Exloring Life Eternal

"Throw out your bread on the waters, for after many days you will find it once more. ... Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let your hands be diligent, for you do not know which will bear fruit, whether the early or the latter, or whether both will do equally well."
-- Ecclesiastes 11:1, 6

PRAISE:
Just this Saturday a worker met a young man who asked for a whole Bible because he had read the Injil (New Testament) a dozen times and wanted to know more. He also saw the Jesus video 10 or more times. He says he wants to talk with someone about Jesus from the Bible.

PETITION:
Pray for a worker's landlord "RAB", a local man with a keen sense of wit and good insight into local and international affairs. After several missed attempts to get together, they sat up late last weekend discussing life and the world's problems. He shared some fantastic, historical stories of campfire fellowship in the days of his youth in the early 1960’s. Pray that we would be able to have more of these 'fire-side chat' and that they would be more and more spiritually oriented.

Pray for the Arab Christian workers at the Asian Games in Doha this week. Pray that they would have opportunities to develop friendships with Arabian Peninsula Arabs.

Pray for the Saudi Arabian woman who has come to faith – she desires to be married and that the believers in her country would be bold and faithful in their witness for Him.

Pray for the various political initiatives going on in Bahrain, Kuwait and the UAE as the issue of voting, women in office and friendliness with the West is causing friction in the community.

Pray for the 'House of Prayer' that has been established in one country. Pray for funding to keep it going. Pray for the family taking care of this needed facility.

TESTIMONY:
"A while ago, I gave a young local man a copy of the Injil. He was very happy to receive it, said thank you a hundred times and went on his way. He was like others I had the privilege to give the word of God over the past dozen years. There is a common pattern: they inquire some with questions about Jesus, about how He can be the Son of God, about how can God have a son, and questioning the very integrity of the Bible by stating that is has been changed. After a while, they come back, asking to read the book again. Perhaps they take a Jesus video or DVD. Then they are gone, often times never to be seen again. However, this time I am happy to report that my young, local friend came back. He took a Jesus film. Then he came back again to take the whole Bible, not just the New Testament. And again, he came with more questions – but the right kind of questions, questions that let me think that he is coming close to wanting to walk with this Jesus he has met in the Scriptures.

"Please pray that the God of Heaven would grab hold of his heart!" (Luke 17:17) Pray also that others who have taken materials will have a renewed hunger for the word of God & fellowship with the saints.


* AP = Arabian Peninsula
+ MBB = Muslim Backround Believer
<>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Praying Thru the Arabian Peninsula
www.pray-ap.info
USA #: 800-376-5876 (Eastern Time)
Encouraging & equipping believers & churches everywhere to pray with a heart filled with the "Seed-of-Laughter" for heirs of the woman who found that "God-Sees-and-Hears-Me" so that biblical church planting movements will spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula and beyond for the Lord's glory.

"He who sacrifices thank-offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God." - Psalm 50:23 (NIV)

PRAISE:
We are excited that God re-connected a tentmaking woman with a seeking woman who left the country suddenly in the summer. The tentmaker had a wrong phone number. God brought a couple through the region that actually lived in the seeking woman’s country. They were able to help the tentmaker get in touch with her friend and what joy followed as the two women were able to catch-up with what the Lord has been doing in the seekers life. She has experienced much heartache with the separation from her National Muslim husband and the loss of her 5 children that are with him. Pray for wisdom for the tentmaker and His continued work the seeker's life.

PETITION:
Pray for "Lydia", a National woman who has breast cancer. She is undergoing treatment. Please pray that she would hold onto Jesus' hand tightly as she goes through her treatment. Pray for her healing and witness to her Muslim family and friends.

Pray for complete healing for the son of a key tentmaker in a neighboring country. The boy has had eye problems for the past several months and is undergoing treatment. The family is thankful for the way God has arranged medical support and are trusting God for full recovery.

Pray for the young MBB woman who just started in a new job this week. She is uncertain about her ability to perform the tasks, but is confident that God brought this job to her.

Pray for the nation-wide prayer initiative started by some Indian and Korean believers in our country. They are very tied into the evangelism activities of the churches here and want to bring down God's tremendous blessings on His work in our country.

