prayer

Uniting our hearts in

Program brings
hope & transformation“They came to ourgoes on to say, “I
house to cut me
could not stop
STORY OFwhen I was only
this for two of myseven years old. It
girls. At the time
was a traumatic
I was influenced
experience for me; Iby the strong
had to go through thecultural expectations
pain and agony for 21 days
and beliefs. Out of fear ofafter the initial step. They
being different and causing
used heat to make sure I
trouble for one’s daughters
recovered from the cutting
and family, I succumbed toand sewing. I remember
societal expectations.”
this as the most painful
Culturally, FGM is aimed atexperience I have ever had,”assuring girls’ and women’sshared Kaiya.
social status, chastity
As with many womenand marriageability. The
in Somalia, the vaginalpractice has persisted
cutting that is part ofas a result of beliefs thatfemale genital mutilation
uncut women and girls are(FGM) brought a lot ofpromiscuous, unclean andphysical pain to Kaiya along physically undesirable.
with great psychological“I came across a program
consequences. As she grew
named Rajada Dumarka
up, Kaiya experienced[Women of Hope in Somali]
pain and difficulties during
as I listened to the radio.
menstruation, sexual
I learned lots from it.
relations with her husband
Learning about Jesus
and childbirth. She is a
Christ’s love and becoming
mother to seven children,
his disciple graduallyfour of whom are girls.
alleviated my fears. I had“Although it was a painful
faith in him [Jesus], andexperience for me,” Kaiya
now I can stand strong in myhope

TANZANIATEAMMEMBERSsalvation
knowing heis with me.”“I also learned through theprogram about the dangersof this FGM practice. I am
happy to share that my two
youngest daughters havenot undergone this practice. I
took a stand to protect themfrom this. I have ensured that
all my grandchildren do not
go through this. I know that
Jesus Christ will give them
the right husbands whowill love them even without
doing this procedure. I
continue listening to thisprogram as it helps me growin knowing Christ and givesme the confidence to dowhat is right and to speak forthe girls.”
Women of Hope continues
to bring transformation toindividuals and cultures
through its educational andspiritual truths.
– Sphiwe Nxumalo-Ngwenya,
Africa regional coordinator

JULY-AUG 2024
INSIDE
Lifting up womenof East & Southern
Africa in prayer
God is moving on
Tanzanian island
Launch of Pemba
ministry

Embracing hopefrom Director Susie Pek

Abide, Unite and Go
Abiding with God
PART ONE

Hope & healingin Jesus for womenpray
WITH USJuly
1. Lord, help victims of humantrafficking to understand they
are being exploited. May theybe identified early in their abuse
and get connected with those
who can help. (Luke 4:18)
2. Lord, protect and provide
for widows in the Eastern
Cape of South Africa who are
mistreated by their families andstruggle to survive. (Phil. 4:19)
3. We pray, God, for womenin Burundi who are blamed forending family lineages because
they have given birth to girls
and not boys. (Gen. 1:27)
4. Father, we pray that you
will help TWR Women of Hopeestablish a ministry team in
Eswatini. (Rom. 12:6-8)
5. God, we pray for
employment for young men
and women in Tanzania whowill complete their university
studies this July. (Prov. 16:9)
6. Lord, many child bridesin Somalia suffer when theyencounter complications
and even death while giving
birth. We pray for culturalchange that protects girls frominappropriate early marriages.
(Ps. 138:7)
7. Sovereign Lord, we pray
for the Amhara region of
Ethiopia to have rest from war.
May your peace be upon thoseliving there. (Isa. 2:4)
8. God, shield women andchildren in Zimbabwe fromthe trauma resulting from men
turning to alcohol and drug
abuse because of hopelessness.
(Prov. 23:18)

