News headlines for December 24th 2002

(Indonesia)–Topping the news, new intelligence warns that terrorist groups could be planning bombings on Christmas Day in Indonesia. In spite of the threat, AMG International’s[1] Paul Jenks says believers are going about their business. Having recently returned from a visit, Jenks was encouraged by what he saw. “The mood of that church was really quite amazingly upbeat. The youth of the church go and pray through the evening on Saturday, the night before, until about midnight, just praying for revival, praying for effective ministry, asking God to use them.” Jenks says Indonesian Christians need prayer support. “It was amazing to see this small church, right in the middle of three small mosques that have been recently built right there in their location, trying to thwart or discourage the local Christians from coming there to worship; they’re just showing extraordinary bravery and they’re just wanting to stand up and be counted for Christ.”

(Peru)–Meanwhile, one well-respected Peruvian Christian will be spending this Christmas behind bars. Colonel David de Vinatea is an evangelical Christian who has been imprisoned since 1995 for supposed drug trafficking. “Very distinguished service in the army, had a successful campaign to root out drug trafficking in the jungles of Peru but because of the corrupt nature of their government he was imprisoned on trumped up charges.” That’s Jerry Kitchel with Open Doors[2] . Last week, a Peruvian judge denied early release despite overwhelming evidence of his innocence. Kitchel says they will continue to work for his release. Please pray for his continued testimony while he’s in prison. “He has been backed by the Christian community around the world who have been praying for him. He’s a devoted evangelical Christian and served very admirably.”

(Zimbabwe)–According to statistics from the National AIDS Council (NAC), at least two million Zimbabwean children have no parents. Of those, AIDS has orphaned nearly three quarters of a million of them. That leaves a generation without care. SIM’s[3] Trish Burrow and her husband are ministering to the orphans through the Apple Project, an AIDS prevention program. “The children, I mean, their lives are devastated by the death of their parents, even if it’s just one. And, I think that just through the program, that they will learn to live pure lives, and that they will find Jesus through it–through the examples of those who are working within the program.” Burrow says by virtue of what they do and why they reach out to the AIDS orphans, other doors open to share the hope of Christ. “There’s a lot of stigma if people do realize that you have AIDS, still. I think it’s just so that people understand that God loves everybody, and that we are there to help.”

(Haiti)–Elsewhere, Compassion International[4] says their Haiti Goat Project allows donors to help buy goats for the poor in Haiti, one of the most impoverished nations in the Western Hemisphere. Relief and development experts point out that a goat provides an excellent source of dairy products, along with a continuous source of income. Compassion International is dedicated to the long-term holistic development of children, but ministry officials have found short-term projects such as these can do wonders to help a child in poverty.

(USA)–And finally, the Bible League[5] is asking Christians around the world to give the gift of life this holiday season. President of the Bible League Denny Mulder is hoping many will consider giving God’s word to someone praying for it. Mulder says there are two billion people around the world who would eagerly read a Bible if they had one. A gift of 40-dollars places 10 Bibles into hands of those who want them. Mulder’s prayer is that the Bible League can provide a Bible to each seeker and believer who has requested it.

[1] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=AMG [2] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=ODM [3] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=SIM [4] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=CMP [5] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=BLG ———————————————————————

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