January
Jan 01 Thursday
Broadcasting Words of Life
In the last edition we saw the joys and challenges of preparing God’s Word for the nations (translation and literacy). Once translated, it must be shared. God uses radio, TV and videos to communicate the message of the gospel to the nations. From small village groups huddled around a solar-powered radio hearing gospel broadcasts in the Andes Mountains, to crowds watching a gospel story on a makeshift screen in Africa’s deserts and jungles, to a lone teen walking city streets with ear bud in place, God uses media to bring hope and healing through Jesus to individuals. In the continuing Ebola crisis in West Africa, Liberia’s Radio ELWA and other stations educate the public about the nature of the disease, bringing hope in Jesus. God continues to use media, together with your prayers, to change lives. Thank you for your vital part of this ministry!
International Leadership & Services — Ask the Father to guide Romanian Teo Popa, new radio point person for radio ministries across the SIM world. Pray for a smooth transition to his role, and for wisdom to carry forward this vital ministry area of SIM.
Jan 02 Friday
International Leadership & Services — Please pray for preparations for SIM’s first Global Assembly, March 1–7 in Chiang Mai, Thailand. It brings together every SIM country director and board chair. Pray the Holy Spirit will fill the speakers for the week: Dr. Rajendran, Dr. Femi Adeleye, and Pastor Dereck Stone.
Jan 03 Saturday
Worldwide / Multi-Country Ministries — Living cross-culturally demands flexibility and humility. Pray that each of us in SIM will be prepared to sacrifice our rights and expectations for the sake of the gospel and the strength of our witness.
THE AMERICAS
Jan 04 Sunday
Ministry Focus — For years SIM’s Radio Mosoj Chaski staff dreamed of producing DVDs of biblical teaching for the Quechua people. Even in remote areas, many use DVD players powered by car batteries. A recent donation made possible the first DVD set; it’s on family life. Right away 349 copies were sold. Since then, five more DVDs have been produced, and people are asking for still more! Join us in asking God to work through this teaching tool.
—from Ann Wheeler, Bolivia
Jan 05 Monday
Bolivia — Radio Mosoj Chaski is an effective outreach to the oral culture of remote Quechua communities spread throughout the Andes. The Bolivian leadership of Mosoj Chaski needs prayer for wisdom as it transitions from being a project of the mission to becoming an independent strategic partner.
Jan 06 Tuesday
Bolivia — Tze-Hung Seeto, a short-term SIMer from Scotland, arrives this month to produce promotional videos for SIM’s websites, including maebolivia.org. Pray that the Lord will use his gifts to inspire prayer, mobilize resources, and motivate new missionaries to respond to God’s call.
Brazil — Continue to pray that SIM Brazil will be able to connect better with churches and individuals willing to partner with SIM by going, supporting and sending missionaries.
Jan 07 Wednesday
Canada — Pray for the SIM Canada communications team, developing a new website to share what God is doing around the world through His people. Pray also for creativity and fresh ideas to help promote the ministries of SIM through other media as well.
Jan 08 Thursday
Chile — Pray for Tim Sandvig as he uses social media to keep contact with young Latin friends and Latin missionaries around the world, coming alongside them by listening, mentoring, counseling and encouraging.
Jan 09 Friday
Ecuador — Ask God for His timely provision of an Ecuadorian director for Radio Hope, and that He will inspire churches in Loja to partner with Radio Hope through prayer, finances, and quality programs (evangelistic and discipleship studies). Pray, too, for a steady increase in local advertising sales.
Jan 10 Saturday
OCLA (Office Connection Latin America), Guatemala — Pray for the four Peruvians and SIM missionary Chris Conti as they produce the monthly Spanish mission e-zine that goes out to 15,000 people worldwide. Pray many will take advantage of the 1,000 mission resources recently posted on the Spanish site misionessim.org.
Jan 11 Sunday
Paraguay — Tom Stout, together with the studio of the Guarani Recording Taskforce, is creating a database for every minority language group here—noting the status of written Bible translations and recorded Scripture. Pray that SIM Paraguay will be enabled to record Scripture in each language.