9. God, we pray that more
women in Botswana would
choose Christ and have a
deeper relationship with him
and live purpose-driven lives.
(Eph. 2:10)
10. Father, thank you forthe solar-powered audio
players given to women inrural areas of South Africa.
May those listening to the
Women of Hope program growspiritually. (2 Pet. 3:18)
11. Lord, protect
autistic children in Burundi
who are misunderstood andoften beaten. Please help theparents understand why theirchildren are not doing well inschool. (Ps. 46:1)
12. God, we look to you toprovide rain in Eswatini, andwe especially pray for those
who make a living by farming.
(Lev. 26:4)
13. Heavenly Father, we ask
for the eradication of harmful
traditions like female genital
mutilation in Tanzania. (Col. 2:8)
14. Father, thank you for
opening the door for thegospel to be shared inSomalia. Use TWR Womenof Hope to minister there in
Jesus’ name. (Mark 13:10)
15. God, we pray for safety
for women and children in thecities and townships of South
Africa where many are killed
by gang members. (Ps. 18:2)

in Zimbabwe who see theirretirement savings dwindle
from inflation and face neglect
by their families. (1 Tim. 5:8)
18. Father, give men andwomen in Botswana the desire
and strength to remain chasteand choose marriage rather
than cohabitation. (1 Cor. 7:2)
19. Father, we pray thatyou would give strength andcourage for women in abusive
relationships in South Africa.
(Deut. 31:6)
20. God, may the Womenof Hope program be aired
in Burundi so women canlearn about child development.
(Prov. 18:15)
21. Lord, we pray for the girls in
Eswatini who have completed
their college and university
studies. Please help themfind jobs so they can support
themselves. (Eph. 3:20-21)
22. Father, we ask for peaceful
local government elections in
Tanzania when they occur thisOctober. (Matt. 5:9)
23. Lord, may women in
Somalia be protected fromviolence and persecution
within their homes.
Bring change
to thehearts of those who do notvalue women and cause themharm. (Ps. 140:1)
24. Father, we surrender TWR
Women of Hope Zimbabwe
to you. May the intercessors
be filled and refreshed by theHoly Spirit. (Ps. 42:1)
25. God, protect women in
Ethiopia against robbers who
are killing them. May thesecriminals be caught andpunished. (Prov. 18:10)
26. God, we pray that moremen in Botswana would
come to Christ andbecomePHOTO
VIA IMBspiritual leaders in theirhomes. May they be faithful
to their spouses. (Eph. 5:23)
27. Father, we pray for
women living in extreme
poverty in South Africa.
Grant them access to jobs,
government aid and support
systems to provide a way outof poverty. (Ps. 34:6)
28. God, we pray that church
leaders in Tanzania would
encourage their followers tocontinue to support the TWR
Women of Hope ministry. (Phil.
4:15, 17)
ETHIOPIATEAMMEMBERS

16. Lord, there is serious
poverty in Ethiopia
because of the economiccrisis. Please provide aid
for poor families, widows
and widowers who
cannot afford to feed theirfamilies. (Luke 3:11)
17. God, please give strengthand provision to the aged

(Pictured left) Sphiwe Nxumalo-Ngwenya
Africa regional coordinatorHope comes to Pemba

SOUTH
AFRICATEAMMEMBERS
29. Father, many womenin Burundi are jobless andilliterate. Please provide
employment so that womencan feed their children andfamilies. (2 Cor. 9:8)
30. Lord, we ask that the Holy
Spirit bring about repentance,
forgiveness and reconciliation
to unite broken families in
Zimbabwe. (Eph. 4:31-32).
31. Heavenly Father, we ask
for the women in Botswana
to renounce idolatry andancestral worship andworship you as the one true
God. (Lev. 26:1)

