Meanwhile, Southern Baptists are reporting that damage assessments are underway in Nigeria following a deadly assault against the Baptist seminary in Kaduna in late February. The cost of replacing buildings burned during the attack may run as high as $5.3 million, not including school furnishings, personal belongings and library books. Despite the tension between Muslims and Christians, Baptist workers vow that the destruction of buildings and even the loss of life will not stop the growth of God’s kingdom in Nigeria.
News Archives
Missionary groups are hoping Vladimir Putin’s presidential election victory will provide stability in Russia, making their work easier. Christian Reformed World Mission’s Jeff Busscher says if governmental chaos ends, it could benefit missions work. “Some of the local decision making that’s taking place, which is contradicting federal law in many cases. I’m quite hopeful that perhaps if there’s an appropriate expression of order on a federal level that convinces local power brokers that they have to follow the federal line. That might even afford some measure of protection.” Some municipal leaders won’t allow evangelical groups to rent public building space. Busscher says prayer for foreign workers is essential. “We’re praying that we would have the opening to continue to serve. There’s been some spotted situations there in respect to people getting visas. Not that they’ve been turned down, but the process has become harder. So I think access for foreign missionaries that are really needed in the country.”
Next, food is the tool being used to get the Gospel into the hearts of the people of Liberia. After nearly a decade of civil war, many thousand of people are hungry because the war destroyed farms and infrastructure that allows for food distribution. Feeding Starving Children’s Richard Sandbatch. “We have gathered and garnered here already in our warehouse 5 containers of food, clothing, medicines and medical supplies to go to the church organizations in Liberia and it’s going to be distributed to the needy and the poor.” Sandbatch says people can’t hear the Gospel if the bellies are empty. He has a challenge for those listening. “If they would consider taking five minutes a day just to pray for the spiritual needs of our brothers and sisters in Liberia. Their food may be on the way, but sometimes when you’re in the midst of storm you need to have the comfort of prayer.”
We begin today’s newscast in Indonesia where violence against Christians is continuing, leaving people dead and churches destroyed. John Norvell is the Director of World Missions for the Pentecostal Church of God. Norvell says radical Muslims have destroyed 39 church, and killed seven pastors with their mission. “Some while they were kneeling in prayer in their church. Some were even grandchildren and family members of the pastors. It seems as there’s been a target of pastors particularly and it’s been indicated that there’s been a 15-million rupee price on the head of all of the pastors.” Norvell says the violence is concentrated on the Island of Morotai (mohr-AH-tee). He’s confident it will all work out for the good. “When Martyrs blood is shed God moves in the heavens and we’re confident that there will be many who come to Christ as a consequence. But, our prayer is that God will honor the blood of those who have given their lives for the sake of the Gospel and that their murderers and all associated with them will come to know Christ.”
Elsewhere, recent reports indicate Christians are caught in the crossfire of a tribal war in Papua New Guinea. So far, two Christians have been killed in the fighting and a pastor’s life has been threatened. Wycliffe Bible Translator’s Jerry Walker says tribal warfare is common in the area, and it is problematic to mission work. “It disrupts your work because they’re all fighting instead of going to church. You’ve got to pray and trust the Lord for what’s going on at your work. God will do His work in the area…we see certain things as roadblocks or troubles, [but] God’s ways are not our ways.” Walker says it is important to pray because: “Satan really has a hold on them. They have a payback system and so if you do something to me, I have to do something worse back to you, and it escalates, so that’s where you have these tribal warfare. The answer that they need is Christ in their life.” Walker and his family are preparing to return to PNG three months. While they’re in the United States, they’re staying at D&D Missionary Homes.
Protesters blocked traffic and threw rocks at vehicles in parts of Port-au-Prince in protest over Haiti’s election delays this week. Feeding Starving Children International’s Richard Sandbatch says this kind of violence hampers work among the starving. “What happens in the political realm affects missions work directly. Whether it’s getting things through customs, supply networks, things are disrupted. If it wasn’t for the church and missions groups going to Haiti there would be no economy in Haiti.” Sandbatch says because many are still starving Christians need to get more involved. “When we look at the commandment of our Lord. When He said you take care of the widows and the orphans, you heal the sick, you preach the Gospel. That’s what Jesus said was our commandment and so that is our driving force.”
Meanwhile, CAM International is praising God for providing them with additional radio frequencies to help further the Gospel in Guatemala. Officials say they were able to purchase a radio station in San Marcos in western Guatemala for much less than what was anticipated. They also purchased one in the north. CAM workers say they even had money left over to buy equipment. Continue to pray for a frequency in western Guatemala for ministry to the Cakchiquel (KAHCH-ah-KEEL) speaking people.
We begin today’s newscast with a look at the impact of Mongolia’s harshest winter in 30 years. The conditions are worsening from the countryside to cities, where high food prices are likely to squeeze already tight urban incomes. The Christian and Missionary Alliance’s Robert Niklaus says the work they have focuses on meeting both physical and spiritual needs. “Right now, we are very much involved in the northern part with not only church planting, but community development. In a sense, Mongolia is having a new day, and we have an opportunity of showing a people there’s more to surviving than just staying alive…staying alive to know God and to enjoy Him.” Niklaus adds people are really responding. “We do believe that the ministry to the body is a part of the whole ministry to the Gospel. People are open when they find others have compassion on them, and to find out that there’s not some commercial, or other kind of motive, save just to help them.”
Evangelism Explosion International is continuing their work to unreached areas. E-E wants to encourage the spread of the Gospel internationally. E-E’s Paul Jackson explains more of their vision through “Tri-M”, or Mobile Modular Ministries. “It’s an opportunity for leadership training, primarily in countries where we are not able to put resident missionaries-involving men who are pastoring churches with absolutely no or very, very little training.” Jackson asks for continued prayer because: “We have a team right now in southeast Asia, in a Communist-controlled country-one of things that we’re praying for is simply that God would allow protection for some of our folks, who frankly are putting themselves in some situations which can be challenging in order to come alongside some very precious brothers and sisters in Christ…so that we can help equip them to reach their own people for Christ.”
Next, Audio Scriptures International is reporting the successful recording of the Old Testament in Russian. The recording was hand-carried safely from Moscow to California, where teams are now working on mastering the audio to ready it for distribution. ASI hopes to complete the project within the next few weeks and make it available in Real Audio, and MP3 on their website, along with the standard cassette and CD.
