August 2006

“Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.”
Psalm 105:1-2

Tuesday, August 1, 2006 – The month of August the Bolls will be filling in for Mark and Deanna Ledlow in Niamey, as Guesthouse Coordinator and Business Facilitator. Please pray that it will be an easy transition and that both couples will feel peace about the different roles they will be doing. Pray for the Ledlows as they will be in the states helping their daughter Stephanie enroll in college, visiting with Jeremy and speaking in different churches. Pray for the Bolls as they take on these new roles for a few months.

Wednesday, August 2, 2006 - ANSWER: Thank you for giving through the Lottie Moon Christmas offering to reach a lost world! We are excited to report that Southern Baptists gave a record amount $137,939,677.59 through the 2005 offering. Your faithful giving enables us and over 5,000 colleagues to continue our work and to support new colleagues coming to join our efforts. Lives have been changed because of your giving. Last year we, along with our overseas partners, baptized more than 459,000 new believers and planted 17,000-plus churches. Also, 137 people groups had access to the Gospel for the first time. We are grateful for your faithfulness! Please continue to partner with us to complete the unfinished task to reach the Zerma and other people groups around the world with the Gospel.

Thursday, August 3, 2006 – August 3 and 4 an organization called "Kid's Around the World" will be sponsoring a workshop for church members across Niamey, training them to use flannel graph materials in children's ministry. These particular materials use pictures taken from the Jesus film--a film about the life of Jesus. Pray that this workshop would be well-attended. Pray that God will use this to reach the children of Niger as well as their parents.

Friday, August 4, 2006 – A volunteer team from Arkansas arrives today to assist the Zerma team with prayer walking, children's ministry, evangelism and discipleship for one week. Pray for their health and stamina, and pray that God would use them in significant ways to minister to believers and help bring the lost to a saving knowledge of Jesus.

Saturday, August 5, 2006 - Pray for Stephanie Ledlow as she adjusts to campus life at California Baptist University. Pray that she will make friends quickly and that she sense God’s presence and leadership in her life.

Sunday, August 6, 2006 - ANSWER: Thank you for praying for Djibrilla and Banibangize as they work on the latrines in Ouallam. In June they both were plagued with illness which kept them from working - but they are both praising God as they are working again.

Monday, August 7, 2006 – As the rain comes and the fields are planted there is one Scripture that continually comes to mind: The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. Ask the LORD of the harvest to rise up laborers for the field. Ask Him if YOU are one of the laborers for this harvest field.

Tuesday, August 8, 2006 – Please pray for Brandy as she returns to the states for a visit this month. Ask God to make her time there sweet, refreshing, and encouraging to her, her family and friends. Pray for her as she returns to Niger to serve and that she would pour out all she has during the time she has left among them. Please pray for Kanesa also as she is will be in Kollo by herself most of the month of August. Ask that she will find her strength and peace in God, and that it will be a fruitful time.

Wednesday, August 9, 2006 - ANSWER: While the volunteers were helping in the Ouallam area the month of June, visits were made to several villages. After doing medical work in one of the hamlets of Gathawan, the Chief wrote the Bolls to see if they could come back. It appears that everyone that received the "Jesus medicine" has been healed. The Chief would like for us to return to share some more of that "Jesus medicine". (Mostly vitamins and aspirin were given, but in the name of Jesus - it does do miracles!)

Thursday, August 10, 2006 - The month of August many farmers will be in their fields from sunup to sundown. Pray for strength as they do all the planting and cultivating by hand. Many times the families will move out into a temporary home next to their field during planting season. This is called the ziggy in Zerma.

Friday, August 11, 2006 - The volunteer team from Arkansas leaves today. Pray for a safe return to their homes in the U.S. Pray that their ministries of intercession, evangelism, and discipleship will continue to bear fruit long after they leave.

Saturday, August 12, 2006 - ANSWER: Praise God for Zanabou who has professed faith in Christ and her friend, Belkissa, who is close to making this decision if she has not already done so. Ask that they would learn what it means to truly follow the Jesus road and that they would not fall away when persecution comes. Ask for their husbands to soon hear about Jesus and for them to open their hearts to follow His will. Pray that Brandy would listen to the Holy Spirit in every word she teaches them, as she is their "Bible" since they are illiterate.

Sunday, August 13, 2006 - Remember those Zerma Muslims who are seeking God and searching for the truth. Pray that God would reveal Himself to them, that they would hear and understand the truth and have the courage to act on it. Pray that God would help us to be bold in speaking the truth in love.

Monday, August 14, 2006 - The rains came slowly to the Ouallam area. Please continue to pray for rains to come so the people can have a much needed crop. The food that they grow is their main food source for many months.

