February 2002

God has been so good in answering our prayers. As I thought about how we could send an update, I realized that I try to send updates as it comes up. We are very thankful to you and those that you share our prayer concerns with. We have been so blessed by you. In January we had a special blessing as a Zerma Prayer Team couple were here a couple weeks. Heath and Norma Bobbett were here about 35 years as missionaries before they retired. When they talked about different prayer requests or different praises that we
have sent out, it was such a blessing. They said they print off the Zerma prayer letter and pray every day. I know that they are not the only ones. Thank you so much for your prayers, for your notes of encouragement, and for your love. We love you all and appreciate you so much. Teresa writing for the Zerma team, Rick Leavitt, Phil & Kimberly Cain, Mark and Deanna Ledlow, Don and Teresa Bolls

FEBRUARY PRAYER REQUESTS
Friday 1 Feb. - Pray for Rick as he will have returned from his month long conference/learning time in Ivory Coast. He will have about 3 more weeks to finish up his language (This means trying to remember what he learned before he was gone for a month!), he will be working with Mark learning his job. Pray that he will be able to communicate and learn quickly.

Saturday 2 Feb. - Pray for Pastor Ibro and his wife Rachida as they begin to balance a new life with the new baby, Aimee Joy. Pray for them as the families and friends would like Aimee Joy to be a devout Muslim. Pray for Ibro and Rachida's faith to come closer to the Lord during this time.

Sunday 3 Feb. - Don and Phil are still prayer walking every other day now. It is awesome what all is happening. Don went to see one of the Christians in Tilwa, which is about 20 km from Simiri, 40 from Ouallam. Alhassan had been in a conference in Simiri and learned that there is now a Radio station in Simiri, and he reserved 30 minutes each Sunday at 9-3h30 am free for Christian broadcast. He did not have time to talk with Don and Phil, so he got on there himself and preached! He said that that day he did not have his Bible with him, but he would not forget it again! Isn't God so Good??? He now is walking the 20 km to do the broadcasts. I sometimes wonder how dedicated we really are. Pray for Alhassan as he walks the 20 km to share the gospel with several thousand people that live in the heart of Zerma land.

Monday 4 Feb. - Please pray for Wayne and Gayle Gullion, former members of the Zerma team. Wayne has had heart problems that's caused him to resign from the IMB. Please pray for Wayne and Gayle as they make transition back to the U.S. Please pray for Gayle as she will be in Niger to close up their house in Gotheye.

Tuesday 5 Feb. - Pray for unity among the Zerma Christians. Pray that they would be "of one accord" and that as differences arise, they would work through them with mutual love and respect.

Wednesday 6 Feb. - Praise the Lord that Deanna has been able to continue the Bible Study and Praise that God has provided a dear/former friend, Fanta, that has agreed to help Deanna with the studies.

Thursday 7 Feb. - Pray for Rick as he is excited about his new ministries. Pray that the Lord will continue to show him ways to minister in Jesus name.Pray for Rick and Sido as they continue to meet and learn from each other. Pray that Sido would have a burden to know Jesus.

Friday 8 Feb. - Continue to pray that God would raise up strong leaders among the Zerma Christians. Pray for their spiritual growth and character. Pray that they would be men and women of integrity with a vision for
reaching the lost with the Good News.

Saturday 9 Feb. - Pray that God would continue to send laborers into the harvest. Pray that the requests we've sent to the IMB for volunteers and missionaries would be filled.

Sunday 10 Feb. - Pray for Rick and Mark as they continue to work on scheduling events - networking with other Christian organizations. There are times that we could be working with each other in common goals. Pray that the scheduling will help all mission organizations as we work together to share the gospel.

Monday 11 Feb. - Pray that we would continue to gain insight and understanding into Zerma culture so that we might find bridges by which we can share Christ. Pray that we would be able to understand and speak the
Zarma language fluently.

