“But if I say, ‘I will not mention Him or speak anymore in His Name,’ His Word is in my heart like a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed I cannot.” Jeremiah 20: 9

Tuesday, September 1: Pray for Krista Shirley as she arrives this month to work with the Zerma team as a semester missionary. Pray for her as she adjusts to the climate and culture of Niger and learns a new language. Pray that God would use her in significant ways to minister to the Zerma people.

Wednesday, September 2: Praise God that His Spirit lives within us. Pray for the Zerma team: Phil, Kimberly, Caroline, Caleb, Don, Teresa, Ben, Cindy, Rachel, Christin, Karis, Kanesa, and Brandy. May God put His Word in their hearts like a fire that cannot be quenched. May they be bold with those who are seeking as well as those who are already believers!

Thursday, September 3: Our friend, L, who has been struggling with an eating disorder, is still struggling. There is a lot of trauma that she has not dealt with. Also her mom has been involved with witchcraft and we wonder if maybe there are some satanic strongholds in her life as well. Please pray for God to break any bondage, emotional and spiritual, so that L might walk in the freedom and glory of Christ!

Friday, September 4: K-town has eight new men believers!! Praise God for His mercy. This week is the third of four weeks that a strong believer from the capital is living in K-town to disciple these men. Thank God for Ham’s obedience to leave the comfort of home to move to the bush to see his new brothers grow. Ask God to use this time for incredible grow in the believers, both new and old.

Saturday, September 5: You may remember Musa who went to jail in Ouallam shortly after his baptism. He has been out now for several months and has what appears to be a changed life. He gave testimony to that changed life at a recent Bible study. Pray for Musa to remain faithful in his new life with Christ.

Sunday, September 6: Sid has been a believer since January, passionate and bold. But he received a letter from his family saying that he must begin following his Muslim prayers again or else he should forget them. He was honest and said he has begun going to the mosque again but he is still praying to Jesus and reading His Bible. Sid knows he cannot serve two masters and is heartbroken as he struggles through this. Ask God to uplift Sid with His mighty arm and give him wisdom in helping his family to understand his faith in Christ.

Monday, September 7: Muslims throughout Niger are observing Ramadan until September 21st. This is a time when many Muslims are much more focused on God and His commands as they fast during the daylight hours. Pray that this will be a time when people truly seek the Lord and find Him.

Tuesday, September 8: Lord, give Ben and Cindy wisdom in reconnecting with the Goudel church and carefully considering the best way to continue mentoring Pastor A. and his wife to advance the church to maturity.

Wednesday, September 9: Rainy season in Ouallam usually begins early June. This year we did not receive adequate rainfall until August 2nd. With the sporadic & insufficient rain, many have planted for the fifth time and some are planting for the first time. Please pray that the rains continue and there will be a harvest.

Thursday, September 10: Kanesa and Brandy are planning a trip this month to see H and her husband and son in another country. They are going to take Lily with them in hopes to have some intense time of discipleship with them. Pray for their safety as they travel. Ask God to give them wisdom in what to teach H and Lily and for opportunities to share with H’s husband and other Zerma people who do not yet believe!

Friday, September 11: Pray the Zerma believers in Niamey to be bold and take advantage of opportunities to share Christ and the Biblical form of fasting with their neighbors during Ramadan.

Saturday, September 12: After five weeks of teaching the Zerma alphabet the “light finally came on” and students are seeing the difference in sounds and how they can make words. It was exciting to see students able to use what they knew to either spell or sound out the words. Pray they can continue to learn and Teresa will remain patient and loving – showing Christ to believers and non-believers.

Sunday, September 13: There are several Christian people that have moved to K-town to work at the new clinic. They are coming to the local church and it has been a great encouragement to Pastor J. Please ask for this little fellowship to grow in depth and strength. Ask that God would use these believers to shine the light brightly.

Monday, September 14: Pray for Caroline, who has a very big year ahead of her in 10th grade. In addition to the academic work, she will have 20 hours of community service and responsibilities as student council secretary. Pray that she will be diligent and manage her time wisely. Pray for Caleb as he progresses through 5th grade, that he would continue to develop a godly character and be a good example to others.

