Jonathan, Naomi and family serve in West Africa.
Recently Jonathan helped to organise a Mobilising for missions conference for local pastors.
Please pray for the Lord to work through what was heard to stir up the hearts of the church leaders to move towards reaching the least-reached. Jonathan and Naomi have been heartened to hear how different individuals have been encouraged and challenged by it.
They are hoping to be able to run a 1-day mobilising conference for a young adults’ outreach group sometime in the autumn to challenge them about the need for workers among the least-reached.
There is potential for a Bible training course to start in September in the town where they live.
This month is a key time for promoting the course. Please pray:
i. That the pastors who attended the conference would identify and send us people from their churches whom they want to see trained as cross-cultural missionaries.
ii. For Jonathan as he goes round speaking to pastors and individuals – for wisdom in how to present and promote the course to potential students.
iii. That the Lord would send them those who will be faithful, teachable, and eager to learn more of God’s Word.
Please pray as Jonathan and Naomi also think about the practical arrangements for running the course – it will involve a change of rhythm for their whole family (and likely more evening meeting commitments). Please pray for wisdom for them to know how to make this work well for their kids.
They are thankful that Jonathan had a good week of teaching through 1 Corinthians at the local Bible college. He had some good discussions on topics that are practically very relevant in West Africa (for example whether to eat food offered to idols). Please pray that the Spirit would help them apply the things they learnt to their hearts and lives.
Jonathan has been preparing two lessons for a module for those training in the capital – about financing missions and another about church planting in an unreached people group.
Naomi spoke to a ladies group today (Sunday afternoon) on whether we can be sure of heaven and what it means to be joined to Christ. Please pray for continued clear interactions in Wolof, and that the ladies would be willing to keep attending and would understand what is being taught. Some of them have very little Bible understanding, and many of them can’t read (in any language).
Jonathan continues to preach twice a month at their local church. Please pray that he would continue to find time to work on his French, especially pronunciation. The Sunday school children are all being given Bible lesson workbooks to complete over the summer (local schools have nearly four months off; some of the children will go away to their family village over the break.) Please pray that they would grow in love for the Lord and His Word.
Praise the Lord that the copyright issue with the literacy materials has been resolved this week! Please pray for wisdom for their team for the next steps moving forward. They are particularly praying that they would be provided with faithful, patient teachers who are motivated by a love for people and a love for God’s Word. Please pray that this project might be a way through which West African believers would be brought into closer fellowship with the Lord as through a clearer understanding of His Word.
Their children finish school for the summer soon, and they are all looking forward to a break. Please pray that as a family they would be patient and gracious with one another (harder to do in hot, humid weather), and that their children would all be walking with the Lord.