I recently read an article by a missionary serving in West Africa with the Christian and Missionary Alliance (CMA), sharing about how missions in Cote d'Ivoire is coming full-circle. The CMA has been in that country, sharing the Good News of Jesus, since 1930. In 2005, seventy-five years later, the first Ivorian Alliance Missionary was sent out. Today, there are 40 Ivorian couples serving as Alliance missionaries in West Africa. As many foreign missionaries have pulled out of Cote d'Ivoire in the last decade, the Ivorians themselves are now stepping into the role of missionary.
Reading this article really excited me. How wonderful it would be to see more and more Ivorian Christians see themselves as missionaries to their neighbors, their nation, and nations around them. Pray that Beng Christians, who are concentrated in a few of the Beng villages, would be called as missionaries to the other fifteen or so Beng villages that do not have a Christian presence. Pray that they would have the faith and courage to step out of their comfort zones to proclaim the Good News of Christ.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
February, 2012
Last month we prayed for village chiefs. This month I thought we could pray for the teachers in Beng schools.
Teachers in Cote d'Ivoire are sent by the government to schools all over the country. They are often sent to places other than their native villages and provinces. This means that they are usually of a different people group than the students they are teaching. Sometimes Christian teachers are sent to M*slim or animist villages, giving them the opportunity to expose people there to beliefs and ideas they may never be exposed to otherwise.
Pray that God would send Christian teachers to Beng schools and that they would have opportunities to introduce Beng children and adults to Christ.
Pray that many Beng children would be able to attend school so that they can learn to read and eventually read the passages of Scripture that have been translated into the Beng language.
Teachers in Cote d'Ivoire are sent by the government to schools all over the country. They are often sent to places other than their native villages and provinces. This means that they are usually of a different people group than the students they are teaching. Sometimes Christian teachers are sent to M*slim or animist villages, giving them the opportunity to expose people there to beliefs and ideas they may never be exposed to otherwise.
Pray that God would send Christian teachers to Beng schools and that they would have opportunities to introduce Beng children and adults to Christ.
Pray that many Beng children would be able to attend school so that they can learn to read and eventually read the passages of Scripture that have been translated into the Beng language.
January, 2012
I thought we would start off the year by praying for the chiefs of the Beng villages. The chief is often an elderly man, with years of wisdom and experience under his belt. He is highly respected by his fellow villagers and holds a great deal of power and influence.
The chiefs I met when I was in Cote d'Ivoire (which was 10 years ago, so most of them have probably passed away and been replaced by now) were either M*slim or animistic, but were welcoming to me when I came in and asked if I could pray for/with them. I have often thought that if these men could be reached with the Gospel, it would have a ripple effect, and many Beng would come to the Lord as well.
Pray for the Beng village chiefs. Pray that they would truly seek God and have soft hearts that are sensitive to the reality of who He is. Pray that God would send Christians to share the message of the Gospel with them.
The chiefs I met when I was in Cote d'Ivoire (which was 10 years ago, so most of them have probably passed away and been replaced by now) were either M*slim or animistic, but were welcoming to me when I came in and asked if I could pray for/with them. I have often thought that if these men could be reached with the Gospel, it would have a ripple effect, and many Beng would come to the Lord as well.
Pray for the Beng village chiefs. Pray that they would truly seek God and have soft hearts that are sensitive to the reality of who He is. Pray that God would send Christians to share the message of the Gospel with them.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
September, 2011 Prayer requests
The Bible tells us that God's ways are not our ways. I know that is true, and in an intellectual sense, I am glad that is true. I know that God is perfect, wise, and perfectly wise and wants what is best for me, so He is much better equipped to control my life than I am. Sometimes, though, it is hard to understand and accept what God is doing in my life. Things don't always go my way.
It is in these hard times that God draws me to Himself. My faith is strengthened and matured as I am stretched and grown. Lately I feel like I have been forced to trust God in a new and deeper way.