Jan 12 Monday
Peru — Please pray the radio station in Cotahuasi can receive new generators that are needed, and that those who listen will believe in Jesus and grow in their faith.
Jan 13 Tuesday
United States — Pray for the Stewardship Team and others involved in enhancing our approach to providing partners with fresh opportunities to support SIM. We need God’s guidance in what to ask and how to ask—personally or through media. Pray that God will be glorified and many blessed through these endeavors.
Jan 14 Wednesday
United States — We hope to launch the new SIM USA website in February. Pray for wisdom and unity as we consider how to present the ministry of SIM around the globe, recruit new members, and make it easier for our financial partners to give electronically.
Jan 15 Thursday
Uruguay — Thank God for the four-days-a-week radio ministry of Pastor Louder Garabedian (wife Mercedes), member of the SIM Uruguay Council. He reaches a number of South American countries through a radio network and in personal church campaigns. May the Word bear fruit for God’s glory!
EUROPE
Jan 16 Friday
Ministry Focus — Stations in Benin and Togo broadcast in 17 languages, and God’s Word is impacting secular communities as well as Christians. Once-hostile neighbors now help one another! New Adja language programs led a chief voodoo priest to turn to Jesus Christ. Now, with broadcasts available on SD cards and USB sticks, many choose to listen on their cell phones. Pray God will continue His work, and will motivate
new donors.
—from Franz and Margrit Kropf (Switzerland), Benin
Jan 17 Saturday
France — John and Pam Dudeck are on loan from SIM to Editions Clé, a publishing ministry of two sister missions here. Pray publishing rights will be granted to use materials for Android tablets preloaded with Bible study resources for French-speaking African pastors. Target date is early 2016.
Jan 18 Sunday
Switzerland — In this multilingual office (French, German, Italian), the team is grateful for literature in French provided by SIM International (such as articles for the SIM magazine). There is still plenty to translate, plus Facebook and the website to maintain—quite a challenge. Ask God to help them!
Jan 19 Monday
United Kingdom — The SIM-UK staff is reviewing prayer communications and focusing more on electronic media, including the website. Pray for wise and effective ways to encourage many more people to receive and use the monthly electronic and printed Prayer Updates.
WEST AFRICA
Jan 20 Tuesday
Ministry Focus — Liberia’s Radio ELWA is an information source during the Ebola crisis, communicating hope in Jesus and stressing that victims are not necessarily under a “death sentence.” Most Monrovians now accept facts of the disease and take precautions. A newly arrived shortwave transmitter extends coverage, so Ebola and gospel messages in tribal languages reach across Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. Praise the Lord, and ask Him to end this crisis.
—from James Kesselly, Liberia
Jan 21 Wednesday
Benin — Three radio technicians and a radio coordinator provide programs in 17 languages via 20+ Benin and Togo stations. Pray technicians will remain enthusiastic and pastors will make time to record messages. Pray that the vision will grow and that God will bless His Word, bringing many
to Himself.
Burkina Faso — Pray for the team working to make the New Testament accessible through audio recordings and printed materials in Fulfulde, the language of the Fulani people. Pray that as many as possible will hear God’s Word in their heart language and come to trust Him.
Jan 22 Thursday
Côte d’Ivoire — Radio Fréquence Vie is expanding into several cities across Côte d’Ivoire. Pray for donors to contribute half of the initial costs, and pray that churches will see radio as their own voice. Pray especially that God will
send the right people to effectively lead this radio ministry in each city.
Jan 23 Friday
Ghana — The Cinevan Town Ministry presents the gospel of Jesus Christ through film showings and mobile bookshops. Eight vans make 8–9 trips a year, and have reached 20,500+ communities, towns and villages in the past 25 years. Pray God will draw many to receive Him as Savior and Lord.
Guinea — SIM Guinea team members had to temporarily relocate due to Ebola. Pray for Daniel Koivogui, covering SIM office work in their absence, and for protection of all Guineans. Ask the Lord to use believers in Kankan to teach truths about Ebola and hope in Jesus, and to demonstrate His love.
