Elsewhere, the Flying Hospital has teamed up with Operation Blessing for a special medical missions trip this month to Pueblo, Mexico. So far, the teams of doctors have already completed dozens of much-needed surgeries. Operation Blessing reports that many lives have been impacted with the love of Christ. The facility is set up to include a counseling area in the clinic site where the patients can sit down with a counselor or get a free Bible. The staff asks that believers pray for the teams during the demanding trip.
News Archives
The question facing many Bible translation groups is “what will it take to get the job done?” JAARS provides the support for the technology used around the world in this effort. Pat Snyder says they are using the latest technology in order to overcome the greatest obstacles faced by missionaries on the field. “Previously, communications could be maintained-you’d exchange letters, which would take quite a bit of time to physically get from one place to another. The first e-mail was exchanged and it’s reduced the amount of time that it takes to get things done.” Snyder adds that this means greater flexibility for their work. “As folks go out to their allocations, suddenly the satellite telephone takes on an importance for us within Wycliffe to add e-mail capability to the traditional radio/telephones that we use. As a language team goes out to their allocation, they can stay in that communications loop, even when there are no other ways to do it.”
We begin today’s newscast in Kosovo where increasing violence is forcing more troops into the region. However, the increasing tensions are not having an impact on International Aid’s plans to work there. I-A’s Jerry Dykstra. “We’re going to be dedicating a new health clinic we’re rehabbing and that will be done probably around the first of April. And, that will be in a town about 50-miles from Pristina, which is the capitol. And, there’s a real need there for health clinics to get some of the people (treated) who have not been treated very well health wise for many years.” International Aid has already sent 27 shipments of relief supplies to Kosovo. Dykstra says they’ll be helping physically in an effort to change hearts. “In a climate of ethnic and religious hate, we’re planting seeds that God will then grow. That’s just tremendously true. People can pray that this atmosphere of hate as we it, that somehow God change hearts.” Dykstra is encouraging people to give financially so the work can be successful.
Next, an evangelist is asking people to pray for the people of Scotland and Ethiopia. Evangelist Sammy Tippit is in Scotland today to begin a Christian conference there. He says while Scotland has a rich religious history, he’s praying that God will move mightily among the people. On Saturday he will travel to Ethiopia for evangelistic in that African country. The meetings will be held along the Sudanese border. Tippit says he expects Sudanese refugees to attend the meetings. Pray that many will come to Christ.
Meanwhile, an evangelical group is asking people to help flood victims in southern Africa. Baptist World Aid recently made a five-thousand-dollar grant available to assist in relief efforts. The flooding has affected close to 800-thousand people and more than 150 people have died as a result. Many families have no clean water which escalated the outbreak of disease. BWA is channeling help and aid through the Baptist Convention of Mozambique in an effort to lead people to the Savior.
We begin today in Nigeria where President Olusegun Obasanjo is visiting the northern city of Kaduna, where more than two-hundred people died in sectarian clashes a week ago. Meanwhile, ethnic riots erupted yesterday in the southeast in a backlash to last week’s violence. Evangelical Baptist Mission’s David Jacobs says: “The government has made it clear that the present government of the state of Nigeria is not an Islamic state, and as such, we still have the freedom of worship–and the present government has never interfered with any religious activity, as long as you have not violated the principle and the law of the government.” Jacobs says despite the trouble, their work continues. “We need more missionaries to help, and to evangelize the area that still needs to be evangelized. A couple of churches were destroyed by the fanatic Muslims, but that really has not affected the propagation of the Word of God. It rather has enhanced.”
Even as India remains in turmoil over parliamentary elections, evangelistic work continues. Audio Scriptures International’s Harvey Hoekstra says they are concerned for the believers acting on behalf of ASI’s “Adopt-a-Village” outreach program. “In some of the villages where people have turned from Hinduism to Christ, there is opposition. Recently, one of the coordinators in the “Adopt a Village” program and his wife and their son were attacked during the middle of the night. Fortunately, there were no deaths, but this was an effort to put fear in their hearts.” Hoekstra explains what the “Talking Bible” project. “This is a version which has an entire New Testament in whatever language one wants to use. These 500 units will be field tested in the “Adopt a Village” program in India. In villages where there is a very high percentage of non-readers, someone volunteers to gather the people together to listen to the Scripture in their language.”
Next, a new radio broadcast targeting India is bearing fruit already. According to Insight For Living their new Malayalam (MAH-lay-AH-luhm), Telagu (TEHL-ah-goo), and Bengali language broadcasts went on the air at the beginning of the year. As we reported a few weeks ago, they have already received 280 letters. However, 159 letters came in response to the Malayalam program alone. In fact, 51 of those were from new believers. Pray that the broadcast ministry will continue to change hearts.
Headlining today’s news, ministry leaders say freedom of religion isn’t coming with reformers who were elected to parliament in Iran. While the reformers, loyal to President Mohammed Khatami, are pledging wide-ranging reforms, Iranian Christian International’s Abe Ghaffari says they won’t affect Christians. “Anyone who abandons Islam, shares the Good News of Christ with the Muslims, these kinds of actions are punishable. I think we’re a long ways from expecting any liberalization in those areas. For example westerners going there and doing any missionary activity.” Ghaffari says despite the persecution, Iranians are coming to Christ. “There are over 100,000 secret believers who have mostly come to Christ through radio programs, through mailings of literature. We do believe that the spiritual interest is great. What is not great is the freedom.” Pray that doors will open for evangelism as reforms take place in Iran.
Meanwhile, a mission agency specializing in agriculture is helping the people of Ecuador deal with a struggling economy. Farms International’s Joe Richter says Ecuador is their newest project and they’re helping the Quichua Indians through income generating projects. “Farms comes along side the church in places of deep poverty. It helps families out of poverty by providing a project that will produce an income. In Ecuador our first project will be green houses. These green houses enable farmers to extend their growing season.” Richter says the program requires participants to tithe to the church. “Our hope for the Quichua church is that they will learn to be self-supporting. We believe the church can be tremendously strengthened. We believe that evangelism can only happen when there’s a strong indigenous church.”
