WORLD LEADERS. “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence” (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Please pray today for President Nicanor Duarte Frutos of Paraguay (central South America, between Argentina and Brazil).

CARIBBEAN YOUTH. Please remember Caribbean Youth on the first Friday of July. Even though summer is thought of as vacation time for many students and young people, pray that the Christian Caribbean youth will not take a vacation from their faith. Pray that they will use opportunities to attend church faithfully, encourage one another and witness. Summer is also a time of volunteer teams coming to the islands. Pray for the teams to have “divine encounters” with unsaved youth, and pray that hearts will be open to hearing the gospel and then responding to it. “Let them give glory to the Lord and proclaim his praise in the islands” (Isaiah 42:12).

COSTA RICA. A team of 16 youth and adults will be traveling to San Carlos, Costa Rica, on July 5-13 to conduct Vacation Bible Schools in two towns with new Baptist churches and to conduct three youth outreach events. They will also be training the locals on how to conduct Vacation Bible School. Six of the adults will be conducting follow up with families of the children who attend. Six language missionaries will be joining the team to serve as interpreters and put their recently acquired language skills to use. Pray that hearts will be open and lives will be touched by the gospel.

OPERATION GO (Gospel Outreach), MEXICO. Please pray during the week of July 5-12, as there will be an Operation GO project led by Jim Reppeto, who will be working with Primera Iglesia Bautista (First Baptist Church) in Uruapan, Michoacan, as well as Mexican Pastor M and a volunteer team from Tennessee. There have been two previous projects with this church. Andrew, a collegiate summer volunteer, will also be part of the team. Tommy and Donna Beard have recently arrived in Uruapan as church planters and will also be working on this project.

COLOMBIA. Pray for a member of the Nicodemus Team as she writes a monthly prayer guide in Spanish and distributes it to Christians and churches in Colombia. Ask that she will be sensitive and responsive to God’s leadership in choosing a monthly theme and in writing the daily devotional and prayer thoughts. As Christians receive this prayer guide, pray that they will take time to read each daily selection and will grow in their walk with the Lord. Pray that many churches will promote and encourage the use of this prayer guide among their church members.

DEAF OF URUGUAY. The Uruguayan Deaf Team asks you to please pray for E who is a member of a Deaf ministry organization. She is working to plant a Deaf church in Melo, Cerro Largo, a Department where there is no Deaf congregation. The Lord has led her to contact and befriend seven Deaf who have an interest to know the Lord. She has also been able to find a place to meet. She now needs to find people who will commit to this ministry. She lives in Montevideo and is making the seven hour trip once a month. Please pray for those who sense a call to work with this people group to make a commitment and for the establishment of a Deaf church in this Department.

URBAN POOR OF RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL. Pray for spiritual blessings to come out of the recent social projects that were done in May and April in Rio DeJaneiro, Brazil where Eric and Ramona Reese serve. Teeth were cleaned, hair was cut, blood pressure and glucose tests were given, clothes were donated, games for children were played, and the Gospel was shared. Let’s pray that the Holy Spirit will remind them of the love shown to them and the message of the Gospel. Let’s pray that these Brazilians will give their lives to Christ, be discipled and bear much fruit for the kingdom of God. Pray that Jesus will be the hope for which they are searching.

PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, RUSSIAN FEDERATION (PK) (pe-tro-PAV-lovsk kam-CHAT-skiy). As the weather gets warmer and days get longer in July, Team PK members and national believers in Kamchatka are preparing for a very busy month. Volunteers from around the world will be coming to assist with various camps, outreaches, and construction projects. Pray that the Lord will protect the volunteers and their health as they travel across many time zones. Pray that progress will be made on projects such as the construction of a church in the city of Yelizovo. Most importantly, pray that the time the volunteers spend in Kamchatka will be used to glorify the Lord and share His love, and that many people will respond to the gospel.

