June 2004

Tuesday, June 1 -- Pray for the Cains this month as they will be packing up their household and moving to Niamey. The demands of ministry as strategy coordinator have made living in Ouallam more and more difficult, especially in the area of communication. Pray for them as they leave friends and colleagues in Ouallam and adjust to life in a large city.

Wednesday, June 2 -- Pray for Charity as she recovers from gallbladder surgery. Surgery was done on May 20th. Pray for her protection and healing.

Thursday, June 3 -- Today is Don and Teresa Bolls' anniversary. They've been married for 33 years (congratulations!). Pray that God will honor their commitment to one another, to their family, and to the ministry with which God has entrusted them. "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." 2 Tim. 2:15

Friday, June 4 -- "Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you." 2 Thess. 3:16 Pray that our missionaries would experience the peace that passes understanding, that they would KNOW that they are exactly where God wants them to be at this time.

Saturday, June 5-- Pray the village of Sisan Tondi where Phil and Waruize, a Zerma Christian, have been storying. Pray that the Word would penetrate the hearts and minds of the men who've been attending and that God would bring the stories to their minds during the week.

Sunday, June 6 - As the Bible stories are shared during the health classes a foundation is being laid for the future stories that will be shared. Pray that the village that is hearing the stories will understand and later accept God's word.

Monday, June 7 -- Pray that Zerma churches will be planted this year that will serve as salt and light in their communities.

Tuesday, June 8 -- Faith and Charity and several others will be in Abidjan for mid-term conference. Pray for their time there. They will be learning about re-entry issues back into America, as well as discussing their time in Africa.

Wednesday, June 9 -- Pray for safe travels for Faith and Charity. They are in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

Thursday, June 10 -- Pray for Jeremy Ledlow today. Today is his birthday, and he will turn 18. "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Eph. 2:10 Pray that as Jeremy is on the cusp of manhood, he will have a clear picture of God's purpose for his life and what his path should be after he completes high school.

Friday, June 11 -- Continue to pray that God would raise up Christian leaders among the Zerma. Men and women who will walk with the Lord in humility and integrity and serve as examples of how to follow Christ. Pray for unity and encouragement and mutual respect among brothers and sisters in Christ.

Saturday, June 12 -- As I write I see it is 108 degrees on our front porch in Ouallam. Did I say it is hot? But the month of June is a refreshing turning point in the weather as it is the beginning of the rainy season. Many farmers are waiting on that first rain to plant their millet crop and hope for
enough following rain to grow a crop. Pray for rain that will turn those tiny seeds planted into a harvest.

Sunday, June 13 -- Pray for Ramatou in Goudel and her neighbor Hawa. Pray for friendships to continue to blossom and that their hearts would soften and open to the things of God.

Monday, June 14 -- Pray for the village of Waru and all the other villages in Zarmaganda. Now is a time when food is getting low and many are very hungry. Soon the rains will come and they can plant food, but for now, pray that God will use Believers to reach out to the hungry and that the villagers would be interested in learning about the Bread of Life.

Tuesday, June 15 -- Thank you for praying that God would show the Bolls the next village to do ministry with the Mobile Center. We were close to picking a village "out of the hat" until God sent Tanda. A local Christian woman named Tanda came by for an unexpected visit one day and not only suggested a village but took us and introduced us to the people. It is a new village for us where there has been little contact with white people. Pray they will hear clearly and understand the Good News and power of a risen Savior. The third village has already been decided as there were 10 ladies walking from another village - so hungry to learn! The Bolls promised to go to that village next!

Wednesday, June 16 -- Pray for rains. The rains usually begin in June and last through September. This is the time that the Zerma grow millet, peas, okra and peanuts. Pray for the harvest.

Thursday, June 17 -- Pray that God would call out and provide for the volunteers that might be coming this summer. Pray for good experiences and for lives to be changed.

Friday, June 18, 2004 -- Pray for the regional spiritual retreat in Burkina Faso to be held around the 18th of June for a week. Pray for those leading the sessions, as well as the missionaries, that God would be glorified and that we can all come away from it feeling renewed with passion for the world.

Saturday, June 19, 2004 -- June is the month when rains normally begin in Niger. Pray for adequate rainfall and abundant crops sufficient to meet the physical needs of the Zerma for food and water.

Sunday, June 20 -- Please do not tire of praying for the "Pepper Project". It is possible for this to be a way to increase the average income of about $300/yr to provide a better life for some very poor people and an excellent way to introduce the gospel to different areas.

Monday, June 21 -- June 21-25 the Zerma team will be joining other teams in Niger for a Spiritual Retreat. Pray for the safe arrival of the volunteers that will be coming to minister to the missionaries. Pray for rest and fellowship as we minister and are ministered to.

Tuesday, June 22 --As villages through the mobile center have heard the gospel, pray that the Holy Spirit would continue to work in their hearts, not giving them rest till they make things right with God through His Son who so willingly gave his life that they might have everlasting life.

Wednesday, June 23 -- Pray for Mark and Deanna Ledlow. They lost their connection via satellite to world news about six months ago, and need to find an alternate.

Thursday, June 24 -- If you have access to a computer, check out the following web page: http://going.imb.org/Journeyman.asp It may be that God has a short-term mission project for you or a loved one. Pray about your part in going

Friday, June 25 -- Pray that the Zerma people who are thirsty today would realize that "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink." John 7:37b

Saturday, June 26 -- You play an important role within the body of believers. God has uniquely gifted you with a heart to serve Him and all humanity: “Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples” (1 Chronicles 16:24, NIV). As you go in His power, sharing your faith and serving others, you’ll bring glory and honor to Him. Pray for our missionaries today as they exercise their unique gifts in their ministries.

Sunday, June 27 -- As in any other country and people group, there are many, many Zerma who don't have clue who Jesus is, and maybe have never heard the name. Pray that each Zerma will have opportunity to hear a clear presentation of the Gospel in a way they can understand. Pray that even as we struggle with the language and culture, we would have opportunities to share the Gospel and that God would help us to communicate the hope that is within us.

Monday, June 28 -- In Mark 6:31, Jesus invites us to "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." Pray that our Zerma missionaries will be refreshed every day because of their quiet times and places with the Lord.

Tuesday, June 29 -- The gospel has been presented and the Jesus video has been view in at least 3 villages with the Mobile Center. Thank the Lord for the work that was done so this can be done in the Zarma language; the Bible, the cassettes as well as the Jesus video, all in the heart language of the Zerma.

Wednesday, June 30 -- "And it will be said, 'Build up, build up, prepare the way, Remove every obstacle out of the way of My people." Isaiah 57:14 Pray that our missionaries will do nothing to cause another to stumble. Pray that God will remove all the obstacles, all the spiritual blindness, everything that hinders the Gospel in Niger.