Category: News Briefs

Source: Voice of the Martyrs, June 13, 2017

In May, several men split into three small groups to cross into mainland China. With bags stuffed with Bibles, they timed their entries 20 minutes apart to increase their odds of getting copies of God’s Word into the communist country.

The final group and a member of the second group, however, were stopped by customs officials in Shenzhen, one of China’s largest cities, while on their way to Guangzhou. The men were detained for 10 hours and, after being questioned by 50 officials, were banned from the country for three years.

The men, plus another Bible smuggler not tied to their organization who happened to be crossing into China at the same time, were interrogated for six hours. Officials confiscated everyone’s Bibles and other Christian materials.

“These books are forbidden in China,” one official said, pointing to the Bibles. “They are foreign-published.”

Since opening in 1987, China’s only government-approved Bible printer, Amity Printing Company, has printed more than 115 million Bibles. However, the majority of these Bibles are for export. The relative few that remain in country are sold by China’s official Three-Self Patriotic Movement churches. Even so, Amity alone cannot meet the Chinese citizens’ demand for the Bible, as Bibles wear out and as new people become believers.

» Read full story.

1. NIGERIA: Christians Return as Boko Haram Faces Pressure
2. SOUTH ASIA: Church in USA Helps Free Hundreds of Slaves
3. UGANDA: Lives Transformed, Churches Planted
4. INDONESIA: Gospel Makes Inroads with Hindu Leader
5. GLOBAL: Christian Hackers Using Their Talents for God

Greetings,

Ramadan has begun. Every year I try to use the 30 Days prayer guide (see excerpts online) but also find myself narrowing my focus to a certain country or people. This year my oldest daughter, getting her Master’s in Conflict Resolution, is doing a presentation on Syria. She asked me to send her anything I might come across. Here are a few to fuel our prayers:

• The short video Syria’s War: Who Is Fighting and Why is a great place to start and recently updated.
• Check out Syria’s Civil War: What Are the Main Factions? (I counted 17!) Learn about their leaders, numbers, and goals.
• A Syrian artist and refugee created The Vulnerability Series re-imagining world leaders as displaced civilians and refugees. May we all grow in our ability to understand the lives of the vulnerable.

blessings,
Pat

Pray for God’s protection over Nigerian Christians returning to their communities.

Source: SIM, May 2017

After years of persecution and violence, Christians in the northeast of Nigeria are beginning to return to their communities. But while northeast Nigeria is still a dangerous place, the government has been fighting back against Boko Haram. There are now many hopeful signs.

Many of the people are subsistence farmers. The current food shortage has been made worse by people not farming through fear of being attacked by Boko Haram and by Boko Haram raiding food stores. In one safe area, SIM has worked through one of its Nigerian mission partners to train people in dry season farming so they can provide food for themselves. SIM workers now intend to do the same for rainy season farming in the next few months.

Many people lost their livelihoods, so SIM is also aiming to help carpenters, mechanics, shopkeepers, pharmacists, and others re-start businesses.

The ultimate goal is to help people spiritually, to disciple those who already know the Lord, and to help them share the gospel with Muslim neighbors.

» Read full story and be encouraged by SIM Nigeria’s work and vision.

» See also a short article published after the recent terrorist attacks in Manchester which includes insights on praying and serving in tense situations (Pioneers in Europe).

Source: God Reports, May 9, 2017

A church of 400 people in California undertook a big project—to build a school in South Asia. But one thing led to another and on their fourth mission trip to the unnamed country, two church members negotiated with a Taliban leader to free 4500 Christian slaves working at a brick factory.

They also participated in an evangelistic outreach that saw two Muslim clerics receive Christ. One of the imams had a powerful vision of Jesus as the Great Physician in the middle of the night following the outreach, which resulted in his miraculous healing and salvation.

It may have been the most productive short-term mission trip since Paul’s visit to Macedonia.

» Read the rest of this long, crazy story of cross-cultural partnership.

Source: Global Partners, June 2017

Stephen and Ruth Ziraba had a difficult marriage relationship. Ruth had problems with demons, [came] came from a family that was demonized, [and] was chosen to be the next witch doctor in her family. She was so tormented that she took a chance and went to a pastor for help. He prayed with her. She was born again and set free.

But Stephen was not happy that Ruth was now a believer in Christ. He took another wife and sent Ruth back to live with her parents. The parents were also angry when they found out she was a Christ follower. Their demons stopped being effective when Ruth was around.

The church and pastor took her in—she lived with them for four years. During this time, they twice tried to find someone for her to marry. Each time she told them she would first ask God what his will was. God told her to wait for Stephen. She began praying for him.

Ruth and Stephen are now happily married with six children. They are both pastors of Bugeri Wesleyan Church in Uganda. They have planted two churches and have a vision of planting five more in 2017.

» See full story with pictures, and read another article from Global Partners about developments in Wesleyan Holiness churches in the British Isles.

Source: Christian Aid Mission, May 18, 2017

The head of a large Hindu temple in southern Indonesia needed a duck to sacrifice for a Hindu ceremony [and asked a Christian leader to help him get one].

