27.

Indonesia

30. Japan

Text messaging is being used to keep in touch

with those who show interest in the gospel
through a particular website. It has proved really
helpful in allowing those who want to, to explore
Christian truth. One person has come to faith,
others have been connected with someone
living nearby who they can meet with. Pray for
lasting spiritual fruit. (WEC)

Working hours and the all-encompassing nature

of Japanese corporate life present a challenge
to bringing the gospel to working people in
Japan. Often social lives, as well as working
lives, revolve around the company, with many
employees living in company housing and
mixing with few outside the company. Ask God
to open up ways to reach working people with
the gospel. Pray that God would raise up godly
Christians in the workplace who will improve
perceptions of Christianity among professionals.
Pray too that Christians in Japanese companies
will increasingly be moved to pray for their
colleagues and will be emboldened by the Holy
Spirit to share the good news of Jesus with
them. (Japan Christian Link)

28. Laos
Villagers in remote areas of Laos who convert
to Christianity are often rejected by their
community, who fear that any turning away from
traditional animist beliefs will upset the spirits.
Converts can have their family books
confiscated which removes their standing in
society and severely restricts their ability to
access services such as education for children.
At the same time Christians have been
imprisoned for evangelising and some pastors
are kept under surveillance by the communist
authorities. Please pray for Christians as they
seek to reach out to their communities; for
pastors as they work to help their churches in
often poor and remote areas. Pray too that the
government will recognise the value of
Christians and stop mistakenly seeing
Christianity as a tool of the West. (Release
International)

March April 2016

31. Burma (Myanmar)

As a national census was conducted in 2014 in
Myanmar, officials were surprised to find
several million fewer people than expected.
Over two million Burmese were registered as
overseas migrants, and the number of
unregistered migrants is estimated to be at least
as many again. Please pray for church leaders
in places like Thailand, with large numbers of
Myanmar migrants, to have the faith and
wisdom to respond to the challenge and
opportunities of migration. (OMF)

29. Thailand
The Church in Thailand is small - about 1% of
people are evangelical Christians. However,
during the last 5 years the Christian population
has been growing faster than the population
growth rate. Pray that the rate of gospel
transformation will only increase in the years to
come. (WEC)
www.globalconnections.org.uk/prayer
worldprayernews
@worldprayernews

Praying for foreigners and exiles

Those who are called to live cross-culturally and
to witness in communities where people live
and die without hearing of Christ need our
prayers, whether they live in Burnley or Bhutan,
Erbil or Irkutsk. But how to pray?
Peter offers some hints as he speaks to Jewish
background believers living in Turkey. I urge
you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from
sinful desires, which wage war against your
soul. Live such good lives among the pagans
that, though they accuse you of doing wrong,
they may see your good deeds and glorify God
on the day he visits us (1 Peter 2:11-12).
In his song Englishman in New York, Sting
noted that living as a legal alien offers an
opportunity to shine brighter than the sun in a
dark place. Yet standing out as different brings
emotional stress, and even special risks.
Pray for those who live with the stress and risk
of being aliens in dark places.
For all of us, risks arise internally as well as
externally. Sinful desires wage a war within
whether they be obvious ministry-wrecking
temptations or desires for the legitimate
common things of life taken to the extreme
where the blessing becomes our pet idol.

Peter has made it clear (v9) that our ministry in

the world is one in which we proclaim the
excellences of God. That proclamation is to be
joined to good deeds (v11). Yet we live in a
world so perverse that those who do good may
accused of being bad. Peter reminds us that this
exactly what our Lord experienced (3:21ff). We
should not expect different treatment.
Pray for those who face the challenge of having
done what is right and yet are accused and
abused.
Though we may anticipate such treatment we
are encouraged to hope. Peter lives with hope
that the Lord will visit. The NIV unhelpfully
supplies an us at the end of the sentence. In
some cases the visitation of the Lord may be
long after those who have borne faithful
testimony have left the context. Yet when he
comes, those who have appeared unmoved bow
the knee and worship.
Pray that those working in the most challenging
environments may do so with hope in the
sovereign power of God to turn the most
darkened hearts to him.
Keith Walker
SIM

Pray for those workers who today are battling

with temptations which are attacking their souls.

