PR - July 13, 2009

Update and Prayer Request

I would like to begin by sharing a praise to God that there are a few new believers in the Kingdom of God. There are possibly six new believers. Praise the Lord. As excited as we are at God's working in our area, still yet these are of another people group that live inside our province. Praise the Lord that He is drawing Muslims to Himself. Please pray that He will penetrate our PB peoples and that we will begin reporting that several from Cower, KeeKeem, RuJohn, and all throughout the 13 people groups will have believed. Praise the Father that our National partners ARE SHARING THE GOSPEL WITH MUSLIMS. Pray that God will give a passion to our national partners for our PB peoples. And pray for God's will to be done here in our ministries.

A new opportunity

A new ministry will open in the next month that will, we pray, provide us an opportunity to share the Gospel with a different segment of PB peoples. It is an English club. Please pray for the PB team as we work on the finishing touches in order to open the English club. Please pray that we will befriend many college students and adults, and have many opportunities to share about the Wondrous Truth that has changed our lives.

A prayer for our PB team...
Lastly, please pray for our PB team (workers and national partners alike)as many of us want to "up the anty" on our evangelism. We believe and feel that God is doing a great work here. Please pray that the PB team will be 1)in the Word and prayer 2) sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading and 3) sharing our testimony of God's mighty work in our lives, share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and calling those around us to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. And pray that we will see the PB peoples REACHED. Not for our glory but for God's glory, just as the psalmist said.


Please continue to pray for those individuals and families that were blogged about last month.

PR - June 2, 2009

Praise the Lord for the seed that is being sown (as was the prayer request from the last blog) AND for those who have newly became followers of Jesus.

Please pray for:

* Mrs. Warcy, a new believer whose husband is a severe diabetic. Please pray for her husband's salvation and health. Pray for those whom are discipling Mrs. Warcy for wisdom, clarity, and boldness as they present the Gospel to Mr. Warcy. Pray for Mrs. Warcy's faith to grow deeper in the knowledge and truth of Christ.

* Mrs. Ware is a new believer. Ware is 75 years old. She is being heavily persecuted by another woman, Mrs. Su. When one of our friends goes to Mrs. Ware's home, our friends are not allowed to visit with Mrs. Ware because Mrs. Su will not allow it. Mrs. Su has told several in the community so that there is community pressure on Mrs. Ware because of her new faith in Jesus Christ. Praise God with us that Mrs. Ware has communicated that despite the persecution and community pressure, she still believes and is still a follower of our Lord Jesus Christ. Please pray for Mrs. Su, the persecutor that the Father will radically save her as he did with Saul, also known as Paul in the Scriptures. Pray that Mrs. Ware will not lose faith but that her faith too will grow deeper. Pray that she will be a light for Christ in her community.

* Lastly please pray for Mr. Toluse. Toluse is a recent believer as well. However since his conversion, he is often in a state of confusion. Pray that God will give him clarity. Pray that God will bring followers of Christ into his life to disciple him and encourage him in his new walk with Christ.

"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, "For your sake we are being put to death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered." But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to seperate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:31-39 NASB

PR - May 21, 2009

Sowing seeds...

I am grateful to God for you, followers of Jesus on the other side of the world, and for our brothers and sisters in Christ here. Thank you for your prayers for the salvation of the PB people. And thank God also for our friends here who are actively sharing their faith about Jesus with those throughout the PB lands here.

Just a few examples...
A Muslim woman in a northern village was prayed for last month. The woman has been sick for a while. Some friends here knew of her health. The Muslim woman asked if they would pray for her. One of our friends here said she felt God laid it on her heart to pray for God's will to be done. So as she prayed for the Muslim woman in the name of Jesus Christ, she did not pray for healing, instead she prayed for God's will to be done. Later our friend shares that after leaving the sick woman's home she began to fear "what if God's will was for this woman to die?". As it is, God has chosen to heal the sick woman and she is up and walking around. The once sick woman sent word to our friend that she has been healed and is thankful for the prayers. Our friend sent back word that the healing "was not from man but because of God healing her in the name of Jesus Christ." Pray for the healed woman that as she has had a miracle in her life, that she will receive this as from God, that she will believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and follow Him for the rest of her life.

