Mwanga People of Zambia

Mwanga People of Zambia 

 

The Mwanga people live in northern Zambia along the borders with Tanzania. Their language is Nyamwanga. The Mwanga have a population of more than 200,000, and over 160,000 live in Zambia. They are agriculturalists who grow millet, peanuts, beans and maize. They also have cattle, sheep and goats. Most Mwanga belong to churches such as the United Church of Zambia, the Catholic Church, Jehovah’s Witnesses or Seventh-day Adventists. They have been exposed to Christianity for many years, but they continue to live in their traditional ways, practicing ancestor worship and ceremonies. The Mwanga are very religious but without Christ in their lives.


Pray:

-that believers living among the Mwanga will share the gospel boldly and in a culturally sensitive way.

-that people of influence will be open to the gospel and to the Lord’s servants.

-that Mwanga believers will cut all ties with occult and animistic beliefs.

 

“But from there you will seek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 4:29, ESV)

Muslims of South Africa

Muslims of South Africa 

Islam is dramatically growing in numbers and influence throughout South Africa. The number of mosques, madrassas and Muslim schools increases annually. Influence is also increased through Muslims holding political office. As is typical in Islam, most South African Muslims are ardent followers of Muhammad and are unwilling to respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Many churches in South Africa are unwilling to engage Muslims due to fear or lack of understanding.


Pray:


-that God will raise up the South African church with a desire to see Muslims in their communities saved.


-for workers as they seek to effectively engage closed Muslim communities.


-For those Muslims who come to faith and experience severe persecution from their family and community. Ask the Lord to give them strength to endure and boldness to proclaim the gospel in the midst of persecution.


-that the Holy Spirit will work in the lives of Muslim peoples of South Africa, and that many will come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

“… Pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ …” (Colossians 4:3)

The Kutu People of Tanzania

 The Kutu People of Tanzania

 
The Kutu people live on the foothills of the Uluguru mountains in the Morogoro region. They are subsistence farmers growing mainly rice and maize. They are difficult to reach due to poor road conditions, especially during the rainy season. It is a common practice to give their girls in marriage at the age of 15. The Kutu follow Islam as well as various forms of pagan worship. There are a few Lutheran churches in the area, but only 2 to 3 percent of Kutu are known to be evangelical. In recent years, the JESUS Film was completed in the Kutu language.

Prayer Requests
-Pray for God to bless those who are actively recording Scripture portions in the Kutu language. 
-Ask Him to help Kutu believers to tell His story well, so that His truths will be made known.
-Pray for God’s Word to fall on listening ears so that the Kutu will be drawn to the one who gives life.

 My people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. (Psalm 78:1)

As a deer pants for the water.....

Psalm 42-44 CSB

“As a deer longs for flowing streams, so I long for you, God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I come and appear before God?... The LORD will send his faithful love by day; his song will be with me in the night—a prayer to the God of my life.” 42:1-2, 8

There is a direct correlation between how much effort we put into seeking God and how much of His presence we enjoy. Of course, if you are in Christ He is with you always and will never leave you nor forsake you. Additionally, as a believer one has the Holy Spirit and you have all the fullness of the Holy Spirit in you; that is all that you will ever have available. Yet, there are times in our lives when Jesus feels far away and other times when we can sense His palpable presence right there with us. The question is not how can you get more of Jesus; instead, the question is how can you become more aware of His presence with you.

The Psalmist likens his desire to know God face to face to a deer that is longing (some versions say panting) for flowing streams of water. Do you thirst for God the way you thirst for water when you are parched and dry? Do you focus on satisfying that thirst through His word and prayer and through solitude time with Him? Thirsting after God and slaking that thirst in the ways God prescribes is the secret to enjoying His presence. He is always there, but you become aware of His presence and you focus on it; then it consumes you. The Psalmist described God’s presence by Him sending His faithful love by day and giving us a song in our heart in the night. The more you are aware of Him and the more focus you place on Him day in and day out, the more you sense His faithful love and presence in your life.

One book that made a profound impression on me as a young believer was titled Practicing the Presence of God. It was written long ago by a monk simply named “Brother Lawrence.” In that little book, brother Lawrence says, “In order to know God, we must often think of Him; and when we come to love Him, we shall then also think of Him often, for our heart will be with our treasure. We should establish ourselves in a sense of God’s presence by continually conversing with Him. There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that of a continual conversation with God.” This is what the Psalmist was getting at when he speaks about his longing for God. Brother Lawrence tried to do everything in his life, even the most minute detail, out of an abiding sense of Love for God. What if everything you did simply to show love to God and what if every minute of your day was a continual conversation with Him?

