DAY 21 WALA PEOPLE OF Isa 25:7-9, NET icture the Lord saying “Come, people!” Visualize Jesus with open arms, ready to On this mountain He will Pwelcome the Wala or Waala people into His family. swallow up the shroud It is no coincidence that the meaning of their name that is over all the peoples, is Wa (come) La (people) in their language. They the woven covering that live in northwestern Ghana. They are the founders is over all the nations; He of the city of Wa, which is the largest Islamic city will swallow up death in the region. permanently. The sovereign The Wala people perform several ceremonies each Lord will wipe away the year. For instance, at the end of the farming season International Create tears from every face, they celebrate the abundance of grain with dancing. and remove His people’s Ceremonies also accompany events such as births, disgrace from all the marriages, and deaths. The Wala are noted for their earth. Indeed, the Lord has expert xylophone players who perform at funerals announced it. At that time and dances. they will say, “Look, here God has a purpose for every people group and is our God! We waited for every person He created. This creative and musical Him and He delivered us. people have not had the chance to find His purpose Here is the Lord! We waited for them because they are currently sealed behind for Him. Let’s rejoice and a wall of and traditional animistic religion. celebrate His deliverance!” They have not found the narrow path that can lead them to enjoying the intimacy of having a loving Pray that this verse will heavenly Father. have a new meaning for West African believers. Pray that God will show them they are welcome in Pray that it will be a source His kingdom, that He is beckoning them saying, “come of celebration for those people.” Pray that through their music and ceremonies the who love the Lord, and a Wala people would yearn for the everlasting worship of motivation to others to join the Father in heaven. Pray for the Holy Spirit to draw the Lord’s family. Wala leaders to the Son through dreams, visions, and the Bible.—Sonya Witherspoon, guest writer

70 DAY ZARMA PEOPLE OF GHANA 22 irthrates are on Prov 22:6, NET the rise, and infant mortalityB is declining, Train a child in the way that so it looks like a good he should go, and when future for the Zarma he is old he will not turn people of Ghana. from it. About half of their total population is under the Pray for the Lord to raise up age of 15. teams of people to help raise

Create International Create up Zarma children in the Farming is the most ways He wants them to go. common and most respected form of work. You will also find Zarma fisherman, teachers, businessmen, government workers, etc. The farming and gardening is labor intensive, and children participate. It’s not unusual to see one’s best efforts produce little or nothing because of drought or pests. The Zarma are practicing Muslims. Every village has a mosque where the men gather to pray. Even though Zarma people seem to make an outward show of strict Islamic life, many also use animistic practices in their daily life. This results in “folk Islam.” These practices include wearing charms around their necks and consulting mediums. In these charms or small pouches, they often keep Qur’anic verses. Less than one in 1,000 follow Christ.

Pray that God will send laborers and that whole families will come to Christ, especially children. Pray for Pastor Beh as he ministers in many remote villages. Pray for his continued spiritual growth and for wisdom and discern- ment as he leads and disciples others. The Bible is available in the Zarma language; pray that workers will use it for teaching the Zarma to read. Pray for believers to tell more in-depth Bible stories to encourage discipleship and leader- ship development.—Sonya Witherspoon, guest writer

71 DAY KOTOKOLI PEOPLE OF GHANA 23 AND Isa 52:13-15, NIV (This story illustrates what could happen among this “See, my servant will act people group.) wisely; he will be raised ou will not stab yourself in the stomach!” A and lifted up and highly Kotokoli mother was trying to dissuade her exalted. Just as there were “Y13-year-old son, Paghwa, from participating in the many who were appalled at Adosa Ceremony. His younger sister added, “Are Him—His appearance was you trying to prove to everyone you are a tough so disfigured beyond that guy? Why not do something useful instead like of any human being and hunt a gazelle?” His form marred beyond Paghwa stood up, sighed, and explained himself. human likeness—so He “It’s the Adosa Ceremony, and our people have been will sprinkle many nations, doing this for centuries. I can’t get hurt; I’ll use a and kings will shut their special potion to protect myself. And I won’t be mouths because of Him. stabbing myself, Mom. It’s just running a blade over For what they were not my stomach, no more.” told, they will see, and Though Paghwa’s people, the Kotokolis, are over what they have not heard, 90 percent Muslim, they still participate in pre- they will understand. Islamic ceremonies like Adosa. They know about Christianity, but only one in 200 have accepted the Pray that the Kotokoli people call to salvation. will see that Jesus Christ SIM International, a key mission agency that is made the sacrifice for them, asking for prayer for the Kotokoli people, comments, and they merely need to “New followers are often floundering and on their stand and watch Him deliver own until they can become established within a them from sin. group of supportive believers. Over a period of years, the family may gradually re-accept the believer. Possessing the positive testimony and character of a life changed by Christ, a Christian can often eventually be given the opportunity to share his faith one-on-one with family and friends.”