Pray for the Christian witness that will be going on at the Asian Games in Doha over the next 3 weeks. Pray for the Christians living in Doha that they make the most of this opportunity to reach out to the nations which have come to them.

TESTIMONY:
Holidays are a great time to share the life of Jesus with our Arab Muslim friends. Just this past week, there were numerous celebrations for Thanksgiving across the Arabian Peninsula. The collection below is just a sampling of the events and happenings at these celebrations.

In our largest city, a young, sharp, devout Muslim man who has been seriously seeking the Truth heard a satisfying explanation of the Trinity that set his mind working in new ways from an Irishman tentmaker whom he met at a holiday gathering.

In a small neighborhood suburb of another city an Egyptian seeker who has had many heartbreaks and sorrow in life, met a Gulf Arab MBB who if full of joy even though she has had to leave her home due to persecution and is now living in another country with a Christian family that has loved and cared for her. This testimony spoke volumes to the seeker.

A gathering of families included two single Muslim Sudanese women who shared in this kind of meal for the first time. They heard of God's work in the lives of individuals, met with an Iranian MBB who lives in the same town that they do in the Gulf. They talked of life, death, God, prayer and many other topics that can be revisited in later times as the Holy Spirit works in their lives.

Please pray for other holiday parties, desert bar-b-ques, and gatherings where Muslims will be with their Christian friends. Pray that the gospel would be shared with love and clarity.

September 042006

"Wandering like wild donkeys in the desert the poor go around in labor, hunting for food. The wastelands yield food for their children as they gather food from the wild and glean the vineyards of the wicked." - Job 24:4-5

"Be Glad! The Kingdom belongs to you bankrupt beggars!!"
- Jesus to his followers (in Luke 6:20ff)

PRAISE:
We are praising the Lord for the safe keeping of two MBB believers who have been in hiding these past few months. They made it through the summer months without any major incident.

PETITION:
Please pray for some members of a Muslim group which disciples new converts to Islam, who are currently dialoging with a missionary via email. Please pray that the so-far friendly "debate" will continue as an open channel for these men to hear the Bible's teachings, come to understand the Gospel, and be granted faith "by the hearing of the Word of God".

Please for a dynamic Christian missionary lady who has begun to suffer bouts of confusion, apathy, and other negative symptoms. Ask God to remove all work of the enemy against her, her family, & her vital ministries.

Pray for the young tentmaking couple that was given only a few weeks to vacate their accommodation. Pray that God would give them peace amidst all the turmoil of finding adequate housing in their restricted budget in a short time frame.

Pray for the MBB who had a car accident recently. He is discouraged by the recent events.

Pray for the outreaches in the remote villages in our mountainous country. Pray for the lone National believer in his small village of less than 100 people. He has been taunted for leaving Islam and blamed for every calamity in the village.

TESTIMONY: A Long Awaited Bible
One of the most rewarding ministries that I have ever been involved in was the home visitation ministry at the Christian hospital. Ninety-seven percent of the women who had a baby at Oasis Hospital were Muslim. The home visitation ministry put Christian nurses in the homes of as
many new mothers as possible, usually within one week of the birth of the baby.

The Christian nurses would arrange the visit before the mother was discharged. On the day of the visit, two nurses would go on the home visit. They took medical equipment for assessing both mother and baby, a copy of the Bible for each mother, along with other gifts for both mother and baby.

On this morning, we visited the new mother. Also at the home were two of her sisters and her mother. Following the check of the mother and baby, the nurses told all of these ladies how Jesus loved little children, and admonished them to raise their baby in reverence of God.

Then, they started to take the Bible out of its gift bag. Upon seeing it, the new mother exclaimed, “Is that a Bible?” When told it was, she said that her family had been trying to find a Bible for 10 years, and did we have enough for each of them, and at least one more for her father. What a glorious day! Seven Bibles were given to one family, and for
six months, until workers left and this girl’s family scattered, there was a Bible study in a Muslim home.

* AP = Arabian Peninsula
+ MBB = Muslim Backround Believer

<>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Praying Thru the Arabian Peninsula
www.pray-ap.info
USA #: 800-376-5876 (Eastern Time)
Encouraging & equipping believers & churches everywhere to pray with a heart filled with the "Seed-of-Laughter" for those at the heart who know that "God-Hears" so that biblical church planting movements will spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula and beyond for the Lord's glory.

