June 2003

Here are the Prayer Requests from our Zerma missionaries for the month of June. Thank you for praying for the specific items listed each day. One thing you can keep in mind this entire month...the hot and rainy season is beginning. Adjusting to the heat and the humidity is hard for everybody, but the rains are a welcome relief from the dry that is experienced for 7 months of the year. Pray that the rains fall at the right times for the seeds to germinate and to grow strong. The rains bring blessing but they also signal the start of malaria season. Pray for our missionaries' health and protection.

Thank you for your continual prayers. So many are dying in Niger and the task of reaching them cannot be done without the continual prayers of the 'cloud of witnesses' who intervene continually on behalf of the Zerma people and the country of Niger.

Sunday, June 1 -- June 1 is Teresa Bolls' birthday. As she wakes up today, after traveling 5000 miles and 24 hours of travel May 31, pray that she and Don will be able to adjust to the time change, climate change, culture change as well as a very busy schedule the next few months. Pray that they have a good time of rest, medical check-ups and reporting on work with the Zerma people.

Monday, June 2 -- Mark and Deanna Ledlow arrived back in Niamey just two days ago after a year of stateside assignment. Deanna requests prayer for their fortitude, as they are certain to be inundated with visitors for the first month or more. The Africans are very social and will want to spend a lot of time with their returning friends, and there's bound to be a period of adjustment.

Tuesday, June 3 -- Today is Don and Teresa Bolls' anniversary. They've been
married for 32 years (congratulations!). Pray that they will have many years of serving together and that God will continue to bless them for their service, the servanthood they have modeled, and the sacrifices they have made.

Wednesday, June 4 -- Rick Leavitt has spent the past year being the Interim Business Facilitator for Niger in Mark Ledlow's absence. He will be staying on for an indefinite time as Mark prepares to build a house and work on the guest houses in the missionary compound. Pray for Rick as he brings Mark "up to date" on all that has gone on in Mark's absence.

Thursday, June 5 -- Pray today for Charity Hawk. She has been in Niger since January of this year and is currently studying the Zarma language. Pray that she will continue growing in understanding and speaking Zarma. She lives in a small village -- Warou -- and is charged with building relationships with the people so that she can share Jesus with them. She is sowing the seeds of the Gospel...pray for a rich harvest.

Friday, June 6 -- Stephanie Ledlow, age 14, and her brother Jeremy, age 16, have left friends behind in Arizona when they returned to the field last week. Pray that this time of transition is an easy time for them and that they will make new friends in Niamey.

Saturday, June 7 -- Niandou is a Christian from the village Kanda. His right hand has swelled up with some type of infection. It is very painful and at this time of year a great problem as he needs to be preparing his fields for planting time. Please pray for quick healing and strength as he works in his fields. Pray that he will be faithful to Christ as he is one of less than 5 believers in this large village.

Sunday, June 8 -- The rainy season starts in June in Niger. Farming will start in full force, and the crops for the entire year must be grown over the next five months. Pray that the rains are adequate and that the crops are bountiful.

Monday, June 9 -- Praise the Lord for this - another answer to your prayers. The gospel of Matthew (Matta in Zarma) has been recorded onto audio cassette and is now being field tested for comprehension. Now the gospel of John (Yohanna - in Zarma) is in the process of being recorded. Pray these recordings will be used effectively to share God's word.

Tuesday, June 10 -- Pray for Jeremy Ledlow. Today he turns 17; pray that Jeremy remains committed to his calling to Africa and that he will always have a sense of the purpose and plan that God has for his life. Ephesians 2:10

Wednesday, June 11 -- Please pray for Tara "Faith" Scarbrough, who is serving in Niger and living in a small village called Torodi. Praise the Lord that she is willing to follow Him wherever He may lead her, even "unto the uttermost parts of the earth."

Thursday, June 12 -- For the next week, the Bolls family will be spending some time together -- the first time for all the family to be together (ever!). Pray for safe travel and good fellowship.

