Pray for the local evangelists who are being trained to share the gospel. Pray for God to lead them to those He is calling to Himself.
Gospel of Mark being distributed!
The Bible translation team has gone for holiday, mainly to distribute hard copies of the book of Mark and audio both in Ethiopia and South Sudan.
Pray for God’s guidance and protection on traveling.
Pray for God’s wisdom for new materials for the people.
Pray for God to open hearts of the people of the Suri Kachipo community in both countries. May they receive the Word with joy and faith!
Mark distribution
I’m thankful for your prayers for the consultation of the book of Luke. It was very successful.
This week the hard copy of the book of Mark and audio recording is ready for people both South Sudan 🇸🇸 and Ethiopia 🇪🇹.
Please pray for the health of the Bible translation team.
Luke
Pray for the team going to Addis to complete the consultation of the book of Luke for preparation of recording the Jesus film. Pray for protection for the team while in Addis and for God’s blessing on this project.
Mark
Pray for the team editing the recording of Mark for delivery to the community soon as well as distribution of the hard copy to the people.
Pray for the healing of the team leader John Dunyi who is sick.
Wycliffe team
Pray for the health of the team and their families. Ask the Lord to heal my chronic lung problems.
Pray for the Wycliffe Ethiopia Association leaders and the team of Suri Kachipo Bible translators for an upcoming trip to Juba South Sudan.
Translation work
Please pray for the draft translation of Galatians. Pray for wisdom and discernment as we continue to work on it. Please also pray for us getting feedback on the book of Luke in the month of July. Pray for constructive feedback.
Solar system hit
One month ago the solar system of our office, the controller, and inverter were damaged and burned by a lightning strike. Please pray we can get it repaired or replaced. This equipment is very important to our translation work.
Bible translation
We are working on the draft of 1&2 Timothy and a consultant check of the book of Luke this month. Please pray for good translation.
Pray for the health issues of the team.
Pray for transformation within the community and that many would read and believe the Word of God.
Recording Mark
The team of Bible translation for Suri Kachipo community is preparing for recording the book of Mark tomorrow! Please pray for the whole process to run smoothly and for the recording to be a great blessing to the Suri people.
John.
Needing prayer
The Suri Kachipo community needs prayer: alcohol issues and high death rate are serious problems.
The Bible translation is continuing on. We have 17 books drafted. Gospel of Mark is ready for recording. Jesus film is slated to be dubbed this year.
Please continue to pray for my health. I have chronic lung disease and I’ve been sick.
Still unwell
Bible translation is going well, we have a draft of the books of 1 & 2 Timothy.
I am still not feeling well, please pray for me.
John’s update
I am very sick now, and I need prayers.
We are trying to record the book of Mark and then get 1 and 2 Timothy drafted. Please pray for us.
Bear much fruit
Pray for us as we draft the books of 1 and 2 Peter.
Pray for the disciples and evangelism near the border of South Sudan and Ethiopia to bear much fruit.
Translation check
We are now in Addis Ababa for advisor check and consultation for the book of Mark to be complete and recording to start. Also Luke advisor check to be completed so that the Jesus film can be dubbed.
We are also working on Matthew, John, Titus, Jude, 1,2, and 3 John, James, and Philemon.
Please keep praying for us for God’s wisdom in translating well.
Pray for Samuel and Mark
Pray for the villages of Rumit, Meun, Moga, Kakumogo, Ngameri and Saraga that the Lord will send more servants to share the gospel.
THANK GOD for peace between Murle, Suri, and Anywak.
Thank God for Samuel and Mark as they are being mentored by David. Pray that they will be obedient and bear much fruit.
Translation check
We are now in Addis Ababa for the advisor check of the Gospel of Luke. We are preparing for the dubbing of the Jesus film and audio track of Luke.
Gospel of Mark is to be recorded in audio as well, but we need consultant to finish checking.
Pray for the plans of this year :
Jesus film and audio of Luke
Draft of the books of Titus, 1,2, and 3 John, and 1,2 Peter.
Pray for the team for the strength and wisdom from God.
Translation update
What we have done so far:
Draft of the four Gospels
The book of Acts
Philemon
James
Titus
Jude
We need to make these books available to the community. Pray for provision and open hearts and faith to believe the message.
