Headlining today’s news mission groups say Taiwan’s new president could ultimately help evangelism in that island nation. Send International’s Victor Lao (low) says pro-independence candidate Chen Shui-bian’s (shoo-AY bee-ihns) victory over the nationalists has many concerned. China has long threatened to invade, if the Island declared independence. “It’s just kind of a disturbing feeling. I’m sure in this kind of a situation that we have a chance to share the Gospel. Many are still worshiping idols. We continue to need prayer. And, I think the unsettlingness of this election (will) cause other Christians in other parts of the world to be concerned.” Loa says Shui-bian has somewhat changed his stance on independence, easing tensions in the region. “I believe that right now the situation is settling down. The elected president is calming the situation and even China, I think, has also calmed down. It’s kind of a wait and see – and I don’t think that the elected president would move toward independence.”
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Next, just as aid agencies were making headway in feeding hundreds of thousands displaced by flooding in southern and central Mozambique, new floods hit a remote northern region this week. Sue Sprinkle is with the Southern Baptist International Mission Board. “It’s mad confusion when aid comes in. People fight and there are riots just to receive one simple solo plastic plate (of food) that Americans use on picnics. People are fighting to get clothing because they’ve lost everything that they had in the flood.” Sprinkle says they’re distributing aid to show Christ’s love. She says long term planting programs are needed. “So that the people will not starve. If the waters do not recede soon there will be no planting and Mozambicans will require at least 18 months of aid.”
In Eastern Europe, New Hope International is dedicated to training and equipping the existing church, working within the public school systems and setting up Christian publishing houses. New Hope has a team in place this week in the Ukraine doing just that. NHI’s Hank Paulson says: “Their purpose is to equip nationals in family counseling. The leaders of the churches in the Ukraine have said ‘Hey-this is a tremendous need’. Everything we do is to respond to what are felt needs on the field.” Paulson adds that the partnership they’ve developed works toward the future. “We, in turn, have said to the church leaders, ‘Select up to twelve couples and we will come and provide over a two-year program, training and resource materials to make those workers more effective’. Local leaders there have said, ‘These are key people that we trust. Can you further equip them for ministry within our communities and churches?'” Paulson says this approach to working with the national staff gives a sense of local commitment, vital for the ministry’s longevity.
Meanwhile, a variety of Christian ministries are combining their effort to organize the largest prison outreach in the U-S history. Prison Fellowship Ministries along with thousands of other volunteers are planning to launch “Operation Starting Line” over the Easter weekend. The program hopes to changes lives by introducing them to Christ. The event will kick-off a five year evangelistic program aimed at reaching every person in every prison in the nation. Today there are more than six-million men and women under correctional supervision.
Next, a Muslim rebel offensive in the southern Philippines has been squelched by government troops, but the uprising has missionary groups on alert. Kermit Karlberg is the Philippines field director for World Team. Karlberg, who’s on furlough and staying at D & D Missionary Homes in Florida, says they’re cautiously moving forward. “We do have to be careful. And, just be sensitive to our type of ministry and also to the environment and what’s going on around us. There have been instances in the past because of fighting or skirmishes that we had to have our workers leave an area.” Karlberg says despite the Muslim dominance in the region, people are reading scripture. “They are understandably very religious and open to the scriptures and to studying the Bible. They are very respectful of the scriptures and of worshiping God so they are also interested in what the scriptures have to say.” Karlberg hopes that interest will lead many to Christ.
Food For The Poor and the Jamaican government last week announced a major land donation to help house the poor. The ministry gave of all the land needed by FFP to build two-thousand homes for the island’s poor. FFP’s Nick Adams. “It’s quite exciting and pretty amazing when you think about it because it’s quite a big parcel of land we’re talking about in different areas. We’re excited that it worked out with the government and allows us to move ahead again in this project.” Officials pledged to build a new infrastructure for the new communities. Adams says this project is an answer to prayer. “We go into these areas and try to make change and work with the people there through the churches, so we’re developing a link. We feel that, in a sense, we’re bringing the people in these communities back to God. I feel like God has opened so many doors for us over this past year. It’s amazing to see how many opportunities we’ve been given. I just feel like everyone has joined together in this great effort to help the poor in these countries, especially Jamaica for this project.”
Elsewhere, AMG International is working to encourage believers in India. Many of the pastors cannot afford formal Bible training or resources to learn. That’s where the work of the publishing arm of AMG comes in. Pulpit Helps, India Edition, is the only supply of information besides the Bible that many Indian pastors have for preparing sermons and Bible study lessons. While they praise God for the opportunity to help reach India, AMG is asking for help with the resource’s continued production and distribution.
We begin today’s newscast in Mozambique where some flood relief operations are winding down. However, Christian aid groups continue arriving to help the flood victims. Shelter Now International’s Jeff Johnstone says their group is in the process of assessment. “Now that the waters are starting to recede, we’re targeting the south end of Mozambique. We’re looking at partnering with another organization down there to develop some shelter response. We’ve got about a million people homeless in Mozambique right now, and conditions are just terrible-we haven’t been able to get in to really do an accurate assessment until now.” Johnstone says their work brings hope. “We are able to bring the love of Jesus. It is extremely impacting when you can look at somebody in the eyes, offer them a loaf of bread and just impart the love of Jesus to them. It also gives us the opportunity to bring in the Gospel.”
Elsewhere, Ukraine’s trouble with the International Monetary Fund belies the serious state of the country’s economy. Because the people are cash poor, ministries face quite a challenge. However, that doesn’t stop evangelism. On the contrary, says New Hope International’s Hank Paulson. “It’s not just the economic difficulties the country is facing. It’s also facing a moral and spiritual crisis. Many of the church leadership in Ukraine have asked for us to come alongside national staff and partner with them. That has resulted in us providing salaries for a full-time person, who then, in turn can go into the ministry and share the good news of Jesus Christ.” Paulson says they developed a unique way to help. “We make the materials available through resource libraries throughout the country where children’s workers, teachers, youth workers, pastors can come and check out resource materials, use them, and then after a semester, come back and exchange them for another set.”
