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Parliamentary elections in India worries Christians India (MNN) — We begin today in India, where Christians are still concerned despite positive exit polls as India’s parliamentary elections continue in that predominately Hindu nation. According to reports, India’s Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s National Democratic Alliance is expected to return to power and gain more seats. Gospel for Asia’s[1] KP Yohannan says believers are concerned. “The biggest fear is that the BJP, on their own, will have a majority which means they can rewrite the constitution, bring laws like you have in Afghanistan, Iran or Saudi Arabia.” However, Yohannan doesn’t anticipate that happening because they’ll have to rely on a coalition of parties. Whatever the outcome, Yohannan says it won’t affect their work. “As far as we are concerned, they thousands of pastors and missionaries they made a decision, whether life or death we are going to continue to preach the Gospel. That is something we have declared publicly.” Full Story: http://mnn.gospelcom.net/article/5930 [2]

Progress made in healing for a Tajik church. Tajikistan (MNN)–Meanwhile, according to news reports from Tajikistan, there has been progress made in the January shooting death of pastor Sergey Besarab. The 24-year old hitman, who shot him while he prayed, has confessed to police. Bible Mission International’s[3] Mark Reimschisel says that’s good news for Besarab’s friends and family. “The local government officials have been very helpful to the people there in encouraging them to move forward. They tell them that they’re doing everything they can to try to find the contractor for Sergei’s death. At this point, they have not been able to find him.” Reimschisel says prayer is needed as the church recovers. “I talked with some folks on Saturday, and they said the church there is moving again. They have a new pastor there that is shepherding the flock, and all the investigation into the shooting is going on in the background, but the church is moving ahead.” Full Story: http://mnn.gospelcom.net/article/5927

A meeting of the minds in Bogota, Colombia. Colombia (MNN)–Embattled Colombian Christians haven’t been forgotten. A group of American pastors is there forging new relationships. Mission Network News’ Dave Culross joined the Open Doors[4] delegation and filed this report. “The specific purpose of this trip is to connect 24 pastors from Denver, Colorado with a group of pastors from Colombia and find ways to spread the Gospel across that persecuted country. The pastors from Denver will be seeing firsthand what the persecuted church is suffering in a war torn country in South America. The reports come across our newswires all the time of the hostages being taken, the rebels slaughtering government officials, and this impacts the church there as well. We are expecting some outstanding results from this pioneering effort. No one else is doing anything of this nature in Colombia, and we expect it to have a tremendous impact on the outreach of the Gospel there. Dave Culross, Mission Network News, Bogota, Colombia.” Full Story: http://mnn.gospelcom.net/article/5926

JESUS, changes lives in refugee camp in Africa Africa (MNN) — Next, it didn’t happen over night, but the JESUS Film has changed refugees in a civil war battered country into a missions sending force. It began in 1996 when the JESUS Film was shown in the camp that the people named, “They Abandoned Us.” Nearly half of the six-thousand people watching came to Christ. That’s when they renamed the camp, “They Adopted Us”. Soon After, many were discipled and trained in evangelism. Now the camp is called, “They Are Sending Us” because they’re now reaching other camps for Christ. Full Story: http://mnn.gospelcom.net/article/5928

Churches in Siberia’s capital start media blitz to promote the Bible Russia (MNN) — And, 2004 is “The Year of the Bible” in Russia’s Siberian region. As part of that churches in Siberia’s capital, Novosibirsk, have initiated a media blitz to raise awareness of the Bible and to entice unbelievers to find God’s Word at a local church. The Bible League[5] is supporting the initiative by supplying Bibles and training materials. The goal is to get people to join small group Bible studies where they can learn about the Bible, praying that many will come to Christ. Funding is needed to help meet the demand. Full Story: http://mnn.gospelcom.net/article/5929

[1] http://mnn.gospelcom.net/media/group.php?agencyAb=GFA [2] http://www.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/ramhurl?f=/mnn/interviews/04- 22-04KPYohannan.rm [3] http://mnn.gospelcom.net/media/group.php?agencyAb=BMN [4] http://mnn.gospelcom.net/media/group.php?agencyAb=ODM [5] http://mnn.gospelcom.net/media/group.php?agencyAb=BLG

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