Lighthouse Keepers

Off the coast several kilometers, there is a lighthouse which can only be accessed during a specific time of the month when the tide is so low that there is enough open ground to walk out to it. There is a small group of local men who live there that we have been trying to make contact with. Recently, some Christians were able to walk out during low tide and briefly meet the 4 men who live out there and give them audio Bibles. They were not able to stay long as the tide was quickly coming back in and they needed to walk back to shore. Praise God that the group was able to meet the men from the lighthouse! Pray with us that they would listen to God’s word, that the Holy Spirit would help them understand and believe, and that God would open the door for future opportunities to meet and share with these men from the lighthouse. They live at a lighthouse, may their eyes be opened to their own need for the Light only Jesus can give!

Taken Right Out of Church

Praise God on weekdays and Sundays, Swahili children come to our home and/or church to hear God’s Story being told. Many have shared they no longer want to attend the daily Islamic classes. However, some parents are now refusing to allow their children to come to church anymore. Today some adults came and took away the children from church and went right to madrasa. Please pray the seeds of the Gospel will remain and bear fruit!

One Bold Young Man

Praise God our 4 Tanzanian interns and 7 other believers just completed a 6 week Global Disciples course at our church. Praise God for the opportunity they received to apply their training in our community. Many Swahili heard the gospel, a few have secretly responded to it, and one bold young man has not only professed faith in Jesus, but is also publicly identifying as a new believer by attending our church! Pray for the new believers’ growth and protection. Pray for continued opportunities to share the gospel wherever God leads these believers.

Twenty-Two

A team recently did a Jesus film outreach trip in a remote village in our district. Praise God for the ways the Gospel was shared through a children’s program, evangelism, tracts, preaching, spiritual films about Jesus and faith, prayer, and well repair on 3 broken wells, helping to provide water in those neighborhoods. People seemed so hungry for the Word – God is at work in a mighty way in this village! There were 22 confessions of faith!  Praise God! Pray for these new believers and their young faith to grow. Especially pray for 6 young middle school girls who came to faith and destroyed their charms from the local witch doctor! May they grow strong in their faith and trust that Jesus is better and stronger than anything they may fear and that He is able to completely save, protect, and sustain them through all things.

Birthday Party Fun

A team member had a birthday this week, so we hosted a party at her home, inviting several of the local girls to come and join us. It was a fun time with 10 local girls and a local Christian friend from church. After some games we ended the afternoon eating cake and watching the Jesus film for women. We gave out New Testaments to all who wanted them. One woman told a teammate that the movie touched her heart. Let’s pray that the truth of the Gospel seen and heard at this birthday party would stick with those who heard and be a seed that bears fruit unto salvation in their lives. His word does not return void!

Tanzanian Missionaries

Our local church has just welcomed a Tanzanian family that is excited to serve the Lord in one of the unreached villages in our district. The plan is that this family will stay in this town for several months to build good, solid relationships with the church and team located here. Then, there is a possibility they will move to one of the villages we already do ministry in as further training before moving out to the more remote location that they will, Lord willing, one day live in to start sharing the Gospel there. We are excited to get to know this family! Be praying for them to grow in their relationships with Jesus, with each other as a family, with our local church and team, and for the Lord to fully prepare and equip them for the work that He has for them in the village. Pray that through them many Swahili Bantu will be saved.

Kids listening too.

The intern kids arrive for afternoon Bible story & play time at our home each weekday. Slowly more neighborhood kids (of our new or secret believers) have begun to join the intern kids in listening to the Chronological Gospel story from creation to Christ. Please pray the Lord would keep sending them to hear the beautiful story of the Gospel and that they would have a firm foundation established in the truth for all their lives unto salvation. Pray for us as we prepare for the upcoming seminar on Chronological Bible Storying for the intern families as well.

Family under attack

Mama S is beginning to grow in her relationship with the Lord – gaining confidence of who she is in Christ and intimacy with God in her prayer life with Him. Her children have a growing heart for Jesus as well. Although neither she nor her children are allowed yet to worship openly with us, we have seen a softening in her husband toward the gospel. But please pray for the protection of their marriage! People, including her in-laws, have begun to spread vicious rumors about Mama S’s character in the village with the goal of inciting her husband to divorce her. On their porch one afternoon, God opened the door to talk frankly with Baba S about what we saw clearly as a satanic attack to divide and destroy their family. Praise God Baba S acknowledged that this was true and he would not give up on his family! We know satan still wants to devour their family. Please pray for the Lord’s protection and salvation over their whole family.

