Praise and Prayer ~ October 4, 2021

Dear FFICM Prayer Partners, 

Praise God! Yesterday was FFICM’s 8th anniversary. We give praise to God for the eight years of ministry that has happened and all the growth that God has produced both in FFICM as an organization, but more importantly the spiritual growth that is happening around the world as new believers receive good follow-up.

Nigeria:

Current and Ongoing ministry

• The team in Nigeria wants to start spreading awareness of FFICM at churches and communities so that people will be made aware of this ministry. Pray for wisdom as they prepare plans for this. 
• Pray for a recent convert from Islam named Awal who continues to be persecuted by the Muslims around him. He continues to struggle to maintain safety for himself and his family. Most importantly, pray that he will be strong in his faith and relationship with Jesus. Pray also for his physical safety.

Muslim Outreach Ministry

• TV and Radio — We continue to broadcast the TV and radio episodes that have been recorded to share about what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus, and are specifically made for people coming to Christ from a Muslim background. Continue to pray for the impact of these recordings, and for the FFICM staff as they work to follow-up those who are coming to Christ. 
  • There have been a lot of call-ins to the radio station for prayers. Pray for the team there and those needing prayer. 
• Solar-powered Audio Players — Many Muslims continue to come to Christ through listening to the Bible in the local language which is on these players! Pray for all those who hear the Gospels through these devices. The Muslim leadership strongly oppose these players and are seeking to block all access to them in Nigeria. Pray for funding to continue to come in specifically for these powerful tools of evangelism and discipleship.
• Pray: The strategy of leaving MBB’s in their community is so important – pray for wisdom on how to do this well. We need to raise up more and more MBB converts. 

Upcoming Events

• Praise/Pray: Fundraising Planning for FFICM-Nigeria — The team in Nigeria had their open day fundraiser this past weekend which included about 60 people in attendance. They challenged people how they could get involved and the money started coming in. There were some that committed to large yearly gifts, and some committed to monthly giving. They were very encouraged about the support they received as well as the connections that were made. Now they need to start following up with those who attended and those who did not. Pray for additional funding for the tv and broadcasting programs!
• Pray for the new believer follow-up training that the Nigerian team will be facilitating at Fadan Dabo this week.
• FFICM Nigeria National Director Peter Wash is working on applying for a visa to the US. Pray that the visa application will be accepted. We would love to be able to have him come and share with many of our partners here in the US about what God is doing through FFICM in Nigeria.

Safety amidst Dangerous Violence: 

• Pray: Safety while Traveling — 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: Safety for MBB trainers — Pray for safety for our MBB trainers Ahamed and Yusuf. They are often in great danger as they refute the teachings of Islam. Their lives are at risk. 
• Pray: In the city of Jos the killings are back and forth between Christians and Muslims, and there are people that are being brought in from other areas to do killings and fingers are getting pointed in many directions. The bottom line is that hundreds of people are being killed, the people are scared, and they need the peace of God to reign in their land. 
• Pray: Keep praying for peace in Nigeria, especially the city of Jos, where our Nigerian partner office is located. The situation is a bit more calm right now, but still there is fighting and killings that are happening around town as the Muslims attack the Christians.
• Pray for the security of the nation. Pray that God would take charge. Pray for safety for those traveling. One of the workers, Samuel Pam, is traveling. Please pray God would keep him safe! 

