In the weeks since Nepal’s turnover, Gen Z protests have occurred in the Philippines, Madagascar, Peru, and Morocco. Since 2024, Serbia and Kenya have also experienced anti-government demonstrations. The motivations have varied within each nation, but all have the theme of young adults who want to see corruption removed from their countries.

“I think the soul knows when things are wrong. You feel compassion for these people [who are] living in countries where the situation has gotten to the point that even these young people are like, ‘Hey, that’s corruption, and that’s not okay,'” says Denise Godwin with International Media Ministries. She adds that if God intervenes, “this is a generation that could hold people to account and ask for a government that takes care of their people.”

Nepalese Gen Z protesters in front of Bharatpur city corporation office (Photo courtesy of हिमाल सुवेदी via Wikimedia Commons, Own work – CC BY-SA 4.0)

Godwin sees a parallel between these recent events and the Arab Spring of the early 2010s. Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Libya, Yemen, and Syria all experienced uprisings — some leading to changes in government, others to division or civil war.

“Some of these people live in places [where] it is a danger to them to be having these protests. [This is a generation] that’s pretty fed up with corruption, that’s pretty fed up with the restrictions of governments that have chosen to subjugate people, either via religion or governance. [It] seems like they’re using different reasons for the protests, but I think the essence is the same,” says Godwin.

“I’ve spoken to Egyptians who say, ‘Oh,  the corruption is right back where it was at the Arab Spring. It’s just [under] different names.'”

Watch and pray that there are no arbitrary crackdowns on young demonstrators. Last month, Nepal’s demonstrations turned violent, resulting in the deaths of more than 70 people. In Madagascar, at least 22 people were killed. Danger is always present, for both protestors and law enforcement.

“It’s an important thing that they’re birthing. They’re aware of corruption, they’re aware of injustice, but can it be channeled into something besides chaos or anarchy?” says Godwin. 

Ask God for more than just lives to be spared. 

“What we’re seeing in Gen Z is a spiritual reawakening. It may not be necessarily focused on Jesus Christ, but there is a spiritual hunger in this generation,” says Godwin. “This is a really important time for Christians to be praying for God to use these disruptions of protests in people’s lives to bring them to salvation in Jesus.”

Pray that Gen Z’s actions in these nations will result in good changes. But remember that only God can truly end abuse and deception on earth.  

“We can think we’re immune in some place[s], but corruption goes back to original sin,” says Godwin. “We are surrounded by humans who are vulnerable to taking advantage of others.”

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

“These truck drivers are truly a part of our team, and we couldn’t send out our materials without them. And even though we may only see a truck driver once, we pray for them and their families.”
(Photo, caption courtesy World Missionary Press)

World Missionary Press recently delivered 2 million gospel-centered booklets to a pastor in Peru. But Helen Williams with WMP says that was possible only because a Peruvian woman in another country had connected them.

”She sent us a list of 10 pastors in Peru that needed literature, and she was willing to work to get the container in,” Williams explains.

One of the church leaders was Pastor Lopez, who lives in the south of Peru. 

“He was telling us about all of these unreached, small villages and small towns that were kind of out-of-the-way. We [recently] sent him a container. He got a 40-foot container, which is 2 million booklets. [The woman who first connected us] helped him get it in, import it,” Williams says. 

Every World Missionary Press shipment is a team effort, from the national partners to the printing, packaging, loading, driving and shipping of the materials. WMP currently produces 11 million booklets per month, sending them to places like Chad, Honduras, Botswana, and many more.

Pastor Lopez has sent back a report of how many boxes went to which cities and which pastors in Peru.

“One of the videos they sent had a picture of children with our booklet, ‘The Way to God,’ which was written for children in Spanish. The caption is, ‘Nothing like this had ever entered their village,’” Williams says.

“They had never seen anything like this or heard this message. It’s exciting when we hear those reports.”

Williams says it’s likely they will send Pastor Lopez another batch of Scripture booklets and Bible studies to distribute.

Volunteers packing literature
Image courtesy of World Missionary Press

Praise God for a successful delivery of this shipment, and pray for the booklets to reach people whose hearts are ready to receive Christ. 

“God is really moving in the world. We see it in so many countries, in so many areas, even in Europe,” Williams says. 

“Just keep praying and trust in the Lord that He’s going to honor His Word as it’s shared. Be encouraged! God is at work.”

Header photo of people in Peru is a representative stock photo courtesy of Deb Dowd via Unsplash.

Clashes between protestors and police have killed dozens since the December arrest of former president Pedro Castillo. Human rights groups say police have used firearms against protestors. The protestors themselves have improvised explosives and other weapons.