Tuesday, August 15, 2006 - ANSWER: Thank you for praying for Meghan and Kimberly, two summer missionaries who helped us put together some prayer materials. We now have a new 30-day prayer guide that can be used anytime throughout the year; a 14-day prayer guide for volunteers to use in preparation for coming to Niger, 4 different virtual prayer walks in PowerPoint format and a children’s activity booklet about the Zerma people. If you'd like any of these resources you can contact us at pnkcain@yahoo.com or Sustar@braveheart.com or write us at: Mission Baptiste Meridionale, Zerma Team, B.P. 10038, Niamey, NIGER REPUBLIC.

Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - Caroline and Caleb Cain begin school today at Sahel Academy (Caroline is in 7th grade, Caleb is in 2nd). This will be an adjustment for them after many years of home-schooling. Pray that they would get into the routine quickly, that they would enjoy their classes and be diligent in their studies. Pray for guidance for Kimberly as she makes plans for starting a kids club and ministry to women.

Thursday, August 17, 2006 – ANSWER: It's been a long time since I've seen some of the Christians we work with baptizing another. But it happened to Boubacar June 30th. Pray for Boubacar and fellow believers as they are discipled. They already have him scheduled to baptize one of his friends in a remote village in the near future!

Friday, August 18, 2006 – Pray that Jesus would awaken His followers in Niger to passionately live out their faith and draw others into His movement.

Saturday, August 19, 2006 - ANSWER: Oh, those peppers! So far, this is a praise the Lord for answered prayer as the Niger Pepper project seems to be ever so slowly accomplishing goals. I say, so far and slowly because we have begun to harvest a nice but small amount of peppers with the future harvest looking good. It has already provided a small amount of money for people during this, our most hungry time of the year.

Sunday, August 20, 2006 – As more and more are accepting Christ - the need for the gospel to be presented in formats they can relate to becomes even more crucial. If they can't read, how can they study? If they can't read - some even think they cannot be baptized- or even become a Christian. Pray for wisdom for those that work with the non-readers.

Monday, August 21, 2006 – ANSWER: God has provided us with a native Zerma speaker, Director Hassan, who did the voice of Jesus in the Zarma Jesus Film is willing to record the books of the audio Bible for us. We praise God for his willingness to partner with us in developing needed resources. Continue to pray as we will be recording and distributing this tape.

Tuesday, August 22, 2006 – Please pray for those families that will be moving to their temporary homes close to their fields known as the ziggy. Many people don't have as many comforts of home that we have, but when they are in their temporary homes - they don't even have that! There is no water except what is found in ponds - big puddles, there is much malaria, there are no doctor services, and there is no shopping, there is just what is in the fields.

Wednesday, August 23, 2006 - ANSWER: The 4th of July, Hezekiah Black fell and required stitches in his forehead. He has healed very well and is back to his 2 year-old self.

Thursday, August 24, 2006 – Please continue to pray for Oumou as she grows in her faith and waits for her husband to return from his year and a half of work in another country. Ask God to give her strength in her walk as her husband disagrees, and ask that she would really be filled with the King's joy.

Friday, August 25, 2006 – ANSWER: You are an answer to much prayer. Today we ask that you give thanks for the hundreds of faithful prayer supporters who lift us and the Zerma people up before the Lord on a daily basis. Pray that God would answer the prayers of his people for the Zerma, according to His good and perfect will.

Saturday, August 26, 2006 - Pray for our health as most of the members of the Zerma team have been sick this past month. God is moving in amazing ways and we are definitely seeing the enemy attack. There is so much to accomplish and our adversary does not want this work to move forward.

Sunday, August 27, 2006 - ANSWER: We praise God for a team of 6 volunteers from First Baptist Church Canyon, Texas that came in mid July to minister to the Zerma People. They helped tear down collapsing walls from a former church building, shared their testimonies in Niamey, Kollo and surrounding villages, offered basic medical care and showed the Jesus Film. They made great inroads in sharing with a key government official in Kollo. We praise God for the doors they opened and the relationships that were deepened.

Monday, August 28, 2006 – Pray that Jesus would ignite the hearts of His chosen leaders in Niger so they can effectively multiply themselves as leaders.

Tuesday, August 29, 2006 - Please pray for the two new women who have become believers in Kollo. Ask that they will truly learn what it means to follow Christ, and that we will have wisdom in discipling them!

Wednesday, August 30, 2006 - ANSWER: God has provided us with a Zerma, Christian, songwriter, Pastor Hassan, who will be writing the hymns for our work. The first recordings for our ‘worship model’ cassette are finished. Please continue to pray as we will be finishing the recordings throughout this month.

Thursday, August 31, 2006 – Pray that the church in Goudel would become a community of believers who live by faith, are known by love and are a voice of hope.

The Zerma Team - Zerma Team Website: www.zermateam.org