New Tribes Mission is reporting that their work on the coast of western Africa
is showing its first fruits. One of the local Christians has been helping translate the
Scriptures into his own Landuma language. In addition to sharing the message of the
Gospel with the people of his village, there are plans in the works later this year to
teach the Scripture to two people groups, the Landumas and the Nalus. New Tribes
adds that this may be the first time many will hear the Bible lessons.
News Archives
Next, the “Baby Boomer” generation is approaching the time in life when they
are looking for a new challenge. Send International is part of the “Finishers
Project”, in which it is their life-skills and time that are being sought. Moody Bible
Institute’s President, Dr. Joseph Stowell says their resources are desperately needed.
“Particularly, the global needs are so acute. We have little idea of what it really means
to live int heir world countries that are ravaged by AIDS, that are lost in the depths of
long-term famine.” Stowell adds that the “Finishers Project” can translate their skills into
evangelism. “There are so many people whose hearts are open to Christ where we can
come alongside of them and meet their needs and enable them to survive and to
succeed. And, at the same time, take the most important thing they need and that’s the
reality of Jesus Christ in their hearts and their lives.” Stowell is the keynote speaker for
the April “Finishers Forum 2000” in Dallas, Texas.
We begin today with a look at Indonesia where religious violence continues to
spread. News reports indicate many churches are in exile, facing the threat of total
destruction or are in the process of an evacuation. AMG International’s Paul Jenks
and Muriel Lovestrand say their teams had a close brush with the latest flare-up in
Central Java. “The church where our speakers were located went ahead with their
services, but one hour early-actually, the leaders kind of departed incognito out through
the suburbs, so that they could get out of the city before the main violence began.”
Jenks encourages prayer for the Indonesian church. “In the past, our Christian workers
have shown themselves to remain faithful in the face of these persecutions. Certainly, it
has to have an impact-we know that persecution has caused the church to grow and so
with prayer, we would anticipate that the cause of Christ will continue.”
We turn next to Sudan where the United Nations has suspended operations to
the country because of the volatile Upper Nile region. Fighting there has displaced
thousands of people. However, it has not hampered Christian radio in the region.
Words of Hope’s Lee DeYoung was in the area and asked a number of Christian
leaders about the impact of Christian radio among the Nuer and the Dinka speaking
people. “We had a group meeting of virtually the whole village. We just asked how
many people listened and it was a very big majority that did. And, that’s in a place
where there’s not electricity. I’m sure most of those people don’t own their own radios,
but there is listening that is done in a shared experience and the church is growing.”
DeYoung says there’s a reason they are so interested in the programming. “The
government of Sudan, of course the official language is Arabic, therefore when people
are able to hear something in their mother tongue, Nuer in this case, whether it’s Gospel
programming or not it something that’s very appealing novelty for them.”
Thousands of “Baby Boomers” looking to make a difference for Christ are
turning to missions. Moody Bible President Dr. Joseph Stowell is working with Send
International’s “Finishers Forum 2000”, a plan to mobilize “Boomers” onto the
mission field. Stowell says it’s a project that is long overdue. “There have been many,
many people who down deep inside have said ‘I really would like to do something
compelling for Christ.’ And the “Finishers Forum” now provides that ability for them to
go to a place and come to understand where they could fit into the cause of the
Gospel.” Stowell says you don’t have to be a CEO or a construction worker to share
Christ. “There aren’t any people who could not be used effectively in some respect in
the cause of Christ globally. I don’t think there is a list of 10 jobs and if you don’t fit
that you can’t be used because there is a place for everybody.” The “Finisher’s Forum”
is in April in Dallas Texas.
Elsewhere, Food for the Hungry continues to seek ways to aid flood victims in
Venezuela through partnerships with local churches and organizations. The
devastation left by the disaster left an official death toll thought to exceed 30,000, with
200,00 people left homeless and a total of 600,000 affected by the flooding. In
response, the organization is working with a local congregation to help deliver water
and other vital supplies to flood victims by truck, car and even on foot in areas that are
still inaccessible by vehicle.
Meanwhile, Orthodox Hindus are coming to Christ because of a unique Bible
distribution ministry. Bibles for the World’s John Pudaite says they’re sending
Bibles to the Meitei (MAY-tay) people group of India. “The Meiteis are an unreached
people group in northeast India right on the Burma border. They number 1.3 million in
population and they have been orthodox Hindus. Less than one percent of the Meitei
people were Christians.” Bibles for the World is using voter registration list to mail
New Testaments to the Meitei people. To date, they’ve sent out 300-thousand New
Testaments. Pudaite says many are coming to Christ. “Our ministry partners have now
planted 17 churches among this people group in follow up to our Bible mailing. And a
lot of the new Christians are facing persecution from their families. Many of them have
been cast out from their homes.” Pudaite is asking people to pray for strength for these
new believers.
Next, one of the largest evangelical churches in the Middle East hosted
Evangelist Sammy Tippit in two nights of evangelistic meetings this past
weekend. Tippit proclaimed a simple Gospel message each evening to a packed
church in Cairo. More than 150 people accepted Christ as their Savior during the
meetings. However, these were only a precursor to Tippit’s future ministry in Egypt.
Plans are being made for a joint meeting with 800 churches participating later this year.
In other news, a new radio program is battling the influence of voodoo on
Christians in Haiti. Richard Green with Trans World Radio says a joint project with
Thru the Bible will broadcast a five-year Bible program to Christians in the
impoverished country. “Sometimes Christians have blended voodooism with Christian
doctrine. The producer of this special Creole program, tells us that this particular
program will help Christians to put Jesus Christ first in their lives, and to live strictly by
the Bible.” Green says the broadcast will reach Christians and non-Christians alike.
“Radios are very accessible, in some of the most impoverished nations, radio is the
primary way to communicate with people. This is certainly true in Haiti and we want to
be able to minister as much as we can to their spiritual needs.”
Not even the military could stand in the way of the Gospel entering a port in
Gabon. Operation Mobilization’s ship LOGOS II was set to arrive in Owendo Port,
but authorities announced “military maneuvers” would prevent the ship from docking.
The crew prayed for a reversal of the decision, and eventually, authorities relented and
the ship docked. Crew members held a book sale, where many evangelical materials
were sold, and teams went out into Gabon’s churches on Sunday to share with local
congregations.
