Although more rain has fallen in flood-ravaged Mozambique this week there is still a message of hope for the victims. The southern African nation is recovering from weeks of flooding and the devastation it has caused is expected to set the country back years. Through their unique radio ministry, Trans World Radio continues to air messages of hope in Jesus Christ amidst the misery. They are airing nearly 18 hours of Christian programming each week in 6 languages into the country.
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Elsewhere, the Samaritan’s Purse Hospital is the latest victim of recent bombings by the Islamic government in Southern Sudan. For the second time in a week, patients were evacuated from the hospital after 15 bombs exploded near the facility. Hospital officials say in spite of the recent attacks, they are committed to staying open because they are the largest hospital in the area. Samaritan’s Purse continues to show the Sudanese people the love of Christ through various forms of medical missions.
Headlining today’s news, the United States added high technology and more helicopters to the international flood relief effort for Mozambique. Christian relief agencies are also in high gear assisting. Medical Ambassadors International’s Executive Director Paul Calhoun explains how they will help some of the half-million displaced people. “To bring medications to these people working with MAF and Campus Crusade Canada to get water purification resources. And, we’re very much concerned that cholera and malaria are going to be breaking out in mass proportions.” Calhoun says financial gifts are desperately needed to help meet this need. He says people will come to Christ. “Ministering to these people person to person in ways that touch them in the name of Christ to be able to assure them that there is a God who cares and who loves them.”
Next, violence in Burundi is causing problems for ministry in that African country. Christian Blind Mission International’s David McAllister is there right now. McAllister says the seven year civil war is causing making it tense for workers there. He says rebel soldiers visited their partner hospital and a number of things were taken at gunpoint. McAllister says there is now a curfew in parts of the country as hundreds of people have been killed in recent weeks.
Keston News Service reports that the Turkmen government has recently issued a directive closing down the United Bible Society and other religious groups. The persecution has been mounting recently with raids and arrests on Christians in the area. Just last month, officials confiscated materials and interrogated members of another house church, threatening them with arrest and criminal charges. The church meeting reportedly violated a law governing religious associations in the largely Muslim Eurasian nation, officials said.
We begin today with a look at recent efforts between Russia and China to reinforce their ties. Moscow and Beijing have been improving their relations in recent years in an effort to unite their strengths in the global community. Some outreach groups think the Chinese could influence Russia toward tougher Christian limits. When asked what this bodes for their work, Far East Broadcasting Company’s Rudy Wiens says: “The local officials from Moscow say that we need to supply the information about the programs we do in Chinese language…so, there might be more restrictions in the future-what we broadcast to China.” Wiens says despite an increasingly oppressive atmosphere:”We had problems, but amazingly, to my surprise, we got back on the air on February 23rd, and we broadcast one hour daily in Mandarin to the Chinese people. So far, through God’s grace, we are able to do that. And, we plan to keep on the Chinese broadcast from two Eastern Russian cities.”
Next, Open Doors says it will not leave Southern Sudan, despite the pull-out of thirteen aid agencies working in that area. Sudanese rebels issued an ultimatum ordering aid groups to recognize and work with its group. However, Open Doors is operating independently and working directly with the indigenous Sudanese church. The group is calling for urgent prayer for the believers of Southern Sudan as they continue to reach the victims of war with not only aid, but also the Gospel.
An American evangelist is praying his visit to Scotland will start a revival in that country. Sammy Tippit just completed three days of evangelistic meetings just outside of Glasgow over the weekend. Tippit describes the event. “We just had just some real good response. Every night the meetings grew in size and numbers and the response to the Gospel was the same way. Of course Scotland is different in that the response is much slower than you would see in Africa or other parts of the world.” According to Tippit people need to pray that the church will wake up and make a commitment to evangelism. “The church is like a sleeping giant. It just needs to awaken to the great opportunity that God has placed before it. There’s tremendous potential – tremendous possibilities. There is great history there. But, there’s got to be an awakening for the church.” Tippit is traveling to Ethiopia for evangelistic meetings that will take place along the Ethiopia-Sudanese border this week.
Meanwhile, an evangelical campus ministry is looking for a new president. InterVarsity Christian Fellowship’s President Steve Hayner announced his intentions to resign as soon as a replacement can be found. Agency spokesman Phil Evans. “I think the exciting thing for us is that both Steve and the board really want to go about this transition process in a good way. Steve as current president and the board of trustees are working together to identify what a new president might look like and (they’re) really committed to continuing the strong road that interVarsity started on.” Evans is encouraging people to pray for InterVarsity as they search for Hayners replacement. “I think people can specifically people can pray that we can identify the right candidate. That Steve Hayner would finish strong as the president. That this transition and succession process would go smoothly and you could pray also for our preparation for Urbana 2,000.”
Mozambique tops today’s news as mission and relief agencies are working together to save lives as flooding plagues that country. World Concern’s Sandra Church explains how they’re helping. “We are partnering with Food for the Hungry there at this time. We’ve sent monetary donations to them, to help them facilitate rescue helicopters and also food supplies and dehydration supplies and (those) types of things.” According to Church, once the floodwaters subside World Concern will be helping with seeds and emergency food needs. Church says the message of Christ will go with all of it. “The people we have there have been there for 10 years and they have relationship with those people in that area. They’re very Godly people and we know that as the minister the food and the medicines they’ll also be ministering Christ. So, we’re partnering very reliable people who love the Lord and are there for that very purpose.” Call 800-755-5022 to help.