Prayer for our Ministry Team

• Praise: The visa situation for foreigners appears to be getting better! New visa quotas have been released. Our adjunct trainer Rick Cordell is still waiting for his visa to be issued, but the first step of the process has happened and that gives us hope that his new visa/green card may be issued soon. 
• Pray: Our office staff Ruth’s son is sick. Pray for healing.
• Zainab praises God for the training she did for 100 widows September 23-25. She taught them how to bake cakes as well as doing new believer follow-up training with them.
  • Trusting God for more students at the next training and that the Lord would provide. Pray that God would provide for Zainab financially so that she would be able to support her family. 
• Pray: Peter continues to work on his Doctorate in Global Evangelism. Pray for wisdom as he divides his time between work at the office, going out and helping with trainings, doing school assignments, as well as personal and family responsibilities.
• Pray: Prisca is working on her Masters degree in Global Evangelism. Pray for wisdom for her and she divides her time between that as well as family, FFICM trainings, and leading the FFICM fundraising effort locally there in Nigeria for FFICM Africa.
  • Prisca has been really down lately. She’s had a lot on her plate and has been overwhelmed with stress. Pray for strength and encouragement. 
• Pray for Mercy: Pray for God’s protection and grace for her to carry on with the work. 

Ethiopia:

• Urgent prayer request – Visas!
  • The Ethiopia embassy is not issuing visas at this time. There has been confusing information from them about what is happening, but we are praying for a miracle and that we can get the visas as soon as possible for those that are going to join the team in Ethiopia as soon as possible! 
• Strategic Development
  • Praise/Pray: Vehicle — Please continue to pray as we work on negotiating details and work on paperwork to buy a vehicle for the team there in Ethiopia. There have been challenges in finding the right vehicle at the right price and processing the paperwork. There have been numerous false-starts on the vehicle purchase process. Pray for wisdom as we seek the right vehicle at the right time.
  • Pray: Tesfaye’s language learning — Tesfaye (FFICM trainer in Ethiopia) is already bi-lingual as he speaks Amharic and Oromo. He is learning English to expand his capacity as a lead trainer. Pray that his tutoring would go well and that he would be able to remember all that he is learning.
• Current/Future Programs
  • Pray: Fall 2021 Training Marathon — Rich and 7 others from the US will travel to Ethiopia in October/November to assist with 5 weeks of new believer follow-up training, including the following:
    • Week 1) Training of Asella Evangelical Churches Fellowship and more than 14 denominations will participate.
      • They are in Asella today with more than 80 people there! It has been a wonderful time doing the gospel presentation today. After the training, those that attended went out to share the gospel with people. There are nine people participating in this training.  After the training they got invited to do two more trainings with a local denomination. The team is feeling very encouraged!
    • Week 2) Training the Genet Church denomination in Ethiopia. FFICM has not previously partnered with the Genet Church denomination so this training opens new possibilities for growing impact! 
    • Week 3) Training in a neighboring Muslim country – We will partner with Elias, an Ethiopian missionary in that country.
    • Week 4) Training of Women trainers at Ethiopia Kale Heywet 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.
    • Week 5) The Head of the Ethiopia Kale Hayet Church has requested a training for follow-up of new believers from a Muslim background! 
  • Pray: We are working on plans for upcoming trainings and materials development in Ethiopia. We are working on developing a strategic plan and budget for the coming years. Pray for wisdom as we seek the Lord’s guidance for the future of the ministry there.
    • Pray for the completion of our materials translated into Arabic that they would be finished in time and would be a helpful tool used for training. 
  • Pray: Ethiopia is establishing a new government the first week Rich and the team are there. Pray for that to be a smooth transition.
  • Pray: EKHC denomination churches in Awassa want training. It is tentatively planned for sometime in November.
• Peace in Ethiopia
  • Pray: Uncertain Political Future — War is continuing in the northern part of the country. Please pray for political resolution, for peace and for provision for the people whose lives had been devastated by the violence and loss of access to basic resources. People are displaced from their villages to other parts of the country due to this war. This ongoing unrest is mostly in the northern and western parts of the country. The economy is suffering because of all this fighting. 
  • We praise God that things are safe in the central and southern part of the country and that we are able to continue to do the new believer follow-up training there that is so crucial to equipping the church.
• Prayer for our Ministry Team
  • Pray that the internet connection would be restored at the FFICM Ethiopia National Director’s house. Eskinder relies on that internet connection to communicate with us and to coordinate the upcoming trainings and events.
  • Pray for health and strength for Eskinder and Tesfaye as they are of crucial importance for the upcoming 5 weeks of training we have planned there with the US Based International trainers in October and early November.