Four Gospels
The plan for this year is to record the four Gospels. Both audio and printed copies to be distributed to the communities in both Ethiopia and South Sudan.
Pray the advisor check, the consultant check, and the community review of the four Gospels to be done and then the printing and recording.
Pray for the Jesus video in our language to be done.
Pray for the team’s work ahead and also community to receive the gospel.
Pray for me as team leader for wisdom for leadership.
Samuel and Mark
Thank God for Samuel and Mark as they are being mentored by David. Pray that they will be obedient to the truth.
Pray for the villages of Rumit, Meun, Moga. Kakumogo, Ngameri and Saraga that the Lord will send more servants to these harvest fields.
Pray for peace between Murle, Suri and Anywak.
Build Your church.
Pray for brother Johnson as he ministers among the Suri people and for David among the Murle. Ask the Lord to build His church!
Pray for disciples Mark and Samuel to be faithful. Pray for Julius to be an encouragement as he visits them for two weeks.
Pray for peace in Jonglei state.
Multiplication
Pray for brother Johnson as he ministers among his tribes Suri-Kachipo and Murle.
Pray for disciples Mark and Samuel to be more faithful.
Pray for multiplication in all villages.
Pray for peace in Jonglei state.
More workers
Pray for the new worker reaching out to the Suri in South Sudan. Pray for more workers to be sent. Pray for peace between the Suri, Murle, and Anywak peoples.
Jesus Film
Please continue to pray for God to heal John of his chronic lung infection.
Pray for the preparation of the Jesus film in Suri within the year.
Pray for protection within the team.
We are living in a place called Koyi and we have a church nearby. We preach in our own language, and very many are eager to hear the word of God in their language.
We thank God for that.
Prayers also for the church in Mewun and Rumit, as we are sending people to those churches as well to preach in Suri.
Translation continues
Pray for John and his team as they continue to translate the scriptures. Praise God for provision of solar power to charge computers and John’s oxygen concentrator.
eyes opened
Ask the Lord to continue to heal and strengthen John and to bless the translation work. Pray for Suri as they read God’s word in their own language, that their eyes would be opened to believe the message.
Translation progress
The team has translated Mark and a draft of Acts through chapter 26. They have finished the advisor check through Mark 14, and hope to complete the remaining 2 chapters in the next few days. (While in Koi, I was intrigued to observe the thorough process of interacting about word choices, how to accurately convey intended meaning, etc. as they painstakingly checked the draft, phrase by phrase, verse by verse.)
Please continue to pray for John’s health. Overall, it seems to have improved over the last number of months. He does find the heat of Koi to be draining, and tends to use his O2 concentrator more. He also finds the cold in Addis to be difficult, and his being so thin doesn’t help! About 2 weeks ago, his coughing increased and his chest pain returned. He was given a different medication this week, which has eased these symptoms. Please pray.
Translation update
Bible translation is going on well. I am still leading the team.
Four Gospel drafts are completed and now we’re doing the draft of The book of Acts.
Please pray for wisdom and help of the Holy Spirit to translate well. Pray for the translation team.
Pray for my (John) health. My lungs are weak and I am now using an oxygen concentrator to breath.
Grief and Gospel
John’s grandmother passed away on Monday. Please ask the Lord to give John physical and spiritual strength and stamina as he speaks with numerous visitors all week long. May the Great Physician continue healing his body, and protect him from COVID, especially with all the extra people around who have come from various places.
When someone dies, the Suri primarily show support by coming to visit, sit with, comfort and encourage the bereaved – some for nearly a week.
Please ask the Holy Spirit to open the spiritual eyes and ears and hearts of many Suri people, to understand and receive the Good News with great joy! May the seed of the death of John’s grandmother, and opportunities to share with the mourners the reason for the hope within him, bear much lasting fruit for the Kingdom!
Restored to health!
God has graciously restored John to health and provided for him a portable oxygen concentrator; he will take the tank with him back to the village where the Wycliffe team is based as they work on the translation of the New Testament into Suri. John is a valuable member of the translation team. Pray that God will sustain him in good health and use him to get His Word to the Suri.
2021 Goals
Praise God John is better and is headed home with an oxygen concentrator. He asks for prayer that the team members who spend Christmas in their home village Mewun will clearly share Christ with their people.
