“…’Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty,” Zechariah 4:6

Monday, October 1, 2007 – Pray for Shad Black as he travels to Dakar, Senegal today to join Melissa and the children. Shad will be studying French. Ask God to help him understand and be able to speak French quickly and fluently.

Tuesday, October 2, 2007- Pray for those who are searching for God during this season of Ramadan. Pray that they will seek Him with all their heart and find Him. Ask God to woo them with His love and pursue them in His mercy. Pray for Christians to love them into the family of God.

Wednesday, October 3, 2007 – Pray for Brandy and Kanesa's Zerma dad and the religious leader in Sebeeri. They have not been about to talk and share the Good News with them in a long time. It seems the seed that was previously planted has been stolen away, but maybe it has only been buried deep in the soil. May the rains come and the Lord causes it to burst out of the ground into praise before Him!

Thursday, October 4, 2007 – Pray for the hundreds of Zerma who are going through the ritual of fasting during daylight hours, but have no idea why they are doing this. Ask God to reveal Himself to them-drawing them into a relationship with Him.

Friday, October 5, 2007 – Pray for Ben Sustar and key relationships he has with leaders in this country. Ask God to continue to give him favor in their sight and for opportunities for him to serve them and speak truth into their lives.

Saturday, October 6, 2007 – Pray for believers who are continually seeking new avenues to sell various food products to help support their families. Ask God to use them as a witness in among their neighbors.

Sunday, October 7, 2007 - Ask God to strengthen the new believers like Hula and Goodness and Zebulon who are out in places alone. May God give them a desire for His Word and to know Him more and more.

Monday, October 8, 2007 – Pray for the youth of Niger. They are the future generation without hope, without the prospects of employment and have very little education. Ask God to give us His vision for reaching them with the hope of Christ and to help them develop their talents to become the future leaders of Niger that will lead this nation to become devoted followers of Christ.

Tuesday, October 9, 2007 - Pray for the believers in Kollo to remain strong in their faith and to continue to be a bold witness even in the midst of extreme persecution. During the month of Ramadan, believers face a more intense persecution than at other times. These believers will be on their own as the Blacks, Kanesa and Brandy are all out of the country until the end of the month.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007 – Pray for the church in Goudel as it seems to be struggling right now. Out of the three believers only one is truly committed and shares her faith regularly and is faithful in joining us in fellowship. The other two are very marginal. Ask God to ignite their hearts with a love for Him that transcends all worldly worries. Pray Philippians 4:6-7 & 2 Thessalonians 3: 6-13 for them. Ask God to show us ways to help believers find work that will support their families to advance their witness in the community. Ask God to honor the work of their hands.

Thursday, October 11, 2007 - Pray for the government and traditional leaders of Niger. Pray that God would open the eyes of their hearts, that He would reveal Himself to them in the person of Christ that they would repent and place their faith in Christ alone. For those few leaders, who are believers, pray that they would remain steadfast in their faith.

Friday, October 12, 2007 - Ramadan ends tomorrow. Pray that the Zerma will not stop searching for God but will be compelled to seek Him until they find Him.

Saturday, October 13, 2007 –Today is Cindy Sustar’s birthday. Ask God to give her good health as she has been plagued with illness this year. Ask God to give her discernment and vision as she ministers to Zerma woman.

Sunday, October 14, 2007 - As the Cains are on stateside assignment, pray that God would use them to further His kingdom and to increase awareness among churches and believers of the Zerma people. Pray that God would continue to rise up laborers who will go to the Zerma (even for a week or two) and pray-ers who will lift up the Zerma on a regular basis.

Monday, October 15, 2007 – ANSWER: We praise God that First Baptist Church, Sandersville, GA has committed to partner with us to reach the Zerma for the next 10 years. Please lift them up in prayer as they make plans to send volunteers—two trips are already planned over the next six months! Pray that God would give them and us direction and discernment for how they can best invest their lives and resources in reaching the Zerma with the gospel. Pray that God would prepare and soften the hearts of the Zerma to receive them. Pray also that God would prepare the members of FBC Sandersville for the challenging task of crossing cultures and comfort zones.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007 – Many Zerma believers are relatively 'alone' and isolated as they live out their Christian faith far from like-minded believers. Pray God gives them strength to honor and glorify Him and that God would send them a 'friend' in the faith.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007 – Today Rachel Sustar turns 9 years old. We praise God for Rachel and her sweet spirit. Ask God to continue to give her Godly character and make her into a leader that leads others to Him.