The Gospel of Luke was given to a group of five men who work together. Gospel Truth was shared with them. Pray that the Holy Spirit will radically speak to them through the Book of Luke. Pray that God will save these men through His Word. And may they study the book together.

Our friends here seem to have an amazing burning desire for the Gospel to go forth strongly and save many in their own families. By this I mean extended families whom have yet to believe and follow Jesus Christ. They are inviting extended families to come visit them here and while the families are visiting our friends are boldly proclaiming the Gospel with them. And praise be to God, they are seeing their family members turn from Islam and embrace and follow Christ. Just this week a 70 year old mother believed and was baptised. Praise God! Pray that God will keep this burning passion in their hearts. Pray that this passion will spread to other national partners. And pray that God will turn this passion not for just their families but for all the PB peoples!

Oh friends, the Gospel IS going forth. I am among friends that are NOT ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Please pray for them. Pray that the Holy Spirit will save mightily, strongly, amazingly. And may He get all the glory and honor!

Keep praying in faith that He will do a great work!

PR - May 3, 2009

"Given the choice between heaven or hell, they would choose hell..."
... this was a comment we heard about an area in our PB lands that the people are described as evil and care nothing about their afterlife. And in the middle of this village is one family that are believers. How firm are they in their faith? We are unsure.
Recently we heard the testimony of this family who attended our agricultural training seminar around 10 years ago. At that time, they said they were unwilling to go further with the agriculture techniques they had learned and in turn, had no contact with the training center for almost 10 years. Just a few months ago, they contacted the training facility and requested agricultural help.
Upon traveling and visiting there, our Christian ag extentionists report that the area surrounding this believing family is evil and the people do not want to talk about anything spiritual.
Please pray for this one lone family there among the "evil" that God would strengthen their faith in Him, that this family would be used to share the Good News... the Gospel of Jesus Christ with those surrounding them, and also that God would protect them and bless their agricultural practices. Pray for our Christian ag extentionist that will travel and work with this family. Pray that his faith will grow stronger. Pray that he will disciple and encourage the family of believers. And pray for safety while he travels to this area.

Praise from the downcast...
in the last blog, we asked you to pray for the Thumpers and Jokers as they were downcast and experiencing trials and encounters of various kinds. The Father has been at work, and they have reported that they have been encouraged in a variety of ways. God is at work, and they have seen some come to faith in Christ, Mr. Joker has experienced personal healing in his life, and other issues the Lord has used to encourage their hearts. Please continue to intercede for these two families as they are on the front lines sharing the Gospel with those they encounter. Praise the Lord for His faithfulness to His children. And thank Him for His goodness.

RuJohn...
another agriculture training ended this past week. And what a motley crew the Lord put together. One attendee was a Believer that enjoyed sharing his faith and talking about how tries to share the Gospel with this person or that person, and he did so unashamedly. Meanwhile, studying right along beside him was a RuJohn Muslim man who heard the Gospel several times during the training. Five men altogether attended the training. Please pray for the four that attended and were not believers, that the Gospel that was shared with them these past several days would take root in their hearts. Please pray for the Believer that he would continue to share the Gospel unashamedly.

Lastly...
please pray for a PB Muslim woman that recently asked some fellow Believers to pray for her. She invited these two followers of Jesus into her house and asked them to pray for her because she is pregnant and has had difficulties in the past with pregnancies. The fellow Believers prayed for her in the name of Jesus Christ, then proceeded to pray for her house, family, and those that surrounded her. She was also given a copy of Proverbs. Please pray for 1) her salvation 2) the baby within her and 3) her family and neighbors that God will save MANY PB peoples through this encounter.

