| Source: mnnonline.org | 2011-06-14 - 13?hours ago Nepal (CD/ MNN) -- Compass Direct reports some startling developments in Nepal that could impact the future of Gospel work there. Voice of the Martyrs Canada also confirms the reports which indicate that there's a change coming in the criminal code. Nepal abolished Hinduism as the state religion in 2006 but is now working on giving the criminal code added "bite." Changes now forbid a person of one faith to "convert a person or abet him to change his religion." According to Compass, Article 160 of the proposed code also says no one will be allowed to do anything or behave in any way that could cause a person from a caste, community or creed to lose faith in his/her traditional religion or convert to a different religion. The standard clauses of "offering inducements or without inducement" and preaching "a different religion or faith with any other intent" are also included in the prohibitions. Evangelists convicted under the code could face a five-year jail sentence as well as a heavy fine (US$685). If the offender is a foreigner, deportation would come within seven days of completing the sentence. The bill still needs to be approved by the House and also make it through that body's Legislative Committee. However, if the committee approves the bill, it would return to parliament and then be sent on to the president. There's been a hitch. Last weekend, the Nepalese government failed to complete a new constitution providing for religious freedom due to a protracted battle for political power. Pray for all those in authority in Nepal. Ask God to bring about genuine religious freedom in this nation. Pray for the church and that it will remain faithful, growing in strength and in number. |
| Source: mnnonline.org | 2011-06-14 - 13?hours ago International (MNN) -- The United Nations (UN) World Refugee Day is a global observance observed on June 20 each year. This year marks its 60th anniversary. The day is set aside to highlight the challenges and successes of those who are forced to flee their homeland under threat of persecution, conflict and violence. Participants are encouraged to take action such as encouraging legislators to support human rights, signing active petitions, and more engagement with refugee communities. However, the focus is on Africa, specifically on the Darfur situation in Sudan. There's not much being done to raise the awareness of the various humanitarian and religious crises throughout Asia. The Karen crisis in Burma, according to Vision Beyond Borders, is at genocide levels and largely ignored. VBB's Abigail Zimmer was just in Burma helping to set up a medical clinic in a camp. Because the team was made up of foreigners, they couldn't go into the camps. "We were in one place all day where people came to us, but there was a lot of worry about the people traveling around, being harassed on their way to and from the clinics." The conditions inside the camps are dismal. Zimmer says, "Looking at the people that were coming in, there's absolutely no dental hygiene and very minimal nutrition offered." Many of the ethnic minorities in Burma are Christian in a predominantly-Buddhist society and are oppressed and persecuted for their faith. The United Nations has registered roughly 93,000 residents who've fled Burma as refugees. Burma's junta has chased the Karen over the border, and Thailand has been kicking them back. The Thai government has been trying to close the refugee camps since March. VBB is trying to meet the needs of those who have found themselves in a "no man's land" between Burma and Thailand. "We're taking teams over as frequently as we can. We're also sending a 40-foot container of clothes and toys and things for the refugees. We just got back from a short-term medical clinic trip where we just went over and treated over 500 patients." With so few speaking on their behalf, believers have felt abandoned. A cup of cold water in Jesus' name goes a long way toward restoring the hope of the Gospel. Zimmer explains, "The people are so strong and filled with such a love for people. They were so excited, and you could see a relief and a peace that people still cared and wanted to love on them." This year's theme for the World Refugee Day is "Real People, Real Needs." Aside from helping to provide for the physical needs of the Karen, Zimmer urges Christians to "pray for their strength and protection. Also just pray for a change and a shift in their government leadership that they'll soften and turn to help the people instead of run them out." Click here to respond. |
| Source: mnnonline.org | 2011-06-14 - 13?hours ago India (MNN) -- India's church has been growing exponentially over the last few years, but there are still some regions oblivious to the Gospel. Assam state in Northeastern India is one of seven states that used to be united. The landlocked state is in the center of the other six and happens to be the center of Hinduism and Islam for the region as well. "Assam, a state with a population of about 32 million, is the most staunchly Hindu and Muslim region of Northeast India," explains Mawii Pudaite with Bibles for the World. "65% are Hindus, 30.9% are Muslims, [and] only 3.7% are Christians." Minority Christians are often ostracized in the religiously-polarized state. "Operation World states that ?Assam remains the major spiritual challenge in Northeast India. After two centuries of Christian work, professing Christians are a small and marginalized minority,'" says Pudaite. The people in the region are in desperate need of the Gospel, and Bibles for the World hopes to bring it to them. "There are more than 500,000 families whose names and addresses are available for us to send God's Word to," explains Pudaite. Now it's a matter of getting the Bible in the hands of those families. The ministry is off to a good start. Many believers in Assam are eager to bring the Truth to their neighbors. A tribal Christian doctor was so moved to do so that he provided seed-money of 52,000 rupees (about $1,160) for Bibles for the World to start printing and distributing Bibles as soon as possible. Local Christians are also prepared to do follow-up work once Bibles are distributed. Much is in place, and Bibles for the World hopes to begin distribution by the end of the year. In order to reach this goal, however, more funding is necessary. It only costs $2.25 to print and distribute a New Testament to Hindu and Muslim homes in Assam. A gift of $22.50 will cover the cost of 10 Bibles, a gift of $225 will cover the cost of Bibles for 100 families, and so on. Help cover these costs at bftw.org. The impact that these New Testaments could have on the state could be astronomical. 