Speaking through an interpreter, Mark Sorenson with DOOR International tells MNN, “In the Olympics, there [were] some laws regarding how athletes could share their religion, but because it wasn’t done vocally [and] she signed it, that was sort of ‘under the radar.’”

The video capturing the moment quickly went viral. “Right after that (Leal’s signing), I saw so many shared social media posts [on] Instagram [and] Facebook,” Sorenson says.

“It was blasted all over in the Deaf community.”

Leal is a Hearing person, but recognizing sign language on a stage like the Olympics does much to encourage the global Deaf community.

“Typically, if a famous person, say a movie star or an athlete, [signs] anything, that is taken and posted throughout the Deaf community because it’s recognized [that] this person values sign language,” Sorenson explains.

(Photo courtesy of DOOR International)

Deaf believers gladly seized an opportunity to build on Leal’s boldness. “Some Deaf people [who] posted this video shared a link to where you could find a Bible translation in their signed language,” Sorenson says.

Beyond the Olympics

Leal used sign language to bypass media restrictions and share her faith at the Olympics. In a similar way, communicating via sign language gives Deaf Gospel workers an advantage in countries that are hostile to Christianity.

“I’ve heard many stories where in sensitive, hostile countries, Deaf people can fly ‘under the radar’ and share the Gospel in sign language. Government agencies don’t recognize it, and the Gospel is spread in the Deaf community,” Sorenson says.

“Often, government officials look at Deaf people with pity, or they think, ‘Oh, those poor Deaf people. They can follow any religion because they’re disabled.’”

For example, “I lived in Thailand for three years, and that was a very strong Buddhist nation,” he continues. “I met a lot of Deaf people who said, ‘Hearing people look down on us because we’re Deaf.’ They (Deaf people) are left out and forced to learn life on their own.”

While cruel, this isolation also creates Gospel opportunities. When Sorenson and his team asked Deaf people if they were Buddhist, “They say, ‘Oh, I don’t know. I follow my family’s religion, but I don’t know what that means,’” Sorenson says.

“They were primed to [receive] the Gospel because any information a Deaf person [receives], they drink that up and share it amongst the community.”

DOOR International sends Deaf church planters into unreached Deaf communities through its 2-by-2 program. More about that here. Ask the Lord to give these believers boldness and courage, and pray for open hearts among unreached Deaf communities.

Header image is a screenshot captured by Lyndsey Koh/MNN.

France (MNN) — France is in the global spotlight today as host of the 33rd Summer Olympic Games. While praises for Paris abound, one look at French history tells a darker story.

“One of the key turning points in French history happened in the 18th century when we saw the birth of Enlightenment ideologies, which basically aimed at eliminating religion from the public sphere,” Cecile* with Trans World Radio Europe says.

“That’s why we used to say France is the birthplace of secularism because what happened [during] the 18th century has had a huge impact beyond the French border.”

The Catholic Church played a significant and contentious role during the French Revolution, reflecting broader conflicts between revolutionary ideals and traditional institutions. The Reign of Terror saw increased persecution of those who opposed the government’s policies, including anti-revolutionary clergy.

By 1793, France’s revolutionary government had instituted a de-Christianization campaign, removing religious symbols, closing churches, and persecuting both Catholic and Protestant believers. Bibles were banned, and the “Goddess of Reason” was brought to the Notre Dame cathedral as a replacement for God.

Today, France is reaping a harvest sown by the seeds of secularism centuries ago. France has the fourth-highest percentage of atheists in the world, and Gospel resistance is the status quo. Only one percent of the French population knows Christ.

A quote from the French presidency’s official website reads: “Secularism is one of our most precious values, the keystone of a harmonious society, and the cement of a united France.”

Believers are teaming up to make Christ known in the birthplace of secularism. TWR and PHARE FM, a network of 20 Christian radio stations across France, are sharing the Gospel through Christian athlete interviews during the Olympics.

“We’ve heard stories of athletes who won several medals; these athletes are all sharing [how] yes, this is an amazing achievement. It’s a day they will never forget. But it’s nothing compared to the day they gave their life to Jesus,” Cecile says.

Pray these testimonies will open people to the Gospel in France and beyond.

“Let’s pray for a higher mission effort in France so that we can increase this one percent evangelical Christian [population.]”

Header image depicts the Olympic rings on the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. (Wikimedia Commons)

“[Games Talk] is framed around three main actions,” says Cécile Chan-Janiaud with TWR Europe. “The first is about touring the city of Paris. [Its] goal is to connect with people in Paris and, through the activities that are going to take place around the bus, to connect them with churches in Paris.”

