The Alawites, a Shia offshoot and religious minority in Syria, revere Ali, the son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, believe in reincarnation, and teach that women are excluded from heaven. Yet today, many are eager to know Jesus as their Savior!

Pierre Houssney from Horizons International shares, “[Alawite] people are so curious about the gospel. We’re praying with them, we’re preaching to them, and they’re very, very open to the message. So this is a huge gospel opportunity as well as a humanitarian crisis.”

But what’s behind the current humanitarian crisis?

Damascus, Syria (photo courtesy of abd sarakbi via Unsplash)

During his time in power, Syria’s former president Bashar al-Assad — an Alawite — granted his people unfair advantages in jobs and education. Now that he’s gone, public anger has turned against them.

The crisis intensified when Sunni militant groups entered Alawite-majority areas — often shared with Christian communities — and began massacring residents.

“Now they’re just getting downtrodden and massacred and driven out,” explains Houssney.

Fleeing for their lives, many Alawites escaped to Lebanon with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Some have taken shelter in graveyards, facing desperate conditions with no clear plan or hope of returning home safely anytime soon.

Local ministries are doing what they can, but resources are limited. The most urgent needs are food and hygiene supplies. Houssney adds: “As quickly as we can, as sustainably as we can, to try to run the race for the gospel and meet the people in their time of need, which also often coincides with their time of spiritual openness.”

Alawite refugees in Lebanon often fall off the global radar, but their needs are real. Among them are both new believers and sincere seekers of truth.

You can help Alawites in their search for Christ! “Find a group that can work among the Alawites in North Lebanon and support that group,” says Houssney. You can also visit the Horizons International website to join their mission of offering both physical and spiritual help.

Pray for God to send more workers, as the harvest among the Alawites is ready.

“What I know is that I can’t ripen a people group, but I can respond to God’s ripening. I can’t make the Holy Spirit move into a group at a certain time, but when I see the Holy Spirit moving, I can follow that!” says Houssney.

Header photo courtesy of Ahmed Akacha via Pexels

While instability creates an opportunity for terrorist groups, “the bigger picture stems from the issue of Islam and Christianity because there’s a spiritual battle, a war going on,” World Mission’s Greg Kelley says.

“Remember, our battle is not against flesh and blood but against principalities.”

The circumstances surrounding believers could disrupt vital work. “The devil thrives in chaos. [Wherever] there’s chaos, the devil will be at work trying to undermine the Gospel,” Kelley says.

Instead of being distracted by their surroundings, World Mission partners in West Africa keep their eyes fixed on Jesus and press on toward their goal.

Believers learn how to use the Treasure, an audio Bible distributed by World Mission.
(Photo courtesy of World Mission)

As coups and jihadist attacks create fear and chaos, believers introduce people to the peace and hope only Christ can offer. Plus, they teach new believers how to follow Jesus and walk in His ways.

“Jesus told us to make disciples, and that requires a long-term perspective where we’re pouring in resources and making the Word of God the priority,” Kelley says.

Find your place in the story!

“Come alongside an organization like World Mission that has [disciple-making] front and center, whether it’s sending in Bibles [or doing] leadership training,” Kelley says.

“Lots of organizations need help, and now’s the time to come alongside them.”

Most importantly, pray. “Jesus said, ‘Pray to the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers,’” Kelley says.

“Well, where are we sending those laborers? The harvest field is not a geographic destination. The harvest fields are the hearts of the nations; not the countries, [but] the people groups inside of them.”

Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Nothing Ahead/Pexels.

According to a U.S. think tank, there were no coup attempts in Africa between 2007 and 2018. However, 13 revolts across the continent occurred in the past four years.

“The pattern seems to be coming out of the military because they have enough muscle behind them to carry it (the coup) out,” World Mission’s Greg Kelley says.

Power-hungry generals often forget Aristotle’s famous phrase – “Nature abhors a vacuum.” Military rule doesn’t always lead to national security or stability.

Instead, “it creates an absolute prime ground for the al Qaeda’s and the ISIS’s of the world, who have a complete takeover on their mind,” Kelley says.

“They can come into these places that are fractured, unstable, and vulnerable, and capitalize on that [chaos.]”

While instability creates openings for terrorists, uncertainty creates Gospel opportunities. Connect with World Mission here to help empower church planters in the region.

“Ask the Lord of the harvest, ‘What is my role in this?’ Jesus called us to pray for the leaders of nations. But it also goes beyond our prayers,” Kelley says.

“We need to come alongside organizations intentionally involved in [disciple-making] – not just making converts. Converts don’t survive in these environments where radical Islam is at work.”

