(OOZ-beks) - The leaders of a local church recently decided to implement formal church membership to distinguish between members and mere attenders and to make being a committed part of the church more meaningful. The elders began teaching the congregation what it means to covenant with one another, to care for other members, and what relationships with other believers should look like according to Scripture. They met with each individual to discuss any questions they might have and to hear their salvation testimonies. Eventually, they had a special Sunday meeting where they formally accepted those desiring membership. After that, each Sunday after the service, they'd gather members into small groups to share and pray for one another. They even held their first-ever members' meeting to discuss the budget and other church matters. Pray that their openness with finances and decisions will have a positive impact on their members as well as other groups around the country. Pray that God will be glorified as they hear God's Word preached weekly and participate in the Lord's Supper regularly. Pray for the members to center their lives around their local church and for their relationships to reflect the gospel, demonstrating love, forgiveness, faithfulness, and righteousness to those around them.

(muh-NOWS) - Pray that God will continue to raise up local leadership in the "P2 community," and ask that He will continue to grow the Bible study group in this "squatter" area. Praise the Lord that some of the people participating already view themselves as a church! Would you pray that this group will begin functioning as a church group this year?

Pray for the 30-plus church leaders currently in certificate of theology cohorts (study groups) around Kenya. Ask the Lord to give them a deeper understanding of the Scriptures and the ministry of the gospel. Pray for the teachers to have a clear understanding of the cultural issues needing to be addressed in order to bring about worldview change.

(swah-HEE-lee) - Many Swahili-speaking Arabs of East Africa have experienced trauma in their lives. With little help in processing these pains, they often carry them around like heavy luggage their whole lives. For Anna, the abuse she endured as a child left her weary in her relationship with her mother. Even after her mother's passing, her thoughts weigh heavy on her, leaving her wondering why she wasn't protected and feeling guilty that the relationship was never fully restored. She has tried to find healing through practicing yoga while remaining devout in her faith. Last year, she excitedly accepted a copy of the Word but hasn't spoken about it since. Please pray that Anna and those like her will seek answers from the Great Healer and that she will find rest for her weary and burdened soul in Jesus.

"But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works" (Psalm 73:28 ESV). Please intercede for the believers in southern Africa, asking that the presence of God will be so real to them that it will comfort and help them in times of trouble. Pray that their refuge will be in God and not in anything else. Pray that they will readily share of the blessing of God's presence and love. May they be courageous and excited to tell others about Him!

(chee-ang MY) - "A national partner who has been helping with the pregnancy center for a year now has become passionate and motivated about the work. She is proactive in getting more speaking opportunities and has even translated the Life in the Womb material from Thai into her heart language for her hill tribe people to understand. The Life in the Womb training is an hour-long presentation that the team does in churches and schools to help educate about the development of a baby in its mother's womb. Praise God for the amazing opportunity we had to share with a group of tribe Christian women from a hill tribe who gathered for their yearly Christian women's conference. Walking into the room was breathtaking as nearly 700 women greeted us and were fascinated to know the way that God created us all!"

(OH-sah-kah) - "Last fall, we asked you to pray for the second module of a biblical counseling certification, which went very well. Pray for the final two modules of this biblical counseling training that will be held on May 17-18. Pray that all the details will come together and that many can continue in their training. Pray also that attendees would prepare well for the training. We thank you for your prayers!"

On May 15-16, a group of summer interns from the Georgia Baptist Mission Board are scheduled to arrive in Oslo for a 6-week internship. Pray for them and the Norwegian churches they will be working alongside. Ask for strong relationships between the interns and church members. Ask that the interns will come in as learners and be willing to serve humbly, while also encouraging and challenging local believers to join them in service.

The Ghomara Berber tribe of Morocco is composed of 76,000 people located in the Rif Mountains. They practice folk Islam, and very few have ever heard of the hope of Christ. They take great pride in their tribal culture, and marriage within the tribe is obligatory to preserve the traditions and community. This tightknit community makes it difficult for outsiders to come in and new ideas to be heard. Right now, they are unengaged and unreached, meaning that they have no access to a gospel witness. Praise God that they have various Bible resources available in their language! However, the majority of the Ghomara aren't aware of these. Pray blessings upon their farming and families, and pray that they will find a mustard seed of faith in the name of Jesus. "[Jesus] said therefore, 'What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches'" (Luke 13:18-19 ESV).

Pray for the ongoing discipleship of new believers. Pray that God will give them a deeper understanding of who He is and what it means to follow Christ.

(koo-MAH-oo) - Last month, you learned of a successful training that was held in March for a group of believers in the northeastern Kumaon region. Some mature believers followed up with some of the believers who had gone through that training. They were able to share the good news in multiple villages while modeling and walking alongside the believers. Please lift up the Kumaoni speakers who were able to hear the gospel, many for the first time. Pray for the believers who were a part of this outreach, asking that they will continue to grow in their passion to reach the lost.

In the Four Fields process, the second stage involves sowing the gospel, a challenge for many unreached people groups (UPGs) with limited access to Jesus' saving message. Among the 7,000+ languages globally, over 1,600 lack even a single translated Bible verse in their heart language. To address this via the strategy of Scripture Planting, Bible translators are deployed to UPGs. These translators not only translate Bible stories, such as the Creation 2 Christ set and culturally relevant parables like the Prodigal Son, but also Scripture passages for basic discipleship. This groundwork lays the foundation for translating the entire Gospels of Luke and Acts, facilitating the creation of films like the "JESUS" film. The goal is to sow gospel seeds, initiating the formation of churches. Pray for near-culture believers to respond to this call, dedicating time to bring Jesus' Word to neighboring tribes. Pray for persons of peace among UPGs to assist in translation, and for the provision of committed translators investing weeks to years in this crucial work. #Fourfields