Tuesday 12 Feb. - Deanna's Bible study class has requested classes two times a week! Praise the Lord that they are so eager to learn -- and pray for Deanna and Fanta as they have twice the preparations! Praise the Lord for the faithful attendance. There have been 9 ladies attending. (Remember, some have to travel long distances to get to Deanna's house)

Wednesday 13 Feb. - Teresa will be leaving for the States in a few days. Please pray for her ministries as she is gone. She has 4 Storying groups, a literacy class and her and Don teach some classes in Mondollo. Pray that the participants will not forget the stories that she has shared with them, will not forget the literacy, or the health classes, but will be even more excited when she returns.

Thursday 14 Feb. - How many Zerma people have heard the gospel today? As we ask this question, pray that we would take every opportunity presented to us to share the gospel with the lost. Pray that the Lord would open doors to enable us to do this.

Friday 15 Feb. - Praise the Lord that Ayssa, Deanna and Mark's neighbor, has been faithful in attending church with her children. Ayssa's husband, Tairou, is a Muslim but has not shown any apprehension for her time and desire to learn about Jesus.

Saturday 16 Feb. - The church, Cimberro Bonjara has purchased two new pieces of property. Pray that more will begin to come to learn the Truth in the new locations.

Sunday 17 Feb. - Pray for a rest - but a time to share the gospel and worship. Sunday is one of our busiest days. Sometimes there is traveling, some have multiple ministries on this day, sometimes there are problems to work out which seems to fall on these days while people are gathering. Some are there to seek, some to worship, some to question and some to get... Pray that we all have Godly wisdom and that we let Jesus work through our lives. Pray that we would be dependant on Him in all we say and do.

Monday 18 Feb. - Please pray for Teresa Bolls as she will be traveling to the U.S. today. Schedule is that she will also arrive today! Pray for a safe and uneventful trip. Pray for her time with the family and the birth
of the new grandchild.

Tuesday 19 Feb. - Continue to pray for Aissa as Kimberly meets with her and shares stories from the Bible. Pray that the living and active Word of God would penetrate her heart and mind and that she would come to know Jesus Christ as her personal Savior.

Wednesday 20 Feb. - Pray for those who are listening to gospel messages on audio-cassettes. Pray that these messages would be spread far and wide. Pray that the lost would find salvation and that new Christians would be encouraged as they listen to these tapes.

Thursday 21 Feb. - Stacy (Bolls) LeQuieu is scheduled to have a C-section today, bringing a new child into the world. Pray for Stacy and Billy as they welcome a new child, and for Dillon as he will be gaining a new sister. Pray for Don and Teresa, the proud grandparents.

Friday 22 Feb. - As we ask you to pray for us daily, pray that we in turn would make prayer a priority in our own lives. Sometimes our days are so filled with busyness and distractions that we end up with little time for
prayer and spiritual reflection. Pray that we would be men and women of prayer.

Saturday 23 Feb. - Please continue to pray for the lay leader, Zakery at the new church site in Goudel. Remember to pray for the Christian radio broadcast at Simiri 9-9:30am Sunday.

Sunday 24 Feb. - Praise God that although the vast majority of Zerma are Muslim, we have the freedom to preach and share Christ openly. Pray that this would remain so. Pray that government leaders and other people of influence would come to know Christ personally.

Monday 25 Feb. - Pray for those who are watching the Jesus film, that they would understand clearly who Jesus is and God's purpose in sending him to earth to die on a cross. Pray that they would accept Christ's invitation to invite Him into their hearts.

Tuesday 26 Feb. - Pray for Jessica Landry as she studies her college classes. She will be joining our team perhaps the beginning of June, but she still has to go to school now! Pray that God would be preparing her as
well as the Bolls whom she will be staying with. Pray that she would be able to get the funding she needs to come for two and one half months.

Wednesday 27 Feb. - Continue to pray for the group of young men Phil is meeting with on Wednesdays. Three of them have already left, having found temporary work in other towns. Pray that those who remain would continue to come each week. Pray that they would share what they are learning with others.

Thursday 28 Feb. - Pray for Pastor Moussa and his wife, Kadi and their family of 4 children as they live and witness in Kwaara Taji. Also please pray for Moussa as he has begun a literacy and Bible Study in Niamey on the new compound. Several of the workers are now learning to read -- and study about Christianity. Pray that Moussa would have the boldness and wisdom to continue with these classes.