Pray

Darcy Berglund and her national co-worker Oke work in translation for the Semandang people of Asia Pacific. While Darcy translates a literacy manual for national missionaries, Oke is “close to finishing drafting the remaining chapters of Exodus.” Pray that Oke’s health and her Internet connection would be stable enough for her to finish her translation work in Exodus. “Pray for accuracy, naturalness and clear meaning in translating God’s Word into the Semandang language.” Praise God for “new missionary families on the field and the national candidates in training.”

Barry and Denise Spor serve as church planting consultants in Brazil. They were recently able to visit missionaries throughout Brazil to encourage them and provide guidance. Pray for Henrique and Rachel as they learn the language of the people group on a more complex level. Praise God for a productive workshop with Samuel and Noaby and Airton and Talita. Pray for a team of five missionary families and one single missionary as they try to live out their purpose statement well this year.

Scott and Natasha Flaugher minister among the Elsengg people of Asia Pacific. This month, their family returned to Asia Pacific from home assignment. They will soon begin teaching God’s Word to the Elsengg, the first ever official Ethnos360 Bible teaching in the Elsengg language. “Praise God that the lessons are nearly all drafted and pray that God will provide native language help to proof them. Pray for our health and stamina and also for that of the Elsengg as they attend the Bible teaching. Pray for family unity. … Pray for open hearts to the gospel. Pray for God to be glorified!”

Cole and Hannah Hinderager minister among the Northern Isnag people of the Philippines. The church finished the Old Testament teaching in July and is now studying the Gospels. “Pray our friends truly understand and believe [that] they cannot be good enough on their own and see Jesus as God's perfect solution to our problem. And pray for all the little conversations. We see this is an area [in which] we need the Lord's wisdom and courage ... knowing when to ask questions, when to press deeper, when to correct or clarify and when to remain quiet.

“Many other groups have taught in national languages or even English, but this is the first time our friends have heard God's Story in their heart language. ‘I'm able to understand this time’ is a phrase we've heard on repeat.”

This video tells the story of the Northern Isnag Bible translation. The Hinderagers are “church planting within this same language group, but in a different location that has not yet seen a maturing church established.”

Derick and Rachel Bruckhart serve in Brazil and are currently learning Portuguese. Tragically, their Portuguese teacher and friend, Ana Barros, passed away unexpectedly in August. Pray for Ana’s students (the Bruckharts, James and Elyse Christensen and Joanna Goddard) and Ana’s family and friends as they grieve her loss. Praise God that because of Jesus, they have confidence in the fact that they will reunite in heaven. “Please be praying for us in our program to work together to fill in the gaps, for our leadership as they seek a replacement for a dear friend that will be difficult to replace and for us as we start this new semester with some hard circumstances.”

Liam and Katie McIvor serve in administration at Wayumi in Pennsylvania. Wayumi is a program that allows attendees to experience realities of cross-cultural missions without leaving the USA. “We just finished up with our summer program and are praising God for a great summer of camp; we already have quite a few taking steps to attend the Ethnos360 Bible Institute this fall! [Pray] that the Lord would work through the upcoming fall programs to impact with missions those that attend. You could also be praying as Wayumi is in the process of finding another speaker, that God would bring along someone to fill that [long-term speaking/teaching] role.”

Barry and Denise Spor serve as church planting consultants in Brazil. Recently Barry was able to help teach the book of Acts to the Manchineri at the church’s request. The church learned about the Lord’s Supper, and the leaders led the congregation through the Lord’s Supper for the first time. Pray for leaders Genesio and Edilson. Pray for the team as they teach the rest of Acts this month.

Praise the Lord that the Guanano church “finished a second round of evangelism teaching in the village upriver,” and a man named Benjamin was saved. Pray for Benjamin’s wife Edineusa and those who heard the teaching but have not yet placed their faith in Jesus Christ.

Nathan and Emily Willems serve in Asia Pacific. The team has been working to import a helicopter that will aid in ministry. “Aviation officials have given permission to ship the helicopter. This has been long awaited, for two years! We have received a preliminary approval for it to be imported tax-free. This would be a huge blessing as they could charge an import tax of up to 100% value of the helicopter. Lord willing, [the helicopter] will arrive in country by the end of October. Please keep praying with us that each of these steps moves along in a timely manner. We are very excited that this tool will soon be here and able to be used to spread the gospel to remote parts of our island!”

Edward and Silvia Emsheimer serve in Brazil at the Shekinah Missionary Training Center. “We praise the Lord for His enabling and strengthening that allowed us to have a very profitable semester of missions training from February to the end of June! Fourteen students graduated from our training, having completed a year and a half of cross-cultural training and discipleship. … It was a joy to see these young people finishing and now moving on to raising their ministry support and going to various fields of ministry.” Praise the Lord for more laborers. Pray for the Emsheimers to “be effective and faithful in the discipleship and training of missionary candidates.”

David and Bethanna Kwast serve in Asia Pacific. “Although the original village (the ‘M’ village) that we were hoping to move to seems to be off the table right now, a neighboring village where the king lives seems to be a good second option. Both villages speak the same ‘K’ language, and the king seems excited with the possibility of [our] coming and living there!” After they are given official written permission, the Kwasts hope to build a house, move into the village, study language and culture and build relationships. “Please be praying with us that this door for ministry would stay open. Also, pray that we would have unity as a team and wisdom as we start to think about the logistics of moving into a people group like this.”

