November 2005
Central, Eastern and Southern Africa (CESA) is a
diverse area, ranging from rain forests to barren deserts
to modern cities and tropical islands. With more than 23
countries and 903 people groups, this ever-changing area
is often plagued with civil war, disease and famine. Re¬
ligions vary as much as the terrain. You can find Islam
strongholds along the coastal regions, while a large South
Asian population adheres to Hinduism. In many villages
throughout the area, African traditional religions rule the
way people live their lives through ancestor worship and
witch doctors. Christianity has made its impact in this
area of the world. There are several growing and thriving
churches. Church-planting movements are in various
stages, like in Kampala, Uganda, where 16 new churches
started. In other, more remote areas, there's no Christian
influence and workers are concentrating on using chron¬
ological Bible storying to reach this oral society. Most
people in the world are familiar with this area of Africa,
with its beautiful wildlife, the Great Rift Valley and sa¬
vannahs. The same thing that makes this land "breathtak¬
ing" also makes some areas isolated because of the ex¬
tremely rough terrain. Those who have not heard the
gospel live in areas that are physically hard to reach.
HIV /AIDS also is making its impact with almost 70 per¬
cent of the world's HIV /AIDS cases found in this area.
It's a race against time for "Christ the hope of glory,
indwelling every tribe, every tongue, and every nation.
During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia
standing and begging him, “ Come over to Macedonia and
help us." After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at
once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had
called us to preach the gospel to them (Acts 16:9-10, NIV).
STRATEGY COORDINATOR TRAINING. Thirty -two mis¬
sionaries from across Central, Eastern and Southern Afri¬
ca began strategy coordinator training on Oct. 25 and will
continue through Nov. 25. Pray that they will learn how to
connect with a people group, build key relationships, stim¬
ulate opportunities for sharing the gospel and learn how to
establish strong, reproducing churches. Pray that these
missionaries will train others to more effectively engage the
unreached peoples of Central, Eastern and Southern Africa.
BIHARI MUSLIMS OF BANGLADESH (bee-HAR-ree).
Bihari Muslim children often live in crowded refugee
camps. They have no open fields in which to play ball, no
swings and slides, no community centers where they can
play games. Give thanks for international Christian workers
who have started a kid's club to minister to Bihari Muslim
children in one Bangladesh city. The children are involved
in activities that brighten their lives. They also are experi¬
encing love, many for the first time, and learning that Jesus
the Savior loves them unconditionally. Pray that workers
would have wisdom, that the children would learn gospel
truths that will change their lives forever, and that parents
would be open to hearing the gospel as well.
URBAN POOR OF SANTO DOMINGO, DOMINICAN
REPUBLIC. "Pure water is very difficult for the poor people
to get," writes the Mercy Team. "Many times they are buying
what they think is good bottled water, but the people selling
it have simply collected the bottles, filled them with tap
water, and are selling them as purified water. For this reason,
the poor people stay sick. A family has come to Santo Do¬
mingo to install a water system that will purify the water for
the community of one of our barrio churches. Please pray
that as the people of the community receive this purified
drinking water, they also will receive the Living Water."
NYIKA/NYIHA OF ZAMBIA, MALAWI AND TANZANIA.
Known by two names, the Nyika/Nyiha of Zambia,
Malawi and Tanzania need to hear the name of the one true
God. "Lord, call and empower believers from other people
groups to see beyond themselves and to go and share Your
message with the Nyika/Myiha."
UNITED KINGDOM (Western Europe). Praise God with the
Cardiff/ Bristol Beltway Team in South Wales for the many
opportunities He has given for good contacts with interna¬
tional people who are seeking refuge in Cardiff. Especially
thank God for M, who has recently come to faith in Christ.
He is from a Muslim background, but had become disen¬
chanted with Islam and interested in Christ. After being
befriended and witnessed to by team members, Jesus
appeared to him in a dream, saying three times, "You are
mine. Come to me." After he awoke, feeling free for the first
time in his life, he phoned a team member to say that he had
become a true Christian. Pray for his spiritual safety and
growth, and ask God for many more such decisions.
SEYCHELLES, INDIAN OCEAN ISLANDS. A year ago
(October 2004 Global PrayerGram), you prayed for Chris¬
tian materials for a new Christian resource center in the
Seychelles Islands where it is difficult to obtain any Chris¬
tian literature. Missionaries write: "Your prayers were
answered when a ministry in the United States was able to
