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July 1, 2009

Benin, a Country Profile & Prayer Guide

Filed under: Benin, Country Profiles and Prayer Guides, Prayer Requests — TimMc @ 4:21 am

benin

Compared to the countries surrounding Benin, it is much smaller, being about the size of the state of Ohio. The country is basically divided into five geographic zones, from south to north: the Coastal plain, the plateau, the elevated plateau and savannah, hills in the northwest, and fertile plains in the north.

Benin is a great country to visit on any West African itinerary. Here you’ll find a large palatial ruins and temples of the once powerful Kingdom of Dahomey (1800s–1894). Benin is the birthplace of Vodun (Voodoo) and all that goes with it. The country was also the site of slave trading through which Voodoo spread throughout the Caribbean, South America, and into the US. The national parks of Benin are also well worth a visit for their abundant wildlife. Benin is also one of the most stable and safe countries of the region for travelers.

A few interesting facts about Benin:

  • The country has a population of approximately 8 million people.
  • Complete religious freedom under the present government. The President actively encourages Christian ministry, although all religions are free to practice and propagate their faiths.
  • The official language of the country is French. There are a total of 51 languages within the country.
  • Currently there are 6 languages with a complete translation of the Bible, 9 languages with the New Testament, and 12 other languages that are works in progress.

Specific ways to pray for the country of Benin:

  • Praise God for spiritual breakthroughs in the 1990s. There have been many churches planted in previously un-evangelized groups. Benin, a country which was once the source of many slaves, is now beginning to experience freedom through Christ. (Continue reading…)

June 28, 2009

Sierra Leone, a Country Profile & Prayer Guide

Filed under: Country Profiles and Prayer Guides, Prayer Requests, Sierra Leone — TimMc @ 10:09 pm

sierra-leone

With a civil war that ended in 2002, Sierra Leone is rebuilding its infrastructure to attract the former tourists that came here from Europe to enjoy the unspoiled rainforests, refreshing waterfalls, and secluded white sand beaches. Currently, visitors pretty much have the sand and surf outside the capital pretty much to themselves. After a day in the sun, Freetown, the capital city, offers everything you need for an enjoyable evening out. While the visual reminders of the civil war are fading, the lingering effects are still evident. Many parts of the city have no rubbish collection and power still remains unreliable. While the surroundings of the city compensate for some of the chaos, you will soon realize that the effects of the tragic civil war are deep. Even though Freetown is filthy in places, you will find yourself loving the city.

Travel into the interior provinces remains adventurous at best. Roads are often in appalling shape and facilities are usually very basic. However, with the vibrant culture and welcoming people, the rewards are well worth the uncomfortable traveling conditions. Life is starting to return to normal and Sierra Leone is becoming one of West Africa’s safest destinations.

A few interesting facts about Sierra Leone:

  • The current population is estimated to be 6 million.
  • Freetown has a population of 1.175 million
  • 70% of the population is Muslim and 12% claim to be Christian
  • The country is rich in natural resources – diamonds, gold, titanium, iron ore, etc. In the late 80’s and early 1990’s, the country fell into a state of anarchy because of corruption and the gross mismanagement of these resources, causing the economy to collapse.
  • There are two distinct seasons in Sierra Leone. November to April is the dry season and the best holiday weather. May to October is the wet (rainy) season. There is also the “harmattan period” of during the months of December to February when very dry winds arrive from the Sahara.