Annabel Torrealba with Trans World Radio (TWR) says, “Our partner said that the cause of these riots really emanates from the discontent of the population. But it’s also motivated by politicians or groups of politicians in Peru. He said that some of them could be foreign groups.”

“In the background, it seems like they want this new president to go out of power, and some of the members of the Congress also.”

Sitting president Dina Boluarte, Castillo’s vice president has said she will not resign. She is the first woman to serve as Peru’s president.

Castillo, a former elementary school teacher, enjoyed wide public support. But he was forced out of office and arrested after trying to dissolve congress.

TWR

TWR programming reaches about 60 percent of Peru, pointing to hope in Jesus. Torrealba says, “Pray for the opportunity to buy more frequencies, to have more radio stations in the country.”

Pray also for peace and justice in Peru. Ask God to strengthen the TWR team. Torrealba says, “Please pray for them that they can be salt and light in the midst of this darkness that is in the country right now. And pray that society can change, knowing that God is our head. As the church of Christ, we have an obligation to have an impact in the lives of those that don’t have hope.”

The header photo shows a protest in Lima on December 12, 2022. (Photo courtesy of Mayimbú, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)

Peru has seen a week of fierce protests following the arrest of former President Pedro Castillo. Brian Dennett with AMG International says, “There’s been looting, robberies of businesses, even private homes. And in the process, I think we’re up to nearly a dozen people being killed. In one location, tear gas was released from helicopters, and a police station was set on fire. Some policemen were taken hostage.”

“Our partners are seeing a lot of unrest and some very angry people.”

In one area of the Amazon, protestors hindered travel by placing trees over the road and covering them with dirt. Dennett says, “So they’re having difficulty getting supplies around the country. People are purchasing whatever is in stores at the moment, and there is just a lot of fear.”

Future outlook

Why are people so angry? Castillo enjoyed broad public support. He was removed from office after trying to dissolve parliament, but his supporters want him reinstated. Others have called for new elections. New president Dina Boluarte offered to hold elections in December 2023, but the protestors want something more immediate.

Dennett says things could get worse as more protests have been planned. Please pray wisdom for the AMG team as they act as the hands and feet of Jesus during this unstable time; and pray for peace. “There are innocent civilians now being affected, and churches. I know among many families that we’re working with, there’s a lot of fear right now. And as always, the Lord can calm these situations and bring hope amid desperate times.”

The header photo shows clashes between police and protestors on December 8th. (Photo courtesy of Voice of America, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

A whirlwind day

Brian Dennett with AMG International says, “The Congress responded by holding an emergency meeting and voting overwhelmingly to impeach him. This caused several hours of chaos. People picked up their children early at school, and businesses and offices closed. There was a run on grocery stores, much like we saw during the pandemic.”

All eyes watched the police and military, wondering who they would support. Very quickly, they sided with the lawmakers. Dennett says, “As soon as the Congress announced his impeachment, the president slipped out the back of the palace, most likely trying to escape to the Mexican embassy. He was immediately stuck in traffic, apprehended by the police, and taken to jail.”

Castillo was replaced by Dina Boularte, the first woman to ever serve as Peru’s president.

Castillo had called for new parliamentary elections and a new constitution. He was only installed as Peru’s president in August of 2021. At the time, many hoped he could help Peru’s suffering lower classes.

AMG in Peru

AMG works with kids in Lima, providing school support. They also conduct church planting and pastoral training in villages throughout the Amazon region. Up in the mountains, AMG focuses on both education and church planting. Dennett says, “We have a strong presence in Peru. I have visited numerous times, and it is just a beautiful country with beautiful people. We really need to be praying for them during this time.”

As the government struggles, pray many Peruvians would find hope in Jesus. Pray also for less corruption in Peru’s government in the future.

The header photo shows Pedro Castillo while in office. (Photo courtesy of Presidencia de la República del Perú, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)

Ryan Wagner, Associate Director of Digital Strategies with Jesus Film Project, says each new JESUS translation opens doors that other Gospel-sharing methods might not be able to.

(Photo courtesy of Jesus Film Project)

“In many places, you could have a translated Bible and say, ‘Here you go.’ But that doesn’t get that far,” says Wagner. “Literacy rates can be an issue. Maybe they’re primarily oral languages. Maybe it says Jesus rode in on a donkey. Well, what’s a donkey? Maybe they’ve never seen a donkey before…. So to be able to have an audio-visual tool is really quite essential in terms of the Great Commission being fulfilled.”

