Eva Botros shows some of what was brought in by victims this week.

Egypt (MNN) -- The threat of a national strike Saturday and another eruption of unrest prompted Egypt's military to speed up the transition to civilian rule.

Saturday is also the one-year anniversary of when President Hosni Mubarak stepped down as president. His ouster came after 18 days of street protesters against his rule during the period known as the "Arab Spring." 

Egyptians hoping for quick change are unafraid to show their anger at the pace. The largest Christian Arab church in the Middle East sits near the heart of Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo. Seeing violence as a likely part of the ongoing Revolution, the church set up a field hospital in its courtyard. Eva Botros is serving as the field hospital's coordinator. "We started on the 18th of November. I [had hoped to start] earlier, but that was the peak time that numbers and numbers of people were dying and injured, so that was the best time to do it." So far, their teams have treated around 3000 people since they opened.

Buoyed by the headiness of their early success, protestors had great hope once Mubarak stepped down. His departure gave power to the military, initially for only 6 months. However, a little over a year later, that hope has given way to frustration, Botros says. "People are fighting to get their rights. They will not stop, whatever happens. People come here to be treated. They keep pushing us to 'Do it fast! Do it fast! Put on the medication! Make the stitches! I want to go back!'"

The good news as a result: the deadline for presidential candidate nominations moved up three months to March 10, paving the way for a presidential election in April or May.

However, the snails' pace and the direction taken by the government has also been the aggravation that led to many more riots. Even with the heavier weaponry, Botros says, "People are heartily protesting, so I don't think they will be calm until they get all the rights they are looking for."

Botros is referring to police efforts on February 6 that led to accusations of excessive force which further inflamed an already tense situation. To quell Monday night's Tahrir Square demonstrations, authorities apparently used bird shot on the crowds, a charge the government denies. However, the wounded treated at triage centers, clinics, and hospitals told a different story, which was backed up by videos making their way onto YouTube.

There have been angry scenes in the new parliament as some Members of Parliament (MPs) began a sit-in outside the parliament building and were planning a hunger strike unless police forces cease their assaults on protesters near the Ministry of Interior.

The Church has become known as a place of refuge and healing for whoever needs it. As protestors trod their own path in the Square of Freedom, the volunteers tending to their needs grow tired. Botros says this is not the time for weariness. "The main prayer request in my heart is that the Lord raise up the people whom He considers His army to spread His love and to do the mission that He wants us to do, to raise the right people these days because everything is ready to glorify His name."

The hope of Christ, as it applies to Egypt's revolution, is a kind of like Proverbs 13:12 come to life. The Amplified Bible puts it this way: "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire is fulfilled, it is a tree of life."

Botros says, "We have to be the salt and the light. If we are not salt, what's the hope? If we are not light, how can the Lord light? We are having a very tough time in our country. If we don't do this, there is no hope."  

SAT-7KIDS reaches more kids in Iraq than it does in Egypt even, which has over double the population of Iraq.

Iraq (MNN) -- Less than two months into the New Year, Iraq already has layers of blood on its hands.

Human Rights Watch announced yesterday that Iraqi authorities have executed at least 65 people so far in 2012. The Associated Press reports that 14 people were executed on a single day.

The government executions have been accompanied by terrorist ones in 2012. A series of terror attacks has rattled Iraq and left dozens dead. It's a fearful atmosphere at best.

The scent of death amid other national turmoil has brought Christians to their knees. Christians recently met for a special prayer service at the Church of the Sacred Heart of the Chaldeans in Kirkuk, Iraq.

SAT-7, a Christian, satellite television network for the Middle East and North Africa, reports that the believers prayed that peace and unity would prevail in the country. They also prayed that Iraq would be a symbol of unified brotherhood and safety.

During the service, Archbishop Louis Sako of the Chaldeans in Kirkuk and Suleimania said, "Everyone must make concessions for the sake of the unity and peace of the country and its overriding interests. Today, we gather for prayer for the sake of the unity of Christians. But we say that Christians are a part of the Iraqi people, and its unity reflects positively on the totality of things."

Sako encouraged neighboring countries to lend a helping hand, at the same time assuring them that Iraq does not need interference in its affairs to overcome its problems.

The Iraqi church has suffered in the last few years, but is growing and overcoming its own problems, thanks in part to groups like SAT-7. In comparison to the rest of the region, Iraq is especially connected to SAT-7 KIDS programming. Recent survey research reveals that Iraq had the largest kids' viewership of SAT-7 KIDS programming during 2011. In a country of about 30 million people, a total of 4,126,047 children under the age of 15 watched SAT-7 KIDS.

One viewer in Iraq shared her connection with SAT-7 ARABIC: "SAT-7, you are a candle that God sent to every person, especially youth. Thank you very much for the great efforts you exert for your channel to be fruitful. Your sweet fragrance is filling the whole world."

SAT-7 is bringing hope to people across the volatile nation of Iraq. As the Christians in Iraq pray for their country, SAT-7 prays with them. To learn more about SAT-7's crucial role in Iraq, click here.

But orphans do grow up, and as they begin to age out of the orphanage system, life gets more and more complicated.

