Praise and Prayer ~ June 14, 2021

(Photo detail: Gabrielle ‘Elle’ Wisot, FFICM’s new Communications Coordinator, as of June 2021.)

Dear FFICM Prayer Partners, 

      Below you will find a prayer guide to support you as you accompany us in prayer and worship this week. May God bless your time in the quiet place with hope and peace.  

Nigeria:

• Radio and TV Ministry
  • Growing Impact — The FFICM Nigeria team produces broadcasts designed to reach predominantly Muslim area on public radio stations with teaching about the gospel and the Bible. The teachings address myths commonly believed by Muslims and offer the truths about the Bible. Praise God for this profoundly impactful ministry! Continue to pray for the impact of those who are listening to the TV and Radio broadcasts. 
    • We just started a new 13-week series of TV broadcasts yesterday.
    • The current 13-week series of radio broadcasts has just 4 weeks left. Pray for wisdom as we prepare to record the next 13 episodes.
  • MBBs turning to Jesus — Yusuf and Ahamed continue to lead many Muslim Background Believers (MBBs) to Christ through the radio teachings. Praise God! Yusuf teaches about how the Koran points to the Bible, points to Jesus as the Savior, and how the Koran talks about life after death. 
    • Pray for Wisdom — the team continues to strategize for effective evangelism and follow-up ministry among Muslims. Pray for wisdom as FFICM partners with Ahmed and Yusuf to develop these plans. Pray that God will give us wisdom on how to work with them.
    • Yusuf and Ahmed will visit the converts we made last month in Katsina and the Imam from Kano. Pray for God’s protection, for wisdom, and for divine favor. 
    • We are hosting an advanced training for 5 MBBs whom we want to partner with Yusuf and Ahmed as a team to expand our ministry to Muslims. 
  • A broader reach: 
    • Kano State — The recordings will soon be broadcast in Kano state, the heart of Muslim cities. Pray for those who hear the message of the gospel. 
    • Niger State — Prayer for the driver who will deliver the radio teachings to a station in Bidda, a major city in Niger State. The station belongs to the former head of state (Abdul Salami) and covers about 5 states! 
• Safety amidst Growing Violence
  • Ongoing security issues make it difficult to travel and do ministry. You never know which road will be closed or where the bandits will be. There are very frequent attacks and insecurity in the land. Please pray for safety for the trainers.
  • Pray for safety for our MBB trainers Ahamed and Yusuf. They are often in great danger as they refute the teachings of Islam.
  • There have been increased attacks in and around the city of Jos, Nigeria where our office is located. There was another attack at Kuru where 10 people were killed. Please pray for God’s protection!
  • People are living in fear because the attackers take people unaware. In the villages it is especially dangerous at night so people have sleepless nights. 
  • Local farmers struggle to care for their land because they are under siege and are vulnerable to attack while out in their fields. 
• Prayer for our Ministry Team
  • The Nigerian team — God has brought on many new staff over the last several months. Pray for wisdom and grace to work and relate well with one another in the office and to focus on our various ministry strategies. 
  • All in Plato State — Pray for rain! It is planting time, but it has not been raining as it supposed to.The price of food in the market is increasing daily. The region is approaching a famine. 
  • Zainab, FFICM volunteer trainer in Abuja, Nigeria 
    • Zainab graduated students from her baking school last week! In addition to training these students to become bakers, Zainab disciples these students in evangelism and follow-up. 
    • She’s starting with a new group of 8 students this week. Please pray for these students as they begin learning new skills and growing in their faith. Zainab will use the FFICM new believer follow-up materials with the students this week. Pray for transformational impact. 
  • Prisca, a full-time FFICM trainer — Prisca was accepted to Multnomah University’s Masters program in Evangelism. She began her program last week. 
  • Peter Wash, the National Director in Nigeria 
    • Congratulations to Peter for the successful (almost) completion of his Master’s program in Discipleship and Evangelism! He still has a few edits remaining on his thesis he needs to finish.
    • Peter (and Eskinder from Ethiopia) began the online DMin program in Evangelism at Multnomah University last week! Pray for Peter as he tries to balance his time between his role as director at the office, his DMin program and his family.

