Monday, August 16, 2005
Praise:
We are thankful for the way the Lord has continued to provide a work situation that keeps a key Muslim Background Believer in the region. This brother has struggled for the past 10 years in several poor paying jobs just so that he could live here to be an effective witness among his people group. Just a few months ago it seemed that he would have to leave the country because his job was ending. Praise the Lord that he has a job that gives him some flexibility to share his faith, to serve the small fellowship and to make enough money to cover his expenses.
Petition:
Pray for Tent Maker Missionary teams as they reunite over the next few weeks. Pray for our team - we have lost some key members this summer, with some new families joining. Pray for a new unity between us with deepening fellowship and support of each other, and God's enabling for the task before us. Pray as we 'flesh out' some new team activities and work together.
Pray for the single mother raising two young children in our biggest city. She is a new believer and wants her children to clearly understand the difference between Christianity and Islam. Pray for the families that are discipling her.
Pray for the National Muslims returning from holidays in places where they were exposed to the Gospel. It has been documented in summers past that many return to their home country with Bibles, New Testaments and Jesus videos. Pray that the Holy Spirit would use these tools in these families plus that ‘divine appointments’ with tent makers living in their cities would be arranged.
Pray for the lower caste workers in the developing countries of the Arabian Peninsula. Many construction workers from India, Pakistan and China work in extremely harsh environments during the summer. Pray that effective witnesses would be raised up to reach this segment of society.
Pray for a new tentmaking family that is settling in a new situation. New job, new house, new schools and new relationships in a new environment can contribute to a stressful situation. Pray that this family would get connected with other like-minded individuals at this crucial time of transition.
Testimony:
Ahmed was a middle aged business man. He was fairly successful. He had a nice home, wife, family, job. But he wasn’t satisfied inside himself. He thought that it was perhaps a need to financially succeed even more than he already had. Perhaps he should take a second wife to ease him through his mid-life crisis. Perhaps he needed to pay more strict attention to his many religious duties as a Muslim – that would settle him. It didn’t. He was beginning to feel miserable – desparate for something but he didn’t know what.
Tom was a tentmaker living in Ahmed’s city. Somehow, by God’s divine schedule, they met at a business function. Tom noted the emptiness in Ahmed’s life as Ahmed shared about his life. They met outside of the business setting several times, sharing tea late at night by the Gulf or on outings with their children in the desert on weekends. Ahmed sensed that Tom wasn’t dissatisfied with life – even though he didn’t have nearly as much wealth as Ahmed. Tom had hope about life. Surely, Tom had a very nice wife and kids, but he had an average job, worked long hours, drove a plain car and took inexpensive holidays. ‘Why should he be so happy and hopeful with his life?’ Ahmed thought.
During one of their outings together, the conversation turned to God, as it often does in the Islamic world. Ahmed asked Tom why he wasn’t a Muslim – he was such a good person. Tom used the opportunity to share how Jesus had changed his life as a young man when he was depressed and saw no purpose in life. Ahmed was surprised to hear Tom talk about his relationship with Jesus, how it was just like a friendship, not some rule-following activity. After several such deep, soul-searching times together, Ahmed placed his faith in Jesus. Today, he is being discipled by Tom and another expatriate tentmaker with good Arabic. Ahmed wants his wife and children to experience the hope and joy that comes from following Jesus. Pray that he would have wisdom in sharing with his family and for their openness to the Good News
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Praise the Lord also for how God is providing for the ministry of PTAP & how He will continue to do so for MJH & family.
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Praying Thru the Arabian Peninsula
www.pray-ap.info
USA #: 800-376-5876 (Eastern Time)
Encouraging & equipping believers & churches everywhere to pray through the heart of the Muslim world so that church planting movements will spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula and beyond for the Lord's glory.
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PTAP
c/o Strategic Resource Group
P.O. Box 1809
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USA
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