PR- April 15, 2009

The hunchback...
You probably have read the book or watched the movie or at LEAST seen a clip from The Hunchback of NotreDame. So you have a visual image possibly right now of the hunchback from the Disney film. Now imagine him with darker skin. That is a picture of a hunchback that lives in our town as he stands at a major intersection in town and begs for money. Often when I am thinking of who to write about, I pass "these", such as the hunchback and others who stand at the intersections begging, right up. Yet... are they in any less need of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Of course not. So I am bringing them to you this week, asking you to pray for these that are physically and spiritually poor. Two specific beggars this week: Hunchback and Young mentally handicapped boy and those that accompany them asking for money at the major intersections in town. They have received tracts, so pray that God will speak to these two and those that lead them around town. Pray that the Holy Spirit will prick their hearts and God will call them, and many others in physical and spiritual darkness unto Himself.

Does this sound familiar... as it can apply to the physically and spiritually blind all over the world...

"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn..."
-The Messianic Servant in Isaiah 61:1-2

Downcast...
This past week two families that are good friends and national partners, whom have a great burden to see the lost come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, have said that they are downcast. Both families. I have mentioned the Jokers and the Thumpers in the past. In the past year, they took on new positions moving from a primarily agricultural trainer to now a more front line evangelist. They have experienced troubles of various kinds. Please pray specifically for these two families this week. They are also facing a trial in which they did not expect to experience: ridicule from other believers. It is hard to understand how this happens, believers ridiculing other believers, such as the Thumpers and the Jokers because they have taken a new role, not necessarily working with their hand to the physical plow anymore but sowing seeds of Truth. Possibly this trial from other believers has been one that has brought the most hurt. Please pray that these two families will hold to Christ as their life and hope in this sinful world. Pray that they will forgive as the Lord has forgiven them (see Col 3:13), and thus give no foothold for the devil in their lives and ministries(see Eph 4:27). Pray the Father will embolden them and strengthen them according to His Word. And may many come to faith and worship our Risen Lord Jesus Christ because of these faithful few. I pray you will be as Paul in his letters, and join us giving thanks to the Father for these brothers and sisters(see 2 Thess 1:3 and many of Paul's letters). Pray that God will encourage their hearts and they will not give up the "good fight of faith" until He calls them home. (1 Tim 6:12)

Maranatha, Come Lord Jesus...

Dear PB partners,

At the time of writing this two thoughts lay heavy on my mind and heart, and these will be what we will focus our prayers on for the next two weeks. One thought.... mind-boggling, possibly, for some of you and the second a common topic that I ask you to pray about here.

*I hope you will read the entire blog, and pray for those mentioned below, but if you are pressed for time, please read the portions that are in bold, and these are the prayer requests for the next two weeks.*

The first.... dreams and visions (see I told you this might stretch some of you)

One thing we have been hearing about lately and we ourselves are seeing happen even among a few (but possibly more) of the PB peoples... Muslims dreaming dreams and visions about Jesus Christ. How many of us, Westerners, have actually had dreams and visions of God? How often do we, in the Western society, hear about those in the West coming to faith in God because of dreams and visions of Jesus inviting people to come unto him? Thus the very reason I say that perhaps this may be stretching or mind-boggling for some us. I wish that I could paint a picture for you of those are who dreaming the dreams and having visions of Christ, yet I feel that any words I could say would be insufficient. Yet I can say, that it TRULY IS happening. It is happening among other people groups on our island, and the reason I am writing is to ask you to pray that the PB Muslims WILL REOCURRINGLY have life altering dreams/visions/encounters with Jesus Christ. We want Jesus to make HIMSELF known here among the PB peoples, by whatever means. And to pray that as we, followers of Jesus Christ, hear of those having dreams and visions will follow-up with these Muslims and challenge them and question their beliefs and call them to believe in Jesus Christ.

You see God is Almighty. It is HE that calls sinners unto Himself. May we be faithful to testify to Christ.



And the second thought is on the beauty of hobbit feet...

Have you ever seen Lord of the Rings and noticed the hobbits feet... flat, spread out, bare feet? That is the feet I see most every day. Feet that have spread and flattened from living in a society where shoes are not allowed to be worn in the home and so the people have feet that flatten and spread on the concrete floors over time. Anyway, I hope this description isn't offensive to you but that you get where I am going here. I find some of those feet just... beautiful. Does this sound familiar..."How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, 'Your God reigns'" (Isaiah 52:7). You see, those feet that I think are beautiful hobbit feet, are those of our national partners. I know that I bring them to you as a prayer request almost every month but I pray that you will NEVER tire of praying for these brothers and sisters who are sharing the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ to Muslims/animists/ and a mixture of both.
Brother Paul says "And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worth of the Lord, fully please to Him, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God." Col 1:9-10

Please do not "cease" to pray for them. And do not cease to pray for the salvation of the PB peoples.

