Story number 1 for 4 Mar 2003

(Philippines)–We begin today in the Philippines with sad news of an attack against Christians in the south. According to reports, 14 Christians – including three children — were gunned down recently on the island of Mindanao. Jerry Kitchel is with Open Doors Ministries. “An estimated 50 rebels had come into the village and began to just gun them down. They had also thrown grenades into homes and just blazed the area with bullets. It’s not known at this point what particular extremist group was responsible for that.” Kitchel says this violence shouldn’t have an impact on the church. “Often times, it’s these types of tragedies that really undergird the church and cause them to get closer to God. Many of them come out of the Muslim belief into a close relationship with Christ. And so, they have an eagerness to share their faith with their neighbors.”