Amelia* serves in West Africa, sharing the gospel with those in a region that is very opposed to the message of Jesus Christ. She has recently been learning from her language teacher about the influential Griot (musicians/singers) status group – this is a hereditary caste-like group who serve as oral historians, poets, musicians and praise singers. Though considered to be of low status, they wield a lot of power through their ability to praise or shame through song. She has heard stories about policemen stopping cars for traffic infringements, but on hearing the family name, quickly letting them go (or as one story goes, even paying them to drive on) after they recognised a Griot family name. Please join Amelia in praying for the redemption of music from being a weapon wielded for money or power, or for the praising of individuals or families. Pray instead for a release of worship that unites people and stirs hearts as they turn to look at Jesus. Ask the Lord to raise up writers and singers of worship songs.

*Name changed for security reasons

Amelia* serves in West Africa, sharing the gospel with those in a region that is very opposed to the message of Jesus Christ. One thing her team has been working on is praying in the local language. Amelia really wants to get to the place where she can pray freely and fluently, and obviously one of the best ways to do that is to pray with someone who does just that. It has therefore been a little frustrating to have a language helper with whom this could happen and yet who always just wanted Amelia to pray. However, recently the language helper was watching the news about the ME conflict when Amelia arrived, and she announced that today she was going to pray. It was a beautiful moment – the first time Amelia had heard a local woman really pray. Their lives have been very different, and yet they are both children of our Father in heaven, and they both live in a broken world that needs him. Ask that praying together would become the highlight of the week for both of them. Currently there is a gathering head of steam around language learning among workers, including a short Bible study in the local language after their Sunday house church. Pray this would continue and that they would all become better equipped for kingdom work.

Amelia* serves in West Africa, sharing the gospel with those in a region that is very opposed to the message of Jesus Christ. During a recent flare up of trouble in the South, the Lord used the intervention of a local unbelieving mayor to plead for calm and consideration. Pray that God would continue to raise up leaders like this mayor, courageous and reasonable men and women who will not just stand against violent acts but also for local believers. Pray that the church in the South would continue to grow, and that the recent events would unsettle many unbelievers, in the immediate locality and beyond, until they find their rest in Jesus.

*Name changed for security reasons

Amelia* serves in West Africa, sharing the gospel with those in a region that is very opposed to the message of Jesus Christ. She writes, “There are a number of challenges here to staying healthy – whether that be physically or emotionally. It feels like a significant proportion of workers here are facing struggles including chronic illnesses, depression, hard family situations back at home, team dysfunction, as well as just a general weariness whether physical or spiritual. Ask that God would bring healing, would renew unity, and restore joy. We live in a physical desert, but that doesn’t mean that we need also live in a spiritual desert with parched and weary souls. Ask that the Spirit would empower us to live here in ways that would cause people to constantly be asking us the reason for the hope that we have.” Pray that some time away from her ministry location would be refreshing for Amelia* in all the ways she needs it to be!

* Name changed for security reasons.

Amelia* serves in West Africa, sharing the gospel with those in a region that is very opposed to the message of Jesus Christ. Praise the Lord for new believers amongst the groups in the South and that some of them in the capital have been fasting and praying for the majority people group. There are many reasons why it would be hard for the good news to spread from one group to the other, but as the Spirit leads people to love when they have only received prejudice and oppression, might that be the very thing that causes this country to crack wide open? Pray for healing and forgiveness, and a compelling vision for a unified church that draws in men and women from every area of society.