Category: News Briefs

Source: Missions Catalyst, August 5, 2020

By now you have probably heard about the explosion yesterday (August 4) in the port area of Beirut, Lebanon. Even the earliest reports revealed the blast was huge, breaking glass in much of the city and felt 150 miles away in Cyprus. Now we know the explosion killed more than a hundred with at least that many missing and some 4,000 injured. A search for survivors is underway. Local government says as many as 300,000 people were made homeless by this explosion. Much of the port and large quantities of grain also stored in the area were also destroyed. The country has declared three days of mourning. Let’s call out to God with them at this time.

Both Lebanon and neighboring Syria were already overwhelmed by the pandemic, economic devastation, and hunger. And think of the refugees and other residents who have already faced so much trauma!

Pray for the people of Beirut and beyond and lift up the churches and others who will seek to meet the many needs even as they suffer themselves.

» Read more from the BBC, AlJazeera, or your preferred news source.

» You may not have heard about another tragic explosion in July. See GFA Calls for Compassionate Prayer Over Myanmar Jade Mine Disaster (Gospel for Asia) or read coverage of the event from the New York Times.

Source: Encountering the World of Islam, July 30, 2020

An alumna and friend of EWI (we’ll call her Addie) has developed the website StoryHands.org to help women gather and share stories of faith through simple henna designs.

The idea for StoryHands came through her years of interaction with Muslim women while living in Central Asia. There, as in many other parts of the world, henna is an art form used by women as a way to beautify their hands and feet in preparation for holidays and other important times of individual or community celebration.

Why not share biblical stories through this beloved art form? Many Muslim women are not comfortable if someone were to pull out a Bible and read a story. It is much more natural to share a biblical story through a henna design.

Initially, Addie was intimidated by using henna designs because she didn’t consider herself a good artist. This led her to use existing stencil-based story sets as well as develop original StoryHands design templates. Storyhands.org also has a how-to page containing a downloadable sample discussion guide, as well as a description of how henna storying circles can be so effective for helping women connect in meaningful ways.

Addie’s henna storying circles became so popular among Muslim refugee women in the US that a local mosque took notice. They secretly sent women to the group to find out what the big deal was!

During a recent henna party that Addie hosted in a refugee community, every woman present started to cry as she shared the Christmas story and the flight of the holy family to Egypt as refugees (Matthew 1-2; Luke 1-2). It was a powerful moment for women who had fled from Iraq, Afghanistan, and other war-torn countries. For the first time they heard and understood that Jesus could deeply identify with their experience of being a refugee.

» Read full story. Visit StoryHands.org for templates, instructions, story sets, and more.

» Also read about a ministry equipping and encouraging Persian refugee pastors in the US (International Mission Board).

Source: Forum 18, July 29, 2020

City authorities in Kazakhstan’s capital Nur-Sultan (formerly Astana) have ordered the confiscation of the buildings of Grace Presbyterian Church and Agape Pentecostal Church which is building a place of worship on the same site. City authorities claim the land is needed for a new kindergarten. But officials refuse to explain why they cannot find another site for this, despite two possibly suitable buildings in the same district. Officials have also refused to explain why Grace Church is being offered [far less] compensation than its church building is worth.

Dmitry Kan, Grace Church’s pastor, told Forum 18 that “we simply want to continue to use our property for worship.”

“From 2002 we have dreamed of having our own building, and we just started building it,” Igor Tsay, Pastor of Agape Church, told Forum 18. “And then this. It was unexpected—a shock.” The church stopped construction of its new place of worship and offices as soon as it learned of the decision to confiscate the site.

» Full story has much more detail about the history of conflict between the nation’s local governments and its religious communities. Forum 18 documents religious liberty issues throughout the region.

» Interested in the Turkic world? Looks like many foreigners have been forced out of Turkey in recent months (World Watch Monitor). Please pray.

Source: American Bible Society, July 22, 2020

American Bible Society released its tenth annual State of the Bible report [July 22], which shows cultural trends in the US regarding spirituality and Scripture engagement.

“Despite nearly every individual in the US having access to the Bible, engagement has decreased. That’s been a consistent trend over the past few years, and the trend has accelerated since January 2020 throughout the pandemic,” said American Bible Society president and CEO, Robert Briggs.

The study shows a direct correlation between increased Scripture engagement and those efforts typically organized by a church, including mentorship programs and small group Bible studies. Church closures due to COVID-19 are therefore likely contributing to decreased rates of Scripture engagement.

» Read full story or download the report.

» See also a related story, State of the Bible: Left Unread During the Coronavirus Pandemic (Religion News Service).

Source: Operation Mobilization, July 13, 2020

One night, Peter and his friends were looting in the mines for copper when Peter heard the sound of a gun. Bang! While running away from the police, he felt something hit his back and dropped to the ground unconscious. Awakening in the hospital, the first thing the doctor said was: “You will never walk again.” The bullet had traveled along Peter’s spinal cord and exited under his arm, very close to the heart. The doctor didn’t think Peter would live long.

Paralyzed and lying on his hospital bed, Peter believed his life was shattered. He wondered how he could carry on his life if he had a disability, especially due to the crimes he had committed. “I was full of regret and sorrow,” Peter recalled of his first few days in the hospital.

An evangelist visited the hospital and shared the love of God with Peter, though it took a while for the message to sink in. “I thought I was too bad to receive God’s love and there was no hope in my life,” said Peter. The evangelist did not give up though and constantly visited, explaining to Peter how people were all influenced by sin and that that was the reason why Jesus had come to earth. “Jesus came to save and seek the lost like me,” Peter explained, sharing how God opened his heart to the reality that Jesus loved him.