Please pray for the team’s 2021 goals:
Revise the gospels of Matthew, Luke and John (they’ve already finished Mark)
Get all 4 gospels printed for distribution among the Suri
Produce the Jesus film in their language: Suri (Kaçipo-Balesi)
Heal John D
John D (young man working with Wycliffe) continues to suffer from poor health and was recently hospitalized in very serious condition. He has suffered much with health problems, the loss of a young child, and recently the loss of his wife. The evil one does not want John D’s tribe to get God’s Word in their own language and come to know Jesus, and seems to be trying one tactic after another to attack John. Pray for this man to know the all-surpassing power that is from God: he is “hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:7-9).
Translation work continues
Pray for John and his team translating the New Testament into the Suri (Kacipo-Balesi) language. They are currently doing advisory checks on Luke and Matthew, and are drafting chapter 3 of the gospel of John.
Bondage
An ongoing problem in the Suri (Kacipo-Balesi) communities is alcohol. Just recently Barduni visited the Suri community in Koi (Ethiopia). He was very sad to see how many of his people suffered from alcohol addiction. He spoke with the chief administrator of Koi about the issue. There is a lot of idleness and hopelessness in the Suri communities. During the last few years the modern world has pressed into their traditional world. Unfortunately the Suri have not benefit much from it yet. Rather it has shaken their foundation. Barduni is convinced that unless his people put their trust in Jesus Christ, his people group will not master the future. Therefore pray that the people will get a new foundation and new hope in Jesus Christ. We long to see a church started in Koi. May God give a breakthrough in this place which is in bondage to Satan- the highest and widely feared spiritual Chief (magician) of the Suri lives on one of the hills near Koi.
Translation project
The Suri (Kacipo-Balesi) New Testament Translation project is advancing. As you might know, the gospels of Mark and Matthew have been drafted. During the last few months the translation team has been busy drafting the gospel of Luke. We have drafts of chapters 1 to 16. Continue to pray for the team. They suffer sometimes from illness. Just now, Barduni has strong chest pains and a severe cough. Pray for his healing. Pray for the financial situation of the translation project, since the finances are not secured yet. Pray for the translation team to be lifted up by the Word of God which they translate. May they get daily wisdom and motivation for their work. Pray also for their families and relatives- that their hearts will be opened for a new life with Jesus. Pray also that the next advisor check workshop, where the drafts will be thoroughly checked, can take place soon.
Portable Bible School
Just recently a team of South Sudanese from Juba have gone to Upper Boma (South Sudan) with a portable Bible school intending to help the Suri (Kacipo-Balesi) church members to better understand the Bible. They plan to stay for about two months. Pray for this time of schooling that everyone stays healthy and protected (physically and spiritually). Pray that the training will have a great impact on the students and on the entire Suri community in this region.
Translation progress
Pray for J, a man from the Suri (Kacipo) tribe. He and his Bible translation team in Ethiopia are hoping to complete the book of Matthew this month. In February the team went for outreach and to test their draft of the book of Mark. Praise God for His Word going forth in every tongue! Pray for this translation to make good progress and to be well received by the Suri (Kacipo).
Hunger and openness
The Kachipo live in the Boma plateau region of South Sudan. They believe in the existence of a supreme being- God -as well as lesser spirits. They offer sacrifices and pray through a medium in times of calamity. Although they are deep into witchcraft, they are very receptive to the gospel, and in the past few years a church with over 150 people has begun. There is a great movement of the Spirit amongst the Kachipo, and though there is no Kachipo Bible, (the translation of the gospel of Mark has just begun!) they are hungry to know the Word of God. Pray for this reality for the Kachipo: “At that time gifts will be brought to the LORD Almighty from a people tall and smooth-skinned, from a people feared far and wide, an aggressive nation of strange speech, whose land is divided by rivers…” Isaiah 18:7.
Mark chapter 1 translated!
Dunyi phoned us on Monday, and he and his team finished translating the gospel of Mark chapter 1 last week! They have begun Mark chapter 2 this week. It is widely observed that at the beginning of a Bible translation project, the translation team face a lot of spiritual attacks. May God protect our translation team and all of us who are involved in the Suri (Kacipo-Balesi) New Testament Translation project.
Justice and Mercy
Pray the Kachipo would one day have a culture that administers true justice and shows mercy and compassion to others (Zechariah 7:9-10) because their hearts have been change by the Gospel.