Category: News Briefs

Source: Open Doors, February 15, 2019

“We only knew martyrdom from films, but martyrdom was reintroduced and it strengthened our faith because these people, these 21 martyrs, lived among us,” [says Malak, whose son was killed four years ago].

Few will forget the graphic images of the mass beheadings in a video released and paraded online around the world. February 15, mark[ed] the fourth anniversary of the deaths of 20 Coptic Christian men from Egypt and one Christian man from Ghana—all 21 martyrs for their faith.

In the days and weeks leading up to their deaths, ISIS captors reportedly tortured the men who had traveled the 1,200 miles to Libya to find work and support their families. Militants attempted to persuade them to deny Jesus in return for their lives. They all refused.

A new book, The 21: A Journey into the Land of Coptic Martyrs, by Martin Mosebach, includes interviews with families of the men who were killed.

Reportedly, what he found was “a completely different point of view of martyrdom… No lamentation, no mourning, no pity, but, instead, pride and happiness.”

» Read full story and watch a short video about a church built to honor the martyrs (World Watch Monitor).

» See also Why the Church in the Middle East Won’t Stay Hidden (Frontiers USA).

Source: Barnabas Fund, February 5, 2019

An event held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on February 5 was attended by [more than] 130,000 Christians; a startling occurrence in a region where Christian worship is tightly restricted and Christian converts from Islam risk imprisonment for apostasy.

The UAE has one of the fastest growing Christian populations in the world, mainly due to the inward migration of Christian workers. The country has recently gained a new cathedral, 16 new churches and has around 700 Christian congregations.

The 48-hour papal visit to the UAE this month is unprecedented for the Arabian Peninsula and may signal a softening of the government towards the Christian community, estimated to number over one million.

» Full story (and links) also describe the current state of religious freedom in this country.

» See also what the Secretary General of the Evangelical Alliance, Efraim Tendero, shared at the Global Conference on Human Fraternity in Abu Dhabi or watch his two-minute video greeting (World Evangelical Alliance) or read some comments from missiologist Todd Johnson, who points out that good Christian-Muslim relations are critical for the future of our planet.

Source: World Vision, February 2019

Venezuela is in crisis. The economy has collapsed and an uprising of political opposition to President Nicolas Maduro has put the country’s leadership in question. More than 3 million Venezuelans—5,500 per day in 2018—have left the country seeking food, work, and a better life.

Latin America’s largest migration in recent years is driven by hyperinflation, violence, and food and medicine shortages stemming from recent years of political turmoil. Once-eradicated diseases like cholera and malaria have returned, and children increasingly are dying of causes related to hunger and malnutrition.

An estimated more than 1.5 million people have settled in Colombia; nearly 700,000 in Peru; nearly 280,000 in Ecuador; and Brazil, Chile, and Argentina are each hosting 100,000 Venezuelans or more. About 290,000 Venezuelans have settled in the United States and more than 200,000 in Spain, according to the UN International Organization on Migration.

While the influx from Venezuela has caused tensions in host countries, it also has brought out their hospitable spirit. Still, needs among families in transition are great. And forecasts for 2019 show the number of displaced people may increase to more than 5 million. World Vision staff in neighboring countries are helping.

» Read full story. It’s quite informative. We’re also praying for the people of Haiti, a country recently in an uproar. See Haiti Braces for More Violence (CBC News video).

Source: World Watch Monitor, February 14, 2019

A Colombian pastor was killed as he left his church in the northwest of the country, in a region that has been plagued by violence from armed groups, local sources told World Watch Monitor.

Pastor Leider Molina, 24, had just finished preaching in his church in Caucasia, Antioquia state in northwest Colombia, on Friday, February 9. As he stepped outside he was hit by five bullets. Molina was known as a passionate preacher and an active youth leader working for his church and city, 670km north of the capital Bogotá, the source said.

The Caucasia region has suffered an escalation in violence for the last four months, according to the source. Armed groups fight for control of drug trafficking routes and the ownership of illicit crops.

“Communist guerrillas, paramilitary groups, criminal gangs, and drug cartels all see the Church as an enemy to be eradicated because, thanks to the preaching and courageous action of leaders and pastors, many young people have renounced armed conflict and illegal activities,” the source said.

The church in the area is terrified, according to the source. “Some Christians have fled with their families, while others have decided to stay awaiting the government intervention. Church leaders, however, continue their work despite the death threats,” said the source.

» Full story also reports on two other pastors in the region killed last September.

Source: Pioneers USA, February 13, 2019

Immigrant ministry is never boring, especially when God uses interesting means.

Recently, a few of our interns were out in the city to look for spiritually receptive people in the Muslim neighborhood near us. Our goal is to see Muslims come to faith in Jesus by investing our time getting to know the Muslims in our city. The day seemed to be a bust, and they were tired. However, they decided to press on and go to dinner at an immigrant restaurant there in the area.

