Day: November 16, 2022

Stories in this edition deal with pressures and new opportunities that come with migration—shaping life for everyone from refugees in Texas and migrant workers in the Middle East to a U.S. church that travels to New York to meet Central Asians.

1. World: The Most-Translated Film Ever Now in 2,000 Languages
2. Qatar: As the World Cup Opens, Ministry Opportunities Abound
3. South Asia: Thrown into Slavery, and Set Free by Jesus
4. Myanmar: Kachin Bible School Shelled by Burmese Army
5. USA: One Student Leads Arkansas Church to Reach Uzbek Diaspora

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Source: Christian Newswire, November 1, 2022

The most translated film of all time is now available in its 2,000th translation: Zo, a language spoken by approximately 65,000 people globally, including refugee and immigrant communities in 28 US cities.

Myanmar, where Zo is mainly spoken, is a primarily Buddhist country, and people report experiencing discrimination for their religious beliefs. Access to economic opportunities can be drastically limited. As a result, many of the Zo people are now scattered around the world.

Though a Zo translation of the Bible was completed in 2019, it hasn’t been printed in Myanmar yet, and many of the Zo are unable to read. This translation of JESUS provides a way for Zo speakers to have access to the story of Jesus in their language in a format they can understand.

First released in 1979, JESUS gives an authentic portrayal of one of the most influential figures in human history. Since then, Jesus Film Project has partnered with thousands of translators, recording teams, voice actors, and partners to make JESUS and other Jesus-centric videos available to everyone and everywhere in every language. JESUS has been seen by more than 10 million people around the world and remains the only film to be dubbed into more than 2,000 languages.

Read the full story or watch the 3.5-minute video Jesus Speaks Zo, also below. Encouraging!

On the Jesus Film Project website, you can watch or download Jesus-centric videos in many languages, all for free.

See also a story about a mobile app helping ordinary believers spark disciple-making efforts in many languages and a story about planting gospel seeds through business cards (Mobile Ministry Forum).

Source: INcontext Ministries, November 2022

One and a half million fans from all over the world are expected to visit Qatar to watch the World Cup finals, which start November 20. It is the first Arab nation to host the tournament. Qatar has built seven stadiums specifically for the finals, as well as more than 100 new hotels, a new metro, and new roads.

[According to an article in The Guardian], “Evangelical Christianity is quietly flourishing among migrant groups in the Gulf as churches provide low-paid workers facing horrific abuse with aid in times of crisis, according to pastors and parishioners across the region.”

“In Qatar, home to 2.1 million migrant workers who make up about 75% of the population, Google Maps lists scores of Pentecostal churches. Yet, as with other Gulf nations, many churches choose to remain as underground ‘house’ churches for fear that conditions may change.”

One can safely assume that many of these believers have been faithfully interceding for this upcoming World Cup and the many opportunities it could present, both for them and those visiting Qatar. However, it is also important to remember these brothers and sisters in Christ—who face possible repercussions should their activities become known to Qatari authorities—remain in Qatar after the World Cup is over.

Read the full story with prayer points.

By the way, the world population has now reached 8 billion. An AP article includes analysis, stories, and striking photos illustrating the effects of population growth. See also 8 Billion Reflecting the Imago Dei (J.D. Payne).

Source: Beyond, November 2, 2022

Bahar and his paternal uncle, Navi, traveled to a faraway province in their South Asian country in search of work.

Not long after arriving, they had a dispute with some local people. Because Bahar and Navi were poor migrant workers who spoke a different language, they were handed over to corrupt officials. They were immediately thrown into slavery and forced to work long hours.

They were beaten daily and told they would be killed and chopped up into pieces if they didn’t obey.

For 45 days, Bahar and Navi prayed to their Hindu gods, pleading to be released from their slavery. But nothing happened.

Then Bahar said, “I have heard of someone named Jesus, and that if people pray in his name, he answers them.” So they started praying to Jesus, asking him to make a way for their escape. Jesus immediately spoke to them and told them he would rescue them. He told them which day to leave, how to escape, and where to go. Encouraged, they began to pray more earnestly. Six days later, on the exact day Jesus had said, they were able to escape and begin the journey home! Bahar and Navi knew Jesus had saved them.

Read the full story and its sequel about this family freed Once from Prison, Once from Hunger, Once from Sin.

See also 7 Facts about Hindus around the World. Some may surprise you (Pew Research Center).

Source: International Christian Concern, November 4, 2022

[On November 3] a Baptist seminary in northern Myanmar was attacked by the Tatmadaw (Burmese Army), injuring four men in the dormitory.

One local resident said that this kind of attack by the military threatens the Christian Bible School and the entire Kachin nation.“They (Military Council) hate our Kachin people so much,” he told 72 Media. “This is why we are being targeted and attacked. This looks like a planned shooting. My heart hurts so much. Since this happened, we Kachin people must be careful.”

More than 90 percent of the ethnic Kachin in Myanmar adhere to the Christian faith. They also have one of the most robust militaries among the ethnic armed organizations in Myanmar, making them a constant target of the Tatmadaw.

Ever since the junta mounted a coup d’état in February 2021, the brutal military regime has continued a reign of terror against civilians with indiscriminate shelling and burning of villages, schools, and religious buildings. More than 2,400 people have been killed, and over 16,000 people have been jailed and tortured by the Tatmadaw.

Read the full story.

See also Myanmar’s Christians Fight for Peace (Christianity Today).

In other news from this region, a pastor in Laos was tortured and killed for spreading the gospel amid rapid church growth in the country. He leaves behind a wife and eight children (Morning Star News). Pray for them!

Source: International Mission Board, November 10, 2022

[A] mission team from Immanuel Baptist Church [in] Magnolia, Arkansas, expected things in Brooklyn, New York, to be different from their small southern Arkansas town. Nothing, however, prepared them for culture shock once they surfaced from the subway into this Brighton Beach community known as “Little Odessa” — the U.S. hub for Central Asian immigrants. It was as if they had just entered another country.

Ben Coulter breathed in the unfamiliar spices from food stalls and broke out in a wide grin. The pastor watched the mission team made up of college students and families from his church mingle along the boardwalk and beach. Their goal was to meet people from Uzbekistan and provide gospel access that knows no geographic or social boundary. This is diaspora missions at its core.

“What started out as reaching an Uzbek student in our backyard, turned into a burden for an entire nation,” Coulter explained.

See the full story with pictures. It’s worth reading.

Speaking of diaspora, the percentage of people in Canada who are immigrants has reached a new record high (Reuters).