500,000 Bibles to 500,000 families means far more than half a million people will be reached with the Word of God. Now, the most important thing to ensure the Truth sinks into hearts is prayer. "[Pray that] God will prepare their hearts to receive His Word." |
| Source: mnnonline.org | 2011-06-14 - 13?hours ago USA (MNN) -- In the United States, the third Sunday in June is Father's Day. It's a day set aside to honor our fathers. For Christians, it's a time to honor the spiritual legacy our dads have left with us. This year, Medical Teams International wants you not only to honor your dad, but to make it possible for dads around the world to be a dad. President of Medical Teams International Bas Vanderzalm says his dad survived World War II in the Netherlands. "At the end of the war, he was in between two opposing armies, and there was no food and no shelter. American humanitarian aid workers dropped food and blankets to my dad, and it made an enormous difference." Vanderzalm is asking you to make a similar difference in the lives of people in Japan who are devastated by the March earthquake and resulting tsunami. "In Japan, right now, we're working with local churches to distribute pots and pans and blankets to people who have lost everything and who are trying to rebuild their lives." It's not just about helping physically. "I trust that when we help support that effort, it will transform not only the lives of the people, but their hearts too, and that they will see what we are doing there--the love of Christ." Vanderzalm says he has the blanket that was given to his father in his time of need. He says it's a reminder to him that everyone can be victims. "They are people like us. They are fathers, mothers and children. And they need our help. I think they will always remember what we do for them in the name of Christ for them, just as my dad always remembered." God uses these events to open hearts to the Good News. "We're not just looking at the physical needs that people have, but we realize that so many disasters touch people's hearts and that there are deep spiritual needs, as well. We try whenever we can to support local churches and what they're doing in the area because we know that what people really need is hope. And that only comes in faith in Christ." Vanderzalm is encouraging you to support the work of Medical Teams in your father's name this Father's Day. You can make a difference for a father in need both physically and spiritually. Click here to give today. |
| Source: mnnonline.org | 2011-06-14 - 13?hours ago Moldova (MNN) -- In February of 2011, the World Health Organization dubbed Moldova the world's leading nation in per-person alcohol consumption. Reports show that the average Moldovan consumes 18.22 liters of alcohol annually--three times more than the average of 6.1 liters. Other former Soviet nations on the list of heavy alcohol consumption included Russia, Ukraine, Estonia and Belarus. In Moldova, there is a special provision in the government budget for treatment of alcohol. But that government provision is not enough, and churches are stepping forward to help alcohol abusers as well. Slavic Gospel Association reports that its affiliated evangelical churches are deeply grieved at the level of alcohol abuse in their communities. SGA's Eric Mock recently painted a picture for the MNN audience of just how devastating this abuse can be for families--especially children in Ukraine. And it is certainly no better in Moldova. In response to the crisis, many SGA churches have begun Bible-based drug and alcohol rehabilitation ministries, which SGA partners help support when possible. These programs not only provide care for overcoming the addiction, but they provide the life-changing Truth of the Gospel message as well. As these programs continue to reach the countless alcohol abusers in Moldova, pray that many would find true freedom in Christ. Only 3.7% of the eastern European nation is evangelical Christian, according to the Joshua Project. Pray that this ministry might reach the hearts of many of the 97% who have yet to truly grasp the Gospel. To give to or learn more about SGA, visit sga.org. |
| Source: mnnonline.org | 2011-06-13 - 2?days ago Nepal Literacy program (Photos courtesy of H.E.L.P.) Nepal (MNN) -- When people launch community development programs in the Third World, they're usually trying to correct obvious physical needs. That was true for Tim and Lani Ackerman, who launched the Health Environmental and Learning Program (H.E.L.P.) in 1999. Using the model of Jesus' ministry to meet both the physical and spiritual needs of the poor, they decided to equip the national church and help them in developing their own community, while at the same time minister to people of all faiths. Nepal is the world's 15th illiterate country. There are schools, but Ackerman says, "The school buildings are there, but many days, going by school buildings on school days: nobody was in the school." Christians and women are on the lowest end of the social scale, which prevents access to basic things like food and water. Not only are they poor, they are also despised. The