Weekly Prayer Focus: Hamsatou (Ayorou)

Please be in prayer for Hamsatou this week. She is one of our female believers from Ayorou. She was 8 months pregnant &, earlier this week, she informed us that her unborn child had died in utero. She had not felt the baby move for 3 or 4 days & went to the local doctor to have it checked out. The doctor advised her to go to Niamey but, before she could go, she went into labor & delivered stillbirth. She is not sure what caused the complications as last month she had an ultrasound & the doctors assured her that all was well.

As many of you know, the death of children in Africa is commonplace (3 out of 5 children die before their 5th birthday). Due to beliefs in animism, it is common for parents to not even grieve their child's death. I remember when we lived in Ayorou & our neighbor's 2 year old child passed away, we were laughed at for being upset & crying over her death.

Yet, for Hamsatou, who has a greater Hope, she should both grieve & know that God works all things for the good of those who love Him. Please pray that she would allow herself to grieve the loss of her child (even though her friends & neighbors may mock her for doing so). Please pray that God would reveal Himself to her & His love for her in a very real way during this time. Pray that God would comfort her grieving heart & she would trust Him even more. Pray also for her health during this time. She will return to the doctor in one month to check for any further complications.