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Today’s Headlines:

RENEWED FIGHTING IN LIBERIA FAILS TO STOP MISSION EFFORTS CHINESE AUTHORITIES ARREST 3 MORE HOUSE CHURCH CHRISTIANS POLICE OFFICERS AGAIN RAID UNREGISTERED CHURCH IN UZBEKISTAN 500 MUSLIMS IN ISRAEL BAPTIZED IN 18 MONTHS THROUGH LOCAL OUTREACH 100,000 PEOPLE ATTEND SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CAMPAIGN IN PERU * FIRE CAUSES MINOR DAMAGE AT NORTH AFRICA/MIDDLE EAST OFFICE

Today’s News Stories:

RENEWED FIGHTING IN LIBERIA FAILS TO STOP MISSION EFFORTS Gunfire and explosions erupted in Liberia’s capital this week even as a new U.N. peace mission took control. Insurgents and government forces opened fire as the top rebel leader made his first entry into Monrovia to meet with caretaker President Moses Blah. Liberia has been embroiled in a civil war for four years with rebels from Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) who are fighting to overthrow the government. In August ex-President Charles Taylor ceded power to his deputy, Moses Blah, who will hand power to an interim government this month. World Vision’s Paul Sitnam, speaking from Liberia, said the ministry’s teams are watching security measures carefully. “We made some tentative forays into where the fighting was and the areas beyond, and all appears calm, so some workers are at health clinics where there’s not much danger.” At least 500,000 Liberians have been displaced by the fighting in recent months, he said. Humanitarian efforts continue to open up opportunities to share the gospel. “Our work still continues, it hasn’t been completely cut off,” Sitnam said. “People can keep praying for us in that manner, that we make the right judgments, conditions here improve, and that we can go out and do our work.” (Mission Network News)

* ELWA, a partner ministry founded by SIM in Monrovia in 1954, continues to air a message of hope and encouragement across Liberia and West Africa. The station is broadcasting on a limited schedule, depending on the availability of diesel fuel to operate the generators. ELWA was destroyed twice by civil war, first in 1990 and again in 1996. The station went back on the air in 1997 with a small FM transmitter. Then in 2000 HCJB World Radio provided a low-power shortwave transmitter, again enabling the station to cover the region. ELWA broadcasts the gospel in 10 languages and plans to add more as resources become available.

CHINESE AUTHORITIES ARREST 3 MORE HOUSE CHURCH CHRISTIANS Three more believers have been arrested in Ping Ding Shan in China’s Henan province after authorities discovered they were affiliated with an unregistered church. Local sources said more than 20 Public Security Bureau (PSB) officers initially arrested two men, Xiao Bi-guang and Zhang Yi-nan, the morning of Friday, Sept. 26. Then on Sunday Yi-nan’s wife, Ding Guizhen, was arrested at the hospital where she worked as a doctor. The whereabouts of the two men is unknown, and the families have received no official notification. Guizhen is being held in the PSB office. Police also searched the homes of the detainees and confiscated various possessions, including computers and books. Bi-guang is an active member of a Beijing house church and had served three years in a labor camp for providing “spiritual aid” for an independent labor union. He was also part of the legal team representing the leaders of the South China Church, including the church’s founder, Gong Shengliang, who is serving a life sentence. Bi-guang’s wife previously worked as a theology teacher at the state-approved Beijing Theological Seminary until it was learned that she was involved in an unregistered house church. (Voice of the Martyrs)

POLICE OFFICERS AGAIN RAID UNREGISTERED CHURCH IN UZBEKISTAN For the fourth time since the unregistered Peace Protestant church in Nukus in Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan, had its registration stripped away three years ago, the church was raided by the police during worship on Sunday, Aug. 24. Two church leaders were subsequently fined 27,300 soms (US$28) which is five times the minimum monthly wage. “This is not the first time that I have fined the Peace church’s leaders,” said Judge Oibek Tureyev. “I can only repeat to you once again that under Uzbek laws, registration is compulsory.” Khym-Mun Kim, one of the two leaders who was fined, said the church has repeatedly tried to regain its registration, but each time officials have denied the application. “We are law-abiding citizens, and we want to be registered, but the authorities are forcing us to operate illegally,” said Kim. Authorities removed the church’s registration status in August 2000 after church members organized a summer camp for children from poor families. (Forum 18 News Service)