Joyful and Praise-Filled Singing

This Easter, local churches from several denominations gathered in town to publicly celebrate the resurrection of Jesus together! We estimate that over 200 people were in attendance, both Christians and Muslims who came to watch. There was joyful and praise-filled singing by the choirs, children reciting verses they had learned in Sunday school, and money was even raised to help a regional school for children with disabilities. What a witness to our Muslim neighbors and friends to see Christians gathering and celebrating Jesus together despite differences of denomination! We are praising Jesus for what He was doing in our midst on Sunday and praying that He uses it to draw our Muslim neighbors closer to Himself so that they too might know the joy and hope of His resurrection that His people celebrated together on Sunday! Thank You, Jesus, for what You have done for us!

Its a battle

Continue to pray against the attack of Satan in attempting to divide and discourage Mama & Baba S. They have worked so hard & sacrificed so much to try to make a better life for their family. A giant python got into their chicken coup and ate 7 chickens before he was killed. For them, this is a huge discouraging loss. Pray they would see this as a sign that they are doing something honorable & Satan only wants to discourage & keep them trapped in the extreme poverty. Pray the Lord would use this to draw Mama S deeper into faith & prayer with Him & this would lead Baba S to seek the Savior! What Satan has meant for evil, may the Lord turn to good.

New Church!

Praise God the beginning of a church is being planted in our village after generations who once resisted any church presence! A local believer, who has completed studies away at Bible college & is supplementing his income through work at our non profit, has been appointed to begin Sunday worship service in a classroom at the local secondary school with new local believers who are able to stand and join in this way. The majority of us long term outside believers will remain at our neighboring church so the new body can develop naturally it’s own indigenous identify as the body of Christ while receiving love & encouragement from us in the larger body of Christ. Pray for the Lord to build his church, his kingdom on the Swahili coast!

Answers to Prayer for the Sick

Our team has several friends that have dealt with, or currently are dealing with, sicknesses in their families. As individual teammates have prayed for these dear friends who have yet to know Jesus, let’s be praying that they come to see the power and love of Jesus through these prayers! May they see that Jesus is a God who cares for them personally, hears our prayers to Him, and answers! May God open their eyes to see His gracious answers to prayers in Jesus name so that they may know the power of the name of Jesus and believe that He truly is God.

A New Sister!

In one of the villages our team does outreach in, there is a local sister who has just recently come to faith. She has been receiving some persecution from her neighbors and friends in her village because of her new faith in Jesus. Additionally, because the rains have been late this year, her field in which she planted rice this year is dying. Please pray for this local sister to grow in her faith and learn to cling tightly to Jesus in the midst of the hard things she is facing. Pray that Jesus would show Himself, His love, and His provision for her and her son in tangible ways. And, pray for the team and our local church partners to be given practical way to love this sister well and support her as the body of Christ. May her village see the love of Christ through all of this.

Captivate their Hearts

We were able to host a local friend, her little boy, and cousin over for dinner and watch the Jesus film. They had to leave early before finishing the movie, but we were able to finish the rest of the film with the friend at a later date. Please pray that the Holy Spirit would captivate these three locals hearts with this message of the Gospel truth and that the Father would draw them to His Son Jesus!

Locked in her Beliefs

Mama N is one of those neighbors who has heard the gospel over and over, but is locked in her beliefs. She swung by yesterday and the Lord opened yet another conversation with Mama N about how I have assurance of my salvation by the grace of God through faith in the sacrifice of His Son Jesus on the cross for my sins. My husband had a similar conversation at a ceremony sitting next to the local Muslim secondary school headmaster. Please pray for their salvation and the salvation of their whole families!

A New Believer

Praise the Lord one of our brand new Tanzanian interns led a local man to Jesus as they were farming together in the field this week! Today the man joined us at church and confessed his faith in Jesus Christ before us all, to our great joy! Pray for his spiritual & physical protection & for the body of Christ to know how to best enfold him into our family of God!

Reading and Writing

Mama S has started coming every afternoon to learn to read & write Swahili! Not only is she learning in this way, but we have time together to pray & for me to share a Bible story with her. Praise God for providing this way for my sister to grow in her young faith and pray this would lead to her whole family’s salvation. Pray the Lord would protect, enable and equip her in all that she needs in Christ Jesus.

