Current Update & Prayer Needs:
Prayer Needs for Benin - December 21, 2025
Praises:
On behalf of Josue, Prisca, their ministry team in Benin, and the entire Truth Unleashed Ministries board, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas! May God be with you during this blessed season as we celebrate the birth of our Saviour.
Josue reports God is so faithful. He is doing well during this month of fasting. Josue's family, pastors, ministry team, and school members are doing well and looking forward to this Christmas season.
God's Grace for Kids Cotonou and Hevie are currently on holidays. The kids in Hevie had a Christmas party on December 19th where they enjoyed a meal together and received their Grow Shoes and dresses that were made and donated by some of you. The kids were incredibly happy, and very grateful!
Josue has had several speaking engagements over the past couple of weeks. He was in Cote D'Ivoire for a conference when the attempted coup took place. Because his flight was cancelled, he was unable to return home right away. Josue started the couples conference via zoom while in Cote D'Ivoire. This was for non-Christian couples to hear the Word of God from Josue and Prisca. This evening, the couples gathered once again to have a meal together. They have expressed the desire for another conference to be organized for next year.
A dinner was recently held at the farm. Josue's friend and farm neighbour, Olivier, is a caterer and wanted to organize a reception at the farm. Josue and Olivier are looking to develop a plan to host people from the city who want time away from the busyness and noise. This is a new venture hopefully to start next year, with Olivier catering the meals and people staying at the farm. May God bless this as a way to provide income for Olivier, the farm and Josue's ministry.
Josue was contacted by Christian businessmen in Cotonou to attend a dinner next Saturday. Non-Christian businessmen have been invited, as an evangelical outreach where Josue has been asked to share his life testimony and share God's Word with these men. We pray God will bless all of these men as they gather together, and that He will speak through Josue into their hearts.
Pray For:
*Continue to pray for the country of Benin after the failed coup a couple of weeks ago. While there is peace right now and people have resumed normal activities, this could be temporary. The situation is not completely resolved and the people don't know what is happening. This failed coup, along with the upcoming elections in April, can lead to volatile and unstable conditions, so we pray for things to remain calm and peaceful.
*Benin has been placed on the list of countries with restricted access to the United States. This will make it virtually impossible to anyone from Benin to get a Visa for the U.S., and even those who have Visas will have a very difficult time travelling. As Isaac is still in Texas, this prevents Josue and any of his family from being able to visit him.
*Pray for the pastors and their families during this end of year season and the transition to a new year. Pray for Josue as he continues his month-long fasting, may he hear more from the Lord about His plans for the ministry in 2026.
*Please continue to pray for Pam as she has had further progression of her cancer. We are thankful that Pam is at peace while she waits for God's guidance on the next steps. We pray Pam will be able to return to Benin with the mission trip being planned for next summer.
Prayer Needs for Benin - December 12, 2025
Josue is home, as of Wednesday when the borders and airport reopened!!! And Benin is calm again, for now! No one knows what tomorrow may bring!
Josue was able to stay in close touch with his family and pastors so that helped allay some fears! But it was very difficult for them all to be separated! Josue and Prisca chose to close God’s Grace on Monday, as things were still very uncertain but it reopened on Tuesday. The streets of Cotonou are quiet now with military presence everywhere. It is impossible to say how long this “peace” will last, with all the frustration that has built up over the years.
The current Head of State (Josue is not calling him the President any more!) has pushed through two specific changes that are causing a lot of concern. There is a Presidential election slated for April, where his right hand finance minister will be the only real name on the ballot, because everything the opposition party has tried to do to stand up for themselves has been squashed. New constitutional change: there will still be a two term limit but each term will now be 7 years not the current 5 years.
But more importantly, a Senate has been created of past presidents (including this current one), parliament leaders, and generals of the military that will now rule Benin: 13 people! There was a vote taken in the Parliament about this: when ballots were counted, the vote was one short of what was needed to pass this. The power went off! When the power came back on, the numbers had changed so that the vote was now for this!!! Not only were the circumstances bizarre, but this is certainly not a vote of the people: Benin is called a democracy! So does the Presidential election still occur in April when the Senate has been “voted in” to take over? Either way the people have no say!
Thus the coup occurred: about 200 military troops under a commanding officer went to the homes of Generals, intending to kidnap them. One wife answered the door, and lost her life, while her husband escaped out the back door. Two general were captured but later freed by French troops. The troops went on to the Presidential palace, but they never got through the gates. They also attempted to take over the TV and media but did not succeed.
The Head of State had called France and Nigeria: French troops from Cote d’Ivoire provided escort for the Head of State to safety and he remains well guarded. Nigerian troops and air force deployed quickly and “bombed” one military base so that the tankers could not join in the rebellion. Some of the 200 rebels were captured; their fate is unknown. Will they get to stand trial or just be deemed guilty? Others escaped so a search continues for them. There was rejoicing among the people that the coup had started, and regret that it failed: they want so badly to get rid of the current Head of State! The worst did not happen in terms of loss of life and all-out war, but what is still brewing? It is a fragile situation!
Josue was in Cote d’Ivoire for a 4-day training. He spoke with about 80 young people to encourage them to make good choices in their lives now, so that they won’t be haunted by past actions in their futures! Attendees came from Benin, Togo, and Cote d’Ivoire. Also, two men came from Egypt who have worked for Focus on the Family for 25 years. Lots of information was shared as the audience was very interactive! They plan to meet again in Benin in the spring.
Since Josue remained in Cote d’Ivoire from Sunday through Wednesday morning, he taught couples in Cotonou via zoom. They were very receptive as well, and will meet again for dinner next week when Josue will speak on finances. He will lead a special service the next day in the evening just for these couples to commit their lives to what they have learned!
Josue was also speaking in Bohicon on the 11th and 12th in Bohicon, on the topic of “Iron Sharpening Iron!” And he finished on Saturday the 13th, sharing with young people who want to get involved in the political scene in Benin! It was a very full week for Josue!
Pray for:
*Josue and this amazing speaking schedule he is maintaining! May every ear hear the Lord speaking through Josue to each to his/her heart, seeking His direction for his/her life, stepping out in faith that the Lord will provide for every need for him/her! Help couples strengthen their marriages, building on God’s principles; help young people choose God’s way from the beginning of their lives!
*Benin, to remain calm, not just on the surface, but to truly find the peace of the Lord and get open conversation going that will instill God’s values across this country! May His Light spread throughout all people and age groups.
*May God bless the pastors in Josue’s churches to remain on fire for sharing the Gospel!