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(Liberia)–Topping the news, as fighting in Liberia’s capital, spreads, neighboring West African countries are readying peacekeepers. The deployment means a reinforcing strength behind the ouster of President Charles Taylor. Evangelical Baptist Mission’s[1] Doug Boisvert hopes it ends soon, because: “The more unstable a country is, the less opportunities to even know where the people are that we can be in contact with since we work so closely with the local churches there. It’s just been hard to find out, everybody has been shifting around so much, (where) even where everybody is at, and just provide some assistance.” Boisvert explains why prayer for the believers takes on a key role. “They have started church services. Churches are being swamped by people who just don’t know what to do, and what they’re going to find when they get…if they get back to their home. So, ministry is going on; it’s just they’re making do with what they have.”

(South Africa)–Meanwhile, HIV/AIDS continues to plague much of the African continent. According to Jack Williams with White Fields[2] , one in four people in parts of Africa have HIV or the AIDS virus. Williams says that astounding statistic is having an impact on church leadership. “We find men that we can trust and the next thing we know you find that they’ve got AIDS and are not going to be available for you within the next two years. And so, it’s a very difficult task for not only the church, but all the countries involved.” According to Williams the church is responding. “The people realize that these people are going to die and they’re going to die without Christ. Whether we can form a church or whether we can reach them with for just church work or whether we are just reaching them, that’s the reason we want to keep them working from sun up to sun set.” Funding is needed to help White Fields support church planting-evangelists in this region hungry for the Gospel.

(Iraq)–As word of a living church in Iraq continues to spread, Walk Thru the Bible[3] confirms they have vibrant evangelical churches. Three years ago, several Iraqi cities were the site of a World Teach evangelical campaign. Since then, with the help of Walk Through The Bible, the Iraqi church has seen unprecedented growth. The group’s material plays a unique role in discipling these new believers. Please pray for the Christians as they adjust to new pressures in their country.

(Mozambique)–Next, Mission Aviation Fellowship[4] says their newest member of the fleet, the Cessna 210, provides better air transportation for missions and relief agencies in Mozambique. When not transporting Bible translators, the pilots often take patients on air ambulance flights, or fly aid personnel rushing food and supplies to starving families. This translates not only to time saved, but a reduction in cost for fuel and other flight expenses. MAF pilots thank the Lord for providing this tool to serve His church and the hurting people of Mozambique.

(Philippines)–And, we conclude our series with New Tribes Missionary,[5] Gracia Burnham. Today, she tells us about a controversial article appearing in Christianity Today. “It was a wonderful interview. And then, when the article came out I was shocked because it didn’t even sound like me. It didn’t sound like the same interview. It said I was upset with the mission for not paying a ransom. It said that if more of a ransom had been paid Martin would still be alive today. It said Martin died needlessly. That wasn’t the tone of the interview. I think that’s what kind of hurt my feelings. Nothing in that article – I don’t know – it seems to me that it didn’t give God glory for what God had brought us through. And, my thought was, ‘if these articles don’t bring glory to God, I kind of wasted a year in the jungle.'” [6]

[1] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=EBM [2] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=WFI [3] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=WTTB [4] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=MAF [5] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=NTM [6]

http://www.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/ramhurl?f=/mnn/interviews/07-25-03GraciaBurnham.rm ———————————————————————

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