———————————————————————- Missions Insider Report by Christian Aid April 9, 2003 Vol. 4 No. 14 Visit our website at http://www.christianaid.org ———————————————————————– John Lindner, Editor ———————————————————————–

1. Lao Christian Leaders Arrested 2. Philippine Bombings Prompt Prayers 3. Burundi Christians Bear Killing, Rape and Destruction 4. India’s Oldest American Missionary Enters Heaven 5. Photo of the Week: Lao Christians Reopen Church

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. LAO CHRISTIAN LEADERS ARRESTED

Lao Christians are paying dearly for their faith as authorities continue to crack down on the Christian movement. Lao authorities closed four churches recently and arrested several of their leaders.

Two Lao Christian leaders, Mr. Ton, 58, and Mr. Serun, 45, were arrested on April 3. Authorities attempted to stop the Nong-ing church worship on March 30. The church leaders persuaded the authorities to let the meeting continue, but they returned on April 3 and made the arrests. Then they tore down the church building with their hands, according to a confidential report received by Christian Aid. It is thought the church was targeted because it was visited by a high-ranking U.S. official earlier this year.

The same U.S. representative visited the church in Kdngkok, also, and found the worshipers all wearing sackcloth to show their continuous suffering under the present regime. Authorities have now seized the church building there and turned it into a government office.

In addition, a church in Chonburi District, Savannakhet Province, was closed and believers were told not to gather outside the building for any kind of worship.

Local officials also closed a church of ethnic Bru people near the Vietnam border. Most of the Bru live in Vietnam, but these were ethnic Bru living in Laos. Not only was the church closed but Mr. Koy, the leader, and 13 co-leaders and their families were forced from their homes.

The authorities were reported to have said, “We told you to stop worshipping God and to stop teaching the Christian religion and you have disobeyed.”

Please pray for these Christians. They are peaceful, diligent families who have done nothing immoral or criminal but are attacked and suffer only because they worship the Lord Jesus Christ. Gifts to help provide food, clothing and shelter for these homeless families and the families of jailed leaders can be sent to Christian Aid at http://www.christianaid.org or by calling 1-800-977-5650. For more information write and put MI-414 730-CFL on the subject line. See also today’s Photo of the Week.

———————————————————————– 2. PHILIPPINE BOMBINGS PROMPT PRAYERS

Philippine missionaries are requesting prayer in the light of recent bombings.

A bomb went off near a wharf in the Philippine city of Davao on April 3 killing at least 16 people and wounding another 52. Six of the deaths were children aged two to 14.

It was the second bombing in Davao in a month. On March 4, a bomb exploded at the Davao Airport killing 21. Davao is the largest city on Mindanao Island.

No one claimed responsibility for the latest bombing, but the Moro Islamic Liberation Front is a prime suspect. The MILF, which has been fighting for a separate Islamic state for 30 years, has denied involvement in either attack.

The second bomb was planted by a row of food stalls and restaurants near the entrance gate of a passenger terminal on the wharf. “One of the people waiting to board the boat was one of our church members,” a mission leader told Christian Aid, “but he wasn’t hurt.”

The MILF and the Philippine government signed a peace agreement in March, 2001, but that hasn’t reduced the hostilities. In fact, one Philippine observer said, “I think oppressive governments and terrorist groups think now is the time they can do things, because the world’s attention is focused on Iraq.” He said he thought there could be as many as a dozen smaller bombings on Mindanao every day that do not make the international news.

“The MILF and the NPA [New People’s Army] have always known they cannot defeat the Philippine military, so their strategies have been to fight a protracted guerrilla war replete with terrorism,” said Elizabeth Kendal of World Evangelical Alliance. “However, in this sort of warfare, the primary victims are civilians.”

A Christian Aid staff person said, “We get requests for prayer from mission leaders in Mindanao almost every day.” Their concern is not just for safety, however. One of them wrote, “Help us pray to be more zealous in winning souls. We are sad that this disaster happened in our city. We need your constant prayers.”

Christian Aid is assisting several evangelistic ministries in the Davao area. For more information about these ministries or to learn how to help them, write and put MI-414 801-Davao on the subject line.

