Elsewhere, recent reports indicate Christians are caught in the crossfire of a tribal war in Papua New Guinea. So far, two Christians have been killed in the fighting and a pastor’s life has been threatened. Wycliffe Bible Translator’s Jerry Walker says tribal warfare is common in the area, and it is problematic to mission work. “It disrupts your work because they’re all fighting instead of going to church. You’ve got to pray and trust the Lord for what’s going on at your work. God will do His work in the area…we see certain things as roadblocks or troubles, [but] God’s ways are not our ways.” Walker says it is important to pray because: “Satan really has a hold on them. They have a payback system and so if you do something to me, I have to do something worse back to you, and it escalates, so that’s where you have these tribal warfare. The answer that they need is Christ in their life.” Walker and his family are preparing to return to PNG three months. While they’re in the United States, they’re staying at D&D Missionary Homes.
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Protesters blocked traffic and threw rocks at vehicles in parts of Port-au-Prince in protest over Haiti’s election delays this week. Feeding Starving Children International’s Richard Sandbatch says this kind of violence hampers work among the starving. “What happens in the political realm affects missions work directly. Whether it’s getting things through customs, supply networks, things are disrupted. If it wasn’t for the church and missions groups going to Haiti there would be no economy in Haiti.” Sandbatch says because many are still starving Christians need to get more involved. “When we look at the commandment of our Lord. When He said you take care of the widows and the orphans, you heal the sick, you preach the Gospel. That’s what Jesus said was our commandment and so that is our driving force.”
Meanwhile, CAM International is praising God for providing them with additional radio frequencies to help further the Gospel in Guatemala. Officials say they were able to purchase a radio station in San Marcos in western Guatemala for much less than what was anticipated. They also purchased one in the north. CAM workers say they even had money left over to buy equipment. Continue to pray for a frequency in western Guatemala for ministry to the Cakchiquel (KAHCH-ah-KEEL) speaking people.
We begin today’s newscast with a look at the impact of Mongolia’s harshest winter in 30 years. The conditions are worsening from the countryside to cities, where high food prices are likely to squeeze already tight urban incomes. The Christian and Missionary Alliance’s Robert Niklaus says the work they have focuses on meeting both physical and spiritual needs. “Right now, we are very much involved in the northern part with not only church planting, but community development. In a sense, Mongolia is having a new day, and we have an opportunity of showing a people there’s more to surviving than just staying alive…staying alive to know God and to enjoy Him.” Niklaus adds people are really responding. “We do believe that the ministry to the body is a part of the whole ministry to the Gospel. People are open when they find others have compassion on them, and to find out that there’s not some commercial, or other kind of motive, save just to help them.”
Evangelism Explosion International is continuing their work to unreached areas. E-E wants to encourage the spread of the Gospel internationally. E-E’s Paul Jackson explains more of their vision through “Tri-M”, or Mobile Modular Ministries. “It’s an opportunity for leadership training, primarily in countries where we are not able to put resident missionaries-involving men who are pastoring churches with absolutely no or very, very little training.” Jackson asks for continued prayer because: “We have a team right now in southeast Asia, in a Communist-controlled country-one of things that we’re praying for is simply that God would allow protection for some of our folks, who frankly are putting themselves in some situations which can be challenging in order to come alongside some very precious brothers and sisters in Christ…so that we can help equip them to reach their own people for Christ.”
Next, Audio Scriptures International is reporting the successful recording of the Old Testament in Russian. The recording was hand-carried safely from Moscow to California, where teams are now working on mastering the audio to ready it for distribution. ASI hopes to complete the project within the next few weeks and make it available in Real Audio, and MP3 on their website, along with the standard cassette and CD.
Topping the news today, missionary radio broadcasters in Russia are wondering how the election of Vladimir Putin to the presidency will affect their work in the country. Far East Broadcasting Company’s Victor Akterov says Putin’s policies could have a direct impact on them. “Nobody really knows what’s going to happen to religious freedom. We have two licenses pending one in Moscow and one Izhevsk for getting new frequencies and all the paperwork ready, but everyone is waiting to see what Putin is going to say. Nobody’s really sure about what’s going to happen.” According to Akterov, Putin’s election should concern many Christians. “There is no democracy in Russia. The real opposition to Putin is the communist party right now. The Democrats are no where to be seen. And, this is a huge problem for us because if we don’t have democracy we don’t have religious freedom. That’s the concern that we have.”
Next, poor economic conditions are having an impact on evangelism in Latin America. That’s the word from the President of Latin America Mission’s David Befus. Befus says as monetary values go down, hope fades. However, he says that actually helps mission groups. “In an environment where they have no hope materially and economically, it actually becomes more advantageous to a mission organization because people are really looking for something to have hope in. And, so it creates a good foundation to talk about the hope that is eternal, the hope that is in Christ.” Inflation and unemployment are in double digits in many countries. Befus says that’s creating problems for the local church. “In absolute terms the offerings for the church in local currency are greater, but in terms of what that can buy it’s less. Where you really see it is with the Latin American Missions movement. They’re not able to sustain their missionaries overseas that they were able to before.”
Since the Pope’s visit, many evangelistic groups were hoping to see a change for the better in Cuba. Among them was the Christian Reformed World Mission. One missionary, whom we’ll call ‘Dorothy’ says the Gospel is still going forward, although they still struggle with poverty and the Communist government. “As far as open worship, that we are allowed. There are some problems getting buildings registered and so on…we’ve been evicted a couple times from certain places, but the worship services themselves may be held within our designated building.” “Dorothy” says despite the church’s needs, believers are on a mission. “It’s the people-you look at their faces; it’s just a complete blank hopelessness, but they see that our church people have something and they start asking ‘What is it?’ and they come to church to try to find out. We’re just praying for a lot more openings and for the government to loosen up on some of the restrictions that are placed on the churches.”
Meanwhile, as part of its relief and rehabilitation effort, Food for the Hungry will provide replacement farm supplies to families in Mozambique. Devastating flooding destroyed the crops, and the group is working to ensure that families will have food to harvest in a few months. FH is seeking help with funding for the agricultural and household assistance packets which will cost around $30 each. Through this, team members will be able to share their faith as they meet the people’s needs.
