News headlines for November 27th 2002

(Africa) — We begin today’s newscast in Africa where there doesn’t appear to be any end to the food crisis that’s plaguing that region of the world. World Vision[1] is doing what it can to help these people in Jesus’ name, but Hector Jalipa says the situation is bleak. “We are targeting about seven countries in southern Africa namely, Angola, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, Lesotho, Swaziland. That’s a total of about 64 million people. And, the affected ones that would directly need food assistance would be about 16-million.” Jalipa says the lack of rain isn’t the only reason for the lack of food. “About 25-percent of the adult population of southern Africa are suffering from HIV/AIDS. If you just take about 25-percent of them already heavily affected by HIV/AIDS then the workforce – the number of people doubles the catastrophe.” Your financial assistance is urgently needed.

(Ivory Coast) — Next, unrest in the Ivory Coast has mission groups uncertain about their future. New Tribes Mission[2] continues to monitor the situation and still considers it unwise for missionaries to return. Officials say while the situation isn’t worse, it hasn’t improved. The decision was made this week to re-evaluate the situation in the middle of next year. NTM asks for prayer for not only the missionaries and their families, but also for the tribal believers as they continue to grow in their faith.

(S. Pacific) — More than 30-million people in the South Pacific will have the opportunity to hear the message of the Gospel. HCJB World Radio[3] will be transmitting the messages of Doctor Gordon Moyes, Superintendent of the Wesley Mission in Sydney, Australia. His short stories will be aired on HCJB’s shortwave transmitter five days a week beginning December 22nd. The broadcast is expected to reach people in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Somoa.

(Russia) — Meanwhile, shoes are allowing Christians to share the Gospel with orphans in Russia. Buckner Orphan Care International’s[4] Amy Norton just returned from Russia where 40 people participated in their “shoe trip”. They delivered shoes to the orphanages, but they were allowed to do so much more. “We were actually allowed to do our vacation Bible school program and also we were able to get our follow up team, which goes in weekly and does evangelistic ministry. We were able to get permission for them to continue to go to some of these orphanages, which have never allowed us to have an evangelistic ministry before.” Norton says they collected 90-thousand shoes in 2002, but those will be gone by the end of the year. “We have to start all over again in 2003 in collecting shoes. And, we really hope that people will be committed to give this next year as they were last year. We’re really, really needing to collect more than we did the previous year.” Go to HelpOrphans-dot-org to help.

(International) — And, in the quarter century since the Jesus Film Project[5] has been introduced, there have been questions from viewers about how the Old Testament relates to the New Testament. The Jesus Film Project’s Paul Eshelman says they now have a seven-minute introduction before the film that puts the timeline together. “From earth, the creation of man; we show man in the Garden as he rebels against God. He’s cast out of the Garden, and then we see Gods’ provision of the ram that would be the sacrifice for man’s sin, that would cover his sin until the lamb of God would come in sometime in the future.” Eshelman says prologue’s purpose is to get people to listen. “If there are things initially as the film gets started that seem to put people off from listening to the message, we hope that this introduction will [help them] say, ‘Well, I can accept that answer; I see what they’re saying there’, and they will then stay and will watch the film all the way through.”

[1] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=WVI [2] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=NTM [3] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=HCJB [4] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=BOC [5] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=JFP ———————————————————————

IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STORIES ABOVE, EMAIL US AT OR CALL OUR RESOURCE LINE AT 800-995-4828!

Mission Network News, a service of Cornerstone University of Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. http://www.MNNonline.org