Then there’s the fact that often for minority languages, JESUS is the only film they may have. Wagner says, “We sit down on the couch and we go, ‘What movie do you want to watch tonight?’ Well, in some parts of the world, this is the movie. I mean, this is it. This is all that they have. So to be connected to something like that is so unique…. For many of these people groups, to see the story of Christ played out before them is monumental.”

Jesus Film Project hears powerful impact stories all the time. Wagner shares this report from a friend who helped at a JESUS Film showing in Peru:

(Photo courtesy of Jesus Film Project)

“It was a smaller dialect for this smaller, working-class, farming-type population of people. They’re a little bit more outcast from the broader sense of society.

“He said there was this older Peruvian woman wearing the brightly colored garb and necklaces. She shuffled her feet up to him and she said, ‘Thank you for not forgetting about us.'”

Wagner says, “I remember that line and I love it so much because that’s really what it is. We use the term ‘everyone, everywhere.’ We want everyone to have a chance to hear the Gospel.”

Zo: The 2,000th JESUS Language

(Photo courtesy of Jesus Film Project)

The 2,000th translated language was Zo, a language spoken by approximately 65,000 people globally, including refugee and immigrant communities in 28 U.S. cities.

Myanmar, where Zo is mainly spoken, is a primarily Buddhist country, and people report experiencing discrimination for their religious beliefs. Access to economic opportunities can be drastically limited. As a result, many of the Zo people are now scattered around the world.

Jesus Film Project marked the film’s debut in Zo by hosting screening events for local Zo refugees and immigrants in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; and Fort Wayne, Indiana; all of which have large Zo communities.

Though a Zo translation of the Bible was completed in 2019, it hasn’t been printed in Myanmar yet, and many of the Zo are unable to read.

This translation of JESUS provides a way for Zo speakers to have access to the story of Jesus in their language in a format they can understand.

(Photo courtesy of Jesus Film Project)

“Being able to release JESUS in Zo is the payoff of years of innovation and dedication,” said Josh Newell, executive director of Jesus Film Project. “The most dignified thing that we can do is share the story of Jesus in a way that people can understand, and in a way that doesn’t need any translation. We’re excited for what the future holds as we continue to translate this life-changing story.”

Where You Come In

Jesus Film Project couldn’t have produced 2,000 translations of JESUS without the generous funding of the Body of Christ. And they are still working on more!

If you want to give in support of JESUS translations, click here to donate.

You can also share JESUS with others on the Jesus Film Project app.

Wagner says, “I like to use the term ‘being a mobile missionary’ — the ability to hold tools in our pocket to share [our] faith is so easy. So, like I said, 2,000 languages — you can have all 2,000 in your pocket. I mean, it’s pretty phenomenal. When you’re traveling, when you’re meeting your new neighbor, when you’re at the bus stop, when you’re on the subway, you can be a part of people’s story, and language is not so much of a barrier.”

(Photo courtesy of Jesus Film Project)

First released in 1979, JESUS gives an authentic portrayal of one of the most influential figures in human history. Since then, Jesus Film Project has partnered with thousands of translators, recording teams, voice actors and partners to make JESUS and other Jesus-centric videos available to everyone and everywhere in every language.

JESUS has been seen by more than 10 million people around the world and remains the only film to be dubbed into more than 1,000 languages. (Typical animated films are translated for 35-40 territories, while live-action blockbuster films are usually translated into just 12-15 languages.)

For more information about JESUS and Jesus Film Project, visit jesusfilm.org.

Header photo courtesy of Jesus Film Project.

Chile saw murders increase 66 percent between 2016 and 2020. Homicides in Ecuador jumped 84 percent in 2021 alone. The government of Peru declared a state of emergency earlier this year over rising contract killings.

Mission Cry

Mission Cry has a plan to take Bibles into areas largely controlled by drug cartels. Jason Woolford says the cartels often oppose churches because they recognize a power that sets people free. “Not only does it set people free, but it raises up a generation to fight back. It will also give them the ability to take background physically. Then the cartels will lose out monetarily. That’s why the fight is so tough against us.”

Woolford asks readers to pray for this mission. “Because we’re stirring up a battle. We’re taking the battle to the devil and those that he possesses and oppresses. We need prayer, we also need sponsorship for these Bibles.”

“You can sponsor these Bibles at $2 a Bible, and that’s going to get it into someone’s hands absolutely free.”

Get involved

In 2021, Mission Cry gave free Bibles or Christian books to 1.4 million people around the world. They also produce a Mission Cry Bible in English and Spanish.

Support this work here.

