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.

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.

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.

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.

November, 2010 Prayer Requests

Here in the U.S., fall conjures up images of crisp, colorful leaves and bountiful cornucopias, brimming with vegetables. "Harvest parties" abound. Many sit around the dining room table with friends and family and enjoy plentiful food.

The Beng have an annual harvest time too. It's an important time, often determining the quality of a family's life for the coming year. The food they gather at harvest time has to last until the next harvest. We can just run out to the grocery store when we need to make dinner for our families, but the Beng depend on the abundance of food they are able to produce themselves. When the food runs out, they have to wait until the next harvest.

Pray that this year would be a bountiful harvest for the Beng and that they would have plenty of food for the coming year. Pray also that there would be a bountiful spiritual harvest among the Beng, with many people coming to know the Lord.

October, 2010 prayer requests

I just finished reading a prayer letter, asking for prayer for Christians in other parts of the world who are being persecuted for their faith. I am reminded that believers in some parts of the world do not have the freedom to gather together and worship God. They are sometimes jailed, beaten, or even killed for expressing their faith in Christ.

Thankfully, Beng believers do have the freedom to profess Christ openly and gather together to worship. In their part of the world, though, you can't really be sure that changes in government or tensions between various ethnic or religious groups couldn't someday bring this to an end. Pray that the Beng's freedom to worship together would endure, and that many more believers would be added to their number.

September prayer requests

Many Beng are hungry today. Some are hungry because their families don't have enough food, but others are voluntarily hungry. It's Ramadan, a time of fasting for Musl1ms, a time of increasing their spiritual piety and improving their standing before Allah. They fast during the day and eat after sundown. The lunar month of fasting ends with a big celebration. (This will be be on or around September 9th this year, depending on the moon.)

Pray that God will speak to many Beng during this time of fasting. Pray that He would reveal truth to them, through dreams, visions, and interaction with Christians. Pray that they would give their hearts and lives to Jesus.