August 2005

“ And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.” Colossians 4:3-4

Monday, Aug. 1, 2005 - Teresa will be traveling in the States, trying to see family in NM, AR, MS and CA. Please pray for safety as she travels.

Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2005 – Shad and Melissa have just finished their orientation and training in Virginia and are making final preparations to leave the U.S. Pray for them during these next two weeks as they pack their things and say good-bye to friends and family. Pray that God would ease the pain of parting with the knowledge that they are fulfilling His call and following the path He has set before them. Pray that they would know His peace and that God would continue to equip them for the task that lies ahead--bringing the Zerma people to Christ.

Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2005 – Do you speak French, if so, will you pray about coming to Niger for a week or two during the period of December 7-17, 2005? Niger will be hosting the Francophone Games in Niger. This will be a sports and cultural event with athletes, artisans, musicians, and visitors from 57 French-speaking countries. This will be a unique opportunity to minister to the people of Niger as they come to view these events and meet people from around the world. You will be working with missionaries and local churches to engage people in evangelism, pass out literature, assist with kids programs or pass out water. You may have opportunity to minister to the visiting athletes and other participants - your focus will be on the people of Niger.

Thursday, Aug. 4, 2005 – Answer: Last month you prayed for Ron and Sharon Hill, Volunteer Mobilizers with the IMB, as they traveled throughout West Africa meeting with the various teams to develop strategies for utilizing volunteers in sharing the love of Christ among those peoples who have not yet heard the gospel. They had safe travel, good health and their meetings were a success. Thank you for praying. Pease continue to pray for Ron as he will be returning on the 9th of this month with Dr. Rankin.

Friday, Aug. 5, 2005 – Ask God to lead the Sustars into relationships with people that are ready to hear and receive the gospel.

Saturday, Aug. 6, 2005 - Please continue to pray for rain. If the rains continue for August and September, there may be a harvest - please pray that this happens this year - it has not for the past two...

Sunday, Aug. 7, 2005 - Pray for the many logistics that have to be dealt with as Dr. Jerry Rankin and several pastors and a media team will be traveling in West Africa, making stops in Niger and visiting with various teams.

Monday, Aug. 8, 2005 - Please pray for Mark and Deanna as they will be ending their vacation in the U.S. - leaving Jeremy in college. Upon arriving in Niamey they will have to hit the ground running - as they arrive in Niger only one day before Dr. Rankin and the team arrives.

Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2005 - Several pastors are accompanying Dr. Rankin on a "vision trip" to see how their churches in the U.S. can partner with missionaries and/or teams in reaching the lost for Christ. Pray for new partnerships to be created and for safety as they travel.

Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2005 – Pray Romans 12:2 for the Zerma people – Ask that they would not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of their minds. Then they will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-His good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Thursday, Aug. 11, 2005 – Pray for the Sustars as they continue to learn the Zarma language and culture. Pray they will be able to speak and hear it at the appropriate speed.

Friday, Aug. 12, 2005 - ANSWER: Thanks for praying for us during our annual meeting held in Ghana. All of our travels there and back went well and I believe we all came back to Niger with a renewed sense of purpose and vision for reaching the Zerma. We were also greatly ministered to by volunteers from churches in Missouri, Oklahoma, and North Carolina who led us in worship and ministered to our children.

Saturday, Aug. 13, 2005 - Pray Phil. 2:2 “…that we will be like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.” For the Cains, Sustars and Amadou and his wife Hassi as we seek to plant a church that will be indigenous and reproducing.

Sunday, Aug. 14, 2005 – Will you pray about coming to Niger for 2 weeks as a Sewing Machine Technician? You will help local tailors how to improve their skills in the maintenance of sewing machines and at the same time provide an outreach with the Gospel. Tailors are located throughout the Zerma population, even in remote villages.

Monday, Aug. 15, 2005 – Ben is discipling “O” a local believer. Pray that “O” will passionately pursue God, seeking to grow strong in his faith and allow God to transform his character.

Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2005 – As we work to begin churches please pray that God will reveal to us the things in the Zerma culture that are most important so that the new church are relevant in this culture.

Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2005 – Praise God for Amadou and Hassi, a local pastor and his wife, and their passion to study the word of God. Ask God reveal to them, as they study the word, everything that this new church needs to become.

