MAGAZINE & PRAYER DIARY

Africa Inland Mission’s JAN-MAR 2016

Christ-centred churches among all African peoples

26COMMUNITY DECISION MAKING:

REACHING FAMILIES AMONG THE ALAGWA

18FAMILIES, FISHING & FRIENDS:

GET TO KNOW THE ANTAKARANAOF MADGASCAR

04WHY BOTHER

WITH SUPPORT &PASTORAL CARE?

Looking for more prayer resources? Visit our website:

www.aimint.org/eu/prayer

04 WHY BOTHERWITH PASTORALCARE?

Mark Phippen shares about the importance of member care and his personal journey into counselling and mission.

18 GET TO KNOWTHE ANTAKARANA

Team member Kelly Segit shares photos and stories of her friends from the village of Marimbehely.

26 REACHINGFAMILIES AMONGTHE ALAGWA

Where community is of ultimate importance in decision making, our team is praying for whole families to come to faith.

04 WHY BOTHER WITH SUPPORT & PASTORAL CARE?Dr Mark Phippen shares about the importance of caring for missionaries.

06 NEWSUpdates from the Sakalava, ‘In Memory’ of Joyce Richardson and dates for your diary.

08 JAN 1-9Learn more about a new aviation ministry in the Indian Ocean Islands.

10 JAN 10-16Exciting new developments in mobilising through a partnership with UCB.

12 JAN 17-23Tim & Bron Heaton share news of church planting among the Mwani in Mozambique.

14 JAN 24-30Read how we are seeking to reach the unreached Zigua of Tanzania.

16 JAN 31 - FEB 6The Personnel team in our Nottingham office share about their work.

18 FEB 7-13Get to know some of the Antakarana people on Nosy Mitsio, Madagascar

22 FEB 14-20Learn about a new team heading to Central African Republic.

24 FEB 21-27Pray for the country and people of D.R. Congo.

26 FEB 28 - 5 MARRead of lives changed among the Alagwa of Tanzania.

28 MAR 6-12Find out more about some of AIM’s work on the island of Mayotte.

30 MAR 13-19Meet our new members Paul & Helen Shepherd.

32 MAR 20-31Our Short Termers share about their work in Africa.

2

by Laura Perbet

HE WILL GO BEFORE US…

“Our brothers and sisters (and their families) need solid, prayerful, Jesus-centred, family-like care…”

Among the Alagwa of Tanzania (page 26) and the Mwani of Mozambique (page 12) we are praying for families to come to know their heavenly Father.

This edition of Connect reflects throughout on the role of family in God’s Great Commission. The language of family is interwoven throughout scripture: God as our heavenly Father, we are adopted as children, Jesus

Christ is the firstborn. We are told to treat our younger fellow believers as brothers and sisters and our elders as mothers and fathers, making each member of the church our spiritual family. On Paul’s missionary journeys, entire households were baptised, and today God continues to send his children to reach those, including whole families, who don’t yet know his name.

As AIM focuses more on reaching the unreached in Africa, that means sending people either to urban centres or remote and hard rural locations. Our brothers and sisters who are sent face unique cultural, environmental and spiritual struggles that are intrinsic to living in these locations. Access is difficult and changeable, education for children is limited or characterised by a shame-based system, women, and young girls may be treated with intolerance or hostility. The list could go on.

Our brothers and sisters (and their families) need solid, prayerful, Jesus-centred, family-like care if they are going to do more than survive. They need support structures, encouraging words, good leadership and sometimes the help of someone professionally trained as Mark Phippen elaborates on page four. Most of all they need to be continually pointed to their ‘older brother’ who has gone before them and is with them in all things.

Despite the challenges there is joy to be had in these places, it may be hard won, but isn’t that the story of scripture? The father God who freely sent his son, Jesus who surrendered his life to defeat sin and death and who has freely given us his Spirit, is on the move in these places. He is irresistibly drawing people, even whole households, into his church.

3

by Mark Phippen

WHY BOTHER:WITH SUPPORT &PASTORAL CARE

TUMAINI COUNSELLING CENTREThe Tumaini Counselling Centre has beautiful gardens that host a wide variety of plants and birds.

Mark Phippen shares about the importance of member care and his personal journey into counselling and mission.

CALLED TO COUNSEL

My father was a missionary and I was born in India. But

back in the UK as an adult I felt a clear leading to work as a counsellor in UK universities. Over many years I listened to calls from missionaries with interest – but I thought that God called evangelists, medics, teachers and others to mission, not counsellors!

Twenty or thirty years ago most mission organisations thought this too.

But in 2010 I heard about Tumaini, the Counselling Centre run by AIM. Tumaini means ‘hope’ in Swahili. It is based in Nairobi, Kenya, and supports missionaries belonging to AIM and many other Christian missions in Africa.

I felt challenged to rethink my direction. In 2011, my wife and I made a short-term visit to Tumaini, and I felt called to apply to serve long term.

When I was accepted, I took early retirement from my post as Head of Counselling at Cambridge University, and we arrived in Nairobi in January 2014, joining the highly experienced team of counsellors, psychologists and psychiatrists to take up the role of Clinical Team Leader.

IT IS GOD WHO IS EXTRAORDINARY

What is the work of Tumaini? First, our clinical staff are themselves missionaries, members of AIM or other mission organisations. In supporting the work of reaching the unreached with the gospel, our task is not merely psychological, but spiritual.

In a cross-cultural setting, there’s great potential for isolation, heightened stress, and emotional overload. The overwhelming needs put us at risk for textbook “compassion fatigue”. And the environment – war-torn countries, high crime, bad roads, and other perils – opens a door to all kinds of possible trauma, both physical and emotional.

Good member care can

make the difference between flourishing and merely coping on the mission field, between retiring strong and retiring bitter or disillusioned, between a whole career and a single term. And it can make the difference between another generation following in our footsteps or taking one look at missions and deciding it’s just too costly a path.

But AIM cares for its missionaries. Tumaini was founded in 1991 and we are

MARK &BARBARAPHIPPEN

Mark works as a counsellor and Clinical Team Leader

at Tumaini Counselling Centre, part of AIM Care, which supports missionaries from AIM and other organisations. Tumaini provides preventative and restorative mental health services and pastoral care. Barbara teaches English to theology students and co-leads a ladies’ Bible study group at Africa International University.

4

about to celebrate its 25th anniversary in January. Over these years the numbers of missionaries we see has steadily grown to 350 – 400 per year, including couples, families and missionary children. It has become a world-leader in this field, and is the only specialist member care centre of its kind

on the African continent. In early 2016 we are opening a new counselling centre in Kampala, Uganda, to better support missionaries in central Africa.

Missionaries are just ordinary people – it is God who is extraordinary, not us! So, please join us in the work of member care by praying for Tumaini – including for additional staff in Nairobi and Kampala. Our work is not just a matter of clinical expertise, for “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against … spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” Ephesians 6:12).

For more about the work of Tumaini Counselling Centre, visit their website at www.tumainicounselling.net

“We support the work of reaching the unreached with the gospel. Our task is not merely psychological, but spiritual.”

GROWINGTumaini sees 350-400 people per

year, including couples, families and missionary children. It has become a world-leader in this field.

Find out about opportunities to serve in Support & Pastoral Care: eu.aimint.org/go/support

TUMAINI HOUSINGPROJECT

Additional staffing is the prime need at Tumaini.

While the numbers of missionaries coming to Tumaini is increasing, the number of our clinical staff is currently reducing.

But sometimes the fruitfulness of a project comes down to very practical things – in this case, to bricks and mortar!

We need to build four two-bedroom apartments for staff on the compound, because rented housing in Nairobi is becoming unaffordable within a mission context. Moreover, the frequent traffic jams can add up to two hours at the start and end of the working day to travel just a few miles.

So we plan to build on land we already own at the Tumaini compound; the architectural plans are drawn, and we start with £30,000 committed towards the total £200,000 needed.

If you can help please contact Ben Edwards at AIM Europe on +44 (0)115 983 8132 or financeadmin.eu@aimint.org quoting ‘Tumaini Housing Project’ Thank you so much!

5

In April 2013 AIM sent a Training in Ministry Outreach (TIMO) team to the Sakalava people living on the island of Nosy Be, Madagascar.

We shared news from the team in September 2015 but on 20 August 2014 we specifically asked readers of AIM’s prayer diary to pray for a Sakalavan band. Ladys, Matis and Edme, the leaders of the band created songs from Daniel

3:28 and Isaiah 43:1-3. We asked that as the band sing God’s word in their own language, that they would get to know him. And they have!

Ladys, Matis, Edme, Lino and Fabio, committed their lives to Jesus on the 29 October 2015, giving their testimonies at the AIM Conference in Antsirabe, Madagascar.

Let us rejoice and celebrate God’s salvation!

To find out more about opportunities to serve among Africa’s people visit: eu.aimint.org/go

CELEBRATING GOD’S SALVATION AMONGST THE SAKALAVA

SAKALAVA BANDLEFT: ‘The Band’ are a group of local Sakalavan

musicians who turned scripture they had learnt into songs.

6

REMEMBERINGJOYCE RICHARDSON

Over the last year we have seen

God soften hearts among unreached people groups, we have heard stories of those who have

never heard of Jesus turn to him and give their lives to him. We have seen the African church passionate about reaching their communities with the gospel, and longing

to learn more of the God they serve.

Next year, could you be part of this work? Find out about your role at one of our conferences:

SEE WHAT GOD HAS DONE…

On 15 October 2015 we heard Joyce’s prayers had been answered, she was free from pain and discomfort, she had gone to be with the Lord.

NOT JUST A SUNNY PLACE

Joyce was born in the Belgian Congo where her parents, Kenneth & Dorothy

Richardson, were working in Adi, seeking to plant a church among the Kakwa people. The birth of a white child caused quite a stir, and on a number of Sundays people from the villages flocked to the church to see her. From the beginning Joyce had a missionary role! Following Joyce, her brother David was born with whom she would go on to carry out a good deal of her later ministry.