RUSSIAN-SPEAKING PEOPLE OF UFA, RUSSIA (oo-FAH). Pray for the Russian Baptists in Ufa who will conduct summer evangelistic children’s and youth camps on July 7-18 and July 21-28, respectively. Pray for laborers in this harvest, for decent weather, and for many of the children and youth to begin to understand the Good News and respond to it.

CELTIC-SPEAKING PEOPLES OF WESTERN EUROPE (KEL-teek). The Celtic Languages Team will be busy in the month of July with student volunteer programs. Students will be going to four Celtic-speaking countries for various outreach ministries. Please pray for the team, the students, and the nationals who will be involved in the projects. Pray that God will be glorified, that relationships will be developed that will lead to kingdom growth, and that accountability, responsibility and integrity for the work will prevail.

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (doo-BYE). A close neighbor of some believers is grieving over the death of her mother. Her mother died in Egypt before this neighbor was able to see her this summer. As she is saddened, please pray that our Father will comfort her and reveal His Son to her at this time.

HAUSA OF WEST AFRICA (HOW-suh). A member of the Hausa Team shares: “Recently, when I was sharing the story of Jesus facing temptation in the desert, I talked about how we often face similar temptations. I talked about how in the Old Testament people had to kill a sheep as a sacrifice for sins. My Hausa friends laughed and said there would not be any sheep alive if we had to kill a sheep every time we sinned. The Lord is truly working in their hearts to help them to see their need to accept the Ultimate Sacrifice. Please pray that they will be willing to accept the Truth.”

JOLA-FONYI OF SENEGAL AND THE GAMBIA (JOH-luh-FOH-nyee). Pray for God to open the door for the Jola team to share the story of Jesus in village D. Pray that N and her household will continue in their decision to host the meetings. Pray that those who hear the story will believe and accept Jesus.

KANURI OF NIGERIA, NIGER, CHAD AND CAMEROON (kah-NUH-ree). MB, wife of MM, has been listening to Kanuri New Testament recordings for several weeks now and following along in the Kanuri New Testament given to her by the missionaries with whom her husband works. Earlier in the week, MM also took home a Hausa booklet that answers many of the questions Muslims have about Christ and Christianity. Although his wife speaks her Kanuri heart language fluently, she can read and understand the written Hausa language much better. Today she asked the missionaries if she could swap her Kanuri New Testament for a Hausa one that would enable her to read and understand better the references given in the Hausa booklet. Of course, they gladly gave her a Hausa New Testament as well. Continue to pray that both MB and her husband MM will find the One who is the Truth and together embrace Him with their whole hearts.

TUAREG OF WEST AFRICA (TWAR-eg). Continue to pray for Tuareg believers. They have a heart for reaching their own people. Pray for them to have the wisdom and resources needed to reach others. Pray for them to have boldness.

CENTRAL, EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA (CESA). July holds two annual meetings for missionaries. Please pray for these times of learning, renewal and celebration. Ask for God’s Spirit to move in the hearts of those leading sessions, workshops and Bible studies as they prepare for this time. Please pray for those organizing travel and the meeting place for these significant events. Especially pray for the more than 270 missionaries coming together for the Central Section meeting on July 14-19 and the preparation and organization needed for this event. Pray also that God will use the time prior to these meetings to prepare each and every missionary for hearing from the Lord and then choosing to obey His leadership willingly. Begin now interceding for July 7-11 and 14-19 specifically. Pray that these will be times of recommitment to the task and all that is done will honor the Lord. Thank God for this time of renewal for all missionaries and their families.

DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA (DER-bun). During the month of July, Westville Baptist Church, Phoenix Baptist Church, Highway Baptist Church and many other local churches in the Durban area will send teams of church members to areas of southern Mozambique on missions outreach trips. They will work with the smaller Mozambican churches in evangelism, outreach, medical and feeding efforts to bring the love of Jesus to people in tangible ways. Ask God for wisdom for the many leaders of these groups as well as for safety as they travel. Pray that they will bring Him glory as they spread His Word and seek to do His work among the various peoples living in southern Mozambique.

