Please Pray!

Sorry it has been so long since our last update! As you might have guessed your prayers are being answered and we are starting to find our place in BRiCC! It is amazing to think about all the things we have been able to get involved with in the last few weeks. 

One of our biggest blessings has been finding a national church that is both incredibly welcoming and inspiring. Jeremy and I were invited to share with their youth fellowship (by a coworker at BRiCC) a few weeks ago about waiting for a mate, dating and marriage. This was a humbling and stretching experience for us. Today, we returned for church, the pastor asked Jeremy to preach a short sermon on May 18^th. Please pray that God would give him an encouraging word for this church which has stood strong in the midst of a M* community as salt and light longer than any other in Jos. When we asked how we could encourage the pastor, he asked for prayer and support as many of the church members are now too afraid to return to the community, impacting how many pastors they can have and how many missionaries they are able to support. Another ministry worker then spoke up saying that it is now too dangerous for the pastor to continue living at the parsonage within the church walls and they are trying desperately to raise support for a new home for him as well. This is the cry of the persecuted church! God has already protected it miraculously from bombings and we know that he will not fail them now. Please pray that he will meet their needs as they trust him.  

Things at BRiCC are also going well. The soccer matches that BRiCC is sponsoring have started and the final will be on May 9^th. A Christian Band that Jeremy has befriended has agreed to play before the final match and he is helping to organize that concert. Please pray that God would give him wisdom and resources as logistics here are very difficult.  Jeremy has also been asked by a friend to help a small church outside of the city by teaching their musicians more about music. Please pray that he would be able to find the time and transportation to make this happen. 

Tomorrow the women’s health education program that Katie has been involved in planning will begin with a trauma healing class. Please pray that God would bring in the women he wants to attend as signups have been low. There is a certain group of women within the community that these classes would be extremely beneficial for. We have approached them, but they are hesitant to attend because many are illiterate. There are many other ways that the enemy could use to discourage them from coming. Please pray that nothing would stop them from coming! Please also pray for all those involved in teaching the classes that their information would be clear and easily accepted by all who attend. 

Katie is also excited about the possibility of helping the women’s skills coordinator to collect the stories of women who have already gone through the baking and cosmetics program at BRiCC. Success stories are such an encouragement here and will help attract more women to become involved in programs that not only help them personally, but help to build relationships that bring peace to this still broken community. 

Please also pray that God continue to align our hearts with his will for BRiCC and Jos in general. We are so humbled by and excited about what He is doing here! 

Celebrating with some of BRiCC's newest graduates