Vol 61 No 2

Editor: Annie Davies

Hon. Editor: Martin Lee

The annual cost including postage for copies sent to the same address:
One copy per issue 5.00 UK only
8.00 Europe
12.00 Rest of world
All subscriptions should be addressed to:
Global Connections, Caswell Road, Leamington Spa, CV31 1QD
Telephone: 01926 487755 Email: info@globalconnections.org.uk
Registered in England & Wales as Evangelical Mission Association.
Company number 3886596. Charity number 1081966

22. Afghanistan
At age 14 Zia already had memorized the entire
Quran, even though he was blind. He mastered
English by listening to Christian radio
broadcasts, which led him to accept salvation in
Christ. He eventually shared with a few people
that he had received Jesus as Saviour. Zia
wanted to study Islamic Law so that he could
defend fellow believers who might be
persecuted for their faith. He therefore entered
the University of Kabul, from which he
graduated with his law degree. Zia also
translated the New Testament from Iranian
Persian into his own Afghanistan Dari dialect.
Pray for the peoples of Afghanistan to
experience these blessings when they seek and
find Him. (Frontiers)
23. India
India receives only 6% of the worlds full time
Christian workers, including 8000 foreign
missionaries (7 missionaries per million people)
most of whom work with the Indian Christian
population. By contrast Latin America (with less
than half the population of India) receives over
100,000 foreign missionaries or 172
missionaries per million people 25 times as
many missionaries per person as in India. Africa
receives over 90,000 missionaries or 90
missionaries per million people 13 times as
many! Only 10% of the languages of India have
any Scriptures. Pray for a team to go to every
Muslim people group in India. Pray for the
Scriptures to be translated into every Indian
language. (Frontiers)
24. Pakistan
The church in Pakistan is only 2-3% of the 184
million population, of whom 96% are Muslims.
Most Christians are descendants of a mass
movement to Christ from Hinduism at the end of
the 19th century, and the church is largely
illiterate and very poor. Pray for Pakistans

Christians often intimidated and sometimes

discriminated against by the Muslim community.
(OM)
25. Nepal
April 25th is the anniversary of the devastating
earthquake which hit Nepal last year. People
living in remote villages near the epicentre are
still coping with its consequences. Many are
living in temporary shelter under corrugated
sheeting or in cowsheds made of wood. Despite
this, Nepali people are continuing to do the best
they can, looking after their animals, growing
crops, and planting vegetables. The
government of Nepal has approved a design for
earthquake resilient houses and rebuilding is
now possible. Please pray that the new homes
needed will be well-built and constructed
quickly. Pray too for the rebuilding of public
schools and health posts. Give thanks for
Nepali Christians from nearby towns who are
volunteering to help people in the villages. (INF)
26. Bangladesh
The tiny country of Bangladesh is the home of
Bengal tigers, beautiful beaches and a lush,
green landscape. It is also a land of brutal
poverty, corruption and wave after wave of
unrelenting natural disasters. Once among the
wealthiest areas of the Indian Subcontinent,
Bangladesh is now one of the poorest. More
than a third of its people live below the poverty
line. Bangladesh has a young population, with
more than half of its people under age 15. Pray
for young people in Bangladesh to have their
eyes opened to the truth of Jesus. Pray for
Bangladeshis seeking asylum around the world
to meet with believers in Jesus who would
share Him with them. Pray for more workers to
go out and work in the harvest fields of
Bangladesh. (Frontiers)

17. Guatemala
Sexual abuse is a huge problem across Latin
America. One place trying to provide some
solutions is the Oasis Centre in Guatemala. Its
a ministry for girls whove been sexually
abused. The girls are mainly teenagers, can be
as young as 12, and are often pregnant when
they arrive. Oasis provides a safe home, longterm psychological support, access to
healthcare and education, and legal and
spiritual support. Latin Link works closely with
Oasis, sending workers such as Kate to help
the girls. Pray for the Oasis girls as they step
out of the shadows they have lived in, and for
the workers as they seek justice, healing and
reconciliation for the girls. (Latin Link)
18. Ecuador
I know a little about Jesus but I dont believe in
Him - will you tell me about Him? This was the
question asked by one man in the community of
Santa Rosa in Ecuador. The question came
about after a new clean water system was
installed in the heart of this remote community
which had very little spiritual presence when the
project began. Many people have now accepted
Christ and have become a witness to the other
communities around them. Installing water
projects in such places has a high cost, both
financial and emotional. All materials and
supplies must be flown into the community. It
normally takes 12 to 15 visits to each project
and each visit is 3 to 5 days long. Pray for more
remote communities to be impacted for the
gospel through water projects. (Reach Beyond)
19. Latin America & Caribbean
Latin America and the Caribbean have long
suffered from the effects of global greed and
environmental carelessness such as
deforestation, disappearing glaciers, natural
disasters, pollution, and intensive mining and
agriculture. In Cusco, Peru, farmers in the high

