Praying ‘Round the SAM Region

July 2008 | Download as a Word Document

Zenu of Colombia

Please pray for the 30,000 Zenu people of north central Colombia, whom are 0.0% evangelized. They have a past history of weaving, working with gold, and agriculture. They have lost their native language and now are Spanish speakers. Pray for them to find their identity in Jesus Christ. Pray for them to come to know Jesus Christ and to know that there is no other God than God, who is a righteous God and a Savior. Pray that they may know from the rising to the setting of the sun that there is no other God, but the Lord.

2008 Emphasis: AMAZON BASIN Fast Facts……

400 People groups living in the Amazon Basin
270 People groups less than 2 percent evangelical Christian
85 People groups that live isolated, deep in the jungle

DAY 1
VENEZUELA: Andean Agriculture Team… God has opened the door for ministry in another town of Pueblos del Sur. We have prayed for Mucutuy as we have passed through, that God would provide a way to reach this town. Last week we found out our new landlord's daughter-in-law in Canagua', Ana, is a teacher in Mucutuy. She invited us to the school and we showed Christian videos to two different groups. The teachers and students were very appreciative and want us to return. Mucutuy is the one of the most idolatrous towns of the area. We asked for permission to give each child a New Testament which we have done in many other schools. But this time we were not given permission which we respected. Pray that God will soften their hearts as we develop a relationship with Ana and the school and that they will gladly receive God's word in the future.

DAY 2
XTREME TEAM: Please pray for the two new missionaries, Doug and Jonathan, who will be arriving this month to join the team. They will have a few weeks of language study and then be joined by national missionaries for the team’s three month training. Pray that they will all be able to quickly form a community of believers who can encourage each other and learn together. Pray for the trainers to also be Spirit-led, humble, and for us all to remain focused on the goal.

DAY 3
PERU:  High in the Andes Mountains in the department of Apurimac in Ayamaraes, Chuquibambilla, and Anda provinces a large group of about 200,000 people live called the Apurimac. Their primary language is the Quechua Apurimac. Their animism beliefs are sprinkled with worship of different kinds of spirits. In the last few years, the Bible has been introduced. The New Testament is being translated into their language. The majority of the Quechua are of the Catholic faith. A few have heard of Christ, but are not familiar with His teachings and/or doctrine of God’s Word. Areas of concern among the Apurimac are illiteracy and alcoholism. Please pray that they will hear the Word in their language, that they will understand and accept Jesus as their Savior and that the Apurimac will overcome the problem of illiteracy by having good teachers of the Word to use the scripture to teach reading skills.

DAY 4
REGIONAL AGM: Please pray for the missionaries from Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela, & the Deaf teams as they gather in Quito, Ecuador for the Annual General Meeting. Pray that this time will be a time of worship, fellowship, and learning. Pray for safety in travel.

DAY 5
AMAZON PEOPLES: Please pray for two villages which at this time are not open to be evangelized because they are controlled by a cult. Pray that God would break down the barriers so that His Word can be proclaimed there. Pray that He will give us "men of peace" in each village who will open their homes to hearing God's Word through Storying.

DAY 6
CHILE: "Please pray for the new simple church that meets in Cecilia's house in Catemu (5th Region). Pray that God grows this little house church spiritually as well as by number. Cecilia has a dream that her house be full of people who want to worship in the new simple church."

DAY 7
BRAZIL: Team Gaucho/Folder: Urban Center--Porto Alegre….A committed Christian, M., is a psychologist and has been praying for a way to witness to her colleagues. She has been praying and waiting upon the Lord for these opportunities. The colleagues are showing interest in starting a small group with a missionary couple in Metropolitan Porto Alegre. Pray that these spiritists, agnostics, and others would come out of the darkness and into His marvelous light!

DAY 8
URUGUAY: Uruguay Urban Coastal Centers: Continue to pray for the GAP (Gospel Advancement Project) facilitator to come on board our team. This person or couple will assist for two years in the abundant gospel sowing strategy using stateside partners. Prayerwalking, Scripture Distribution, Market Place evangelism and evangelistic events are included in the course of the week. We are praying that God will raise someone up to coordinate this vital part of our strategy.

DAY 9
COSTA RICA LANGUAGE SCHOOL: Asbury and Hope Martin are serving as mentors to the apprentice missionaries in language school in San Jose, Costa Rica. Please pray for Asbury and Hope and others in the follow up to an evangelistic project in the city of Barranca, Costa Rica that took place June 10 - 17. The missionaries worked with mission volunteers from FBC Dyer, Texas. Pray that the lost reached through Bible distribution, personal evangelism, and public meetings will become part of the Barranca community churches.

