Elsewhere, international aid agencies are fleeing from Ambon, Indonesia, where Muslims are fighting Christians. However, not all agencies are pulling out of the country. As Medical Ambassadors International’s Terry Dalrimple puts it, they’re watching the situation. “It puts everybody on alert when there is violence that way, because there would be concern that in the long-term, any unrest in Indonesia will have impact on ministries there. Our ministry happens to be quite a distance from Ambon and where the current unrest is boiling. So, it’s not going to affect us as it might other ministries in the area.” Dalrimple says it is unlikely refugees from Ambon would travel to South Sumatra, where their work is although: “If we were to see refugees come into a community, I think they would be served as part of the community. We teach people how to be healthy spiritually and physically. We teach public health and we integrate evangelism and discipleship with our public health teaching.”
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And, the Latin America Mission is helping Caribbean churches to no longer be just a mission field, but to take their place as part of the mission force. Ken MacHarg files this report. “Representatives of LAM recently joined 270 delegates from 30 countries at a missions conference in Puerto Rico, offering to share information on financial and data-based systems serve as a connection for U-S and overseas ministry partners, and provide technical assistance. LAM is helping to facilitate the process of a Colombian Christian who will be working as a missionary this summer in Haiti. LAM’s president, David Befus says that the mission’s efforts can help Latin Americans assume their own role in the evangelization of the world. For Mission Network News, I’m Ken MacHarg in Miami.”
Headlining today’s news, while the United Nations isn’t calling it a famine yet, relief and development organizations are. MNN’s Greg Yoder is in Ethiopia on special assignment and files this report. “Thomas Stocker is the Ethiopian Country Director with Food for the Hungry. Stocker says the Somali region of Ethiopia has already been hit by famine. “There are people that are definitely in a very critical situation. As you know the Somali region of Ethiopia is a pasturlist area. People are depending on their animals. And due to the delay of the rains many of their animals have died. So, they have nothing left to survive.” We’re traveling to the village of Jajiga today to see FHI’s new partnership with SIM International in that Muslim region. Stocker says they’re helping to fund a food distribution and eating center. “In relief situation Food for the Hungry, the first purpose is to save lives – so they can survive for the next days and months. But, we’re hoping to bring also some of the Good News to these people.” FHI is asking you to help, as more than eight million people are already affected by malnutrition. Stocker says your gift of 100 dollars will help feed a family of five for five months. Call 1-800-the number 2-HUNGER to help. Greg Yoder, Mission Network News, Ethiopia.”
Elsewhere, Evangelist Sammy Tippit is reporting that Lima, Peru, the site of their most recent crusade, is in turmoil. The political situation remains very tense. Because of the runoff elections in the country, the original meeting dates were changed. Another last minute change threw the country into a constitutional crisis. Despite the uncertainty, thousands responded nightly to the Gospel message. Please pray for the Christians in the area.
Topping today’s news, violence continues in Sierra Leone. Peace talks have failed and the rebels have pushed on. The Christian Reformed Church has been forced to evacuate missionaries out of the area. Peter VanderMeulen explains what’s happening. “When a peace process is forced on a country, and when it’s based on some really unjust things, like an amnesty, that doesn’t bode well for a peace process to actually succeed.” VanderMeulen says the war has had a dramatic effect on their work. “It has completely destroyed most of the physical evidence of that work. People have fled the area, refugees are all over, we had a national staff of 36 people and they are mostly now if Freetown. But the good part is, even though they’re scattered all over the place, they still worship together.”
We turn next to Ethiopia where we’re receiving mixed news about the drought in that country that’s causing pockets of food shortages. MNN’s Greg Yoder is on the ground there and files this report, Greg. “The good news is it has started raining in Ethiopia, but the bad news is it’s not enough and it’s only making the roads impassible, causing difficulties in food distribution. Tomorrow we’ll be traveling to Jijiga, a small village east of Addis Ababa. We’re going there to investigate what families are doing to find food. We’ve heard the lack of rain has force more than 300 families to walked between 30 and 40 days, only to find nothing in Jajiga. We’re here with Food for the Hungry International, who’s is partnering with agencies to feed these people physically and spiritually. F-H-I is hoping that many people will come to Christ as the evangelical church mobilizes to help. Tomorrow, as we continue our report on hunger in Ethiopia, we’ll tell you specifically how F-H-I is working with the church and other groups to help. Greg Yoder, Mission Network News, Ethiopia.”
Compass Direct News is reporting that two Christian brothers jailed on blasphemy charges were given 35-year prison sentences by a lower court in Pakistan’s populous Punjab province. Despite mob-incited pressures, the defense says they expected an acquittal of the two Christians. Authorities apparently retracted the new blasphemy law policy, which carries a mandatory death sentence if found guilty of insulting the prophet Mohammed. Continue to pray for believers in this area.
Meanwhile, New Hope International recently returned from the first of four vision tours this summer. NHI’s goal during the tours is to show people what God is doing in their work throughout Eastern Europe. The mission group works with nationals to build a moral and spiritual foundation for a new generation. Visitors not only learn about the cities they visit, they also meet the local church body involved with the ministry. The next tour is slated to begin June 24th and the tours run through September.
The Christian and Missionary Alliance is reporting good news with regard to the hostage situation in the Philippines. In late March, Abu Sayyaf Muslim rebels took 27 hostages, many of them teachers and children, six of them Christian and Missionary Alliance Church members. CMA’s Mike Sohm tells us what’s going on. “We received word from our field leader in the Philippines that two teachers and four students that were being held hostage on the island of Basilan were released by the Muslim rebels. That’s great news, but still on another of Jolo, there are 21 foreign hostages still being held and there’s still a handful of students being held hostage on Basilan. So, we would ask that you continue to pray for the safe release of all those who are being held hostage in the Philippines.” On Tuesday, about 100 Islamic rebels emerged from their mountain lair for talks. Abu Sayaaf and other Muslim groups have been working to force Christians out and Islamicize the area, among other things. Continue to pray for those involved in missions work in the Philippines.
And finally, on a lighter note, for half a century, “hospitality” has been the focus of the work of D&D Missionary Homes in Florida. Hospitality to whom? D&D’s Executive Director Phil Fogle says very little has changed in their purpose. “Our purpose is to provide service support to active missionaries in their times of transition…because these missionaries, many of them do not have homes in the United States, and so we get to provide accommodations for them here.” However, Fogle says because of the need, the ministry continues to grow. “We’ve acquired one more home on the property, so that makes 58. Our goal is to have at least 60 homes here in St. Petersburg for missionaries when they come on furlough, or situations like that. The Lord has provided for us a medium-duty truck to pick up goods so the Lord is providing for our homes.”