lack of education robs them of opportunities. "They're unable to function in society as far as going to the market and buying and selling, reading basic signs, and of course, reading the Bible, which is the most basic of all." Implementing programs that involve training in agriculture, husbandry and health can improve their circumstances. However, whether these programs are "sustainable" will depend entirely on whether or not the population can read. "The reason we need this basis is because the rest of our training does involve some reading and some understanding of concepts If they can't do that, we really can't educate them." Of their literacy students, Ackerman estimates 1200 are women. Once they get through the yearlong course, HELP can add to the basics with other community development material of which the Gospel is a key component. Roughly half of their students are Buddhist or Hindu at the beginning, and the other half are Christians. "By the end of our one year," Ackerman explains, "most of the women that go through our program end up at a second or third grade reading level." Their students' gratitude is best described this way: "When one lady had finished one of our literacy classes, she said, ?I was blind, but now I can see.'" Best of all, Ackerman explains, "We found out that this is an excellent church-planting tool, and that's where the discipleship comes in. [For] the people that do stay in there, it becomes a pastored church." Most of the classes start with roughly half of the students as Buddhists or Hindus. The other half are Christians. Ackerman says, "By the end of the class, many of those Buddhists and Hindus have given their life to Christ." The program is small, but growing. In Nepal, "We have two national missionaries that run these literacy programs. They're the ones that interview the literacy facilitators; they will train these guys, and then they will oversee that." With all of the demands on their team's time, Ackerman is asking believers to pray "for health, safety and travel. [Pray also] for all those that are involved, that they would have that very solid evangelical heart to use this as an outreach and a church-planting tool to change the hearts and the minds of those in Nepal." There's more here. |
| Source: mnnonline.org | 2011-06-13 - 2?days ago International (MNN) -- We all have stories to tell. Stories of joy, of pain, of birth, of death. Stories make up history, even the Bible. One ministry wants to hear your stories. Specifically those encounters you've had with poverty. Bright Hope International helps the poorest of the poor--those living on less than a dollar a day--in 10 countries around the world. The ministry has archives-full of stories about God's work with the poor. But now, they want to hear from you. "There are so many great stories out there of people that have been engaged with the extreme poor, that we want to invite people to come share those," says president Craig Dyer. The Share Your Story Campaign invites you to reflect on your own stories, and think of ministry in new ways as you listen to others. As Bright Hope compiles the stories of Christ followers around the globe, they will start an online archive for people to engage with and enjoy. "We want to gather as many stories as possible from as many different places as possible and say, ?Hey, here's what God's doing. Here's the lives that are changed.' We can be challenged by it, be emotionally moved by it and celebrate, and maybe even cry as we read some of people's stories of meeting widows and orphans and people in need." Perhaps a residual effect of the online forum to read and share stories could also be unsaved lives changed by the power of God's work. Dyer says, "I think people that don't share our faith in the Lord Jesus are attracted by our desire to help people in need." Hearing about what God's doing in the world and through his followers could be pivotal for some. As you share your stories of ways you've interacted with the world's most poor, be it across country lines through financial gifts or face to face on a mission trip, you will get to experience kingdom fellowship firsthand. So, Dyer urges, "Come, share your story--it can be a couple sentences, it could be a couple paragraphs--and just be part of God's work among the poorest of the poor, and let's encourage each other and strengthen what God is doing there." Share your story now at brighthope.org. As you think about your experience and listen to others', you may feel compelled to be a part of God's work with the most poor. If you would like to help financially, now's the time. Bright Hope currently has a matching grant option of up to $30,000 through July. Every dollar you give will be matched with another dollar. If you want to turn your $35 into $75 to bring hope, sustainability and the Gospel to the poor, give with Bright Hope at brighthope.org. |
| Source: mnnonline.org | 2011-06-13 - 2?days ago Burkina Faso (MNN) -- Unrest appears to be dying down since Burkina Faso replaced the governors of all 13 of its regions last week. The landlocked African nation has been facing various upheavals since February, when youth protested to the controversial death of a peer. Since then protests over economic downturn and industrial woes have helped add to the death toll. Dean Yoder with Christian World Outreach is in Burkina Faso now. "The day before I arrived, 19 people were killed and 60 arrested because of continued unrest," reports Yoder, who says damage throughout the country has been significant. Unrest has been great, and you can pray that the revamped government may help ease some qualms for the nation's sake. However, Yoder says their ministry has been able to make it out unscathed. "Even though there's been destruction, there's been looting, and damage to stores, and burned marketplaces, we have not experienced any difficulty or anyone trying to attack our facilities," explains