Glorious departure

We spent Thursday evening visiting with Bibi H again, caring for some of her needs, making her more comfortable, and praying for and encouraging her in the hope of Heaven in Jesus. We knew her time was near. Bibi H passed away the next morning and became the very first Christian ever allowed to be buried in our village! I shared with her neighbor ladies as we washed and shrouded her body for burial and then I prayed over her again thanking God for her life & the hope of heaven and assurance of salvation we have in Christ Jesus. Her funeral was attended by the few Christians in our area and a surprisingly large number of Muslim neighbors. It was a peaceful witness of Jesus Christ as the church came together to honor her life and share the Gospel she had put her hope in. We can’t count how many heard the gospel that day and witnessed the Body of Christ lived out amongst them. I do know Bibi H had no idea how beautifully & broadly the Gospel would be shared through her death. She was probably the most insignificant weak powerless woman in our village and yet God chose her to make glorious history & share the gospel with more than ever before here! Praise Be To God!

Getting Ready for Heaven

In visiting Sunday with elderly Bibi H, we sensed she will soon pass. I shared the gospel of hope with her again and we all sang to her a Swahili hymn. She assured us she believes and is ready to see God. Please pray that what she has confessed to us with her mouth about her faith in Jesus, she has truly believed in her heart. We want to worship with her in heaven one day! Pray the Lord would mercifully bring her home in His perfect time.

She Never Knew

She said she heard of Jesus, but had never heard he was God’s own Son, actually God with us who chose to be born a man to die in our place for our sins so we could be restored to relationship with our Holy God. She never heard that before today sitting on my front porch with me as I prayed for her healing in Jesus name. She said she believes she is a sinner, just like me, and we all need a Savior. I told her our Savior is Jesus. She said “God save me through Jesus.” I said Amen. Pray for her healing & new birth today!

Healed from Cancer

Praise God L has found salvation in Jesus! She was diagnosed with breast & uterine cancer a few months ago. Although her brother & sister had come to faith in Jesus, it was not till she agreed to be helped by the church and prayed over for healing that she gave her life to Jesus. Praise God she found healing for her soul and from her cancer! After the removal of the tumors from her breasts, the doctors could not find any cancer when they prepared her for uterine surgery! Praise God L has now been enfolded into the body of Christ and remains faithful in worship! She is experiencing the joy of her salvation! Please pray the cancer would not return & she would grow deep in her walk with the Lord.

Missionary Trainees

It is a Happy New Year! We are busily preparing to receive our first Tanzanian missionary trainee intern families sent by their churches on January 7th! We are thrilled, and a bit overwhelmed, that this is finally happening! Please pray for their witness for Christ and adjustment to living in our Muslim community for a year, as they learn on the job how to provide for themselves, use farming for a role to serve the community, and reach their Swahili neighbors with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

A New Church Plant

Our town church is considering planting a sister church here in our village. This village has historically chased out any church planters. We have been the only Christians that have been able to endure here long term and make any inroads with the gospel. Pray the Lord would give wisdom & discernment on how to best establish & disciple the body of Christ here in our village long term. Would house churches be best or a traditional church? Or should we continue Sunday worship at our home church, with midweek local home fellowships here? These are things our church is discussing & praying over. Please pray with us for the wisdom & discernment to know how to obey the Lord’s will to establish His Church here on the coast any way He pleases for His glory & the salvation among the Swahili!

You prayed…He answered

On Oct 21, 2018 you prayed for this request: “Please be in prayer for the first showing of the Jesus film by the Kilwa Churches in 3 local villages in the Kilwa district. This is the first time this permission has been given by the District government.  And God answered: “Jesus film outreach in Ruhatwe and Kikole went amazing. Both villages have no witness of the Gospel. Both villages very strongly Islamic. Both villages openly received us and over a dozen prayed to receive Christ. Both AICT and myself were blown away by the unexpected response. Both village leaders invited us to start ministry. Pray the Lord of the harvest to send forth workers. The harvest is there. PTL”

You prayed…He answered

On Oct 17, 2018 you prayed for this request: “Please pray for our Islamic outreach training for Kilwa Masoko pastors on 22- 24 October 2018. Pray for passionate vision casting and effective training in Muslim outreach. Ask the Lord to send many Tanzanian workers into His Muslim harvest field!”
And God answered: “The training went well. 11 local pastors and wives came for at least part of the 2-day training. The teacher, Cecil S. had many good insights on Islam, being sure of the Christian faith, and unity as believers. Plans are being made for him to return next year for a longer course open to lay leaders of the different churches.” Praise the Lord.

