We begin today in the deluged areas of Vietnam where the disaster is being called the flood of the century. Torrential rains have left hundreds hungry and homeless as they fight to survive. Far East Broadcasting Company’s Ai Nguyen (eye nwen). “They say that this is one of the worst in the last 50 years. They have reported that [there are] over 500 people dead and the loss of property is very great. The road system and railroad systems are so damaged so the relief work is very slow” Nguyen says that the situation there is critical and they’re doing their best to encourage people. “Right now, we are not in the land but we put announcements on the air to people in that area of Central Vietnam because most of the people there are our listeners-listening to our programs through the years…so we sent over the air a word of comfort and also call other churches to try to help out brothers and sisters in that area.” So far, they believe all members of the local churches survived the flooding and are actively involved in relief efforts.
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Meanwhile, volcanic activity in Ecuador is on the rise, with the energy creating concern in both Quito and Banos (bahn-yos). Quito remains on yellow alert, while Banos’ residents have been evacuated and the city is on orange alert. What all this means for HCJB’s work, Roger Reimer explains. “The way that Mount Tungurahua’s (nearest Banos) eruption has effected our ministries there is that the road that goes to our jungle hospital has been closed. So, our missionary staff has been unable to get in and out, and patients aren’t able to get to the hospital.” Reimer says Mount Pichincha (near Quito) has been spewing ash, but so far, has not affected radio broadcast work from the towers. He says they could still use prayer: “We have a health care ministry that is also involved in disaster relief efforts. We are trying to assist the people that have been evacuated out of Banos. We’re endeavoring to reflect Jesus Christ to those people in a time of need.”
Day three of our investigation into the status of the church in Tibet is bring some sobering information. MNN’s Greg Yoder is traveling there with International Aid and files this report. “Peter, today we discovered just how difficult it is to do minnistry in this country steeped in Buddhism and is occupied and controled by China. International Aid’s Ralph Plumb explains the difficulty. “You have multiple challenges. The shear distance and remoteness of this country. The imposed Chinese restrictions on all levels of society and operation. And then a very, very small Christian presence in a dominate Buddhist presence all of which call for a great deal of prayer.” Plumb explains why this country is so important to International Aid. “The Tibetan people are one of 132 gateway people groups that still need to be reached with the Gospel. They call them gateway groups because they’re influential throughout other tribal areas.” Greg Yoder, Mission Network News, Tibet.”
Next, a harassed Turkmen pastor is due to go on trial today. Compass Direct says Pastor Rahim Tashov fears the case against him will center on the Sunday School program he provides for children in Turkmenistan. Believers are asked to pray over the increasing persecution being reported. Over the past few months children and their parents have been harassed by police, several members of the church have been fined and threatened, and the church has tried unsuccessfully to seek registration.
Elsewhere, the International Bible Society is reporting that Nepal is more open than ever before to the Gospel. IBS’ PLN Murthy (murt-ee) says that he has heard the reports of persecution against Christians, but feels that much of the difficulty lies in understanding the people there. “People within the country can do evangelism very openly because every Nepali citizen has a fundamental right to exercise their own religion and also their free conscience. Nepali Christians can easily do the outreach projects, but the country has strict regulations about foreigners preaching the Gospel.” Murthy says while things are going well for their projects, they still need the support from the body of Christ. “The best way to pray is to ask God to anoint the Scriptures that are being distributed right now. There are over two million homes located on the Himalayan mountaintops and that’s where we are trying to present a New Testament to every home.”
Meanwhile, day one is over as Mission Network News looks into the status of the evangelical church in autonomous region of Tibet. Greg Yoder is traveling with International Aid and files this report. “The church in Tibet is barely alive in this country that watches religious workers very closely. Yesterday, International Aid’s President Ralph Plumb had preliminary discussions with a Christian agency located there. Plumb says they’ll assist the enterprise development outreach become more effective in reaching an unreached people group. “In particular the Kham Tibetans. We are told that there are only currently seven believers out of a total population of 2.5 million. We’ve been talking about very creative things like basketball clinics because people here are just wild about basketball and a visiting group of young men or women would have an instant opportunity for personal evangelism.” Tuberculosis is tops the list right now as 70-percent of the Tibetan people have it. He’s hoping I-A can help eradicate this disease, while sharing Christ’s love. Greg Yoder, Mission Network News, Tibet.”
We begin today’s newscast with a look at the effect of the Pope’s visit to India and what it means for evangelistic work there. Grace Ministries’ International’s Sam Vinton says judging from the noisy protests from radical Hindus, it means the work for evangelicals is cut out for them. “It could just intensify the push by the Hindus to make laws against conversion. That I could see as being a possibility [as the result of his visit]. Right now, we are just going to have to wait and see if it’s going to get any worse in our ministries there.” Vinton says the stront reaction to the papal visit may have been a reflection of a shift in attitudes. “They do look at all of us being westerners. They look at Christianity as coming from the west rather than something that came from the Middle East. I think it seems like everything is being eroded. As American Christians, it behooves us to count our blessings and see what kind of a blessing are we to our brothers and sisters who are suffering and being able to pray for them and to support them in any way possible.”
The Shalom Protestant Church of West Indonesia was recently vandalized and destroyed by fire. Voice of the Martyrs reports that hundreds of young men descended on the town last week and began destroying the church and its meeting building, threatening anyone who tried to stop them. Local authorities were unable to intervene and firefighters were not allowed to extinguish the fire. VOM reports this is the second major attack on the church in the last four years.
Next, an evangelical relief and development agency is stepping forward to help the leprosy victims in western China. Mission Network News’ Greg Yoder files this report from China. “International Aid is traveling through China to see how they can help indigenous ministries become more affective. One way is helping a Christian organization treat the Yi people who are suffering from Leprosy. I-A President Ralph Plumb. “We really feel that there a medicines that we can provide as well as experience in integrating rural health – barefoot doctor type of programs — with a Christian witness. It’s going to be a little trickier with the Chinese officials. This particular region is not accessible to westerners and so we’re going to have to work through Chinese partners at first.” Plumb says despite receiving death threats, this Christian worker needs more resources to assure more people hear about Christ. Reporting from Chengdu, China, Greg Yoder, Mission Network News.” Tomorrow Greg will take a look at ministry in Tibet.
