UGANDA — Give thanks that more programmers have joined the team that produces Runyankole programs in Uganda. The team gives thanks that the number of listeners tuning into the programs continues to grow, despite the lifting of COVID lockdowns and the reopening of physical churches. This means that people are now attending in-person church and listening to Christian radio, rather than choosing one or the other. Praise the Lord!
ENGLISH — Give thanks for the following message received from a reader of the Words of Hope Bible in a Year devotional series: “It always amazes me what I didn’t know or remember about familiar passages, and your commentary at the end of the day’s selection has also deepened my understanding. Some passages show up just when I need them as I go through various struggles.”
NEPAL — Words of Hope’s leader in Nepal shares these encouraging words: “There is hope beyond this life because Jesus has been raised from the dead. I hope and pray that all of us will seek to know this God in a deeper way. He died for us and was raised on the third day!” We give thanks for meaningful Easter worship services that took place in many partner church plants across the country of Nepal.
BHUTAN — The Words of Hope team in Bhutan has been busy! In the past few months, they have focused their efforts on children’s ministry, leadership training, sharing the words of Scripture daily on social media, hosting women’s prayer meetings, and video editing. Pray for the team as they continue to face the challenge of closures from the pandemic. Omicron outbreaks are still forcing in-person visits to be postponed.
INDONESIA — Pray for the Indonesian YouTube producers of the Dayak languages—Dayak Ngaju, Dayak Maanyan, and Dayak Ahe. These producers make time to produce the programs in addition to other responsibilities, as many of them are pastors of churches as well. Pray also for the translator, Ms. Elly, who is continuing her Masters degree. Pray that she would be able to manage her time well.
ALBANIA — As a ministry we mourn the passing of former Words of Hope president, Bill Brownson. He was influential in many of our ministry fields. Albanian director, Erion Prendi, says: “Dr. Brownson was an exceptional man of God. He and Lee DeYoung were the first to come to Albania almost immediately after the fall of communism to engage the first believers, many of whom had heard the gospel for the first time, and in secrecy, through Words of Hope.”
NIGER — Pray for safety for our team members in Niger. They are continuing faithfully the work of evangelism and following up with new converts, but they report that they are under threat because of the presence of jihadists in the area. This makes it more difficult and dangerous to meet with people in person. Small listener groups are forming, as this is safer than trying to establish a larger church presence at this time.
TURKEY — Our Turkish director writes: “I praise the Lord for giving me strength to continue my broadcasting through radio and TV.” This year, he is continuing his program focus on the words spoken by Jesus in the Bible. His goal is to show his audience the relevancy and truth of the words of Jesus. He will teach about who Jesus really is, and show how his words speak to our deepest human needs.
INDIA — We give thanks for the outreach of our team through the Tailoring Training Center for women in Guwahati, India. Learning the skill of tailoring allows these women a way to earn money to support their families. Twelve trainees have just successfully completed the program. Already, 28 more women have applied to the program, and 20 have been accepted to begin the next course.
SOUTH SUDAN — Our director in South Sudan reports that peace building and reconciliation programs continue to be effective in the region. The team is thankful for local leadership in the area that is also embracing peace and focusing on the resolution of issues among the communities. Pray for more transformative messages to go out on radio that will help to shape the lives of listeners in positive ways.
IRAN — Pray for Words of Hope’s efforts in partnership with Western Theological Seminary to develop a distance learning course for Farsi speakers. The goal of the course is to better equip Iranian believers for ministry and evangelism. We anticipate that setup for the course will be completed this summer. Pray for those who will enroll in the program, that God would build them up to be leaders for his kingdom.
UGANDA — Give thanks for the opportunity for partnership between our Rufumbira ministry team and the local church worship team in their area. Together they were able to record some worship music that will be aired on Ugandan programs soon. The team reports some difficulty recording as they do not have a soundproof studio. They try to minimize background noise as much as possible in recordings by utilizing quiet offices. Pray for provision for their recording needs.