Missions’ Praises and Prayer Requests September/October 2023
Daren and Jodi Beck—ACTION International (Cambodia)
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- • Praise:
- o That Drew has settled in at The Master’s University and begins classes this week!
- o For the unique opportunities for sharing the Gospel in South Asia, including Pakistan and Afghanistan.
- • Prayer:
- o For sustained financial resources as we continue to press on with everything the Lord puts before us.
- o For Gospel opportunities at Logos International School as Jodi begins another year as Special Education teacher.
Frank Erb—Capitol Commission (USA)
• Praise:
o That I have been able to meet lately one-on-one with many California State Senators and Assembly Members and other leaders who are not followers of Jesus to discuss the Lord with them. I have been encouraged by how God has been guiding in these conversations.
o That I had the honor of helping a key political leader in our state to come to Christ and have been discipling him. I just helped him to find his first church and he is excited to start attending. Rejoicing in how God is changing his life.
• Prayer:
o For an influential long-time legislator who is not a believer in the Lord and has never been. This person was willing to meet with me this year personally requested a meeting with me and our conversation about God went very well and God was obviously at work. Please pray this person will make the time to meet again and continue to learn about Jesus.
o For God to give me wisdom regarding how to encourage more legislative staff members to attend our weekly noon Capitol Bible Study. There has been enormous turnover among staff in our Capitol lately. I would like to reach more of these new young staff members with the word of God. One idea is to provide weekly lunch for attendees, but we will need the Lord to provide funds for this.
Henry and Grace Banda—YOLEDS (Youth Leadership Development in Sport) (Malawi)
• Praise:
o That more souls are being won to God through sports ministry. In the past three months, 26 souls accepted Jesus Christ. They are serving the Lord through various capacities in the local churches. This was done through the ministry strategy of one-on-one and small group Bible Sports outreach.
o For all the local churches who have established sports ministries in their local churches. They have identified visionary leaders in their churches. This is God given vision. They communicated their vision to their churches. This is through training and equipping methods.
• Prayer:
o For the above churches who have established sports ministries. Pray for their successful programs, and as they build effective leadership structures, for evangelism and discipleship. This must be applied, as an example in the Bible, in the book of 2 Timothy 2:2.
o For God’s guidance in finding people who can serve the Lord in these churches’ sports ministry leadership.
Jay and Karen Devers—Dynamic Church Planting International (Worldwide)
• Praise:
o That DCPI has trained more leaders in 2023 than in any previous year at just over 60,000 leaders trained—and we’re only halfway through the year! We are seeing the greatest number of leaders trained in India, as our partnership church planters seek to see a church planted in every village of their nation. On the average it takes 3-5 years to see a new church started.
o That Jay recruited and mentored Ruben, one of our leading trainers in South Africa, as a coach for DCPI’s DOT Academy online training. He’s one of the first to be brought up into this coaching position as they seek to make this House Church Planting training available online in English each month.
• Prayer:
o For the success of new leadership in DCPI Europe, as Björn Lütke, a DCPI Senior Master Trainer, fills the role of our Europe World Zone Leader, upon the “graduation” of our long-time leader, Robert Tomaschek. This will be the first leadership transition for this world zone. May God continue to encourage the new team as they navigate their future steps.
o That we find new financial partners as we continue to seek a healthy budget with the normal ebb and flow of partners, and wisdom as we increase our involvement and influence in the Sacramento region, starting with our supporting churches and branching out from there.
Kennedy and Emily Salano—316 Transformational Sports Ministry (East Africa)
- Praise:
- For a successful kids’ camp during the school holidays in our community. The coaches and teachers were able to minister to more than 200 children.
- For the opportunity to conduct a school’s evangelistic tournament recently where 13 schools participated and more than 2,000 students were in attendance. The response to the Gospel was very encouraging as we gave out tracts and Bibles to teachers.
- Prayer:
- For the Malawi and South Africa mission where I will be conducting sports ministry empowerment training.
- For the “Timothys”—people are raised in local communities who come back and serve the Lord where they grew up. You can meet Anthony, Polycarp, Eugene, and many others on our Global Sports Evangelism workers Facebook page.
Lincoln Christian Academy (formerly Community Christian School), Lincoln, CA (USA)
• Praise:
o That we’ve made it through the first couple of weeks of school and all is going well!
o That our new K4 program (and teachers) are thriving and families are loving it! God is good and we are enjoying having our students smiling faces back with us.