Receiving the love of God into his heart, Peter was overjoyed by the newfound hope and felt an indescribable peace for the first time in his life. His journey with Jesus started right at the hospital as he could not keep his faith to himself and began sharing the good news with other patients.

Three months in the hospital changed Peter from a man in total despair to a champion for God’s love. The doctor admitted Peter’s life was a miracle; though he could only slowly drag his legs, Peter was able to walk. Being released from the hospital was just the start of his new life. Everything had changed!

» Full story has pictures and describes how Peter came to lead a ministry to children with disabilities.

A ministry team in West Africa is meeting the needs of truck drivers and sharing scripture with them. See story below (International Mission Board). This edition of News Briefs features stories from Africa.

In this edition:

1. WEST AFRICA: Gospel Spreads Among Truck Drivers
2. SUDAN: Apostasy Law Abolished
3. TANZANIA: Wild, True Story from COVID-19
4. GHANA: 20 New Disciple-Making Groups Start During COVID-19
5. BURMA: Testimonies from Karen Christians

Source: International Mission Board, June 17, 2020

In West Africa, truck driving is a dangerous and stressful job. Drivers face job insecurity, the threat of being robbed, extortion from corrupt policemen, and cultural and linguistic barriers as they cross through borders taking imports from the coast to landlocked countries farther east.

So when Christians offered to pray for Ahmed one day as he prepared to leave the port and transport his next load, he didn’t mind, even though he was Muslim. As he continued on his route though, he was amazed that the police never harassed him, just as the Christians had prayed.

The next time he saw the believers at the port a few months later, he gathered a group of his friends and went over to them. The last time, the Christians asked him if he’d listen to a story, but he’d been in a hurry to leave. Now, he wanted to know more.

“God answered their prayer,” he told the whole group. “Now, we’re going to listen to their story.”

Each time Ahmed returned to the port, he found the believers and asked to hear another story. As the months passed, he understood his sin and his need for a Savior, and he put his faith in Christ.

» Full story includes more about this strategic and compassionate ministry to truck drivers as well as photos and a video.

» Readers might also be interested in a brief analysis of movements to Christ in Muslim societies (Justin Long).

Source: Jubilee Campaign, July 2020

On July 12 it was announced that the government of Sudan has taken action to restore human rights and religious freedom for its citizens by eliminating discriminatory alcohol restrictions, abolishing apostasy laws, criminalizing female genital mutilation and cutting, and granting women travel rights. Justice Minister Nasredeen Abdulbari stated of the landmark decisions, “we [will] drop all the laws violating the human rights in Sudan.”

These fundamental changes by the Sudanese government were made with the ratification of the Miscellaneous Amendments Act, and its most commendable achievement is the abolition of the discriminatory and problematic portion of the nation’s criminal code Article 126 which, according to Library of Congress, states that “any Muslim who declares publicly that he/she has adopted any religion other than Islam commits the crime of apostasy and is punishable with the death penalty.”

In 2014, BBC News reported on the sentencing death of pregnant Sudanese Christian woman Meriam Yehya Ibrahim, who was told by the presiding judge that she had only three days to renounce Christianity and return to Islam if she wished to be acquitted. She was also sentenced to 100 lashes for marrying a Christian man. After numerous condemnations by international human rights NGOs, Ibrahim was acquitted of her charges and her case was ultimately dropped.

The abolition of Sudan’s apostasy laws under the temporary government ensures that no individual ever again has to go through the accusations, harassment, and tribulations that Meriam had gone through though she committed no crime other than being a devout Christian.

» Read full story.

» Also read about a recent update on religious freedom in Yemen, where the news is not so positive (Open Doors via Mission Network News).

Source: Timothy Two Project International, April 22, 2020

We have been trying to connect with all our key pastor friends in Africa. [One] sent this news back to me. This story is the wildest, [most] miraculous story I have heard. This is directly from his mouth and he is a faithful man, so I know that this is true.

This pastor went from Tanzania into Congo to do ministry in March. By the time he returned to the city, he found out that the borders had all closed [due to COVID-19] and he could not return home. He had little money so was not sure what he could do. A Christian family allowed him to sleep in their basement, which was musty and resulted in making him sick. We were worried about him so sent to him $100, which is a decent amount of money there. He said that God used me to “save his life.”

“After receiving that money, I talked to a certain captain of a locally made boat. I gave him that money to help me get back to Tanzania. On Tuesday, the man put me in a sack as luggage. He threw me in a boat [and] the soldiers didn’t notice. The boat left Congo port with other sacks. We traveled from Tuesday to Friday while I was in a sack. On Thursday, the boat got storms because of the wind. On Friday midnight, we reached Lake Tanganyika’s shore. They opened that sack at the top and they threw me in a forest. I got out [and] walked one day and half in a forest, then I reached in Kigoma town. On Saturday night I reached my hometown. I have made the story short, but I faced many dangers that threatened my life. I thank God I’m now in Tanzania.”

“What God did was a miracle. He saved my life. Thank you for contacting me and for allowing God to use you.”

» Read full story and pray for brothers and sisters who continue to both suffer and serve the suffering during this time of shutdowns, shortages, and sickness.

» We read another wild story from East Africa, this one about a man in Ethiopia who was raised from the dead after a Christian prayed for him, resulting in 25 witnesses following Jesus (Great Commission Ministry Ethiopia, a ministry of Cru, via God Reports).

Source: OneWay Ministries (email), July 17, 2020

With the Jesus Film Campaign and other large outreach events on hold, OneWay Africa’s Joshua G. recently began a disciple-making group among the unreached Mamprusi people. The group multiplied rapidly and has now become 20 groups with three generations and counting. “The members are vibrant, growing in their faith and reaching out to Muslims, idol worshipers, and more.” Praise the Lord!

» Also from OneWay Ministries, read Audio Bibles Fuel a Movement to Christ in Ghana.