Specific ways to pray for the country of Sierra Leone:

  • Sierra Leone is infamous for the barbaric maiming of innocent victims as an instrument for terror and control during the civil war. Thousands of men, women, and children had limbs cruelly amputated. Over 100,000 were slain. Countless numbers of girls and women were raped. Thousands of children were kidnapped, drugged, and forced to kill their own relatives. Nearly the entire population has had the experience of being a refugee. Pray that all the instigators who, for greed, unleashed such terror would be brought to justice and even to repentance and faith in Christ.
  • A battle rages between democracy and dementia. Pray for the continued restoration of government and that this government might be honest, accountable to the people, and establish a lasting peace. Pray that committed Christians will be a vital part of the new leadership. (Continue reading…)

June 15, 2009

Prayer Requests for Purposeful Africa

Filed under: Prayer Requests, Video — admin @ 3:37 am

This is recent video of Rhonda Sand, founder of Purposeful Africa, sharing prayer requests. We hope that you will watch this and engage in prayer with us as we ask God to provide for our organization and the ability to put together our journey to West Africa in 2010.

June 8, 2009

Guinea, a Brief Country Profile & Prayer Guide

Filed under: Country Profiles and Prayer Guides, Guinea, Prayer Requests — admin @ 3:36 am

guinea

Guinea’s primary attraction to tourists is the yet to be disturbed countryside. The landscape varies from mountains to plains and from savannah to forest. At 94,919 square miles, Guinea is roughly the size of the United Kingdom, slightly smaller than the state of Oregon, and has 200 miles of coastline. The countries bordering Guinea include Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. The country is divided into four main regions: the Basse-Cote lowlands in the west along the coast, populated mainly by the Susu ethnic group; the cooler, mountainous Fouta Djalon that run roughly north-south through the middle of the country, populated by Peuls, the Sahelian Haute-Guinea to the northeast, populated by Malinkes, and the forested jungle regions in the southeast, with several ethnic groups. Guinea’s mountains are the source for the Niger, the Gambia, and Senegal Rivers, as well as the numerous rivers flowing to the sea on the west side of the range in Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast.

The capital, Conakry, is located on the island of Tumbo and connected to the Kaloum Peninsula by a 984 foot long pier. The city is well laid out with its alleys shaded by mangrove and coconut palm trees. Guinea has a strong music tradition and Conakry, in particular, is a dynamic center for music. The singing of the Kindia people is especially renowned.

A few interesting facts about Guinea:

• The current population is estimated at 10,211,437.
• The highest point in Guinea is Mont Nimba at 5,748 feet high.
• Richly endowed with minerals, Guinea possesses over 25 billion metric tons of bauxite (up to one-half of the world’s reserves). In addition, Guinea’s mineral wealth includes more than 4 billion tons of high-grade iron ore, significant diamond and gold deposits, and large quantities of uranium. The country also has considerable growth potential in the agricultural and fishing sectors (this should be of particular interest to those who are interested in Business as Mission).
• The official language of Guinea is French. Other significant languages spoken are Pular (Fulfulde or Fulani), Maninka, Susu, Insula, Kissi, Kpelle, and Loma.
• Approximately 85 percent of the population is Muslim. 10 percent is Christian, and 5 percent holds traditional indigenous beliefs.

Specific ways to pray for the country of Guinea:

• Praise God for complete religious freedom, a reaction to the Marxist-Muslim years of terror which has made Muslims more receptive to Christianity. The liberty is being progressively eroded though especially in major towns outside the forest region. (Continue reading…)

June 2, 2009

Senegal, a Brief Country Profile & Prayer Guide

Filed under: Country Profiles and Prayer Guides, Prayer Requests, Senegal — admin @ 3:34 am

senegal

Senegal is located at Africa’s most western point between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania, with another tiny country, The Gambia, almost entirely enclosed within it. Its name is said to have originated from the Wolof name for the dugout canoes used by fishermen. Today the brightly painted, specially designed pirogues are at the heart of one of Senegal’s main national sports, canoe racing, which takes place along various stretches of the coast. The dugouts are still used by fishermen who navigate the waters of the 250-mile long coastline in the age-old tradition that is the most common activity after farming.

