A Spiritual Harvest in Progress

Thank you for praying fervently and faithfully for West Africa this past year. The Lord is answering your specific prayers of intercession. Missionaries, partnering and engaging churches, and West African Baptists are seeing unprecedented results as they carry the Gospel to people groups that have not heard. God is opening a window of opportunity for witness in response to Southern Baptists' prayer and focus.

HIGHLIGHTS from 2007:

• The number of career appointments in 2007 equaled that of 2004, 2005 and 2006 combined.
• The number of prayer partners has grown from 100,000 to more than 335,000.
• The number of new outreach groups has skyrocketed.
• The number of partnering churches (working alongside IMB missionary teams) has grown to more than 45.
• Engaging churches (those who themselves are taking the Gospel to an unreached people group) have gone from zero to 31. These churches are engaging 27 new people groups.

One missionary in West Africa expresses the gratitude felt by all the IMB personnel serving in this region, "Thank you all so very much for your prayer support this past year. I have been so amazed at the activity of God... People and churches in the U.S.A. are asking questions, beginning prayer partnerships, seeking volunteer opportunities, joining us on the field, praying, accepting the challenge of becoming an engaging church, and sharing the gospel with West Africans who have never heard. Doors are open like never before. God has been using churches of all sizes and people of all ages. I have never seen people coming to Christ as they have been these last few months. The time is now. The harvest fields are ripe. All of this is a direct result of your prayers. I hope you realize the significant job you are doing through intercession - come to West Africa and see for yourself."

Another missionary recently wrote, "Don't you see how vital your work is, prayer team? You pray at your computers, in your offices, in your churches and Sunday School classes, and God answers on the other side of the globe. What an amazing Father we have, to link His family together like this!"

Please make a commitment today to pray regularly and faithfully for the lost peoples of West Africa throughout 2008.

(NOTE: In 2008, THE INTERCESSOR CONNECTION will be published once a month.)