News Archives

Rising fuel prices and shortages are adding to the doubled cost of living in Ghana. The increased hardship is having an impact on a ministry in the area. International Aid’s Christian Eye Ministry’s Faye Kratt says with their eye clinic in Ghana, Christian actions speak louder than words. “Their economic status does limit them, because there is a small fee for service. But, no one is turned away. We want the patients there to be able to come, in spite of the lack of money; it’s really had an impact on them [the people] in the last year because they can barely afford to feed themselves.” Kratt adds that World Sight Day, October 12th, will help open doors for them. “There’s been a new initiative, a new strategy called “Vision 2020″ to eliminate preventable and curable blindness around the world by the year 2020. All of us working together, all the programs that are working in this area, need the prayers and also the financial support of people around the world.”

Meanwhile, New Focus National’s program is taking on an unusual twist at a church in Mankato, Minnesota. Director Chris Walchuk says they’ve now changed their concentration from a traditional benevolence fund to a revolving loan fund. Walchuk says the pilot program provided more than financial benefits. “We ran one New Focus class, where we gave them money by grant, and another, we said “All this money we’re giving you, you’re signing a promissory note; we expect repayment, and people overwhelmingly preferred the loan. It restored their dignity; it gave them a goal to work toward, and they felt really great when they did, in fact, pay off that loan.” Walchuk explains there were other rewards that New Focus clients soon discover. “We let them know right up front, they’re going to hear the Word of God, they’re going to hear of a lifestyle that will make their lives better in every way. In fact, I was shocked from the beginning how hungry people were for that Word.” New Focus National is a faith-based training group that helps churches provide a system to reach out to their communities.

Missionaries are a bit pessimistic when it comes to the reunification of Korea. On the 55th anniversary of the founding of the North’s ruling Workers’ Party, South Korean delegates are there to help ease tensions and promote reunification. President of Far East Broadcasting Company Jim Bowman, says reunification won’t be easy. “There are three scenarios. One is of course that there will be peaceful reunification. I think that’s going to take a long, long time. The other two scenarios is that the economy will collapse in the north and then the south will simply take it in as West Germany had to take in East Germany. But, the third possibility is a military confrontation.” FEBC is broadcasting to the closed north. Bowman says there’s little response. “To this date we’ve never received a letter and that demonstrates just how closed and how repressive that regime is. There is a growing church of believers throughout Korea. The repression of those young Christians is very, very severe even way more than we’ve heard from China.”

Next, a Grace Ministries International missionary is asking that believers pray for a quick solution for the social crisis in Bolivia. The situation remains tense due to the conflict between government forces, coca growers, peasants, and teachers. The clash has left major highways blocked, making inter-city transportation and moving of food supplies very difficult. Please pray that God will work in the hearts of the leaders of the various factions. Pray, too, for the testimony of God’s people during this time.

Evangelism could expand greatly as a new Spanish translation of the New Testament is going to press. World Bible Translation Center’s Brian McLemore says this translation is unique. “It is written in a very easy to read level. Someone who has a very limited religious experience or little education would have no trouble understanding the basic truths of Jesus Christ. We have made a good effort to try to make this a fresh contemporary language that speaks with today’s Spanish.” According to McLemore this translation will not only help with evangelism in Central and South America, but also North America. “I really see, for Mexican Americans and many other different Hispanics who live in America, this is a way to stay in touch to be able to communicate in their heart language. We even plan in the future to bring out an English-Spanish parallel.”