Pray for the ladies I am discipling. We are using the discipleship book called, “Come Follow Me’ in Swahili. Pray for consistent attendance and life transformation.
Pray also for sister X, who is still a Muslim, but is studying John with me. Pray that she will encounter the Truth.

Praise God for a group of new believers in Mbate. They have asked Yohana, the evangelist in Ruhatwe 10 km away, to come and disciple them and lead worship services in their village. Pray for Yohana. He is trying to go there every other week. Pray these new believers would grow strong in their faith and share with others.

Please pray for our neighbors, Bibi M & her husband. She had expressed interest in watching the Jesus film some time ago, but it never seemed to work out. Recently we showed the Jesus film in the market nearby and she said that some people on the path prevented her from coming. Her husband has had a stroke recently and is housebound. He joked about us carrying him to watch the film. We have offered to come and bring it to their house. Some of the family are trying to say that he’s not strong enough, but he really wants us to come. Pray that we would be able to find a time to watch this film with them and to talk about the hope we have in Jesus.

At Christmas time we had several new visitors to our church celebration, as well as a event organized at the home of a few of our team members later that week, where several people heard a presentation of the gospel for the first time. Please pray that these interactions may be seeds planted in good soil, and that they would generate more interest and questions from the people in our communities, and ultimately lead to locals coming to know the saving love of our Lord Jesus Christ!

In church we had a good time of sharing the good news during in the Christmas celebration. Our neighbors came to join us and see what Christmas is all about. More than 100 people celebrated with us in Likawage, among them were six new believers.

During a free morning, several of us went to survey another village called Mtoni. About 6000 people located right on the Ocean. Hard to get to for sure, but very, very needy for the Gospel. No church present or Outreach happening. Village leaders (Muslim) invited us to come and were ready to offer us land. My heart goes out to such places. Saw lots of kids running between the coconut palms and wondered when they would get the chance to hear about Jesus’s love for them. Please pray as the team here thinks what our response is to this huge need. We so lack laborers to go.

Just before Christmas, our local church got to celebrate the baptism of six believers. We’ve had several individuals go through baptism over the course of the last year, but then fall away since then. Please be praying for this group of believers to remain strong in the face of difficulty and pushback from loved ones and the community. Please also pray for us as the local church and leadership, for wisdom on how to explain well the mystery of Christ and the cost of following Him; that we may equip new believers well and help them grow in faithfulness.

I would appreciate your prayers for the coming 4 days as we head to a village called Masaninga. There’s no church yet, but the FPCT would like to start discipleship and worship together there. I feel in my spirit much opposition from the evil one. Please pray for boldness and confidence in Christ.

Please pray for M, an elderly man who has frequently come around looking for work or to sell things to feed himself. More recently he has enjoyed the Gospel of John and several books by Christian apologists and comes with questions such as “Why do Christians say that Jesus is God?” or “Why do Christians celebrate Jesus’ death?” Last month he tried to deceive us and when confronted acknowledged what he had done and promised to make it right. Now he seems somewhat embarrassed to come around to visit. Pray for him – that our relationship would be restored, but more importantly, that he would be reconciled to God through faith in Jesus.

Please pray for the integrity of the believers. This past week one of the church leaders stole some money and then lied about it. When confronted, he repented, made restitution, and thanked those who confronted him for not letting him get away with it. Thank God for His mercy and forgiveness and the example that is in this culture. Pray that believers would be strong in God’s word and hold each other to a higher standard.

In the last several months our team has observed a lot more of the animistic rituals and beliefs that form the foundation of our people groups’ worldviews. Demon worship and tribal rituals are commonplace in our communities, as well as charms and treatments performed by witch doctors. Please pray for wisdom on how to present the gospel – contextualized but uncompromised, and how to shine His light in this dark facet of life here.

With the rainy season/planting season around the corner, our local church attendance is always affected. Some of the believers walk up to 10km to meet with us on Sundays. Some will move out to their farms even further away during this time, and meeting together becomes nearly impossible for some due to road conditions and distance. Please pray for us as a church, that we would have wisdom on how to support our members and creativity on how to continue in fellowship together.

