News headlines for March 14th 2003

(Jordan)–Topping the news, grave concerns mark World Vision’s attentiveness over the increasing likelihood of war against Iraq. The Christian aid agency is pushing ahead with their response in the event of a humanitarian crisis throughout the region. World Vision’s[1] Steve Matthews stressed their focus on preparedness. “Now that things seem to be heating up a fair bit, we made a decision that we could access some of our major relief supplies that we had pre-positioned in the area. We airlifted 40 tons of relief supplies from Brindisi (Italy) to Amman (Jordan).” Matthews points out that they’re providing for physical needs, but, in the ravages of war, it’s spiritual needs that come to the surface. To that end, he says, “All of our staff is Christian, and all of us carry with us a Christian ethos which sort of drives us, and that’s the impetus that makes us do the work that we do. So, if it rubs off in some way in the field, then so be it, and I know that it often does.” [2]

(Korea)–Next, talks between the United States and North Korean officials will not resume until the communist regime agrees to eliminate all its nuclear weapons programs. World Bible Translation Center’s[3] Roger Massey says as the tensions escalate, it’s becoming a race against time for their workers. The Center is in its final stages of readying the Easy-To-Read Korean New Testament. “As soon as that is typeset and printed, we expect that to move across the country, and eventually even up into North Korea. We have had some contact with some North Korean Christians who are eager to see it as well.” Massey says they’re hoping the New Testaments will be ready for distribution by this summer. Please pray: “…that the underground church would be able to distribute these New Testaments into places where it’s needed the most, and that it will fuel the work of God that is already going on there. Most of all, that God would just protect this whole endeavor, to get it printed and get it into the country.” [4]

(USA)–Reaching the lost in the United States remains the focus of American Missionary Fellowship[5] , and they’re looking for some good people to help. They especially need people this summer, according to AMF’s Lee Iseley. “We will probably have over 1,000 camps and VBS taking place all across nation this summer. We will probably have an outreach of more than 60,000 campers and or students. There will probably be about 10,000 people making professions of faith this summer through our ministries.” AMF needs hundreds of volunteers to help with these country-wide evangelistic outreaches. He says reaching young people is important because the number of lost Americans is huge. “Over the past few years, the number that I have used is 190-million unreached Americans. But, in this most recent publication I saw that has now gone up to 200-million unreached Americans. That’s two out of three who are considered by definition to be unchurched.”

(Mexico)–We turn next to Mexico where YUGO Ministries[6] is embarking on a new children’s ministry in Tijuana. Church leaders are in the beginning stages of creating a foster home program for hundreds of needy children. The real goal is to find Christian homes for them. Please pray for the development of this new ministry. Pray also for workers, American, Canadian and Mexican to be the staff. And, rejoice in this new opportunity to show Christ’s love for the people of Mexico.

(International)–And, The Persecution and Prayer Alert email list has continued to grow over the last five years. 6000 active subscribers are on the list provided by Voice of the Martyrs[7] . The list provides updates and ways you can help. Believers can use the list to pray for the needs of their persecuted brothers and sisters around the world. VOM says they have also seen those prayers answered with lives saved and prisoners being released.

[1] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=WVI [2]

http://www.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/ramhurl?f=/mnn/interviews/03-14-03stevematt hews.rm [3] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=WBTC [4]

http://www.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/ramhurl?f=/mnn/interviews/03-12-03rogermass ey.rm [5] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=AMF [6] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=YUGO [7] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=VOM ———————————————————————

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