Story number 1 for 2 May 2000

We begin today in the Philippines where the hostage situation is forcing mission groups to curtail their work in the south. Dennis Maves with the Christian and Missionary Alliance says they’re trying to evangelize the unreached Yakan (YAH-kahn), Tausug (TOW-suhg) and Samal (sahm-ahl) peoples. “But, at the moment, because it’s not safe we’re drawing many of our workers into safer places. So, we’re not able to do front line work like we used to. And, so much of our work that we’re doing now is through different teams.” Maves says indigenous teams are sharing the Gospel since western missionaries are targets. He explains why the violence is happening. “It’s because of those who have infiltrated into the area and stirred them up and many of them have come from the Afghan war and the Pakistani Muslim factions that have infiltrated through the Philippine backdoor and funded the rebelion.”