We have four new believers in the local church who want to be baptized! Praise the Lord! Please pray they will be well prepared for this exciting step, and that they may truly understand and “count the cost”.

With planting season starting soon and the distance between the homes of each believer, it can be difficult for them all to meet together. Please also pray for safe travels for those going out to meet with them regularly.

Praise God for 3 new believers in Ruhatwe. One started attending services after witnessing and being impacted by the funeral of a coworker who was recently buried there. Another is from one of the small local tribes. Please pray that these new believers would grow in their faith and be witnesses to their own communities.

Our local church currently meets under the trees on the church property, but is seeking to build a church building. Please pray for the raising of the funds for this project. We hope to see the local believers embrace ownership over this project. May God be glorified in both the building itself and the way we get there!

Please pray for Baba and Mama Ali. They are a young Ngindo couple. Yesterday we had them over for supper and to watch the Jesus film along with a local pastor friend and his family. Because of multiple system failures (the projectors kept turning off), we only got about ¾ of the way through the film before it got too late. Please pray that what they did see would cause them to desire more. And please pray that we would be able to find another time to finish watching the film with them.

Many people are moving into our community from various places, and there are a lot of new faces around. Pray for us as a local church that we may know how to reach the newcomers and serve the changing dynamics of our community well.

Unfortunately, another fire has claimed the home and belongings of a local believer, leaving her with just the clothes on her back. The community has come together and built a small home for her. Pray that the local church would play an active role in loving and supporting her well through this difficult time, and that it may become an encouragement for her in her walk with Jesus.

One of our continuing prayer requests has been for a husband in our community with four believing wives, who had been threatening divorce due to their faith. He has gone forward with the divorce of two of his wives, who have moved away and are now living in a temporary shelter under a tree. They have held strong to their faith, but face a mountain of hardship and struggles ahead, including separation from their children. The other two women have stayed, and it is not completely clear where they stand in their faith. Please continue to lift up this entire family, and pray that their husband may come to know Jesus as his Lord and Saviour. Pray for perseverance and strength as our two sisters seek to stand firm in Jesus despite all they have lost and may still lose. Pray for us as a local church, that we may support and lift them up as we should.

We continue to ask for prayer for a family within our church community – a husband with four believing wives. For now, the women have been allowed to return to church, but the threat of divorce and other consequences are still present. Please continue to pray that the husband would come to know the Lord. We praise God for some breakthrough and softening towards prayer and church.

A couple weeks ago our team organized a wedding celebration in a nearby village. One of the believers there had gotten married elsewhere earlier this month, so as a church we put together a service and meal to share with the community. It was a special time of celebrating and outreach to the Muslim neighbours who joined us. Please pray that the message shared and the witness of a Christian wedding would make an impact on all who attended; for some it was the first Christian event they had ever experienced.

We are grieving the sudden loss of our teammate from an apparent heart attack. The funeral is today. Pray for all the Muslims who attend the service to be touched by the testimony of this woman’s life who loved the Lord and her neighbors. The gospel will be shared. Pray for hearts to hear the good news clearly.

A couple weeks ago, a local woman with connections to our church lost her home and all her possessions in a fire. The church came together, donating various items and seeking to support and encourage her. Please pray that the love of Jesus and His provision shown clearly to her through this event would impact her spiritually, and that the local church would continue to step up and serve their community in His name.

Continue to pray for our new believers. Some of them are facing very difficult challenges and circumstances, and are struggling with discouragement. Pray that they receive godly wisdom on how to proceed and stand firm in the Lord.

Last weekend, a local church put on a four-day outreach in their village, Ruhatwe, which is situated about two hours from where our team is working. Our team joined them and it was a wonderful opportunity to work alongside the local church and mobilize them to reach their own people. Please pray for those who heard the Word, and that the seeds that were planted would take root and bear fruit. Please pray also for the Ruhatwe church, that they would be encouraged to witness boldly to those around them and to continue to be lights in their community.

A youth outreach is being planned for October. Please pray for preparations and that this event may be impactful within the community!

Recently we had the privilege to meet a new believer from one of the villages within our ward. She is under the guidance and leadership of a few believers in that community. Praise God people are reaching out to their own, and please pray that she will continue to grow stronger in her faith.