A missionary with The Mission Society, "Cassie," volunteers at an orphanage with teenage orphans in a Central Asian nation. The scene is heartbreaking.

Cassie says as orphans begin to age out of the system at 16 or 17, the choice is usually made for them to go to a vocational school. Because of their social status, they often get last choice for what kind of a vocational school they attend.

As a result, 16-year-old girls who want to cut hair can end up plastering walls instead. After being overlooked their whole lives, they're placed in professions they have no interest in--a grim outlook for the rest of their lives.

"It really puts their self-esteem down a lot," says Cassie. "So they wind up dropping out of school and falling into prostitution, and drugs, and gangs. And then they're left vulnerable to trafficking. It's just a bad cycle."

Cassie is trying to help break that cycle. She has already welcomed three orphan graduates into her home. The young ladies live with Cassie off and on, coming to her for advice, accompanying her to church, and bringing their friends by to be cared for as well. The girls call Cassie their mom.

It's an amazing testimony of hospitality. These young ladies, who remember being abandoned by their parents as children, are slowly turning their lives over to Christ as they're introduced to more and more of His character. Still, Cassie has bigger plans in store.

"I will be returning to Central Asia in a few months, and it's my hope to start life skills training for these older children--help them learn how to budget their money, to run a household, how to be a good friend, and, most importantly, how to be able to forgive all the things that have been done to them in their lives."

There are plenty of teens who need this training. The orphanage at which Cassie volunteers has 250 children. It's only one of hundreds of orphanages in the nation.

As Cassie plans and continues her outreach to these teens, she says there is one vital need: "There's a need for prayer. You could give so much to these kids, but what they really need more than anything is Jesus. They need to understand how much He loves them."

Pray with Cassie for these orphans to realize they have not been forgotten by everyone, but are precious to the King. Pray also for adoption, which currently cannot be done internationally but can happen within the country. Pray for willing families to open their homes to older orphans and even sibling groups.

The needs are great across Central Asia, and the Lord is using Cassie and other missionaries to meet them. To learn more about the work of The Mission Society's missionaries, click here.

Biblica, formerly International Bible Society, is focused on Bible engagement, says the ministry's President and CEO Doug Lockhart. "The first part of Bible engagement: Is there a Bible that I can read, that's in my language, that I can understand? That's only the first step."

Sometimes that takes more than 10 years to complete. Lockhart says it's actually three steps. "It's the translation. It's putting together a printed or electronic output, but then it's also surrounding God's Word with discussion, interviews, etc -- helping people understand that God's Word is for them today."

Initially, though, getting into God's Word is overwhelming, especially if the book is 1,000 pages. Lockhart says that why it's good to start with a Gospel of John. "Most people, when they open a book, they're going to start on page one, and they read from front to back. That's just how we read. So, to hand someone a Gospel of John -- it's not overwhelming, but they get that clear story of Christ."

For evangelism, the Gospel of John is a great way to help a person understand salvation because it's so clearly presented.

Biblica is giving you an opportunity to get a FREE NIV Gospel of John to help you engage the Bible, or to help you encourage someone else to start that process. The Gospel of John starts with "In the beginning" and takes us to a new beginning, offering new life in Christ.

If you'd like your own NIV Gospel of John, click here.

Gospel literature is treasured by people in South Asia.

India(MNN) -- While tracts in the United States are generally discarded quickly, not so in Asia.

Missionaries supported by Gospel for Asia never head out to share the love of Christ without Gospel literature in hand. They know the powerful impact a small tract containing God's message of salvation can have. They also hand out New Testaments and Bibles, knowing that many times, when someone begins reading the living, active words of God, peace will flood into that person's life. Some hear of Jesus' salvation for the first time as they read the tract or Gospel booklet. From just one piece of literature, hope can spring forth, and they can begin to grasp just how much they are loved by God and how much they matter to Him.

Because literature is so precious in the eyes of most South Asians, the majority of people who receive Gospel literature read it right on the spot.

GFA-supported missionaries write their contact information on the back of Gospel tracts prior to handing them out. After distributing Gospel literature, they sometimes receive calls from people who read the tracts and want to know more about Jesus. The Lord works through the missionaries as they answer questions and meet with those who have inquiring hearts, so the follow-up process is life-transforming,

When missionaries go out to distribute Gospel literature, they never know what they will encounter. Some people will receive the message with eager hearts, and others will respond in violent hostility. Missionaries often face verbal abuse, harassment, and even beatings for their diligence in distributing literature expressing God's salvation and love.

With the threat of opposition and ridicule always around the corner, missionaries need to constantly find their strength in Jesus Christ. They understand that the message they give is worthy of any persecution.

Missionaries use diverse opportunities, like medical clinics, train stations and festivals, to give out Gospel tracts, Bibles and booklets. At some events, Gospel literature can reach tens of thousands of hands in just a few hours.

One piece of Gospel literature can reach many people. How? The life-transforming message in one tract motivates recipients to give Gospel tracts to others.

If you'd like to support GFA pastors and missionaries in south Asia, click here.