Fishers of Men

He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." Luke 5:4 (NKJV) Jesus has asked us to launch out into the deep - He has promised the catch. All the easy fish, swimming along the shoreline, have been caught. Those that have yet to be caught are swimming out in the deep. They are in places that are difficult to reach. They live in difficult conditions and have limited contact with the outside world. Reaching those "hidden peoples" who have yet to hear and understand the Gospel message will require that weary fishermen launch out into the deep. It will require obedience on the part of believers - even if they are not sure that it is possible. Join us in praying for fishermen who are tired and in need of rest, yet walk in obedience in spite of their doubt. Pray that they will not only launch out into the deepest, darkest parts of West Africa, but that they will also have the faith to let down the nets for the catch. Pray that they will have the strength to hang on when the nets begin to break and the boats begin to sink. Pray for partners to join them!

David and Tami Wood, Engagement Team

To be Bozo is to be a fisherman and a boat builder. The Bozo are a semi-nomadic people who travel to where they think the fishing is best. They can be found on every waterway in West Africa. The river controls their life; the river is their life. Yet the water that provides their livelihood is also taking their lives. The river that is the only source of drinking water for many of the Bozo people contains many parasites, including bilharzia. Pray that the Bozo will thirst for the Living Water that is the provider of life. Pray that God will enable us to meet the challenge of developing close relationships with these individuals who have a nomadic lifestyle and often live and work far from their homeland. The vast majority of the Bozo practice Folk Islam. There are only 10 known Christians among the nearly 300,000 Bozo. Pray that as the Bozo accept the truth of Jesus Christ, their nomadic way of life will become a key in spreading the gospel across West Africa. Ask God to transform the lives of the Bozo so that they will become "Fishers of Men."

Mark and Patty Wilson, Bozo Team