We Did Not Expect This

Our team and partner church recently did a JESUS film outreach to two villages. It was met with unexpected welcome, open doors, and opportunities for the Gospel. Praise God! God moved in the hearts of the people and even drew some to Himself as several became believers. However, with this unexpected open door to work in these villages, came a realization: What do we do with the believers in these villages? It was decided to have a rotation of men from the church go out to the villages on Sundays to begin doing Sunday services with the believers there, to get them meeting together and in God’s word together. We are seeking the Lord’s wisdom and guidance as we begin to move forward and start working with the people in these villages! Prayer is very needed!

Finally they Understand

We had the joy of recently hosting a seminar on Grace which both Christians & seekers attended. Finally these seekers, who have been wavering between works based salvation in Islam & salvation in Jesus by grace through faith, said they clearly understand it must be through Jesus alone – there is no other path to salvation. It can’t be both. Praise God! Pray they would put their faith in Christ alone.

Survey 16 Nov

Please be in prayer for UPG (Unreached People Group) survey targeted for November 16-20, 2018. This will be done in coordination with 2 local churches, AICT and KLB. Pray for discernment to understand the needs and what our role should be.

Outreach report

Jesus film outreach in Ruhatwe and Kikole went amazing. Both villages have no witness of the Gospel. Both villages very strongly Islamic. Both villages openly received us and over a dozen prayed to receive Christ. Both AICT and myself were blown away by the unexpected response. Both village leaders invited us to start ministry. Pray the Lord of the harvest to send forth workers. The harvest is there. PTL

Gospel outreach

Today we start the Jesus film outreach in Kilwa Masoko district for 1 week in two remote villages that have no church presence. Please be praying for wisdom and an open door for fruitful ministry as we desire to share the gospel with as many as possible. To our knowledge neither of these villages have had a Gospel witness. Praise God there are 7 of us working together from 3 churches.

First time Jesus film showing

Please be in prayer for the first showing of the Jesus film by the Kilwa Churches in 3 local villages in the Kilwa district. This is the first time this permission has been given by the District government. We are targeting 3 separate villages. Several Churches are taking part in this outreach together.

Islamic outreach training

Please pray for our Islamic outreach training for Kilwa Masoko pastors on 22- 24 October 2018. This will take place in Kilwa Masoko and be lead by Cecil S. We are expecting 5 plus church leaders to have part in this, along with many lay leaders. Pray for passionate vision casting and effective training in Muslim outreach. Ask the Lord to send many Tanzanian workers into His Muslim harvest field!

Mobilizing

Today on the bus, I met a young man from Kilwa who is a believer and wants to get involved in outreach. His name is Mwekwa. Pray for the right connections to get him trained and plugged in. Pray for many more local believers to reach out to their Muslim neighbors.

Asking God’s favor

This week the AICT Pastor will be asking the government leaders of our district permission to show the Jesus film publicly in several areas. Pray for God’s favor and wisdom in this direction. Ask the Lord to prepare many hearts to watch the film and believe in the One whom He has sent (John 6:29).

Swahili Bantu – past updates

Mama Bird’s Son
Feb 26, 2018

Mama Bird was scared … her 5-year-old son had just thrown up a bowl full of blood when I walked by her home. Immediately I took the boy in my arms and asked if I could pray for him. She had seen effective prayers before in releasing our neighbor’s daughter from demonic bondage, witnessed her neighbor family’s salvation out of Islam, and had been hearing bits and pieces of God’s story. As I prayed, the boy became peaceful and rested in my arms as Mama Bird gathered their things for us to rush him to the hospital. The next day she came back with her recovering son to thank me for the prayer and emergency help. Please keep praying for opportunities to share with our beloved neighbors the hope of the gospel of Jesus Christ and pray that they would not only hear, but believe with a faith that endures the persecutions to come.

We Grieve Differently
Feb 19, 2018

Our elderly mother recently went home to Jesus. We thank God for her godly example. Her death, though sorrowful, also filled us with such peace and joy in knowing she is where her treasure was laid. The local body of Christ has surrounded us with loving compassion. And our neighbors are watching! We mourn radically different from them. We have assurance of salvation in Jesus Christ! They fear that Allah will not accept their good deeds. We praise God for the open doors He has given us to testify to the hope and salvation there is in Jesus Christ. We know our mom is rejoicing in heaven that the seeds of the gospel are being planted from her life and death in Jesus Christ. Now please pray these seeds would bear the fruit of salvation in Christ that endures!