500 MUSLIMS IN ISRAEL BAPTIZED IN 18 MONTHS THROUGH LOCAL OUTREACH More than 500 Muslims converts living in Israel have been baptized in the past 18 months through a local missions agency called Society of Light. The leader of the ministry, code named Barnabas, says lasting change is only possible if Palestinians and Muslims living in Israel come to Jesus Christ. The ministry helps children of ex-Muslims now following Christ obtain school materials. The growing movement’s members experience persecution and attacks, but also unexpected help from God. Recently when the school materials were about to run out, an acquaintance from a Muslim aid organization brought Barnabas schoolbooks to be distributed to needy children. (Friday Fax/IAM Partners)

100,000 PEOPLE ATTEND SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CAMPAIGN IN PERU The largest evangelistic event ever to be organized by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Peru, “Caravana del Poder” (Caravan of Power), ended Sept. 20 with a total of 100,000 people attending events in 17 locations in Puno. Theology students from Peru Union University have been involved in this project since Aug. 10 and are continuing with follow-up efforts until this weekend. Sergio Bernales Hospital in Lima provided free medical and dental care as part of the program. A group of pastors, physicians and nurses traveled to various locations in the region to offer assistance in the areas of spirituality, health and Christian lifestyle. Puno, and the region of Lake Titicaca, have a special place in the Adventist mission. It was in this part of Peru where Ana and Fernando Stahl established schools in the first two decades of the 20th century. This comprehensive educational program became a blueprint for national education in the country. (Adventist News Network)

* FIRE CAUSES MINOR DAMAGE AT NORTH AFRICA/MIDDLE EAST OFFICE Staff members at HCJB World Radio’s North Africa/Middle East regional office are praising God that a fire wasn’t any worse after a blaze started at about 8:10 a.m. (local time) Wednesday, Oct. 1. A power surge apparently shorted out a computer monitor, sparking a fire while no one was present. In addition to the computer, the fire damaged a mini-disc player, furniture and various electronic equipment, causing an estimated $4,000 to $8,000 in damage. No foul play is suspected.

The damage was relatively minor because the fire was noticed before it got out of hand. “Two workmen who were scheduled to work at a residence that morning could not do the work there because of rain,” said the regional director. “Therefore, they came to the office to do inside work and discovered the fire. If the discovery had come only half an hour later, we probably would have lost our entire CD library. If it had begun in the middle of the night, there’s no telling how much destruction could have taken place. We’re not sure why the monitor took so long to catch fire — God’s provision!”

After turning off the electrical supply, the two men and one missionary man used garden hoses to extinguish the flames. The fire is expected to have “no direct impact on the ministry other than lost time cleaning up and repairing the damage.” Staff members are assessing the damage which is expected to be covered by insurance. They also are installing fire extinguishers and a fire alarm system. He added that the incident has served to build unity among the staff, representing 10 countries around the globe.

The North Africa/Middle East office is the hub for a variety of radio and training ministries throughout the region with Arabic programming aired via shortwave 11/2 hours daily from the U.K. and by satellite 24 hours a day. The Radio Al Mahabba (Radio Love) satellite network airs programs direct-to-home across this region which has the world’s highest concentration of personal satellite dishes. Radio Vida, an FM station started in 1997 to reach the local area, also broadcasts Spanish and Arabic programs from there. (HCJB World Radio)

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* * * * * * * * * * * * * James A. Ferrier HCJB World Radio U.S. Ministries Communications Director E-mail: Phone: 1-719-590-9800 Fax: 1-719-590-9801 Web: http://www.hcjb.org http://www.beyondthecall.org * * * * * * * * * * * * *

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