"...His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Col 1:14)

PR - March 16, 2009

"Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age according to the will of God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever." - apostle Paul in Galatians 1:3-5

Dear prayer partners for the PB peoples,
Over the next two weeks, I would like for us to pray over the following three requests:

1. We are hopeful that three new Bible Study groups will start up in the next few weeks. Two of the groups are new believers that will be gathering to study God's Word together. The other group is a number of unbelievers that will gather and explore who is God and what does faith in Jesus look like. Please pray that these groups will begin and will not be delayed. Pray that the new members of the groups will consistently attend. Pray that God will bless the leaders with godly wisdom. And ultimately pray that the Holy Spirit will work in these groups and grow the new believers in their faith and convict and draw unto Him those of the group that have not yet believed.



2. Please pray that our PB team (inluding nationals and ourselves) and other Christians that live in the PB province, would have a burden for the lostness of those around us... for those enslaved to Islam, animism (spirit worship), an apathetic heart, and something like pluralism (where people believe there are many paths to God and each should have their own right to believe whatever they would like, and no on should encourage them otherwise). Please pray that God will remind the PB team of the urgency of His Gospel for the PB peoples here that are perishing. The Scripture is clear when Jesus said,"I am the way, the truth, and the life and no one comes to the Father but through me." (John 14:6).

and lastly...
3. Mrs. Lane. Some have asked of how Mrs. Lane is doing these days. Our national partners continue to spend time with Mrs. Lane and her husband, sharing truth with them. Pray that for Mrs. Lane, the time with the national partners would be a discipling time where she can learn from other followers of Christ, learn and begin obeying Scripture that is storied with Mr. and Mrs. Lane, and she will grow in her faith as a result of these times. For Mr. Lane, he still has yet to place his faith in Jesus Christ and follow Him. Please continue to pray for his salvation. Please continue to pray that God will use Mrs. Lane to draw Mr. Lane to Himself.

Thank you so much for your prayers. We so appreciate your partnership in the Gospel. Yes, you are our partners. Prayer is an important part of our ministry, and we want you to know how much we value your partnership and prayers. May God bless you.

PR - March 3, 2009

An Update on the Update
Last blog I told you about how excited we were to find out that 2 RuJohn men heard the Gospel message in our last farmer training session. We are excited about that AND also the 4 other RuJohn men that heard. So in fact there were 6 RuJohn men who came to study. Sorry to misrepresent the facts. The last farmer training time we had 17 men altogether learning our ag techniques and hearing the Bible chronologically storied. The other 11 men are from another UPG (unreached people group) in our area that we also minister to but they are not numbered in our 13 people groups that we target. They would actually be a 14th group. So this is an exciting time indeed. Please pray for these 17 men that the Gospel Truth will lay heavy on their hearts and minds. Pray that God will draw them into His Kingdom. Our next farmer training begans March 11th. Please pray that God will draw in MORE of our PB peoples to the training.

A Repetitive Request
Regularly we ask you to pray for our national partners. Again remember, a national partner is a citizen of this country who follows our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Thus they are a national and a partner in the Gospel. Hope this is clear. These national partners are able to go deeper into conversations, villages, and walks of life with our PB peoples than often the foreign face. Our partners are very dear to us and we believe crucial to see the PB peoples come to faith in Jesus Christ. We believe that God will use them to spread the Gospel in this dry and dark area. So pray for these national partners. Our prayer for them, and we pray that it will be yours as well, is for these partners and evangelists to grow deeper in their faith. We pray that they will have deep desire to know and understand God's word. We pray their lives will be founded upon a Firm Foundation, Jesus Christ. And we pray that they will boldly proclaim the Gospel to our PB peoples and thus become Church Planters... by God's power and grace through the Holy Spirit leading PB peoples to faith in Jesus Christ and gathering the new PB believers in small churches.



