We turn next to Ethiopia where we’re receiving mixed news about the drought in that country that’s causing pockets of food shortages. MNN’s Greg Yoder is on the ground there and files this report, Greg. “The good news is it has started raining in Ethiopia, but the bad news is it’s not enough and it’s only making the roads impassible, causing difficulties in food distribution. Tomorrow we’ll be traveling to Jijiga, a small village east of Addis Ababa. We’re going there to investigate what families are doing to find food. We’ve heard the lack of rain has force more than 300 families to walked between 30 and 40 days, only to find nothing in Jajiga. We’re here with Food for the Hungry International, who’s is partnering with agencies to feed these people physically and spiritually. F-H-I is hoping that many people will come to Christ as the evangelical church mobilizes to help. Tomorrow, as we continue our report on hunger in Ethiopia, we’ll tell you specifically how F-H-I is working with the church and other groups to help. Greg Yoder, Mission Network News, Ethiopia.”
News Archives
Compass Direct News is reporting that two Christian brothers jailed on blasphemy charges were given 35-year prison sentences by a lower court in Pakistan’s populous Punjab province. Despite mob-incited pressures, the defense says they expected an acquittal of the two Christians. Authorities apparently retracted the new blasphemy law policy, which carries a mandatory death sentence if found guilty of insulting the prophet Mohammed. Continue to pray for believers in this area.
Meanwhile, New Hope International recently returned from the first of four vision tours this summer. NHI’s goal during the tours is to show people what God is doing in their work throughout Eastern Europe. The mission group works with nationals to build a moral and spiritual foundation for a new generation. Visitors not only learn about the cities they visit, they also meet the local church body involved with the ministry. The next tour is slated to begin June 24th and the tours run through September.
The Christian and Missionary Alliance is reporting good news with regard to the hostage situation in the Philippines. In late March, Abu Sayyaf Muslim rebels took 27 hostages, many of them teachers and children, six of them Christian and Missionary Alliance Church members. CMA’s Mike Sohm tells us what’s going on. “We received word from our field leader in the Philippines that two teachers and four students that were being held hostage on the island of Basilan were released by the Muslim rebels. That’s great news, but still on another of Jolo, there are 21 foreign hostages still being held and there’s still a handful of students being held hostage on Basilan. So, we would ask that you continue to pray for the safe release of all those who are being held hostage in the Philippines.” On Tuesday, about 100 Islamic rebels emerged from their mountain lair for talks. Abu Sayaaf and other Muslim groups have been working to force Christians out and Islamicize the area, among other things. Continue to pray for those involved in missions work in the Philippines.
And finally, on a lighter note, for half a century, “hospitality” has been the focus of the work of D&D Missionary Homes in Florida. Hospitality to whom? D&D’s Executive Director Phil Fogle says very little has changed in their purpose. “Our purpose is to provide service support to active missionaries in their times of transition…because these missionaries, many of them do not have homes in the United States, and so we get to provide accommodations for them here.” However, Fogle says because of the need, the ministry continues to grow. “We’ve acquired one more home on the property, so that makes 58. Our goal is to have at least 60 homes here in St. Petersburg for missionaries when they come on furlough, or situations like that. The Lord has provided for us a medium-duty truck to pick up goods so the Lord is providing for our homes.”
We begin today’s newscast in Kosovo where talk of a U-S troop withdrawal has ended. That’s pleasing many evangelic ministries working there. World Servants’ Chris Clum just returned from Kosovo where they’re rebuilding homes for ethnic Albanians. He explains what could have happened. “They very much feel like America has rescued them from basically completely driven out of their country and annihilated. So there is a tremendous security that the Albanians feel with Americans being there and if we pulled out it couldn’t help but make the Albanians feel the unrest.” Clum is pleased troops will stay in the region. He says the peace will allow them to continue their work among Muslim peoples, enabling them to share the Gospel. “As we build relationships with the people, we share with them how dear our faith and our relationship with Jesus Christ is to us. And, we just let God’s love and the Holy Spirit do what he wants to do in their lives.”
Meanwhile, as tensions remain high in the Balkans, an evangelical organization is doing what it can to end the anger. World Hope Ministries’ Joel Samy says this Summer they’re hosting a reconciliation camp in Bosnia. Samy says 15 to 20 Serb students and 15 to 20 Croat and Muslim students will meet together. He says the message will be about peace, which can only be found in Jesus Christ. Pray that this will start a movement of peace in the region.
Voice of Friendship’s Middle East reports a growing evidence of people’s hunger to seek God in highly Muslim-populated areas. According to Far East Broadcasting Company’s Johnny P, the broadcast is unique. “We’re involved in broadcasting into closed countries, countries which are opposed to Christian witness, and where you cannot have a church presence or missionary work. So, the listeners writing from those countries are definitely putting their lives at risk. That’s what encourages us because we can tell that they are genuine.” Johnny adds that Voice of Friendship has readily accepted their Muslim listeners’ invitation to become friends. “The number of people who write to us and say ‘Can I be your friend even though I’m a Muslim?’ is staggering. We sense that there’s an emptiness that they’re just trying to find a friend out there who will listen to them, who they can share their concerns and their struggles with…and it’s amazing how radio is proving to be that friend for a lot of these people.”
Next, while crises continue to plague many other parts of Africa, we focus our attention on Mozambique. Devastating floods ravaged the area several months ago, but, according to Operation Blessing International’s Dick Kohl, the problem hasn’t really gotten better. “They have lost one rotation of their crop-planting season, and although some of the crops will get in, there are large portions of the irrigable farmland that will not be able to have a crop for this rotation. So, they’re going to need sustained assistance until at least November when the next crops can come in that they’ll be able to take care of themselves. Kohl adds that: “We need to remember our Christian brothers and sisters and those who don’t know the Lord yet and we need to intercede on their behalf. People need to go to their organizations that are working there and provide the assistance that they need in the form of funds, that will allow them to meet the continuing needs of people in areas like Mozambique and Ethiopia.”
Our newscast begins in China where Voice of the Martyrs is reporting an increase in harsh treatment of active house church members. There have been arrests of many Christians and house church leaders in seven areas of the Guangdong Province. VOM’s Todd Nettleton. “It’s more widespread than it has been. In this case, there’s 13 different people that have been arrested, and they’ve been arrested in different villages across Southern China. So, it seems to be a much more concerted effort to crack down on the house churches.” Nettleton says while some ministries are more effective when they register, for the small house church: “I think the ultimate question is: “Who do you want to answer to?” In the case of these house church pastors, they have said, “We are accountable only to God, and we refuse to be accountable to the Communist government. The official line is that there is no God, so how can we worship God and be accountable to these people who don’t believe there is a God?””