August
1. Victims of humantrafficking often havedifficulty trusting others intheir relationships. Lord, give
people who are helping them
gentleness, patience and loveas they work to build trustand confidence with victims.
(Ps. 56:3)
2. Heavenly Father, we ask
that you be with the girls in
Zanzibar who are forcefully
converted to Islam to gain
employment. Help them standfirm in their faith. (Col. 1:23)
3. Poverty is common in
Burundi as prices increase.
Many families cannot afford
even one meal each day,resulting in their begging inthe streets for food. Lord, betheir provider. (Ps. 23:1)
4. Amid drought, God,
help local authorities andcommunities in Zimbabwe toharvest safe water for hospitals,
schools, homes for the elderly
and prisons. (Exod. 17:8)
5. Father, please provide
better employment to girls whoare engaged in prostitution in
Eswatini’s cities. Lead theminto a better life with you as
their guide. (Ps. 18:6)
6. Lord, may trust andpeaceful communication
develop between those inSomalia who follow Jesus
and those who do not sothat conflict may be avoided.
(Heb. 12:14)
7. Lord, please bringgender-based violence inSouth Africa to an end. May
churches be proactive inproviding practical teaching
and guidance so that hearts
may be changed. (Ps. 121:7-8)
8. Thank you, Father, thatwomen are coming to faithin Jesus Christ and growing
in their relationship with God
through the TWR Women of
Hope ministry in Ethiopia.
(Rom. 10:17)
9. Lord, breathe life intoand restore marriages in“Tanzania” comes fromthe names of two
countries, Tanganyika
and Zanzibar, which
united to become one
country in 1964. It is
located in East Africa
between Kenya andMozambique and borders
the Indian Ocean. The
TWR Women of Hopeministry has spread to
11 regions in mainland
Tanzania and on its two
islands of Zanzibar andPemba.
The latest TWR Womenof Hope work in Tanzania
launched in October
2023 on Pemba Island.
Sphiwe NxumaloNgwenya, Africa regional
coordinator for TWR
Women of Hope, waspresent during thisinaugural event alongwith Elisabeth Saeth of
Norea Media Mission and
Saeth’s team. More than
50 people attended thiscelebration, including
bishops, pastors, otherchurch leaders, and men
and women of different
ages. Members fromseven local churches
were among theattendees. Going forward,
prayer and other ministry
activities going forward
will be coordinated byJackline, a volunteer
who will be distributing
prayer calendars andestablishing prayer
groups on the island.
Immediately after thelaunching of the Pemba
ministry, God opened
doors financially for

Women of Hope to bebroadcast this year on
two local radio stations.
We have received much
feedback from womenand men of varying
ages and religious
backgrounds. Many who
appear to belong to thedominant religion of theisland talk positively
about our lessons in the
educational portion of the
program, which does not
mention Jesus. Our hope,
however, is that they
will come to listen to thespiritual portion as wellso the seed of God may beplanted in their lives.
Christians are getting
together on Pemba topray through the TWR
Women of Hope prayer
calendar and to listen to
the programs. Since theestablishment of the TWR
Women of Hope ministry
in Pemba, five newprayer groups have beenorganized, including thosemeeting in churches andschools. After listening
to the Women of Hopeprogram, some women aresearching out like-minded
women for the purpose ofpraying together.
God is moving on thisisland! The programs havebeen highly influential
within Pemba society.
The people of the island
say the ministry of
TWR Women of Hope
has brought the church
together and given its
members new power toproclaim the gospel.

By Joyce Malima

National Coordinator for Tanzania

JOIN US FOR
OUR VIRTUAL

from the armed conflicts
around them and bring peaceto this nation. (Ps. 91:1-2)

JULY
No global
prayer gathering

15. Lord, we praise you forthe many volunteers with
TWR Women of Hope in South
Africa – especially the prayercalendar translators. Pleasebring them a much-needednational coordinator. (Phil. 1:3)

prayergathering
AUGUST
Abiding with God
Sign up at twrwomen
ofhope.org/events

Botswana, where the divorce
level is so high. Bring healing
to those who have suffereddivorce. (Ps. 30:2)
10. God, please provide
sewing machines for the
refugee women in Tanzania
so they may develop
entrepreneurial skills.
(Prov. 22:29)
11. Even in impoverishedregions of Burundi, men often
spend their small incomeson adulterous relationships,
harming their families.
Change the hearts of thesemen, Lord! (Heb. 13:4)
12. Lord, raise God-fearing
leaders in Zimbabwe whowill shun corruption andwork faithfully for bettersocioeconomic and spiritual
outcomes for the country.
(Exod. 18:21)
13. God, we pray that theculture in Eswatini thatprevents women from holding
leadership positions in the
church would be changed.
(Prov. 4:7)
14. Father, bring security andprotection for the people ofSomalia. Shield its civilians