Her personal call to mission came in 1946 at the Keswick Convention. She referred to

it as another ‘roller coaster’ experience until, she wrote, ‘I and everyone else were convinced I had a “call” – not just a desire to return to a sunny place!’ To prepare herself to obey that call Joyce went to Redcliffe College from 1947 to 1949, then was accepted by AIM and returned to Congo in 1951. Her assignment was to a place called Todro where she worked mainly among women.

ANOTHER TEN YEARS From 1963-1980 she was

back in the UK, caring for her

parents now quite elderly and frail, and working too with AIM’s UK office for a number of years as prayer secretary. In 1980, in Joyce’s words, “David and I felt we could do another ten years” and they returned to Adi, serving there until retirement in 1990. They organised conferences in the villages to encourage pastors in their ministry. This was the period Joyce found the most satisfying, building on all she and David had done before.

A WOMAN OF PRAYER Joyce was a woman of

prayer. She kept up with many people and prayed regularly and systematically for friends and colleagues, African and western. As one AIM colleague has written, she and David were role models for many younger missionaries about a generation ago, and were held in high regard by the African friends and colleagues with whom they served.

When asked to sum up her life as a missionary in March 2010 she wrote with humility:

“It was always a ‘learning curve’! Many mistakes were made – but I would not have missed it. It has been a very satisfying life and I thank God for it all.”

“They organised conferences in the villages to encourage pastors in their ministry.”

23 APRIL - SCOTTISH CONFERENCE 10AM - 4PMPerth Baptist Church, 14 Almond View, Perth, PH1 1QQ (Includes lunch. £20 for adults, £10 for students & older children, young children free)

23 APRIL - SOUTHERN CONFERENCE 1.30PM - 5.30PMSt Patrick’s Church, 47 Park Hill Rd, Wallington, Surrey, SM6 0RU

LEFT TO RIGHT: David (Joyce’s brother) and Joyce Richardson with their good friend and colleague Evelyn.

7

The Indian Ocean Islands boast picture-postcard beaches, dramatic volcanic peaks and an array of rare wildlife. Alongside this beauty lies corrupt governance, political bickering, failing infrastructure, and a sputtering economy. The National Anthem declares they are one people, one blood and one religion, and with 99.9% of the population being Muslims this is not far from the truth. It’s to this context that AIM is sending an aviation team, seeking to share with Islanders not only their skills and experience but most importantly, the gospel. Jon*, the team leader, shares about the vision:

WHY AN AVIATION TEAM?

“All pilots are liars and no one can actually follow all the rules,”

an Island aviation official told me recently. Sadly in Africa, that is often true. It’s into this ‘wild’ industry that we will go as Christian workers

displaying integrity and professionalism. Working to the best of our ability we hope to raise the standards of the Island airline company we will work for and improve safety, not just for Islanders but for AIM missionaries, and other Christian personnel as we fly them across the Island group.

We also recognise that as pilots and aviation personnel we will have unique opportunities to build relationships with particular segments of society. People with power and influence, those who in accepting the gospel could be instrumental in helping the message gain acceptance here.

SHARING OUR LIVESWe are overjoyed that

professional aviation skills open the door for Christian workers to go to the Islands, letting them live, work and share their lives with Muslim people who otherwise may have no opportunity to hear about the hope that we have. We pray that God will raise up people for this team who will show God’s love and share his truth in their personal lives and relationships. We hope to see families sent who will open their homes and hearts, sharing their lives with Island families, displaying in their relationships something of the love of God.

BUILDING THE TEAM Recently we have heard

that our first team members are on their way to join us. They are an aviation mechanic from Kenya and a nurse from Ethiopia. They are still working on the last few details but we hope they will be able to join us in early 2016. We are thanking God for this blessing

“We pray that God will raise up people who will show God’s love and share his truth in their personal lives…”

Find out more about serving on this team: eu.aimint.org/go/aviationteam

January 1-9

MINISTRY FOCUS:ISLANDS AVIATION TEAM

8

and continuing to pray that he will give more professional aviators the passion and desire to put their skills to work and live out their faith in this strategic location for the kingdom. We believe that having an international group of professional aviators who all proclaim the same faith in Christ and who all live it out in kindness, love, and integrity will have a tremendous impact on those who will be watching us!

* surname witheld for security

1 JANUARY | FRIDAYHappy New Year! Please

pray that throughout 2016 our lives will model Christ and his love. Pray that the love we show to those around us, both those of us working in Africa and those supporting at home, will draw many to Jesus and that we will see great fruit this year for his kingdom.

2 JANUARY | SATURDAYPlease pray for the

proposed team to go to the Islands. Pray for people to be raised up to go, and that they will be people whose lives are so controlled by the Spirit that their love for each other, love for the people, and their reaction to adversity can only be ascribed to their faith by observers.

3 JANUARY | SUNDAYPlease pray for the

community that this team will live among. We pray that through language learning and sharing their lives and homes the team will be able to develop relationships with the community where the love of Jesus can be demonstrated and shared.

4 JANUARY | MONDAYGod has equipped us as

a body with different parts that complement each other and only become effective through cooperation. As a spiritual body, pray that the team would work together well in terms of accountability and encouragement as they study language and the Bible together in day-to-day life.

5 JANUARY | TUESDAYThe team will not be

functioning alone. Although they will form an aviation team, they will work in partnership with other kingdom workers on their and other islands. Pray that these relationships will be a

blessing both to the aviation team and to other workers and that unity would prevail.

6 JANUARY | WEDNESDAYThe team will be working

towards the development of reliable, safe, and customer-focused air service in the Islands. Pray that they will quickly be able to identify and adopt the best strategies to achieve this aim, especially for the team leaders as they work with the aviation authorities.

7 JANUARY | THURSDAYThe team will be seeking

to cooperate with respected local individuals and organisations. Pray that these people and organisations will catch the team’s vision to promote international aviation standards and best practices in the Islands. Pray too that the team will be able to build relationships with the people they are working with, and develop ways in which they can share the gospel.

8 JANUARY | FRIDAYPray that the Islands will

be blessed by safe air travel, leading to greater tourism and therefore economic growth. Many Island families have members who live abroad, so pray that safe air travel will strengthen family ties and allow those who have received the gospel while abroad to return and share with their families the hope they have in Christ.

9 JANUARY | SATURDAYPray for AIM mobilising

teams around the world as we seek to share information about this opportunity to serve in Africa. Pray for wisdom as we seek to publicise this opportunity at the right events. Pray too for those considering this posting, that they would be able to discern God’s call on their lives.

WEEKLYFOCUS

AIM is currently looking to send a team of aviation

professionals and their families to work in the Indian Ocean Islands. Please pray for people to join this team who abide in Christ, and who will work with integrity in the aviation industry for the benefit of the country. The team will live in community with the Islanders, seeking to share their faith and see churches planted.

9

January 10-16

MOBILISINGMISSION

We asked Tim Matthews, Mobiliser for the North of England & Wales, what life has been like for him over the last few months and how he is seeking to share opportunities to serve in Africa.

WORKING TOGETHER

Life for me as a mobiliser, over the autumn months, was varied, maybe a little

chaotic, but certainly full of worthwhile people to see and things to do that work together as we seek to encourage the church and individuals to find their place in the Great Commission.

Through my contacts with UCB Radio we’ve been asked to put together a series of 21 one minute broadcasts about cross-cultural mission with AIM. Time has been spent in putting together the plan and outlines for this, and more recently putting together the audio files ready to broadcast in January.

November is the season for the University Christian Union Global Missions tours, put on in partnership with UCCF and

the regional Mission Agencies Partnerships (MAPs). My involvement is with Central and North West/East MAPs and, as well as helping to put together the event workshops, I’ve been the speaker at quite a number. I also chair the Central MAP just now and we’ve been looking how we can better engage with local churches.

GETTING THE BALANCEStaff meetings happen

three or four times each year in Nottingham for three days and are good opportunities to meet, talk, pray together and work out our strategy for the future.

I’m looking forward to leading a Church weekend in Nottingham in February – and will be preparing early to get the right balance of activity and talks that hold together and give a weekend that’s enjoyable and memorable for the right reasons, and that encourage a greater and deeper engagement with mission.

November also saw a week

at the FIEC leader’s conference. A great way to network with church leaders and whilst there I was interviewed about world mission and how local mission is not enough. The interview will be available on the FIEC website soon. (fiec.org.uk)

And then, there are debriefs with short and long term missionaries, hearing their lows and highs, what they’ve learned and how these are helping them form future plans; talking with new missionaries as they plan and prepare to go on first assignments; keeping in touch with serving missionaries and recently retired ones and working with a number of new candidates as they go through the application process; preaching about mission on a number of Sundays in places stretching from Ross-on-Wye to Blackburn; and writing articles like this for Connect.

Live in the North of England/Wales? Interested in serving in Africa? Contact Tim: north.eu@aimint.org

10

UNITED CHRISTIANBROADCASTERS

We have a story to tell, and we’d love to tell it to those Christians who wouldn’t

normally have an opportunity to hear. It’s an urgent, dramatic and exciting story of what God is doing through our involvement in so many different aspects of mission throughout Africa. And it’s the story of how the church in the UK is partnering with us to see Christ-centred churches among all African peoples.

Through a new partnership with UCB Radio we are able to share this story through a series of 21 broadcasts, hearing from many different people involved with AIM which will give a real life insight to the world of cross-cultural mission.

It’s an opportunity for UCB listeners and others online, who are unaware of AIM, to be encouraged, challenged and, we hope, inspired to find a way to be involved in the Great Commission’s aim to make disciples of all peoples. Including those who have no opportunity to hear the gospel unless someone goes to them and tells them the good news about Jesus Christ.

