Current Update & Prayer Needs:
Prayer Needs for Benin - February 7, 2025
Praises: Josue spent his morning videoing 5, 30-minute sermons, to be broadcast on TV stations throughout Benin! This is his second time: back in December he also did it, but he never got to see any of the broadcasts! He hopes he will get to see one of these in the future! He said it is a crazy experience, talking only to the camera, no live audience. Josue will receive a copy of all of this for his own use! He is enjoying getting the Word out to people in a new way! One caller asked if Josue had written a book? Josue is considering that with his spare time for 2025! Another caller wanted a video copy himself: Josue sent this call back to the station to respond. The station wants this to continue and they want to broadcast it through satellite so it will go across borders into other countries!
Prisca is doing well as school moves forward: a family with 5 children was enrolled this week at God’s Grace!
Isaac, Glory and Gedeon are all enjoying their studies and working hard, enjoying life!
Hope Dressing had 3 students test one year early, to see how they would do. One thought it was so difficult, she did not show up the last of the three days. A second one did not succeed yet, but plans to test again next year! And the third one, passed with flying colors! She will be staying on at the school for a little longer, til she feels she is ready to strike out on her own! Director Yemi is so excited! She has lots more information now to guide the students to success!
Director Paulin of the electrical school has the students working side by side with the contractors as they completely wire the house that is under construction. Nino is the young man (17) who came to school at God’ Grace, to improve his basic skills; he will be working with the electrical kids and catch up as soon as possible! Josue believes that he can! Is God nudging you to help support him?
Pray for:
*Josue and Prisca to be rescheduled for their Visa interview to come to the US, ASAP!
* a family of 8 (6 chidren) needs new housing right away…they were kicked off of the construction site where dad works and cannot live there any longer. Josue and his team are seeking an immediate location, even if it is only temporary!
*Join in prayer with the church as they pray tonight!
*Tomorrow is the celebration of life service for Armelle’s mother: please pray that all goes well and the time is full of sweet memories. Armelle is a woman pastor in Josue’s group of churches! She has three girls in their twenties and a young son who is only 6; her husband Enoch is also a pastor.
*for all the churches, to continue full ministry at the various sites
*for Josue’s upcoming travels to Zimbabwee in March for the All-Africa YFCI meeting. Funds needed for his airfare are $4000: if God is nudging you to help with this expense, please respond! And Josue’s monthly income still is below his needs: can you help? Josue is blessed that his room and board will be covered by YFC! (Josue had a conflict in timing: Sierra Leone also asked him to come to speak, on these same days, which he had to turn down!)
*peace in Benin: the fear from the jihadist attack is dissipating somewhat, as a new situation has hit the news. The current President Patrice has had a right hand man in charge of many things. Patrice has orchestrated Olivier Boko to be convicted of a crime he did not commit and he has been sentenced to 20 years in jail. Olivier had eyes on running against Patrice in a year to be President!
The 28 soldiers killed in the attack have all been buried; Josue’s team really wanted to minister to their families, but the families are being very quiet. There still has been no mention of this whole event on Benin radio! Patrice wants this swept under the rug.
*peace throughout Benin, in Josue’s ministry team, for kids in schools, and all staff members! USAID has been completely defunded in Benin, per Trump’s recent order! What will be the immediate and long term effects?
*Building permit to be completely approved as soon as possible!
*Glory’s adoption paperwork to be completely approved as soon as possible!
Prayer needs for Benin - January 24, 2025
*Josue and Prisca were very enthusiastic for their appointment on Wed., Jan. 22 at 8 am to get their US visas. HOWEVER, they were contacted on the afternoon of Jan. 21 that their appointment was cancelled…no reason given! But the message also said that they would be rescheduled! Praises: they have paid nothing ahead of time for this appointment, so no funds are lost. Praises that they will be called to reschedule---pray it will be very soon! Pray for all the frustration that this causes, that more delays hold back any plans to arrange a trip to seeall of you— supporters of Josue’s ministry!
Praises: The family talked with Isaac yesterday: he is doing very well, excited for his second semester!
Pray for:
*Josue is leading prayer tonight from 7-9:30 pm. May the Lord hear every request and act on it in His perfect time and way!
*Benin: On Jan. 9, 2025, jihadists came from Burkina Faso and attacked two military bases near the northern border of Benin. All 28 soldiers were killed! Those bases stand empty now as no soldiers are willing to deploy there; many soldiers want to resign from service, but can’t do so legally. They are very fearful for their lives. Benin has never had an armed conflict; these soldiers have never fought in a battle! Fear has spread across Benin, into everyone’s heart, wondering what is next, what will happen in the future? Benin’s government has issued no statements regarding this situation: they are adding to the fear as the people don’t know what will happen from Benin’s side either! Pray against the fear! Pray there will be no more lives lost! Pray this situation will be the push needed by many to seek the One True God for safety and love! May divine intervention lead all onto a good path for the future, showing all Who is really in control!
Of course the politics of all of this are very twisted: Benin has continued to stay in alignment with France, but France is quickly losing control with all the coups around Benin. (It is losing income it used to receive from all the mineral production it reaped!) So Benin is not supported by these neighboring countries, because they won’t seek freedom from French control. But France is actually supporting the jihadist activities monetarily…so what is Benin supposed to do? The leaders in Benin have so far been silent (adding to the fear of the people)! Pray that they will seek true wisdom from God, and give up on their participation in the Voodun Days, that are reaping them temporary cash stores! (This attack happened on the eve of the real holiday, January 10; this was the first time that the public had a paid holiday for the eve as well as the day!)
*Pray for the families of the soldiers who died: they were sons, husbands, fathers to many! The families have much grief to work through as well as huge income issues now. Pray for chaplaincy outreach to help these families!
*Continue to pray against the Voodun Days: this year the activities have gone back underground, by the government’s demand…so people are not supposed to understand how evil it really is!
*Josue and family: for wisdom and strength to keep going! All are back in school for second semester. May all in Josue’s ministry keep their focus on the Lord, what He is doing and asking them to do!