DAY 01 AKKIN PEOPLE Lk 10:9,17, NKJV ome people might think that the Akkin tribe located in the Caucasus are Chechens. They And heal the sick there, aren’t,S even though they have been identified in and say to them, “The official statistics as “Chechen.” These kingdom of God has come 100,000 people live in western and speak near to you.”… Then the 70 a distinct dialect of the Chechen language. Until the returned with joy, saying, Soviet Union was dissolved in late 1991, this region “Lord, even the demons are was a part of the USSR. subject to us in Your name.” The Akkin live along a transport corridor. An Pray for the Akkin people to unfortunate “export” along this corridor is the find that which their hearts constant turmoil and competition between two have been waiting. factions of Islam. Traditionally the Akkin have practiced the moderate, emotional, mystical Sufi version of Sunni Islam; but foreign Sunni Wahhabi zealots are attempting to stamp out Sufi practices throughout Dagestan. The Akkin are affected by this insurgency as young men get recruited and enticed (even extorted) to participate in the conflict. Because of this turmoil, one can find Akkin refugees in many asylum camps located in Europe.

Pray for representatives of Jesus to reach out to “the right people at the right time” among the Akkin. Pray for Chechen believers to have the courage to evangelize their Akkin cousins. Pray for Caucasus house churches to notice opportunities for friendship and connections with their Akkin neighbors. Thank the Lord for one church in the USA that has taken the Akkin into their hearts for long- term prayer until there is a Christ-following community among them. Pray for European Refugee ministries to have eyes and ears for Akkin people in their midst.

88 DAY GODOBERI PEOPLE 02 unerals are Eph. 2:8, NKJV especially stressful Ffor the 3,000+ For by grace you have Godoberi people. They been saved through faith, often drive seven or and that not of yourselves; more hours to meet in it is the gift of God… one location, since they often live in different parts of mountainous Dagestan. The A Godoberi town Godoberi people, like many other Dagestani, observe strict Sunni Islamic practices which require them to bury the dead quickly. So there is a mad rush for people to come together for funerals. The stress only gets worse for male relatives. At the funeral the male relatives will repeat endless ritual prayers, hoping to reach a total of 70,000 repetitions. Local Muslim traditions say that if you reach that number, the deceased will have a better chance of making it into heaven—but you’ll never know for sure. So the pressure is on to help the dearly departed to find a place in paradise. All this is expected at a time when people need to be able to grieve.

Pray that Godoberi families in the city will get to know at least one of the several thousand followers of Jesus in the urban regions of Dagestan. Pray that they will come to understand the gift of Jesus to the human race. Pray that such a breakthrough will then be passed by Godoberi clan relationships up into the Godoberi heartland in the western mountains. Pray that educated people with servant hearts will make linguistic progress in preserving and honoring the ancient, complex Godoberi language.

89 DAY 03 KARATÁ PEOPLE Acts 16:14-15, ountains rise upward toward the sky in the Karata region. Near one river valley the Now a certain woman mountainsM tower to nearly 7000 feet. Three miles named Lydia heard us. She away the mountain ridge rises to 8500 feet! was a seller of purple from The 6400 Karata people of western Dagestan live the city of Thyatira, who in 10 major in this mountainous region and worshiped God. The Lord speak their distinctive Karata language. The Karata opened her heart to heed have been Sunni Muslim for more than 500 years. the things spoken by Paul. And when she and her Jesus said of the rich young ruler that it was easier household were baptized, for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than she begged us, saying, “If for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. The Karata people are not plagued by riches, but by you have judged me to be barriers that are higher than their mountain ranges. faithful to the Lord, come to Pride, defense of tradition, and penalties against my house and stay.” So she violating “collective conformity” are three major persuaded us. barriers facing a Karata person who would consider a new spiritual option. Pray for a first “Lydia” among the Karata to On the other hand, in Dagestani cultures such courageously respond to the as the Karata there is a deep, abiding hunger for resurrection power of Jesus. unselfish overflowing love and true spiritual power. Pray for many Karata people A courageous person will even fight his or her way to have the courage to find through the eye of a needle to find such pure love. the spiritual direction that We know many stories such as this from within will lead to the cross. Dagestan. It has not yet happened for the first Karata person.

Pray for loving Christian friends to honor the Karata language and culture and become “bridge people” into Karata relationships. Pray for believers to show the Karata the way to the One who has an unselfish, over- flowing love for them.

90 DAY CHAMALAL PEOPLE 04 asul and Ibraghim Eph 5:1-2, NKJV were two young RChamalal men from Therefore be imitators of an urban region of God as dear children. And Dagestan. Their parents walk in love, as Christ also told them to find a has loved us and given Chamalal wife back in Himself for us, an offering their homeland. The and a sacrifice to God for a most hopeful settings sweet-smelling aroma. for such a find were Near a Chamalal town large weddings in Pray that some from the Chamalal mountain Chamalal people will soon villages where hundreds of young people gather for seek to become imitators of two days of dancing and socializing. God, and walk in the love that Jesus shows His servants. Agvali and Gadiri are two of the 14 Chamalal villages in the high mountains of extreme western Dagestan. In these 14 villages, plus eight more across the ridge in the adjacent mountains of southeastern Chechnya, 10,000 people speak the distinct Chamalal language. All Chamalal people consider themselves proudly Muslim and follow traditional Sunni Islam mixed with ancient animistic practices. To date there are no known Chamalal believers. They have had almost no opportunity whatsoever to hear of the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ.

