Story number 1 for 23 Feb 2001

(Indonesia)–Topping the news, responding to the urgent plea of an Indonesian pastor for help, Christian Aid Mission has joined a campaign to raise more than a million dollars. The money is aimed at an operation to rescue Christians who are feared targeted for conversion or extermination by Muslim jihad warriors. Christian Aid’s John Lindner explains. “We are making an urgent effort to evacuate all of the residents of those eight villages. It’ll be over 7-thousand people-we’re going to evacuate them on boats and get them to a safe harbor in a major city where the population is mostly Christian.” Lindner adds that aside from prayer, they’re asking fellow believers for action. “We need funds to make this thing work. It costs $2250 per boatload, and we need 22 boatloads. After they get to where they’re going, we will still need to provide a simple house for them and feed them for six months until they can be self-sustaining in their new location.”