Photo courtesy of Trans World Radio Europe via Facebook. (The image of the Games Talk mobile studio bus is AI generated.)

The two other actions behind Games Talk are media focused. Team members will be interviewing Christian Olympians who have strong testimonies to share. The interviews will then be translated with the help of AI tech to reach international audiences.

“The goal is to see their faith and how God has been working through their life to use sport for God’s glory,” Chan-Janiaud says. 

“We are not going to distribute this (AI-translated) content without thorough human review. However, the fact that we’re able to leverage artificial intelligence is really a game changer here to make this content available almost in real time.”

TWR Europe is partnering with PHARE FM, which is a network of 20 Christian stations across France. Whether broadcasted on radio waves or shared through social media, these athletes’ stories will reach not only the international community but also the people of France, who have been entrenched in secularism since the Enlightenment in the 1700s.

Chan-Janiaud says people in France are searching for meaning in life. (Photo of the Louvre is a representative stock image courtesy of Chris Anderson via Unsplash)

“It’s interesting to say that we use this word ‘enlightenment,’ which was meant to be thoughts and value which were meant to free people. But actually, what it has done is put really dark, dark aspects in the French society,” Chan-Janiaud says.

“It’s pretty hard to talk about religion and about God in the public arena. However, what I can see, what we can experience as a French Christian person, is that people are so hungry and eager to find [the] answer to the meaning of life.” 

Pray for believers to have victory in spiritual warfare at the Olympics. Then, connect with TWR Europe through Facebook, Instagram or email to catch their gospel-centered, behind-the-scenes content.

“Share this content with your friends, with your family on social media, because we are really aiming to create pre-evangelistic [content] — meaning that [it] can speak to a person [who] has never been exposed to the gospel,” Chan-Janiaud says. “That’s going to be an amazing way to to help us — and also a tool to share the gospel with [people in] your own life.”

Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Edin via Unsplash. 

Pastor Dima, a partner with the Slavic Gospel Association, recently visited the Kherson region with food and warm blankets. Eric Mock says, “Most of us can’t imagine what it would be like to walk down a street littered with burned-out hulks of vehicles, passing by yard fences completely obliterated from shrapnel. And the houses, most of them don’t have roofs on them because they’ve been shot up.”

“And to see people that are going on as if this was a normal life.”

Meanwhile, Mock says the region has a foot of snow on the ground. “The average temp in those homes is 40 to 45 degrees [Fahrenheit] as they try to get an element of warmth to sleep through the night.”

Pastor Dima has distributed aid in war-torn regions of Ukraine since fighting broke out in 2014. Read more about his ministry here.

Impact of local churches

As they distribute aid through local churches, people are showing much interest in the story of Jesus.

Many once-empty churches are now full. Mock says, “There are people that would have never considered walking through the door of a church nor listening to the message of the Gospel, who with a deep hunger in their stomachs and in their hearts are coming to churches trying to find answers. And they are finding faithful believers suffering themselves who are tending to the suffering.”

Pray many Ukrainians will be drawn to the love of Jesus reflected in His people. Pray also for an end to the Russian invasion. Mock says, “They, more than anything, simply asked, ‘Do not forget about us.’ They’re very aware that the conflict in Ukraine is, in a sense, old news. But it’s current news for them.”

The header photo shows Ukrainian Christians distributing aid. (Photo courtesy of the Slavic Gospel Association)

(Image courtesy FMI)

It was described as an attempt to mimic the Paris attacks. Bruce Allen, of Forgotten Missionaries International confirms this. “Between Iraq and Cameroon recently, we’re just adding Jakarta to the list of prominent cities: Istanbul, San Bernardino, and Paris, where these attacks are taking place.”

It started with a suicide bombing outside a coffee shop in a major shopping district downtown and wound up in a gun battle and standoff. “The fact Islamic State took responsibility for it really was not a surprise. They’re very up front about their global ambitions,” says Allen. Hours after it began, when police finally had the situation under control, two civilians and five gunmen were dead.

ISIS released a statement online claiming the attacks, saying they were carried out by “soldiers of the Caliphate” targeting “citizens of the Crusader coalition” against the group.

That ISIS had the wherewithal to pull off the attack was unnerving. Plus, this was different: “All of these terrorists that were involved in these Jakarta attacks were Indonesians. In many ways, it wasn’t that some foreign terrorist group was perpetrating this. This was done by Indonesians.”

(Photo credit 8thirty8 Facebook page)

Indonesia has been on high alert over the New Year period after warnings that Islamists were planning a major attack.

Up to 200 Indonesians are estimated to have gone to Syria to fight with ISIS. Allen says those numbers have created deep concern in the Indonesian government. “They were concerned about when those militants come back home, will they just spread the policies and ideology of terrorism?

