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INNOCENCE
AND DARKNESS ON LIMA'S STREETS
TWICE AS
MANY GUESTS AS EXPECTED
THE
HAPPIEST DAY OF MY LIFE: PAKISTAN
OUT OF POVERTY TO BE THE BISHOP OF THE POOR We
first met George Purkweri about fourteen
years ago on a visit to Uganda and readers of these pages
will know the story of this man's passion for the poor of his war and
AIDS devastated region of Lira. A free School of
Mission, a Bank
for the Poor; Goat, Pigs, Seeds and Chicken Banks, Parties for the
Poor have led to 27 Churches for the Poor which are full of
life and hope. In a colourful ceremony this Christmas the Bishops of
Uganda welcomed George not as the Bishop of an area but as the Bishop
of the Poor. Congratulations, Bishop George and Jane ! To see the
occasion click on the image and select Slideshow.
 CHRISTMAS COMES ON THE AMAZON Our partner in Peru, Rolando Canazas has e-mailed to say this week finds him in Yurimaguas after a very long journey interrupted by heavy rains and landslides that block the roads. Today he will be going up the Ucayali River deeper into Amazonia and the plan is to make it to San Lorenzo to start second free DCI School of Mission, a gift to the people. Then Rolando will find his way back to the Belen district of Iquitos for the Party with the Poor in this desperate area where people live without love or hope, but this Christmas that will all change. 22nd December, 2008  DRIVER SHOT IN AFRICA ROADSIDE HOLD-UP We have known Eddie and Vilma of Healing Every Nation for many years, they are Brazilians who are based in Scotland and amongst many ventures have a brilliant work for orphans in Mozambique where they are right now. Last week as they were traveling in from Malawi they were held up by armed robbers. Their driver Terence was shot at point blank range and Eddie, Vilma and Sharon were dragged under a bridge and tied up. By the time they escaped the car had gone but Terence was found still alive. Later the police cornered the robbers and one died in the ensuing fire-fight which caused his house to burn down. The car has bullet holes in it, Eddie's possessions are gone but Terence will recover. They are all thanking God for His protection when sudden death was so near.
 THE BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT IN THE WORLD Our writer and translator in Honduras, Pastor Ana Avilez has had some weeks of high tension following cancer tests in two different places following the sudden appearance of lumps and other distressing symptoms. At one point an urgent operation was extremely likely and much prayer was called for. This week Ana is a very happy lady because without any treatment at all, further scans have shown that every lump has disappeared without trace and she can get on with life, a well lady. Ana, we are all so very happy for you and your family. 17th December, 2008  WHAT DOES YOUR CHURCH BUILDING PROGRAM LOOK LIKE ? Our partner in India, Pastor Daniel, wants to show us the kind of church building many of his village believers worship in, even when it rains. Many of Daniel's trained pastors care for people in four to seven different villages each and at least 28 of his men need to build a solid church to comply with the law and have some kind of transport to move between the villages. 16th December, 2008  FREE SWAHILI BIBLE VERSE BOOKMARKS Here is a self-portrait of artist Mei who is 30 and comes from Shanghai in China. She has designed and printed some Swahili bible verse bookmarks for a friend who is going to Tanzania. She has got plenty left over and you can have them if you can use them. They are very beautiful and you can see them on Mei's website where you will also find some free graphics. 15th December, 2008  THE WORLD'S NOTICE BOARD More than Conquerors are visiting Arica and Iquique in Chile in February to do seminars for believers who loves sport. Ask Jose Javier for more information. In Quito-Ecuador Semisud has a program of Cross-Cultural Studies to help you go to any part of the world and share your faith. Thanks Laura Saa for telling us. David Rodas is a pastor in Quetzaltenango-Guatemala. He e-mailed to say they have had three months of kidnapping and violent deaths in his area of La Esperanza. David asks for a medical team to come help the many poor children.
Open Doors feeds 150 street children each week in a tough district near the Thai border with Burma. So tough that one 10 year old girl was found crying and bleeding outside after being been raped. Four boys creep over the border from Burma each dawn having slept rough outside their own village because if they go home people make them sniff glue which they know destroys them but they are addicted and want to get off. Our friends Andy and Val in Chiang Rai are helping at Open Doors, they will tell you more anytime. Click on the image and press Slideshow to see Open Doors. 12th December, 2008 THE WORLD'S NOTICE BOARD Another Living in Kampala, Uganda welcomes volunteers to help care for orphans, street kids and poor children. Joseph Ssinabuly, 28, will tell you more. If you need free Bible studies in Hindi, Marathi or Manipuri then Basic Ministries is the website to see. Thanks to Henry Pulsifer in the USA for the news. Hazel Bradshaw is 78 years young and lives in Cheltenham, UK. She wants us to know that the beautiful, true Christmas story is now available at Easy English for people learning this language.
