Missions Catalyst

Source: International Christian Concern, June 3, 2022

Thousands of Christians representing many denominations gathered for a prayer rally in Jos, Nigeria [on Wednesday, June 1] in response to incessant attacks by armed Fulani militants.

The “Solemn Assembly” prayer gathering in the Rwang Pam Township Stadium was convened by heads of churches and the Plateau State Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria. For the past 20 years, tens of thousands of Christians have been killed and many more displaced and driven from their lands and villages by Fulani militants.

Read the full article and be sure to watch the short video of the crowd worshiping in Jos. See also an article about this event from ViewPointNigeria. It includes a bit more nuance.

Editor’s Note: Looks like 2022 is on pace to be a record year for violence against Christians in Nigeria. BBC News reports there were 31 attacks on churches and people linked to them in 2021. Halfway through 2022, there have been more than 23 such attacks.

Here’s another interesting and constructive response to violence. Nigeria’s northern neighbor, Niger, has completed its third deradicalization course with 40 former Boko Haram jihadists graduating. See Deradicalization Courses for Ex-Jihadists in Niger.

Source: Mission Network News, June 13, 2022

Despite a ceasefire in the civil war earlier this year, the humanitarian crisis continues in the northern Tigray region of Ethiopia.

The agricultural system, which employed three-quarters of all Tigray people, has been effectively destroyed by the war. Hospitals have run out of drugs for cancer patients and often simply send them home.

Eric Foley with The Voice of the Martyrs Korea says, “Our friend, Pastor T, wrote saying, ‘Still, Romans 8:28. The suffering of people is high, but God is working.’ What Pastor T noted for us was that so many Tigrayans are still forced to live in Addis because of the travel limitations and the inability to return and make a living in Tigray at this point. Yet, God is at work. We need to sometimes step into the shoes of ordinary Christian believers and really not think as geopolitical analysts.”

We reported previously that this group of Christians had planted 11 new churches near Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa. Now, that number has jumped to 19.

Foley says in the absence of governments being able to work together, God’s people continue to show Jesus’ love. “Through the care that the Tigrayan Christians are showing to their neighbors, they’re changing the opinions of Muslim and Orthodox Ethiopians about evangelical Christians.”

Praise God for the faith of Tigrayan Christians.

Read the full article with prayer points.

From Ethiopia’s neighbor, Eritrea, read Christianity Still Growing in Eritrea Despite 20 Years of Church Closures (Christian Today).

Voice of the Martyrs reports that Christians in Afghanistan are also finding ways to share their faith in a challenging setting and could use our prayers.

Source: International Mission Board, May 31, 2022

In 2021, IMB published a story about missionaries Travis and Beth Burkhalter and their work among the Embera people of Colombia. Travis was learning a difficult and unwritten language to share the gospel with an unreached people group.

In early April 2022, Travis waded into the rushing waters of a jungle river to baptize Sarah, the first known follower of Christ among her tribe. With tribe members watching from the bank of the river and on nearby rocks, Sarah took this bold step of faith.

Sarah explained her decision to accept Christ with her community. The Burkhalters and others on the team shared with her for three years. As Travis learned more of her spoken vocabulary, he taught Bible stories in her heart language. The more she learned, the more she understood the truth of what Jesus had done for her. Finally, she expressed her belief in Christ and desire to follow him.

Ask God to use Sarah’s testimony and witness to bring many more of her people to salvation.

Read the full article and the previous one for a good description of challenges and strategies for working in this region.

See also Colombians Face Violence Just for Going Outside (Open Doors). It has to do with an anti-government strike called by a major cartel.

Let’s also pray for Colombia in the days leading up to a surprise presidential election run-off on June 19.

Source: ASSIST News Service, June 11, 2022

One night my friend Charles said to me over dinner, “I’m tired of plain vanilla Christianity.” We were both in Washington, D.C., on business and had a good dinner together sharing about our jobs, our ministries, and our walks with the Lord. I prayed with Charles about his desire to see the power of God at work in a new way and assured him that the Lord would answer the desire of his heart.

We left the restaurant, and we decided to walk the few blocks back toward our hotel.  As we waited to cross an intersection, Charles struck up a conversation with a man who was trying to restart his truck. It had broken down as he was making a turn and was blocking part of our crosswalk. He had diagnosed the problem and called his wife, who was on her way with a carburetor part he needed. We waited with him and began to share with him about the Lord Jesus…

Read the full article to see how the man and several others found new life before Jerry and Charles even made it back to their hotel!

See also Praying at the Airport, an encouraging story about how a field worker and his teenage son, prompted to ask God for an opportunity to give a Bible away, witnessed an answer to their prayers (Frontiers USA).