Levi and Robyn Lenz and Daniel and Rachel Hulley minister among the North Wahgi people of Papua New Guinea (PNG). “It is an exciting time in the North Wahgi work. The [North Wahgi] New Testaments are being printed, and Lord willing, … they will [soon] be ready to ship to PNG.” Praise the Lord that the New Testaments are almost in the hands of the North Wahgi people. Pray that the New Testaments would arrive in country and be transported to the church without any hiccups. If the process goes quickly and smoothly, the church will have a dedication in October.

Dan and Holly Thannum serve at Ethnos360 Training Center (ETC). Dan is the campus’s head groundskeeper. He was recently able to get the necessary approvals to allow loggers to log some of the forested areas on campus. This will generate some income for the maintenance of ETC. Praise God for the way He continues to provide for the needs of ETC.

This semester there are 30 new first-year students, 24 returning second-year students and eight returning linguistic students. “Please be praying for all these students as they are preparing to take the next steps in their overseas missions training.”

Wayne and Gail Chen and co-workers Brandon and Rachel Buser serve in Papua New Guinea. Wayne and Brandon made a trip to the Biem church to “encourage the church and put the finishing touch on the New Testament.” Praise God that He brought the Biem church elders out of “a season of disunity and tension” to repentance and reconciliation. After 15 years of translation work, the team will complete the last New Testament translation check this month. “We are hoping to finish the project and hopefully put the printed New Testament in the hands of the church in the summer of 2025.”

Lucas and Jessica Rondy minister among the Cora people of Mexico. The Cora church currently does not have a church building. “Up until now we have been meeting in a house, but we are no longer able to do so. We can use the house of another believer for a few weeks, which buys us time to do a simple church building here, a roof mainly. … Our hope is to build a simple roof structure to be able to meet under. One of the believers, Vicente, is eager to help us! Please pray for wisdom for how to do so and that God would use this place to draw many to Himself!”

To give to the Cora church building fund and future ministry expenses, use Give Where Most Needed. Designate the funds “MEX — Cora Tribe.”

Mark and Shelbi Fitzpatrick serve in Papua New Guinea and hope to soon be a part of a church planting team. “We’ve been focusing on team talks with two other families, while also looking more into potential language groups to allocate to in the near future. It’s challenging not to get antsy to move into a [people group] right away… but we trust the Lord’s timing … [and] commit the future into the Lord’s gracious hands.” The Fitzpatricks ask us to pray “that the Lord would bring clarity.” Pray for their family during this time of many unknowns.

Wes Goddard serves in Paraguay and Brazil ministering to the Paĩ and Ava Guaraní people. A relative of one of Wes’s Paĩ co-workers recently committed suicide. Despite clear evidence that this was suicide, many people blamed witchcraft. “Please pray for many Paĩ people who struggle with suicide. Pray for those who are also caught up in a very strong belief in witchcraft. … Please pray for one of the Paĩ deacons in the church here, who has been in the hospital … It is in situations like that where the Paĩ often want to blame the sickness on witchcraft. I praise the Lord that this deacon has remained strong in his faith.”

Joe and Kandi Depue minister among the Baniwa people of Brazil. The Depues were discouraged after a pastor from another village visited the church and shared a false, works-based gospel. However, they were encouraged when Jeni, a man Joe has been teaching, preached a clear message of the true gospel. Pray that Jeni would not just know what the Bible says but that He would trust in Christ’s sacrifice alone for his salvation. Pray for wisdom for the Depues as they prepare to teach next semester. Pray that God’s Truth would prevail.

For four decades, Dave and Nancy Brunn, who now serve from the USA, have been involved in translating the Bible for the Lamogai people of Papua New Guinea. They moved to live among the Lamogai in 1981, and the translation team finished the Lamogai New Testament in 1996. “Now we are ready to publish the entire Bible in the Lamogai language—Old and New Testaments in a single volume. In July, we sent the text of the Lamogai Bible to the typesetters to be prepared for printing. To God be all the glory!”

Keith and Angie Copley ministered among the Hewa people of Papua New Guinea and now serve with the International Ministries Team. They ask for prayer for different Hewa elders and their wives. Joel and his wife Ailam are ministering to the Hewa in Fiyawana. Literacy classes just ended, and Bible lessons continue. “Tears streamed down as Joel gave the report of those who have accepted the Savior, and they are excited to hear His Word being taught each day.” Kifson and his wife Emiyas are reaching out to the Yano village. “Pray for doors to remain open for further teaching.” Yanis is currently the only medical worker in the area. “[P]ray for him to find more help in the clinic.”

This month, Ethnos360’s Mobilization Team launched their first Global Gatherings at our Home Office in Sanford, Florida. Global Gatherings is a monthly event dedicated to challenging local church bodies and fellow laborers to find their place in missions, whether that is going, sending or praying. Ethnos360 Bible Institute began hosting Global Gatherings in Waukesha, Wisconsin, in 2021, and many attendees have been greatly impacted by the monthly fellowship and teaching. Pray that the young adults who attend Global Gatherings in Sanford would be impacted in the same way. Pray that God would be glorified. Learn More