FIRST EVER VIDEO AND PHOTOS ON WEB OF PAPUA'S KOSI BUNGKUS PEOPLE If you have been following these pages you will know that at considerable risk of ill-health and cannibals three men entered the remotest jungles of Papua to take medical help and God's love to one of the world's remaining primitive peoples, the Kosi Bungkus. These are the first photos to emerge. Click on the image and then press Slideshow. Allow me to caution you that the name Kosi Bungkus reflects the fact that these primitive people do not wear clothes and both these extraordinary photos and this unique video may not be suitable for everyone. 8th December, 2008  TEARS, LEECHES AND CANNIBALS FOR JESUS, FOR KOSI BUNGKUS, FOR A LIFETIME One of the team Adri has just reached home and has been telling his story to Yoppi our editor in Indonesia. Adri remembers how he cried three times on this trip. The first time because of God's call to reach these forgotten people, and then after two days hiking in the jungle he cried in pain when his leg swelled up and he became extremely exhausted. When they waded through swamps full of leeches they had to take their clothes off so that they see could where a leech had gripped their bodies. Then the three men were warned to go round the Korway Batu tribe because they are cannibals who recently caught two soldiers and ate them. The Kosi Bungkus or Korway Ujung are just 300 adults and children but have only two old people and a few surviving teenagers. Adri told the story of how the head of the tribe decided to follow Jesus and then all the Kosi Bungkus did the same. Here's one reason why - one of team Armenius, 24, wept when his hand was tied to the hand of the headman as a covenant to say that he will serve these people for the rest of his life and will never turn back. What love is this ? Then for the third time Adri wept as they left Armenius there, and this time all the Kosi Bungkus wept as well. 7th December, 2008  UNTO US A CHILD IS BORN . . . For the last two weeks we have been holding our breath because of the wife of our partner Pastor Moses in desperately poor Malawi. She was due to give birth two weeks ago but went into such pain and difficulties that no hospital in Malawi could do anything for her. The doctors said to fly her to Kenya but no airline would take her and by then she was seriously struggling. We said, "Find a western style clinic and take her there quick, and we will trust God about the bill." So Moses ran with her and in a day or two the treatment made her comfortable but the baby was not coming. We just got a text message direct from the delivery room to say that 5 minutes ago a baby girl was born and so far both Mum and baby Pilar seem to be OK. We can breathe again. 6th December, 2008  UNTO US A CHILD IS GROWING . . Do you remember the story of the young lady from the School of Mission in Nairobi, Kenya who was gang-raped in the recent political violence but chose to keep the baby, and then when the pregnancy went very wrong the hospital sent her home for not having any money to pay them ? Our readers sent her back with the money and now Blessing is 100 days old, ladies - click here to see her. 5th December, 2008  UNTO US A SON IS GIVEN . . . OUR CHRISTMAS PARTIES FOR THE POOR Our Christmas Parties for the Poor will happen this year in Uganda, Belarus, Cuba, India, Peru, Nepal, Pakistan, Indonesia and maybe in Liberia and Haiti as well. It was through reading Luke 14, 12-14 and Matthew 25, 35-40 that we decided to celebrate Christmas with the poor instead of with our friends. The Parties are our thanksgiving to God for His gift of Jesus and to say thank you for all of God's presence, peace, provision and protection in the past year. Luke 14.13 and Matthew 25, 35-40 gave us God's choice of guests - the poor, the lame, the blind, the crippled, the hungry, the thirsty, the ragged, the homeless, the sick and the strangers. In blessing them we show our love to Jesus himself, who is our guest of honour and comes visibly as Mother Teresa said, "in his most distressing disguise of the poor." Perhaps your church might like to do the same or maybe you personally might go to just one unfortunate person and do for them what you would do for Jesus if you could. Click for more information. 4th December, 2008
A WEDDING IN UGANDA'S KILLING FIELDS Only a year ago the atmosphere in Pader was one of fear and sudden death as rebel LRA militia roamed by night, killing people and abducting children. Now our partner and friend George Purkweri has opened one his 27 Churches for the Poor in the heart of these bloodstained fields to bring the love and the healing of Christ to this long-suffering people. Last weekend saw happiness in Pader with a first wedding. Come and see for yourself, click the image and then select Slideshow. Click here to send in your news here
HELP ARRIVES FOR SOME IN ORISSA: INDIA We dare not tell you his full name but Orissa pastor AM is just back from visiting believers and their families who have taken refuge in a squalid refugee camp to escape the mindless Orissa persecution for which India should hang its head in shame. The refugees wanted to say thank you for the gifts that this brave man carried for all of us who cannot go ourselves. AM went down with fever for three days but he says that God healed him and he was able to deliver 100 Bibles, 50 blankets, 25 children's dresses and 5 sarees which is all that one man can carry by bus and foot. Click the photo below and select slideshow to see the people. 2nd December, 2008  BBC REPORTS THE TRAGEDY OF AFRICA'S AID ADDICTION Mr Mwenda showed me the head of the village, a 60 year old alcoholic man who still lives with his mother and has spent his life living off aid money, supervising projects meant to benefit the community. Then we met a young man who started selling potatoes in the street at 17 and now 10 years later he owns land, a home and has the largest store in the village, yet he has not received one penny in aid. "So you see," Mr Mwenda said, "If you were to offer this young man support in the form of low interest credit he could expand his business, offer employment and give valuable service in his community. Read the full BBC story here and read about our no-interest DCI Bank for the Poor here. 1st December, 2008  ONE FRIEND TO ANOTHER I have learned a few things, like being envied is the loneliest pleasure on earth, that self-absorption guarantees unhappiness, that the worst motive for action is groundless fear. And I would not cross the street these days to meet someone who is merely a celebrity or rich. I've seen so many of those people up close that I know how little celebrity or wealth counts in the effort to have a good life. Hey, it was no man in the pulpit saying this, it was Alan Helms, years ago he was the most celebrated gay young man in New York.
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