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Source: INcontext Ministries, August 2021
More than 1,000 Boko Haram fighters and their families have surrendered in the last several weeks in Nigeria, Cameroon, and Chad following the death of their leader Abubakar Shekau in May. Among those who have turned themselves in are two top commanders and one expert bomb maker. According to the Nigerian military, the surrenders are the result of a recent offensive operation aimed at dispelling the fighters from their strongholds.
The newest wave of defectors and their families took part in a ceremony in which several of them were seen holding signs that read, “Nigerians please forgive us” and “peace is the only way.” They and their families were given food rations and clothing by the military.
Civilians have criticized the military for its “humane” treatment of extremists while so many people in Nigeria are living without basic necessities, like food and clothing. However, the military says it is using the resources to persuade more fighters to surrender by showing them their families will be taken care of.
The full story provides a Christian perspective and prayer points. And it points out that other fighters joined different groups after leaving Boko Haram.
Note that rehabilitating extremists is not without risk or controversy. Some characterize it as “pampering,” says an article from Arise TV.
Source: Mission Network News, August 26, 2021
Many Haitians have resumed church services inside church buildings damaged by the 7.2 magnitude earthquake on August 14. Christians are mourning the dead but also praising God for their own safety.
Meanwhile, relief efforts into the country have been hampered by gang violence. Various groups have blocked roads and even hijacked vehicles transporting food. One gang leader has offered a truce to allow aid into the damaged peninsula where the earthquake hit, but it’s not clear how much of an impact it would make unless more gangs commit as well.
As the aid trickles in, some politicians have begun supplying it themselves or even using their planes to transport injured patients. They are especially motivated to do so by the upcoming general elections.
The full story shares how one ministry is responding. See also additional MNN reports about ministry efforts in Haiti. Typically these articles include prayer points and other ways to respond.
See also Churches In Haiti Lie In Ruins After The Earthquake But Still Try To Comfort And Help (NPR)
Source: Back to Jerusalem, August 28, 2021
The Taliban is using sophisticated biometric equipment that they have captured from the military, to go door-to-door to hunt down Christians. Back to Jerusalem (BTJ) started working with our hackers over a week ago to develop a way to disable this equipment, but prayers are desperately needed.
Over a week ago, a BTJ partner with special connections on the ground in Afghanistan alerted BTJ that the Taliban captured special US-made hand-held scanners that were used by the US military to identify people in Afghanistan. Twelve years of photos and individual biometric data was stored on the military database, including information such as sex, age, marital status, and religion. Now the Taliban know exactly who the Christians are.
One of the Taliban brigade commanders, Nawazuddin Haqqani, has bragged about it during a recent interview with Zenger News, confirming that the Taliban does indeed have the US-made hand-held scanners and have gained access to the massive database of information to identify Christians.
The biometric units were used to scan faces, eyes, and fingerprints. The information was then stored in a central military database. This means the Taliban now has several thousand of these units that were left behind and complete control of the database.
The full story includes pictures and explains how Christian hackers can help.
Watch a video about praying for Kabul (Prayercast).
You can also sing a prayer for Afghans to the tune of “Away in a Manger” (Thanks to Global Worship and FPUC in upstate New York. The author even provides sheet music.)
Read and contribute to a conversation at Brigada Today: What’s Your Take on Extracting Christians from Afghanistan?
Source: Sam George, Lausanne Movement, August 16, 2021
Over the last few months, several colleagues in mission organizations and seminaries around the world have asked me, “How has the pandemic impacted the future of human migration and mission?” Here are three initial reflections, from the macro-level down to the micro.
First, from a macro-level and long-term perspective, the pandemic has caused a demographic shrink. Untimely deaths, return migration, deurbanization, and economic restructuring will produce massive population shifts and its full impact will be seen in 30-40 years from now. Some products, services, and industries will become obsolete, while several new markets will emerge. The new modes of work, workplaces, and workers along with the resulting socioeconomic crises will displace multitudes away from their homes and across many borders.
Secondly, from a meso-level and mid-term perspective, the pandemic-related lockdown has forced us to stay put, but we are now more connected to more people than before. Unable to travel, we devised new ways to transact the old business and invent new ones. Though there are many positives to this new way of work, the speeding up of digital transformation is also resulting in increased confusion, conflicts, and psychological problems at home, work, and community. The boundaries of life, work, leisure, family, and church are now overlapping and remain out of sync.
