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Prayer requests and praises
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 See the prayer plan on the right for an idea of what to pray for each day of the week.
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Pray for the youth of the Africa Region and their leadership team. Pray for JESUS film teams in Africa. Pray for their travel. Pray for the weather to allow the showings. Pray for those seeing and hearing the gospel for the very first time. Praise God that you have heard the gospel. May we remember how life-changing it is. (If you haven't heard it, hit reply and we'll share it with you.) Praise God for leaders who pray with youth. Pray for the grieving church in Swaziland who lost a beloved elder - Rev. Gladys Mantombi Joy Dlamini. Pray for national elections to be peacefully conducted around the region.
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Explore the Africa Region
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Daily Prayer Plan for the Persecuted Church
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Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
--Matthew 5:10-12
Despite the blessings waiting for those who are persecuted, we can support them in prayer today. - 1 Peter 3:12Monday - Maturity - Philippians 4:8 - Pray for a deepening faith and knowledge of God. Tuesday - Tenacity - James 1:12 - Pray for perseverance despite difficult or dangerous circumstances. Wednesday - Wisdom - Matthew 10:16 - Pray for wisdom about when to share a testimony and when to remain quiet. Thursday - Thanksgiving - Colossians 2:6-7 - Pray that a spirit of thankfulness, rather than bitterness, grows. Friday - Friends - Ecclesiastes 4:12 - Pray for true friends that will encourage and inspire. Saturday - Safety - Psalm 91:9-16 - Pray for God's protection of Christians in the Persecuted Church.
If you find yourself thinking that you can use prayer in these areas yourself, consider fasting on the day that represents your own greatest need.
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JESUS in a backpack - by Rev Gershom Kwerakwera
| In December, a team from Lowershire, Malawi went to Mankhokwe 2 Village in Nsanje district in order to fulfill the great commission through JESUS film evangelism.
 | | New believer baptism |
It was our first time to visit this village and our first time with new portable JESUS film equipment. The film is well translated and has a complete Bible story from Genesis up to the New Testament which is Jesus Christ himself. It starts by giving a introduction of what people will see and tells them that the film is just like a drama. Someone will represent himself like Jesus, but he is not Jesus for no one on earth can do works such as what Jesus did. He is just teaching us to know and understand better what Jesus was doing on earth during his ministry.
After the showing, people requested to be baptized and we could not do anything but respond and do what the Lord Jesus commanded us to do. Go ye and baptize! (Matt 28:19). Twenty-four people were baptized after confessing their sins and some training about what the Bible teaches about baptism. Then Holy Communion was administered to them and other believers. We registered their names to our new church that we planted.
May God bless these people who designed this backpack JESUS film tool which is very effective in the ministry!
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Optimism for Africa Region Youth - by NYI News Team
|  In early January, Rev. Ronald Miller met with the Africa Region Youth Ministries Team. Representatives from all over the continent, who were chosen by the people on their fields, came together in Johannesburg for a time of planning, strategizing and, most important, acting upon plans they are making. The meetings proved to be a very productive time where everyone could get on the same page, evaluate their strengths and also take active steps toward getting youth
 | | Africa Region Youth Ministries Team |
ministry moving on the region. Many of the leaders are "old friends", so it was also a time to catch-up with each other and to see those they hadn't seen in a very long time.
Praise Nkosi, representing Africa South Field comments, "It was an honor to have the NYI council meet. It gave us an opportunity to feel the pulse of the NYI on the Africa Region. Personally it helped me to know how to strategize and plan ahead for the NYI in the South Field. We had an opportunity to meet other NYI leaders in Africa, but above all we got to exchange ideas and also sharpen each other as the saying goes "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another" (Proverbs 27:17)."
Rev Miller said that the meetings were really good and he is optimistic about the future and youth ministry on the Africa Region.
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| Shining Season: The ANU Basketball Story - by Carol Mosiany | Africa Nazarene University's basketball team has had its most successful season in the 14 years in the National Basketball League (NBL) and 3 years in NAKUSA (Nairobi Kenya University Sports Association Basketball League). Out of fourteen seasons, the team has had 11 losing seasons and 3 winning seasons. The history of Naz Team was filled with first round exits from invitational tournaments to losing seasons in 2011/2012.
 | | Prof. Marangu prays with the team |
In 2013, fortunes changed for the Naz Team as they began to record victories. Guided by the university's 3 C's; Character, Competence and Community, they came tops in the competition and became a feared force for opponents in the league. Under the captain, Bryan Jarret, and team manager, Robert Mayaka, the Naz Team would go on to an astonishing record breaking 28-3 season and finish at the top of the division.
Coach Mike Oluoch (2012-present) employed the use of records, rules, weekly meets, tactics, as well as physical fitness in the 2013 strategies. ANU sports coordinator Ms. Pauline Njeru has been of great support to the team in all aspects.
The ANU community as a whole led by DVC Academics Prof. Rodney Reed and US-Based visiting faculty, including Dr. Stephen and Carla Lovett were a constant presence and support for the team in most matches played.
The successful season came to a close with ANU finishing 3rd overall in the nationwide league. Their efforts did not go unnoticed by the Vice Chancellor Professor Leah Marangu - their number one enthusiast - who lauded them for their great performance. This memorable season will forever be enshrined in ANU history.
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Amy Crofford,Out of Africa editor
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rch of the Nazarene