(SEE-new) - "Please pray for Jonas and Noemi, who arrived in late January and will be serving among the Zenu for the next six months," writes the North Coast Colombia Team. "They are global missionary partners (GMPs) from Mexico and will be working in two different locations: one on the main reservation and the other in the town of Arjona. Pray that their time in Colombia will be a blessing to both the Zenu and to them as they serve here."
jillianenash@gmail.com
(TWAR-eg) - Roses, chocolates, and cards are basically ubiquitous. Advertisements for gifts are around every corner. You can't walk through a store, turn on the television or radio, or surf the internet without seeing some reminder of Valentine's Day. Regardless of the feelings that this holiday stirs up inside you and whether you're someone who gives (or receives) extravagant gifts, someone who merely collects candy and other "goodies" on sale after the 14th, or someone who won't give or receive anything, there's virtually no way to evade completely the bombardment of "love" references. For the Tuareg, there are no such reminders. This is simply another month for them to go about their lives. As human beings, love is a concept they understand somewhat but cannot fully grasp. Many are in loving relationships, but plenty are not. More importantly, very few have a real concept of pure love that comes only through receiving the most extravagant gift of love ever given: the Son. As you're inundated with reminders this month, please stop to pray for the Tuareg to know the love of God. Pray for believers among and around them to boldly proclaim in word and deed the love that only the Father can give.
A local believer recently met Hanan, a young Muslim woman, and gave her a kit containing feminine hygiene supplies. The believer shared her testimony with Hanan because she used to follow Islam before the Lord found her. Hanan excitedly received the hygiene kit as well as the woman's testimony and wanted to know more about Jesus. The believer invited her to a house group, and surprisingly, when the group learned that Hanan was coming, they were upset and didn't want her to join the group because she was known for her promiscuous behavior in the community. A leader shared with the group the story about the woman who was a sinner and who washed Jesus' feet with her tears and expensive oil and how, ultimately, Jesus forgave her sins (Luke 7:36-50). Upon hearing the story, the group was moved to tears, repented of their Pharisaic hearts, and welcomed Hanan. Now she is a follower of Jesus Christ and wants to be baptized soon! Pray that God will grow Hanan in faith and that she will be a faithful witness to her family.
(sor-AH-nee) - "I saw a shining Man dressed in white. He had a basket in His hands, and He was offering its contents to everyone in the room. Then I saw that it was bread." Just as Lena dreamt vividly of Jesus offering bread -- the One who calls Himself "the bread of life" (John 6:35 ESV) -- pray that many other Sorani Kurds will have dreams and visions of Jesus this month and encounter followers of Jesus who can explain their dreams to them.
centralasianpeoples@protonmail.com
(GOO-juh-raht) - Please pray for a new opportunity that has been presented to some mature believers. They were recently connected to a local network of pastors who have been church planters for a while but have not seen multiplication. These pastors have asked for a meeting with the mature believers to see how they could potentially partner together in their church-planting efforts and help with multiplication. Please pray that this meeting will be encouraging and helpful, and ask that it will be clear to all involved if this would be a good partnership. Pray that this opportunity will lead to many more multiplying churches in northern Gujarat.
Pray for a Bible weekend at a church in Oslo, Norway, that will be featuring prayer, worship, and Bible teaching in multiple languages. Pray that this event will help those attending to understand how they can read God's Word on their own, and ask that many will also begin reading the Bible in pairs and small groups. Pray particularly for those who have found it difficult to study Scripture due to language barriers. May they begin to experience God's Word as clear, applicable, and life-giving.
(mon-GOHL-yun) - Praise God for His work through Christmas outreaches! Five women believed, and many heard the good news. Ask God for good follow-up for the women and for the others to continue thinking about the truth they heard. Also, ask that God will give the three young women who volunteered during the outreaches awareness of opportunities to share the gospel now that they are back in their places of service in America.
pray4APAC@imb.org
(mahm-BAH-suh) - "As we embark on this month of love," workers write, "we are reminded of God's love for us and how He continuously shows His love for us. The word 'love' appears in the Bible more than 400 times, and Matthew 22:37-39 (ESV) reveals that the two greatest commandments of all are to love: 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' We are to love God and love our neighbors. What a joy it is to show love to those in our community! Please pray for us that we will show our love to others by joyfully sharing the gospel with those around us, that we will seek out opportunities to engage with our community, and that we will be persistent in discipling new believers. Pray that we will show our love for others by diligently learning their heart language and embracing a new culture. Pray that we will show our love for others by being a light in the darkness."
http://www.imb.org/sub-saharan-africa/
Please pray for two Chinese exchange students who were invited to a Christmas event. While they are staying in Korea, may their hearts be opened to the love of God, and may they come to know Jesus personally. Pray that the Holy Spirit will remove any barriers and lead them into a genuine relationship with Christ through loving people and meaningful encounters.
pray4APAC@imb.org
(DER-bun) - Students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa will be returning to campus in early February. It will be a trying time and a difficult few weeks of registering for classes, waiting for funding to come through to pay for registration, wondering where or when classes will meet, and facing the uncertainty of student housing. Some ultimately will be forced to turn around and go back home without the opportunity to carry on with their studies. This is a reality for these students at the beginning of every school year. Please pray for those who minister to university students as they meet with students during this time. Pray that they will be able to encourage students and point them to the Heavenly Father in whom they can have zero uncertainty or confusion. Pray for students to rely fully on God during this school year amid all the stress and frustrations that they will face every day. "Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing" (1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV).
montgomerysgo@gmail.com
http://www.imb.org/sub-saharan-africa/
As celebrations for the closing of the past year and coming of the new year begin, pray that the people walking in darkness will see a great light. God's Word declares in Isaiah 9:2 that the light has dawned on those living in the land of deep darkness. May the day of sorrow for those in hard-to-reach places come to an end. This Lunar New Year, as fireworks explode, families gather, and people step away from their regular workdays to celebrate, pray this will be the time that they engage with the Light of the world. Ask that many people access digital gospel presentations during these weeks when normal daily routines are different.
pray4APAC@imb.org
(bee-koh-LAH-nohs) - "We lift up the families of the Philippines into Your loving hands. You know each home, each father, mother, son, and daughter -- every hope, every fear, and every dream. We ask that You would move in a special way among the adult men of this nation, calling them to become true followers of Jesus and faithful leaders in their families. Amen."
Northkathy@gmail.com
