News headlines for March 19th 2003

(Jordan)–In the headlines, as Iraq prepares for a seemingly inevitable military campaign, its neighbors are busy making plans for an onslaught of a different kind. Humanitarian agencies are getting their teams and supplies in place. Food For The Hungry’s[1] Ben Homan explains their plan of action. “We are bracing for great difficulty. The conditions along the Jordanian border are very rugged, they lack infrastructure. It’s cold; it’s in the middle of nowhere, so we are preparing camps to receive people and to treat them with dignity, respect, demonstrate God’s love to them.” Homan says their response is natural, given Scripture’s mandate. “We wanted to be prepared. We believe that God calls His people to demonstrate love and compassion in situations like this. So, we’ve been ready, and, while we’ve been actively praying for peace, we are ready to be there for hurting people that are coming across the border.”

(Jerusalem)–Next, World Vision International[2] is transporting emergency relief supplies to communities in Gaza and the West Bank. The effort is aimed at helping areas that would be hardest hit by curfews and travel restrictions if war breaks out in Iraq. Anticipated interruptions could also interfere with existing humanitarian relief, especially if expatriate workers are ordered to leave. World Vision team members follow Christ’s example in working with the poor and oppressed in order to bear witness to the hope of the Gospel.

(Madagascar)–Madagascar, crippled by civil unrest last year, is seeking international aid to rebuild the country. In the effort to restore infrastructure, the government may have overlooked some specialized areas. However, Christian Blind Mission’s[3] Dr. Van Joffrion (JOE-freon) says they haven’t forgotten either their work or their calling. “In the hospitals where we work, there’s Scriptures available, they pray with the patients in the wards as they make rounds. So, the fact that it’s a Christian hospital is obvious to the patients.” Joffrion explains that the need for physical and spiritual ministry is growing. “The program has expanded from one town to another large town in the southern part of the country. There’s a retired professor that is continuing to train national doctors, and one of the trainees has now started another eye department in the capitol city, and we’re in the process of establishing another eye center in the northeast.”

(USA)–Elsewhere, reaching out and impacting unsaved immigrants is the focus of a call to action to churches. Cornerstone University is establishing a Michigan program for teaching English as a second language. Cornerstone’s Dr. Michael Pasquale (pas-KAL), Assistant Professor of English. “It’s a great outreach ministry for international people in the area. It’s a way to meet a very practical need in their lives. The best way to evangelize is to build relationships and to teach English, it’s meeting a very basic need. The Christian community reaches out by meeting this basic need then they are much more open to the Gospel.” Pasquale says the program begins at a conference next month, under the theme “Heart for the World”. “They are going to talk about how to connect a church with newly arrived people. How to deal with pronunciation issues, what curriculum would you use in the church, methods to use, more of a philosophy of ESL and ministry.”

(International)–And, AMG’s[4] international radio ministries in Australia, Cyprus, Greece, Indonesia, Myanmar, and China boldly proclaim the Gospel. Every country’s broadcast is different and uses a format that is applicable to that country. For example, AMG partners with Far East Broadcasting in Hong Kong to reach into China with the Gospel. To date, there have been more than 8,000 responses from China, which is very encouraging.

[1] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=FFH [2] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=WVI [3] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=CBM [4] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=AMG ———————————————————————

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