welcome to *SM

Welcome to *SM. In this village, there is a small Fulani church, and about thirty believers. A Hausa man came to this village and told these people about Jesus, and the people accepted. Now, the people meet regularly for church - they sing songs, pray and listen to the Word of God.



Missionaries are doing oral Bible study with the women of SM. Most of the women do not think that they can learn from the Bible, because they do not think they have any intelligence. But slowly, the women are accepting the teachings from Scripture and learning how to apply it to their lives.



The men are engaged in literacy classes. While the work is difficult for them, some men clearly desire to learn. One man has had some training in the past and will soon be able to read on his own. Others are slowly learning to read by recognizing syllables and sounding out the words.



Pray that the people of SM will be open to learning. Pray that they will tell others about the good news they have received, and seek to grow their church. Pray that this Fulani church would be the first of many Fulani churches in eastern Niger.

(by chelsea)

*DK

Welcome to *DK. Missionaries working around this village found it by God’s providence, and it is clear that God is moving in the hearts of the men of the village.

The first week the missionaries visited, the chief was not in the village, but his son asked them to return and retell the story of Jesus. The following week, the chief of the village found the missionaries at their home and personally invited them to return. They did and almost forty men gathered to hear the story about Jesus.

The week after that, three men became believers; one who said he had wanted to follow Jesus for five years, but was scared to do so alone.

Now, a Christian man from close by is seeking to meet with the men of DK. He wants to start a church in the area.

Pray that more men in DK will accept the message they have heard. Pray that the men will continue to gather to hear more stories about Jesus, and that their hearts will be open. Pray for the Fulani Christian who is seeking to begin a church. Pray he will have guidance from the Spirit, and that the men will accept his leadership.

(by chelsea)

meet *L

*L is the son of the chief of the village of D. His father is very old and ailing, and L may soon become chief. A journeyman has been visiting L’s village, desiring to tell the people of his village about Jesus. For months L heard the good news about Jesus, but kept his heart closed and refused to discuss the way of Jesus. Recently he has said that he believes the good news to be true, but L could not accept it in his heart. He told the journeyman that he just couldn’t follow.

Four weeks later, the journeyman returned to the village, but this time, she brought three summer missionaries with her. Emboldened by the presence of her three companions, the journeyman once again told L the good news of Jesus, but went one step further with it. She told L that the way he follows is built on lies. She told L that when he becomes chief, he will be leading all his people in the wrong way. L said that he did not want this and that he would gather the village and tell them about the news of Jesus.

The next week, when the missionaries returned, L asked if he could go back to town with them to see a Christian man in that city. L met with the man, and asked to hear the good news of Jesus from him. This man retold the story to L and also showed him the Jesus film. L told him that he believed in Jesus, but that he could not follow alone. He said that if ten others followed, he would follow.

Pray that L will have the courage to walk with Jesus, even if it means that he must walk alone. Pray that he will accept Jesus in his heart, and tell his village the good news.

(by chelsea)

meet *A

Meet *A. He is a teenage Fulani boy living in a Hausa town in Niger. A is a close friend to the two journeymen in the area.

Like almost all Fulani, he is a Muslim. He does not have a good relationship with his father, but looks up to a man named *B. Under B’s guidance, A prays five times a day and performs the ritual cleansings required of all Muslims. But when B is not around, he does not do these things. A knows why his journeymen friends are in Niger, but does not feel the need for Jesus in his life. He does not believe that Jesus is God’s Son or that He is more than a prophet.

Pray that A would further question the journeymen about their faith. Pray that he would not find comfort in the rituals and works of his religion, but seek to know Jesus and His saving grace.

(by chelsea)

meet *T

Meet *T. He is the chief, or Ardo, of the village of T. He is a man who is sweet of spirit and takes genuine interest in and care of all those he meets. He has been as a father to the two journeymen who work with him, and the two summer missionaries who stayed in his village. He has been listening with interest to the tapes about the Bible that the summer missionaries have given to him. He says the tapes make him happy .

Recently, T made the walk into the largest city near him to buy beans at the market. On his way in, he stopped at the home of the two journeymen. The journeymen and their summer missionaries were in the middle of their Sunday worship time, but invited T to stay with them. Taking advantage of the opportunity, one of the journeymen provided the story of the Crucifixion of Jesus, found in Luke 23. T took in the story, and discussed it with the journeyman. Then, the Spirit led one of the summer missionaries to speak. The young man told T that he was a respected leader, and that his people would follow him wherever he led. He also told T that he had been deceived into thinking that good works and five prayers a day, and a mosque visit on Fridays could earn him salvation. The young man spoke of how only faith in Jesus Christ, and His saving grace, could guarantee their salvation.

T took all these words in and turned them over in his heart. T has been following the way of Islam for 65 years. Everything he knows is wrapped up in religion. Now he has admitted that he believes what he has heard about Christ to be the Truth, but says that he cannot change. He refuses to leave behind what he has known and done all his life. He says he is scared to follow Christ and that he must continue to be Muslim like all of his people.

Pray for the Holy Spirit to give T the courage that he needs to make the decision to follow Christ. Pray that he would not be fearful of others and that he would not deny the Truth.

(by chelsea)

Please lift our volunteers up in prayer

The heat saps all of our strength and especially short term teams
like from Bardstown who have not acclimated to the climate. That
makes travel all that much harder. I know they would appreciate
prayer for their journey home and their physical wellness while they
are here. Ministry in Niger requires grace from God for the many
physical, emotional, and spiritual challenges.

Will you stop right now and lift Dave, Carla, Janice and Anna up to
the Father?

Update on the accident

UPDATE

URGENT PRAYER
INTERNATIONAL MISSION BOARD
JANUARY 27, 2007

WEST AFRICA. "Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men," Psalm 107:19-21. Thank you for interceding for an 8-year-old West African girl who was accidentally hit by an IMB missionary's vehicle Friday, January 26. An IMB field strategy leader who visited the hospital Saturday morning, January 27, learned that the girl's mother had arrived and that the girl was awake,  responding to her mother and eating.  The local hospital staff had intended to transfer the girl to a hospital in the capital city but has decided that it is not necessary. Please continue to pray that this child will have a full recovery.  Also pray for the emotional recovery of the missionary family that was involved in the accident.  Ask God to provide opportunities in the coming days for IMB personnel in the area to have a positive Christian witness to the family of the injured child as well as to others in the community.

It is amazing to be here and see first-hand the Father's awesome answers to your prayers. When I arrived to Niamey yesterday I heard of two other accidents that involved our missionaries. But in each one, prayers were raised and the potential tragedies have turned to reasons to praise God! Everyone involved in these accidents is fine, recovering from a close call and a few aches and pains. It really cements in my brain what a HUGE part that you all have in our ministry here.