====
To learn how you can support this & other work in the Middle East, visit:
http://www.srginc.org

Or write MertH.:
ptap@srginc.org

Or:
PTAP
c/o Strategic Resource Group
P.O. Box 1809
Easton, MD 21601
USA

“Sing a new song to the LORD; His praise from the ends of the earth. Let the desert and its cities shout, the settlements where Kedar dwells. Let the inhabitants of Sela sing for joy; let them cry out from the mountaintops. Let them give glory to the LORD, and declare His praise in the islands. The LORD advances like a warrior; ... I will groan like a woman in labor, gasping breathlessly. I will lead the blind by a way they did not know; I will guide them on paths they have not known. I will turn darkness to light in front of them, and rough places into level ground. This is what I will do for them, and I will not forsake them.” - from Isaiah 42

PRAISE:
We rejoice that “Samantha” received an “all clear” message from the doctors. She is encouraged by the news and asks for God’s continued work in her life – physically, spiritually, mentally and emotionally – to become a whole woman of God.

PETITION:
Pray for new workers coming into the country in these weeks. Pray for God to provide for them in terms of getting settled, provision of housing and car, initial contacts with local people, wisdom as they sort out their lifestyle and availability for ministry.

Pray for the Prayer Ministry here - pray that the workers will be refreshed and blessed during their time in their home country. Pray that God will gather friends around them to pray for them and encourage them and send them back refreshed.

Pray for some tentmakers who are closing their business. Pray for wisdom in all of the necessary business transactions. Pray for employment and visa situations that will maximize their effectiveness in our country.

Pray for the final weeks of ministry outreach in Europe to Arab Muslims from the Arabian Peninsula. August is one of the most popular holiday months for Arab Muslims from the AP. Pray that thousands of Jesus DVDs and other material would come back into the region with these families.

Pray for the ministry work in the eastern part of Yemen. Pray for more workers to enter this very harsh and desolate land. There are millions (2,000,000+) of Yemeni women and men without a Christian witness.

PRAISE:
Earlier this year, a group of tentmakers, a Muslim Background Believer (MBB), some visitors and some Muslim background seekers went on a desert outing. The man leading the outing is an expert on the desert and is often blessing the Christian community by hosting desert outings for visiting team members, Mission agency executives, relatives and friends. This outing was one of many over a dozen years of being one of few workers in the country.

On this particular outing, the temperatures were comfortable, the chicken bar-b-que was delicious and the fellowship among all was pleasant. It was dark when we left the sand and began the 1 hour drive home on the highway. On the way back, discussions covered a range of topics – religion always being one of them. In fact, many spiritual issues were raised during our time in the desert. It was in the middle of our trip home, that “Suzie” asked the MBB brother if he was still a Muslim. When he said ‘no, I am a Christian’ she was so taken aback that she pursed her lips and covered her mouth. After a brief silence, “Abe” – the MBB man, asked if she wanted to know his story. She emphatically said yes. So for the rest of the ride home Suzie heard all about God’s wonderful work in Abe’s life. She had many questions and felt comfortable to allow the other people in our 4-WD know that she was a genuine seeker after God and was interested in Christianity.

We praise God for this opportunity to bring together a Muslim seeker and an MBB and see Him do the work of bringing the Gospel to her ears. Pray for Suzie as she continues her spiritual journey. Pray that she would yield her life to the Savior. Pray for continued blessing and protection for Abe.


* AP = Arabian Peninsula
+ MBB = Muslim Backround Believer

<>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Praying Thru the Arabian Peninsula
www.pray-ap.info
USA #: 800-376-5876 (Eastern Time)
Encouraging & equipping believers & churches everywhere to pray with a heart filled with the "Seed-of-Laughter" for those at the heart who know "God-Hears" so that biblical church planting movements will spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula and beyond for the Lord's glory.