Thursday, October 18, 2007 – ANSWER: Last month, the government called a meeting for all the evangelical pastors in Niger. They government thanked them for their work in the country and asked them to pray for peace in Niger as conflict is beginning to intensify in the northern region. They prayed for the country that day and the pastors held a special prayer meeting the following Saturday from 8:00am to 12:00. A key government official attended a portion of this prayer meeting. Praise God for giving us favor with government officials. Ask Him to draw these leaders into a life transforming relationship with Him.

Friday, October 19, 2007 - During this month, seed for the 'Niger Pepper Project' should be planted in anticipation of the best gardening time in Niger. Pray for Moussa as he leads in this effort. Ask God to give Moussa extra strength and wisdom as he takes opportunities to share his faith in Christ through this work.

Saturday, October 20, 2007 – ANSWER: Thank you for praying for Rachelle in Kollo last month as she was expecting the birth of her baby. She delivered a healthy 8 pound baby boy which is huge for African babies. Usually they weigh about 5 pounds at the most. Mother and baby are doing great. Thank you for covering them with your prayers.

Sunday, October 21, 2007 – The Bolls seem to be slowly getting medical issues resolved before returning to Niger. Pray for many Zerma people who often have to travel long distances to see doctors at hospitals and clinics. Pray for Don Bolls as he returns to Niger today. Ask God to give him safe travel without plane delays and missed flights. Pray for Teresa as she remains in the states until December to help care for her Mom.

Monday, October 22, 2007 - Pray for Phil as he travels to Idaho to represent the IMB at the Utah-Idaho Baptist Convention October 22-23. Our Baptist churches in the Northwest generally have little interaction with IMB missionaries so this will be a good opportunity to meet pastors from the region and share about our work.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007 – ANSWER: Thank for praying for the Sustars in August as they traveled to Indonesia. We had a tremendous time with friends of kindred spirits that we had not seen in 10 years. Our church in Los Angeles hosted a retreat in Bali for 4 days which was truly life changing as cutting edge evangelism was shared that is taking place around the world. We also talked about how we could each share with people in our host countries in a more relevant manner.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007 – Thank you for praying for Caroline and Caleb Cain as they begin this new year of school in the U.S. It’s been quite an adjustment from Sahel Academy but they are both doing well.

Thursday, October 25, 2007 – ANSWER: Praise God for opening doors for Shad Black to show the Jesus film to 3 officials in Kollo last month. Ask God to reveal Himself to these men and to bring scenes from the movie back to their minds.

Friday, October 26, 2007 - The best time for gardening is approaching, October - February, many Zerma will begin purchasing seed and preparing planting sites. Pray that Sandy will be able to provide seed to large areas around Ouallam. Pray that he comes to know Christ as his Savior.

Saturday, October 27, 2007 – ANSWER: Thank you for praying for Rachel and Christin last month as they began Sahel Academy. Rachel is in the 3rd grade and Christin is in the 2nd grade. They love it and are doing well.

Sunday, October 28, 2007 - Please pray for Issa today, the young man that Phil led to the Lord a few months ago. He left the city soon after so Phil lost contact with him, but pray that he would hold on to his commitment to Christ and that he would seek out other Christians who could encourage him and help him grow in his faith.

Monday, October 29, 2007 – Today is the due date for Melissa Black’s baby. Pray for a safe healthy deliver of the baby and good health for Melissa. Pray also for safe travel for Melissa’s Mom who will be traveling from the states to Dakar to be with Melissa.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007 – ANSWER: Praise God for two men that were baptized in Kollo last month. These two men have been a tremendous witness as many have asked them why they chose to follow Jesus.

Wednesday, October 31, 2007 – Pray for Brandy and Kanesa as they return to Niger today. Ask God to give them renewed vision for reaching the Zerma in their area and good health during these next two days. We praise God that He has led them to return to Niger for another 2 years.

Joining hearts and hands before the throne!