Header image depicts militants involved in Burkina Faso’s January 2022 coup. (Wikimedia Commons)

“Our distribution schedule is filling up; we distribute within China through the registered church in rural areas. That process is handled through partners we’ve had in place for many years,” Kurt Rovenstine of Bibles for China says.

Most distributions put a Bible in the hands of Chinese Christians who cannot afford one. More about that here.

Sponsoring a Bible delivery costs less than a specialty coffee, ranging from “$5 to $6 to get it (a Bible) from the printer to the hands of a believer looking for that Scripture,” Rovenstine says.

To fill the Christian leadership void, Bibles for China increasingly equips “rural leaders and students with study Bibles that help them prepare for ministry in churches,” he adds.

Study Bibles cost more to print and deliver but are “a critical resource for the young lay leaders in China preparing to do ministry,” Rovenstine says.

“[It] helps them be better prepared [to walk through] doors that God’s opening for them.”

Now that you know, how will you respond? Find your place in the story here.

Pray that believers in China will obey the Lord as He leads them to and through new opportunities.

“Pray that there would be a sense of relying upon the Holy Spirit to guide and direct these believers and open doors for Bibles to get to places that maybe haven’t been open to us before,” Rovenstine requests.

Header image courtesy of Bibles for China.

Today, “we need to [pray] for our friends there (in China) because there are adjustments and challenges as they move into this new (post-pandemic) era,” Bibles for China’s Kurt Rovenstine says

The economy isn’t bouncing back as quickly as hoped. Part of the problem? Chinese people leave the country – on vacation or forever – and take their money with them.

“A lot of people who can do so are seeking opportunities outside of China,” Rovenstine says.

As the old saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining. “Bibles are being distributed to the (Chinese) diaspora in Russia, and then [we also have] ministry to seafarers,” Rovenstine says.

“[People] we’ve had a tough time reaching within China are becoming available in countries all around the world.”

(Photo courtesy Bibles For China)

One Gospel opportunity is growing in the United States – specifically for believers in Silicon Valley. A 2021 report found that 29 percent of the world’s top technology researchers studied in China. More than half then moved to the United States.

Now that you know, ask the Lord how He wants you to respond. You can connect with Bibles for China here.

Pray for “a great harvest of souls and open doors for Bibles to get to places that haven’t been open to us before,” Rovenstine requests.

“If China recovers and some of these people return to China with the Gospel in hand, then that’s good for China.”

Header and story images courtesy of Bibles for China.

Keeping the virus contained with 1.3+ billion people and a failed healthcare system is challenging, to say the least, but efforts are underway. Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi started a three-week national lockdown, but it could be too little, too late.

“Travel from one state to the next is prohibited; all transportation has been shut down. People are filled with all kinds of anxiety,” says Todd of Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Mission India.

And yet, hope remains.

“God is still at work and creating great opportunities to share the name of Jesus Christ with others.”

Of storm clouds and silver linings

(Photo courtesy of Mission India)

Typically, India is one of the world’s most difficult places to be a Christian. More about that here. Religious radicals and government oppression challenge Gospel growth. However, “persecution has radically decreased because people are so consumed with the coronavirus,” Todd says.

In fact, “Parliament was going to meet and consider a national anti-conversion law, but then they shut Parliament down so it didn’t even come up for discussion,” he adds. “So, we see a lot of positive even in the midst of all the problems that come with COVID-19.”

As described here, the nationwide “shelter-in-place” order ended Mission India’s typical ministry activities. However, “we’re still doing ministry; just the way we’re doing it has changed,” Todd explains.

“The opportunity for the Gospel has radically increased during this time. We really think this could be the most critical and catalytic time in terms of the kingdom of God.”

More about Mission India’s ministry here.

Daily life in the villages is changing, too. “India is 70% rural, so the impact in the villages is completely different than the impact in the major cities,” Todd says. “In the villages, people are conducting worship services outside their home. People have more time because there’s this lockdown going on so they’re engaged in more conversations.”

By redirecting authorities’ attention, the coronavirus lockdown “really kind of created an openness and freedom of the Gospel,” he adds.

Next steps

Even India’s biggest challenges present Gospel opportunities. As described here, the lockdown left millions of migrant workers without work or pay. With no transportation, scores are walking home – in some cases, the journey is hundreds of miles long.

(Photo courtesy of Mission India)

“Day laborers are really being impacted. So, we’re already in discussions about how we might provide some of this relief and, of course, the hope of God’s Word,” Todd says.

Contact Mission India for tangible ways to help. Most importantly, pray.  Use the prompts listed alongside this article. Or, watch this Prayercast video for ideas.

“Pray for all the people who live in the slums,” Todd requests. “Hygiene… social distancing, it’s just not possible. They don’t even have clean water.”

Header image courtesy of Mission India.