====
To learn how you can support this & other work in the Middle East, visit:
http://www.srginc.org

Or write MertH.:
ptap@srginc.org

Or:
PTAP
c/o Strategic Resource Group
P.O. Box 1809
Easton, MD 21601
USA

"How long will you hesitat between two opinions? If the Lord [our Creator & Redeemer & Savior] is God, follow Him!"
- Elijah in 1 Kings 18:21

PRAISE:
Praise for the good relations that have continued between workers and seekers through these difficult months.

PETITION:
From a worker in the Arabian Peninsula: I want to ask for special prayer for “Sincere”. She is in the hospital with internal bleeding, but the cause has still not been found. I also ask you to pray for something particular besides her health. Her family frequently makes hurtful comments about the bad things that have happened since she stopped praying in the Muslim way. It feeds the fear and shame that are so destructive to her young faith. Please also pray that in front of her family, that God would show Himself strong on her behalf to His glory and their salvation.

Pray for tentmaker families who are going on leave this month. Pray for spiritual and emotional refreshment during their vacation time. Pray for them to have rest - for some this will be time alone to reflect, for others it will be fellowship and renewing of friendships. Pray for God to provide whatever is needed for each worker.

Pray for the believers who were being discipled and mentored by tentmakers who are now away for the summer. Pray for God to sustain them in their walk with Him. Pray for personal encouragement and answers to prayer. Ask God to show them in various ways that He is with them and this does not depend on any outside influence.

Pray for the National believer in our country who is having financial and marriage difficulties. Some couples in the tentmaking community with strong marriages have met with them over the past months with some progress. Pray that both the husband and wife would humble themselves before the Lord in these matters and seek His best.

Pray for the Christian witness of National believers and expatriate believers in southern Oman and in Yemen during the month of August. Many of the Arab Muslims from the other Arabian Peninsula countries take their holiday in these cooler regions.


TESTIMONY:
We rejoice that a local family that meets regularly in their majilis with believers now wants to leave it all to God to tell them the truth. They have shared and debated Jesus and Mohammed for months now and the elderly father has said enough... "let's leave this with God to reveal the truth" (quote). Please pray for K and his 4 sons who do ask searching questions. Enough words have been said and we are praying for the Holy Spirit to come in power and confirm the truth that has been shared.


* AP = Arabian Peninsula
+ MBB = Muslim Backround Believer

<>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Praying Thru the Arabian Peninsula
www.pray-ap.info
USA #: 800-376-5876 (Eastern Time)
Encouraging & equipping believers & churches everywhere to pray with a heart filled with the "Seed-of-Laughter" for those at the heart who know "God-Hears" so that biblical church planting movements will spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula and beyond for the Lord's glory.

====
To learn how you can support this & other work in the Middle East, visit: http://www.srginc.org

Or write MertH.:
ptap@srginc.org

Or:
PTAP
c/o Strategic Resource Group
P.O. Box 1809
Easton, MD 21601
USA

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ & you shall be saved - you and your household!"
- Acts 16:31


PRAISE:
We are so excited! There have been two families in our city that have come to the Lord over the past few weeks. They are keen to grow in the knowledge and grace of their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Thank you partners in Praying Through the Arabian Peninsula [PTAP] for your faithful prayers!


PETITION:
Pray for a local man named Mohammed who recently received a Gospel of Luke. Pray that he will read God Word and that God will change his heart so he could receive the Truth of Jesus Christ.

Pray that whole Saudi families would come to know Jesus.

Pray for the plans for a new church building in our country to be approved by the various authorities. Pray also that God will provide the finances to go forward with it. Pray with us over all the details - the final design, the vision in the hearts of the people, the official approvals and paperwork, and God's provision for all of this.

Continue to pray for our tentmaking team as we disciple local Muslims that have come to faith in Jesus. For most of us, these are the first local believers we have discipled. Pray for us as we live the Gospel in front of them. Pray we can communicate in ways our Arab brothers and sisters can understand and apply.

Pray for a new MBB living with a family in a nearby country. She is young in her faith and emotionally immature. It has been a difficult transition to living with a family of a different culture. Pray for wisdom, much grace and love in this unique discipleship situation.


TESTIMONY:
We have another new believer! Samantha responded with hunger to her cousin Melanie’s amazing testimony of tremendous joy and new freedom through Isa al Messih. Melanie had experienced the mercy of Jesus breaking into deep issues in her heart, and Samantha wanted to know if she could experience that too. Sharon and Joy, two of our team members, visited Samantha to pray for her and tell her about Jesus. She just burst out, “I want Jesus!”

