Prayer has always been at the heart of our ministry among the Basque people. This past quarter, God graciously encouraged us through the weekly prayer walks in Basque cities that lead up to the International Day of Prayer for the Basque, held on Easter Sunday.
This was a very special year for us. At one point, due to various challenges, I felt seriously tempted to step away from coordinating these walks. However, after listening to my wife’s counsel, I decided to continue— and God surprised us far beyond what we expected.
This year saw the most meaningful participation we have experienced so far, both in numbers and in depth of engagement. In most of the prayer outings, there were more than forty participants—something that has not happened before—and many people joined with genuine enthusiasm and hunger for prayer. Some even traveled more than two hours simply to take part, a clear sign of how God is stirring hearts to stand in prayer for the Basque people.
One of the greatest encouragements was the participation of Garikoitz and Jagoba, two young Basque men who recently came to faith through reading their Bibles. They were deeply encouraged by the fellowship the prayer walks provided, allowing them to connect with other Basque believers from different regions. Their testimonies, in turn, greatly encouraged others. Since then, God’s work has continued to ripple outward: a friend of Garikoitz recently shared that she had dreamed about Jesus and invited Garikoitz to visit her so she could share her experience.
It was a powerful reminder that God is actively at work and that people are responding to His gracious invitation to follow Him. Seeing believers—from different regions and even different countries—engage
intentionally in prayer through the prayer walks reminded us again how God uses culturally rooted and creative approaches to draw His global church into His mission. Moments like these continue to reaffirm our conviction that locally grounded expressions,including the arts, play an important role in prayer, mobilization, and gospel witness among unreached peoples. (photo of Bilbao)
Juan Arvelo in Spain