“An attack like this actually disturbs all Indonesians because most Indonesians really enjoy their peaceful coexistence with their neighbors.”

To quell rising fears, Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo went on the air to address a frightened nation: “This act is clearly aimed at disturbing public order and spreading terror among people. The state, the nation, and the people should not be afraid of, and be defeated by, such terror acts.”

Indonesians are facing the reality of a rooted terror group on their soil. While security concerns do pose a challenge, Allen adds, ”It actually opens up some doors for private conversation because when the Muslims are disturbed by what they see happening in their country, and they have questions, and they hear about the Prince of Peace, it opens doors for such conversations.” When the Christians are willing to engage in dialogue with their Muslim neighbors, fantastic things happen, he explains. “People come to faith in Jesus Christ. They’re willing to leave Islam and learn what the Truth is and experience what hope and forgiveness there is in the Gospel.”

(Photo courtesy FMI)

Roughly 30 Indonesian church planters and evangelists supported by FMI are still going about their business. Security conscious? Yes. “Pray for their steadfastness, because it is very wearying when you know you’re the minority,” says Allen. “You know you’re looked down upon by so many people. You hear about terrorism on the rise in your own country, and that frightens you.”

Pastors are people, too. “Pray that the pastors who have to give leadership to the congregation…are fortified because they may, themselves, be a little frightened.”

(Photo courtesy AMG International via Facebook)

Greece (MNN) — As the world reacts to the attacks in Paris, many European countries are considering closing their borders to refugees, which would potentially make the crisis even worse.

“There is a lot more fear. There is a lot more worry that, among refugees, are a number of terrorists,” said Tasos Ioannidis of AMG International.

For Greece, a main entry-point for refugees, border restrictions would cause more problems than they would solve.

“If borders start being restricted, there is no question that a lot of the refugees, instead of just going through Greece, they’re going to be staying in Greece for extended periods of time,” said Ioannidis.

The reality is, these refugees are fleeing the same atrocities which took place in Paris, but on a much larger scale. Since the beginning of the year, 500,000 refugees have entered Europe through Greece, and another 3,400 have drowned trying.

Is there anything that can stop refugees from fleeing the Middle East?

Ioannidis says no.

“Either legally or illegally they are going to come to Greece. And, if borders to other European countries closed, Greece will have a much bigger problem,” he says.

Greece has been facing a financial crisis since 2009 and resources are tight. But, even in light of this, AMG International is helping and ministering to refugees.

(Photo courtesy AMG International via Facebook)

Volunteers are handing out supplies, many of which are provided by the local Evangelical community, to incoming refugees at the border. Basic food packs are also handed out. One pack feeds a family of four for two days and costs $20 to make.

Every day, volunteers encounter anywhere between a couple hundred refugees to a couple thousand. Do the math, and the costs for one day’s worth of basic food packs can range from $4,000 to $40,000.

For AMG, handing out supplies is a way to show refugees the tangible love of Christ.

“That plants a seed and as refugees continue their trip through Europe, they also will come in contact with other Christians in other countries. There are a number of reports that, as the seed is planted and as it is cultivated, it grows, and there are a number of refugees who have come to know Christ,” Ioannidis says.

But, what will happen if Greece faces a refugee pile-up?

“The approach will have to change because, if refugees end up staying in Greece for longer periods of time…It becomes more of an ongoing need. Right now, the help is temporary,” said Ioannidis.

AMG is taking it day-by-day and trusting God to provide as the situation develops and needs increase.

“It’s a difficult situation and we need to be praying for God’s wisdom… the security concerns are valid and also the plight of so many of the refugees is significant,” said Ioannidis. “There needs to be a balance between security and the need for people to find some safe haven as they flee from Syria.”

Please be praying for the safety of the refugees, citizens of Europe, the strength of the AMG staff and volunteers, and for wisdom of all involved in the refugee crisis. And, please pray for peace.

To donate to AMG International’s relief efforts, click here.

(Image courtesy of Open Doors)

USA (MNN) — For those living in the U.S., the ISIS attacks in Paris last week were a little too close for comfort. But, they were also a good wake up call.

“What we have to come to realize is ISIS has a stated purpose,” says David Curry, President and CEO of Open Doors USA. “They’ve told us what they’re all about. We’ve got to believe them; they are carrying out their plan.

“One of their plans, which is central, is to make extremist Islam the religion of this world.”

For many in the West, the Paris attacks turned the thought of a future ISIS invasion into a reality. The catastrophe is just a part of the bigger picture.