Pray that the rich, but harsh heritage of Chamalal culture will be graced with the mercy of Jesus and the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Pray that trained linguists will befriend the Chamalal people and honor their ancient complex language. In so doing, pray that God will open the door for oral recordings of the good news of Jesus in the Chamalal language. Pray that young Chamalal men and women will connect with Dagestani followers of Jesus in urban areas, and they will become messengers to their own people.

91 DAY 05 BAGULAL PEOPLE Gen 6:8, NKJV ow would you like to live in But Noah found grace in the Ha place where winter eyes of the Lord. weather lasts from September through Pray that the Bagalal people, April? Peoples like the who know about Noah from Bagulal live like this in the Qur’an, will seek and find the high mountains of God’s grace in their lives and Dagestan. One ridge their communities. Pray for above the Bagulal the Lord to raise up many A Bagulalal village of Kvanada who will be willing, like sits at 8500 feet and Noah, to stand up for God, another village sits near an 11,000 foot peak. even if no one else does. For the cattle and sheep to survive the winter, it’s crucial to accomplish massive hay gathering from the nearby hillsides before the snowfall begins. Other items of the harvest are stored and pickled for the winter, and the residents hope that 4-wheel drive vehicles can successfully make it in and out of the region several times during the winter season to resupply the area. Numbering at least 6000 people, the Bagulal speak their own distinct language and live in six major villages. The Bagulal are a rugged, fierce people who have experienced virtually no spiritual grace and knowledge about Christ. Sunni Islam makes their spiritual atmosphere grim with its works- righteousness, and a distant, stern Allah. The Bagulal would be greatly warmed by the love of God.

Pray for carriers of the message of Jesus’ grace to become true friends of the Bagulal, studying and respecting (and helping preserve) their amazing, complex language. Pray that the believers will tell them about God’s love. Pray that the joy of the Holy Spirit will open up the hearts of the few Bagulal who live in urban areas of Dagestan.

92 DAY TINDI PEOPLE 06 ow could a soap opera open the door for a Rom 3:23-24, NKJV person to know Jesus?” That is just what “Hhappened to Tadzh-utdin (not his real name), a Tindi … for all have sinned and university student in the capital city of Dagestan in fall short of the glory of southern . A Turkish soap opera, the most God, being justified freely popular TV show in recent years in Dagestan, for by His grace through the some reason frequently has positive things to say redemption that is in about Martin Luther. This has opened the door for a Christ Jesus… Dagestani believer Alek (not his real name) to share the gospel with Tadzh-utdin. The 10,000 Tindi hail from the mountains of southwestern Dagestan. The view from the central town of the Tindi people commands a dynamic view of surrounding snow-capped mountains. The distinct Tindi language is spoken in 14 villages in this region. Multiple mosques are visible through the winding hilly streets of the town of Tindi. The Tindi have followed Sunni Islam for many centuries, in conjunction with ancient nature worship of the sun, moon, and other created things. So far, the only spiritual hope for the Tindi has been to try to do enough good works to get to heaven or to appease animistic spirits. How much simpler it would be to turn from sinfulness and receive the gift of grace freely offered through Jesus!

Pray that the people will become weary with futile religious striving when they accept the marvelous grace of Jesus. Pray that God’s Spirit will bring conviction of sin to the Tindi people.

93 DAY 07 KHVARSHIN PEOPLE Isa 61:4, NASB hen they will rebuild the ancient ruins; they will raise up the former devastations, and Then they will rebuild they“T will repair the ruined cities—the desolations of the ancient ruins;, they many generations.” Isaiah 61 will raise up the former devastations, and they Look at pictures of Khvarshin villages high in the will repair the ruined southwest mountains of Dagestan, and these words of hope out of Isaiah 61 speak volumes. From 1944- cities—, the desolations 1957 the ancestors of the Khvarshin were forced out of many generations. of their mountain homeland region and resettled by Pray for the Khvarshin the Soviets into lowland Chechnya. Only in the late people to seek the God 1950s were they allowed to return to Dagestan. In who provides grace and years following, some returned to their abandoned restoration to those whose mountain villages. In current pictures of Khvarshi lives are in need of repair. mountain villages, you can see rebuilt, repaired houses standing alongside still-visible ancient ruins. The approximately 4,000 Khvarshin people of Dagestan speak their own distinct Khvarshi language, and they are located in eight mountain villages and in several lowland settlements in northern Dagestan. For centuries they have followed Sunni Islam mixed with superstitious folk practices. Life is hard for the Khvarshi. They need hope. In Jesus, God is not distant. To date there are no known Khvarshi who have come to the refreshing grace of Jesus.

