With the reading of 2 Corinthians 4 we began 11 days of envisioning ministry among the MNK together with a church from Alabama.  The two men participated in a 3-day, 2-night prayer-walk to distant villages with Chris, Richard and F.  The two women spent time visiting in compounds and prayer-walking our town with Fran and Karen.  We traveled to a neighboring country to investigate the needs there.  We spent time praying, talking and learning together.

This Update reflects just some of the things they heard, saw, and experienced.  The roads were desolate; the heat was intense; the people were abundant; the needs were immeasurable; the smiles were ever-present; the lostness was evident.  It was an excellent experience for those of us who live here to see things with new eyes and fresh hearts; often we become bogged down in the “ordinary”.

Our Banner Prayer Group (Ex 17:10-16) continues to receive emergency and/or specific, dated prayer requests.  Thank you to each one who prayed while the prayer walk was going on and for our time with this volunteer team!  God is a faithful God!  If you would like to join this group, please let us know.  On a personal note, our son has once again returned to duty in Iraq, leaving our daughter-in-law at home; the day he left, however, he was able to see the first sonogram of their baby...two arms, two legs and a heartbeat...due on September 4! 

As always, if there is something I can do for you to assist you as you pray for the salvation of the MNK and for those of us who work among them, it is my privilege to do so.  My goal is to answer every email I receive within 72 hours; please hold me accountable to that goal!

Tue, Mar 1:  The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame. – Genesis 2:25  Shame and embarrassment were not a part of life prior to the entrance of sin in the Garden of Eden.  One God, one man and one woman.  God created the perfect situation.  God intends for a man and woman to be of one mind in all aspects of their relationship, including knowing Him.  Yet there are MNK believers whose spouses have not yet come to Christ.  Pray for MNK believers to be positive and forthright witnesses for Him in all areas of their lives, including with their families, husbands and wives in particular.

Wed, Mar 2:  Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.  Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. – Psalm 32:1-2  Tonight’s lesson is #51, is entitled King David’s Sin, or the story of David and Bathsheba.  The foundation of God’s forgiveness to David for his sins is that David confessed his sinful condition before God and believed what God had promised concerning the Redeemer.  God did not merely forget David’s transgressions; He forgave them.  This is a monumental hurdle for MNKs to overcome.  Pray for MNKs as they listen to this broadcast to accept that God is willing and able to forgive our sins if we will but confess them before Him in the name of Jesus Christ.

Thu, Mar 3:  I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. – Psalm 119:11  There are many mission schools within MNK land.  Students in these institutions are predominantly Muslims, but many of the principals and staff of these schools are followers of Christ.  In one Christian elementary school, all students must memorize Psalm 23; they are able to repeat it accurately.  Pray for the hearts and minds of these young MNK students to truly hold these Words in their hearts; pray that as they grow, God will bring these verses to mind; pray these young people will determine to draw strength from Scripture.

Sat, Mar 5:  Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters.  Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” – Matthew 6:24  Many MNK men have at least two wives.  In one particular compound, the two women live together ostensibly in peace.  Yet the competition, even after many, many years remains strong.  And the 2^nd wife is always sitting just on the fringes; she is lonely, for she will always be the outsider.  This issue is always a challenging one for western women to deal with.  Pray for MNK women to see that in Christ, they will never be on the fringes and they will never be outsiders; in Christ, every man, woman and child are equal in God’s sight.

Sun, Mar 6:  A woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years.  She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse.  “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” – Mark 5:25-28  While out on the village prayerwalk, our walkers came across MNK women selling in a market.  As the men paused to pray for the market and those in it, the women quickly gathered around them, desiring to be blessed by these praying men.  Pray for MNK women to be blessed by the prayers of believers and that they will call out with one voice, Jesus is Lord.