You can enjoy the story as it’s broadcast on UCB and through www.aboutafrcia.org.uk where the story will be enlarged with additional resources and information.

WEEKLY FOCUS

Over the next five years we have set

some ambitious targets for the mobilisation of long and short term missionaries. Please pray for godly wisdom and discernment as I make choices surrounding my activities, that I will be best able to support those God is raising up for mission.

10 JANUARY SUNDAY

During January, UCB radio will be broadcasting 21 one minute pieces about mission, supplied by AIM missionaries and coordinated by me. Pray that these will help inform and mobilise Christians across the UK about the need and urgency of world mission

11 JANUARY MONDAY

CMAP (Central Missions Agencies Partnership) is a group of mission agencies working across the Midlands. Together we are trying to develop more effective ways of engaging with local churches in the area. Pray for good insights for the group as I chair our meetings.

12 JANUARY TUESDAY

I’m currently working with a number of new missionaries preparing to leave for the field and a number of new candidates going through the application process. Pray that I will be able to encourage them and their churches helpfully.

13 JANUARY WEDNESDAY

January should have seen me on an Africa trip, but this was rescheduled to April/May. Pray that my trip will be useful to those I visit as I also learn from the ‘coalface’ and that the Lord will guide my planning and itinerary.

14 JANUARY THURSDAY

Pray that I wouldn’t just be busy but use my time wisely and above all take

time to walk closely with our heavenly Father so I can effectively serve those he brings across my way.

15 JANUARY FRIDAY

My son James is in his last year of 6th form, and step-daughter Georgia is now part-way through a gap year in Australia with family there – both are 18 years old. Pray that they will know more of Jesus as they work through their hopes and plans for their futures, and that my wife, Heather, & I won’t miss Georgia too much!

16 JANUARY SATURDAY

Along with the other mobilisers, I do a lot of travelling. I’m grateful to God for his protection and provision in these practical matters but don’t take such things for granted. Pray that I would be continually aware of God’s care and providence.

WEEKLY FOCUS

Praise God that he is the Lord of the

harvest. Pray for an outpouring of his Spirit among the Mwani people in Northern Mozambique and other areas where AIM is seeking to church plant.

Tim & Bronwen Heaton, with their children Katie & Jamie, have been serving in Pemba, Mozambique, seeking to share the gospel among the Mwani people and see a church established.

EVEN UNDER A MANGO TREE

Many books have been written over the years outlining strategies for church planting

among unreached people groups. Many of those groups are Muslim tribes. Someone asked recently why do we need to be so intentional and focus on a strategy; surely God’s Spirit will lead where he wants us to work? God, I think, is fairly intentional about the

church’s mission: “How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent?” Romans 10:14-15a

To see a church planting movement in an unreached area takes a huge step. Someone first needs to go, preferably a team, to leave one culture and enter into another culture and language. Secondly a ‘person of peace’ should be found. This is a person who will open up their family home and receive the gospel. Then the family need to be discipled and challenged to witness to their friends and call them to

The Mwani live along the coast of northern Mozambique. The word “Mwani” means “beach” in their language.

17 JANUARY SUNDAY

Pray for families among the Mwani people of Mozambique to be open to the gospel. Historically it has been a challenge to find a family who could be the start of a church. So far only individuals have become followers, but distrust makes it difficult for them to meet together.

18 JANUARY MONDAY

Pray for more workers with a passion for church planting, especially for local African evangelists in the areas where AIM is working. This year in Mozambique many foreign missionaries working with the Mwani tribe have left or are leaving.

19 JANUARY TUESDAY

Pray for Shakito, one of the first Mwani believers and co-translator of the Bible in Kimwani, as he leads and disciples the few believers in Pemba, northern Mozambique. His has a lonely path as his wife and family have chosen firmly not to follow Christ.

January 17-23

MINISTRY FOCUS:CHURCH PLANTING

EXCITING NEWS ANDREALLY GOOD NEWS

One late afternoon, team members in Pemba were listening to Mrs F’s exciting news about her new job. Grace realised this could

be the last chance to share the gospel, so on the spur of the moment, shared the good news of the cross.

Mrs F was really excited and with teary eyes, immediately asked Grace what she had to do to follow the Messiah. Listening and obeying immediately, she vowed to remove all the amulets she possessed, as well as medicines from witchdoctors. Since then, Grace and Kristen have been discipling her, looking at issues of persecution, baptism and how to share the good news. When asked, she was enthusiastic about baptism. So the following week they walked down to the beach at high tide. Just before going into the water, Mrs F asked: “Does this mean I will no longer be a Muslim?” It was a hard question to answer, so Grace asked back, “What does being a Muslim mean to you?” Mrs F answered “I don’t know”. Like many others here, “To be Mwani is to be Muslim”. Many people take the name of a Muslim, without really understanding much of the belief. So Grace asked a different question: “Do you want to follow the Messiah?” She was sure of that, what it meant to follow, and that her allegiance is solely to Jesus now.

20 JANUARY WEDNESDAY

Pray that individual Mwani believers would recognise God’s call and their need to meet together in fellowship and keep witnessing to others. This has been a challenge in many areas of Africa where AIM has been church planting.

21 JANUARY THURSDAY

Praise God that much of the Bible bas been translated into Kimwani. Pray the distribution of these Bibles will continue and that the word of God would be a powerful call in the hearts of the Mwani.

22 JANUARY FRIDAY

Praise God for the baptism of new believers at the end of last year in Pemba. Pray also for the growing number of believers in areas like Quissanga and Ibo Island. Lift up these new believers into God’s care as workers leave. Pray for God to raise up and strengthen local leadership.

23 JANUARY SATURDAY

Pray for the mobilisation of the local established churches in northern Mozambique to see the need and have a heart to reach out to their Muslim neighbours. Pray especially for Patrick & Violet Nabwera who train Mozambicans in mission in Mocimboa da Praia.

For opportunities in Church Planting, visit: eu.aimint.org/go/church-planting

join together in fellowship. This meeting together, whether in a home, rented building or under a mango tree, is the body of Christ.

EVEN RISKING REJECTIONThe barriers can seem enormous when

we consider both the cross-cultural shock for the workers and the fear and shame for those locals who choose to follow Jesus. They must consider a departure from their long-standing traditions and beliefs and risk the rejection of their community. In most African societies, conformity and not individualism is seen as praiseworthy. One of the greatest challenges we have faced recently is having these new believers commit not just to following Christ but also to commit themselves to love each other as the body of Christ.

T4T (Training for Trainers) has been a huge encouragement for the team in Pemba, Mozambique. It is a church planting tool first developed in Asia. The idea is to have a continually growing number of church planting trainers and so from day one the new believer is challenged to share his faith with others. It is a far cry from a model that suggests we must first pass through discipleship courses, evangelistic training sessions or theological seminars before we are mature enough to be sent to share the gospel.

“The idea is to have a continually growing number of church planting trainers…”

13

Little education, little healthcare, no gospel witness. This is the state of the Zigua people in KomSanga village located in northeastern Tanzania.

ONE HUNDRED PERCENT

In 2011 the Africa Inland Church Tanzania (AICT) Bagamoyo undertook a research programme among the Zigua of KomSanga

village and found them to be absolutely unreached with the gospel. One hundred percent of the village claim to be Muslim. There is no primary or secondary school. There is no permanent water source. There is no medical clinic. The Zigua in this area of KomSanga live desperately in need of both social and spiritual help.

THE VISIONTogether with the AICT our vision is to bring

the gospel to the KomSanga village through the establishment of holistic ministries within the community. In the process of meeting their felt needs, it is expected that the good news of the gospel can be shared with this Muslim community, and strong, evangelical, reproducing AICT churches can be established in the village and surrounding area among the Zigua people.

HUB OF GOSPEL WORKRecently, the AICT acquired land and started

to build a primary school in KomSanga which will be the hub of gospel work in the area, and they have plans to recruit two Tanzanian

teachers to work in the school. This though in itself is not enough, which is why the AICT has requested that we join in the work by sending a Training in Ministry Outreach (TIMO) team to live among the people in KomSanga village. The local community will help them learn language, introduce them to the Zigua culture, and assist them to know how to live in a remote Tanzanian village. Eventually these gospel workers will be able to give back, using the local language to relate the Bible in story form and begin to introduce their community to the gospel. The team members will also commit to joining AICT efforts in providing educational and medical services to the community through a holistic approach which the AICT is calling ‘Evangelism Through Social Services.’

Together we will provide a variety of community services. This could include assisting with education in the proposed primary school, providing health care (midwifery services have been specifically requested by the community) and training in conservation agriculture while we focus on planting an indigenous church that will eventually have local leaders from among the Zigua people. It is our prayer that this church will in turn reach out to surrounding communities and bring the good news to their neighbors, both Zigua and other Muslim people groups.

Find out more about the Zigua TIMO team: eu.aimint.org/go/zigua

PEOPLE FOCUS:THE ZIGUA

January 24-30

14

24 JANUARY SUNDAY

Day-to-day life for the Zigua is very hard. In the village of KomSanga not even the water source is reliable. Pray these people who are used to difficulty and hardship would respond with enthusiasm to the free gift of salvation offered in Christ.

25 JANUARY MONDAY

Give thanks for the vision of the Africa Inland Church Tanzania to take the gospel to the Zigua. Pray that their plans to build a primary school in KomSanga would go smoothly and that in this building project the Zigua would begin to see God’s love in action.

26 JANUARY TUESDAY

We currently have plans to send a Training in Ministry Outreach (TIMO) team to work and share their lives amongst the Zigua from September 2017. Pray that mobilising offices around the world would work well with enquirers and that a dedicated team would come forward.

