Pray

Jonathan and Susan Kopf minister among the Hewa people of Papua New Guinea. The Kopfs and their team built a classroom for a Christian school in the village and a home for the teachers. “We have plenty of students in [kindergarten through sixth grade], but we are lacking good educators. We only have four teachers trying to cover these seven grades, which is obviously inadequate, so please ask the Lord to quickly bless us with three more qualified teachers who have a passion to disciple children to follow Jesus. We are confident in God, our Provider, and are waiting with expectation, knowing He loves to surprise us with how He can provide for our needs in wonderful ways.

“Please also pray for the five church elders/pastors as they try to shepherd their flock.” Satan is trying to “drag people under the trap of fear that used to control them,” but the church leaders are continuing to “speak truth from the Word.” Pray for encouragement, discernment and courage for these leaders.

Eric and Judith Hedeen serve in Papua New Guinea (PNG). They are itinerant church planters with the Malaumanda people and are currently serving at PNG’s main support center. “Praise [God] that the printing of the Malaumanda New Testament is done. Twenty-six copies have been delivered to my parents in Oregon. Pray for the shipment of about 1,700 copies of the Bible that are currently enroute to PNG. Pray for the details surrounding our plan for a [small-scale] Bible dedication in early June.”

Jeff and Naomi Palmer, currently serving from the USA, minister among the K people of Asia Pacific. One K settlement, Village A, asked for believers to come teach them God’s Word. “This was the first time ... [since 2015] that another K village has been brave enough to ask to hear God’s Word. The believers decided to set up two teams of teachers that would hike down there and teach ... from Creation to Christ. ... We’re still waiting on more news, but it sounds like a good bunch of them have come to know the Lord down there in Village A. We’re thrilled to see God’s word make some significant inroads there in the K [region].”

Praise the Lord for the way He is working in Village A through the K church. Pray for the K teachers to communicate God’s Word clearly and for the people of the Village A to have a clear understanding of the gospel.

Chad and Janeene Mankins serve itinerantly, translating the Bible for the Tobo people of Papua New Guinea. “For the first time in 22 years of our ministry among the Tobo people, I (Chad) had the privilege of baptizing four Tobo believers! ... It started shortly after I had finished teaching a brief course to the church on believers' baptism.” Chad talked about what baptism is and what baptism is not. After going through the course, two believing couples from the Tobo church wanted to be baptized immediately, and a small group gathered at the stream to witness the baptisms. “These four men and women have truly been freed, and they gratefully chose this picture of baptism to identify as believers in their Rescuer.”

“Please pray for the small Tobo church. There are several other believers who are still considering the example of the first four who were baptized. We'd love to see them step out in faith as well. They (and we) are all too aware of how hard it is to take a step like this in the midst of this village society.”

Tim and Robin Walker previously lived and ministered among the P people of Latin America. Tim was able to return to the region to speak at a Bible conference for the P church. The P people have been diligent to share the gospel with those in their own context. Now Tim challenged the P people to go share the gospel with the world, even those outside of their own culture and language: “Since you have this light, it’s like you are now in debt to those who are without it, and so God would desire to send some of you to other people groups too.”

Praise the Lord that “this final message ... was received with great excitement and many indicated that they were willing to go and serve the Lord this way. ... Pray for the Ps to know the calling of God in their lives and for God to make a way for them to go and tell!”

Wes and Penny Chappell, currently on home assignment in the USA, minister among the Menya people of Papua New Guinea (PNG). “The Menya Bible teachers taught all the way through the book of Acts on their own. This is the first whole book of the New Testament that they have led the church through without our helping and guiding. Praise the Lord for these faithful teachers who are trusting Him to enable them to study Scripture, apply it to their lives and then lead the church body in understanding and obeying the truths as well. Pray for unity in the body of believers and strength as they share the gospel with those around them.”

Pray for the Chappells as they make preparations to return to PNG this summer.

Nelly, a Menyan believer, thanks those who have supported Wes and Penny so that she could hear the gospel. Watch the video.

Joyce Cain, now retired, ministered among the Guahibo people of Colombia. “Recently my Colombian partners held a workshop [interior] for tutors who oversee the two-year in-home Bible studies. ... More than 20 couples and some singles who are tutors came long distances and participated with great joy. New materials were handed out to keep the Bible study program going. ... We are encouraged as a team with what God is doing with the Guahibo work.”

The Guahibo people live off the land and have great physical needs. One Guahibo woman had all the crops from her garden stolen as she was out ministering in villages. She was comforted by Matthew 6:26, and God continues to provide for her family. Pray that God would meet the needs of the Guahibo believers as they seek to disciple others.

Rachel Chapman ministers among the Nahuatl people of Las Moras, Mexico, and recently told of an exciting event when Peter and Liesl Hypki visited as part of their itinerant ministry with the Nahuatl. “The Nahuatl church celebrated our second baptism ceremony. Two of the Nahuatl youth, Cesar and Sandra, and the Hypkis’ son, Kester, have been believing in Jesus for a while, and they wanted to be baptized in obedience to the Lord and as a testimony of their faith. The church gathered at the creek, sang praises to God for our salvation, and Pete baptized the three kids. ... We praise God for these kids’ faith, and we look forward to what God will do in and through them.

“Please pray for Cesar, Sandra and Kester that they would continue to seek after the Lord and serve him with their whole hearts. Please pray for Cesar and Sandra for boldness and confidence in the Lord as they will potentially face more persecution from their peers and teachers since they have publicly identified themselves as Christians.”

Penny ministers in West Africa. Amidst a house-building project and maintenance to the guest house, Penny has been preparing for a spelling workshop that will take place this month. This spelling workshop is an important step toward printing and will help Penny with decisions on how to spell certain words in the New Testament. “At this point, we have seven participants. Please pray they will follow through and attend. Please pray with us for housing for them for two to three weeks. Pray that the workshop will be very profitable.”

Penny finished writing introductions for all the New Testament books. Pray for Penny and her co-worker Mammadu as they work on revising the book of Mark and comprehension checking 1 Samuel 1-6. “Praise the Lord for progress made.”

Kent and Jenny Schafer are part of a team ministering among the Maindo people of Mozambique. They have started selling booklets of Genesis 1-2 in the Maindo language. “As more of Genesis and other translated Scripture goes through the checking process, we plan to start printing and selling Scripture booklets of those passages, as well. This is super exciting because it's what we've been working toward for so long! We are also hoping that having more Scripture being read and talked about in the community ... will create interest in the literacy classes and make people want to come to the Bible teaching. So far, the response to the Genesis 1-2 booklet has been very encouraging. Many Maindo people are excited about having God's Word in their language, and the Genesis 1-2 booklet has sold more copies than any other Maindo book! One man who bought the Genesis 1-2 booklet said, ‘Why would I buy a book about animals and such, when I can buy the Word of God? What we really need is to know what He says to us!’”

Pray for Kent and Jenny as they continue to divide their time between home schooling, teaching literacy classes, developing Bible lessons and more written materials in the Maindo language and translating. Pray for their children as they navigate transitions and losses that are common to third culture kids.

Tobi Magill is a nurse with New Tribes Mission-Papua New Guinea and is currently serving in medical mobilization. “As I continue in medical mobilization, I am building roads toward our New Tribes Mission medical and dental clinics. These roads of relationships and connections lead from churches, residency programs, medical professional associations, conferences, medical schools and personal interactions. ... Pray for God to direct soon to the field fully equipped, right-hearted, believing doctors, dentists and dental hygienists that will fit our teams well to fill these needs! Pray that those God is moving will be bold and obedient to His voice.”

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