Pray that the few Kotokoli believers will let their light shine for Christ among their Muslim neighbors. Pray for hearts to be open among the Kotokoli people to receive Jesus Christ.—KC 72 DAY COOPERATIVE MISSION EFFORTS IN WEST 24 igerians already Isaiah 49:6, NIV have a Perspectives course,N and they are …He says: “It is too small sending workers to a thing for you to be my the unreached nations servant to restore the tribes as a result. They of Jacob and bring back are also helping the those of Israel I have kept. I Ghanaians to develop will also make you a light their own classes. The for the Gentiles, that my Patricia Gyan-Klu first Ghanaian class salvation may reach to the happened in September ends of the earth.” of last year. Meanwhile, translators are translating the Perspectives curriculum Pray for African believers for West Africans who use French as a trade language. to feel God’s pleasure and This will be a long process, and it will require much be encouraged as they prayer for accuracy. work together to serve their Other believers in are working together to common King. help extend His kingdom. Here is a report from Patricia Gyan-Klu, a worker with Markaz Al-Bishara (see day 7). “Our director was in Togo for a consultation with a focus on how Africans can train and send missionaries to Africa’s unreached regions and support nationals to share the gospel. This consultation and the issues discussed have stirred up a desire for Markaz Al-Bishara to establish an intercultural institute to train mission-minded Africans in mission courses. The institute will enroll its first set of students by September, 2016. The program will also support these missionaries who will be sent to Africa’s hard to reach areas.”

Pray for wisdom as the team puts together structures and curricula for the institute. Pray for committed volunteers. Pray for God to provide the resources. Pray for the Holy Spirit to move through the emerging Perspectives class in Ghana.—KC and Patricia Gyan-Klu, guest writer from Ghana

73 DAY GLOBAL RECORDINGS NETWORK 25 (GRN) IN WEST AFRICA Isa 66:21-23, NIV he Global Recordings Network (GRN) team in has made audio gospel recordings in “And I will select some of Tover 500 languages and dialects; but their work is far them also to be priests from done. Over 200 additional groups in Nigeria and Levites,” says the Lord. need their own recordings. GRN is also investigating “As the new heavens and many other people groups in West Africa that also the new earth that I make need recordings. will endure before me,” Making recordings isn’t easy. Just getting to their declares the Lord, “so will location is often a challenge. Kish Bai and his team your name and descendants recently visited the unreached Bauchi people of endure. From one new Nigeria. Their location is cut off during the rainy moon to another and from season. The Bauchi claim they are all Muslims, one Sabbath to another, but Kish found over 80 percent actually practice all mankind will come and traditional religion. The Bauchi are split into four bow down before me,” says dialects. Kish was surprised to find they don’t the Lord. understand each another, so gospel recordings must be made for each of those dialects. The team plans to Pray for the Lord to raise return soon. up new believers who hear and respond to the The Pangu are 99 percent Muslim. Before showing a Word of God through these Christian movie, Kish had to obtain permission from gospel recordings. Pray the district head. He reports, “Fortunately he had an that many from these will open mind to the gospel and told us to report anyone be raised up as “priests and who caused a problem. Only a few watched openly, Levites” to serve the Lord but 70 percent were hiding in market stalls to watch. throughout Africa. They were all suspicious of one another.”

Pray that the Bauchi and Pangu people may soon hear the good news in their own dialects and respond with faith. Pray for safety for Kish and his GRN team as they travel to difficult places in Nigeria to record gospel messages.— Allan Starling, GRN