Tue, Mar 8:  Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.  We all stumble in many ways. – James 3:1-2  There are some Christian teachers who teach in both the public and private sectors in MNK land.  Some are natives of these countries; most come from neighboring West African states.  They have a tremendous responsibility on their hands.  Not only are they teaching mathematics, science and language arts, they also teach Bible.  Beyond that, they may be the only Christian example to many MNK Muslim students.  Pray for Christian teachers in MNK to be strong, determined and steadfast in their witness for Christ through every encounter they have with students.

Wed, Mar 9:  Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.  For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. – Psalm 1:1,5  Tonight’s radio broadcast is #52, entitled The Prophet David and the Messiah.  An important concept covered in this lesson is the relationship between God and Jesus.  God calls the Messiah His Son for three reasons.  First, the Messiah came from above and therefore did not have an earthly father.  Second, God and the Messiah share the same holy character.  Third, God called the Messiah His Son to distinguish Him from all the other prophets.  These are once again difficult concepts for the MNK Muslim mind to accept.  Pray for those MNKs who are listening tonight to desire to know the Messiah, the King whom God called His Son. 

Fri, Mar 11:  Praise the Lord.  How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him! – Psalm 147:1  Five times every day, the Islamic call to prayer goes out over every mosque in MNK land.  Many utilize speakers and bullhorns to project these Arabic expressions:  God is great!  Prayer is better than sleep!  Pray that God will cause these words to turn into hymns of praise and worship to the Living God of all Creation!

Sat, Mar 12:  You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day. – Psalm 91:5  Sleeping in villages means dealing with the various aggravations common to rural life.  Among those aggravations are rodents.  One night a rat kept company with the prayer-walkers.  Funny stories came out of it, but they all spent a lot of time praying for rest and refreshment despite the unwelcome visitor.  Pray for those who work among the MNK to be protected physically, spiritually and emotionally.

Sun, Mar 13:  When the trumpets sounded, the people shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the people gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed. – Joshua 6:20  Upon entering a village, the religious leader called together all the elders to pray for our prayer-walkers.  Before their departure, however, the prayer-walkers prayed fervently and loudly in the name of Jesus for the chief, for the elders and for the village.  Sometimes it is important to show boldness and power; too many MNKs see Christianity as a weak religion and Christians as weak persons.  Pray for MNKs to see not only the love of God, but His power and His majesty.

Mon, Mar 14:  Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. – Acts 28:8  The prayer-walkers came across an old man who had sores all over both his ankles.  Taking each of his feet in their hands, Chris & Richard prayed for this man, for his physical healing, and for his spiritual healing.  Please pray that God will heal this man, both physically thereby releasing him from the physical pain he is enduring, and spiritually, so that His name will be written in the Book of Life.

Tue, Mar 15:  Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. – Romans 10:17  In a particular compound, a man, his two wives, their missionary neighbor and six to eight young adults gather around the radio every Wednesday night to listen to the radio broadcast.  They listen.  They understand.  They agree.  They remain bound by Islam.  Pray for God’s Word to penetrate the hearts of those listening to more than agree with their lips; pray that their hearts will rejoice in the Truth! 

Thu, Mar 17:  After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee. – Matthew 11:1  Have you ever considered what it was like to walk the roads that Jesus walked?  Rocky...dusty...long...hot...so it is to walk to MNK villages.  Driving isn’t much better.  Many roads are less than smooth and easily traveled.  This is perhaps a reason the MNK remain unreached by the Gospel in the year 2005!  Pray that those of us who live and work among the MNK will not allow our physical comfort to be an obstacle to reaching the MNK; pray for more laborers to be called out to work with us.

Fri, Mar 18:  In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps. – Proverbs 16:9  Have you ever wondered how long it takes to get from the United States to MNK land?  The first leg is a flight from a major city to Paris; the second leg is a flight from Paris to the capital; the third leg is an internal flight from the capital to the bush; the fourth leg is overland from the bush to MNK land.  It takes a minimum of 30 hours to make this trip, IF all flights are on schedule!  Often they are not.  Thank God with us for volunteers who are willing to make this sacrifice and endure this trek; thank God with us for His protection and care, even with cancelled flights; pray with us for God’s continued grace and joy as we seek together for the salvation of the MNK.

