Weekly Prayer Focus: the Foxes

Please be in prayer for the Foxes this week. They are gearing up for their first language evaluation, which will be held next Monday, October 17. They have spent almost 3 months in full-time language study & have been working hard to excel in the Zarma/Songhai language. They've spent 12 hours a week in classes plus numerous extra hours on their own studying the language & being "out & about" in Niamey attempting to use the language.

They've made great strides & have come a long way in 3 short months! But now's the time to see where they are at & how much more they need. Even though this is just an "evaluation" & not their actual language exam (which will be held somewhere in the first few months of 2012), it's still a stress point to feel as if you're being "graded."

Please pray for Jody & Sarah this week as they try to hone in on their already acquired language skills. Pray for them as they study & prepare for this evaluation which will include them giving their testimony in Songhai as well as simple introductions & conversations. Pray that they would be able to retain all they've learned & that it would come easily & natural to them. Pray that this would not be a point of major stress as they prepare for the evaluation. Pray that they would be confident in what they have already learned. Pray God would give them uninterrupted times of studying this week as they study.

Thank you so much for praying not only for the Songhai people & villages we work among but also for our team & our families. Getting the language is a huge deal here because it's how we communicate ... everything from getting our groceries to telling people about Christ's love for them. It's one of the most stressful times in all of a missionary's career but it's necessary & it's rewarding in the end.

Thank you for committing to pray for the Foxes this week & next Monday as they "endure" their first language evaluation!