Andean areas are suffering the effects of

drought and unpredictable weather patterns due
to climate change. They are losing significant
proportions of their crops and cattle, forcing
many to migrate to cities. Latin Link workers are
partnering with other organisations to help
these farmers and raise awareness. Pray for all
those in the region suffering as a result of
climate change, and particularly for the farming
communities in the Andes, faced with difficult
decisions about their future. (Latin Link)
20. Peru
BMS World Mission workers in the Amazon had
a dream to teach the women in their
neighbourhood how to sew. The Perth Insight
Team experienced huge generosity from their
church and their friends. With some of the
money donated, they were able to buy three
sewing machines when they arrived in Peru.
Twelve women showed up, and enjoyed the
lessons so much, they wouldnt go home
despite working in almost 50 degree heat! The
sewing lessons are now continuing. Pray for the
impact this will have on the lives of these
women. (BMS World Mission)
21. Colombia
North Colombia has suffered years of civil
conflict. Many children are victims of forced
displacement, or sexual and physical abuse,
and live in extreme poverty. Many church
pastors are beginning to understand the
importance of childrens ministry but lack
training and resources. Vive Kids, which
includes a number of workers serving with Latin
Link, equips churches in poor areas to disciple
children in their communities, helping them to
run clubs for children and provide a space
where childrens needs can be met in a holistic
way. Pray that these children who have suffered
so much come to know the love, peace, and
healing of Jesus. (Latin Link)

1. Iraq
Please continue to pray for Yazidi refugees who
have come to Kurdish cities in Iraq in their tens
of thousands. They need help. Many are hungry
and face little compassion from those around
them. Pray for local Iraqi churches as they
reach out and make Christ known to Yazidis.
Ask for opportunities to bring basic relief where
needed. Pray the Lord would keep these doors
open. And pray for those who have the chance
to build friendships and to share Gods Word
among Yazidis. Ask that God would bless His
Word and bring many to Him. Pray for a strong,
indigenous Yazidi church to be established.
That would be amazing and only God can do it!
(AsiaLink)
2. Sudan
The Kanuri people live in the southern province
of Sudan. Many of the people work as farmers
but will practice other occupations during the
dry season. The Kanuri have been Muslims
since the eleventh century. The Qur'an
emphasizes the importance of the family and
the supreme authority of the father. Women are
considered inferior to men in the Islamic
scriptures, and are treated as such in Kanuri
society. With less than 2% Evangelicals and no
active efforts in this unreached Muslim
community, the needs are great. Ask God to
call people who are willing to go to Africa and
share the love of Jesus with the Kanuri. Ask the
Holy Spirit to soften the hearts of the Kanuri
towards Christians so that they will be receptive
to the gospel. Ask God to raise up prayer teams
who will begin breaking up the soil through
intercession. (Frontiers)
3. Turkey
There is only one local Christian radio station in
Turkey and that is based in the capital, Ankara.
The station is well respected in the Turkish
radio industry and has a growing audience and

a deepening influence in the city. The station

has recently started a new programme for
children which has short stories that draw
positive lessons from the Bible. They advertise,
We can know God better, and this programme
is an opportunity to better understand Him.
Pray for younger listeners to respond to the
station each day and for lives to be changed.
(Reach Beyond)
4. Iran
A newly launched smartphone app is helping
young Iranians avoid the morality police on
Tehrans streets. Iran's feared Gasht-e
Ershad (morality police) patrol Tehran to
identify men and women who violate Irans
moral codes. Now, the Gershad app is using
crowd-sourcing to map the locations of each
squadron, so that ordinary Iranians can avoid
crossing paths with them. Pray for Iranians
frustrated by the control of the police, for
healing for victims of the morality police, and for
many to find freedom in Christ in an oppressive
atmosphere. (Elam Ministries)
5. Syria
Many mothers, like Zeinah, initially come to the
refugee centre activities to occupy their
children. However, they discover that Christians
trained in counselling and trauma care are also
there and greatly benefit from their
compassionate ministry. Being able to pour out
their pain in a safe and nurturing environment
and hear about the love of God is a powerful
source of healing and hope for many. Support
from the Church has enabled many mothers like
Zeinah to know that God hasnt forgotten them.
Praise God for the generosity of the Lords
people, and pray for all those receiving care to
know the compassionate heart of God. (AWM
Pioneers)

