(Image: Eskandir and Rich in Ethiopia during Rich’s February 2021 trip.)
Nigeria:
- The HBB Conference is this week! Rich, Peter and Ishaku made it to the HBB conference site and are getting ready to start the conference.
- Please pray for Rich’s safety and protection as he travels on Wednesday to and from the conference to the city where he can get a COVID test. The travel is via bush trails (2-3 hours) and dangerous. The danger of kidnapping for Rich is significant so we’re asking God to protect Rich and the team. The HBB Conference has advertised Rich’s attendance hoping to attract attendees, but this also increases the risk of kidnapping for Rich.
- Two girls and their father (all believers) were kidnapped 30 days ago. The kidnappers killed the father. At the capture, other people were killed immediately including the security man. The two girls were just released yesterday (after paying three million Nira which is about 7,800 USD). Praise God for their release! The girls are related to one of the members of the HBB planning committee which is why we are aware of this story. The girls are now in the hospital because of the trauma. Please join us in prayer for their long term recovery from trauma and for them as they grieve their father’s death.
- The FFICM-Africa team in Nigeria is also doing a new believer follow-up training event this week at Gindri Theological Seminary. This is being led by Rick Cordell, Prisca and Osang for 120 students. Thank you Jesus for the Seminary’s commitment to new believer follow-up! The Seminary requires all of its students to complete FFICM’s training as a graduation requirement. Praise God for the faithful leadership of our FFICM-Nigeria staff (Prisca) and volunteers (Rick and Osang, a Nigerian pastor who has regularly participated in FFICM training events).
- The next 13 TV episodes that the team recorded and submitted to the TV station were not good enough quality. The 13 TV episodes may need to be re-recorded. The team is very discouraged and frustrated by this bad news so please pray for wisdom regarding how to address this set back.
- Ishaku led an outreach for 100 women last week. On Thursday Ishaku will help these women prepare for an outreach event this coming Friday. The women will lead an evangelism outreach this Friday in order to invite others to faith in Jesus.
- Pray for a better motorcycle for Ishaku since his old wrecked bike wasn’t repaired properly by the person who wrecked it.
- Pray for Zainab and her mom whose younger sister died two weeks ago as they grieve her death. Pray for provision for a new home for Zainab. Previously Zainab bought land to build her training school so she is building a new home there. We’re asking God to resource her family with everything they need to live in safety and continue the ministry. Praise God that her son is graduating from her baking school this Saturday. 8 students will graduate (after 3-4 months of hard work!). Praise God!
- Danladi and Sam (staff from FFICM-Africa in Nigeria) traveled to a remote village to provide a training event last week. After the training, they shared the gospel with 8 youth and one elderly person (93 years old) and led them through chapter one of FFICM’s Follow-up Booklet. Praise God for those divine appointments and for the movement of the Holy Spirit to lead these people to faith! Pray for these new believers as they begin a new life following Jesus!
- Pray for Danladi as he considers and prearpes to reach out to youth in the area where he lives. Pray for many more divine appointments and sensitivity and obedience to the Holy Spirit’s direction. Join us in praying that many young teens would experience God’s gift of freedom, healing, and joy through Jesus Christ!
Ethiopia:
- The Mega-Conference:
- Pray for the preparation for the mega-conference that will be next week in Southern Ethiopia. We are now expecting 20,000 – 25,000!
- Pray for Eskandir’s health. He’s getting sick and needs God’s healing so he can lead the conference well. Praise God for Eskandir’s dedication and hard work that is making this conference possible. Pray for God’s protection and provision to carry Eskandir through the final preparations in the days ahead.
- Pray for the singers, translators, the stadium preparations (built from scratch!) and for Rich’s safe traveling to Ethiopia. Pray for the conference speakers Dr. Simon (the General Secretary for EKHC) and Dr. Jeremiah (the Deputy General Secretary for EKHC). The denomination supervises 10 million people!
- Pray for Tesfye as he transitions out of his previous position with the Ethiopian Kale Heywet Church (EKHC) and trains his replacement employee so he’ll be able to begin working with Eskandir.
- Unfortunately we’ve come up against more challenges towards finding a vehicle. The Ethiopian government halted all imports of used vehicles and is only allowing new vehicles to be imported. This means that the price of used vehicles will only increase. Pray for wisdom and direction for the team. Until we find a vehicle, the team has been renting one to do the essential work of the ministry.
- Pray for the re-printing of 10,000 copies of the FFICM Follow-up booklet in Amharic. They have had a delay and many people are waiting to get copies.
- Pray for peace and security in the nation of Ethiopia. There is a party election coming up. There are 107 parties in Ethiopia and the winning party will elect the Prime Minister. There have been rumors of wars with neighboring countries.
USA:
- Pray for wisdom as we prepare to hire a Communications Director and Development Director for FFICM here in the US. May God direct FFICM’s hiring team with hope and insight as we seek to grow our organization to keep up with the profound global impact of our partners in ministry.
- Please continue to pray for healing for Dara and Mercy. Dara continues to have threatening anaphylactic responses to a wide array of allergens. Pray for Dara’s breathing which is constantly labored. Pray for wisdom for Dara’s family as they seek direction regarding financial provision.
Praise God for His provision of over $5,000 to cover the first 100 solar powered audio Bible players for Nigeria! Pray for the funds to provide 100-200 more solar audio bibles ($50/each).
