Below are three recent prayer requests regarding university students for multiple people groups in West Africa. As you pray, please remember our team leaving on Feb. 20th. They will most likely have an opportunity to spend time at the local university. Pray God uses their presence and their words in a mighty way with the students they will spend time with. Also pray for discernment and direction as our team continues during this trip to think about long-term strategy and how we might better engage university students in that area.
This is inside a classroom at one of the elementary schools. Approximately 100 students are taught in a room this size.
Reaching the Next Generation of West African Leaders
Few evangelical missions organizations are currently reaching out to university students in West Africa. Pray for unity and guidance as each of these missions organizations seeks the direction that their agency needs to take to reach the next generation of West African leaders. Ask God to call out people who love Him enough to come and share His Truth with university students in Guinea, Senegal, Mali and Niger.
Developing Ministry Among University Students
Strategy and vision for ministry among university students in West Africa are in the initial stages. An IMB missionary began doing research and making contacts in October 2008. Much information is needed, but most importantly, prayer is the key that will help West African students recognize the direction and the plans God has for their lives. Pray for wisdom and discernment for this missionary as facts take on faces and then finally become a focus for the ministry. Praise God for the way in which He is opening doors for the gospel in West African universities.
The "Cream of the Crop"
There are several universities throughout West Africa, but ministry among university students is just beginning in Guinea, Senegal, Mali and Niger. As diverse as the countries themselves, these universities each have their own flavor as they educate the “cream of the crop” of their country. The capital cities of Niamey (Niger) and Bamako (Mali) have the only universities in their country, so students from every people group attend in hopes of getting a job to help support their entire family. Guinea and Senegal have several universities, each with its own specialty. Each of these universities desires a partnership with a university in the United States. Pray that university students in West Africa will realize that their greatest need is not for the wealth or prestige that comes from an education, but for a Savior who offers eternal life.