Jan 24 Saturday
Liberia — Pray to end Ebola, for protection of missionaries and staff, and for continued timely arrival of supplies to help Ebola units and ELWA Hospital’s treatment of non-Ebola cases. Ask for financial and spiritual support for the Church, for radio outreach, and for construction of the new radio and hospital buildings.
Jan 25 Sunday
Mali — Thank God for the house church started in the Ngunta home, and pray that the Lord will grow it spiritually and numerically. Pray for protection, and a God-guided response to the spread of Ebola into this landlocked country.
Jan 26 Monday
Niger — One of the men voicing a locally dubbed Jesus film proudly distributes them wherever he goes, although he has not made a public profession of faith. Pray for him and for Jeanne Scypinski and Becky Wright as they dub Christian movies into Nigerien languages.
Jan 27 Tuesday
Niger — Newlyweds Beki and Jeremy Helwig head
to language school in January, returning to Niger in
early 2016. Pray for support, encouragement and joy
for their journey as Beki continues her communications officer work by long distance—not easy with slow
Internet access.
Jan 28 Wednesday
Nigeria — A handful of people from another religious background have received Jesus through the Kano radio ministry, of which Terry and Sue Hammack are a part. Ask the Father to provide more safe places where these new converts may be discipled and helped to stand firm in their faith.
Jan 29 Thursday
Nigeria — “Pastors in a Pocket” is a project sponsored by SIM and Wycliffe to purchase mp3 players containing the Bible and evangelistic and discipleship materials for 350 Fulani chiefs, leaders and Nigerian missionaries. Pray for travel safety as they are distributed, and for response to the Holy Spirit’s work.
Jan 30 Friday
Senegal — “The Way of Righteousness” programs are 15-minute, chronological Bible lessons, enabling Wolof speakers to hear both the foundations of faith and Jesus’ teachings. Ask God to supply new donors so Senegal Radio Broadcast (project #SN-88770) can restart broadcasts on two FM stations.
Togo — Kotokoli radio messages have been put on memory cards so that the whole series of chronological Bible lessons can be listened to one after another. Pray this will help non-Christians and young Christians alike
to better understand and respond to God’s message
of salvation.
Jan 31 Saturday
West African Office, Côte d’Ivoire — Pray as the new members accepted through this office connect with their churches and friends about support. Pray for courage and grace to present the need for cross-cultural missionaries from West Africa, and for new understanding to help people pray and give generously.
February
EAST & SOUTHERN AFRICA
Feb 01 Sunday
Ministry Focus — Released in October 2013, The Distant Boat is a film produced by a sister mission to stir the African Church towards greater involvement in missions. Taylor Martyn recently managed production of the Kiswahili edition. Many are excited to see how the Lord will use it in Kiswahili and hopefully later in French. View the trailer (and soon a free download of the English film) at distantboat.com and pray with us!
—from Taylor and Allison Martyn, Kenya
Feb 02 Monday
Angola — Dr. Steve Foster and other CEML team members teach and respond to questions on a live, Tuesday evening Lubango radio program dealing with health issues. Pray that this opportunity may open doors for the gospel. | CEML = Evangelical Medical Center
of Lubango
Botswana — Thank God for Flying Mission coworkers Graham Crawford (Italy), Paul and Tania Tanner (UK) and James and Wendie Clark (AIDS + Care Ministries). Pray for the Tanners’ preparations for home assignment later this year, and the Clarks’ assessment of ministry after their first three months.
Feb 03 Tuesday
East African Office, Ethiopia — The Lutes from Ethiopia serve among a challenging religious group in Malawi. Ask God to give them understanding about ways to show love, courage to share the gospel in a way that is understood by the people, and a sense of His Spirit guiding and blessing all their efforts.
Feb 04 Wednesday
Eritrea — Please pray as Radio Selamna shares the gospel and gives spiritual encouragement to Tigrinya-speaking people in Eritrea and beyond. Ask God to call prayer and financial partners to keep this vital ministry reaching people for Jesus, and to send new managers and producers.