27 JANUARY WEDNESDAY

Pray for team leaders, Jeremy & Leah Krahn as they prepare for ministry among the Zigua. Pray for them as they oversee preparations for the team’s arrival, including the building of houses. Pray too for them as they learn more about the language and culture of the Zigua.

28 JANUARY THURSDAY

The TIMO team will work very closely with missionaries from the AICT. Pray for unity in all they do, that the Zigua would know the team members are Christians because of the love they have for one another.

29 JANUARY FRIDAY

Initially the team will seek to share the gospel in practical ways, meeting the needs expressed by the community. Pray this will lead to the community asking questions about their motivation and be prepared to open their hearts to the team and the gospel they seek to share.

30 JANUARY SATURDAY

The team will inevitably face difficulties in their service. Pray that throughout their preparations to serve and their time in KomSanga that they would hold on to the vision of an indigenous church among the Zigua, a foretaste of the time when all nations will worship before the Lamb.

WEEKLY FOCUS

The Zigua people of KomSanga

village in northeastern Tanzania have never heard the gospel. Please pray that even before missionaries go to live among them and share the good news that God would be softening their hearts to his message of love and redemption.

Download a prayer sheet on the Zigua: eu.aimint.org/pray/zigua

HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET

Could you be part of a two-year TIMO team starting in September 2017? AIM team

leaders, Jeremy & Leah Krahn are looking for people who will work together with two AICT families. It is their desire that all members who join this team will be open to prayerfully evaluating the Lord’s call for them to stay on after the TIMO team and participate in the long term vision of reaching the Zigua. The TIMO team members will be participating in AICT outreach efforts. Therefore we are looking for individuals passionate about education, medical work, or community development such as conservation agriculture or water development.

We long to see the Zigua reached with the gospel. Our goal is to continue working among the Zigua people group in KomSanga until we see evangelical believers with established churches and trained Zigua church leaders. Then we will depart and leave all continuing work among the Zigua to the AICT and any indigenous evangelical churches which may have been initiated during that time.

15

Kathryn Hubbard, Personnel Administrator shares about the practicalities of supporting mission partners through their service in Africa.

Sending missionaries is not just a case of finding the right people and

flying them out to Africa, never to be seen until their next Home Assignment. It isn’t merely ‘missionary’ Human Resources, either. In the Personnel Department we are at the forefront of member care, sharing the experience, vision and calling of AIM as well as providing support before, during and after service.

FIRST CONTACT TO FIELDWe’re a first point of

contact for people interested in serving with AIM, whether it’s Tom (Short Term Coordinator), Rosemary (Short Term Administrator) or me answering enquiry emails, or our Mobilisers running

exhibition stands and visiting Christian Unions and churches. We want to help people to work out where God is calling them to, so we hold seminars and meet with enquirers to tell them more about how people can serve with AIM and what being in Africa is like.

We then make sure that missionaries are prepared for their ministry, taking them through pre-field training, working with their supporting church to offer spiritual, emotional and practical preparation. Practical arrangements can include education plans for children and providing resources through which missionaries can generate prayer and financial support. During European Based Orientation we also seek to encourage missionaries to consider how they will deepen their relationship with the Lord, especially in environments where there is no church.

MINISTRY FOR MEMBERSOnce missionaries have

gone out to Africa the European office still has member care responsibilities for them. Peter (Personnel Director) and Laura (Associate Personnel Director) ensure they are well supported, liasing closely with field offices to make sure systems are in place if something were to go wrong, and to provide accountability and encouragement throughout ministry.

When missionaries return from the field, we debrief whole families, helping them to process their time in Africa.Our Mobilisers’ liaise with them and their sending churches in welcoming them home after the end of their service with AIM.

It’s a pleasure to be able to support the families and individuals whom God has sent from Europe to serve in Africa from all the way ‘back home’ and we pray that they are encouraged by our support.

Jan 31 - Feb 6

MOBILISING MISSION

Home assignment conference in July is organised by the Personnel team.

Interest in serving amongst Africa’s peoples? Contact Kathryn: personneladmin.eu@aimint.org

16

MANY REASONSEdith Currie, recently retired from service at the Africa Inland Church (AIC) Missionary College in Eldoret, Kenya, shares how the Personnel Department has supported her through her years in Africa.

In May 2015 I retired from active missionary service with AIM after 30 years

in Africa. During that time, I have greatly valued the support that has been provided by the Personnel Department, whether I was serving in Africa or during home assignment in the UK. I particularly remember the time that my father passed away. When I arrived back in the UK, the AIM Personnel Director at that time met me at the airport and then drove me all the way home (a distance of 250 miles). This is indicative of the kind of member care provided by the department. In addition, I have appreciated the ‘listening ear’ they provide and being able to discuss issues that have arisen on the mission field or on home assignment. Most recently, I have really valued the help provided by the whole office as I prepared for retirement. They took time to write to my supporting churches and friends. Also, there was good liaison with the finance department to check on my financial position. I have many reasons to be grateful to those who serve or have served in the European office.

WEEKLY FOCUS

AIM Europe’s Personnel Department mobilises,

equips, sends and supports long term and short term missionaries to serve in Africa. Please pray for us as we seek to help churches send increasing numbers of missionaries over coming years and provide good care for our missionaries already serving in Africa.

31 JANUARY | SUNDAYPlease pray for

wisdom for Tom, Rosemary and Kathryn as they respond to enquiries about serving with AIM in short and long term mission. Pray that they will be helpful first points of contact for people exploring their calling to mission.

1 FEBRUARY | MONDAYWe regularly run Into

Africa? seminars introducing enquirers to what being a missionary in Africa is like and the work of AIM. Please pray they will be useful for people exploring God’s calling to mission and that we will see more enquirers become missionaries.

2 FEBRUARY TUESDAY

Please pray for our Mobilisers as they take enquirers through the application process. Please also pray for discernment and sensitivity to God’s guiding for those who interview potential mission partners.

3 FEBRUARY WEDNESDAY

Finding a suitable assignment for new missionaries requires coordination between our office and our regional offices in Africa. Please pray for good communication and wisdom in helping missionaries to discern where and how to serve.

4 FEBRUARY THURSDAY

The partnership between AIM and our missionaries’ sending churches is vital in sending people to serve in Africa. Please pray for unity and good relationships between AIM and the churches we work with so that together we can give our missionaries the home support they need.

5 FEBRUARY | FRIDAYMember care for the

European Mobilising Office often involves debrief meetings for our mission partners who have returned from Africa for Home Assignment. Please pray for Peter, Laura and our Mobilisers as they care for the needs of our long term mission partners.

6 FEBRUARY SATURDAY

Praise God for the years of service of our retired mission partners and for how they faithfully support current mission partners financially and in prayer. Please pray that God will continue to use them for his glory in retirement and keep them walking closely with him.

“It’s a pleasure to support the families and individuals whom God has sent…”

February 7-9 >>

PEOPLE FOCUS:THE ANTAKARANA

7 FEBRUARY SUNDAY

Abodolahedy, Partner of Mama Najaty and father to Adimon (18), Kajdini (16), Abodolanjiji (15), Mwanahagni (13), & Rokilan (10) is a hard worker and is always either fishing and diving to provide for his family, or he’s helping to build and repair homes.

In a culture where there isn’t any physical affection ever shown and it’s common (or even expected) to cheat on your partner, it’s heart-warming to see a man that loves his woman, the way Abodolahedy loves Mama Najaty. They’re an lovely couple and he’s so sweet towards her.

Please pray that Abodolahedy would come to know the Lord and love Jesus with all his heart.

WEEKLYFOCUS

The Training in Ministry Outreach (TIMO) team serving among the Antakarana on Nosy Mitsio, Madagascar have

recently had a month away from the island. During that time, Kelly Segit, a member of the team, shared some photos of her friends from the village of Marimbehely. Please join us this week in getting to know some of these people. Please pray that they and many others among the Antakarana would submit their lives to the wonderful news that Jesus Christ has died and conquered death for them.

KELLY SEGIT SAYS

I was fifteen years old when I went on my first mission

to the Dominican Republic. God ignited in me a passion for seeing the lost come to Christ. Over the past 10 years, that passion has grown and is now being fuelled as I reach out to the Antakarana of Madagascar. I’m humbled that God would choose to use me to love these people and introduce them to their Saviour. It’s a joy, it’s a privilege, it’s a challenge and it’s an adventure.

Kelly has written this week’s prayer stories…

ANTAKARANA TIMO TEAMThe whole TIMO team, who are seeking to reach the Antakarana people on the island on Nosy Mitsio, Madagascar.

Kelly Segit is fourth from the left.

18

9 FEBRUARY TUESDAY

Mama Nasany is the head woman of my village. She is the mother to Soaravaka (Mama Sina), Aly, Jorotombo, & Abodolahedy (see Sunday) and she is the grandmother to many grandchildren. She is one of the main spirit mediums for northern Nosy Mitsio, so whenever any village in the north holds a traditional ceremony, she is most typically there seeking to call on the spirits and manifest an ancestor.

She’s a wonderful woman who can’t help but smile when she talks and is the kind of person that takes care of everyone. She loves her grandchildren so much and takes good care of them. Please pray that God will show himself as greater than the spirits in Mama Nasany’s life and that she’ll come to know and love the Lord.

8 FEBRUARY MONDAY

Mama Najaty is the partner of Abodolahedy and a mother of six. She is youthful, animated and has so much spirit. She is always the centre of any community event and especially prioritises her involvement in the Nosy Mitsio women’s group.

She had been getting really horrible toothaches with her face swelling because of them, leaving her unable to eat or sleep. A few months ago, my village held a traditional ceremony to seek healing for her from the spirits. Afterwards she appeared better. Please pray that Mama Najaty will know Jesus as her true healer and pray that he will show her that his power and goodness are so much more greater than the spirits.

FROM THE MAINLANDABOVE: To get to the island of Nosy Mitsio

from the mainland involves a very full boat ride with both people and luggage.