We are in the process of building a church building! Please pray for unity among the believers as they plan, and as they seek to raise the funds through various means. May God be glorified in this new step towards seeing a Christ-centred church among the people of Likawage!

Lord Jesus open the eyes of Joseph. Joseph is a man with four wives in Likawage community but every time he prohibits his wives to continue with their faith in Christ. Two weeks a go, he made the decision to divorce anyone who continues coming to the church. Ask God to intervene!
Also pray for two believers (Halid and Eric) facing difficulties with their relatives. Pray for wisdom and favor.

New believers in our community are experiencing varying degrees of persecution which indirectly (or at times, directly) tie back to their new beliefs. One local believer was beaten by a family member and church property has also been affected. A couple of the believers are expressing discouragement and uncertainty. Please pray for wisdom on how to respond as a church and leadership, as well as how to encourage fellow believers to stand firm and continue seeking God.

Please continue to pray for the man in our community married to multiple wives, whom are believers. After another attempt to deter his wives from being a part of the church community by pressuring them to drink some of the “holy water” he brought back from the city – which they refused – he became angry and reached out to our local Pastor/team leader. They met together for several hours. For now, the husband has left on another trip, and his wives continue to attend church. Two of them have recently given birth and another is due soon, which can be difficult in the village due to lack of resources. Please continue to pray for this very complicated situation; may God move powerfully!

Recently a couple of our church members were able to go visit a Sunday gathering happening in one of the little villages in our region. At the moment there are three faithful Christians leading these meetings and it was an encouraging time for all. Please pray that we can continue to support and encourage the believers in the village to meet together and to grow in the Lord. Pray for unity and strength as they’re seeking to worship God in a very isolated area.

Each week we host Friday house prayer meetings in our two home villages. Praise the Lord that some of the local believers have started to attend! Pray that it may be a fruitful time of fellowship and prayer together.

In our area, many men are married to more than one woman. Four of the women who regularly attend church are all married to the same man, and he does not show any interest in the gospel or joining them at church. Recently, he has outright forbidden his wives to attend church, threatening to divorce them if they continue. Several of the women have still continued to attend, but it is a difficult situation for all, especially since there are also many children involved. Please join us in praying for this man, that his heart may soften to Jesus, and that he may come to know the truth that his wives have already discovered! Also, pray for wisdom for those speaking into this situation and supporting the women as they seek to do what is right.

We had a youth camp recently and 100+ young people came. It was very good. The workers’ children, MBB’s children and a good number of seekers’ children participated.
God has granted us a good platform with the Youth. Pray for transformation as they continue learning each week.
There is a great financial need for those who have graduated from primary and secondary school as they prepare to join the next level. Please pray for provision.
We are following up with the parents of our youth and God is giving us opportunities. Please pray that the Lord may draw many to Himself.
Praise God for another home church born recently, pray that many neighbors will be reached.

Our Easter service had a wonderful turnout, and we shared a meal together afterward to celebrate the resurrection. It was encouraging to see many from the community travel out to the church and we pray it may continue to open doors for conversations and further relationships with those who came. Please pray that this could be the first step for many to hear the truth of the gospel, and stir up a desire to know more!

On Good Friday, we had the privilege of baptizing three new believers (Praise the Lord!), one of whom is a young man who grew up in this community – the first truly “local” believer. May God be glorified in their lives, and please pray they stand firm in Jesus in the face of discouragements and hardships that will surely come.

Our local church has just gone through the process of appointing the first local elders and deacons. Please pray for these individuals as they serve in new positions and learn what it looks like to lead and encourage others within the body of Christ.

We praise God as we have gained several new believers in our community over the last month! That said, recently two of the young women chose to move away to the city for work. Please pray as they’re now away from us, that they would continue to pursue and discover their new faith and that they would plug in to a local church. Pray for the other new believers here, to stand firm and keep their joy, especially when facing pressure from Muslim family members and the community.

Ramadan has just started in our community, meaning many are fasting and taking part in the prayers. Please pray for God to show up in mighty ways during this time. Pray for boldness for the young local church, pray for dreams and visions, pray for wisdom as our team spends time with our friends and neighbours during this month long fast.