Friday, June 13 -- Story-telling. Since most of the Zerma people are illiterate in ANY language, most of the evangelism is done through telling stories from the Bible. Pray for Phil and Kimberly Cain as they tell stories every day to those with whom they come in contact

Saturday, June 14 -- Pray for Charity, that she would become proficient at Story-ing so that she might share the Gospel with her village.

Sunday, June 15 -- Father's Day. Praise the Lord for our fathers and that we all might seek to have a very special relationship with our Heavenly Father. Pray especially that the Zerma men will feel the need in their own lives to accept the gift that our Heavenly Father offers!

Monday, June 16 -- Mohammadou, 16 months old, burned his hand really bad when he put it into a pot of boiling mash. Pray for him and that his sick (with malaria) pregnant mother, Mariamma, will have the energy needed to keep his hand clean and exercise his fingers. Pray also for Mariamma's spiritual growth as she accepted Christ over a year ago. They live in a village several miles from Ouallam.

Tuesday, June 17 -- Pray for the Zerma team as there are many transitions of missionaries coming and leaving the field right now.

Wednesday, June 18 -- The prison ministry in Ouallam has been encouraged now for over 8 years by Southern Baptist missionaries. Many Ouallam Christians have been involved over the years but at present none have committed even part time to this ministry. The one or two Christian prisoners have taken on more responsibility. Pray for this ministry.

Thursday, June 19 -- Please pray for Fati and Hauwa, two ladies who live in the same village where Charity lives. Charity is building relationships with them. Pray that they might all become good friends and that they will have a desire to learn about Jesus. Pray that the Lord is working in their hearts, even now!

Friday, June 20 -- Pray for the Ledlows' crates and belongings as they are being shipped from the US to Niger. Pray that the crates will arrive quickly and without problems clearing customs.

Saturday, June 21 -- Pray for Faith's literacy class. She has a small group of women who come each day to learn to read and write in their own language. Pray that this may be effective so that can learn to read the Bible for themselves.

Sunday, June 22 -- Pray for Pastors, Ibro and Rashida, Moussa and Kadija, and the lay leaders as they study and continue to grown in HIM and share their newfound faith.

Monday, June 23 -- Pray for Don and Teresa Bolls as they travel to Virginia for IMB debriefing. Pray for safe travels and good meetings.

Tuesday, June 24 -- Pray for Warize today. He is the pastor/leader of the village called Gathawan. Pray that the Holy Spirit would direct his decision-making and his influence.

Wednesday, June 25 -- Please pray for more workers to come to work among the Zerma people. Pray specifically that the Lord would prepare and direct another Journeyman to come work in Zarma land. (Check it out: http://going.imb.org/Journeyman.asp)

Thursday, June 26 -- Pray for Bouba, a deaf believer who has very little Christian fellowship. Pray that Faith will be able to find others who will encourage and build him up.

Friday, June 27 -- Pray for continued grace in language study for Faith. She reports, "I have begun to pick it up fairly well, but pray I will communicate effectively."

Saturday, June 28 -- Pray for Jeremy and Stephanie Ledlow and their school situation. They will be returning to the Christian school, Sahel Academy, in Niamey this fall. Pray that there will be enough teachers and staff for the Sahel Academy as it seems that they always struggle to have enough qualified teachers.

Sunday, June 29 -- Please pray for Al-Zouma, the only Christian in the village where Charity lives. He is an elder, so he has a leadership role in the village. Pray that he will be strong in the Lord and will not give in to pressure from others in the village that would take him back to his old muslim ways. Pray that the Holy Spirit would counsel and teach Al-Zouma.

Monday, June 30 -- Pray for the Zarma people of Torodi and their willingness to accept the truth.

John 16:33 -- "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."

A note of clarification: the Jesus video has been widely available to the Zerma people for several years now. Last month, there was an "oops!" request that the Jesus video would be made available. It is and it has been, with much gratitude from all the missionaries who are able to show it.