6. United Kingdom (1)

The government estimates that over 2 million
Muslim women in the UK do not have the ability
to speak, read, or write English. This can
prevent them from integrating, remaining
isolated and under the control of male relatives.
David Cameron goes so far as to assert that
this can contribute to radicalisation. In addition,
thousands of refugees shall be arriving without
enough English to fill out forms and read labels,
let alone build relationships. Please pray that
many ordinary believers will get qualified to
teach English through courses like TESOL, in
order that they may provide a much needed
service whilst building lasting friendships. But
even more, pray that Muslim women and
refugees would be positively integrated to life in
the UK. (YWAM)
7. Italy
In February, OM Arts introduced the locals of
Isola del Gran Sasso to Incarnate - a
programme dedicated to teaching artists to
work in cross-cultural missions. Guests
wandered around the property and observed
the musicians, visual artists and dancers in their
respective studio spaces. The visual artists
emitted shy smiles as strangers inspected their
art-in-progress and music reverberated through
the halls as the musicians and dancers
rehearsed their pieces. Ellie Rose, a visual
artist explained how she incorporates her faith
into her art. Pray that this expression of faith will
provoke Italian people to explore the gospel and
to receive Christ into their hearts. (OM)
8. Albania
BMS teams in Albania are seeking partners in
prayer. Pray for more meaningful and close
relationships with Albanian people, pray for the
churches they are a part of in Albania, that they
will continue to be a blessing to the community.
Pray for BMS workers to grow closer as a team,

and for their home churches and the churches

preparing to welcome them on the BMS Action
Team tour. (BMS World Mission)
9. Spain
ECM are currently seeking Gods will for the
development of a fresh expression of church in
the University district. This is a newish area of
35,000 inhabitants without a community of
evangelical believers as yet. Were excited to
be here and see what God is going to do in this
part of the city. We dont know what it will look
like, but believe that, as in other parts of
Europe, many Spanish people have rejected
what they see as traditional religion but are
open to seeking God in a more personal and
relational manner. Pray for workers for the
field, and for Gods guidance in new
developments in unreached areas of Spain.
(ECM Britain)
10. United Kingdom (2)
Over the Easter period many international
students in the UK will be invited to Easter
events including re-enactments, Good Friday
services and Easter Sunday sunrise
celebrations. We pray that many would take up
these invitations and that they would see the
event as more than just a cultural experience.
May they come to know the true and eternal
significance of Easter and what Jesus has
done. May they realise that Jesus did it for them
and that this truth would be made evident
throughout the Easter events. We also pray for
that local Christians would be faithful in inviting
students and showing hospitality. (Friends
International)

11. Mozambique

14. Malawi

Praise God for the baptism of new believers at

the end of last year in Pemba. Pray also for the
growing number of believers in areas like
Quissanga and Ibo Island. Lift up these new
believers into Gods care as workers leave. Pray
for God to raise up and strengthen local
leadership. (AIM)

The recent flooding experienced in Malawi

destroyed many peoples crops. The rainfall in
some places, particularly in the South, during
the current growing season has been minimal
and erratic. Sowing has taken place, but many
crops have wilted due to long dry periods
between the rains. It seems possible that some
parts of the country will face severe food
shortages, unless the weather improves. Please
pray that steady but not devastating rainfall
would fall across Malawi, including the South,
so that a good harvest would be reaped and a
widespread hunger situation would be averted.
(Zambesi Mission)

12. Ghana
I had been living in a very hostile environment
for over 15 years. Our village had been divided
into two factions based on chieftaincy titles. We
could never come together to build anything for
ourselves. When the Bible listening group
started, the Chief announced that it was for the
whole community so all of us attended. As we
listened to the Bible and discussed among
ourselves a certain bond begun to form among
us. We also realised through Gods Word that
we are all children of God. There is joy, peace
and harmony in our village today. Pray for more
communities to be transformed through
Theovisions Bible Listening Clubs across
Ghana. (Reach Beyond)

15. Tanzania
Please pray for spiritual breakthrough among
the Alagwa, that the fear and demonic activity
which enslaves so many people there may be
broken. May our God who releases captives set
many souls free to love and serve him.
Community is of ultimate importance in decision
making, so please pray that whole families will
come to faith among the Alagwa. (AIM)

13. Chad

16. Zimbabwe

Idris is a 12 year old boy with cerebral palsy. He

continually radiates a smile despite the fact that
he is unable to walk or speak. He travelled to
the temporary clinic in Bailli by donkey with his
mother and father from a village 5 kilometres
away. It is obvious to Dr Ann Fursdon that Idris
is cared for well by his parents and she is able
to reassure and encourage the family. Pray for
Idris and his family, giving thanks that, despite
the challenges, they were doing all the right
things for Idris. The shame associated with
having a disabled child in Africa is immense,
pray that children like Idris will be seen for what
they are, Gods precious gifts to their families.
(MAF)

Poverty, abuse, and cultural practices are

preventing a third of girls in Zimbabwe from
attending primary school and two-thirds from
attending secondary school. For children who
are at school, only a third of students pass
primary leaving exams. Viva Network
Zimbabwe is running eight Learning Support
Centres for 160 vulnerable children in Harare to
provide catch-up lessons on literacy and
numeracy, plus sports and counselling. Pray
that these children would grow in their abilities
and in confidence, and that they would feel safe
and supported. Pray too for continued energy
for the teachers. (VIVA)