June 20 : Honored to Share. A cross-cultural representative studying the Nepali language writes from Nepal: “Why do I follow Jesus? I answer that question with a short story: My life before Christ, how He won my heart, and finally, what life has been like since then. I have written it, had it interpreted, and have it written in my Nepali notebook. The problem is that numerous words and structures are very new, but does that stop me? Unfortunately for my language coach, no way! It is usually pretty choppy, but when I get embarrassed and flustered, my helper has to correct every other word. I usually sound like a complete idiot, and it never feels good; but still, I’m a long way from experiencing the humiliation God suffered on my behalf, so in the end it is an honor.” Please pray for those trying to learn Nepali so they can share the Good News with the people of Nepal.

June 21 : Sindhi Families Need Jesus. There are many Sindhi seekers who want to meet and study the Bible but who live far from other believers. Pray that God will provide cross-cultural representatives there with wisdom and provide more representatives to meet the spiritual hunger of these seekers. Continue to pray for the salvation of women and of mothers, sisters, wives and daughters of believing Sindhi men. Pray for the new believers, asking that they will meet together regularly to encourage one another. In March you were asked to pray that entire families would seek after the one true God. Praise God for one Sindhi man who has seen family members come to faith in Christ this month!

June 22 : Change of Plans. The national family for whom you have been praying left in mid-May to move way up to the northern part of this country. Their plan has changed a bit, though. They will not be running a student dormitory but rather returning to their home village. Their desire is to share the Truth with their family and friends. But since they are believers now, there could be much persecution. Their faith is strong and solid. Please pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to guide them, teach them, and strengthen them. Plead to the Father that very soon there will be many house church groups started in this spiritually difficult area. httpHYPERLINK “http://www.prayforpak.com/”:HYPERLINK “http://www.prayforpak.com/”//www.prayforpak.com/

June 23 : Winds of Change among Punjabi. About 20 years ago, an established church in the provincial capital of the Punjab witnessed a mighty movement of the Spirit as 20 young men were discipled by their pastor and equipped as evangelists, pastors, teachers and missionaries. The heart of this church has since grown cold. However, that is changing. Fresh winds of the Spirit have begun blowing in the hearts of the members, especially the younger generation. A renewed emphasis on missions has taken hold. The pastors are finding their planned sermons being changed at the last moment to ones that are Spirit directed – powerful and passionate. A recent sermon defined God as a “Mission God” and His people as “mission driven” out of the “love and fear of God.” The purpose of the elect was given as “to know God and to make Him known.” Pray for this church, asking that its “reawakening” will explode beyond its walls and into the anemic, name-only, generational Christians in this country who have no sense of personal commitment to the claims, call and commands of the Lord God Almighty. The redemption of the peoples of the Punjab will be greatly influenced by such an awakening!

June 24 : One Choice Only. Recently an international Christian teen, along with one of his national friends, had the opportunity to lead another teenager in his village to the Lord. L had heard the Gospel before from C and from a local church, but being a Hindu, he felt like he could just add Jesus to his myriad of gods that he worshiped. Sitting near the local milk bar, C explained that following Christ wasn’t like choosing strawberry milk or chocolate milk. It was a decision for life, and it was a choice to put aside the other gods and follow only Jesus. After seeing the Gospel presented through the EvangeCube, L gave his life to the Lord! C began that week discipling L. The “tuk-tuk” (auto rickshaw) drivers who had seen C and his friends sharing have made threats to L, saying that if he continues studying the Bible, he will be beaten. Pray for L to live unashamedly for his Savior. Ask for him to study the Word faithfully, to grow in his understanding, and to be a light in his family and village. Pray that C will faithfully continue to pour into this “baby believer” and walk with him in this journey. Pray that because of their relationship, many people – including the “tuk-tuk” drivers – will come to Christ.

June 25 : Snatched From the Flames. A cross-cultural representative writes: “On my last trip to India, I discovered a city in crisis. Jharia is a city of 100,000 people in India’s Jharkhand state. Under the ground that Jharia sits on, fires are raging. Literally, coalmines are burning underneath the city. These burning mines give off heat that you can feel aboveground in certain areas. Noxious fumes drift from these mines into homes, and black soot covers large portions of Jharia. It was surreal. My eyes saw the filth, the smoke, and the horrible situation – but my mind could not fully grasp the reality of it.” There are few Christians in Jharia, and no churches or church-planting efforts. Area pastors say that Jharia has many strongholds and that it is very difficult to share the Gospel there. “To do church planting in Jharia, someone has to walk through the fire. At this point, Indian pastors are not willing to believe that the flames will not consume them. Jude 1:23a (NASB) says, ‘Save others, snatching them out of the fire.’ Approximately 100,000 people need to be snatched from fire. Pray that a church will be planted in Jharia in 2010.”

June 26 : Miles Apart. “Too much time has passed since we last sent you an update about S, a Bihari Muslim-background believer who married another Bihari Muslim-background believer in May 2007 to form what is thought to be the first marriage of Bihari Muslim-background believers in India. Once again, we are asking you to lift up this couple in prayer. S’s husband is going to go work in the United Arab Emirates, leaving S and their 2-year-old son in India. Many husbands make such a move to provide better incomes for their families. Still, the separation can be a great hardship on a family. The work contracts usually require two years abroad before the worker can return home. Please ask the Lord to provide other believers in the workplace who will encourage and edify S’s husband. Pray also for the Lord to protect S and her son as they remain in India.” BihariBride@pobox.com