The increased flow of information, ideas, money, products, and services across borders will result in increased migration in the future. We will travel to more places more frequently at a cheaper rate than ever before. More people will end up in new places within their country, continent, and across the globe. We are entering an age of hyperconnectivity and hypermobility, all of which will produce increased cross-cultural interactions and greater hybridization.
Thirdly, from a micro-level and short-term perspective, we will be forced to adapt blended forms of work, life, and even church. The church is not something we do in a particular place or time anymore. It has been liberated from its captivity to place, time, structure, and leadership. It is beyond the current predicaments of going digital or reworking physical meetings—it is a blend of scattering (diaspora) and gathering (ekklesia), as all of God’s people are unleashed into the mission of God, not just a few full-time religious professionals with specialized training.
To learn more, connect with Lausanne’s Global Diaspora Network.
Source: Asia Harvest, August 30, 2021
Over the years, many people have told us they would love to come to China and experience the great revival that has swept over 100 million people into the kingdom of God in the past 30 years. Some have the idea that Chinese Christians must be angelic. In reality, the revival fires have blazed brightest among the simple, downtrodden people of China, whom God has decided to show mercy to.
We would like to share a precious video with you of a woman named Liang Shaoying. Her hard life and family tragedies caused Liang to call out to the one True God. She was met by the Lord Jesus Christ, who transformed her and her whole family.
As you watch this dear sister’s testimony, please pray for the many millions of Christians across China like her, who are currently facing the most brutal persecution since the Cultural Revolution in the 1970s.
Watch the full video on the Asia Harvest site or below (about eight minutes, Chinese with English subtitles, 7G.tv). It’s quite touching.
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Source: Open Doors, August 16, 2021
The Taliban now hold Afghanistan. Earlier, Al Jazeera released videos of Taliban fighters entering the capital city Kabul with ease, taking the reins in the Presidential Palace, and declaring an end to the 20-year war. In addition, President Ashraf Ghani reportedly fled to Tajikistan over the weekend to prevent further bloodshed (although other sources mentioned Uzbekistan).
With the collapse of the government, the expansion of extremism, food shortages, and the raging pandemic, Afghanistan needs urgent prayer from the global Church now more than ever.
Also read How to Pray for Afghanistan—and the Taliban (The Gospel Coalition), Afghan Pastors Ask for Prayer (9Marks), and A Liturgy for Responding to International Tragedy (The Upstream Collective).
Source: Haggai International, August 2021
The district of Rayagada [in the Indian state of Odisha] is like a step back in time. More than two-thirds of the population belong to indigenous tribes such as the Khonds and the Soras. And the tragic murder of a Christian missionary [Graham Staines] in the rural mountains of Rayagada years ago has left many believers wary of venturing into the community.
In 2021, after much prayer, fasting, and preparation, Ramachandran Periasamy’s team headed for one of the 22 villages [of the Dongoriakondh tribal people group in the Rayagada district]. Around 100 people live in this village, accessible only by foot.
“About 20 years ago, a local missionary went to this village to share the gospel but was killed by the tribal people. Thereafter a few attempted to reach the village but all attempts failed. For the last few years, no Christians have visited this place.”
Ramachandran’s team arrived in March and, to their surprise, were warmly welcomed. They prepared chicken curry for villagers and established connections with a few families. They were able to speak to the leader of the village who invited them back and has permitted them to implement valuable social programs.
Their warm reception has opened a door [for the team] to minister to the other villages in the locality, and years of church planting have taught them to win the favor of the people through relationship building if they want to credibly share the gospel.
Source: International Christian Concern, August 13, 2021
Iraq adopted a five-year plan for the protection and building of human rights on July 26. The new Human Rights National Action Plan was launched with the support of the Office of the President and the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI). For Christians who have faced persecution, genocide, displacement from varying threats, land seizures, and more, the commitment to protect human rights as the country pursues recovery can be a sign of hope.
The new initiative is “seeking to harmonize national legislation with international human rights standards, to strengthen national policies for the protection and [the] promotion of human rights and to build individual and institutional human rights capacities,” according to Danielle Bell, Chief of UNAMI’s Human Rights Office and Iraq Representative.
In her speech, Bell also highlighted the key links between the protection of human rights and the growth of sustainable development in Iraq [and said,] “The need for strong and coherent action on human rights is more essential than ever. The Human Rights National Action Plan provides a solid framework for the legislative, policy, procedural and institutional reforms which can prevent human rights violations in the future and which will therefore make a difference to the lives of all Iraqis.”