DAY 10
ARGENTINA: CRIOLLO OF NORTHERN ARGENTINA (cree-OL-yoh). "You have been praying with the Northern Argentine Criollo Strategy Group about an evangelistic strategy that encompasses the hunting and fishing tourism trade in the province of Corrientes, Argentina. Many of our people, the Criollo, are employed in the tourism trade as guides, equipment experts and the like throughout the hunting and fishing businesses. God is faithful and is bringing together many pieces of the plan. Recently we traveled to the southwest corner of the province to a town called Esquina for the purpose of investigating hunting opportunities as well as church-planting needs in the area. It was a great trip in that we made contact not only with a hunting guide, but also with his friend who is building a resort that will be perfect for volunteers from the United States who come to work with us in this strategy. We plan to bring in Christian hunters and fisherman as evangelistic volunteers in the hope that as these Christian men share agape love and a love of the outdoors, it will open doors to sharing the gospel. Pray that we will be good stewards of the contacts we have made. Pray that we will be able to re-establish contact with the men in Esquina and that they will call as they said they would." http://www.nacriollo.com

DAY 11
AMAZON BASIN: Please pray for a friend of ours, E. of the B people group. E. was left to die in the jungle at the time of his birth and was rescued by an older sister but rejected by his family. He began drinking at 12 and was soon an alcoholic. A missionary began to teach him the Bible when he was 16 and the LORD changed his life. He is part of the team that helps with the indigenous recovery groups and he is doing a story set for his people. Pray that many will come to know the Lord and will have their lives changed as a result of this faithful servant.

DAY 12
XTREME IN BOLIVIA: Lift up Graham and Andrew and Javier and Jeff J. as they are out in Bolivian Quechua communities...pray especially that God will provide men of peace to receive them and provide for them, and who will hunger to know the Word of God. Also, pray for Amanda and Nadia who are learning the Y dialect and working with and discipling the church there.

DAY 13
ECUADOR: ECUADOR MESTIZO SIERRA CITIES (mes-TEE-soh). Join the Ecuador Mestizo Sierra Cities Strategy Group in giving thanks to the Lord as they write: "The first weekend in April, more than 120 believers from the Riobamba, Ecuador, area attended a retreat led by a volunteer team from Alabama. The oldest camper was 84, and the youngest was a month old. More than 50 youth were there. The fellowship, teaching and worship were wonderful! The retreat ended with a celebration as 14 people were baptized, including one Deaf young man! Thank you for your prayers!" http://www.byhisgrace.cc/ecuadorcitiesteam

DAY 14
URUGUAY: Montevideo, The Uruguayan Deaf Team asks you to please pray for Elizabeth Rollano a member of MIAS (Inspired Hands in the support of the Deaf). She is working to plant a Deaf church in Melo, Cerro Largo, a Department where there is no Deaf congregation. The Lord has led her to contact and befriend 7 Deaf who have an interest to know the Lord and she has been able to find a place to meet. She now needs to find people who will commit to this ministry. Elizabeth lives in Montevideo and is making the 7 hour trip once a month. Please pray for those who sense a call to work with this people group to make a commitment and for the establishment of a Deaf church in this Department.

DAY 15
VENEZUELA: "This is the best thing you could do for me." That was the unusual response of Jose Jesus after he received a New Testament from the Andean Agriculture Team. Almost everyone we give a New Testament to is happy to receive it, but Jose's response prompted us to talk to him again. After hearing the Good News of Jesus Christ, Jose prayed to receive Jesus into his heart. He was ready to hear the gospel because God had been testing his faith recently. Jose shared with us that just two weeks to the day his 15-year-old daughter had attempted suicide by drinking poison. He still did not know the reason why she did this, but as they were rushing their daughter by ambulance to Merida, four hours away, he shared with us that he prayed all the way asking Jesus to save his daughter. "I did not pray to Mary or any of the saints. I prayed only to Jesus." His daughter was on the edge of death when they finally arrived at the hospital and the doctors were not very optimistic. However, the next day one doctor told Jose that his daughter was responding and that this was definitely a miracle. Jose gives all the credit to Jesus. Please pray for Jose Jesus as he begins his new life in Christ. God is at work in the Towns of the South. Pray for a movement of God's spirit to penetrate this Andean culture of strict tradition and idolatry.