On that Note...
We long to see our national partners move from their comfortable lifestyle into new areas where we do not yet have a Christian presence... into the heartlands of many of our PB peoples. Please join us as we pray for God to lead some of our partners into those new areas. Pray that we would encourage, train, and help them go. And lastly pray that they will be faithful to be obedient to God's call on their life.

Lastly
As I was reading God's Word a few days ago, the Father blessed me through this passage:

Psalm 22:27-28
All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD,
all the families of the nations shall worship before You.
For kingship belongs to the LORD,
and He rules over nations.

PR - Feb 18, 2009

Update and Request
+ At our farmer training that ended last week, I wanted to update that two RuJohn men heard the Bible chronologically storied. Please pray that God will soften the hearts of these two RuJohn men. Pray the Holy Spirit will remind them of these stories and they will dream about them, question their faith, and come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Pray that these men will be influential for other RuJohn men to come to the training, hear the Bible storied, and seeing the Gospel go forth among the RuJohn people. May one day MANY RuJohn people be bowed down before Your Throne, O God worshipping You!

New Request
+ Recently a death happened on the agricultural farm, this then led to the farm employees coming and paying respects to the family. One family Mr. Benny (husband and wife)that are from the Limbox people were there at the funeral, where the Gospel was presented and shared. Pray for this Limbox family, that the Lord will open their hearts as well to His Kingdom. At this same funeral was a leader from that same Limbox village. He had came to oversee (from his side) the funeral and burial of someone in his jurisdiction of land. Please pray for Mr. and Mrs. Benny. They have LOTS of family in the Limbox village near us. Pray that God will radically save them, their families, the leader that came, and their whole village. And may one day, they too be bowed down before our Great and Mighty King of Kings.

Friends, the Gospel is going forth. Keep praying. Pray that God will soften hearts. And pray that when the Gospel is being presented that the Spirit of God will working and stirring in those hearts. Pray for boldness for our whole team (including our national Christian partners) that we will be quick and ready to share the Gospel.

May God bless you. And may God bless the PB peoples by drawing them into His Kingdom!

PR - Feb 3, 2009

Greetings PB blog followers! As always, thank you for your prayers. We appreciate each of you so much. Here are the next two weeks worth of prayer requests:

+ Our farmer training is taking place currently. It began yesterday. There are several attendees this session. Please pray that not only will these farmers learn techniques that will aid their livelihood but also their eternal life. Pray that God will do a great work over this current session and that many of the farmers will be realize "the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

+ On July 17, 2008 I wrote about Mrs. Lane who is a new believer. I told you about how her husband had her put under a spell. And through all of it God drew her out of the pits and now she is a new life in Christ. Praise the Lord. At that time, I asked you to pray for her husband and their families. Last week I was with some national partners, as they shared with me of how they had recently visited with Mrs. Lane AND her husband. Mr. Lane was OPEN to listen to the Gospel. Praise the Lord.
> Please pray that MANY more of these interactions will happen with Mr. and Mrs. Lane. Please pray that God will mightily save Mr. Lane, a man laced with spells, curses, and all variations of evils, witchcraft, spiritual issues that often times our Western minds have difficulty understand.
>Please pray for Mrs. Lane. Pray that God will continue to grow her in godliness. Pray that she would be as the women in 1 Peter 3. "In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands, so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior... but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God." (vv 1-4) Please pray for those that meet with her and disciple, that Biblical wisdom, advice, and instruction would be given to Mrs. Lane and not a cultural perspective but Biblical truth.


+ Once again, praise the Lord with us that we have national partners going out in the community among our 13 unreached groups and are actively trying to share the Gospel with them. Please pray for their own spiritual walk with the Lord. Pray that the Lord would bless their time in the Word and in prayer. Pray that God would give great depth to their faith in Him.

As we still plead for God to save MANY of our PB peoples, we know that it is God's heart to "to seek and save that which is lost (Luke 19:10). So please keep praying, and pray in faith that He will draw out MANY of the PB peoples for His own.

"To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen." - portion of John's greeting in Revelation 1:5b