Thursday, Aug. 18, 2005 - Pray for the salvation of the Zerma people living in the neighborhoods of Goudel, Dar Salam, Ouna, and Kwaara Tegui. We have begun to prayerwalk and sing along the perimeter of Goudel, like the people did around Jericho. Ask God to bring the wall of deception down in these neighborhoods and plant these words deep in our souls, “…..Shout! For the Lord has given you the city!”(Joshua 6:16)

Friday, Aug. 19, 2005 - Pray for the safe arrival of Shad, Melissa and Hezekiah Black. They arrive in Niger today. Pray for their adjustment and orientation to Niger and their work with the rest of the team in reaching the Zerma. Pray for their safe arrival and for a quick adjustment to a different time zone, climate, and culture. Pray that they would remain healthy, especially during these first few weeks of settling in and learning a new language.

Saturday, Aug. 20, 2005 – Will you pray about coming to Niger for 10 weeks as a Researcher? You will assist the Zerma team by conducting interviews and surveys with pastors and churches in the capital city of Niamey and surrounding areas. These surveys will reveal the extent of evangelism among the Zerma, location of churches, leadership needs and effective methods of outreach and discipleship.

Sunday, Aug. 21, 2005 - ANSWER: A lot of rice helped stay the hunger of many Zerma people due to the efforts of James Brown and First Baptist Church of Opelika, Alabama. Many families were helped. Several small groups of Christians in remote villages were very thankful for the food and took the responsibility to see that it was distributed and a witness for Christ was shared.

Monday, Aug. 22, 2005 – As we begin to see new people choose to follow Christ, ask God to identify those that are to be the future leaders of the Zerma churches.

Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2005 - Kanesa, Brooke, and Brandy will be starting their orientation and training at the learning center in Virginia today. For the next seven weeks they will be receiving instruction and information on various subjects from cross-cultural communication to health and nutrition. Pray for them during this time of preparation that they will be able to absorb all that is necessary for living and ministering effectively in Niger.

Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2005 - Pray for Teresa as she will be leaving the States heading back to Niger. She will be traveling from 10:30 am on Wednesday and is scheduled to arrive in Niamey 5:00 am on Friday.

Thursday, Aug, 25, 2005 – Pray that God will help the Sustars as we make choices of what to focus on as we work to equip Amadou and Hassi to lead this new church.

Friday, Aug. 26, 2005 – ANSWER: In June, Teresa and Kim went as "tourists" in order to pray for some Christians that can no longer have Bible study. As they were praying the Lord led them to one of the more influential leaders (that may have been the very one that prohibits the study). Prayer was very open for the village, the crops, the rain, and that God would be manifested in that village. Two days later, this village received rain! And Ouallam did not... Pray that the village will see God's power - and His love.

Saturday, Aug. 27, 2005 - Just as Solomon asked for and was granted profound wisdom from God – Ask God to anoint us with wisdom as we seek God’s direction in restarting this church in Goudel.

Sunday, Aug. 28, 2005 – Will you pray about coming to work among the Zerma as a Drama Coordinator for 1-10 weeks? The Zerma love stories, especially in the form of drama. You would assist Zerma believers in producing drama which will engage the interest of hearers in the message of the Bible, aid in discipling believers, address current issues such as AIDS from a Christian perspective, etc. They will be centered in the African context, using a minimum of props or props easily obtained locally. These dramas would be used in the local church as well as for radio broadcast or audio cassettes.

Monday, Aug. 29, 2005 - Continue to pray that God will raise-up spiritual leaders among the Zerma--committed to the truth, knowledgeable of the scriptures, practiced in prayer, with a vision and passion for reaching the lost.

Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2005 - Pray that we would all seek opportunities to share the gospel with our Zerma friends, neighbors, and people we meet on the street. Pray that we will be good stewards of our time and resources.

Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2005 - You've continued to pray for rain for Niger and the rain has come. However, there are some areas that are still below the normal rainfall for this time of year and their crops are suffering. Pray that God would show his grace and mercy by providing the rain they need.

Check out the Zerma and Go West Africa websites this month.

www.zermteam.org & www.gowestafrica.org