Life is hard for many Beng people. They don't always have enough food or water. They work hard for what they have. Sickness and death are a regular part of life. I pray that the Lord would use difficult times in their lives to draw many to Himself, that they may know Him in a personal way and depend on Him for life and salvation. Thanks for praying with me.
It is in these hard times that God draws me to Himself. My faith is strengthened and matured as I am stretched and grown. Lately I feel like I have been forced to trust God in a new and deeper way.
Life is hard for many Beng people. They don't always have enough food or water. They work hard for what they have. Sickness and death are a regular part of life. I pray that the Lord would use difficult times in their lives to draw many to Himself, that they may know Him in a personal way and depend on Him for life and salvation. Thanks for praying with me.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
August, 2011
Thanks for your continued prayers for the people of Cote d'Ivoire. Things seem much better now that the country has one president rather than two, but there is much healing and reconciliation left to take place. Pray for peace and stability in the country and for God to continue to draw people to Himself through all that has taken place.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
January, 2011 Prayer Requests
Cote d'Ivoire continues to find itself in the midst of political turmoil. (If you would like more information on the situation, go to bbc.com and search for "Ivory Coast", then click on the "News" section.)
Pray that leaders would have humility and wisdom. Pray that the Ivorian people would seek God for peace and comfort as they encounter fear and uncertainty. Pray that many Beng would come to Christ through these difficult times.
Pray that leaders would have humility and wisdom. Pray that the Ivorian people would seek God for peace and comfort as they encounter fear and uncertainty. Pray that many Beng would come to Christ through these difficult times.
Friday, December 3, 2010
December, 2010 Prayer Requests
I'm sure you all know the oft-quoted verse from Isaiah heard so frequently during the Christmas season:
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
It's the last phrase- "Prince of Peace"- that weighs on my heart this month as I ask for prayer for the Beng.
Ivory Coast, once the picture of stability on an unstable continent, has encountered political turmoil since 1999 and civil war since 2002. Many have hoped that a free and fair election would bring peace and stability back to Ivory Coast, but elections have been canceled 6 times in the past 5 years.
Elections were finally held in October, with a run-off in late November. The current president (from the largely non-M*slim south of the country) is facing a popular candidate (from the largely M*slim north of the country). Initially, run-off results showed that the northern candidate had won, but later some of the results were annulled and the current president was declared the winner.
Though some Ivorians have taken to the streets in protest and a few have been killed in the process, I suspect that the vast majority of people in Ivory Coast (the Beng included) just want peace. Instead, their present situation is one of confusion, uncertainty, and fear.
Not only do they face less-than-peaceful circumstances, but many do not know the Prince of Peace mentioned in the verse above. Pray that the political situation in Ivory Coast will lead many to seek out God as a source of peace and comfort. Think of the Beng as you hear this verse from Isaiah this month.
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
It's the last phrase- "Prince of Peace"- that weighs on my heart this month as I ask for prayer for the Beng.
Ivory Coast, once the picture of stability on an unstable continent, has encountered political turmoil since 1999 and civil war since 2002. Many have hoped that a free and fair election would bring peace and stability back to Ivory Coast, but elections have been canceled 6 times in the past 5 years.
Elections were finally held in October, with a run-off in late November. The current president (from the largely non-M*slim south of the country) is facing a popular candidate (from the largely M*slim north of the country). Initially, run-off results showed that the northern candidate had won, but later some of the results were annulled and the current president was declared the winner.
Though some Ivorians have taken to the streets in protest and a few have been killed in the process, I suspect that the vast majority of people in Ivory Coast (the Beng included) just want peace. Instead, their present situation is one of confusion, uncertainty, and fear.
Not only do they face less-than-peaceful circumstances, but many do not know the Prince of Peace mentioned in the verse above. Pray that the political situation in Ivory Coast will lead many to seek out God as a source of peace and comfort. Think of the Beng as you hear this verse from Isaiah this month.
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