A NICE CATCHLEFT: Fishermen from Nosy Mitsio take their

fish to the mainland to sell at market, often dried to help preserve them.

10 FEBRUARY WEDNESDAY

Zokaniadija is the village headman. He acts like a father to me and welcomes my presence in the community. When it becomes time for my team’s monthly supply trips to the mainland he is sad to see me go. When he sees me coming home on the beach, he’ll come down and meet me and walk me the rest of the way back home. He is always so genuinely proud of me, especially anytime I learn something new about the culture or the ways of life on Nosy Mitsio. He often says “we’re learning” and loves even more that we learn together, that alongside my learning, we’re learning from each other. Please pray that Zokanadija will be eager to learn of the Lord and lean on him for his understanding.

11 FEBRUARY THURSDAY

Mama Sina is the truest of friends, she’s always looking out for me and teaching me the Malagasy ways. But it didn’t start out this way. I was supposed to stay with her during my first week on Nosy Mitsio, but as soon as I arrived she refused to take me in. Eventually she caved in but it was awkward for a couple of days. Then, while working in her field one morning, I spotted a huge, terrifying snake, I was so scared I cried. She came to hold my hand and walk me past it with her. And it was that moment right there that began our friendship. She needed to see me human - as vulnerable and weak. Please pray that she would come to know her need of a saviour, and turn to Jesus for hope and strength.

12 FEBRUARY FRIDAY

Osmini is the mother of five children. She is the daughter of Zokaniadija, the village headman but not the headwoman. Because she is not ‘fully’ family, she is often treated as an outcast, which is sad to see. At first she had no patience with me and I was a frustrating annoyance because I couldn’t understand her when she talked to me. And yet, she and I have just always clicked and so we’ve managed to form a great bond. Recently, she’s become a really great and patient language helper! Watching her learn how to teach and take initiative has been a real blessing.Please pray that Osmini will come to know the love and acceptance that she can find in Christ, and become part of the family of God.

13 FEBRUARY SATURDAY

Abodolanjiji is 15 years old and is the spitting image of his father (Abodolahedy- see Sunday). I didn’t even have to wait until learning family terminology to figure that one out because they look so much alike and they spend so much father-son time together. Abodolanjiji is your typical teenage boy in every way. He loves football, he loves his friends, and he’s too cool for everyone else. Yet he is such an enjoyable presence in the community because he’s so full of energy and life. He recently left for the mainland to go to school, so he will now be gone for much of this next year and he will be missed!

Please pray that whilst Abodolanjiji is away that he will meet Christians and come to know the Lord.

<< February 10-13

PEOPLE FOCUS:THE ANTAKARANA

THIS IS ESTELLAThis is Estella, our home builder’s wife. She is from the Sakalava people group, a

neighbouring group to the Antakarana. Though the Antakarana people do paint their faces, they rarely paint them as ornately as Estella has here. There’s more information about the Sakalava on page 6 and on our website at

eu.aimint.org/pray/sakalava21

February 14-20

PEOPLE FOCUS: THE ZANDE

In August a Focus team led by Steve & Sharon Entwistle will begin in Zemio, Central African Republic (C.A.R.), a country with an unstable political situation, poor access, and limited communication facilities where rebels and the Lord’s Resistance Army remain at large. So why go? Because the Zande church has asked for our help. And their Mbororo neighbours still have no knowledge of the God who created them.

TRACED BACK

AIM’s interest in reaching into ‘Zande Land’ (northeast D. R. Congo, southwest C.A.R., and

southeast South Sudan) can be traced

back to our origins. Peter Cameron Scott (AIM’s founder and first General Director) envisioned a string of mission stations running east to west into central Africa. AIM finally made contact with the Zande in late 1913 at Dungu, D. R. Congo. Zemio, in the Central African Republic was opened as a mission field by AIM in 1923.

Until 1990, AIM maintained a presence in Zande Land, with up to thirty missionaries in C.A.R. alone during the 1970’s and 1980’s. Since 1990, only one AIM missionary, Wendy Atkins, has served in this area, working with the Zande church, and encouraging Mbororo outreach together

The Zande number about 1,142,000 with 730,000 living in DR Congo, 350,000 in Sudan and 62,000 in Central African Republic.

14 FEBRUARY SUNDAY

The recent history of C.A.R has been characterised by violence and unrest. Please pray for leaders, both of government forces and of rebel groups, that they would prioritise peace over power, and be willing to work together to create a sustainable future for C.A.R.

15 FEBRUARY MONDAY

The region where the Zande and Mbororo people live has been ravaged by the Lord’s Resistance Army. Please pray that the governments of both the C.A.R and D.R. Congo would be able to locate and overcome these forces, and that the Zande and Mbororo people would be able to live without fear.

16 FEBRUARY TUESDAY

Please pray for team leaders Steve & Sharon Entwistle. They have been living in Zemio, working to prepare housing for the coming team and develop relationships on the ground. They are currently on home assignment before the team starts. Pray that they would be refreshed by their time at home.

Find out more about the Zande Focus team: eu.aimint.org/go/zande

WEEKLY FOCUS

Please pray for those God is

raising up to be part of this work in Central African Republic (C.A.R). Pray that the courage and commitment of missionaries would deepen the faith of the Zande church and in turn that the hearts of the unreached Mbororo would be claimed for the gospel.

22

LIGHT IN THE DARKNESSSteve & Sharon Entwistle share some of the joys and challenges as they prepare to lead this Focus team.

The cell tower in Zemio, doesn’t allow us to send or receive emails, for that we hop on our motorbike and share resources with

an NGO located 5km away. For emergencies we have a satellite telephone, though you won’t be calling us much as it costs $8 per minute to call! Though we aren’t completely ‘dark’ in terms of communications, we are certainly ‘dim’.

But that’s not our only challenge. There is much to be done for house preparations but supplies are in a village about 150 kms away. With many ceiling panels to pound in place, walls to paint, boards to cut, termite mounds to destroy, we are up to ours ears in work… and dirt!

In the midst of this we are also learning language, working to develop relationships with the Zande church, and also make good initial contacts with the Mbororo. Pray that in all that we do, we would be lights in the darkness here, pointing people to a deeper relationships with Christ.

17 FEBRUARY WEDNESDAY

Pray for language learning for the Entwistles and team members. They will spend five months learning Sango and then seek to add basic conversational language skills in either Pazande (of the Zande Tribe) or Fulfulde (of the Mbororo Tribe), depending on each individual’s ministry focus.

18 FEBRUARY THURSDAY

Give thanks for AIM Air who, due to the extreme geographic location for this team, will provide air support for both emergency evacuations and take the team out for periods of rest. Pray for good working relationships and straightforward communication between AIM Air and the team on the ground.

19 FEBRUARY FRIDAY

Whilst the team will have cell phone reception and some access to internet, they will have to adapt to different communication conditions than they are used to in their home countries. Pray for them and for families at home that they will quickly adjust and develop new communications expectations.

20 FEBRUARY SATURDAY

Pray for the safety of all of the team. Pray that they would feel the security of being where God wants them and the knowledge of his presence even in difficult times. Pray that their outreach would not be hindered by outbreaks of violence, but that unprecedented peace would further declare the gospel.

with a national missionary, Jean-Baptiste. In 2014 a small team went out to join Wendy, beginning a new chapter in AIM’s ministry amongst the Zande and Mbororo. Based in Banda, D.R. Congo, the team have been learning language and developing relationships among the established Zande church, and continuing outreach efforts among the neighbouring Mbororo.

SCARS ACROSS THE LANDMany of those team members will go

on to join the team in Zemio, using the skills and knowledge they have already gained, to support other team members and immediately begin work with the Zande church. The focus of the new team is to heal, transform and galvanise. The wars, coups and rebel attacks that have characterised C.A.R.’s recent history have also done their damage on the church. We go, recognising the emotional, psychological, spiritual, and physical scars that run across this land so long ravaged by spiritual darkness and war. We go to transform. Struggling to combat syncretism and apathy, there is a need for fresh vision, challenges, and teaching to help grow the Zande church into the abundant living that only Jesus offers. We believe this transformation will then galvanise purposefully determined, practically equipped, and passionate churches who will engage in outreach.

Download a prayer sheet on the Zigua: eu.aimint.org/pray/zigua

23

February 21-27

Toni Stenger, serving in Bunia, DR Congo, shares about her work with the Communauté Evangélique au Centre de l’Afrique (CECA) church and the importance of theological training.

EQUIPPING CHURCH LEADERS

Equipping church leaders is not only one of AIM’s core values, but for more

than 13 years has been the centre of my ministry. Before then I was involved in primary school teachers’ training and education consultancy where I travelled to almost all the CECA church sections and got to know the workings of CECA well. This was a major asset when I became part of the CECA church community leadership team in Bunia.

The CECA vision statement reads: “Recognising the enormous sacrifice of Christ on the cross, CECA is committed to make each believer a living stone in his local church in order to restore the beauty of the bride of Christ”. This desire, to truly become a Christ-centred church, gives

us the courage needed to bring about change. Seminars in all of the 59 CECA church sections by the church president, Reverend Kokole, and his team encouraged the local church leaders to make this vision their own and to move towards a Christ-centred church.

Within CECA, change can be proposed at the top but not dictated. The implementation happens at ground level, through the local church. We rely on leaders at each level to do their work of equipping and follow-up well so that change and growth become visible where it matters most: in the lives of Christians participating in their local church.

FOR THE GLORY OF GODAt the moment I am

heavily involved with a group of very capable people to generate change within the theological education of CECA. Our well-established theological training instutions have become stagnant on various levels and so trained

pastors are often not up to the needs of today’s church. Our proposed changes with a new curriculum will be presented to the Executive Council and, if accepted, implemented for the next academic year in 2016.