Senegal’s modern capital city of Dakar is situated on the tip of the Cape Verde peninsula. It’s vibrant and full of local and international activity. Here you will find businessmen rubbing shoulders with tourists and traditionally dressed Senegalese amid the gleaming hotels, cafes, colorful open-air markets, and the medina (old quarter). Just two miles offshore lies Gorée, an island that was the most important slave depot in West Africa between the 16th and 19th centuries.

It’s possible to enjoy sunshine almost all year round on hundreds of miles of beautiful beaches, estuaries, mangrove swamps, savannah, and a semi-desert in the north. The Casamance region, a strip of land stretching from east to west across the country below The Gambia, boasts some of the most enjoyable beaches in West Africa. It is heavily visited by tourists due to its tropical splendor with lush forests, coconut palm groves, brilliant flame trees and bougainvillea, and warm waters brushing endlessly along the sandy beaches.

A few interesting facts about Senegal:
• The main industries include food processing, mining, cement, artificial fertilizer, chemicals, textiles, refining imported petroleum, and tourism. Exports include fish, chemicals, cotton, fabrics, groundnuts, and calcium phosphate, and the principal foreign market is India at 26.7 percent of exports (as of 1998). Other foreign markets include the US, Italy, and the UK.
• Over 11 million people call Senegal home. 70% live in rural areas while approximately 2.4 million people live in or near the capital of Dakar.
• The official language of Senegal is French, but nearly 44% of the population’s first language is Wolof.
• Senegal is a secular state with freedom of religion despite the large Muslim majority.

Specific ways to pray for the country of Senegal:

Praise God that Senegal allows freedom of religion. However, the task is great as 92% of the population adheres to Islam. It is the religion of almost all of the Wolof, Fulbe, and Mande peoples. Pray for new receptivity to the gospel message and the continued preservation of religious freedom. (Continue reading…)

May 20, 2009

Thirsty?

Filed under: Business as Mission, Prayer Requests, Water — admin @ 3:31 am

water-dirty-drinking

“And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.” Matthew 10:42 (NIV)

Clean water is an all too precious commodity that is taken for granted here in the United States. Think about it…long showers, sprinkler systems, car washes, half full bottles of water sitting on our desks and in our cars. We really don’t value clean water…we just expect it to always be there when we want it.

But, it’s a different story in many of the destinations on that are part of the journey for Purposeful Africa. Less than half of all West African residents have access to clean water. This lack of clean, safe water in West Africa contributes to high infant mortality rates, low per capita income and other quality-of-life indicators, landing many countries in the region on lists of the worst places to live. Millions of West Africans are afflicted with water-related diseases, including guinea worm, schistosomiasis, onchocerciasis — known as river blindness, and trachoma.

One facet of our journey to West Africa is to expose why it is so essential for people there to have access to clean water. Clean water affects every other aspect of ministry in this portion of the world. Please pray with us that Purposeful Africa, other ministries who are joining us on this journey, and people like you who will be going with us, will be open to providing the tools and finances needed to give people in West Africa access to clean water.

May 18, 2009

Morocco, a Country Profile & Prayer Guide

Filed under: Country Profiles and Prayer Guides, Morocco, Prayer Requests — admin @ 3:30 am

morocco-map

Morocco is a land of contrasts with its fertile coastlands, the high Atlas Mountains, and the Saharan Desert. This beautiful country is populated primarily by the indigenous Berbers along with some French, Spanish, and a small Jewish population.

Some interesting facts about Morocco:

  • Arabic is the official language. However, French and English are widely used too.
  • Agriculture, tourism, and phosphate mining are the primary industries that drive Morocco’s economy. Morocco and the Western Sahara have 70% of the world’s phosphate reserves. There is widespread poverty and extremely high unemployment rates (over 50% for youth). Millions of Moroccans seek employment in other countries, especially throughout Europe.
  • Sunni Islam is the state religion. Other religions are tolerated as long as their ministry is confined to expatriate communities. 99.85% of the population is Muslim, .10% are Christian, while .05% are Jewish.