DAY 16
XTREME TEAM: Please lift up the national missionaries who continue working to raise their funding so they can come train and work with the team for two years, and for the nationals already on our team who are being funded by their churches. Pray that they will be able to be wise stewards and that their churches will be faithful in giving above and beyond so that these faithful missionaries can do the work to which they have been called. In particular we would ask that you pray for Caleb, a national who has trained and worked with our team but whose church and association will not agree to fund him at all. Ask that the Lord of the harvest will provide the resources for Caleb and others like him, and give the national churches a missionary vision.

DAY 17
CHILE: Pray for the growing church plant in Coyahue and also for new groups starting. Pray for the national leaders in these communities around Temuco, that they would stay faithful and keep the work going as missionaries Trent and Angel Tomlinson are on STAS starting in July.

DAY 18
PERU: The estimated population of the Lambayeque Quechua is approximately 20,000. They are hard-working farmers Proud of their heritage, they have maintained their language and their distinct culture. Most of this Quechua people group lives in the state of Lambayeque in northern Peru. The people are very religious combining Catholic and animistic beliefs and rituals. They believe that the mountains are living beings and can grab a person's soul, sumra. If the sumra does not connect with its body again, the person will die and join the spirits inside the mountain. A ritual is performed so the mountain will release the person’s soul. There is a greater openness to new spiritual value. The Life of Christ video has been shown. The Lambayeque Quechua have their own radio programs using Scripture in Quechua and playing Quechua music. Please pray that they will understand the One who loves them and created them and their world and that the video Life of Christ will have such an impact on their knowledge of Christ that they will accept Him as their Lord and Savior.

DAY 19
URUGUAY: Criollo Uruguayan Team (CUT), interior of Uruguay asks pray that they can reach youth and young adult girls with the message of purity is the purpose of the Bible study "Life Lessons from Esther" that Amy Wright and Joni Howard, Alabama summer missionaries working in San Jose, Uruguay, will be leading on Wednesday and Thursday evenings in July. The celebration will be a "Dress Ball" with prom dresses donated by the efforts of Rose Bear from the Indiana State University volunteer team in May. These young ladies will see how God is with them and this will give them confidence to stand strong in the times of temptation. Pray for Claren Dease as she is the sponsor of this group and the "Dress Ball" which is scheduled for Saturday, July 19.

DAY 20
BRAZIL: Fortaleza Urban Team Folder... The Fortaleza (for-tah-LAY-zah) Brazil Urban Team would like to request prayer for one of our team members as he takes his traditional church to the next level. Former seminary student, Pastor Valdir, took the church planting course with us. He applied his learning in developing the Gethsemane Baptist Church into a strong and vibrant body of Christ. After prayer walking that area of Fortaleza for several years every few weeks, God has prepared this field for harvest! Valdir accepted a challenge given at the national Brazilian Baptist Convention to begin a movement of New Testament churches. His vision is to start 10 new works. Please pray for our team as we partner with him, training the 10 lay workers who have felt called to embrace this God sized challenge.

DAY 21
BRAZIL: SANTA CATARINA (sahn-tah cah-tah-REE-nah). The Santa Catarina Team requests prayer for a volunteer team from Arkansas that will minister on July 21-24 in Florianopolis. This team of 61 will be divided into three teams each morning and afternoon to minister through Vacation Bible School programs at four different public schools, one community center and one church. Each evening, the youth choir from the United States will present concerts at local schools and other locations. Pray particularly that each of the 15 needed translators will be faithful to their commitment, stay healthy, and effectively use their translation skills to present the gospel message. Intercede especially for the community of Pinheira, where this team’s ministry has the potential of great impact. Pray that out of these outreaches in the community and schools, a ministry to young people will get a "jump start" and that new contacts will be made for the new congregation there.

DAY 22
ARGENTINA: PARAGUAYAN CRIOLLO OF NORTHERN ARGENTINA (cree-OL-yoh). I. is a 17-year-old Paraguayan Criollo believer. He faithfully attends church services, studies the Bible, and helps wherever needed at church. He lives in a one-room, 10-foot-by-10-foot home with his mother, two brothers and his sister. Life is not easy for I., but he remains faithful to the Lord. Pray for I. as he continues to grow in the Lord and matures spiritually. Pray that I. will follow God’s plan for his life and will be faithful to share the gospel with other Paraguayan Criollos. pgycriollo@live.com; http://www.pgycriollo.blogspot.com

DAY 23
COLOMBIA: HANDS for LIFE, DEAF...Thank God for the recent arrival of Cliff and Brenda Tolosa who will be working with the Hands for Life team, deaf ministry, in Barranquilla, Colombia, as well as other parts of the Colombia. Pray that God will work as they continue to study Spanish as well as Colombian sign language. Pray that they will be patient with themselves and will allow God to work in and through them at His pace. Thank God for the ministry opportunities He already has prepared for Cliff and Brenda.

