Praise

Praise the Lord for believers who have an interest in this area of the world, and are working towards coming here to be salt & light to the people.

Prayer

In city X, there are no Arab speaking workers now. It is a city with a few million inhabitants. Pray that God would send Arab speakers to this city who can follow-up on contacts that Media (internet, Radio, etc.) has made. Pray that God would call and equip native Arabs to reach out in this country. Pray that the one family present will be encouraged.

MBBs were in attendance at a recent seminar in our country. The title of the seminar was, “Why Four Gospels?”, a question that confuses muslims and gives them opportunity to ridicule. Pray that these men will grow strong in their faith, and be bold and equipped to make a worthy defence before their majority muslim culture.

A cyclone has hit our country, killing 15 people. Pray for the families of those killed, and pray that the believers may have opportunities to bring a better hope to these families.

With love and best intentions E, started a relationship with R who had been corresponding through Christian websites. It has become clear that R’s motives are not clean. She tried (and was successful in some ways) to lure the good hearted E into a trap in which she could misuse the relationship for her own benefits. Pray for (emotional) healing for E and pray for R, too, that she will be overwhelmed with a fear of God, preventing her from putting her threats in practice.

There is a news article about children who have died or were maimed by the effects of war. Exploding land mines in fields have caused suffering to many. Pray for the children in this land who are recovering from such hardships. Pray that peace will come and stay in the area where there has been war. Pray that God’s people will be able to minister in His name to these who are hurt.

Testimony

One day, whilst I was waiting for the elevator in our apartment building, I met 2 local ladies who greeted me and, after a short talk, one of them gave me her number and asked me to visit her sometime.

When I visited T, she said that it was so good that I didn’t work and spent time with my children. She then asked me to tell me about what I believe, because she wanted to hear from a Christian and not from their books or sheikhs. I started with creation and was about to talk about the fall, when her friends came in and this particular conversation stopped. I am quite sure that she will come back to it on a future visit. I did have some opportunities with those ladies to share about Christian marriage.

Pray for T, that I will be able to share the whole gospel to her and that she will be open to receive it.

Praise

After two years, a local believer, for whom we’ve prayed, is now done with two court cases which were trumped up against him. In the first case, he has to pay about $3,800 dollars. In the second case, he is completely acquitted! Please pray that no appeals will go against him, and also pray for the provision to pay for the expensive lawyer’s fees.

Prayer

Pray for the many Gulf nationals who spend summer vacation in the West - pray especially for those who may encounter Christians at the various summer outreaches in London, Europe and elsewhere. Pray that they will have more freedom to read the Word that they may be given, or to pursue seeking the person of Jesus. Pray that many will come to faith in Christ and be networked back to people in their home countries.

“The Rider” has been exposed to Christ for years, through relationships with devoted Christians. During the last 6 months, he has taken weekly Bible lessons and is committed to continue with these studies. When he was recently asked, in response to watching the Jesus film, if he wants to commit his life to Christ, his answer was neutral. Will you pray for “the Rider”, that God will meet him and reveal Himself to him?

Pray for new team members, Kris & Jane as they continue their language study. Pray that they will quickly grasp the nuances of the language that they are studying - the grammatical rules that govern this language (including and especially the “exceptions to the rule”).

Thank the Lord for all the rain that the capital city and surrounding areas have experienced this month. Gardens are flourishing and the green in this normally dry area, is refreshing. The rain will help the farmers. Unfortunately, there has also been flooding, causing damage in some houses and the death of 7 people. Pray that God would comfort the families who have lost loved ones.

Pray that God would network believers to each other, especially remembering those who have secretly believed in Him and who would benefit from finally getting fellowship and friendship, as well as teaching, from other believers.

Testimony

Abu did not finish high school. He had a poorly paid security job for some time, but now spends his evenings in a park trying to make some money. He bought two electric powered child cars that a parent can rent for 15 minutes for 2 dollars. For the hour in which I shared the stone bench with him, he had no customers. Like Abu, there are many locals who struggle to pay their bills. Pray that Abu and others like him will receive the Good News.

Praise

Praise God for P&K as they continue to connect with their special friends. Praise God for the opportunity P had to share in the car on his way to a hockey tournament.

Prayer

Many workers leave for summer vacation. Please pray with us that those they leave behind will be nurtured by God and that He would continue the good work that He has started in them.

Please ask the Lord to help a young lady who is suffering from depression. She is searching for more in her life and is asking questions about Jesus. Ask that the woman helping her will have wisdom, as she introduces her to the Gospel.

Please pray for more Arabic speaking workers to come to the western region of our country. We need them to reach out and follow up, especially to ladies who don’t speak much English.

Those who serve the Lord in hard places face discouragement, illness and difficult times. Ask that the Lord will give strength to the expat and national believers, and that they will put their trust in Him each daily. Ask that their needs will be met and that they will be filled with the joy of the Lord.

What are the main items that attract Arabs to Christ? As someone who did research on this has stated: They want answers on how to deal with their wife and how to relate to their children. But how can Christian families live as examples of these in view of Arabs? Pray for opportunities and desires among Christian families to live out Biblical husband-wife, father/mother-child relationships in parks & shopping malls, and during hospitality in homes.