Pray that true believers representing God’s grace will come to the Khvarshi, honoring their unique language and culture. Pray that through their friendship grace will flow; and times of refreshing will come spiritually, emotionally, and economically to the Khvarshin people— per the promise of Isaiah 61:4.

94 DAY GINUKH PEOPLE 08 f you get to the Lk 24:26-27, NKJV steep mountains Iwhere Georgia, Then He said to them, Russia (Dagestan), “Thus it is written, and thus and Azerbaijan it was necessary for the come together in the Christ to suffer and to rise Caucasus Mountain from the dead the third Range, you’re in the day, and that repentance vicinity of the Ginukh and remission of sins people who live mainly A Bagulalal village should be preached in in one large village His name to all nations, speaking their own beginning at Jerusalem. language. When the Ginukh need to communicate And you are witnesses of with their neighbors, they resort to Russian. these things.” In Dagestan there are 600 to 1000 Ginukh-speakers, with small numbers also living in several Ginukh Pray that the Ginukh and enclaves in the northern lowlands. They raise sheep and the neighboring peoples cattle as part of their subsistence agricultural economy. of Dagestan will truly They know where the boundaries of their pasture lands understand the meaning are, bordering with Bezhta territory up on the ridge to of repentance before a the east and with Didoi pasture lands to the west. holy God. The Ginukh have been Sunni Muslims since the 8th century, with strong elements of animism, magic, and the occult mixed in. God loves the Ginukh people. As His Word tells us in Acts 17:26, God honors the distinct Ginukh culture and language. But to date, grace has not broken through. When Jesus told His disciples in Luke 24 that, “repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all ethne,” He was thinking of people like the Ginukh.

Pray for carriers of Jesus’ grace to become friends of the Ginukh people. Pray that those who believe in Jesus will come and honor the remarkable Ginukh language and help preserve it. Pray that oral recordings of the good news will soon be prepared in their heart language.

95 DAY 09 GHUNZIB PEOPLE Rom 12:17-19, NKJV he Ghunzib are a noble people with Repay no one evil for evil. Tcarefully guarded ancient Have regard for good traditions. They are things in the sight of also renowned for their all men. If it is possible, quarrels with neighboring as much as depends on mountain peoples. The you, live peaceably with practice of “honor all men. Beloved, do vengeance” is wide spread not avenge yourselves, among the mountain but rather give place to peoples of Dagestan. wrath; for it is written, Cycles of violence and “Vengeance is mine, I will alienation are all too common. Disputes may be repay,” says the Lord. over animals, over a land boundary, over something relating to women and marriage, or over a contested Pray for the Lord to give the political upheaval. “Honor vengeance” usually results Ghunzib and their Bezhta in a retaliatory attack, and the cycle goes on. neighbors faith to believe The Ghunzib live in five high mountain villages in and act upon this key verse. extreme southwestern Dagestan. Their distinctive May they have a healthy fear Ghunzib language is mutually unintelligible from of God and joy in obeying their nearby neighbors, the Bezhtas. Both peoples use His ways. Russian as a common language. Ghunzib is spoken by at least 2500 people in Dagestan and in neighboring northeastern Georgia. These villages have been 100 percent Muslim for over 600 years, with mosques restored in each village in the last two decades.

Pray that men and women of peace among the Ghunzib will understand that “keeping away from strife is an honor for a man” (Proverbs 20:3); and that vengeance will only lead to continual strife. Pray that true Christian friends will honor the Ghunzib and bring the good news to this people in their heart language.

96 DAY BATLUKH AND GID AVAR 10 he strong Isa 60:1-3, NKJV separation of Tmale and female in Arise, shine; for your light society and in work has come! And the glory of roles is the way not the Lord is risen upon you. only of the Batlukh/ For behold, the darkness Gid peoples and shall cover the earth, and the Avar, but of all deep darkness the people; mountain peoples in but the Lord will arise Dagestan. Transgression of these strict separate roles is over you, and His glory enforced by shame. For example, one mountain village will be seen upon you. The in Dagestan is known as “The Village Where a Man Gentiles shall come to your Milked a Cow.” That is a shameful designation. light, and kings to the Women’s work covers everything related to the house, brightness of your rising. the harvest, and the animals. Men are responsible for security, plowing, sowing and cutting hay. One Pray for this blessing to objective observer in a Dagestani mountain village come to the Batlukh and concluded that the strict division of labor leaves about Gid villages. 70 percent of the work done by the women and 30 percent done by the men. The locals would say, “That’s the way it has always been.” There are many historic strengths in these cultures and qualities of beauty, but the fruit of the Spirit is deeply needed to release locked-up potential. This region has been fiercely Muslim for hundreds of years, and people have been blocked from working in their communities.

Pray for the love of God, the grace of Jesus, and the infus- ing strength of the Holy Spirit to come to Batlukh and Gid villages. Pray for bridges of true friendship to be built from representatives of Jesus’ grace to friends within these villages. Pray for courage among people of peace to respond to the gospel.

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