Being part of the CECA leadership team is for me the ideal place to focus on the big picture, set vision and challenge the team for new initiatives. It’s also a place where I can encourage the leadership to turn to Jesus in good times and in times of trouble. Too often we have to put out fires and deal with daily matters, but in all of this we remind each other to see Jesus in it all and to work so that the name of God is glorified in all we do and say.

COUNTRY FOCUS: DR CONGO

“It’s also a place where I can encourage the leadership to turn to Jesus…”

To go & make disciples among those in DR Congo, visit: eu.aimint.org/go/where/drcongo to find out more.

24

AIDSAWARENESSPROGRAMME

Dr. Aimé, Staff Medical Officer at Adi Hospital shares his concerns about treating HIV/Aids in Adi, DR Congo.

In January 2014 the Aids Awareness Programme, here in Adi, organised

training to be given by the National Aids Programme of Congo. After this training the hospital in Adi started to offer treatment to people living with HIV. Now, almost two years later, we are treating almost 120 people with antiviral medication (ARV). More should be treated with only with an antibiotic that boosts immunity, but the treatment programme is still not funded so, unfortunately, there are things we cannot offer. Treatment of opportunistic infections is sometimes not possible or at great costs. Tests for HIV are regularly out of stock. The Aids Awareness Programme here helps us with some money to buy these items, although they are not well funded either. Please pray for us, and for funds to become available for both the treatment programme at the hospital and for the Aids Awareness Programme so that our collaboration can continue. Thank you.

21 FEBRUARY | SUNDAYThe CECA theological

training offered needs reform. Difficulties and weaknesses have been listed and solutions proposed. Pray for the small team of seven who will finalise this, propose new theological training methods as well as a new curriculum for each type of theological institution. Pray it will also better prepare God’s servants for the church in DR Congo.

22 FEBRUARY MONDAY

Language and culture learning is a vital part for any missionary in DR Congo, long term or short term. Pray especially for Tom and Abbie Desloges from Canada learning Congo-Swahili for their ministry in Bunia and Tamsin Drew, a short term missionary from UK assisting Annemarie Boks in Adi.

23 FEBRUARY TUESDAY

The Training in Ministry Outreach (TIMO) team in Banda has come to an end. Pray for lasting fruit and courage for the local leaders & believers to continue faithfully in their walk with the Lord without the presence of the TIMO team.

24 FEBRUARY WEDNESDAY

Give thanks for the opportunities Annemarie Boks has had to teach church leaders about HIV and Aids. Give thanks that Margaret Badaru, a HIV positive lady who works with Annemarie, has been able to openly share about her experiences during the training. Pray that more sessions can be organised and that leaders will apply what they learn.

25 FEBRUARY THURSDAY

Give thanks for a recently started programme in Adi to help twelve orphan children following the Aids related deaths of their parents. Please pray that this programme will be able to continue to provide them with school fees and that they will do well in school.

26 FEBRUARY | FRIDAYThe CECA

churches Aids Awareness Programme is currently preparing different teaching materials to be used when communicating the message about HIV and Aids. Please pray for Margaret Badaru and others who are involved in their preparation. Pray that when finished these materials will be used and have impact in the lives and hearts of those receiving the training.

27 FEBRUARY SATURDAY

Give thanks for the arrival of short term missionary Tamsin Drew to minister in Adi and work at the hospital and with the Aids Awareness Programme alongside Annemarie Boks. Pray for a good collaboration between these two missionaries and the nationals with whom they minister.

WEEKLY FOCUS

Toni Stenger gives thanks that working

alongside the CECA (Communauté Evangélique au Centre de l’Afrique) church leadership team is pure joy. She shares “Together we stand united in the many challenges we face, try to bring change where needed and encouragement to the local churches in their struggles.”

25

Feb 28 - March 5

PEOPLE FOCUS:THE ALAGWA

Owen & Miriam Pugh with Ella, Charlie (at RVA) Imani & Cerys are serving as part of a Focus team working among the Alagwa in Tanzania.

“A FARMER WENT OUT TO SOW HIS SEEDS…”

We are called to sow generously - to plant God’s word into many lives here. As we see seeds eaten

from the path, or stunted in rocky soil, it is tempting to fall into disappointment.

And yet… God is working in amazing ways. People are coming secretly to express their desire to follow Jesus. Others too have asked searching questions, or expressed a desire to study the Bible. A number of Alagwa are hearing Bible stories in their heart language. God’s word is powerful and many people have been impacted. People are hearing and understanding the gospel.

But we are in a battle. Choking thorns often grow up in the soil here. The pull of community and family is strong. There is so much fear - of rejection and isolation, of ancestral spirits, of the ‘majini’ spirits who can possess them and make them sick.

At least ladies from the story group in Ga/ara have said that they want to follow Jesus. Yet fear also holds them back. They also face the extra challenge of their husbands. Some of them were talking about this recently. One said: “If we want to follow Jesus, will our

PRAYING FOR FAMILIESWhere community is of ultimate importance in decision making, our team is praying for whole families to come to faith. Here is a snapshot of one family:

An elderly couple have heard all the Bible stories from our team. The lady was very excited about following Jesus, although

she is finding it hard to let go of Islam. Her husband had an irritating skin condition for a long time. He said that if God healed him, he would follow Jesus. A few weeks ago, God healed him…

One of their sons was alcoholic and in prison for a serious crime. Whilst there, he gave his life to Jesus. He is now back in this area. He loves Jesus and has a powerful testimony about what God has done in his life. Almost all his family will not help him until he returns to Islam. But he is standing firm. One of our team travels to his village every week, for discipleship and witnessing to his community.

Two of their grandsons (our neighbours) secretly want to follow Jesus. One has shared the Swahili Bible we gave him with his wife, who also has been reading it.

Six unfinished stories from one extended family. May they be part of the bedrock of God’s church among the Alagwa.

26

WEEKLY FOCUS

Pray for spiritual breakthrough

among the Alagwa, that the fear and demonic activity which enslaves so many people here may be broken. May our God who releases captives set many souls free to love and serve him.

28 FEBRUARY SUNDAY

Pray for the Alagwa believers, and local believers from other people groups. Pray for courage and passion and that they will live prayerful lives which demonstrate the love of Jesus.

29 FEBRUARY MONDAY

Pray for all those who have heard the good news of Jesus, and are secretly seeking him. May they place their hope fully and exclusively in Jesus. May they understand that Jesus is the only way to come to God.

1 MARCH | TUESDAYPray for our team

working among the Alagwa; five adults from AIM and four from Africa Inland Church Tanzania. Thank God for the unity and love we share, and pray for ever deepening relationships as we work together for God’s kingdom.

2 MARCH WEDNESDAY

Thank God for the Bible stories in Alagwaisa, already being used to

give many Alagwa the chance to know and follow Jesus. Pray for the team as they work to get a good clear recording of all 29 stories, so that many more people can listen to them. Pray too for future developments being explored to give more people more access to more of God’s word.

3 MARCH THURSDAY

Thank God for the commitment, and giftings as members of the church, of both the Head Teacher and his wife, and another teacher and his wife, at the primary school in Kwa Madebe. May they grow in their desire to see God’s kingdom come amongst the Alagwa. Pray that they remain in their current posts, and continue to serve here.

4 MARCH | FRIDAY“Hope does not

disappoint us because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through his Holy Spirit…”(Romans 5:5) - pray for all Christians living among the Alagwa to stand firm and persevere in hope, even when the fruit of God’s work is not visible.

5 MARCH | SATURDAYPray for the

continuing ministries among the Alagwa: in education, agriculture, Bible storytelling, discipleship, church ministry, investing time in relationships with people, prayer ministry and so on. May God be glorified and his love be shared in all we do.

husbands allow us? If not, what can we do?” As I was searching for an appropriate answer, another lady there replied, “We can pray for them.”

OUR SHIELD AGAINST DISAPPOINTMENT

Of course, she hit the nail on the head. We can and must pray. Prayer is the primary weapon against the enemy; our act of obedience, our shield against disappointment; our ministry to one another and our way to model that the God whom we serve knows us intimately and loves us completely.

Our Alagwa neighbour and brother in Christ has had a complicated journey of faith, full of extreme challenges, ups and downs, yet God has also moved in great ways. We have been worried about the thorns in his soil; he seems so often distracted and too busy for fellowship and discipleship. He seems reticent to fully declare his trust in Jesus. Our plan to teach and insist on the importance of prayer was recently blown out of the water by God, who directed us to inspire in him a desire to pray, rather than insisting he should discipline himself to pray. What a joy to have him join us in prayer, and experience once more the delight of God’s presence. How humbling to serve him best by simply inviting him to join us at the feet of Jesus. How encouraging to hear him pray for the souls of his neighbours and say that he wants more of God’s presence in his life.

Will you stand with us to pray for the Alagwa? Will you pray with us for spiritual breakthrough?

We know God’s word will one day produce a large crop - thirty, sixty, a hundredfold - we see the beginnings already.

The Alagwa team leader preaching among the local community.

27

March 6-12

ISLAND FOCUS:MAYOTTE

6 MARCH SUNDAY

There are approximately 80,000 residents in Mayotte from the neighbouring islands, the majority of them illegal immigrants. The Mahorais blame them for civil unrest in the island and there is much tension. These people need the good news! Please pray for wisdom as to how we may best respond.

7 MARCH MONDAY

Jeanette and Heather, from South Africa, run a Christian bookshop in the capital Mamoudzou. Please pray that the believers who come to the bookshop would be strengthened in their walk with the Lord and that more islanders would have the desire and courage to visit.

8 MARCH TUESDAY

Lilian, also from South Africa, has served in Mayotte for nearly forty years as a Bible translator. The entire New Testament and portions of the Old Testament is available in Shimaore. Pray that God’s word would convict the Mahorais of their need for reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ.