Specific ways to pray for the country of Morocco:

The new king is attempting to encourage more democracy and improve the economy as well as the lot of the underprivileged. This has brought about expectations for change that could lead to more openness for the Good News. Drought, Islamist activism, and the culture of corruption in the bureaucracy all could sabotage this. Pray for the King and those in government; for peace and stability. Pray that this nation may become open for the messengers of the gospel.

Praise God for a widespread and growing interest in the gospel. Pray specifically for protection of those seeking the gospel and national believers. Pray also for greater freedom for, and recognition of, Christians. The constitution guarantees freedom of religion – but this does not allow the freedom to leave Islam. Pray for all who have taken this step and for boldness in their witness.

A Moroccan Church is emerging – but at great cost. It is estimated that by 2000 there were 500 believers and some seekers in about 20 small groups meeting for fellowship throughout the country. Many believers are isolated from regular fellowship. Pray for:

  • Deep trust and fellowship to be established between believers so that they can meet together despite the risks and that a strong, indigenous, economically self-sufficient, Moroccan Church might develop.
  • Grace, fortitude and deliverance from fear when pressured or harassed by family, police and the authorities.
  • Those discipling individual believers despite the climate of suspicion, fear and isolation, and the lack of Scriptures and teaching materials.
  • Provision of leadership and training opportunities for believers. New leadership training programs are being developed. Pray that there may be God-given, Spirit-gifted leadership for every group of believers.
  • An increase in the number of Christian marriages and families, which then provide the basis for strong, vibrant house churches.
  • Official recognition of the existence of Moroccan believers and their identity as genuine Moroccans.
  • The planting of churches in every town and city.

Specific unreached peoples:

  • The Berber peoples were nominally Christian until Islam arrived in Morocco. There is a revival of Berber culture and script. The government ban on using the Berber languages has ceased. Literacy in these languages has been very low because of earlier insistence on the sole use of Arabic. There are some believers in each of the three major Berber people groups. Pray that there may soon be groups meeting together using the indigenous languages. The Tashilhayt New Testament was published in 1998.
  • The Maghreb Jews once numbered 250,000, but most emigrated to Israel in 1948. Today only 15,000 remain as a respected minority. There is no known outreach to them at this time.
  • The nomadic desert tribes of the south and east, who have little contact with the gospel. (Continue reading…)

May 3, 2009

Praying for the Countries to be Visited by Purposeful Africa

Filed under: Country Profiles and Prayer Guides, Prayer Requests — admin @ 3:29 am

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In coming weeks we will be featuring prayer requests each country that Purposeful Africa will visit. These prayer requests have been gathered and organized by Operation World. We are thankful for their dedication to providing detailed information for Christian prayer warriors so that effective prayer may take place for these countries and those who are ministering there.

Philippians 4:6 (NIV)
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

A portion of the requests that we will be posting are from Operation World’s book. This book contains detailed information about every country from a Christian perspective. We encourage you to purchase the book so that you may learn more details about the ministries that are working in the countries that will be visited by Purposeful Africa.

April 13, 2009

For the Least of These…

Filed under: Medical/Dental Service, Orphan Care, Prayer Requests — admin @ 3:16 am

west-africa-kids

Matthew 25:35-40 (NIV)

35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

Purposeful Africa is excited about the opportunities that are becoming available to serve in many African countries during our journey. As we continue to pool resources and learn of new needs, we would like to share some information about how great the need is in many of the countries we will be visiting. As you know, one of the main goals for Purposeful Africa is to expose needs and engage in a multi-faceted level to positively impact God’s people in Africa.

Not only do we want to provide ways to take care of their needs in the present, but we are also concerned for their eternal needs too. Please join us as we begin to pray over these countries and the needs that exist there. Please pray that we will be effective in our medical, dental, and orphan care ministries. Pray for the ministries and organizations that are in place now–working there every day. Pray that when we arrive, we will be able to engage in the work they are doing and add value to it. (Continue reading…)

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