of the church and other believers, in this ministry he himself has taken up on his own. Pray they will.

Please pray that the church would develop a hunger for the truth and a desire to see their fellow Sandawe come to faith in Jesus. Pray for friendships between Christians and Sandawe people to develop and deepen, and that Christ’s love would be compelling the believers to reach out.

Please continue to pray for the churches here in Usandawe. The local church will be hosting a denominational seminar here this month. This is for pastors and their wives from all over Central TZ. Please pray that as these church leaders interact with one another, it might be a catalyst to bring healing and unity to our own churches here. And pray for encouragement and refreshment for all those attending, for the teachers to be sensitive to God’s Spirit as they bring His message.

We were so encouraged a few weeks ago when we visited one of the smaller congregations in our area but one that is made up of entirely Sandawe people. Of the four adults that were in attendance, two were old people and a third is severely physically challenged, yet they were there with full hearts. The singing was enthusiastic if somewhat off key. The small group of children sang together as a choir. After the service, we shared a meal and visited with one of the families, the head of the home is one of the main Bible translators and one of the only Sandawe church leaders in the area. While small in terms of numbers of people who attend, this body is thriving and is strong. We pray for more of this kind of faith and commitment among the Sandawe people.

We learned that there are preparations in place for “simbo” in our village of Magambua. This is basically a satanic party. We have heard of these demonic celebrations going on in surrounding areas but apparently our village does not have a history of putting on these particular events. This is, of course, disturbing but we know that this is a battle in a war that has already been won and we are confident in the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Victorious One. Please pray that these evil plans will fall through and that this event will not take place. Please pray for the Christians in Usandawe that they will be faithful and shine like the stars in the heavens.

There does not seem to be much of a change taking place in our broken local church. Please pray for healing, forgiveness and reconciliation to take place in the hearts of the people. We have heard several messages on this and we know God’s Spirit is at work. Please continue to pray toward this end. We will be receiving a new pastor in the near future so please pray for him and his family. Also pray for the other pastor and his family as they will be moving on to a new location as well. They have been here for more than ten years.

Please keep praying with us against the enemy’s desire to tear down the witness and ministry of reaching the unreached in our village, and for the spiritual maturation of those who claim to know Him here.

Sometimes there are difficulties between believers who are trying to reach the unreached with the gospel. We know these are typical schemes of the enemy to prevent the Lord’s work from going forward. Through prayer we can stand with these brothers and sisters, asking for help to walk in victory over Satan’s troublemaking. “Lord, please fill the Sandawe churches with your Spirit. Let humility richly abound. Let sin be confessed, cleansed and stripped of its power to bind. Instead, let the Holy Spirit flow freely in and through Your people with supernatural power, grace and love. Heal any divisions by deepening each person’s relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, that as Your people abide in Him, there will be rich unity. May compassion for the lost, the priority of the gospel, and the honour of the Lord Jesus Christ be the compelling motives in each person’s heart. Please send more workers into that harvest. For Jesus’ sake, Amen.”

Please keep praying with us against the enemy’s desire to tear down the witness and ministry of reaching the unreached in our village, and for the spiritual maturation of those who claim to know Him here.

Sometimes there are difficulties between believers who are trying to reach the unreached with the gospel. We know these are typical schemes of the enemy to prevent the Lord’s work from going forward. Through prayer we can stand with these brothers and sisters, asking for help to walk in victory over Satan’s troublemaking. “Lord, please fill the Sandawe churches with your Spirit. Let humility richly abound. Let sin be confessed, cleansed and stripped of its power to bind. Instead, let the Holy Spirit flow freely in and through Your people with supernatural power, grace and love. Heal any divisions by deepening each person’s relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, that as Your people abide in Him, there will be rich unity. May compassion for the lost, the priority of the gospel, and the honour of the Lord Jesus Christ be the compelling motives in each person’s heart. Please send more workers into that harvest. For Jesus’ sake, Amen.”

Pray that more Sandawe people will learn to read their own language so that they can read the Scriptures that have already been translated.

The Sandawe are traditionally hunter/gatherers but are now farmers and much of Usandawe (the area in which they live) is not fertile. Last year, the rains were not good. We just finished up some food relief for this year. It’s looking like the harvest this year will be better but we are having a dry spell so please ask for prayer for rain and a good harvest so that the basic needs of these precious people will be met. Also, please pray that their eyes will be open to their need for a Savior. They seem a content enough people, but they have so many traditions that are steeped in fear. Witchcraft is still prevalent.