WEEKLY FOCUS

Immigration to Europe is much in

the news lately, but Mayotte has long been the destination for illegal immigrants from the neighbouring islands. Many of the boats crossing the ocean do not make it and many lives are lost. Please pray that those seeking a better life would discover that it is not found in a geographical location, but in Christ.

Christoff & Sarah Power share about their work in Mayotte and the hope they have that in working with the community, they can demonstrate Jesus and tell of his good news.

GREATER DEMAND FOR HELPING CHILDREN

This island is a little slice of Europe in the middle of African waters. All the schools officially follow the French curriculum,

with the Baccalaureate being the end goal. And yet, even with all the experienced teachers and the money that is poured into the system, the vast majority of island children are lagging far behind their French counterparts.

Partly due to the schools being overcrowded with the large influx of immigrants, partly due to the parents not being educated themselves;

there are many complex factors contributing to the children’s poor academic performance.

We returned to the island two years ago, planning to run English courses. We quickly found that while there is a demand for English, there is a much larger demand for helping children learn to read and grasp basic maths concepts – in French.

It started with tutoring a 12 year old who couldn’t remember the alphabet. After a few months of working with him, using material I had for my own pre-schoolers, he was reading simple sentences. Then two sisters started arriving for homework help. We realised that we could set up a Centre to help more children like this on a more full-time basis as well as have a more convenient place to run our English

9 MARCH WEDNESDAY

Shimaore is the local language of the majority of the Mahorais but there are also approximately 50,000 Kibushi speakers. Kibushi is a Malagasy dialect and is very different to Shimaore. Please pray that a way might be found to provide God’s word in Kibushi and for changed hearts.

10 MARCH THURSDAY

Most of the churches in Mayotte are attended by African francophone refugees or people from Madagascar or mainland France. Pray for churches to appropriately contextualise outreach and, by God’s Spirit, for Mahorais to be able to discern the truth.

11 MARCH | FRIDAYWe are seeking to

partner with other like-minded organisations to bring the good news to Mayotte. We are excited about a South African couple who joined the team recently. They have worked with an indigenous African mission. Please pray regarding the logistical hurdles they face and that God would provide abundantly for them.

12 MARCH SATURDAY

John & Alma Baker are currently studying in France in preparation to return to Mayotte later this year. Please pray for their language studies and that God would be preparing them and baby Anya for the logistical and ministry challenges that lie ahead.

courses from. God opened the doors with agreements from our landlords and money from project funds and the Centre was born!

GREATER THAN ACADEMIC PROGRESSWe have a lot of teenagers, mostly from our

immediate neighbourhood, coming for English one evening a week and an adults’ English course once a week too. However, English has really taken a backseat to the other sessions we run. We are now open for four afternoons, tutoring primary-school children in small groups. The children are excited to come in, be allowed to use paints and look through books in our small library.

As well as the relationships being developed with these families, three ladies from the local community whom we’ve known for years have been able to help us in various ways too. It has been a joy to be able to work together.

There is so much room for expansion and improvement – we’d love to add more classes and clubs - but at the moment, not enough workers. Pray for people to join us in lovingly serving the island community through this Centre, people who will care about more than just the academic progress of the children and who are focussed on something other than “Le Bacc” as the end goal.

“The children are excited to come in, be allowed to use paints and look through books…”

NOT YET READY Mary helps in the centre with Christoff & Sarah Power. This is her story. Please pray for her…

Mary, was raised by her single mum, with siblings from a number of different fathers. Life

was a real struggle and even relatives used to mock them because they were so poor. Her mum was caring and kind, but from a young age Mary has seen several different spirits manifest through her. In recent years, her mum has turned against her and one of her brothers has attacked and threatened her and her husband.

Mary has a lovely four year old boy and is desperate for more children, but has had several miscarriages. She notices a lot of hypocrisy in the people around her and is often brave enough to speak up in moments of injustice. Mary likes to hear stories from the Bible. She believes God loves her and will help her through her difficulties. But she is not ready to say whether she can follow Jesus.

29

March 13-19

NEW MEMBERS

Paul & Helen Shepherd, along with their two daughters, Esme (4) and Martha (1) are preparing to serve among the Karimojong in Uganda. They share more about themselves and their calling to go to the unreached.

BY GOD’S GRACE

We are both from London and met in in Manchester when we were studying

medicine at university - we were not yet believers but by God’s grace we both became Christians during our fourth year and were married in June 2010. Also in 2010 we worked for two months in Kagando Hospital in Uganda for our medical electives and after graduating we contacted AIM about a short term trip and returned to Kagando in August 2012 for one year with an eight-month-old Esme in tow.

During that year, our attitude and mindset towards God, his people, and to mission was altered. We left humbled, aware of our own inadequacies and more conscious of the greatness and graciousness of God than when we had arrived. We learned the value of listening, of language

learning, of immersing ourselves in our host culture as the Bakonzo people opened up their lives to us and taught us more than we ever thought they could when we first arrived. We learned that mission is more than going to some far-flung place and ‘helping’ people - it is about interconnecting relationships, between us, God and the people you are sharing life with - and that these relationships are vital to spread the good news about Jesus Christ.

Now living in Manchester, working as A+E doctors, and having added Martha to our family, we are preparing to go to Karamoja on a long-term assignment in early 2017. Karamoja is the poorest region in Uganda and there are very few Christians in a people group of almost one million. We plan to work in a town called Kotido, working with the local church and in healthcare, to build relationships and tell people about Jesus. Please pray that, in an area where people have heard the gospel for many years but have remained untouched by it, people would be converted and lives would be changed.

KARAMOJA

Karamoja, home to the Karimojong, is

located in northeast Uganda.

While many of the Karimojong will say that they are “Christian,” sadly this identification with Christ does not usually represent a transformed life. For the most part, Christianity is viewed as another way to protect oneself from evil or to bring prosperity.

Download a prayer sheet on the Karimojong people:

eu.aimint.org/pray/karimojong/

Karamoja is a semi-arid high desert, which makes up 10% of the landmass of Uganda.

30

13 MARCH SUNDAY

Pray for Esme and Martha, that we would prepare them well. Pray especially for Esme, who is already talking about missing parts of her life here when we go. Pray that a knowledge and love of Jesus would be forming in their hearts and minds even now.

14 MARCH MONDAY

Pray for the Karimojong, for the gospel to touch hearts and minds and for each person of the Karimojong to welcome Jesus into their lives. Pray especially for those who already believe but have been disowned by their families because of their faith.

15 MARCH TUESDAY

Please pray for us to have wisdom as we continue our practical preparations, especially in regards to our jobs, our house and how much and where we serve in church. Also ask God to continue preparing us spiritually for the year ahead.

16 MARCH WEDNESDAY

Please ask God to provide prayer supporters for us over the coming year. We cannot do any of this without it and we will need many people lifting us up in prayer as we prepare and then go.

17 MARCH THURSDAY

Our families are not yet Christians. Pray that they would come to know and love Jesus Christ. Pray

that they would begin to understand why we are moving to be among the Karimojong and that as we witness to them about this they would accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.

18 MARCH | FRIDAYAs we begin

raising financial support, please pray that we would know how best to do this and that God would give us the words to ask for it in the right way. Pray that God’s people would be generous and that we raise the amount we need to serve with the Karimojong.

19 MARCH SATURDAY

We have had an emotionally and physically very hard few months. Praise God that he is faithful, that our heavenly Father and the truths of the gospel are carrying us through a difficult time. Pray for refreshment and rejuvenation in the months ahead.

WEEKLY FOCUS

Please pray that we would show Jesus

to the community around us in east Manchester. Pray that we don’t slow down in our striving to show the people of Openshaw how Jesus can change lives and that we would continue to build relationships even as we plan our departure.

REACHINGHIS SHEEP

Paul Jump, Minister of St Clement’s Church Manchester, shares about the church’s vision and excitement in sending the Shepherd family to the Karimojong of Uganda.

Our vision at St. Clement’s Church Manchester is to spread a passion for Jesus Christ in

Manchester, the UK and the world. Knowing that Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for us, we want his voice to go out so that his sheep might hear it, know him and enjoy the eternal life that he gives.

In order to fulfil this vision the elders and deacons at St. Clement’s are praying that the Lord would send at least one person, couple or family into full time ministry each year. Our particular prayer is for people to be sent where the voice of the Shepherd is not being heard.

We are delighted to be partnering with AIM to send Paul, Helen, Esme and Martha Shepherd to Uganda. Paul is an elder at church and head of the missions committee. He has been strategic in helping us think through mission. We are thrilled that theory will soon turn to practice. We believe the Lord is calling the Shepherd family to serve him in Uganda and that they have the gifts and skills to serve him there. We are praying that God would prepare them well before they go and would bless the work of their hands.

St. Clement’s loves cross cultural missions and we love the Shepherd family. We are looking forward to our Shepherds partnering with the Good Shepherd to call his lost Ugandan sheep home.

31

March 20-31

SHORT TERM

Floss Hall is a nineteen year old student, currently studying theology at London School of Theology, who spent five weeks of her summer living among the Rendille people in Korr, Kenya. Floss had previously been on a short-term mission to Tanzania with her home church where she developed her passion for mission and Africa. We asked her some questions about her experience:

SO WHAT LED TO YOU DOING A SHORT TERM TRIP?

God placed Africa on my heart when I was very small, and it has always been something that I have assumed as being

a part of my calling. When this opportunity came up, I saw it as a great use of my university summer break, not only for the experience and what I’d learn from it, but also to explore further God’s calling on my life.

WHERE DID YOU GO?Korr, a town in the northern desert of Kenya.

Arranged around the local wells, this is where some of the semi-nomadic Rendille tribe has settled.

WHAT DID YOU DO?I worked alongside the national pastors in the

Africa Inland Church, speaking at a youth rally, running bible studies and leading devotionals for the teachers in school. I also had a

continuous flow of visitors to my home in Korr: wanting to talk to a foreigner, wanting chai after a long walk into town, wanting to learn how to read and write, wanting to play with muzungu hair; wanting to learn about Jesus, wanting to talk about faith.