DAY 24
BRAZIL: MISSIONS MOBILIZATION OF BRAZIL. The Mobilization Team in Belem asks you to continue to pray for missionary Paul Lambach at the Equatorial Baptist Theological Seminary and also for a number of seminary students involved in practical ministry experiences. Give thanks to God that during a presidential seminary report, some people commented that the report sounded more like a mission board report than a seminary report! Pray specifically for three key student leaders who are responsible for student ministries in the community, students in the mission club who have acknowledged a calling and are currently studying "Experiencing God," preparations for the Tent of Hope ministry this year, a special partnership with the Brazilian Bible Society, and the seminary that will make four mission trips to involve students in planting a church in an island community and in distributing Bibles in 10 public schools. Pray also for Paul as he motivates, challenges and teaches students at the seminary and at the Agulha Bible Institute.

DAY 25
PARAGUAY: Please pray for a continued great moving of God's Spirit here in Paraguay to draw ones to Himself that do not yet have a personal relationship with Jesus. Pray for the national brethren, that they would stand firm, walk in obedience to Christ and His Word, and be faithful to share Christ with others. Pray for our missionaries and their children, that we will have good quality time with the Lord in prayer and in His Word daily, be faithful to share Him with others, and walk in obedience to His Word.

DAY 26
ECUADOR: Three years ago, a Chinese church was established by the Chinese Team to reach out to more than 10,000 Chinese living in the two largest coastal cities of Ecuador: Guayaquil and Machala. Over recent months, a Bible study group (led by a believer in Guayaquil) started to share their faith among their friends in the nearby communities. Please pray that God will strengthen their faith and give them a fruitful spiritual harvest. Pray that the new believers in Machala will share the vision to extend their faith to others outside of their group.

DAY 27
BRAZIL: Michelle Riddle/ Interior of Rio Grande do Sul...The churches in the Missions Region (Northwest corner of the state) have been faced with significant challenges, particularly in the area of finances. Drought has hurt production three of the last four years and the income of the churches reflects this. The tendency is to cutback on the ministry and missions. A few leaders have proposed expansion and new works. Pray that the churches will have a Great Commission Vision for the work.

DAY 28
COLOMBIA: VIC Team - The rains have been very heavy in many areas of the country of Colombia the past month and a half. Pray for the thousands of families who have lost their homes and many of their belongings in the flooding and landslides which have occurred as a result of the rains. Pray also for those who lost their homes and loved ones in the earthquake which occurred near Bogota in mid-May. Many of these people are still without homes. Pray for the government and the Red Cross as they work to give these people food and other material things of life. Pray that the VIC team will know when and where to assist, especially with the spiritual need of these people.

DAY 29
CHILE: Pray for Erik and Siegried Vasquez as they make contacts in the "Los Avellanos" neighborhood of Villa Alemana, one of the fastest growing cities in the 5th Region. Pray that their efforts will result in a new, multiplying simple church.

DAY 30
PERU: There are 500,000 Puno Quechuas living in the Puno Department and adjacent area in the northwest Arequipa and in the highland area of Moquegua. The Puno people are herdsman and also raise vegetables. They make jewelry and other items to sell to the many tourists who come to their area. The older generation speaks Quechua, but the young parents and younger generation do not like for people to know that they can speak Quechua. Their heart language is not practiced since the parents want the children to learn and speak Spanish. Prayer needs are that the Puno Quechua will learn about the truths in God’s Word and will believe that God is the creator of this world and that they will believe in the stories of the Bible and will accept Jesus Christ as their Savoir and Lord.

DAY 31
XTREME TEAM: Lift up Jose and Jeff as they return for a 4-month trip with the Asheninka Unine where they will continue to learn the language, build relationships, and story the word of God. Levi and Adam, a summer missionary, have been invited to a Tigre Quichua community where Levi baptized a young man on their last trip. Pray that they will be received well and that the Bible storying will find fertile soil. Also, lift up Xtremers, Katie and Lindzi, as they go out to the C group to disciple and train the believers in this group.