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(Iraq) — We begin today in Iraq where Christians are asking people to pray as pockets of violence is causing uncertainty for many. Poland has sent in seven-thousand peace-keepers to help police the region. However, Jerry Dykstra with Open Doors[1] says prayer is essential. “A lot of law and order is not being enforced. A lot of people are on the streets. (There’s) just a lot of violence. As you probably have read in the newspapers that American soldiers are still being killed there. So, there’s a lot of unsettledness in they’re really concerned about religious freedoms.” According to Dykstra missionaries will soon be heading to the region. He says they need to be very careful. “We have to work closely with the church in Iraq. And, as the Open Doors team found out from the church leaders there that they requested that evangelicals are going into country now that they work with the church there together.” Pray that the Iraqis will be the heart of this outreach and that western believers will help make it successful. [2]

(Democratic Republic of Congo) — Next, rival tribes in Bunia, Democratic Republic of Congo are respecting a cease-fire in that civil war battered country. That’s allowing more than 12-thousand people to move into refugee camps, and Mission Aviation Fellowship[3] to evacuate some 17-hundred Christians during an eight-day cooperative effort between MAF-US, MAF-Europe and AIM AIR. The fate of a few MAF employee families is unknown, following the most recent violence in the region. Pray for their safety.

(England) — Thousands of young people are needed to help make an evangelistic festival in England a success. The Luis Palau Evangelistic Association[4] is holding Festival Manchester August 25th through the 31st. LPEA’s Kevin Palau says they’re recruiting six-thousand young people to help with service projects. “Some of them involve taking vacant lots and turning them into a park, they’ll be helping senior citizens install simple little security devices, they’ll be painting over graphite. Then, each evening they will have evangelistic concerts in tents.” That will help promote the big festival beginning August 30th, featuring music, activities and the Gospel message. “450 churches from all denominational strips are working together. And, their goal is to really touch the entire city and make them aware of what is the message of Jesus Christ.” [5]

(USA) — Meanwhile, imagine a resource that could change the way evangelism is done worldwide — a resource that would bring God’s word to life. Film the Bible officials have thought about it and are raising 660-million dollars to do it. Film the Bible[6] ’s David Rutherford puts the fund raising in perspective. “If 330,000 people pledged $55 a month for this three year pledge campaign that we have going, we’re done. The money’s there. 330,000 folk certainly is a lot of people in some respects, but based on the Christian population around the world it’s really next to nothing.” That’s why they’ve started the Pursuing The Vision campaign to encourage churches to join the project. Rutherford says Choral Ridge Ministries is just one example. “D. James Kennedy has said, ‘since there are still several billion people on this planet who can’t read, the usefulness of this evangelism tool is inestimable in his notion.” [7]

(Haiti) — And finally, the International Mission Board[8] is looking for Christian music teachers for a training conference in Haiti this summer. The conference is scheduled for August 2nd through the 12th. Choral directors, and teachers of voice, piano, hand bells, guitar, music theory, music history and music composition are needed. A major focus of the camp is on using music for evangelism and church planting. Pray that many will participate.

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

http://www.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/ramhurl?f=/mnn/interviews/06-09-03JerryDykstra.rm [3] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=MAF [4] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=LPEA [5]

http://www.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/ramhurl?f=/mnn/interviews/06-09-03KevinPalau.rm [6] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=FTB [7]

http://www.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/ramhurl?f=/mnn/interviews/06-09-03DavidRutherford.rm [8] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=IMB ———————————————————————

Rapids, Michigan, USA. http://www.MNNonline.org