———————————————————————– 3. BURUNDI CHRISTIANS BEAR KILLING, RAPE AND DESTRUCTION

Refugees returning to Burundi still face murder, rape and destruction at the hands of rebels and even of the police, according to reports received by Christian Aid.

Despite a peace accord and cease fire having been signed by three of Burundi’s four rebel factions, fighting and terrorism continue. “They are still killing, raping to death young women, destroying houses and cattle,” a Burundi mission leader told Christian Aid. He said that rebels raped 20 young women from the church in one district.

Despite the violence, many refugees are coming back home from exile in Tanzania and Congo. “They come naked and sick,” the leader said. “Often they are caught at the border and beaten to death by police or by other refugees.

Still reeling from the 1994 genocide in neighboring Rwanda and subsequent nine years of unrest, attempts are being made to form a transition government to keep all parties happy. All the rebel goups are Hutus, and many fear that the genocide in Rwanda could happen in Burundi, also. “The spirit of genocide still inflames the region,” the leader said.

In the midst of this hatred, many hearts are hungry for spiritual reality. A local businessman was chronically ill and called for the local priest. After a week of no change, the desperate man called the local missionary who had planted a small evangelical church. The missionary prayed for the man and he was healed.

“Those who heard and saw the miracle were convinced that there is a mighty God trustworthy to be worshiped,” the leader said. They forsook their idols and turned to the Lord, taking the church membership from 90 to 500.

“We are waiting for God to do the same thing in many parts of the country,” the leader said and asked for prayer as they wage a battle against dark spirits in the name of Christ.

To learn how you can provide support or to learn more about indigenous ministry in this region write and put MI-414 576-MCM on the subject line.

———————————————————————– 4. INDIA’S OLDEST AMERICAN MISSIONARY ENTERS HEAVEN

The oldest American-born missionary serving in India went to be with the Lord last week.

Maxton Strong, born in Ohio in 1915, went to be with the Lord on Wednesday, April 2 in Banbassa, India. He served the Lord over 62 years in India, his adopted country. He was 88.

Strong graduated from Oklahoma State University in 1940 with a B.Sc. in Agricultural Engineering. From there he went straight to India as a missionary with the Presbyterian Board of Missions to teach at the Agricultural Institute at Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh State.

After completing his seven-year contract in 1947, he returned to America to round up farm machinery to take back with him to develop a farm he had been promised in North India. When he landed in Bombay, he learned that the farm was no longer available, but he acquired 120 acres of malaria-infested land just west of the Nepal border on condition he clear and develop it into a farm.

His heart went out to the hundreds of Anglo-Indian children that nobody wanted, so he built a home and school to care for them. Thus began Good Shepherd Mission in 1948. The home still cares for about 100 poor, destitute or abandoned children.

Realizing that India would soon close its doors to foreign missionaries, Strong renounced his U.S. citizenship in 1948 and applied for Indian citizenship. For 26 years he was a man without a country, not receiving his Indian citizenship until 1983.

Strong sacrificed not only a comfortable life in America, but he lost members of his family as well. He soon lost one son to malaria, and the second son was crushed in a tractor accident at age 27. His daughter married an Australian and they were not allowed to remain in India. He married an Indian wife. When she became seriously ill, he sent her to America and never saw her again; she went to be with the Lord in 1993.

Besides the farm, home and school, Strong developed an effective outreach among the Tharu tribe that inhabits both sides of the India-Nepal border. He discipled a number of Tharu workers who planted at least seven congregations.

Christian Aid supported the work for years with gifts from committed supporters. Though the farm provides much of GSM’s support through the sale of wheat and rice, additional gifts help and can be sent to Christian Aid at http://www.christianaid.org using code 660-GSM.

———————————————————————– 5. PHOTO OF THE WEEK: LAO CHRISTIANS REOPEN CHURCH

http://www.christianaid.org/pow/pow-4-14.asp

Christian ladies stand before the Sayanoun church in Savannakhet Province in Laos after authorities closed the church and barred the doors. After meeting outside the church for several months, the believers decided to take the wooden board off the doors and go back inside. Authorities have not yet said or done anything, but the local Christians stand in jeopardy of a further crackdown. Please pray for believers in Laos. They are greatly hated by Lao authorities. See also today’s lead story.

———————————————————————– 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.

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