Story number 1 for 11 May 2000

Headlining today’s news Christian communities in Indonesia’s Moluccas Islands fear the onslaught of “religious cleansing”. Thousands of people have fled the region, including mission agencies like New Tribes Mission. Agency spokesman Guy Sier explains why. “There’s a Muslim Jihad under way there to stamp out Christianity. This is more than just rhetoric we are seeing entire Christian villages wiped out and burned to the ground, churches set afire and pastors murdered.” Sier is praying the violence doesn’t spread to nearby Sulawesi (SUH-lah-WEHS-ee) where many of their Moluccas missionaries have relocated. “We have seen that type of violence erupt into one Sulawesi city and that’s causing us some great concern and are watching that closely to see if that’s going to spread and catch on in some of the other cites.” Pray for safety as missionaries continue to share the Gospel.