WHAT WAS A HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR TRIP?I got to stay the night in one of the traditional

Rendille houses, called a ‘min’, which was so much fun! The mins are round huts constructed of woven fibres, animal hide and cardboard boxes which fill in a wooden structure. The families sleep on animal hide and cardboard, all together inside. The men on one side, and the women on the other. They cook their food over the ‘dab’, the fire which sits on the left hand side of the entrance.

The stars were amazing too, and one night my guard let me sleep outside. I love how the stars cause me to marvel at my creator in their very being.

“I also had a continuous flow of visitors to my home; wanting to talk to a foreigner… wanting to learn about Jesus…”

SHARING LIFE

Floss Hall

lived among the Rendille people in Korr, Kenya. She helped run bible studies, speak at youth events and shared life with those who lived there.

32

20 MARCH | SUNDAY Tamsin Drew has been in DR

Congo since the start of October 2015. Tamsin has been working alongside Annemarie Boks as a medical doctor in the town of Adi. Tamsin is working in the hospital alongside two permanent doctors who treat those living with Aids. Pray that Tamsin would continue be a good support to the doctors and for opportunities for her to share her faith with those she meets.

21 MARCH | MONDAYEvery spring we hold our European

Based Orientation (EBO). Please pray for the preparation and delivery of EBO, that it would be effective and that the short termers attending would benefit from the training they receive.

22 MARCH | TUESDAYPlease pray for potential short

termers who are currently considering serving the Lord with AIM in Africa in 2016. Pray that the Lord would guide them to the right place at the right time.

23 MARCH | WEDNESDAYPray for Tom and Rosemary in

the Nottingham office as they continue to support the short termers the best they can throughout the whole short term process.

24 MARCH | THURSDAYPlease pray for the lasting impact

of the work of short termers in Africa. Many short termers never see the fruit of their work, but we trust that the Lord will continue to work in the lives of those who have been touched by short termers.

25 MARCH | FRIDAYPlease pray for the discipleship

of our short termers, before they go on the field, whilst they are on the field, and even when they return from the field. Discipleship is a focal point of the short term programme as we want to see discipled short termers making disciples of those they live among.

26 MARCH | SATURDAYThere is a great need for short

termers to support long term mission partners by helping in teaching and homeschooling. Please pray that we would see more short termers willing to serve our missionaries in this way.

WHAT WAS THE WORST BIT?The biggest challenge is seeing people who

passionately believe that the Western lifestyle is flawless. Conscious of the ‘refugee crisis’ going on back at home, it hurt to know that so many of my Rendille brothers and sisters would love to be Western, just so they could benefit from a culture of great wealth, well-being and political stability. Just like the refugees pouring into Europe, they only know what they have seen through the limited media they have access to - the idealised. They have no concept of the brokenness of the Western world.

33

OFF THE COASTOF MADAGASCAR

WHY I WENT

Through various discussions with my Christian friends,

I came to realise over the summer before starting at Edinburgh University that there’s more to life than getting a first in my degree; than getting a high-flying professional job that earns me a huge salary along with finding my perfect man and having a beautiful family in an idyllic location. Although these things aren’t wrong in themselves, God didn’t put me here to chase after them and leave him behind. He has put me here for a reason: to do his work. And I pray that God will use this imperfect instrument as a way of bringing people into his kingdom.

That’s why I joined a team in July 2015 serving on Ile Sainte Marie, off the coast of Madagascar, where I could use my French language (I am currently studying French and German) and sports skills and share something of the hope I have in Christ.

Now we’re back I pray that God will give me guidance as to how I could serve him in mission work in the future and that he will challenge me to proclaim the gospel outside of my comfort zones.

by Màiri Dundee

In July 2015 a team of 14 went out to Ile Sainte Marie off the coast of Madagascar to serve in a number of ministries, but ultimately to share the gospel with those who had never heard of Jesus. Led by Rodrigo & Valeska Petrelli, the team included three members of Edinburgh University Christian Union. One of those students, Màiri, shares her experience.

AMAZED BY GOD

There are moments in life where God blesses us with a memory of

what has passed and a sudden understanding of his perfect reasoning in time and space. Each time I am reminded of Madagascar, I experience one of these moments and it makes me stop in my tracks and wonder at God’s amazing power and providence. I see how all things work together for his glory; each day in every country is overseen by our perfect Father in heaven.

Looking back on the days, months and years leading up to my trip to Ile Sainte

Marie, a small island off the eastern coast of Madagascar, I see a God who really knows what he’s doing. He’s blessed me with a gift for languages and a heart for mission – two ingredients that were stirred within me when I heard of this trip at Edinburgh University Christian Union. He didn’t leave me on my own in my decision-making or my preparations; he gave me two amazingly prayerful and supportive congregations, both in Edinburgh and in Northern Ireland. Their encouragement preceding and during the trip was invaluable to me and the team.

AMAZED BY HIS LOVEThe team of 14 (including

three children) was hugely varied in their personality and their gifts, each member being employed in an area that was best suited to them. I, not surprisingly, was assigned to the sports’ ministry, being as mad about sport as I am. Here I experienced astronomical highs, but also some eye-opening lows. I didn’t think it would have been an issue to

34

WEEKLY FOCUSThe short term

programme is an ever changing programme that has to adapt constantly to fit in with the needs of our long term missionaries on the field. Please pray for the short term programme as a whole in 2016 as it goes through a series of changes.

If you are interested in serving short term in Africa, contact Tom shorttermcoord.eu@aimint.org

be a nineteen-year-old, French and English speaking female ‘Vasa’ (the word the Malagasy people use for white foreigners) coaching football in Madagascar. I was rather mistaken. But after spending time in various villages on the island, playing football with the young people after a morning of children’s ministry, we saw some real fruit from the gospel message we were bringing to them, both through word and action. Our presence alone in some of these villages was life changing to some people. How

we reacted to conceding a goal was to demonstrate Christ. The way we treated each other in a team setting was key to showing how loving God wants us to be. Sport is such an accessible way to spread the amazing news of salvation God has for us through Jesus Christ. I continue to pray for the youth I came in contact with through this sports’ ministry, that they will know the name of Jesus Christ as well as they do the name Zlatan Ibrahimović (a footballer for Paris Saint-Germain and Sweden).

AMAZED BY HIS GLORYThe eight weeks I spent in Ile

Sainte Marie were jam-packed with work, from teaching a beginners’ French class to a class ranging in age from 2 to 45, to leading a Bible study

at a women’s ministry and inevitably getting dressed up like a true Malagasy. I saw the most beautiful place in the world in all its glory: I witnessed dozens of breaching whales, I soaked up sunny island life from the inside of multiple tuk tuks, I felt the sand on the edge of the Indian Ocean between my toes. And I learned how Christ’s people, from all corners of the world, are connected, intertwined, related through the astounding work he did for us on the cross. No matter where we are, God knows what we need. No matter what language we speak, God hears us, understands us and answers us.

And now I am experiencing one of those moments once again where I can’t help but be amazed at how awesome God is.

“I continue to pray for the youth I came in contact with… that they will know the name of Jesus Christ…”

27 MARCH SUNDAY

Madagascar is a popular country for our short termers to go on mission to. At the moment there is a need for a short term Coordinator in Madagascar. Please pray that the Lord will provide the right person to fill this role.

28 MARCH MONDAY

2016 sees the return of MediQuest. MediQuest is a field orientation to a broad range of cross-cultural health ministries, reflecting the diversity of currently available options for medical service. It’s particularly designed to stimulate

reflection on the interaction of health ministry and AIM’s priority toward engaging Unreached People Groups or catalyzing national efforts to do the same. Please pray that the Lord would rise up short termers to join this team.

29 MARCH TUESDAY

In October 2015 Tom Lott headed out to Spain to meet with short term Coordinators from other mobilising and receiving regions to discuss how to move forward with the short term work as a whole. Give thanks for a wonderful time of encouragement and

future vision. Please pray for Tom and the other short term Coordinators as they implement the new aspects of the short term Programme.

30 MARCH WEDNESDAY

Please pray for former short termers who are considering the call on their lives in regards to going back onto the field in a long term capacity.

31 MARCH THURSDAY

Pray that there will be an increased vision and heart for short term ministry, both on the field and in the mobilising regions.

EXPLORING CHRISTIANMINISTRY IN AFRICA

MAGAZINE & PRAYER DIARY

Africa Inland Mission’s JAN-MAR 2016

Christ-centred churches among all African peoples

European headquartersAim InternationalHalifax PlaceNottingham NG1 1QNUnited Kingdom0115 9838 120admin.eu@aimint.org

@aimeuropefb.com/aimeurope

Scotland0115 8242202scotland.eu@aimint.org

South England/Wales0115 8242205south.eu@aimint.org

Ireland0115 8242203ireland.eu@aimint.org

North England/Wales0115 8242204north.eu@aimint.org

French speaking france.eu@aimint.org

Netherlands netherlands.eu@aimint.org

Editor | Lindsey Daviescommunications.eu @aimint.org

Design | Joe Morgangraphics.eu@aimint.org

© AIM Europe | January 2016Africa Inland Mission International, a company limited by guarantee (04598557), a registered charity in England and Wales (1096364) and a charity registered in Scotland (SC037594) Registered Office: Halifax Place Nottingham NG1 1QN.

eu.aimint.org

Are you thinking about Christian ministry in Africa, but aren’t sure what to do next?

Why not attend an ‘Into Africa?’ seminar in London on the 30 January 2016. These one day seminars provide an opportunity to hear about the work of AIM in Africa and check out current needs and opportunities.

Find out more on our website:

EU.AIMINT.ORG/GO/INTOAFRICA

INTOAFRICA?