———————————————————————- Missions Insider Report by Christian Aid March 12, 2003 Vol. 4 No. 10 Visit our website at http://www.christianaid.org ———————————————————————– John Lindner, Editor ———————————————————————–

1. Nepal: Three believers wrongly jailed 2. Philippines: Mindanao Suffers Continued Terrorist Attacks 3. Croatia: Tract Distribution Reaches Thousands 4. Peruvian Mission Sees Hundreds Turn to Christ 5. Photo of the Week: Malawi Grandmother Gets Food

Note: Missions Insider refrains from mentioning names that could make the subjects targets of anti-Christian activity. Names are sometimes mentioned of ministries conducting work commended by authorities or located in areas of greater religious freedom.

———————————————————————– 1. Nepal: Three Believers Wrongly Jailed

A gospel worker and two local believers were arrested and jailed on proselytism charges in western Nepal last month. Details of the arrest were made known to Christian Aid just this week.

The three included a gospel worker (34) from a church in Pokhara District, his assistant (26), and a retired soldier from the Royal Nepal Army (46). The three were on their way to visit a Christian family in Pyuthan District when they were stopped and interrogated by police in Arlabang village. The names of the accused are being kept confidential.

In response to the police questions, they answered, “We are Christians and are going to meet one of our Christian brothers in the next village, and then we are going to Pokhara to participate in a Christian program.”

The police checked their bags and found Bibles and other Christian literature, placed them under arrest and charged them with “carrying Christian literature, preaching Christianity, and attempting to convert others into Christianity.” On that basis they were detained 15 days.

A hearing took place on February 28 in the District Court of Pyuthan. When questioned by the judge, the brothers said, “We are Christians, but have never forced anyone to convert from their own religion to Christianity.” The defendants’ lawyer tried to convince the judge that the 1990 constitution of Nepal, while barring conversions, still granted everyone freedom to practice his or her own religion.

Despite these arguments, the judge said, “For now they seem to be attempting to preach Christianity. According to the civil code it is illegal to convert another person from one religion to another, or to preach in such a way as to disturb other religions. So they need to be sent to jail.”

Whereas it is not illegal to carry Christian literature, any attempt to influence others to change their religion is still illegal. An appeal is being made, but if the appeal loses, the brothers could be incarcerated for three to six years.

Please pray for the three. Gifts to help sustain their families and cover legal costs can be made at http://www.christianaid.org and earmarked MI-410 702-GOC. For additional information, write and put MI-410 702-GOC on the subject line.

———————————————————————– 2. Philippines: Mindanao Suffers Continued Terrorist Attacks

Terrorists apparently have stepped up their attacks on Mindanao Island in southern Philippines.

“There is war in Cotabato City, and four explosions in Davao City hit a gas station, the airport, a health center, and the nearby bus terminal,” said a ministry leader in the region told Christian Aid last week. “Please pray for peace on our island, and that the terrorists turn to Jesus and get saved.”

The report follows a terrorist attack March 4 in which a bomb left in a backpack in the crowded outdoor waiting shed at Davao City Airport went off killing at least 21, including three American missionaries, and filling the hospital with about 150 maimed and injured. “Lifeless bodies were tossed through the air like rag dolls. Blood was everywhere,” the Christian leader told Christian Aid. Davao is the Philippines’ second-largest city and the largest on Mindanao.

Islamic militants have been fighting for a separate Islamic homeland in southern Philippines since 1972. There are 5 million Muslims in Mindanao and adjacent small islands, though Davao City is mainly Christian (mostly Roman Catholic). The army began a new offensive against the Mindanao Islamic Liberation Front on 10 February in which some 200 rebels are reported to have been killed and over 80,000 local residents displaced.

A Christian school with 163 students in the area is now checking all bags and staff is on alert. Christian Aid assists several Christian ministries in the affected region. To learn more, contact and put MI-410 810-BLC on the subject line.

———————————————————————– 3. Croatia: Tract Distribution Reaches Thousands

An evangelical ministry in Croatia has found that handing out gospel tracts is an effective gospel witness.

The ministry’s evangelical sextet was invited to sing two hours a day for three days a week in two of Zagreb’s shopping malls during the 24 days leading up to Christmas. While the group sang, other church members handed out a total of 6000 tracts and invitations to special Christmas events.

Then the local two-week Masquerade Festival, a Mardi-Gras-type event, began on February 27. One Saturday members of the evangelical team handed out tracts and witnessed to whoever would listen.

The Croatian festival is centered around the sentencing of a fascist prince who had a lover. The last day of the event, the paper mache prince is sentenced to death, hung and burned with fire.

“The entire festival is based on witchcraft and is full of drunkenness and sexual immorality,” said one of the leaders. “It was our first time witnessing at the festival, so we were not quite sure what would happen.”

Surprisingly, the tracts were accepted by almost every one. “After a half hour the center was filled with people reading Christian tracts!” the leader said. Croatia is about 87% Roman Catholic, according to Operation World.

For more information, or to learn how you can assist this effective evangelical outreach in Croatia, write and put MI-410 336-CEO on the subject line.

———————————————————————– 4. Peruvian Mission Sees Hundreds Turn to Christ

An Peruvian evangelistic mission saw 600 people come to Christ in the last six months.

Marino Huatangare, founder and director of New Life Evangelistic Mission in Peru, told Christian Aid yesterday that his ministry conducted seven evangelistic crusades in the last six months, drawing an aggregate attendance of more than 6000 people. Of these, 600 made professions of faith, and 250new believers took the additional step of public baptism.

The ministry began as a radio program in 1985 and so many people responded that the ministry organized as a church-planting ministry three years later. Today it numbers 300 congregations gathering over 20,000 Peruvian believers, including people from the Ka ±ary tribes, others of the Peruvian Andes, and the Aguaruna tribal people along the Amazon River.

To learn more, contact and put MI-410 245-NLEM on the subject line.

———————————————————————– 5. Photo of the Week: Malawi Grandmother Gets Food

http://www.christianaid.org/pow/pow-4-10.asp

A grandmother is among those in Malawi receiving food made available by funds sent by Christian Aid. The grandmother cares for the baby on her back; it is not known if the child’s parents are living. The photo was taken by Rae Burnett of Christian Aid when she visited the ministry and personally viewed the food distribution program. Millions of persons in Malawi and other parts of southern Africa face starvation due to several years of crop failure and mismanagement. Persons wishing to contribute to famine relief in Africa may do so at the Christian Aid web site http://www.christianaid.org and designate their gift 500-FAM. For additional information write and put MI-410 500-FAM on the subject line.

———————————————————————– Mission Statement:

Missions Insider is a free weekly email report from Christian Aid Mission, your link to the world of indigenous missions. We seek to establish a witness for our Lord in every tribe and nation (Matthew 24:14) by supporting highly effective native missionary ministries based in poorer countries overseas, or where believers are persecuted. Christian Aid has contact with more than 6000 indigenous ministries that have a total of 300,000 missionaries on the field or ready to go when support is available.

———————————————————————– Permission to Republish

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