Samoans have been Christian for over a century, and every village has at least one church. But the traditional class structure and pre-Christian cultural standards were not necessarily transformed by the gospel. Much of the Church suffers from nominalism, and rivalry among denominations does not generate a good spiritual atmosphere. Pride and politics influence church life too much, and the financial demands on a poorer population are heavy. These, coupled with the modern challenges of domestic strife and imported moral vice, make for a society in need of prayer.

San Marino has been an independent republic since AD 301 with ties to Italy. The Sammarinese are Catholic by tradition and culture, but few practise their faith. Some reject their religious heritage, and there are small groups of other faiths here. San Marino calls itself the “Ancient Land of Liberty”, and people have freedom to worship. But evangelism hardly exists. Past outreach by evangelicals resulted in jail or expulsion from the country, so no churches or ministries currently evangelize here. Pray for a new season of true spiritual liberty.

The majority of the population are Catholic, but practice is usually mixed with deep-seated African spiritist beliefs. Appeasing spirits and ancestors is often of greater importance than honouring God. Pray for the Holy Spirit to move through the Catholic Church, bringing renewal. Pray for the sovereignty of Jesus to be clearly demonstrated amid syncretized Catholicism and the growth of Islam and marginal sects.