• Prayer:
o For wisdom and guidance as we’ve recently had a few families go elsewhere due to cost, not having sports, electronics, dances, etc. This is always hard for us as staff because of the bonds formed with our students and families. Please pray that God will show us what He wants us to implement in our program while comforting us when these families decide to go elsewhere.
Michael and Irina—Slavic Gospel Association (Asia)
• Praise:
o For a busy summer village ministry season. Many people heard about Christ in the villages we visited with vacation Bible school programs this summer.
o That God gave us new people who are interested in reading the Bible in the villages.
• Prayer:
o For my family as we prepare for my dad’s funeral and think through my mom’s living arrangements.
o For a safe and efficient move of our aircraft hangar to a new location before the start of winter
Paul and Grace Moses—India Sports Ministry/Sangita Charitable Trust/Widows’ Program (India)
• Praise:
o For the very successful planning sessions and conferences that our sports ministry has had. Young leaders are going through the program, and we may have 1,000 attendees at our regional conferences throughout India and Sri Lanka..
o That the new construction of the Sangita building should finish very soon.
• Prayer:
o That our sports ministry’s “mega training” in Chennai will be successful. We hope to have 40 registered participants, and if it works, we will replicate it all over the large cities of southeast Asia.
o That our Sangita work gain momentum, as the political climate has made the sharing of the Gospel more difficult daily. Pray that we will be able to finish the new facility where the widows’ and women’s ministries take place.
o Pray that the widows will stay safe and rooted in Christ, and that our children, who are at a vulnerable age, will continue the course on the road to salvation.
Ruth Veltkamp—Set Free Ministries (Nigeria)
• Praise:
o For a successful month-long seminar in Senegal for the believers who came from French-speaking countries in North Africa and West Africa. Thank God for safe travel, and for growth in the Word, in fellowship, and in bold witness.
o That Christian Sudanese refugees spread the Gospel wherever they go. Pray for their safety as they flee to different countries looking for work because of the unrest in the Sudan.
• Prayer:
o For more Bibles for the Christian Sudanese refugees as they share the Word with their hosts in other Middle Eastern countries.
o For God to fully equip all the IMANI teachers and missionaries to meet the need for in-depth, effective discipleship as many more Muslims are open to hearing the Gospel.
Steve and Dawn Liberti—NAB Conference/Proclaim Ministries (Germany/Global)
- Praise:
- For plans to continue with our heavy focus on recruitment, particularly with younger people, the next generation of Kingdom workers. We are finalizing dates for visits to specific universities to share opportunities to get out on mission, including internships for college credit.
- For our youngest daughter Sofia, as she starts her senior year at Taylor University in Indiana. She has a heart for the lost and the marginalized, and desires to be in full time ministry working with refugees and those on the fringes of society. She is learning Arabic as she has a desire to minister to Muslim people in the Arab world.
- Prayer:
- For Steve as he leads a team to Albania. The team will partner with local churches in evangelistic ministry in the public forum. Please pray for divinely orchestrated encounters with people searching for truth and meaning in their lives, for open hearts, eyes and ears for the Gospel.
- For our colleague Terri who had a small stroke last week. She was diagnosed with a small hole in her heart which will need surgical repair. Pray that the doctors will move skillfully, and for peace and comfort for her husband, Todd who is caring for her during this time. May God heal her fully and give them both peace, strength, and comfort.
Sacramento Valley Teen Challenge (USA)
• Praise:
o For our new staff member at Alpha Henson Men’s Center.
o For all the people who come alongside us to pray, volunteer, and give financially.
• Prayers:
o For our students and their families.
o That our upcoming Fall Banquets will be successful.
Ring Dilbung—East India
• Praise:
o That we were able to feed 160 homeless people, including street children, with nutritious food. The greatest joy is praying with them and listening to their stories. Many are non-believers, and with 20 of these people, we asked to pray for their life and sicknesses and give their life to Jesus. We will continue this project.
o That in the past month, we were able to find temporary housing for 10 orphan children, where we provide encouragement and prayer. This is a powerful way of imparting Jesus’s Love to these little children. We read Bible stories, teach them songs, give them piano lessons, and pray with them. We wish to impart to them further in many ways to build God’s Kingdom.
• Prayers:
o For the displaced people fleeing the Manipur crises who took shelter in my home. Pray for healing from their mental and physical ailments. Pray for those who are looking for work to provide for their families.
o For wisdom, guidance, and safety as I lead an Indian team to minister to the affected people of Manipur, both Kuki and Meitei Tribes. We will visit the Relief Camps, have fellowship with them, and see the reality of the violence on the ground. It will be a great challenge, as gunfire and violence continue in some parts of the area.
