Topping the news today, violence has erupted between Christians and Muslims in a northern Nigerian town over the introduction of Islamic law. Both ethnic and religious tension have been on the rise across the country against a backdrop of increased insecurity since Christian President Olusegun Obasanjo (oh-loo-SAY-gun oh-buh-SAN-jo) took office. However, Evangelical Baptist Missions’ David Jacobs says: “I don’t think that there’s going to be a great effect if the government puts a stop to it. I think it will bring a better advancement and reach our land with evangelism. They do not like what the President seems to be doing because he was not doing it in the light of their religion and they were not gaining as they were gaining before.” Jacobs explains their outreach needs. “We need more missionaries to help and to evangelize the area that still needs to be evangelized. Continue to pray for the President, that the Lord will give him longer life to continue faithfully what He has already started. Christians are really praying for him because we felt he was doing the right thing.”
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Meanwhile, the future of missionary work in Colombia is being discussed among the leadership at New Tribes Mission. Agency spokesman Scott Ross says the Colombian guerrillas have gotten stronger. “The guerrillas are moving to the higher population areas and have become much more violent in what they’re doing. We’ve decide to close our training program at this point, just not wanting to put at risk even our Colombian missionaries.” Ross says three New Tribes leaders are in Colombia talking about whether any work will continue. ” We hate to know in our hearts that there are tribal people still yet that have not been reached, but we also know that it’s becoming a very volatile area. So, please pray for the leadership that they can really know what the situation is and if it’s time to move out of Colombia then let’s do that and see what kind of strategy we can come up with to reach that country.”
Christian Reformed World Missions reports their situation in Sierra Leone is changing almost daily. The missions staff says fighting in the capital city of Freetown has stopped. However, heavy fighting continues elsewhere, pushing thousands of refugees out of their homes. The deteriorating situation is causing enough concern in Africa that a special assembly will be held in Senegal in late April. The purpose is to gather African staff for fellowship, encouragement, prayer, and planning. Please pray for the outreach efforts in this country.
Elsewhere, the Southern Baptist International Mission Board is reporting that thousands of Bulgarians have food on their tables this winter because of a cooperative effort with European Baptists and other Christian groups. That helped produce more than 120 tons of food that has been distributed across the country. A key factor in the effort was hard work by local Bulgarian believers who helped farm more than 40 acres of potato-bearing land. Pray that the gesture will help weary Bulgarian hearts find Christ.
We begin today in the Balkans. After nearly a year of tension over the wars in Yugoslavia and Chechnya, Russia and NATO announced that they are restoring their ties. The effect of the thaw on missions work is yet to be seen. But, World Concern’s Peter Sundt says he’s encouraged. “They’re trying to word the foundations of the Constitution-they’re trying to influence leaders to be thinking tolerance. Well, that can’t help but open up a marketplace of ideas that isn’t prohibiting Christians from giving their message. I think it bodes well.” Sundt adds that their outreach has provided a clear path to sharing the Gospel. “World Concern focused on a very rural area-there’s fourteen villages that we’ve been concentrating on. Over the months, even the Kosovars who work with us are surprised by the poverty in that particular region. The national church in Kosovo is an urban church and so, we’re working toward missionaries that will move in and take advantage of the goodwill.” Sundt says because the people are spiritually hungry, they need prayer for both mature missionaries to the area and good leadership for the country.
Meanwhile, the Inauguration of Stipe Mesec (STEEP-eh MEHS-ich) in Croatia is being viewed positively by mission groups working in the region. Joel Samy with World Hope Ministries lives and works in Croatia. “The president and the Prime Minister have conveyed their strong support of peace in the region. For the Christian community I think this is a very significant step as well which will allow greater freedom and opportunity for the evangelical Christian community.” Until now, many evangelical missionaries were unable to work in the region. Samy says this should help their new program at a local orphanage. “We’re in the process of dialoguing with the school director to allow a Christian correspondence course to be delivered to these 80 children that we’re feeding. And, the decision has yet to be made by the school director, but we’re encouraging Christians to pray for this matter.”
Mission organizations are appealing to retirees to help fulfill the Great Commission. Evangelism Explosion’s Tom Stebbins is inviting retired adults to be a part of the Finishers Forum taking place in Dallas Texas April 6th through the 8th. Stebbins says recruiting older adults is key to evangelism. “At that time of life, age is revered so much in different cultures. And so, their age is an advantage. People listen to them, they want to hear what they’re saying, they’re excited about meeting someone from another culture, so it’s really an asset to be older in many of these cultures.” According to Stebbins this forum will help relieve anxieties and allow them to speak with more than 50 mission agencies. Stebbins says for E-E alone the need for workers is great. “Here in North America we need actually one in every state able to give time to promote evangelism, to organize seminars, visit churches. Overseas we’re looking for at least 7 to 10 full time people.”
Elsewhere, we turn to Bangkok where AMG International is reporting the success of an evangelistic indoor crusade. The effort was aimed at reaching the Burmese migrant workers in the area. AMG reports the meetings were conducted by U Zaw Min, whose ministry is geared toward that people group. The spiritual hunger kept the church was full over the next few days, with many coming to Christ. The success of the crusade is a result of the prayers and support of AMG’s partners around the world.
We begin today’s news in the Balkans, where politicians are trying to thaw out chilled relations between East and West. In the meantime, Shelter Now is reaching out to help the people caught in the press of the fight. Jeff Johnstone says despite the tension, they are working to provide humanitarian aid to not only Kosovo, but also Serbia and neighboring Yugoslavia. “We’re working with a couple of churches in Serbia-we’re looking to go up into Yugoslavia. It’s a little tense right now trying to get into Serbia. We have found great favor with Serbian Counsel, Serbian Embassy in Macedonia because of our service to the Serbs there, but if things escalate, that’ll greatly affect that.” Johnstone says they need prayer protection because: “…It’s a very, very difficult place right now. The killing continues; however, I can tell you that the Gospel is going out in an unprecedented way throughout Kosovo. There are pockets of believers, new believers that are coming up each and every day.”
We turn next to Jordan where a 45 year missionary veteran says there are many challenges facing Christian workers there. CB International’s George Kelsey says there are a few people there who are open to the Gospel. “There are four or five percent of the population that are nominal Christian and there’s opportunity to see some of them come. The other 95 or so percent hold very strongly to their Islamic beliefs and feel that they have the truth and they’re not so open.” Kesley, who’s staying at D & D Missionary homes in Florida, says evangelical work takes various forms. “There’s nothing like the power of the Bible. There are one or two different radio programs that are beaming in. There’s a television station in southern Lebanon-northern Israel. I think these three areas have been sort of softening up the opposition.” Pray that missionaries won’t be discouraged by the lack of response and the difficulty in learning Arabic.