Just after stepping into the restaurant, they met Ali, their waiter. He was full of joy. After a bit of conversation and talk of spiritual matters, Ali leaned in with a surprise.

“I had no peace in Islam, but I found peace in Jesus.”

“I am no longer a Muslim,” he said in a low volume. “I’m a Christian. I had no peace in Islam, but I found peace in Jesus.”

Within a few days, we gathered together for breakfast with Ali and his two sons. We wanted to hear his story of coming to faith. And as we talked, his 16-year-old son noticed the movie Nacho Libre on my teammate’s shelf.  It’s a slapstick comedy about a monastery cook who moonlights as a luchador, or Mexican wrestler, to supplement the funds used to feed the orphans in their care.

Ali and his sons were spiritually inspired by the movie, despite its silliness. They say that the movie was their first exposure to Jesus. In it, they saw a Christian caring for orphans, and that raised questions in their hearts about a God who cares for the marginalized and downtrodden. And God had prepared their hearts to hear a message of his love before seeing Nacho Libre.

» Read full story.

» For another story about God working in mysterious ways, read about a ministry outreach in Ireland in Plowing with the Big Red Bus (Operation Mobilization).

The Berber Evangelistic Association works to give the 25 million Berbers of North Africa access to the Bible in their own languages. See related story below.

1. NORTH AFRICA: God Provides a Husband
2. SOUTH ASIA: Solar-powered Evangelism
3. BRAZIL: American Missionary Accused of Genocide
4. INDONESIA: Former Governor Released after Two Years in Prison
5. EGYPT: Work Begins on New Coptic Church, as Promised

Source: Partners International, January 30, 2019

D. is a woman who has been a convert for years but who do not attend church. She isn’t able to attend church or leave her home due to the traditions of Kabyle [Berber] society. We’ve been in contact with her for the last two years [by] phone. When she became the age that her society deems the age to get married, she made it clear to her family that she would never agree to marry a non-Christian.

Her mother began to question her. “Where will this Christian man come from? No one knows that you exist.”

D. became worried, but we prayed with her. We told her that beyond the walls and roof of her house, she has a Father in heaven who will provide for her because he loves her.

A few weeks after we prayed with her, a man within our church expressed to us his desire to get married. We told him about D. and how she wanted to get married to a Christian man. We then put them in contact with each other and prayed the Lord would bless them. The Lord allowed their relationship to progress and they recently celebrated their wedding in a church.

We give glory to our Lord who tells us that he will build his Church, and nothing will prevail against it.

» Read full story and learn about the Berber Evangelistic Association, an affiliate of Partners International.

» Marriage questions are tricky for new believers in contexts with few Christians, but also for Christian parents who are concerned about their kids’ choices. See When Christians Marry Muslims (Shane Bennett).

Source: OM News, January 2, 2019

A team in South Asia is using the sun to help share the good news with people who have never heard it. In this region, there are many isolated villages scattered about the mountains, disconnected from the rest of society. This results in a lack of education and illiteracy for many. OM has been sending teams with solar-powered audio Bibles to these villages. These audio Bibles are not just great for reaching those who cannot read, but also a great tool to help villagers share the gospel with others.

On a recent outreach to one village, a team met a woman who had received an audio Bible from another team a few months before. As she listened to the words of scripture, she understood that [Jesus] is “the way, the truth, and the life.” Eliza shared this good news with her husband and they both began to realize this news was too good to keep to themselves. They decided to share it with their whole village.

Pray that Eliza, her husband, and others who have received audio Bibles would not just hear the message of hope and see it as something good, but would truly accept the gift of salvation by putting their faith in Jesus and continue to share it with others.

» Read full story.

» Let’s also lift up other believers who live in isolated areas. See Ten Ways to Pray for the Secret Church in Afghanistan (Open Doors).

Source: God Reports, January 25, 2019

An American missionary in Brazil is under investigation and may be charged by authorities with genocide for making illegal contact with a remote indigenous tribe, potentially exposing them to diseases.

Brazil’s National Indian Foundation (FUNAI) have asked authorities to look into an incident that took place in December involving missionary Steve Campbell and the Hi-Merimã tribe. FUNAI notified federal prosecutors and the police in early January about the alleged encounter.

Campbell and his wife are based in Rondonia, Brazil and work with the Jamamadi Indians in the Brazilian state of Amazonas. While Campbell lived among the Jamamadi, he entered the more isolated Hi-Merimã tribe’s area by accident while teaching the Jamamdi how to use GPS devices, according to the Brazilian newspaper Folha de São Paulo.

» Full story includes pictures and background on this situation, which has also been covered from diverse angles by other news sources.