OBERG PRAISE N PRAY – April 11, 2007

PRAISE God for a great youth camp in Ndorola two weeks ago! About 120 people attended the camp, and the evangelism campaigns each evening were also well attended by people who live in the village of Ndorola. The following Sunday, we were thrilled to see 15 new believers in church! Please pray for Jules (the main leader of the Ndorola church) as he follows up with these new believers and continues to make contacts with others who heard the Good News during that week. PRAY for a pastor for this growing church! (see below)

PRAISE God for a good evangelism trip this past week, the final one of this evangelism season. Three new people made decisions to follow Christ in a return trip to Temetemeso, and there continues to be a hunger in this village to know more about the “Jesus Road”. Please PRAY for Pastor Marcel and other believers in surrounding villages as they continue to proclaim the message of Christ in this area.

There was no initial response to the evangelism in Nangorla, but please PRAY for all those who were exposed to the gospel this past week. Last year there were two decisions made during the campaign, but shortly after, 5 more people made decisions for Christ. We know that the Holy Spirit continues to speak to people after they have heard the message of Christ—please PRAY for all of the villages that have had evangelism done in them this spring, that God will continue to reap a harvest in these next weeks as people think about what they have heard.

PRAISE God for a great visit with Bonnie’s parents! It has been wonderful spending time with them, and the kids absolutely love having Grandma and Grandpa here. Please continue to PRAY for our time together, that God will bless these weeks (4 weeks seems short when you look at 4 years of being apart!). PRAY that they will stay healthy (so far, so good) and that God will keep us safe in our travels as we show them Burkina!

Please PRAY especially for the new believers who have made commitments to Christ over these past months. Most of them are facing some form of persecution from their families and villages, and this has been very hard on them. (Examples of what they are facing are threats to getting kicked out of their homes, food withheld from them, some have been beaten, and most are being ignored in their villages.) PRAY that they will not waver in their new commitments and that their testimony will touch the hearts of their families, friends, and neighbors, causing many of them to turn to Christ as well.

Our number one prayer request for the Kenedougou region at the moment is that God would send pastors into this area! We currently have three, and as we have seen over these past months of evangelism, the fields are ripe for harvest and we desperately need workers. PRAY that God would bring forth men and women to work in this harvest field.