Yoder. CWO has no fear that the new governor appointments will change their safety status either. In fact, their right on schedule with a building project for their ministry. CWO works with girls in Burkina Faso, who are notoriously overlooked. Young females seldom have the opportunity to get any sort of education or vocational training in the nation, so the ministry has stepped in to help change their fate. A vocational school is being built currently for the girls to learn skills like sewing, cooking, hygiene, cosmetology and agriculture. The girls are given an education and the skills necessary to produce income-a necessity essential especially for keeping them away from trades like prostitution if anything happens to the men in their families. "This is allowing them to bring dignity to themselves, feel self-worth as well as hear the Gospel and accept Jesus," Yoder adds. The vocational school is halfway finished, and the girls are able to meet in the completed portion. Despite the significant violence in Burkina Faso, the building project is scheduled to be done within the next two months. At this point, Yoder's biggest prayer is for continued safety. "We need prayer that God would continue to protect us, protect our staff, protect the girls at the school, and protect the school itself." Pray that as a result of this safety, girls would be able to learn about trades and about Christ in peace. |
| Source: mnnonline.org | 2011-06-13 - 2?days ago Algeria (MNN/ICC) -- In late May, the president of the Protestant Church Association in Algeria (EPA) received the following notice: "I, Mr. Ben Amar Salma, the High Commissioner of the police in Bjaia, have informed Mr. Mustapha Krim, the President of the EPA... to close down all worship places; the places which are used now and the places which are under construction... The authorities will make sure that the order will be obeyed, otherwise severe consequences and punishments will be applied. This notification demanded the permanent closure of the seven Protestant churches in the Bjaia province, located 200 kilometers east of the capital Algiers. The threat came as no surprise to the EPA. Since 2006, Protestants have lived at the mercy of a strict law known as Ordinance 06-03, which has prevented them from worshipping freely or legally. The ordinance regulates the worship of non-Muslims by requiring churches to obtain government permission to hold services. Despite repeated efforts by the EPA to obtain this permission, the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Religious Affairs have failed to create a clear procedure to register churches and it often takes years before a registration is approved. "We were told we are not in compliance with the 2006 decree, but we have tried to comply, EPA President Mustapha Krim told the Algerian daily La Dpche de Kabylie. "We have spoken with the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Interior Ministry. We have gone round-and-round with them for years, but nothing gets done." Similar notifications, like the one received in Bjaia, have been issued to EPA churches before. "The same thing occurred in Tizi Ouzou when several churches were ordered to close under threats that legal action would be taken against the leaders," a Protestant church leader in Tizi Ouzou told ICC. "Our church also received this order in 2008, but because we resisted, the church continues to this day." In a more recent incident, a church in the village of Makouda, near Tizi Ouzou, was given 48 hours to shut its doors on April 23. The pastor presented documents to the local police department that proved his affiliation with the EPA, but the police commissioner said the documents were not sufficient proof to operate the church. Still, the church continues to meet each week. While EPA churches continue to hold services despite being warned otherwise, they do not take the threat on the Bjaia churches lightly. "According to this decree, if one does not obey the instructions, the authorities are threatening to do the enforcement," said Krim. "Apparently they want us to disappear from the map." Nonetheless, when Sunday morning services rolled around on May 29, the notification was not enough to persuade churches in Bjaia to shut their doors. "Here we are Lord to praise Thy name!" sang a hundred worshippers before Pastor Nordin stepped to the pulpit to read Psalm 23, reminding the congregation of God's faithfulness even in hardship. "We did not understand the decision of the [governor]" a church member told La Dpche de Kabylie. "We worship out of conviction. We are not afraid, because we did nothing wrong. We were never forced to choose Jesus, but we did so voluntarily. Whatever the circumstances, we will continue to say: we are here to praise your name Lord." At the end of the day, authorities had not interfered and services proceeded as normal. Further indication that the situation was improving soon followed when Minister of Interior Dahou Ould Kablia stated at a June 2 press conference in Algiers that the Protestant Church of Bjaia will be "allowed to continue their activities until they receive the necessary authorization," Algerian news agency Tout sur l'Algrie reported. While Christians in Bjaia remain unsure about whether or not they will be allowed to freely worship in the future, one thing is certain - they will not close quietly. "Pastors and church officials... opted for resistance by continuing to worship instead of obeying the order to close their doors," said a representative of the EPA who has been closely involved in the case. "They continued to meet and celebrate their religion despite the threats. If the authorities decide to close places of worship, Christians will gather in homes or cell group meeting in the open air, which is already being done in some communities. But, we believe the situation will improve." |
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