Your contribution will not only send Bibles around the world, but it will also sponsor special operations like this one, or like the mission to Osama Bin Laden’s former compound in Pakistan last year.

The header photo shows drugs seized by the U.S. government. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain) 

Increasing people movement creates new Gospel opportunities, and believers need tools for their outreach efforts.

“This movement of people across country lines and out of harm’s way, so to speak, has increased the need for and the effectiveness of (biblical) literature,” Helen Williams of World Missionary Press says.

“We just sent some material to a medical group that built a new hospital in the northern part of Mozambique, where there is the most unrest. They use the Scriptures with patients.”

Through His written Word, the Lord cares for people who’ve endured significant trauma.

World Missionary Press prints and ships topical Scripture booklets and Bible studies worldwide in 350 languages. More about that here. Their distribution partners range from medical missionaries to church planters and more.

(Photo courtesy WMP)

Some believers use WMP material in their outreach to refugees. “We just delivered a container to our coordinator in Kenya, and most of that is going up to the very large refugee camp in northwest Kenya where refugees are coming from Somalia,” Williams says.

“In Colombia, a lot of people are coming in from Venezuela. Those [refugees] are also going into Peru, and we have people asking for increasing amounts of literature so that they can minister to [refugees] as well.”

Help equip Gospel workers here through World Missionary Press.

“The literature is also effective in areas where believers are driven from their homes – in Myanmar, northern Nigeria, and CAR (Central African Republic). Pastors are gathering people in small groups and teaching them from the literature, and [then] leaving the literature [so people can continue studying God’s Word],” Williams says.

“In some of these places, where they leave everything [behind] and they need fellowship, the literature [provides] fellowship around the Word.”

Pray WMP can equip believers in Mexico. “One of the areas getting tighter and more difficult [to ship to] is Mexico,” Williams says.

“In some areas, you can still go door to door and give out the Word, [but in others], it’s getting tougher and tougher. Pastors are being killed, and churches are burned.”

In the header image, Venezuelans wade across the Tachira River to seek food and other aid in Cúcuta, Colombia. (Photo © UNHCR/Vincent Tremeau)

Jason Woolford says, “Peru is one of the last that we have not reached. And it’s also exciting for us because as many readers may know, one of our new endeavors is creating the Mission Cry Bible in Spanish. It’s an NIV Bible with the discipleship training program that we wrote in the back of it.”

Read more about Mission Cry’s Spanish Bibles here. Woolford says, “The greatest thing about it is we produce this and then get it into the hands of somebody in South or Central America for just $2 a Bible.”

The shipping container will hold 50,000 Bibles and Christian books, all in Spanish. Woolford says partners will distribute them in both churches and schools. The container will arrive in Peru in early 2022.

Get involved

Woolford says, “We have someone that has said they will sponsor half of this container. The cost to send nearly half a million dollars worth of free Bibles and Christian books is only $10,000. We have someone who says they’ll pay for half of it. If you’re reading, and if God’s prompted your heart, you can sponsor the other portion of that or a part of it. We are doing this on faith. We’re stepping out and sending all these on faith.”

Pray these Bibles and Christian books will bless many in Peru with the good news of Jesus and His love for all people.

The header photo shows a man holding one of Mission Cry’s Spanish Bibles. (Photo courtesy of Mission Cry on Facebook)

Brian Dennett of AMG International says some in Peru are optimistic that fresh leadership could lead to good things. “A commoner from the mountains was elected president. And what we’re hearing from our people is that’s given some hope to common people that maybe anyone could be elected president.”

Shining Path connections

At the same time, Castillo’s pick of a prime minister created some tension. Dennett says, “This actually even outraged some of his voters. This is a man that has sympathized with terrorists in the past, groups like the Shining Path, and that is really troubling people.”

The Shining Path has a violent history in Peru. This far-left organization was founded in 1970 and carried out numerous terrorist attacks and assassinations until the 90s. At its height, it even gained control over rural and urban districts in central and southern Peru.

Even today, the group still has some presence in Peru, as evidenced by a May attack that killed 16 shortly before the elections.

Help in Jesus’ name

But Jesus remains the true King in Peru and everywhere else. AMG works in His name to provide food and other essential aid to the country. You can get involved at amghelp.org.

Dennett says, “Like most of the Third World, COVID-19 is raging there. We continue to work hard with our church partners and with our schools down there to feed people, to feed families. And you can help by sending support so that we can help Peruvians who are really suffering in the midst of all of this.”

The header photo shows Pedro Castillo giving a speech. (Photo courtesy of Presidencia de la República del Perú, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)