Today’s Headlines:

ELDERLY ‘BLASPHEMERS’ IN PAKISTAN GET 10-YEAR JAIL SENTENCES

AWARENESS PROGRAM EMPHASIZES EFFECTS OF AIDS ON CHILDREN

UZBEK CHURCH MEMBERS FINED, BIBLES BURNED BY COURT ORDER

BABY BOOMERS BECOMING KEY SOURCE OF MISSIONARY VOLUNTEERS

PEN PAL PROGRAM ENABLES E-MAIL EVANGELISM IN ASIA

Jaclyn Victor won the 2004 “Malaysian Idol” singing contest, and Juwita Suwito was the show’s singing coach. They are both Christians and recently came to Australia to sing at local churches and at a ski resort’s chapel. Host Eric Skattebo takes the “World Radio” program on the road as he follows the Malaysian singers’ adventures at the ski resort (both of them had never experienced snow before!).

In addition to the audio of the trip, a short video is also available on the World Radio webpage: http://www.hcjb.org/worldwide/australia/world_radio_programme.html.

Today’s Top Stories:

ELDERLY ‘BLASPHEMERS’ IN PAKISTAN GET 10-YEAR JAIL SENTENCES

In a case that has drawn crowds of religious fanatics, a Pakistani court sentenced two elderly Christian men to 10 years in prison Saturday, Nov. 25, for committing “blasphemy” against the Koran. After postponing the verdict for four consecutive days, Judge Muhammad Islam of Faisalabad’s Anti-Terrorism Court delivered the prison sentences and fines of 25,000 rupees (US$414) each in a closed hearing. James Masih, 65, and his neighbor, Buta Masih, 70, were rumored to have burned pages of the Koran on Sunday, Oct. 8. Defense lawyer Khalil Tahir Sindhu maintained that his defendants are innocent and called the 10-year jail terms illegal. “This conviction was not based on law,” Sindhu said. “There are only two options — 25 years’ imprisonment or acquittal. Actually [the judge]

wanted to release them, but he was really under pressure.” (Compass Direct News)

AWARENESS PROGRAM EMPHASIZES EFFECTS OF AIDS ON CHILDREN

College students nationwide are gearing up to participate in World Vision’s “Acting on AIDS” program in conjunction with World AIDS Day Friday, Dec. 1. The program highlights the effects of AIDS on children around the world. Affiliated campuses and student-led organizations will post hundreds of children’s photos on stakes erected in public areas around campuses. Students and community members will be invited to pick up a stake, hang it around their neck and pray for that child throughout the day. The hope is that by the end of the day participants will choose to sponsor a child and make a radical change in their lives toward Christ-like action worldwide. The movement was started by three college students at Seattle Pacific University in 2003. The event has grown to a network of more than 50 chapters nationwide and continues to expand. This year’s theme is “Lives Are at Stake.” (World Vision)

UZBEK CHURCH MEMBERS FINED, BIBLES BURNED BY COURT ORDER

On Wednesday, Oct. 25, three months after authorities raided a Baptist church in southern Uzbekistan, a judge fined six believers, including two visitors, for holding “unregistered religious activity.” The judge also ordered the burning of Bibles, hymnbooks and other literature confiscated during the raid. The two visitors who came from other regions of Uzbekistan received the stiffest fines — the equivalent of US$438 each — about nine times the average monthly wage in the country. Four local believers, including the homeowner where the church meets, were also saddled with slightly smaller fines. The literature was burned even though the Bible is considered “permissible literature” in Uzbekistan and the Uzbek law bans the burning of books. (Forum 18 News Service)

* HCJB World Radio airs 2.5 hours of Uzbek programs per week from an AM station outside the country. More than 15 million people speak this language.

BABY BOOMERS BECOMING KEY SOURCE OF MISSIONARY VOLUNTEERS

With one “baby boomer” retiring every seven seconds in the U.S., Wycliffe Associates is tailoring its programs with this age group in mind. Wycliffe Associates is building a new Volunteer Mobilization Center in Orlando to recruit, train and mobilize volunteers as the staff gears up for a continued influx of mature, skilled volunteers. Dr. Todd Johnson, director of the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, said that while boomers have been branded as self-centered and individualistic, many are experiencing a deepening desire to give back. “Many retirement plans are being built around missions,” he said. Some are starting non-governmental organizations such as orphanages, business centers and health clinics that minister at a local level. Martin Huyett, vice president of volunteer services for Wycliffe Associates, said retired boomers have more time to serve. “Free from the pressures of youth and middle age, the older adult can do exciting, meaningful things never dreamed of before,” he said. “As hundreds of thousands of new volunteer missionaries rise from the ranks of retiring baby boomers, they will challenge the status quo of missions and how organizations will respond to them.” (Christian Newswire)

PEN PAL PROGRAM ENABLES E-MAIL EVANGELISM IN ASIA

Assist Ministries is urging females Christians in North America to reach out to women in Taiwan and China through a project called Love Tucked Inside an E-mail. “In the past few months we have now heard from many young women in Taiwan and China, mostly students, who would love to have a friend in North America,” said Assist President Dan Wooding. “Most of them are studying English as a second language. Now is the time to share with them a message of comfort and hope.” The goal of this program is to foster friendships between North American English speakers and residents in Asia who read and speak English and want to improve their language skills. As a part of that relationship, they are able to share their faith with them and learn about each others’ lives and beliefs. “It’s like becoming a missionary without leaving home,” added Wooding. (Assist News Service)

EDITOR’S NOTE: Feel free to forward this to any interested friends. Our lists are distributed for information purposes and to encourage prayer. HCJB World Radio does not necessarily endorse or support the activities on which it reports.