Many ISIS attacks have happened without most people taking notice, including one in Lebanon the day before the tragedy in Paris. These attacks, Curry believes, aren’t stopping any time soon.

And, he adds, if the U.S government doesn’t take a stronger stand, ISIS attacks will end up in the States.

“ISIS is a very serious force because they’re a network,” Curry explains. “It’s hard to pin them down. They have some broad goals but very defined goals, and they’re purposefully carrying them about.

“We cannot see it just as a regional conflict in Syria or some sort of internal struggle within Iraq. It’s larger than that. It’s a battle of civilizations, even if the Obama Administration does not want to identify it that way.”

The President’s failure to outline the problem is costing people their lives. In their fight to establish a caliphate, the Islamic State is targeting believers and the U.S. isn’t doing much to help them.

(Image courtesy of Open Doors)

“I think it’s in their best interest, the way they see it, to be politically correct,” Curry says. “You have another example of that [last] week, when the suggestion [came] out that the State Department is not going to identify the killing of Christians by the Islamic State as a genocide.

“They are in every way, consistently suggesting and downplaying that Christians are not being affected.”

These are desperate times, but also ones where Christians can make a difference. Curry says It’s important for Christians to make their voices heard, especially for their persecuted brothers and sisters.

“I think we need to always be advocating,” Curry says. “We all have representatives. We need to call and let them know that we are aware and we want this to be a central issue. We’ve asked folks to sign a petition insisting that the State Department make this central to their policies in the Middle East.”

Click here to sign the petition. Also, remember to pray.

“[Pray] for opportunities where God can be honored through this, where Christians can find stability who haven’t had stability in a while, and where people can just lift up the name of Jesus.”

Women comfort each other as they stand in front of the Carillon cafe, in Paris, Saturday, Nov.14, 2015. French President Francois Hollande vowed to attack Islamic State without mercy as the jihadist group admitted responsibility Saturday for orchestrating the deadliest attacks inflicted on France since World War II. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus obtained via Ron Hutchcraft Ministries)

International (MNN/RHM) – The world is stunned by what has happened in France and Lebanon. People are searching for Truth and something that will bring hope to a dark situation.

Evangelist Ron Hutchcraft from Ron Hutchcraft Ministries shared some thoughts on his blog about answers to the questions people have in the wake of last week’s horrific events.

As I watched heartbreaking scenes from last week’s terror attacks in Paris, my mind flashed back some 22 years.

The morning after the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, I flew from New York to speak in another city. To my surprise, we were greeted by a TV crew, asking, “How are New Yorkers feeling after this attack?” They came to me first.

Let’s see…first word that comes to my mind. “Vulnerable.” That was it. We all suddenly felt very vulnerable.

Fast forward to November 2015. And put an exponent next to that “vulnerable.” Not just in one city. But around the world. Terror has metastasized.

The American President says, “The sky has darkened.” The Pope says we are now in “a piecemeal World War III.” Vulnerable isn’t just a feeling. It’s a disturbing reality.

For example, our almost total dependence on vulnerable cyber technology – without which we would be paralyzed. And our interconnectedness with a “house of cards” world economy. And hackers, identity thieves and terrorists moving faster than the systems devised to stop them. And…

We are vulnerable. There’s a lot of fear. With reason.

But there’s also safe harbor. Not in the events we can see. But in the “something bigger” – the larger tapestry of which all our uncertainties are threads. The threads bring fear. The tapestry spawns faith.

It’s a faith that’s powerfully revealed in the time-tested wisdom of the Bible. And rooted in a perspective that sees the panoramic backdrop for all the fear factors around us.

That perspective is called “eternity.” As one Bible writer says, “We don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen…the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever” (2 Corinthians 4:18 – NLT). Things look different through eternity glasses.

From the observation deck of “forever,” we can see three lights in our darkening sky.

1. There is hope.

Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid…In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world!” (John 14:28; 16:33).

No matter how wild our roller coaster ride is, our car is anchored to a track. That track is the larger plan of an unstoppable God, revealed in Biblical prophecies of where this all goes.

First, “nation will rise against nation…the nations will be in turmoil…people will be terrified.” But then, everyone will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory (Luke 21).

Terror. Turmoil. Then the triumph of Jesus’ return. No leader, no army, no terrorist will write the final chapter. Jesus will. Whatever tonight’s news, “the Lord reigns!” (1 Chronicles 16:31).

Are things spinning out of control? Ours? Yes. His? Never!

2. There is justice.

Whether or not wrongdoers are “brought to justice” on earth, God’s greater justice is inescapable. “Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). And, “will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Genesis 18:25).

Time will not right all wrongs. Eternity will.

