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Do you have a Bible handy? Pick it up. Hold it in your hands … and imagine this is the first you have ever been able to do that.
Now you are beginning to understand what next Sunday will be like for the Budik people of Senegal, when they hold a dedication for their very own New Testament — and what an honor we have to be able to pray alongside them.
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More Than a Unique Celebration
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“This isn’t like all our other fêtes that we have every year,” one believer said as they planned for the celebration. “This is one big important one that will only happen once!”
Yet this is so much more than a party. It’s a milestone in an important journey for a church that has seen many ups and downs over the years.
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“They are seeing how privileged they are to be chosen by God to have this book, His Word, for their very own, and even before any of the other people groups around them,” wrote Ken Satorius, who worked with the Budik believers to translate the New Testament into their language.
Initially, those believers did not seem to grasp the importance of the task. “But in recent years … it seemed to register with them what a privilege it was to be … hearing every single verse of God’s Word that was being translated,” Ken wrote. “They were understanding that it needed to be just the way they would talk because God speaks Budik too and He was speaking to them through it.”
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Ken and his wife, Kathy, expect the New Testament to be a “uniting factor” for the church. The dedication is an opportunity for them to stand together and be a witness and an encouragement.
“Pray that all that is said and done in the service will make God known,” Ken asked. Officials and leaders from other religious groups are expected to attend, as are believers from other parts of Senegal.
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Pray that the believers are encouraged “to hear what God’s Word has done in the lives of the Budik believers.”
It may be difficult to picture what it would be like to hold God’s Word in your hands for the first time. But we can all marvel that we have the opportunity to pray along with our Budik brothers and sisters on the other side of the world as they prepare for this important event.
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Would you like to let us know you prayed?
Yes, I prayed for this.
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<<First Name>>, Do you like “free”? Could you use some help with your prayer life? We have a gift for you: a free devotional eBook titled, The Focus of Prayer. Get yours today, and then be sure to share the link with your friends. http://go.ntm.org/prayerbook
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Prayer Points for This Week
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- Monday: This Thursday and Friday, New Tribes Bible Institute in Waukesha, Wisconsin will hold a “Catch the Vision” event. It’s an opportunity for prospective students to interact with staff and students, and experience life at NTBI. Please pray that many will attend and catch the vision of reaching the unreached. For more information
- Tuesday: “Nobody told me that getting your first package from home would hurt so much, or that drain plugs could make you cry,” wrote Josh and Erin Verdonck. “In spite of the tears and the heartache that can unexpectedly sneak up on you; in spite of leaving loved ones and family homes; in spite of sleepless nights, difficult days, long flights around the world, and bad internet connections… It’s worth it to be right where God has placed you.” Could you pray right now for the Verdoncks as they settle into life in Papua New Guinea? Write them an encouraging note
- Wednesday: “We were about one hour into a six hour boat trip when, in the midst of rough seas and winds, our recently repaired boat motor died,” wrote Matt and Christine Hamb. “As we surveyed the area we began to realize the predicament we were in. To our left was shore, about one and half miles away but it was big surf and without a motor we would be at the mercy of the crashing waves. To our right was the open ocean, nothing as far as we could see.” Obviously, since they’re writing this there was a good ending to this story, but things could have turned out much differently. Would you pray for safety for missionaries like the Hambs as they navigate the open seas to reach the unreached? Read the story
- Thursday: “Sometimes people ask us where we are from, and as a missionary that question is so frustrating,” wrote Candy Dalton. “My daughter once said, ‘Well, I was born in Missouri, but I’m from Texas, but my grandparents live in Colorado, and I live in the Philippines, but right now, I’m in Arizona.’” When you consider that needs in the ministry moved Josh and Candy across the world three times in nine months time, the confusion starts to clear up a bit. Please pray for the Daltons as they make plans to return to the Philippines to set up a new helicopter program. Read the full update
- Friday: For seven weeks, people came from more than 20 hamlets, leaving their homes and gardens so they could hear eight Moi Bible teachers and missionary Rich Brown present the Creator's Talk. Pray for the Moi church as it reaches out to other villages. Watch their testimonies
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