September 1 marks the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Muslims spend this month fasting (during daylight hours), praying, and reading the Koran (their holy book).
The 27th night of Ramadan is believed to be the night that Muhammad received messages from God that would later become the Koran. It is today celebrated as the "Night of Power," the one night of the year when God is most accessible to devout worshipers. Muslims often have supernatural "encounters" with God on this night in the form of visions, dreams, visitations, and healings.
A little more than half of the Beng population considers themselves Muslims and will be fasting, praying, reading, and seeking this month of Ramadan. Even those who are not Muslim will be affected by Ramadan because they will have friends and/or family who are keeping the fast.
It seems like this month is a great time to really be praying that God would reveal Himself to the Beng people. Let's pray together for them this month, especially on the 27th, the "Night of Power".
- Pray that God would reveal Himself to Beng Muslims through the Holy Spirit with dreams and visions, demonstrating His love and truth.
- Pray that their minds and hearts would be open to hearing and responding to the gospel message.
- Pray for Beng Christians to have opportunities to share about Jesus with Muslim friends, family, and neighbors this month.
Finally, a couple updates for you...
Sadly, the Ivorian soccer team was knocked out in the quarterfinals of Olympic play:( The only two teams that beat them, though, went on to become the gold and silver medalists.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Thursday, July 3, 2008
About the Beng
Country:
Language Spoken: Beng
Population: 17,000
# of Beng villages: 20
Religions: traditional religions/animism- 50%, Muslim- 47%, Catholic- 2%
% evangelicals: 1%
# of mosques: 12
# of churches (speaking of groups of believers, not of buildings): 2
Estimate of how many have heard the Gospel: 22%
Literacy rate: <5%
Scripture available: portions only (Genesis, Exodus, 1 Gospel)
Beng prayer requests for July, 2008
I usually try to take time each Fourth of July to thank God for the privileges I have as an American citizen. Though our country is far from perfect, we do enjoy many freedoms and benefits that people in other countries only dream of.
This truth was made even more real to me when I lived in Cote d'Ivoire. For example, here in the U.S., you can usually take for granted that a police officer is working for the public good. If you get pulled over and given a ticket, it is probably because you were breaking a law that was put into place to keep people safe. In Cote d'Ivoire, it is not uncommon for police officers to stop people who were not breaking a law and then demand a bribe so that the person may be let go. There was a stop sign down the street from my house that was infamous as a police trap. People would stop at the sign, only to have a policeman jump out from behind the bushes, blow his whistle, and accuse them of not stopping. If only the driver would give them some money, the matter could be settled then and there. If the driver debated, his license was taken away, and he had to go to the police station to defend himself. Time and time again this happened.
Another example involves the leadership in Cote d'Ivoire. Unfair elections have plagued the nation's recent past. In the U.S., though many would say that the election process is not ideal, we have the general sense that the checks and balances of the system would prevent a leader from rigging elections or unrightfully usurping control. Not always the case in Cote d'Ivoire.
So this 4th of July as we thank God for the freedoms and liberties we enjoy as Americans, let's take a minute to pray for the nation of Cote d'Ivoire as well:
- Pray for unity, politically and socially, among the people groups of Cote d'Ivoire.
- Pray for wisdom for the leaders of Cote d'Ivoire. Pray that they would put the best interest of the people above their own interests.
- Pray that the people of Cote d'Ivoire (including the Beng people) would learn to trust God in these uncertain political times.
This truth was made even more real to me when I lived in Cote d'Ivoire. For example, here in the U.S., you can usually take for granted that a police officer is working for the public good. If you get pulled over and given a ticket, it is probably because you were breaking a law that was put into place to keep people safe. In Cote d'Ivoire, it is not uncommon for police officers to stop people who were not breaking a law and then demand a bribe so that the person may be let go. There was a stop sign down the street from my house that was infamous as a police trap. People would stop at the sign, only to have a policeman jump out from behind the bushes, blow his whistle, and accuse them of not stopping. If only the driver would give them some money, the matter could be settled then and there. If the driver debated, his license was taken away, and he had to go to the police station to defend himself. Time and time again this happened.
Another example involves the leadership in Cote d'Ivoire. Unfair elections have plagued the nation's recent past. In the U.S., though many would say that the election process is not ideal, we have the general sense that the checks and balances of the system would prevent a leader from rigging elections or unrightfully usurping control. Not always the case in Cote d'Ivoire.
So this 4th of July as we thank God for the freedoms and liberties we enjoy as Americans, let's take a minute to pray for the nation of Cote d'Ivoire as well:
- Pray for unity, politically and socially, among the people groups of Cote d'Ivoire.
- Pray for wisdom for the leaders of Cote d'Ivoire. Pray that they would put the best interest of the people above their own interests.
- Pray that the people of Cote d'Ivoire (including the Beng people) would learn to trust God in these uncertain political times.
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