3. There is security.

In tornado country, when the dark sky turns deadly, people head for their “safe room.”

I know where my safe room is in a menacing world. “Nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

There is an unshakeable anchor for the soul. The unloseable love of Jesus Christ. Love proven by His life sacrifice for our sin on a cross. Guaranteed by His victory over death at His empty tomb. Disaster-proof. Terror-proof. Death-proof.

The storm is intensifying. But the Safe Room is open.

The world is stunned by what has happened in France and Lebanon. People are searching for truth and hope in a place that seems to have none. But Ron Hutchcraft of Ron Hutchcraft ministries shares that with Jesus as our redeemer and ‘safe room’, we still have hope, justice, and security on our side. Take a few minutes to read the blog post at our website that reminds us there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and time wont right all wrongs, only eternity will.

(Photo courtesy International Mission Board)

France (IMB) – [The following story was written for the International Mission Board by Nicole Lee, a writer for Baptist Press’s London Bureau.]

International Mission Board (IMB) workers in France pray the terrorist attack January 7 in Paris by Muslim extremists will not result in a greater divide between secularism and people of faith.

“The journalists who lost their lives have now become martyrs for the freedom of the press and the freedom of speech,” said an IMB worker living in France, we’ll call her Tara Chaney. “We are praying that the outcry against these heinous acts committed by religious extremists will not become outcries against anyone who claims to have any sort of religious belief.”

According to a church planter in Southern France, we’ll call Mark Stone, the polarization of French politics can be traced almost entirely to immigration issues and racial and religious fears.

“There exists today a delicate tension in France that teeters toward breaking, and [Wednesday’s] tragic events will likely serve to further stir up the tension,” he said.

This act of terrorism is the worst France has had in 50 years, leaving 12 dead and 3 critically wounded at the offices of the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo. The weekly is known for its pieces critical of Muslim prophets, Islamic State, and terrorism, a practice that has resulted in protests and death threats from Muslim extremists for years.

On Wednesday night, over 15,000 people filled the streets of Paris carrying signs saying “Je suis Charlie” (I am Charlie), an act that indicates the strong solidarity the public feels with their fallen countrymen. Thursday, January 8, became national day of mourning, and for three days after, flags were flown at half-mast.

“I wish I could be there to mourn with them,” said Stone, who is currently out of the country.

IMB has several missionary units serving in Paris, but they’re not worried for their own safety.

When asked if he thought recent events created an increased risk for missionaries, Stone said, “I don’t really see it that way; this was a targeted attack that had nothing to do with us. Implications for backlash and a stronger divide between secularism and all religion as well as racial tension are my main concerns following this horrific event.”

Leaders of religious organizations were received at the president’s palace Wednesday evening. The consensus is: no act of terrorism should ever happen in the name of any religion.

“Right now, we are praying that the people of France will turn toward God and not away from Him,” Chaney said.

“France needs to mourn. France needs healing. France needs compassion. France needs Christ,” Stone said.

To learn more about the current spiritual realities in France and to discover how you can pray, click here.

"A lot of French people are coming to Brazil; a lot of Brazilians are going to France. So I really believe that God's opened a beautiful door for us as Brazilians," Gustavo told MNN in early 2010.

The Faleiros are working alongside La Fonderie, a ministry of The Mission Society whose purpose is to "reach French people for Christ by encouraging, inspiring, and discipling Christians working in the arts and creative professions."

As Gustavo and Dalila began sharing the Gospel, they found very few churches to send new believers to. In addition, new Christ-followers felt they already had a faith community in the Faleiros and La Fonderie.

"We were discipling people long before we directly shared the Gospel message with them," Gustavo says. "We had developed deep relationships with these people, and they trusted us. They wanted to go to church with us."

Within the Paris city limits, Gustavo says, approximately 50 churches accommodate a population of 2 million. With few resources and resistance among new believers to trying "a new and different church," the Faleiro's decided to start their own.

Although in its early stages, the Eglise Bonne Nouvelle already shows promise. Around 200 people attended the first worship service. Hundreds came to a special event held in March, and 50 to 70 people come each Sunday.

Pray that this church shines as a "light on a hill" in the City of Lights.

It's located in an old theatre building on Boulevard Bonne Nouvelle, which means "Good News Boulevard."

"The name of the church, Eglise Bonne Nouvelle (Good News Church), seems like it is simply based on the location," says Gustavo. "But once people hear the Good News of Jesus, they realize that it has a much deeper meaning."

He says a sense of family is growing.

"People are developing relationships, praying for one another, and supporting each other," Gustavo says. "Many people want to know more about Jesus, His Kingdom, and His Word."

By clicking here, you can come alongside the Faleiros financially.