In This Issue: Ministries all over the world bearing fruit
- MIDDLE EAST: Internet Evangelism Bears Fruit in Libya, Saudi Arabia
- INDIA: Women at the Heart of Apatani Church
- DENMARK: Making Disciples
- NIGER: Sowing Seeds of Change
- HIMALAYAS: A Commitment to Tibetans
Missions Catalyst is a free, weekly electronic digest of mission news and resources designed to inspire and equip Christians worldwide for global ministry. Use it to fuel your prayers, find tips and opportunities, and stay in touch with how God is building his kingdom all over the world. Please forward it freely!
Quotable
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people – the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world – just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. (Colossians 1:3-6)
MIDDLE EAST: Internet Evangelism Bears Fruit in Libya, Saudi Arabia
Source: Arab World Media, January-March 2012
Excerpts from AWM’s quarterly report:
We received 223,907 visits to maarifa.org from Saudi Arabia this quarter; 45 percent of these were to our new mobile site. We interacted with 148 spiritual enquirers, and five people were passed on for face-to-face follow up. There were 825 downloads of the book What Do You Think of Jesus the Messiah?; 6,253 downloads of the Bible; and five enrollments in online Bible studies.
[In Saudi Arabia] we are roughly a third of the way to reaching our target for spiritual enquirers (450) and have exceeded our target for Bible downloads (1,000) by more than 5,000! We hope to see more spiritual enquirers in face-to-face follow-up later in the year.
We received 41,369 visits to maarifa.org from Libya this quarter. We interacted with 112 spiritual enquirers who filled in our “contact us” form, and there were many more informal discussions on our Facebook page. There were 248 downloads of the book What Do You Think of Jesus the Messiah?; 1,643 downloads of the Bible; and one enrollment in online Bible study.
[In Libya] we are over halfway to reaching our target for spiritual enquirers (200). We have also exceeded our Bible downloads target (100), this time by over 1,500. Libya is a challenge for face-to-face follow-up, so we expect this to take [more] time.
>> Full story.
>> See also and pray about this story: Grand Mufti Declaration and Reaction (Window International Network).
INDIA: Women at the Heart of Apatani Church
Source: United Bible Societies, April 20, 2012
The Apatani Church in northeast India may still be small but it is growing steadily, thanks in part to the dedication of women who are sharing their faith with their families and communities. And this year, with the imminent launch of the New Testament in their language, Apatani women are even keener to share the Bible message.
Around five percent of the 25,000 Apatani speakers, who live in the Ziro valley in the mountainous state of Arunachal Pradesh, are Christians – most of them first-generation believers.
It is usually women or girls who become Christians first and gently share their new faith with their families. Older women work alongside younger women in the churches. Together they collect funds, care for the needy, and organize literacy classes for the many women, especially the older generation who cannot read.
“We cannot wait for the New Testament to arrive so that all these women can read it!” says [one]. “I find my joy and courage from the Bible, and I love helping other women to do the same and to serve God.”
>> Full story with pictures.
DENMARK: Making Disciples
Source: Joel News International 815, April 24, 2012
Evangelist Torben Sondergaard reports that in the past two years in Denmark, 110 people have been baptized after being healed on the street, in shopping centers, and in workplaces.
“We know it’s not us, but Jesus who heals,” says Sondergaard. “It’s a good way for people to experience God.” He relates the story of two girls he met in McDonald’s. He asked them: “Would you like to really experience God? There’s only one condition: in the next 15 minutes you have do everything I tell you.” The girls agreed, he took them outside and asked passersby whether they were ill and open to receive prayer for healing. He told the girls: “Put your hand on this person and ask Jesus to heal them.” They hesitantly obeyed, but what a shock when Jesus healed, leaving the girls completely overwhelmed. They had experienced God hands-on. “In China 70 percent of the people come to Christ through a healing in the family,” says Sondergaard.
“When people want to follow Jesus, I get my iPhone and immediately ask them to become friends on Facebook so we continue the relationship,” says Sondergaard. “When I upload the movie I made of their healing, they can spread it easily to their friends.” Some of his movies have been watched over 10,000 times. He also forms simple church groups with the new believers, so they continue as a missions team.
>> Learn more about or subscribe to Joel News.
>> See Tina from Denmark, who has never prayed for people before, learn how to heal in Jesus’ name: Miracles in Denmark (YouTube); and Miracles in Sweden (even better in my opinion).
NIGER: Sowing Seeds of Change
Source: SIM, April 2012
Biodiversity and food security have been decreasing at an alarming rate in the Sahelian zone of Niger due to land clearing, soil erosion, and population pressure. This in turn leads to water loss, crop failure, and famine.
“Sowing Seeds of Change in the Sahel” conducts on-site research into sustainable agro-forestry farming systems appropriate to the region, and communicates the results through hands-on training and demonstration farms. It also provides training in nutrition, infant and maternal health, and hygiene to improve the overall well-being of the community. Trials have shown that income has increased two to three times over traditional farming methods.
A village survey on acacia food showed that this high-protein food supplement has been widely and enthusiastically accepted in the villages which the project serves. The food brings significant benefits such as increasing strength, helping staple foods to go further, and increasing the milk production of nursing mothers.
>> Full story with pictures.
HIMALAYAS: A Commitment to Tibetans
Source: Global Recordings Network, April 2012
Much work over the years has been carried out without much fanfare by friends of the ministry who, with a love for God, have quietly gone about making him known. Stephanie Vernon was a missionary who used gospel recordings as a key entrance to Tibetan hearts before she passed away at age 92.
Stephanie first went to India on a tourist visa with only US$100 in her purse. While there she felt that she needed to evangelize as many Tibetans as she could. And that is what she did for the next 20 years. Gospel recordings and Christian literature were her tools of evangelism. Moving from village to village and temple to temple, she brought the good news to countless Buddhist monks.
Stephanie was so careful with her funds that she often went without food in order to buy and transport Scripture portions and recordings. She could afford only one [porter]. So, rather than carry food, her literature and recordings were the most important part of her luggage.
Ask God to raise up more workers with a true commitment to do whatever it takes to get his Word to all peoples.
>> Full story with pictures.
>> See also this story of another Christian woman’s commitment to serve: Kidnapped Swiss Christian Freed amid Mali’s Unrest (Compass Direct).
Pat Noble has been the “news sleuth” for Missions Catalyst since 2004. In addition to churning out the news, she is working to create a SWARM (Serving World A Regional Mobilizers) in Northern New York using the NorthernChristian.org website. You can connect with her at www.whatsoeverthings.com.