IRINGA, TANZANIA (eye-RING-uh). Please pray for volunteers from the United States who will be arriving to work in Iringa and the surrounding area. Please intercede for safe travel and good health while they are here--for all of them and for the missionaries working with them. Please pray that hearts will be open to the gospel; ask for blessed encounters with Tanzanians hungry to know Jesus. Please pray for the churches of Iringa, asking that they will be able to do follow up well with those reached. Also, please pray that the churches will be focused on “kingdom growth” and on spreading God’s Word among their neighbors. Please pray that the churches will be unified as the body of Christ to God’s glory. May God bless you as you bless others through your prayers for the missionaries, churches and lost of Iringa, Tanzania.

SOUTHERN SUDAN. Praying over and planning how to make Christ known in a large area like Southern Sudan is one goal of Cathy and Mark K. This month, there are several approaches that are being used to make Christ known in Southern Sudan. Would you pray for the volunteer team coming, the six single missionaries who are now working in different areas, and also the national believers who are being discipled and used in different groups? Pray for the nationals whom the Lord has these people coming in contact with, asking that they will be open to the gospel as it is presented to them. Pray for our missionaries to find favor with the leaders of each area, and for their witness to bear much fruit.

CENTRAL YI OF CHINA. More than half a million Central Yi people (pronounced ee) are found in remote mountains of Southwest China’s Yunnan province. They have no written language among their many dialects. If they did, they would write of many social, economic and political hardships. They live far from the modern world, often at the end of muddy roads and horse trails, farming and herding that land not taken by the majority population. For centuries, watersheds, rivers and mountains have worked to propagate ethnic and linguistic diversities. Geographic isolation is multiplied by a fear and suspicion of outsiders, whose visits have rarely brought good news. Villages are small, their size defined by what marginal land within walking distance can support. Dotting the sides of mountains, such villages may have crude power lines and rusted satellite dishes. For the most part, the need for food, water, shelter, medicine, community and spiritual life are all met within the small radius between village and market town. A great number of the Central Yi have never seen a foreigner, traveled a paved road, used indoor plumbing, or heard the name of Jesus. Historically, these are warlike people, still engaged in raiding, even slave-taking, until 1959. Spiritual slavery is very much alive today. They believe the dragon controls rainfall and drought. They worship the goat god, the mountain god, and their ancestors. Christian efforts among them have been few, with believers thought to number perhaps 1 out of every 11,000 people. Persecution is common. There is no practical availability of the Bible. Please pray for the evangelization of the Central Yi of China.

LAMPUNGESE OF SOUTH SUMATRA, INDONESIA (lahm-poong-eez). Pray for upcoming elections in Lampung province and the country of Indonesia. Petition for a peaceful political process and for new leaders who will be elected.

MOKO PEOPLE OF THE PACIFIC RIM. Moko (pronounced MOH-koh), a small island found in the Indian Ocean, was forever changed when it was struck by the tsunami in 2004. Marked by its beautiful beaches, lush green jungles and numerous villages that hug the coastline, Moko is still subject to frequent earthquakes affecting the island and its people. The approximately 80,000 residents who claim Moko as their home mostly fish and farm for their livelihood. They are simple people, each village living in community as they fish, work the fields, wash laundry by hand, collect firewood for cooking, watch over each other’s children, play volleyball or soccer, and eat fish and rice together. Weddings and funerals take place in their homes and are attended by the whole village. Most of the Moko people have little knowledge of the world beyond their island. The people of Moko have been in bondage to darkness for generations. They claim Islam as their religion, but acts of animistic belief are also seen in their daily practices. There are no Moko believers on the island, and the Bible has yet to be translated into the heart language of the Moko people. Trusting in the Lord, for a person of Moko, would mean rejecting their culture, faith and family. Please pray for the evangelization of the Moko people.