The next morning, Samantha had a dream in which she was holding the biggest loaf of bread she’d ever seen. In the dream, she began breaking the bread and giving it to all of her family! She called Sharon asking, “So, what do you think the dream means?” Tears ran down Sharon’s face as she led Samantha to John 6, where Jesus calls himself the Bread of Life. Samantha cried out in amazement, “You mean I am feeding Jesus to my family?!”

Samantha is part of an extended family that now includes 4 believers! We’ve been praying that God’s kingdom would expand along family lines. And now we’re seeing that happen. Please pray for mothers and brothers and fathers and sisters and aunts and uncles and cousins to come to Jesus!

<>< <>< <>< <>< <><
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.

====
To learn how you can support this & other work in the Middle East, visit:
http://www.srginc.org

Or write:
ptap@srginc.org

Or:
PTAP
c/o Strategic Resource Group
P.O. Box 1809
Easton, MD 21601
USA

"You are the light of the world." - Jesus (see Matthew 5)

PRAISE:
Praise the Lord that a worker in the region who has been fighting cancer is making significant progress. He is still in need of prayer, but all the medical people involved in his case are encouraged by his progress.

Praise the Lord for several tentmaking families that have recently given birth to children in their countries of service. All of the children and mums are healthy. We rejoice in the hope of new life and trust that God’s hand will be on these special children.

PETITION:
Please pray for B, a local believer who has been away from the faith for a while. He now has shown a desire to return to following Jesus. Praise God! Pray that he continues to grow and that the Evil One will not have a hand in his life.

Pray for an ex-pat Arab Muslim lady who has shown great interest in the things of God. She is reading the Bible and wants to find out more about Jesus. She will be given the Jesus film audio later this week. Please pray that the Holy Spirit will give her understanding and a revelation of Himself.

Lift up a young family in our country. Their ability to stay and minister is in jeopardy. A religious officer retrieved some religious material that they had distributed. They have been placed under close watch. Pray that they would be able to continue to do the work God has for them and to protect their contacts.

Join us as we ask God to provide the teachers for a special training school that has been started by an international coalition of mission agencies in the central region of our country. The institute has the potential to touch the lives of thousands of National Muslim men and women. Pray that governmental approval will be granted in the near future.

Pray for some Muslim background believers who were arrested several months back. They have since been released by their government but are continually harassed by the religious police at home and in the workplace. Pray that these men will not become discouraged. Pray that they would keep on growing in their walk with Jesus.

TESTIMONY:
A middle aged woman on our team has recently been in a very challenging situation. She was visiting with one of her National Muslim neighbors when a man burst into the ladies majlis (meeting room) and pointed an angry finger at our friend. He was very rude and abrupt and said some very unpleasant things about Christianity and the Bible. Our friend, “R”, was stunned by such a violent verbal attack and said little. After he left the ladies of the household continued their friendly visit.

Time passed until again “R” was visiting her friend when again this aggressive man burst into the room to degrade Christianity and the Bible more vehemently that the previous time. This time “R” was ready with a few concise words that could be planted in his mind to make him take step back and assess his life and behavior. After his most recent tirade, “R” made a few comments that challenged the angry man’s statements.

Eventually, this angry man asked for a Bible. Today, he reads his Bible everyday and always has questions for “R” when she comes over to meet with his sisters and aunts. Praise the Lord for His powerful word. May it bring salvation to the household of Ahmed.

<>< <>< <>< <>< <><
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.

====
To learn how you can support this & other work in the Middle East, visit:
http://www.srginc.org

Or write:
ptap@srginc.org

Or:
PTAP
c/o Strategic Resource Group
P.O. Box 1809
Easton, MD 21601
USA

One man was visiting with three of his cousins who are all believers. The evening started as many such evenings would - they sat on mattresses on the floor and drank coffee together. Later, following the reading of a passage from the Bible and some discussion they had a time of prayer. He prayed: "God, if you're real then show me!" Pray for seekers like this man, that God would answer the deep prayers of their hearts – both uttered and silent.