In This Issue: “They follow Jesus wherever they pitch their tents.”
- NORTH AFRICA: Radio Helps Nomads Follow Jesus Wherever They Pitch Their Tents
- BANGLADESH: Garment Industry Reveals Dark Underbelly
- HUNGARY: Maybe God Is Busy
- ARABIAN PENINSULA: An Open Door for International Churches
- TANZANIA: Christians Killed in Violence over Meat Slaughter
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NORTH AFRICA: Radio Helps Nomads Follow Jesus Wherever They Pitch Their Tents
Source: SIM USA, May 1, 2013
Seven years ago there were only 10 or 20 believers at a time among a North African Muslim nomadic group of some 2 million people, even though they’d had a gospel witness for over 60 years.
Challenges to evangelism among the nomadic people were numerous: they have an oral culture and are largely illiterate, so written scriptures proved useless, and traditional evangelistic outreach methods fell flat. Plus, nomadic people are constantly on the move, making it difficult to plant a traditional community church.
[Then] radio broadcasts began. They incorporated bits of North African cultural, health, ethics, and relationship issues into the first 15 minutes of the program, and follow with 15 minutes of Bible teaching shared through storytelling by characters on the program.
The gospel is revealed program after program. Now, it is estimated that there are 140 or so of these nomadic people who follow Jesus wherever they pitch their tents.
» Full story. For another recent story from SIM (this time South Sudan), see Dedication of the Shilluk Bible.
» Learn more about African peoples at Pray Africa (Africa Inland Mission) and Africa Stories (International Mission Board), and check out the general news portal, AllAfrica.com.
BANGLADESH: Garment Industry Reveals Dark Underbelly
Source: Mission Network News, May 13, 2013
The one bright spot so far in the collapse of the eight-story Rana Plaza building, located in the Bangladesh garment district, is a woman who survived the conditions, trapped in rubble for 17 days.
The death toll surpassed 1,000, making it one of the worst industrial tragedies ever. The national co-director of Asian Access Bangladesh, Rev. Peter Mazumder, says, “It was like a bombed area…. The garment owner bought the permission from the government to construct up to five floors, but he constructed nine floors.”
Competitive pressure and corner-cutting make for a combustible situation, only needing a spark to set it ablaze. The garment sector is largely unregulated, which fueled the fury of the workforce in the wake of the earlier collapse and a fire last week.
Forced to choose between eking out enough to stay alive and working in a dangerous environment workers, many of them gambled on keeping their jobs. Most of these workers make little more than the national minimum wage of about US$38 per month.
» Full story.
» Two more pieces on Bangladesh. Read Islamists Push for Blasphemy Law (Asian Access) and watch a six-minute video, Holding Out a Hand and related stories to appreciate why Bangladeshis would take a job in a garment factory (International Mission Board).
HUNGARY: Maybe God Is Busy
Source: Pioneers, April 2013
A smaller group than usual gathered tonight: Babi and her husband and son, Gyüszi (Babi’s brother), and his wife Melinda. Tonight was Gyüszi’s first time to lead our study.
[We] use a Bible study method that is designed to train new believers to study the Scripture, understand what God is saying, and obey what they understand. I like this form of study because it allows God’s Word to teach. The facilitator must simply direct the group’s attention.
That night in our conversation together, it became clear that Babi still carried the weight of guilt about a specific sin in her past-even though she had already repented. “Maybe God is busy with more important matters than me,” Babi said at one point. “Maybe he’s off somewhere else.”
I was surprised when Gyüszi began to interject and correct his elder sister about her wrong understanding of God’s character.
He reminded her what they had learned a few weeks ago in our Bible study: “God knows your thoughts before you even speak them!” The irony is that Gyüszi didn’t believe in God then. Babi was the one with faith. Now he is encouraging her and helping her to gain a greater understanding of God’s Word. He did an excellent job facilitating the group.
» Full story. Pioneers has also produced several videos that illustrate the “Discovery Bible Study” process and related principles.
ARABIAN PENINSULA: An Open Door for International Churches
Source: RAK Evangelical Church, May 3, 2013
In 2012 the ruler of the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, the northern most Emirate of the United Arab Emirates, granted land for the establishment of an evangelical church in his emirate. This will only be the eighth evangelical church center on the entire Arabian Peninsula. A church center in this part of the world provides for legitimacy in the eyes of the government and stability for the multi-national congregation that it will house. A legally sanctioned church center plays a vital role in the establishment of a church in this region.
» Watch the eight-minute video Arabian Peninsula Church Center (RAKChurch’s Vimeo channel) and read Church Planting in the Desert: Relatively Safe and Immediately Strategic (The Gospel Coalition).
» Pray for this northernmost emirate, Ras Al Khaimah, using this great 2.5-minute PrayerShort (Praying through the Arabian Peninsula).
TANZANIA: Christians Killed in Violence over Meat Slaughter
Source: Barnabas Aid, May 2013
Christians in Tanzania are increasingly under threat from Islamists as a row over the slaughter of animals for meat has descended into violence. Two Christians were killed when their community in Tunduma came under attack on April 3. A pastor was among those arrested at the time, and when other Christian leaders went to see him they were beaten, in many cases so severely that they needed hospital treatment.
Muslims are denying Christians the right to sell their meat because it is not halal, although Tanzania has no law against Christians doing so. The authorities are siding with the Muslim aggressors; more than 60 Christians were arrested in Tunduma and dozens elsewhere.
In the absence of an offense with which to charge them, some of the Christians are being held illegally or charged with other offenses, such as breaking the peace or causing unrest, which can carry a five-year jail term. Three Christians were also arrested in February after violence broke out at a butcher’s shop in Buseresere. Pastor Mathayo Kachila was beheaded during the attack; no arrests have been made for his murder.
Threats and attacks against Christians are on the rise in Tanzania. Church leaders and evangelists are particularly at risk, and the threat to some of them from Islamists is so great that they have had to leave their homes.
» Full story. See also Escalating Violence Against Christians in Tanzania “Deeply Worrying” (Christian Today) and an editorial from Tanzania Daily News for background on the meat slaughter issue.
» Also read Nigeria: Upsurge of Violence in Northern and Central States (Christian Solidarity Worldwide). Christians are among the targets there, but it’s a complex situation, and others also suffer.
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.