Sun, Mar 20:  But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way.  So Paul left them.  He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. – Acts 18:9  A national pastor in MNK land is developing an Institute of Discipleship and Missions.  This will be a place for the discipling and training of new MNK believers in the Way and how to be witnesses to their friends and family.  Pray for this ministry to be an effective tool in developing MNK missionaries!

Mon, Mar 21:  Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” – John 4:10  Walking through a village, one of the prayer-walkers noticed a woman with a baby on her back drawing from a well.  He was struck by the similarity to New Testament times.  He stopped right then and prayed that someone would come and explain the gift of life to this woman.  Pray for believers among the MNK to take every opportunity to share the Living Water; in a land that is so hot and dry, to never thirst again is extremely attractive!

Wed, Mar 23:  The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here!” – Matthew 12:42  Tonight’s lesson is #54 and is entitled ­The Prophet Solomon.  It is recorded in 1 Kings 10 how the queen of Sheba traveled over 2,400 miles to ascertain whether or not the stories concerning the wisdom of Solomon were true.  Nearly a thousand years later, Jesus reminded His listeners of her tenacity in seeking the truth, yet those who were standing in Jesus’ presence could not see Him as the Truth.  Pray for MNKs to seek with all their might the Truth; pray that we will be faithful to share it clearly.

Thu, Mar 24:  For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. – Genesis 2:24  There is a saying among MNK women that if a wife is the one standing at St. Peter’s gate determining who will enter the gates of heaven, that woman’s husband will be the last person she will allow to enter.  There is very little love lost between MNK men and women.  They may develop a fondness for one another over the years, but trust and unity are foreign concepts.  Pray for MNK women to come to understand the great love God has for them; pray for MNK women to also understand that as much as God loves them as individuals, he loves men the same; all who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.

Sat, Mar 26:  The next day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate.  “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’” – Matthew 27:62-63  Interesting isn’t it, that the chief priests and the Pharisees who sought to kill Jesus were the very ones who remembered His promise to return.  The disciples were so overcome with grief that they didn’t...or at least, it isn’t recorded that they did.  Because MNK history is passed orally from generation to generation, they have a wonderful memory.  Pray for MNKs to remember the words of truth they hear from the radio broadcasts and from their believing neighbors about Jesus Christ, the Risen Messiah.

Sun, Mar 27:  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. – 1 Peter 3:15  Today is Easter Sunday!  What better day to contemplate this verse!  The hope we have in us comes from the completed work of Christ, completed on the day God raised Him from the grave!  MNKs have no hope; truly they live in fear of God’s judgment, always relying on the prayers of “holy” persons to gain them favor in God’s eyes.  Pray that each of us who lives and works among the MNK will be able to give a clear and concise answer for the hope that Christendom celebrates this day.

Tue, Mar 29:  Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame. – Hebrews 12:2  One of the volunteers made this remark:  The MNK need missionaries who will learn the language, endure the heat, go through the disappointments, and continue to press on.  Please pray that those whom God chooses to send to the MNK will be obedient and lean on His strength to persevere through the race.

Wed, Mar 30:  Elijah said, “How long will you waiver between two opinions?  If the Lord is God, follow him.” – 1 Kings 18:21  Tonight’s radio broadcast, #55, entitled The Prophet Elijah, completes the story of Solomon, including behaviors which were contrary to God’s commands, and how God raised up another prophet who “walked with God”.  Both histories are noteworthy.  Solomon’s disobedience to God is an example of the honesty and forthrightness of Scripture, hiding nothing.  The story of Elijah is also noteworthy; his admonition to the people of Israel is pertinent today:  how long will you waiver between the true Word of God and the worthless traditions of man?  Pray for MNK Islamic leaders to recognize that so many of their teachings are man’s teachings, not God’s; pray for their desire to know the True Word of God.