News headlines for December 19th 2002

(Nigeria)–Topping the news, rioting in Nigeria’s Plateau State last week has claimed the life of a prominent pastor and two members of his family. Voice of the Martyrs'[1] Gary Lane says the extremist Muslim mob targeted the Christians, a pattern that is likely to continue. “Radical Muslims in Nigeria want to impose Sharia law, not only on the 12 states of Nigeria that have already enacted it, but they want to impose it on the other states, and these are Christian areas. The one state that they are particularly targeting at this time is Plateau state.” Lane says in spite of the dangers, believers continue their work. Please pray. “Church buildings are being destroyed, and Christians and their pastors, the Christian leaders are being gunned down, and targeted and killed, but that isn’t stopping the growth of the church. The church in Nigeria is growing more than ever. But, we’re losing some good people; we’re losing some strong leaders-those who are standing up to the imposition of Sharia law.”

(Peru)–Elsewhere, there’s been a breakthrough in the outreach to the Quechua Indians of Peru. The SEED Company[2] is launching a project that will bring the Old Testament to nine different Quechua languages within seven years’ time. The SEED Company’s Parke Brown says what’s significant is the local church was the impetus behind the translation project. “They’ve really seen the need themselves for the Old Testament, and so the fact that the nationals themselves are calling for the Old Testament and are desiring to put the time and effort into making it happen, is a really neat part of the ownership that comes with these translations.” Brown says this project is a tangible picture of the nationals’ desire to bring God’s Word to their people. “Be praying as we start all the logistics of this in motion, basically, what we’re trying to do is take on Old Testament that’s almost all completed, and transfer that, using a computer, into the remaining eight languages.” The SEED Company is a member of the Wycliffe family, dedicated to empowering nationals to translate Scripture.

(China)–With the help of Christian Aid Mission[3] , funds were provided seven years ago to build a Bible school in one China province. As a result the school has expanded to 30 more and thousands of Christians have been trained for leadership. Leaders say the influence of the Bible schools have had an amazing effect in their communities. However the groups are still facing many hardships but say that the prayers of Christians overseas have encouraged them to continue sharing the Gospel throughout China.

(USA)–Next, thousands of prisoners in the United States will receive gifts of grace this holiday season. Eunice Skippers with Crossroads Bible Institute[4] says they have sent out over 10-thousand holiday cards. “Prison inmates generally are sort of forgotten and even family members do not write or visit them at all they are very lonely and during the Christmas season they especially feel that loneliness and so for them to get a personal card in the mail is just a total blessing for them.” Skippers says they hope it will open doors to sharing the Gospel. “Of the thousand of cards we’ve received, people have added some personal comments to these cards along with a greeting that’s printed inside. But the people have also written words of encouragement, bible verses, challenges for them to go into the word and also the promise that theses people are going to be praying for them.”

(Ecuador)–And, at a Christmas party earlier this month, more than 3,100 poor Ecuadorians received both spiritual and physical nourishment. At the party, aside from toys, goods and food, everyone received a flyer with the plan of salvation and a few sentences from the event’s sponsors and why it is held. HCJB World Radio[5] partner ministry, Extreme Response International, led the event. That agency works with local leaders to provide medical attention, counseling, basic hygiene and clothing.

[1] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=VOM [2] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=TSC [3] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=CAID [4] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=CRBI [5] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=HCJB ———————————————————————

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