Testimony

We are excited to be part of a new church plant for expatriates. This new church is meeting in the ballroom of a local hotel. One family that came to our very 1st worship service was from the majority faith of our country. A church member met them and explained what we were doing. Before they left, this same sister gave them a bulletin and invited them to return. Pray for many opportunities for majority faith believers to come and see what a Christian church really is about, and to talk to expat Christians.

21 May 2010

Praise

Praise that two young German girls (sisters) of the six hostages being held for nearly a year have been released and will be with extended family soon. Continue to pray for the other four that are missing.

Prayer

Pray for a secret believer. He has announced himself as a believer to someone out of the country. He has the telephone number of a worker in that same city but does not contact him. Pray for this believer, that God will bring the worker and believer together so that there may be mutual encouragement and growth in faith.

As the summer months come, electrical outages can be very uncomfortable for those who depend on air conditioners and fans. Ask that the electricity will be consistent, especially in the hot areas of the country.

Praise God for the evening we spent with “Fred” and “Beth”, a local and his expat wife. Pray that they will continue to build their marriage according to God’s ways, as we continue a marriage study with them.

“Bismillah” - in the name of God, is uttered in every activity of life for the Muslim. Before the hairdresser cuts hair, as the exam begins, before a meal is eaten and in hundreds of other scenarios, these words are quoted. Are people calling on God to help them or are they quoting this as good luck…magic? Do they understand that God, through Christ wants to help them? Ask that the people of the AP will call on God’s name because they have a personal relationship with Him, because they want to serve Him and because they love Him.

Praise God for the baby shower we were able to host for Lauren (a believer). This provided an opportunity for us to share about God’s miracles in her life. Pray that many of Lauren’s friends, co-workers and family (who are from the majority faith) will ask her significant questions.

Testimony

“Sami” was one of the first Gulf nationals I met, when coming here years ago. He was so helpful. “Sami” explained Arabic to me, and more than once, accompanied me to bargain for needed items. On one occasion, he allowed our family to stay in his rental apartment for a month at no cost. Before I was married, he travelled with me and some others to Egypt for a vacation.

I have shared the Gospel with him in some detail. His initial response was: “I like what you’re saying,” but because of other nationals sitting around us, added, “Can I come to your apartment to talk more about this later?” He did so, and had some meaningful questions to ask, but in the end held on to Islam, and even more so, to his carefree lifestyle.

Now, many years later, his nephew is my student. The nephew is struggling to get through the course, and amidst a discussion about his attendance and grades, revealed: “This past week, my uncle Sami was shot 9 times and killed. It’s not known who did it or why.” As far as I know, Sami never responded in belief to the Saviour’s message. His apparent doom grieves me, not only for him, but it also grieves me for all those around us, who have not yet believed or even heard the message.

Please pray for us who have been entrusted with the Gospel to make Christ known.

Praise

Praise God for the open doors into local’s lives that team members have experienced over this past month.

Prayer

Pray for training sessions in the area for Arab Christians who will go to various countries around the globe for summer outreaches to the Gulf Arabs travelling there.

Please continue to pray for the provision of a believing husband - it’s the same request as before … small sentence, big request!

It is a real challenge to get a visa for this country. Tourist visit visa’s are limited, and to obtain a business visa, some difficult-to-meet requirements need to be fulfilled. Do pray that the king and his government will make obtaining visa’s easy so that more people will come and minister in this country.

“Margaret”, a tentmaker in our country, is answering some Arab friends’ spiritual questions by email. Please pray that God will aid her use of Arabic to use expressions which will reach into the hearts of the friends for Christ.

Pray for a believing single girl who was recently given short notice by her employer to move across the country to work at a different outlet location. The company has treated all their employees very poorly - withholding pay, denying days off, cutting salaries without cause, etc. However, the employee has little recourse. Pray for wisdom for the ‘tentmaker’ families that are helping her with this situation. Pray for justice and fairness.

Testimony

“I put on my newest dress and spend hours before the mirror making myself as attractive as I can. I will have only a couple of minutes to make an impression on him. I don’t know him except that his name is Ahmed. He has asked my father to see me and if he likes me, he will propose for marriage. Each time this happens, I go through all the emotions of excitement and hope, despair and depression; if I am rejected, it is likely to be because I am smaller than most men want their wife to be. They want tall kids and therefore prefer a tall wife. Oh… I hope this time I will be chosen. The agony to face my ridiculing brothers and neighbours if I will be rejected again. Oh God, I promise to become a devote Muslim if you just let Ahmed accept me.”

Ahmed will be led to the guest room to see the girl in the presence of her mother and exchange a couple of words. Then he will let the father know in the following days if he wants to pursue a marriage. Ahmed will probably be looking at about 5 girls suggested by his sisters and mother before making a choice.

The girls have almost no influence on making the young men propose marriage to them and tend to accept anybody proposing to them, afraid that no others will come to propose. Pray for the rejected girls of this country. They will struggle with accepting and loving themselves. Some develop ways to cope with the rejection by isolating themselves, wrong eating habits, permanent anger or pursuing forbidden internet/telephone relationships.

Pray God will change this culture and pray that the rejected girls will come to discover there is a Christ who loves them.