URGENT PRAYER REQUESTS

Go to www.cmalliance.pray for the expanded Weekly Requests»

By Scotti Fritts

Once a month I have the privilege of leading the children’s program during the second service. My focus for the current series of lessons is on unreached people groups (UPGs) in the world today.

These UPGs are also illiterate – part of the 4 billion oral learners—people who can’t, don’t, or won’t take in new information or communicate by literate means. That’s two-thirds of the world’s population. Yet an estimated 90 percent of Christian workers present the gospel and discipleship teaching in literate forms. They use the printed page or expositional, analytical, and logical presentations of God’s Word. In most cases, this requires or assumes the ability to read and makes it difficult, if not impossible, for oral learners to hear and understand.

The Alliance has entered into a strategic, dynamic partnership with OneStory which works with mother-tongue speakers to develop and record worldview-sensitive, chronological Bible “story sets” for specific unreached groups — typically 40 to 60 stories in a two-year period. Mother-tongue speakers spread the stories to others. These story sets form the beginnings of an “oral Bible” to be told and retold for generations.

Along with the development of story sets, other essential outcomes for a two-year OneStory Quest project include:
* Training mother-tongue speakers to tell the stories within their people groups
* Audio recordings of the stories archived for reference
* Documentation of the project results.
* Planning for follow-up ministry

OneStory’s goal is to be a catalyst in initiating such work in more than 5,500 UPGs by the year 2020.

Dr. Gary Benedict, President of the CMA says, “I am delighted that The Christian and Missionary Alliance is a part of getting the good news about Jesus to oral learners in ways they can understand. When I think of the millions upon millions of oral learners in our world today, I see this as absolutely strategic for the advance of the Kingdom. We embrace the OneStory method as a way God is at work in all of this and are excited many of our international workers and partners are being trained in it. May increasing honor come to Christ as more and more oral learners around the world become His disciples!”

Urgent Prayer Requests

Middle East
Continue to pray for protection of believers in the Middle East. Pray that God will intervene and that the people of these nations will put their trust in Him. Also, pray for the thousands of refugees who continue to flee Syria to escape ongoing violence. Pray for believers in neighboring countries who are ministering to the displaced and that God will be glorified in this situation.

Creative-Access Countries

Remember to pray for creative-access workers around the world. Pray for protection, good health, and opportunities to share the good news. Pray that contacts will be drawn to Jesus. Pray that God will break down strongholds and give courage and boldness to national believers.

Go to www.cmalliance.org/pray for the expanded Weekly Requests»

By Scotti Fritts

As we approach Easter and ponder Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf, consider this blog from Rich and Elisa Brown about their challenge to meet Jesus in a new way. Rich and Elisa established Inca Link Peru to provide relief to families living in a garbage dump near Trujillo, Peru.

Matthew 25 talks about the difference between the sheep and goats: the sheep did something for those in need, while the goats pretended not to know about them. When we first arrived at the garbage dump where we minister, this chapter grabbed my heart. We could not stand there with our arms crossed — we had to do something to meet Jesus in His disguises: the hungry, the imprisoned,
the stranger. How could I ever face Him on Judgment Day and hear Him say, “You saw me in need and you did nothing”? As part of our ministry in the dump, we organized a weekly soccer game that is followed by a one-on-one Bible study with the young teens who live there. I was paired up
with Moisés, 15. We always bring food to share before the Bible study, and he said, “I would like to pray for the food!”

Moisés folded his hands and knelt in the dump. I looked around, not knowing what to do, but I finally knelt down next to him. I thought, “This is the first time I have ever knelt before God in the garbage.”
“Dear Jesus, thank You for providing food for me today,” Moisés prayed, “but I pray for the poor—that You would provide for them today. And if You want, I will share with them what I have here.” My heart was torn apart. We had “poor” youth leaders sharing with the poverty-stricken people in the dump—and here is this kid praying for the “poor.” Then it struck me. In Matthew 25, Jesus does not say to go to the poor. He says to go to the needy. Some of the wealthiest people I know live in a spiritual garbage dump. The question is: Will we visit Jesus in His disguises, or are we too busy to notice or too comfortable to bother?

By Ms. Scotti Fritts

In 2003, I taught at four women’s prisons in Kenya where I was greatly encouraged by the believers there. Here is an inspiring story by CMA missionaries Soeuth and Syna Lao in Cambodia.

On May 11, 2011 An outstanding Christian woman we know, Mrs. Moum was arrested on
false charge of selling illegal drugs. After being detained in a local jail, she was moved
to the Svey Sisophon prison where she has been for the past 20 months.

Not only has Mrs. Moum remained faithful to the Lord during this deep trial, but also she has been instrumental in starting a prison ministry for the children of incarcerated mothers. (In Cambodia, children are required to live in prison with their parents until they complete their sentences.)

Recently, we were invited to join the first Christmas celebration inside the prison, where a volunteer team from a local Khmer evangelical church (the C&MA in Cambodia) has been teaching children’s literacy and other classes, with Mrs. Moum’s help.

The head jailer expressed praise for Mrs. Moum’s abilities to reach out to fellow inmates and the ways she cares for others more than herself. According to Mrs. Moum, there are now 66 believers in that prison.

Recently, a national Cambodian news station praised the Khmer team members for their good efforts. According to the report, this is the only prison in Cambodia that has a program for the children of inmates.