We want to mention some things we are praising the Lord for and also offer you two prayer lists. One is for us personally, and the other is for the ministry, our coworkers, and the people to whom we minister. Additionally, we post here our recent prayer letters so you can keep up-to-date on our prayer needs.
We would also ask you to consider praying faithfully for a Landuma individual. Pray that he or she will listen to the teaching of the Word of God and be saved. If you would like us to pair you with a village prayer partner please contact us. Let us know the gender, age, and spiritual condition (saved or unsaved) of the individual you want to pray for and we'll pair you appropriately.
Sheffield's Praises:
- God has graceously provided a lot of books, curriculum, and furniture for our new boarding school which will be starting this fall. Most of the staff is now in place, and we are looking forward to opening in August. There are still many needs, however, for materials, finances, and staff. For details, contact us.
- We are excited about the boarding home parents that God has provided for the first year of the school ... us! Carol and I will be moving our family to the school location and taking on that ministry for the 2006-2007 school year. Pray with us for permanent replacements in the boarding home ministry so we can return to our village and carry on our ministry with the Landuma full-time.
Sheffield's Prayer Requests:
- Pray with us for time management. There's always so much more to do than there is time to do it. (You don't have that problem, do you?) Commuting the kids to school five days a week has made a serious dent in my schedule. Pray that I'll be able to use my time efficiently.
- Pray that Carol will be able to make good progress in language learning now that she doesn't have to spend so many hours each day in schooling the children. Pray that she also can use her time efficiently.
- Pray for our kids. Overall they are all doing well in school. Nathan has gotten glasses, but he seems to be able to read better without them.
- Pray for our health. We've just gone through about a six week period when most of us have had minor aliments most of the time. Nothing major, but enough to add stress and discomfort to our lives.
- Pray for an increase in our monthly financial support
Prayer Requests for the Landuma Work:
- Praise God with us that 7 Landuma men and our daughter Becca were baptised in November. This was a big step of faith for the Landuma. Since they live among people who are zealous for another religion, the testimony of their faith in Christ that they demonstrated by being baptised has (not surprisingly) resulted in them being persecuted by their friends and families.
- Pray for Aisatou (Salu's wife) and Bagar (Masalu's son). Both wanted to be baptised, but were not allowed by authority figures in their families.
- Pray for the baptised believers who are suffering persecution for their faith. Most of the overt persecution seems to be slacking off, but there are still social undercurrents and verbal jabs hidden in light hearted conversations. Pray that the believers remain strong under pressure. Pray that their steadfastness will be an example that will draw more Landuma to faith in Christ. And pray that they have many opportunities to speak of their faith with their friends, family, and neighbors.
- Pray for Alseni Jasi. Soon after being baptised he faltered under pressure from his family and has given the appearance of returning to his former religion. He claims that his faith in Christ is intact, but he is leading his family and neighbors to believe that he has recanted. This has strained his relationships with his fellow believers and has encouraged their families to put more pressure on them in the hopes that they will recant too. Pray that God will give him the strength and courage to stand up for what he believes in spite of opposition by his family authorities.
- Pray for Masalu and his wife Fatumata. Fatumata's family has taken her away from Masalu because he is a Christian. Pray that God will resolve this situation to his glory and that Masalu will continue to stand strong for his faith. Masalu has had an amazing tesitmony throughout this ordeal.
- Pray for Kadiyatou Kalaban, Abdoulay Mane's wife. Her family called her home to question her about her departure from their religion. She remained strong in her stand for Christ in spite of their verbal pressure to return to her former beliefs. The family allowed her to return to her husband, but advised her that they will call her again when her uncle (who is a religious leader) is available to question her.
- Pray for Mamadou Jasi and his relationship with his uncle. (Mamadou's uncle raised him as a step-son after Mamadou's father died.) In January Mamadou took a courageous step to demonstrate his subordination to his uncle and repair their rocky relationship. (He gave his uncle the land he had purchased for his own house and then asked his uncle to provide for him a place to build his house.) That attitude was well received and resulted in Mamadou's uncle praising Mamadou's religion for the good change in him. The uncle is now listening to Bible lesson tapes. Pray for his salvation. His name is Moduba Jasi.
- Pray for several men who are listening to Bible lesson tapes. Moduba Jasi (Mamadou's uncle) I've just mentioned in the previous paragraph. Dauda Compo is the husband of Mamousou, a Christian Landuma woman. In the past he has forbidden her to attend Christian meetings and even threatened to divorce her because she is a Christian. Sajo Camara has wanted to become a Christian for some time, but has been afraid of the persecution. Usman Sani began asking questions after seeing the Jesus film at Christmas and is now listening to Bible lesson tapes. Fode Sani, a teenage boy in Kimiya, is continuing to listen as well.
- We have recently had an outbreak of Yellow Fever in our area. It is a deadly disease that often occurs in epidemics. Médcins sans Frontières (Physicians without Borders) spearheaded a vaccination program whose aim was to vaccinate every person in our entire area. Thousands were vaccinated. A number of people died before the vaccines arrived, but no doubt countless were saved due to the aid given by that organization. Praise the Lord with us for providing for the local population in that way and pray for those who lost family members to Yellow Fever.
- Continue to pray for the health of Jim's close friend, Abdoulay, (an older believer). Abdoulay was referred to a neurologist in Conakry, and just recently came back from seeing that doctor. He received some medications, but the doctor's main instruction to him was that he needs to walk lots and work hard. Pray that he will get the needed excercise and that God will heal his body.
