Meanwhile, as tensions remain high in the Balkans, an evangelical organization is doing what it can to end the anger. World Hope Ministries’ Joel Samy says this Summer they’re hosting a reconciliation camp in Bosnia. Samy says 15 to 20 Serb students and 15 to 20 Croat and Muslim students will meet together. He says the message will be about peace, which can only be found in Jesus Christ. Pray that this will start a movement of peace in the region.
News Archives
Voice of Friendship’s Middle East reports a growing evidence of people’s hunger to seek God in highly Muslim-populated areas. According to Far East Broadcasting Company’s Johnny P, the broadcast is unique. “We’re involved in broadcasting into closed countries, countries which are opposed to Christian witness, and where you cannot have a church presence or missionary work. So, the listeners writing from those countries are definitely putting their lives at risk. That’s what encourages us because we can tell that they are genuine.” Johnny adds that Voice of Friendship has readily accepted their Muslim listeners’ invitation to become friends. “The number of people who write to us and say ‘Can I be your friend even though I’m a Muslim?’ is staggering. We sense that there’s an emptiness that they’re just trying to find a friend out there who will listen to them, who they can share their concerns and their struggles with…and it’s amazing how radio is proving to be that friend for a lot of these people.”
Next, while crises continue to plague many other parts of Africa, we focus our attention on Mozambique. Devastating floods ravaged the area several months ago, but, according to Operation Blessing International’s Dick Kohl, the problem hasn’t really gotten better. “They have lost one rotation of their crop-planting season, and although some of the crops will get in, there are large portions of the irrigable farmland that will not be able to have a crop for this rotation. So, they’re going to need sustained assistance until at least November when the next crops can come in that they’ll be able to take care of themselves. Kohl adds that: “We need to remember our Christian brothers and sisters and those who don’t know the Lord yet and we need to intercede on their behalf. People need to go to their organizations that are working there and provide the assistance that they need in the form of funds, that will allow them to meet the continuing needs of people in areas like Mozambique and Ethiopia.”
Our newscast begins in China where Voice of the Martyrs is reporting an increase in harsh treatment of active house church members. There have been arrests of many Christians and house church leaders in seven areas of the Guangdong Province. VOM’s Todd Nettleton. “It’s more widespread than it has been. In this case, there’s 13 different people that have been arrested, and they’ve been arrested in different villages across Southern China. So, it seems to be a much more concerted effort to crack down on the house churches.” Nettleton says while some ministries are more effective when they register, for the small house church: “I think the ultimate question is: “Who do you want to answer to?” In the case of these house church pastors, they have said, “We are accountable only to God, and we refuse to be accountable to the Communist government. The official line is that there is no God, so how can we worship God and be accountable to these people who don’t believe there is a God?””
Next, sources in India report an increase in violence against Christians in India. Recent incidents involve many believers who have been viciously attacked while involved in evangelistic activity. Despite the hostility, ministries like the International Bible Society continue to reach people with the Gospel. IBS’ PLN Murthy (MUR-tee) says they’ve just released the Kannada (keh-NAH-da) translation of the Bible. “The old translation, which was 150 years old, was a translation done by the European missionaries-but this translation was done completely by the natives; the editing was done by them, the theological checking and the field testing-so therefore, it became the translation of the native people.” Murthy says it’s geared for the 40-million people of South Central India who speak Kannada. He says the work is accepted because: “Our slogan has been: ‘This Bible is, as far as possible, theologically accurate, and linguistically accurate and worthy of interpretation from the pulpit and also the theological colleges.'”
Missionary church planters in Spain are using unique tools to reach the lost in that country. Mike Davis is a missionary in the city of Zaragosa with the Evangelical Free Church Mission. Davis explains the two tools they’re using. “We’ve made about half of our contacts through loaning Christian videos door to door. Those have been videos from Billy Graham evangelistic films. And, about the other half of our contacts have been made through an evangelistic band called, Carpe Diem, Seize the Day.” According to Davis, while attendance is small, the ministry of the Evangelical Free Church is important. “The area that we’re in has about 100,000 to 150,000 people and we’re the only evangelical testimony. There’s, you know, 15-20 plus us. It’s worth it because non of those people were studying the Bible before. None of them had heard the Gospel clearly before.”
Next, Words of Hope continues to report good news from their radio broadcasts into Tibet. Because there is no organized church, Lee DeYoung says they’re trying be relevant while encouraging the faith of the believers that do exist. “In the Tibetan broadcasts, there is a 30-minute broadcast each day, seven days a week, approximately half of it is specifically Biblical content, and the other half is material of general interest to Tibetan people.” DeYoung says because the region is heavily Buddhist, much of their work is enhanced by partnerships. He adds there is much to pray for. “I think in any sensitive area where there is opposition, one prays for wisdom and discernment on the part of those who are laboring there-wisdom to know when to take a stand and when to do something bold…for people when they are persecuted, when they are greeted with opposition, to respond in a Christ-like way.”
Meanwhile, Operation Mobilization says a Christian charity has found a new way to support Christian education in Sudan. The Barnabas Fund, which aids persecuted believers, has pledged to finance three “schools on wheels” to train church leaders. In spite of persecution and a 17-year civil war, the church of southern Sudan is growing fast and more leaders are desperately needed. The idea of mobile theological schools was conceived because of the bombing danger.
Topping today’s news, we turn to the Congo where Rwanda and Uganda are trying to avert a wider war. The two sides agreed to pull back from an area where recent fighting has cropped up. Efforts at peace are frail and, according to Grace Ministries International’s Sam Vinton, desperately needed. “I feel that people are tired of the fighting, with no results, so, to a certain extent, I am optimistic things can be worked out, at least on paper. Now, how to implement that in a country which is so large with all these roving bands out there, that will be the next issue to be dealt with.” Although the fighting has hampered GMI’s efforts to continue their evangelistic work, Vinton insists that: “…it is encouraging to know that the national Christian leaders are going on with their work to the best that they can in light of the situation. We feel that we just have to keep going and being the ones there to encourage, but we certainly are not in the position to put any of our missionaries in those areas where there is no security.”
We begin today with an update from Ecuador. Back to the Bible’s staff report a quiet and uneventful week so far at La Biblia Dice’s compound. This follows an armed robbery which set the organization back 150-thousand dollars. Back to the Bible’s Mark Blowers says immediate efforts now turn to: “…trying to secure the facility. We’ve got to have walls that are replaced and fences that are replaced as well as locks and everything on the building. They’ve actually hired a 24-hour armed guard. We’re working on getting some basic equipment back and making final arrangements with HCJB to record and get our programs back on track.” Blowers adds that the emotional toll that this has taken on the staff cannot be measured in dollars. “There’s one particular lady who was assaulted that is really suffering emotionally still-the ones who were beat[en] physically are doing quite a bit better. I asked David Lagacho, the director of the [Ecuadorian] ministry, how we could pray for him, and here was his answer-his first request was this: “Pray that the Lord will finish His work in us.” They recognize this is spiritual opposition.”
