October 1997
"TTrp'contrast is severe.
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aside, the rain- washed atmosphere alive with light reminds
me of last evening’s appointment service. Forty-three new mis¬
sionaries thrust out into a darkened world like the shafts of light
I see outside the aircraft window. The Light is surging forward.
Inside, though, my heart is burdened by the press of dark¬
ness. Word has come this morning of the arrest of a young evan¬
gelist in Laos. The Darkness is striking back.
Praying to know how to pray, part of the message haunts me,
“He will be released when his converts recant.” It is a high cost . . .
too high. I pray for him and them. Their faith must not fail. Surely
they feel that they are alone. But they’re not. Word is already
spreading. Intercessors are coming alongside, standing with
them and for them. Light is coming. The darkness is retreating.
After nearly 2,000 years of gospel advance, there are yet
peoples who live without knowledge of or access to “the true
light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.” This
must change. It can and will. This month will be a significant
step forward in that as intercessors unite in a comprehensive
prayer effort called Praying Through the Window III. Each day
you will note the italicized names of two to five of these last lost
peoples. Ask and they shall receive. And as we do we are . . .
Pushing back the darkness,
Randy Sprinkle, Director
International Prayer Strategy Office
1 Malay, Acehnese, Khomering, Minangkabau, Rejang
NIGERIA (western Africa). Continue to pray for mission¬
aries Chris and Gwen Wilkinson as they learn the language of
their people group. Pray for them to diligently persevere in daily
study and practice in spite of 100-degree-plus temperatures and
many interruptions. Praise God for His provision of an excellent
language teacher and the excitement and eagerness of the people
themselves to help them learn. Finally, pray as the Wilkinsons
translate Bible stories into the language so they can then begin
“storying” (chronological Bible telling).
Sundanese, Madurese , Sasak, Balinese CAMBODIA (south¬
east Asia). Pray that Khmer people will have an opportunity
to learn to read and write so they can read and understand the
Word of God written in the Khmer Bible.
ZIMBABWE (southeastern Africa). Historically, there
have been many difficulties in receiving work permits in this coun¬
try. Recently, Gordon Fort, our regional leader for southern Africa,
met with the minister of home affairs. Pray that as a result, a writ¬
ten agreement will soon be in hand, permitting the establishment
of regional headquarters for southern Africa in Harare.
3Buginese, Banjar, Gorontalo, Muslims of Philippines MAU¬
RITIUS (island in western Indian Ocean). Missionaries
Randy and Kittie Trail write: “Please pray that God would call out
and raise up pastors. We have three churches and no pastors. Pray
that God would also work in the lives of the men of this country.
We have several strong female leaders, but very few men.”
SURINAME (northern South America). Pray about pos¬
sible church starts among East Indian people living in the Sara-
macca district to the west of the city of Paramaribo, among the
Creoles living in the Tourtonne 7 area of the city, and among the
Aucanners, another Creole tribal group.
4 Khmer, Bouyei, Lao, Li TANZANIA (eastern Africa).
Insufficient rainfall in three of the last five years has resulted
in crop failure and famine among the Wasukuma, a tribe of 5 mil¬
lion people who have not been reached with the gospel. Pray for
the 72 Wasukuma youth who will be trained in the next four years
in appropriate agricultural technologies, evangelism and church
planting at the Baptist Agricultural Training Center, established
with the aid of International Mission Board hunger relief funds.
Ask God to open doors for the planting of many churches as the
people are taught how to provide food for themselves during
famine and as they hear the gospel from the farmer/evangelists.
5 Thai, Black Tai, Shan, Zluiang BOSNIA (eastern Europe).
Last year, you began praying for the Lord of the Harvest to
send workers into Bosnia. Baptist representative Bill Steele will
be moving from Croatia to Sarajevo, Bosnia, to direct the work of
the Bosnia project. Praise the Lord that 1 1 new missionaries will
be arriving in Bosnia in early August!
FIJI (islands in southwestern Pacific). There are about
360,000 East Indians living in the Fijian islands. Pray for the Lord
to open new doors of witness among this unreached population
who follow the beliefs and rituals of Hinduism and have yet to
meet the Lord Jesus Christ.
6
/Ум/,
Japanese, Tujia, Yao IRAQI ARABS. Pray for a fol¬
low up of contacts, generated during the cooperative out¬
reach project among Iraqi refugees, that will result in groups of
Iraqis meeting to grow towards Christ. Pray that believers will be
trained to develop a lifestyle of sharing Christ with those from
non-Christian backgrounds. And, finally, pray for the vision of
future cooperative partnerships to spread so that multiplying
groups of believers will be established among the Iraqi refugees
and those in Iraq.
ST. VINCENT (eastern Caribbean Sea). Pray for mis¬
sionary Terry Lassiter as he holds a dental clinic and evaluates
the need for a new work on Union Island. A group there has
expressed an interest in beginning a Baptist church.
