August 2001

As August is the month that was designated to Pray 'Round Africa 2001 we would like to encourage you to ferverently pray for the Salvation of Africa. The July/August issue of The Commission will focus entirely on Africa. This Prayer letter will have various suggestions as to the goal of EVERY Christian in every nation praying for their African Brothers and Sisters.

It may be a little late for this, but the August 3 Prayer Guides are available in Richmond. You may order as many as you want from the Resource Center. resource.center@imb.org Ask for: Pray 2001 Africa Prayer Guide You may also call the IMB Resource Center at 1-800-866-3621

There are still flyers and puzzles available also. Ask for: Pray Round Africa Flyers; Pray Round Africa Puzzles

The original video featuring Jenny Houser (missionary from Nigeria) singing 'Behind the Wall' is still available. You may order these also from the resource center.

You may also order the new 27 minute video: Pray 'Round Africa Yes! "Behind the Wall" from the resource center. These are limited in quantity so they ask that each church order only one.

Don't forget to register your commitment to pray on August 3 online at http://www.2001Pray.org/commitment.htm Please encourage your friends around the world to do the same.

Thank you for your faithfulness to intercede for the nations.

Why is prayer for Africa so important?

• 750 million people inhabit the continent.
• About four-fifths of the African people are not affiliated with a church
• Many more Africans will die from other diseases, malnutrition, war and
  natural causes
• Many Africans will die without ever knowing the love of God
• Prayer is the most effective tool to combat lostness.
• 300 million Muslims live in Africa. Islam plays an important role in the
  political and cultural lives of the African peoples.
• Health. In terms of health, more than half of the continent still does
  not have clean water, which makes life precarious indeed in Africa. Many
  children continue to die from curable ailments such as dehydration.
• Malaria is a rising threat once again in Africa. According to the World
  Health Organization, "3000 children die every day of malaria. Every year
  there are about 300-500 million clinical cases of malaria, 90 percent of
  them occurring in Africa. This is above all the diseases of the
  poor-killing the young and the weak mostly living in rural areas in Sub
  Saharian Africa."
• AIDS is now the leading cause of death in Africa, overtaking malaria as
  the continent's main killer disease. The United Nations reports that the
  AIDS epidemic was responsible for one in five of all deaths in Africa last
  year. Nowhere in the world has the impact of AIDS been more devastating
  than in Africa, where the UN estimates that more than 11 million people have
  now died of the disease.
• 6,000 Africans die of AIDS everyday. By the year 2010, at least 22
  million Africans are expected to die of the disease.

---- ASK God to bring together Christians from around the world who will
faithfully lift before the throne the needs of all of Africa. Pray that the
millions of unreached will have the opportunity to know God's love.

HOW CAN YOU PRAY FOR THE PEOPLE OF WEST AFRICA?

There should be about 650 volunteers in West Africa praying on August 3. We are hoping that many of you will join and Pray 'Round Africa also.

*Pray that volunteers will experience God in a new way; that they will gain greater insight into the needs of the people. As volunteers come to Africa to intercede for the Pray Round Africa emphasis, pray that the Father will receive glory and His Kingdom be magnified among those who have not yet responded.

*Ask the Father to identify those peoples or individuals whose hearts He has prepared to receive the message of eternal life. Pray that believers, both mission personnel and Africans, will willingly accept the task of sharing the Word of God through Bible storying.

*Pray that God will provide exactly what is needed to minister to those who experience medical problems such as malaria, malnutrition, AIDS, birth defects, and cancer. As caring believers bring relief, ask the Father to give them the opportunity to share the love and joy of salvation in Christ.

*Give thanks to the Father for the faithful African believers who have a hunger to lead their own people to Christ. Ask God to give them insight and discernment as they share the life and light of Jesus with others.

*Pray that research will reveal those areas where there are no Christians, where there is a need for discipleship or leadership training. Ask the Father to reveal strategic areas where He is at work and to call out laborers for the harvest.

*Pray that the Jesus film and other forms of media will be used to plant the gospel message in the hearts of the people. Ask God to facilitate this work and make it possible for every individual to hear the message of salvation and have the opportunity to respond in faith to Christ.

*Pray that the six Christians who attended the storying workshop in Lome would be seeking opportunities to put into practice what they learned there. Alhasan, Salamatou, Harouna, Zakari, Daouda, and Rachida all have great potential for reaching their neighbors and friends with this method of evangelism. Pray that God would give them boldness and perseverance in sharing the Good News.

*Pray for the Pastors in Niger as they seek to lead their churches.

*Pray for the various projects we do in hopes of finding an avenue we can share the gospel: wells, gardens, community center, checking out music, storying or preaching cassettes, showing the Jesus video, weighing babies, ministering thorough various health ministries, storying, listening, giving food, water, financial aid, rides, the pepper project, etc.

*Pray for health

*Thank the Lord for the Jesus video in Zarma. Praise the Lord for the many that have seen the video. Pray that the seeds that were planted would continue to grow in the hearts of the people.

*Pray for rain - remember this is rainy season and without rains these people will have a very hard time since their very lives depend on what is grown in their fields.

Thank you so much for your prayers. Next month we will send the more familiar prayer letter.

UPDATES:
Thank you for your prayers for the Guesthouse/Spiritual retreat. As people were arriving - there was still some work going on: like - installing toilets, mopping, painting, putting beds together, - you know, some of the regular... But everyone was very kind and it was a good retreat. One wing was not finished, but thanks to the Wombles loaning their home, there was room for everyone.

Please pray for Don and James Brown as they continue to work on the Pepper project - James should be coming in September to work on finalizing the plans.

Pray for the Cains as they are on vacation traveling through Burkina Faso and Ghana. They should be back July 23. Pray also for the Ledlows who are also traveling though various countries, hoping to take some much needed time off.

Thank you for your prayers.