16. God, give guidance
and provision to university
graduates in Ethiopia who
cannot find jobs. Grant
wisdom and protection to
those who leave the country tofind employment. (Prov. 16:3)
17. Lord, we ask you toprotect girls in Botswana
from dependence on alcoholand drugs. Please deliver
these children and help theirfamilies raise them. (Matt.
6:13)
18. Lord, please increase
the number of radio stations
that air the Women of Hopeprograms in Tanzania, helping
more women to find hope andhealing in Jesus. (Rom. 15:13)
19. Father, we pray forpeaceful 2025 elections in
Burundi as unrest affects
women and children in greater
proportion. (Dan. 2:21)

mutilation will stop. Many
women are suffering. (Ps. 5:11)
22. Father, send abundantrain to the drought-stricken
parts of South Africa torelieve the poverty and foodinsecurity of women there.
(Zech. 10:1)
23. We praise you, Lord,
for how you have brought
healing and provision to thefamilies of our TWR Women of
Hope intercessors in Ethiopia.
(Ps. 103:1-5)
24. Father, we ask forprotection and comfort for
the women in Tanzania whoface being sexually abused inorder to gain employment.
(Ps. 91:14)
25. We pray, God, thatwomen in Burundi will be
trained in entrepreneurial
skills so that they can begin
small businesses. (Prov. 3:13)
26. Father, provide for the
innocent people who are
suffering from food scarcity
in the war zone of Ethiopia.
(Ps. 40:17)
27. Although there is
freedom of religion in

20. Amid poverty andunemployment in
Zimbabwe, God,may family
providers abstain
from rituals,
prostitution
and sale of illicit
substances tomake a living.
(Ps. 54:4)
21. Lord, bring
cultural change in
Somalia so that thepractice of female genital

Somalia, there are many
restrictions that keep
Christians from sharing theirfaith in Jesus. Lord, may yoursalvation message go forth.
(Acts 4:29-31)
28. God, we pray for womenin South Africa who are
discouraged with life andsuffering from depression.
May they put their hope inJesus. (Ps. 34:17)
29. God, please raise up
volunteers and create newprayer groups for the TWR
Women of Hope ministries
on the islands of Pemba andZanzibar and on the Tanzania
mainland. (Matt. 9:37-38)
30. Father, protect married
women who are mistreatedin Burundi communities. In
marital conflict, even if thehusband is the cause, theblame usually falls on the
woman. (Ps. 43:1)
31. Lord, deliver young
people in Zimbabwe fromsubstance abuse, theft, sexual
immorality and identity crises.
May they come to know you
and be set free. (Col. 1:13)

BURUNDITEAMMEMBERXHOSATEAMMEMBERShope
EMBRACING

You will
not beforgotten“Can a motherforget the baby
at her breastand have nocompassion on
the child she hasborne? Though
she may forget,
I will not forgetyou! See, I haveengraved youon the palms of
my hands; yourwalls are everbefore me.”
– ISA. 49:15-16

CONTACT US 			

Susie Pek Global Ministry Director of TWR Women of Hope

“Why are you crying,
Mom?” asked little Manu
as she watched her mom
hug her friend. “Saying
goodbye is harder thanI thought,” her mom
replied. “My friend andI have made so many
memories together over
the years, I’m having a
hard time letting go.”
The little one seemed toknow just how to comfort
them – she opened thedrawer in front of her
and, to the women’ssurprise, she gifted thefriend with a fun photo ofher mother. Quickly tears
gave way to laugher.
The little girl with sucha sensitive heart added,“Now you will always
remember her!”
Goodbyes can beheartbreaking. They also
provoke uncertainties
and questions. “Will
we ever see each otheragain? What will ourdays be like without that
person around?” While
we may be brave enoughto utter those questions
out loud, we may try tohide our deepest fear:
Will I be forgotten?

Little Manu needed ananswer to that disturbing
question in her heart.
“Auntie, you won’t forget
my mother because now
you have a picture of her,
but will you forget me?”
Auntie smiled and said,“How could I forget you?
I knew you before youwere born!” Little Manu’seyes lit up, expressing thejoy of a girl who knows
she is loved!
This beautiful, innocent
child dared to ask a
crucial question: “AmI important enough to
be remembered?” Herquestion takes me to
Psalm 13:1-2, which
gives us an insight into
the psalmist soul: “Howlong, Lord? Will you forgetme forever? How long will
you hide your face fromme? How long must I
wrestle with my thoughts
and day after day havesorrow in my heart?”
The psalmist was feelingforgotten, but as he poursout his soul before theLord, he is encouraged.
He ponders on his
steadfast love: “But I
trust in your unfailing twrwomenofhope@twr.org • 800-456-7897•