“I asked what the duck would be used for, and he explained that it was for the Hindu ceremony because his god wanted it to be offered in order to be appeased,” the ministry director said. “He claimed that if it was not offered, the ‘big fish’ will be disturbed by a god and get sick.”

The [Christian] explained the role of animal sacrifices in ancient Israel and how they were no longer necessary as the blood of Jesus Christ is the perfect, final, and sufficient offering for the forgiveness of sin.

“I tried to explain it by using a passage from the Hindu scripture, Bhagavad Gita, verse 24.23.3, which says, ‘Only the life of God can be the sacrifice that can make people clean from sin,’” he said. “These words from the manuscript shocked him.”

The village head has since come to him many times to ask questions, he said.

“He says he now believes in Jesus Christ but does not want to be baptized, because he is still a leader of the village and also a leader of the main Hindu temple in the village,” the director said. “Please pray with me for him.”

» Read full story and pray for this Hindu leader.

» For another example of inter-religious discussion, see a recent article from Fouad Masri of Crescent Project and how he responded to a Muslim’s question about fasting.

Since 2014, Code of the Kingdom has held 44 weekend hackathons worldwide for programmers to help non-profits. “We write code and create technology to help release the oppressed, teach God’s Word, heal the sick, feed the hungry, clothe the naked and support the church and the body of Christ,” their website declares.

» The next Code for the Kingdom event will be July 28-30 in Chicago.

» See also Indigitous, which is planning a Christian hackathon for October.

In This Issue:

1. ERITREA: Anniversary Protest Vigil
2. CHINA: When You Can’t Blend In
3. INDONESIA: Christian Governor Imprisoned for Blasphemy
4. VIETNAM: Overcoming Difficulties
5. ZIMBABWE: Father of Gospel Music

Helen is an Eritrean gospel singer who spent 32 months imprisoned by the Eritrean authorities in a shipping container. Freezing cold at night and burning hot by day, and even tortured, Helen chose to worship. In her wilderness, God gave her a new song. See story below.

Greetings,

Do you know that there are more than 30 “protracted” refugee situations in the world today? In each situation, more than over 25,000 refugees have been displaced for more than five years with no resolution in sight. Want to educate your fellowship about refugees with World Refugee Sunday approaching? As I sleuth for news I’ve found some really good stuff that will reveal the depths of their plight and give you some fresh ideas on how you can help.

• Once again INcontext provides a very insightful article The Tragedy of the Commons: Seven Subtle Dangers Christians Face when Responding to Tragedies. INcontext also has good infographics.
• The Refugee Highway Partnership is the best place I’ve found to get handouts, bulletin inserts, videos and more for your church.
• Andy Albertini with Global Aid Network decided to eat like a refugee for 40 days (three blog entries; be sure to read part 3).
• Finally, meet an organ trafficker who preys on Syrian refugees (BBC).

Thursday, May 18, a coalition for the persecuted in Eritrea will protest in the UK as they declare 15 years of oppression is enough. See the story below.

Praying for those without hope,
Pat

Source: Christian Solidarity Worldwide, April 26, 2017

While imprisoned in a shipping container, God gave Helen Berhane a new song, enabling her to endure the beatings, torture, and imprisonment designed to break her and destroy her faith. Helen was eventually released after a severe and debilitating assault and was able to flee the country. Others aren’t as fortunate. Thousands of Eritreans of all faiths and none are currently imprisoned without charge, trial, or prospect of release, and unknown numbers have died in detention.

It’s now 15 years since the Eritrean government shut down churches from all but three denominations and began a campaign of mass arrests that also affects members of permitted denominations.

On Thursday, May 18, CSW will be joining with Church in Chains, the Evangelical Alliance, Human Rights Concern Eritrea, the Medhani Alem Eritrean Orthodox Church, and Release Eritrea to protest the continuing repression suffered by the people of Eritrea and to pray for change.

» Read complete article. Listen to Helen Berhane’s story in Worship in the Wilderness (less than six minutes in length).

» Have an hour? Check out The Eritrean Exodus documentary, well worth the US$3.99 I paid to stream it. Proceeds support refugees. Watch trailer.

Source: OMF International, May 3, 2017

I expected the bizarre scrutiny of the locals, to some degree, anyway. Foreigners were strange people they occasionally saw on TV. If such a being was somehow in the vicinity, their pale skin and curious dress sense caused them to stand out—that and the crowd of people staring at them. However, I don’t think I was quite prepared for the strangely amusing shock that my being black would be for the Chinese.

In China, basketball enjoys a popularity equivalent to that of football in Britain, so a bald-headed black man in Northwest China could only mean one of two things: a holidaying NBA star or one who was lost. I found the phrase “Wo bu shi Michael Jordan” (“I am not Michael Jordan”) extremely useful.

It suddenly clicked that this unexpected “fame” would be a great way to get conversations (albeit limited ones) going, and to share the gospel. Top idea, I thought. One of the things I grew to realize more and more during my seven weeks in China was that God’s ideas are so much better than mine.

» Read full story to see how God worked during Kenton’s visit to China. Please pray for others who will spend a few weeks or months in cross-cultural service this summer. Ask the Lord to bless them and make them a blessing.