Daily prayers
Simon and Miriam are serving in Antananarivo, Madagascar, encouraging and equipping the Malagasy church for mission, and reaching out to vulnerable women. Praise God for a recent highlight for them, in getting to interview a Malagasy family for AIM membership, who want to preach the gospel to the unreached Antakarana in the north of Madagascar. The team has been filled with encouragement as they have walked through the membership process with this family. They have shown integrity and a willingness to be open and honest about their strengths and weaknesses. The interview involved a panel that was both online and in-person, across two countries, three church denominations, and in two different languages! The decision was unanimous and subject to the approval of the South African Board, this couple will become the first people to become AIM members through the Madagascar committee. It has been the culmination of many years of prayer and hard work, but God has been faithful throughout. Please pray for this couple, their church, and the future steps needed to equip them for the field.
Ruth works on an Indian Ocean Island, seeking to share the gospel with people who have never had it explained to them. Over Easter, a colleague she had worked with for the last two years died suddenly. Just a couple of weeks before he died, they had four uninterrupted hours together at work, and he asked her lots of questions. He showed a real desire to know more, and she suggested her male team leader to him as someone he could meet up with. He said he would think about it, but he soon became unwell at home and then died at the hospital from typhoid. Please pray for Ruth as she mourns and wrestles with hard questions, and for the family of the man who died, that his death would cause them to reflect on their own lives and future and that they would come to know Jesus as their Saviour. Ask the Lord to give Ruth boldness and wisdom to make the most of every day, as she feels the weight and urgency of sharing the gospel.
Barry and Heather work with Growing Nations in Maphutseng, Lesotho. On 1st April the price of fuel, fixed by the government, increased significantly; petrol went up 26% and diesel and paraffin both went up 60% overnight! There is a 15% increase in taxi fares on the way, and food prices will inevitably follow, as farmers and retailers pass on increased fertiliser, fuel and transport costs. Many rely on paraffin for heating and cooking too, so that will have a massive impact on people, particularly as the country heads into winter. In Lesotho, a country with already high unemployment and dependant on importing most of its food, the impact of the war will hit hard. The work of Growing Nations, helping people to grow more of their own food, is more important now than ever. Please join them in praying for peace, reconciliation and restoration in the Middle East and in the many other often forgotten places in Africa and beyond, where sadly war is a daily part of life. Pray too that Growing Nations’ voice will be heard, accepted and adopted by those around them who are resistant to change.
Claudia serves the local church in Beira, Mozambique, in leadership training. She is part of a team that takes turns preaching in the twenty congregations of her denomination in Beira. The need for teaching is huge. Recently, many people have asked questions related to fasting, so Claudia is now contemplating a message about this topic. Please pray for the Holy Spirit’s confirmation, wisdom and guidance as she seeks to equip the church to handle and live out God’s word.
Mix and Katie serve at Rift Valley Academy (RVA), which is AIM’s boarding school founded to support missionaries across Africa. Aside from supporting the missionary families themselves, RVA has become an influential organisation to the people living nearby. It has over 120 full-time direct employees, many part-time workers, and many more who are hired privately by RVA staff, not to mention the countless individuals and small businesses which benefit from the school’s presence. Mix and Katie wanted to share one such story of a man who started working at the school in 1999: I began as a casual worker, cleaning in the cafeteria, now I work at the immigration office at the school. I thank God that He has allowed me to be part of RVA. Through my work, I serve many foreigners who come to teach and work at the school, and in this way, I support missionaries across Africa. Together, we are reaching the unreached, serving the needy, and helping the lost. I am grateful to be connected to the bigger picture of what God is doing. Through RVA, I have a stable job, emotional and spiritual support, and the ability to provide for my family. This stability has also made ministry possible, as I have established a feeding programme for both the elderly and children in the local area; today, we feed about 150 children during the week. Praise God for the fruit He is bearing through the work of RVA, and pray that He may continue to bless those who are impacted by the ministry there.
Pray for the 200,000 Datooga of Tanzania. Praise God that there are believers among them and that some have been able to go to Bible school. Pray for the Datooga believers to grow strong in their faith and ‘walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him: bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God.’ (Col 1:10) Ask the Lord to provide for and empower the evangelists and pastors reaching out to the Datooga people and for many to bow their knee to King Jesus.
Pray for AIM as we seek to foster caring communities among AIM members, ministry partners, and local believers. Ask the Lord that, in the power of His Spirit, we would love, serve, encourage and admonish each other in order to grow in unity and demonstrate the truth of Jesus to the world. (John 17:21-23)
Kathleen is a member of AIM’s Borderless team, working with the African diaspora in Scotland. She continues to love being involved with the English Conversation Cafes and Befriending ministry. It has taken a while, but she is encouraged by the deep and meaningful conversations developing with those she meets with each week. A few months ago, she had an incredible conversation with a lady that started off by talking about the Loch Ness Monster. Somehow, the conversation developed into discussing the differences between their cultures, and beliefs about evil spirits. Kathleen was able to share that as a Christian, she believes that God is greater than any evil spirit or demon or Satan, and that as followers of Jesus, we have His Spirit living in us, and that the Bible says, “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John4:4). When they were walking home, her friend said to her, “Kathleen, today, we have had a very good discussion”. Please continue to pray for the Holy Spirit to guide Kathleen’s words and open doors for spiritual conversations with those she meets with daily.
Amelia serves in West Africa, sharing the gospel with those in a region that is very opposed to the message of Jesus Christ. A small group have been meeting to pray and plan around how they might help local worship arise. There are few worship songs in the local language, and it’s not clear that any of them are ever actually used in worship. There are lots of barriers to heart worship springing up there, yet there is a sense that God is calling it forth. Pray that God would guide and use them as the Spirit gives the passion, the gifting and the vision to men and women there.
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