love; my heart rejoices
in your salvation. I willsing the Lord’s praise, forhe has been good to me.”
I just came back fromAfrica where I had thewonderful opportunity
to visit our Xhosa listenergroup in a remotevillage. A man from thecommunity was as braveas little Manu and openly
expressed that he wasastonished at our coming
to visit that “forgotten”
place. His eyes lit up at
the thought that there
were people out there
who cared for them.
These men and women
were encouraged to know
God sees them.
I am blessed by theprivilege we have toshare the message thatthey are seen, loved andcared for by the creatorof the universe – not only
on special occasions but
every single day. I smileat the thought the same
holds true for us.

   @twrwomenofhopehope
A WORD OF

In

2024 wehave been
exploringthe messages“Broken, Submitted
and Set apart for God
in Holiness.” Here we
discovered our need
to be broken over
our sin, to submit
our will to God andto pursue holiness byliving for God alone.
We have learned toempty ourselves anddie to sin. As a result,
God draws us tohimself in intimacy.
In this second series,“Abide, Unite andGo,” we will see how
God: desires us toabide with him, unite
ourselves as one bodyof Christ and go into
the world with his
message of salvation.

Lisa Hall‘Abide, Unite and Go’

International Prayer Coordinator
for TWR Women of HopePART ONE

Abide means to remain,
continue, stay, dwellor reside. We abide in
God and he abides in us.
The God of the universe
lives with us and makes
his home in us. How
incredible is that?
When you invite someone
into your home, there
may be areas that you
do not give them accessto. It takes a deep level oftrust to invite others toenter every area of yourhome. Abiding with God
involves a process throughwhich we come to trust
him and give him fullaccess and control overevery area of our lives.
When we place our faithand trust in Jesus as our
Savior, the Holy Spirit
comes to live in us (Acts2:38), guide us and lead us
into all truth (John 14:17).
Because God is spirit,when we become a childof his, we live in both thephysical world and in theunseen spiritual realm
where God dwells. “AndGod raised us up with Christand seated us with him
in the heavenly realms in
Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:6). We
now live “in Christ” in thespiritual heavenly realms.
This is the present positionof every Christian.
Understanding our lives“in Christ” is so critical.
At salvation we diedto ourselves, our self-

centered desires and thesin that once ruled us.
We were made alive inChrist and filled with God
himself. Now we can live
“fully alive” because welive in and through thegiver of life. Our relational
God pursues us in love andcommunes with us. He
desires for us to bless him
back with our reverence,love and gratitude, andhe longs for us to find joy
in his presence just as hedelights in ours.
God describes our abiding
relationship with him
as a covenant in which
we are set apart just forhim. Intimacy with God
is possible because of
the exclusivity of therelationship, just as ahusband and wife arejoined in marriage to be
exclusively for each other(Eph. 5:31-32). We are not
to have allegiances toother people or things thatare more important to us
than God. He is to be firstin our lives, and anythingthat we place ahead of
God is seen as a breakingof this covenant.
As we abide with God,he forms in us his divine
characteristics. God fills
us and gives us power
to live a godly life. And
as we believe God andhis promises, we learn totrust his character and aretransformed to be like him.

“I am the vine;
you are thebranches. If you
abide in me and
I in you, youwill bear muchfruit; apart fromme you can do
nothing.”– JOHN 15:5
So what is our part in thisrelationship as we abidewith God? God calls us
to love him (Matt. 22:37)
and to embrace humility(Col. 3:12), obedienceand the fear of the Lord
(Ps. 128:1). We are to be
filled with the Word of
Christ (Col. 3:16) and live
according to the Spirit(Eph. 5:18; Gal. 5:25). 1
John 2:6 sums up God’s
desire for us: “Whoever
claims to live in him must
live as Jesus did.”
It is good for us to reflect
on our lives and ask,
“What areas of my life do
I need to give God access?”and “How do I need tochange so that I rightly
reflect Jesus?” May thelove and grace we receivefrom God as we abidein him flow through us
and draw others into
relationship with Jesus.