74 DAY , WYCLIFFE BIBLE TRANSLATORS 26 ost Djimini are subsistence farmers, and each John 12:47-48, NIV person is thought of as extended family. These excellentM farmers work their fields collectively, and If anyone hears my words each family contributes to the village. Working as a but does not keep them, I group helps them stay strong. do not judge that person. Djimini think of themselves as one group with For I did not come to judge all of their ideas pointing in the same direction. the world, but to save the There are no individuals, only groups: the family, world. There is a judge for the village, and the tribe. Making decisions that the one who rejects me oppose the views of the larger community is viewed and does not accept my as a dangerous practice that places the individual at words; the very words I risk of being shunned or excommunicated. Unless have spoken will condemn the entire tribe makes a change such as converting them at the last day. to a different religion, no one changes. The 85,000 Muslim Djimini people are not alone in thinking this Pray that God’s Word will way. Most people groups do not allow individuals to penetrate the hearts of the make their own spiritual decisions. Djimini people in such a way that they will have a healthy Wycliffe Bible Translators is hard at work on fear of Him, and a desire to producing a Bible in the Djimini language so that do His will. they can decide to accept or reject Christ, rather than automatically rejecting a Savior who seems foreign because the Scriptures are in a different language.

Pray for the Holy Spirit to work on key Djimini leaders so that they can influence others to receive Jesus when the Bible is available. Pray diligently as Wycliffe completes the final proofreading and printing process. Give praise to Almighty God that written and audio resources are available to Djimini people. Ask the Lord to raise up strong disciples and servant leaders among these blood- bought people.—KH

75 DAY PRAYER EFFORTS FOR ENGAGED 27 PEOPLE GROUPS Isaiah 56:6-7, NIV rayer lists and resources exist And foreigners who bind Pthat tell you how God themselves to the Lord to wants you to pray for minister to Him, to love the remaining 7,000 the name of the Lord, and unreached people to be His servants, all who groups. Would you pray A praying African congregation keep the Sabbath without through these prayer desecrating it and who requests if you could find hold fast to my covenant— information about unreached people groups that are these I will bring to my holy currently being reached by missionaries? Would you be mountain and give them more motivated to pray if they posted regular updates? joy in my house of prayer. This is now possible, and actually happening, thanks Their burnt offerings and to work by Africa Inland Mission International sacrifices will be accepted (AIM). They have a website called PrayAfrica. on my altar; for my house org where you can find a list of unreached people will be called a house of groups in Africa. Most of these people groups have prayer for all nations. missionaries among them. Either the missionary or someone they know posts current prayer requests Pray that those who for the work being done. You can also find prayer intercede for the peoples of updates on the Pray Africa Facebook page. Africa will persevere with the faith that God will raise these Here is one example: Oral Bible stories that can be nations up for His purposes. used on MP3 players and cell phones were given to select leaders of one unreached West African people group that GPD readers have prayed for regularly. One time we prayed for them for a full month. The missionary remarked that the leaders from the Fulbe group have given them positive feedback. They now need to get more MP3 players to other members of this people group.

Pray for these Muslim leaders to be given the gift of faith in Jesus Christ after hearing these messages. Pray that these efforts will open the door for people from this entire group to seek Christ.—KC

76 DAY WORK AMONG MAGUZAWA PEOPLE OF NIGERIA 28 he Maguzawa villagers Isa 59:19-21a, NIV watched as Ezekiel and EstherT finished building their From the west, people will straw hut. A village leader fear the name of the Lord, approached the couple and and from the rising of the asked, “You are educated sun, they will revere his

NIGER people and could have made glory. For He will come like

CHAD a lot of money in the cities. a pent-up flood that the Kano Why would you come here?” NIGERIA breath of the Lord drives Abuja Ezekiel responded, “We came along. “The Redeemer will because we love the prophet come to Zion, to those in you call Isa, or Jesus. We Jacob who repent of their want you to have the chance sins,” declares the Lord. “As to experience the blessings for me, this is my covenant He offers to all who call on His name. He has with them,” says the Lord. changed our lives for the better, and we know He can do the same for everyone else.” These last two months we Missionaries like Ezekiel and Esther have their work have prayed from the east cut out for them. Most Maguzawa people are Muslims to the west of Africa that who also practice traditional animistic religion. They the nations will behold worship nature spirits they call iskoki. The people His glory. Pray for His Holy group also worships their ancestors. In fact, they have Spirit to flood Africa with His over 3,000 spirits they worship! blessings as we move on to pray for other continents. Pray that this people group will come to see that Jesus Christ is better than any spirit they can ever imagine. Ask God to provide for the transportation needs of the mission- aries reaching out to the Maguzawa people. Many of them lack motorbikes, which limits them to work in a small area. Most of all, pray that the Lord will give Ezekiel and Esther the Holy Spirit anointing they need to disciple and prepare the Maguzawas to reach other Muslim peoples in Nigeria.—WK

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