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(Ethiopia)–We begin today in Ethiopia where starvation is once again knocking on the door of the country. “There’s a great humanitarian crisis that’s going on right now in Ethiopia. Almost 20 years ago 2 million people died in Ethiopia from famine and that same famine is taking place now today.” Jerry Dykstra with Open Doors[1] says they hope to help 20-thousand Christians by providing food and other supplies to a famine-stricken region. But in addition to food, Open Doors is sending much needed Christian literature and Bibles. “We provide them with training materials that helps them to grow into their faith. Some of the pastors it helps them bring them back the materials to their church and ministers to the church through their congregation.” Dykstra says Ethiopian Christians are not only suffering the effects of famine but also an undercurrent of persecution for their faith. Pray that believers will remain strong despite ridicule and mistreatment for their faith. Some 10-percent of the population is decidedly Evangelical in their faith.

(Afghanistan)–Meanwhile, post-war Afghanistan still struggles to recover. One critical need is medical care, including eye care. Without a restored infrastructure, the burden falls to groups like Interserve[2] , partnering with the NOOR (newer) Eye Program. Together, they meet nearly ninety percent of the eye care needs in Afghanistan, prompting the need for more funding. “The project has gotten so large that we need much bigger donations and it’s been difficult to break into the large funding group. They do not see eye care as a priority need. We’ve started to cut back services, and if we don’t get major funding soon, we’ll have to curtail them very severely.” Interserve’s Tom Little. He says the government recognizes their faith, but restricts proselytizing. However, team members still minister. “They make no restrictions on us answering questions and we spend a lot of time just answering questions. We have freedom to answer and our lives hopefully reflect what we say.”

(Europe)–Human rights and religious freedom and expanding mission work throughout Europe are the twin concerns of Baptist leaders there. So says the Baptist World Alliance[3] . New laws in Belarus, Bulgaria and proposed laws in Moldova, Serbia, Kazakhstan and Bosnia and Herzegovina all threaten the religious freedom of religious minorities. However, new churches have been planted and believers have demonstrated a strong spirit of mission-mindedness.

(USA)–Next, as colleges reopen their doors for a new school year, thousands of students will be greeted with the “Freshman Survival Kit”. The kits are distributed by Campus Crusade for Christ and contain New Testament Bibles, Christian music CD’s and website information. This fall, teams expect to hand out the one millionth kit. It is seen as a way to connect with many coming from various backgrounds and faiths and provide encouragement for believers.

(Russia)–And, summer camp is a vehicle for changed lives in Russia. The Slavic Gospel Association[4] helps many young people take advantage of the experience. SGA’s Eric Mock says not only is it a fun time before school, it is also a time for spiritual awareness. “The opportunity now to take the kids to a Christian summer camp is a wonderful evangelism opportunity and it opens the door for ongoing discipleship. What we’re hearing from the reports that are just now coming in is that there were many changed lives, many young lives coming to Christ.” Mock says more than just a new faith, it gives the church an introduction into that community, and potential ministry. “What we like to see in any outreach that is more seasonal, like the summer camps, is the opportunity for these churches to reach out into the community and grab a hold of these kids, present them with the Gospel that they would understand God’s love for them, and then have the opportunity for developing a relationship for ongoing discipleship.”

[1] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=ODM [2] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=ISV [3] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=BWA [4] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=SGA ———————————————————————

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