Simon & Annika Flanagan Expanding the reach of the gospel with you
The Maliaba is the name of the Shaman that controls the Mengen people.
He has always had power over the people because he is possessed by a spirit that gives him power.
Click this link to see how he is losing control over the Mengen believers!
Pray that God continues to deliver precious souls from a life of fear.
The cup
Magic and manipulation of the Spirit world is part and parcel of life amongst the Mengen people.
Click this link to find out about the first ceremony performed on a newborn baby.
Pray the Lord will free more Mengen people from the grip of the evil one.
A year and a half living amongst the Mengen people, about 520 days of language and culture study, ten days of a translation workshop at our support center and I have been able to translate the first chapter of the book of Ruth. These are exciting and encouraging day and I thank God for allowing me to be able to go and complete the translation workshop. We take eight steps to ensure that our translations communicate the original meaning of the source text whilst striving to stay true to the word of God.
Some work I have on my plate as we return to the bush is to translate some literacy materials into Mengen and then the rest of the book of Ruth. (more…)
Well Christmas was all brand new for the Mengen church. This year the church got together to honor their Savior and mark the time of his birth. The church got together and donated money to buy a large box of lamb flaps from town, from their own gardens they donated sweet potato, yams, tapioca, various types of edible leaves, they cooked all this with coconut milk on top of hot rocks in the ground called a mumu. Festivities started in the evening with a worship service that lasted most of the night; they started to cook the food in the early morning, had a brief sleep and then cooked again. (more…)
The Mengen people believe that the Spirits of the dead roam in the night and in the fog. The believe they can eat us. Click on this link to hear more of their fear of the dead.
Praise God the gospel is breaking through the fear and Satan is losing his control over the Mengen people as they come to the Savior.
Confused
The Mengen people have some strange beliefs. But the word of God is bringing truth and revolutionizing their world view.
Follow this link hear how the Mengen people believe the first people created came from a cucumber!
“Four things let us ever keep in mind: God hears prayer, God heeds prayer, God answers prayer, and God delivers by prayer.” E. M. Bounds
Hi, here we have a special couple; special because Alex is one of our men in training. Unfortunately his wife Mande is not a believer, this of course has ramifications for Alex in the future and how he can minister within the church. Alex has shown himself faithful for over a year as a literacy teacher and as a teacher trainer within the literacy program. He has been a great help in lesson development as a lesson checker and we see great potential in this man. Please pray for Mande, that her husbands example and this second round of gospel teaching will be used by God to save her soul. Her salvation weighs heavy on Alex’s heart, pray that God would be gracious and that she would believe. Pray that God would raise up leaders from within the Mengen church to evangelise and teach; we cant do this work alone!
Thanks for praying,
Simon, Annika, Nya and Noah
“Prayer is the greatest of all forces, because it honors God and brings him into active aid.” E.M. Bounds
Please pray for your sister Kona! Her husband Matius is not a believer in our Savior Jesus. Matius goes along to the Catholic church also; as our believers say “he is standing on a dry branch”. That branch will not hold him in eternity, so please pray that Matius will come to the teaching and will trust in our Savior. Pray for Kona that she can be a witness in the home; that her life and the lasting change that he sees in her will be proof and prod that encourages him to come and listen to the gospel message come August.
Thanks so much for your prayers and for being part of the church planting team.
Simon, Annika, Nya and Noah
This week please be praying for my language helper Kymotu. He is becoming a dear friend and the Lord has laid a burden on my heart for this guy. He has other alternatives for coming to help me with language; recently he has been pressing me for elastic rubber for his catapult. He thinks by helping me in language he will get some gifts, food and he gets the status of being my teacher – a big thing for him. Well, what he doesn’t is that I have him in my office for more reasons than just language and with Gods help we hope to see him saved before long – so let’s pray for our lost friend, for his wife and five kids. Kymotu is an intelligent guy, he goes faithfully to the small catholic church, his whole family is catholic – of course he also follows traditional practices and tries to please the spirits. He is blinded by the enemy, so please pray with us that Kymotu will see the folly of this works based system and will turn from it all and accept the grace of God.
“Prayer strikes the winning blow; service is simply picking up the pieces.” S.D. Gordon
Thanks again for joining us in the battle! Simon, Annika, Nya and Noah
Komiti and Berta
Hi all,
Well another week is upon us and we need you to call out to God once more because lives are at stake. Komiti is a believer, his wife’s name is Berta, they have a son named Damien and another baby boy called Blaze. Please pray particularly for Berta to come to a clear understanding that Jesus has stood in her place, taken the punishment that was hers and all she has to do is accept His grace and believe all He said of Himself. Pray that with two small kids / garden and her work in the local school she will still be able to make it to the new gospel presentation this coming Aug. Pray for Komiti that he will be committed to his savior and will grow more and more every day choosing the road God would have him walk. Pray that more than anything else he would experience the grace of God and know that God will never let him go even if he falls often. Komiti has been given his nickname because he likes to be seen as a big man; in this culture that means going to meetings / parties, making speeches, helping family no matter what cost. His name means a lot to him; pray the name of His Savior would mean more.
Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?– Corrie Ten Boom
Grace to pray well,
Thanks for being part of the team in reaching the Mengen people! Simon, Annika, Nya and Noah