Blessings in Christ,

Kevin W. Rodgers

An exciting testimony

Each week I have been going to a nearby hospital to pray for the patients and share the gospel when the opportunity arises.  Each week I would talk to Moses who is one of the security guards and share as much of the gospel as I could in a short time before he had to do work.  The second week there I left a tract with him to read and said I would ask him about it the next week.  When we arrived on the 3rd week he asked his security team if he could take a break and talk to me.  We went over to the side and I asked him if he had read the tract.  He proceeded to tell me that he had found a man selling bibles on the road and he bought one and had been reading it.  He had read the tract and asked me a few questions.  When I asked him if he wanted to repent of his sins and follow Christ, he said “yes!”  Right there to the side of the hospital he prayed to receive Christ.  Immediately after, he asked me to teach him how to share with others about Jesus.  He wanted to learn so that he could tell others about Jesus like I had told him.  He said that I (along with my partner) should make a plan to go to his house to talk to his family and neighbors.  We told him we would make a plan to do that after the coronavirus was over.  The next week we went back just to drop off some follow up material for him.  I gave him 3 lessons to do and said that he could write me with questions.  Then last week, I took 4 more lessons for him to complete.  As I was about to leave he ran and got his first 3 lessons which were completed for me to see.  I told him it looked good and I was proud of him for completing it.  I handed it back to him and he said, “aren’t you going to take it with you and check it to make sure I answered correctly?”  I love his enthusiasm!  Also, after he got saved I was in church and they asked for visitors to come up to the front like they usually do.  I was looking down and then I heard his voice say, ”my names is Moses, and I’m born again….”  I was so excited!! I had not known he was there until that moment.

Fulbe Fula Jalon of Mali

 

Fulbe Fula Jalon of Mali 

The Fulbe Fula Jalon [FULL-bay FOO-la ja-LONE] are a nomadic people originating in the Futa Jalon region flowing from Guinea into southwestern Mali. These Fulbe live in an area not easily accessible due to mountainous terrain and ravines flooded during rainy season. They often walk alone or with a couple of shepherds traveling miles a day through treacherous areas before finding suitable places for their herds. Recently, a worker was leading worship among a neighboring people and two Fula Jalon men appeared standing in the background. Later, the worker approached the men and discovered they were seeking truth. Praise the Lord these two men, wandering in the dark, heard the voice of One calling out to them.


Pray:

· that other Fula Jalon who are wandering in this difficult-to-reach region will hear God’s voice and be led through the wilderness and into salvation.

· that those who have found truth will go back and tell others this good news.

· for God to send workers who are willing to become nomads for the sake of bringing more Fula Jalon to salvation.

 

“A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight! Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be made low; the crooked will become straight, the rough ways smooth, and everyone will see the salvation of God.” (Luke 3:4–6 HCSB) 

This little light of mine....

Perhaps you remember that song we sang as children “This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine…… hide it under a bushel? No! I’m going to let it shine….

Right now, God is giving believers all over the world the opportunity to shine for Him.  Are we going to hide our light under a bushel or are we going to let His light shine through us to those who need to know Him?

When the coronavirus started coming to Africa recently, I began to think of ways we could help the community near our home.  One thing we needed to consider was how we could help, yet, obey the government and our leaders.  I hired two local tailors from this community to make face masks.  Then I bought 170 bars of anti-bacterial soap.  We had brochures printed which had hand-washing instructions from the CDC on it plus a gospel presentation on the back.  I met with 5 leaders in our local, Kenyan church who were willing to deliver these items to those who were vulnerable in the community; older people, those who were already sickly, boda-boda (motorcycle taxi) drivers, and those who sell vegetables in the market.  We also sent some items to a community center that reaches out to Alcoholics, drug addicts, and thieves.  Then lastly, we took some of these things to the small, local hospital.  These leaders in our church delivered these items and shared the gospel as they went.  I have not heard a final report from everyone but so far 110 people and some of their families have heard the gospel and 16 have prayed to receive Christ. 

One of the team members reported that many people heard the gospel; some were already believers, some were not ready, and then some were ready to follow Jesus.  It reminds me of the parable in Luke 8 where the sower went out to sow seed. Some of the seed fell along the path.  Some fell on rocky ground, and then some fell among thorns.  Then other seed fell on good soil.  It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than what was sown.

Then the next verse after this parable says, “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light.” 

How are you letting your light shine?

Prayer Requests:

-Pray that this Baptist Church would be a light in this community. Pray that when this virus is over, people would remember the kindness and compassion they saw from this church and desire to join the church and come to know the Lord.

-As the 5 groups from the church are going out into the community to give out these items and share the gospel pray that their conversations would be fruitful. That people will desire to be born again and that all would be encouraged as they might be struggling with fear and anxiety.

-Pray there would be good follow-up with everyone who is being shared with when this virus is over.

  

As we were waiting at the tailors for some face masks my friend taught the kids the proper way to wash their hands.  I love this video of this sweet little girl doing a demonstration for us and singing a song to make sure she washed her hands long enough.

 

A tailor from our church made some of the face masks.

 

 The pastor from the community center took some soap to the boda-boda taxi drivers stations and shared the gospel.

We were getting so many made we hired another tailor in the community to help.

 Here are the ones in our church who went out into the community to distribute the items and share the gospel.

 

 I was able to take some clothes collected from our m. colleagues in Nairobi plus some soap and face masks to a community center.

 

 Look at all those face masks!

  

 donating soap at a hand-washing station

 donated clothes from our m. colleagues in Nairobi

 

 These items were given out in the market to those who sell vegetables.