Story number 1 for 2 Jul 2003

(Malawi)–We begin today in Malawi where several churches and Christian relief organizations were attacked by a Muslim mob linked to al-Qaeda. SIM International’s Tim Kopp says those involved have been deported, but he’s still concerned because Islam is growing in the region. “Christians and churches in the area of Mangochi are supposedly a target, and therefore we’re encouraging our folks to lay low and be very careful.” SIM is involved in church planting and is helping with food distribution because of the lack of food brought on by drought. Kopp is asking people to earnestly pray and financially support their ministry efforts. “Our prayer would be that for many of these folks that tend to be caught in the crossfire, as is so often the case in these kinds of circumstances, that their hearts would be sensitized to the things of God and that perhaps as a result of these difficult days that they would find in their hearts a desire to turn to God and know Him.” Scripture distribution and personal evangelism are important parts of their outreach.