SOUTH KOREA. In 52 days, Nehemiah led his people to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, restore a nation, and revive a people. It was a short-term project that had eternal results.” This is an introduction of what Nehemiah Teams are all about – leading the next generation to go to hard to reach and unreached areas on short term mission projects that have eternal results. Pray for six Korean students who will be in the Philippines in July to minister as part of the Nehemiah Teams program. This is the second year for Korean Nehemiah Teams to be sent to the Philippines. Pray for a good adjustment, teachable spirit and many opportunities to share the love of God with Filipinos. Praise God all the Nehemiah Team materials have now been translated into the Korean language. English has been a barrier to enlisting Korean students to serve on Nehemiah Teams. Ask the Lord of the harvest to call out many Korean students to serve on Nehemiah Teams.

AZERIS OF IRAN (ah-ZEYR-ees). Pray for the strategy coordinator as he seeks to incorporate other Central Asian people in reaching the Azeris of Iran. Also pray for workers who are seeking to find other ways to attract Azeris in order to share the Good News with them.

BIHARI MUSLIMS OF BANGLADESH (bee-HAR-ree). Several times, you have prayed that the government of Bangladesh would grant Bihari refugees citizenship. God has answered your prayers. On May 18, the High Court of Bangladesh ruled that all Biharis who were born in Bangladesh or were minors during the 1971 war of independence have rights to citizenship and are eligible to vote. After a long history of broken promises, most Biharis will not rejoice until they actually hold a voter’s identification card in their hands. Still, there are Biharis who oppose this ruling because they insist on Pakistan repatriating them. Please give thanks to God for this breakthrough for justice. Pray that the government will implement the high court’s verdict and the Biharis will be able to vote in the election scheduled for the end of this year. Pray for God’s work of reconciliation to put an end to the animosities between the Bengali and Bihari populations.

GUWAHATI, INDIA (gwah-HOT-tee). Praise God from whom all blessings flow! You have been praying for the last couple of months for God’s will for Brother J, a potential church planter. God is answering. God has given Brother J a vision of 40 churches with 2,000 believers showing the “JESUS” film, resulting in at least 500 new house churches. What an incredible vision! He is already working to gather believers together to accomplish this vision. He is talking with several Great Commission Christian organizations to provide the film copies, enlist the churches and believers to show the films, and train volunteers to lead the house churches. Please continue to pray. Pray for wisdom in planning the details. Pray that God will lead the leaders of the local churches to support this ministry. Ask the Lord of the harvest to call out 2,000 believers who will open their homes to show the film and hold Bible study groups, and to call out believers who will commit to be the leaders of these house churches. Pray that God will open the hearts and minds of the lost to recognize truth when they hear it. Pray that they will be ready and eager to accept Jesus as Savior, and that they will hunger to know the Lord of all the earth.

PUNJABIS OF INDIA (pun-JAH-bees). College students arrived in Punjab state at the end of May to spend the summer sharing the gospel with people in villages. They will finish their volunteer trip this month. Pray that they will be bold and will not shrink back; ask that they will finish well. Pray for the people of peace they met this summer. Ask the Lord to help national believers follow up with these people of peace so that, as a result of their work, they can start new house churches all across Punjab.

LAST FRONTIER. The time of year that marks an increase in the terrible “mosquito diseases” is coming in the next few months. Mosquito repellant will be given away to those who live in the neighborhood that has the most mosquito disease-related deaths per year in all the world. Please pray that children will be protected from disease. Pray that those who become sick this season will turn to the Great Physician for healing and salvation.

MISSIONARY PERSONAL NEEDS. The R family has had to change their stateside assignment dates. Mission housing is usually booked years in advance and can be difficult to find. Pray that the Lord will provide them a place to live from July to December.

MUSLIMS: PRAYING BEYOND THE WALL. After hearing the testimony of a South Asian Muslim-background believer, a Muslim man with whom he was meeting said, “You’re lying!” The believer replied, “I am not. Why would I lie? This is a good thing that God has done. If I were lying, I couldn’t talk to you anymore.” Pray that this Muslim man, and others like him who doubt the power of Jesus to save from sin, will realize that a man’s testimony is his word of honor before Almighty God. Pray that upon hearing how Jesus has changed a former Muslim’s life, the doubters will be convicted of the truth and will turn to follow Him.