Ethiopia:

• Peace and security in the nation of Ethiopia
  • The Ethiopian Election will be in one week  (June 21). There are over 100 political parties in Ethiopia and the winning party will elect the Prime Minister. 
    • Please pray for a peaceful transition of power in the country. There is a high likelihood of violence in preparation and in response to the election. 
  • Threat of War — Egypt and Sudan have agreed to fight Ethiopia over the rights to water from the Nile. There was an imminent threat of open war. There has also been division and fighting between Ethiopian tribes, language groups, and religions.
• Strategic Development
  • Tesfaye, FFICM ministry staff — Pray for Tesfaye’s English language class and improvement. Tesfaye leads many of FFICM’s programs in Ethiopia so his English language ability will greatly improve his leadership capacity. 
  • Eskinder, FFICM Ministry staff — Praise God for the successful completion of the first week of his Doctoral program in Evangelism at Multnomah University! Please pray for his second week of classes. Due to the time change, the classes go far into the night for Eskinder.  
  • Internet access — Eskinder’s internet has been coming and going. Please pray for a strong internet connection so that he can work well. This week it was out again.
  • Purchase of a vehicle — Eskinder has been informed that it might be better for us to purchase the vehicle prior to the upcoming elections. We praise God for his provision of the funds and we ask for His wisdom in timing. All current ministry transportation has been through public busses. Traveling and transporting supplies (often hundreds of booklets at a time) this way is incredibly cumbersome and slow, not to mention less safe. 
• Current Ministry
  • Pray for 50 people who were trained in Asella two weeks ago. These trainees will train 620 local leaders in their churches this week. 
    • They are going out and doing weekly outreach meetings through each of those churches!  Praise God for the exponential growth in new believer follow-up made possible by the excellent training and the simple, reproducible lessons contained in the material.   
  • This week 80 people will graduate from a 6 month FFICM training program! These 80 pastors were trained by leaders whom Rich and Eskinder trained in Konso. Praise God for the multiplication of trainers and the expanding impact of FFICM’s follow-up strategy and materials. Pray for a wonderful time during their graduation ceremony!
• Future Programs
  • The team will train 60 – 80 people at Jimma after the election (dependent on local peace post-election in that area). Pray for the preparation work and for God’s protection over those planning to attend.    
  • October Training Marathon – Rich will travel to Ethiopia in September/October to assist with four weeks of new believer follow-up training, including the following:
    • 1) Asella Evangelical Churches Fellowship and more than 14 denominations will participate. 
    • 2) Genet Church denomination
    • 3) Women training at Ethiopian Kele Heyet Church – We will train 80 Ethiopian women in New Believer Follow-up. This team of women will become trainers of trainers. They have a plan for exponential growth as women are prepared to go out and train other women.
    • 4) Sudan Khartoum training – we will partner with Elias, an Ethiopian missionary in Sudan

USA:

• Prayer for our Ministry Partners
  • Dara Searcy-Gardner, former FFICM staff — Dara continues to struggle with debilitating asthma. She asked us to pray that the medication (Xolair shots) would conquer the asthma. Pray for complete healing. She can’t go out of her house for more than 2 minutes without having trouble breathing.
  • Rich Gardner, FFICM President — Rich will be teaching the Doctor of Ministry in Evangelism students at Multnomah University this Thursday and Friday. Pray for his final preparations and for the teaching to go well. 
  • Gabrielle ‘Elle’ Wisot, FFICM Communications Coordinator — Please pray for Elle as she transitions into the position of Communications Coordinator. We are deeply grateful to welcome her onto our staff team! Prayer for sister Katherine getting set up with disability services in Oregon. 
  • Rick Cordell, FFICM ministry partner — Rick is trying to resolve an identity theft issue. Someone was trying to steal his money. Please pray it resolves quickly. 
  • David Moore, FFICM Director of Operations
    • David is finishing his final paper for his Managerial Accounting class at Multnomah University. 
    • David’s mother-in-law, Donna Dalton is recovering from recent back surgery. 
• Pray for Strategic Development
  • Pray for our hiring for new FFICM staff: 
    • Development Director – Thanks to the grant we were approved for through the Murdock Trust, we are hiring a Development Director. Pray for guidance as we grow our organization to keep up with the profound global impact of our partners in ministry. We are working on continued interviews and trying to discern who God would have us to hire for this strategic role.
    • International Trainer
      • We have offered the position to Carly Powne! Carly has served as youth pastor for more than 20 years. Her passion for missions drew her to FFICM and her vision for encouraging new believers in faith and leadership make her a great fit for this position. 
      • Please pray for Carly’s transition out of her current role as Youth Pastor. Pray also for her support raising efforts over the next several months as she seeks to raise
      • Carly will be trained and mentored by Rich Gardner to help us expand the impact of this ministry to new countries and languages as we mentor national leaders.
  • Prayer for wisdom in applying for church status.