USA:

• Pray for upcoming events
  • Golf Fundraiser — On October 11 we will have our first annual golf fundraiser! Signups are live on our website. Share about this exciting opportunity with your friends!
    • Praise: We have received about 20 signups and multiple sponsorships! 
  • Pray: Fall Fundraiser — Pray for a smooth process in planning the fall fundraiser which will be held Saturday November 20 both in-person at our office in Portland, OR and virtually. Pray for wisdom in how to continue to share the vision for this ministry. Pray that God would help us to communicate well through all of our modes of communication. 
  • October Trainings — Pray for the team as they have arrived in Ethiopia and begun doing trainings! Pray for safety and for God to move in these trainings!
• Prayer for our Ministry Partners
  • Pray: Carly Powne, US Based International Trainer — Carly is asking for prayer for boldness in asking for support. Pray for her as she has transitioned from her previous role as a youth pastor to our new international trainer. Pray for provision and continued support as she steps into this new role. Read more about Carly at www.fficm.org/carly-powne. 
    • Carly is a part of the October training marathon, but her primary task right now is developing her partnership team: people who will partner with her through monthly financial support and regular prayers!
    • We pray that God will bring a full team of prayer and financial partners for her before the end of December so she can focus fully on her role as an International Trainer with FFICM.
    • Pray for her Ethiopia visa to be approved quickly!
  • David Moore, Director of Operations 
    • Pray for wisdom as he balances his time between work, family, and his MA Nonprofit Management classes.
    • Pray for wisdom in parenting. Pray for spiritual protection of his children and for good ability to communicate as a family.
    • Pray for David’s son Ben as he has gotten into trouble at school. Pray for wisdom for David and his wife Denise. Help the school leaders know how to help him. Pray God would take a hold of his heart and help him turn away from these things that are hurting him. 
  • Rick Cordell, Adjunct International Trainer 
    • Pray: The process of getting his visa has become very complicated. He’s still waiting for his Ethiopian visa. If he gets it this week then he could leave this Friday night and connect with the team over the weekend. Pray that these issues would be resolved and that his visa would come through! 
  • Jerel Skeith, Director of Strategic Relationships
    • Pray for his visa that has not come in yet. It was previously lost in the mail. Please pray that it makes it to him soon so he can join the team during this October trip. 
  • Susanna Ballard, Director of Outreach 
    • Pray: Her son is sick, they are waiting on COVID results! Pray it’s not COVID and that he would get better soon. 
  • Rich Gardner, President
    • Pray: Dara Searcy-Gardner, Rich Gardner’s daughter continues to struggle with debilitating asthma. She asked us to pray that the medication (Xolair shots) would conquer the asthma. Continue to pray for complete healing. 
    • Praise: Rich’s daughter Joelle had the baby and they are both healthy!
  • Pray for cedar mill bible church – Yesterday was a heavy sunday as half the elders stepped down due to a situation in 2017 that wasn’t properly dealt with. The Senior pastor is also temporarily not the senior pastor. Pray for the congregation and staff during this difficult time. 

• Pray for Strategic Development
  • Pray: Wisdom regarding church status — Pray for wisdom as FFICM applies for church status here in the US. Most large mission organizations have applied for and been granted church status in the US. This would allow us to be able to have all of our staff receive the ministerial housing allowance and would have other tax and finance benefits for us as an organization.  
    • The US staff has been working on a code of conduct for employees in the US and the international trainers. 
  • Pray that God would provide a volunteer who could assist us with some ongoing website maintenance and update tasks.
  • Pray: We need an International Director of Prayer. We would love to have someone to take charge and develop this crucial area of ministry even more. Pray that God would raise the right person up for the job.