Tuesday, September 15: Our neighbor had a dream then she awoke and could not get back to sleep until she sang the songs that she had learned from her Christian friends. Then God gave her a song that she had never heard before. After that she got sick and went to her Christian friend who prayed for her. She got well and accepted Christ as her Savior! Praise God for this new sister. Ask God to make her sweet spirit a witness of Christ’s work in her life. May she grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Wednesday, September 16: Pray for the Sustars as they reengage in ministry. Ask God to give them wisdom and discernment in daily decisions.

Thursday, September 17: Fourera’s husband brought her to her parent’s family in Ouallam for care. With back problems she is basically seen as “useless” (she has a broken back). She cannot haul water, pound grain or gather firewood, and she has yet to have a baby. Please pray for the situation and for ways Teresa can continue to minister to her. The family has taken her to a village north of Ouallam and for security reasons we are unable to travel there to minister to her – and to many more.

Friday, September 18: Amy married Kanesa and Brandy’s brother, Allan, who is a Christian although she is not. Kanesa and Brandy have been able to share with her a few times in the past month. Pray for Amy’s heart to be truly opened to the words of Christ. Pray that Adam would step pit of his complacency and indifference and lead his family in the ways of Christ.

Saturday, September 19: We have not seen Henry in several months and think that it is because of sin in his life. He recently went to a neighboring country to try to find work for money. Ask that while he is there God would place a man in his life that would help spur him on to obedience in Christ. Ask for God to provide for every need he and his family have.

Sunday, September 20: Pray for baby “A” who is in need of surgery. Pray for healing and for the surgery to take place very soon

Monday, September 21: Pray for Rachel, Christin and Karis as they adjust to life in Niger and to the school schedule of Sahel. Pray for stamina and patience. Ask God to help them make new friends.

Tuesday, September 22: Pray that Teresa & Don will soon be able to take the AIDS/Health classes to various villages. Rain, planting, health, funds for more literature, vacation, paperwork etc. has detained them going for several months. As the Bolls will begin with a new strategy working with the king of that area, pray that things work out quickly (or for more patience for the Bolls)!

Wednesday, September 23: “Superman” is a good friend who knows the truth of the Gospel but is still too afraid to follow. Ask God to reveal Himself in such a way that “Superman” cannot deny it any longer. Pray that he would lead his wife and son in the truth. Ask that God would bless them with more children and that He would protect them and keep them healthy.

Thursday, September 24: A bathroom, latrine or ‘outhouse’ is a fairly unthought-of item…..until you don’t have one. For some reason a latrine we put in about a year ago has caved in and is basically useless for the large living compound of many people with several older ones who can hardly see. Thanks to friends in Arkansas we have money to repair that latrine. Pray for our time of witness as we repair this latrine in Ouallam.

Friday, September 25: Pray for “A” who has been asking many questions about following Christ. Pray that he will accept the truth as God reveals it to him. Pray that he will have courage to step out in faith and commit his life to Christ.

Saturday, September 26: Sometimes I wonder if it wasn’t a mango that Eve ate in the garden. Mangoes grow easily in Niger, are prolific if there is water, and are heat tolerate. Please pray for the many fruit trees distributed over the last few months. Many trees have died for various reasons but some have lived. One large mango tree can provide an average yearly income, with two comes the feeling of “having it made”. Pray for the witness and impact those trees could make in people’s lives for many years.

Sunday, September 27: It should not be too long before the people begin harvesting their crops. Pray for the crops to be great and provide plenty of food for everyone, especially since the rainy season was not as good as it could have been.

Monday, September 28: Please pray for those awaiting baptism or considering it, that the evil one would not be allowed to steal their joy and assurance in their new found faith. Many of these that are awaiting baptism are in villages far from Ouallam and are the only ones in their village that follow Christ.

Tuesday, September 29: Kanesa and Brandy have little more than one month left before they will complete their term and return to the States. Ask for God to pour out incredible grace as this will be a difficult transition for them. Pray that they would re-adjust well to American culture. Ask for them to be encouraged by their family and friends and not be overwhelmed by the incredible change.

Wednesday, September 30: A knock on the door, a simple prayer request… she traveled many miles for this… “Would you pray that we can find our donkeys, they are lost again and last time you prayed we found them.” Praise the Lord for the two women Christians that made this request. They live in a village we cannot visit due to security reasons. Teresa & Don make many prayer requests like this one and praise the Lord that many of them are answered. Thank you for your prayers for us.