Intensified Illness
Feb 14, 2018

There are seasons of intensified illness & death here on the coast and we are in one of them now. There have been many funerals & hospitalizations & we have faced cases of malaria, nasty infections, and painful flare ups of chronic illness. Pray we would not grow weary in doing good and that God would fortify our bodies and hearts as we comfort the sick and mourning even in our own weakness. Pray as we show the loving compassion of Christ and share the hope we have in Christ with our dear neighbors, they would lay hold of the Hope of Salvation!

Feeling Threatened
Feb 6, 2018

Praise God for the challenges the church is facing here: a new Mosque attempting to cross over the church property, and boarders trying to build as close to us as possible when they have plenty of space to build elsewhere. Satan is so obviously feeling threatened by God’s Kingdom growing here! Praise God! We are wrestling over how do we, the local church, best enfold & disciple all these new believers who have come out of Islam. Pray for the Lord to continue to build his Kingdom, and preserve & grow his local body here to be a bold, loving witness of the hope & redemption there is in Jesus Christ! May His Kingdom come, may His will be done!

Hungering for the Lost
Jan 27, 2018

Praise God for the new believers who are hungering for their lost neighbors to know Jesus as their Savior too. At Christmas Bibi C brought 2 of her granddaughters to celebrate a meal with us & hear the gospel. Mama F did the same in bringing Mama Bird. And today Mama A brought a young searching man to come hear the gospel after he had heard her testimony of God’s healing & salvation and witnessed how the body of Christ has loved her. He responded to the Gospel & wants to join us tomorrow in church to testify & worship with his new family!!! Praise be to Our Lord God! Please pray for the salvation of these precious people & pray for it to spread!

Jesus Film at Christmas
Jan 14, 2018

Thank you for praying for our Christmas Feast for our staff. It was a joyous time of thanking the Lord God for His enablement of all the hard work and results produced this past year. We had a great opportunity to share the reason we have such hope for the future on the coast through the gospel of Jesus Christ. We were thankful that many families stayed on to watch the Jesus film. Praise God! Pray that all the seeds of the Gospel planted that day would sprout and bear fruit that endures!

Traditional Christmas Feast
Dec 18, 2017

Our Christian nonprofit will be hosting a Christmas party to thank God for His awesome enablement and provision throughout this past year. We will have a traditional feast followed by the Jesus film. Some of our local crew have come to faith directly and indirectly in the past 2 years through the ministry of our nonprofit and others are searching. We see this party as another opportunity to openly celebrate and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with all their families. Please pray the Lord will miraculously move to glorify Himself in and through this celebration. Before this, the only attempt to ever show the Jesus film in our village resulted in the stoning of the equipment and the missionaries being chased out of the village. Never before have Christians been able to serve long term in this village and we are thankful for the open door God has given us the past 3 years! Please pray!

Displaying Bold Unity and Confidence
Dec 15, 2017

Praise God that the body of Christ boldly displayed their generous unity in committing all the funds needed to send Ndugu S, a fairly new Swahili believer, to a carpentry & discipleship training school. He desires to grow in his faith and be trained in this skill so he can return to our village able to support himself and bear Christ’s witness to his neighbors through this vocation. Pray the Lord would continue to meet Ndugu S’ needs.

Another Chance to Share the Gospel of Grace
Dec 5, 2017

Praise God for opportunities to share Christ’s witness with Mama N. She is a strong local leader among the women of our village. She seems entirely content with her many good works which she believes bring her favor from Allah. The other day she came by for a visit and God opened wide the door to share the gospel of grace with her again. She asked about the road and reservoir project. I shared with her how I was praising God for answering our prayers to delay the rains, which were pouring down in all the areas around us so that we could complete the project in good time. She looked a bit startled and said, “Yes. Yes. Wow! Truly we all knew it would rain, but it hasn’t. Now I know why. God hears your prayers because you are a good person!” I said, “No! Mama N! I am a sinner! But my Savior Jesus is the Son of God who took away my sins, the sins of the world through His sacrifice of his body & blood on the cross! I am made Holy and now have a relationship with God Almighty because of Jesus! He is what makes me holy and good so that I can go to God for all my needs. God hears the prayers of all who trust in Jesus!” She listened thoughtfully. Pray for the Holy Spirit to draw her and her respected Swahili family to Christ!