29th September, 2008

INDIA: HANG YOUR HEAD IN SHAME

Two eye-witnesses, trusted men from one of our partners in Central India have returned from Orissa to send us disturbing news of open slaughter, gruesome and inhuman torture, and harassing of believers whilst the authorities do nothing to help. They report that one young pastor was forced to watch his own mother being dismembered in front of his eyes and attempts are being made to poison the water tanks in the refugee camps where thousands of people seek shelter and safety. No foreigner is allowed to enter, nobody carrying aid, food or clothes can reach there, hundreds of people are hiding in the mountains with little to eat.





FIVE ORPHANAGES BURNED AND LOOTED: ORISSA

Another partner from South India has made a special journey to see for himself what is happening. He told me this morning that over 5000 houses are damaged or destroyed including 136 houses belonging to his own church members. More than 100 Christians have been killed, 50 of whom are missionaries and pastors. Five of his own orphanages have been burned and looted and the children have fled to the refugee camps despite the danger of poisoned water and food. Thousands of other Christians have fled into the forests to save their lives, including pregnant women who can only give birth under the trees. Pastor's wives and children are being kidnapped and forced to reveal information. Villagers are told to reconvert to Hinduism if they want to return home. Our partner estimates that it will cost US$50,000 just to restore the homes, clothes and belongings of his own orphanages, children and church members in Orissa.



26th September, 2008

AFTER TWO YEARS IN IQUITOS: PERU

Christiam Manrique is 34, married to Rosa and they live in Iquitos, the gateway to the Amazon in Peru. You can only get there by boat or plane. Since 2006 they have been following the call of God and in just two years their life and faith has attracted whole families to follow Jesus. From very small beginnings in their own street they now have a beautiful building and people talk about God's blessings on the church. Well done, Christiam, next month you can meet our friend Rolando Canazas when he visits Iquitos to open a School of Mission program.






THE WORLD'S NOTICE BOARD

Want to see what the people look like anywhere in the world? Earth Album will show you some stunning photos and maps. Just click somewhere on the map or write a city name in the search box. Click on the results for larger photos. Try Iquitos, and see the people that Christiam sees every day.

If you live near Pelotas - RS, in Brazil then Pastor Fabricio Avila wants to start a School of Mission and I am sure that he will make you very welcome. Pastor Fabricio has lots of other good resources and articles as well.

There's a church planting seminar in Man, Ivory Coast, November 10-14, with more than 20 denominations already represented. Pastor Doueu Zianssieu Patrice would like to invite you as well.




24th September, 2008

THIRD SCHOOL IN TWO MONTHS OPENS: NEPAL

It was only a few weeks ago that we told you about the new free School of Mission opening in Chitwan, Nepal under the leadership of Pastor Prem and his wife Elisa, who have three daughters of their own and 28 orphans in their home. Click here to see Nepal and Prem. Prem told me today that he has started a third School of Mission at Santi and he has 22 excited students there. All are ladies who are so often neglected, but not here in the shadow of Mount Everest.





CULTIVATING THE TREE OF LIFE

One of our readers asked about our way of doing things so we we drew this illustrated diagram for him, in English. There are hundreds of these trees of life in session around the world each giving its own fruit of new leaders, supporters and senders for the call of Christ. We call them free Schools of Mission.



22nd September, 2008

CHURCHES FOR POOR SPREAD LIKE A BUSH FIRE

It was only last month that we bought two huge oxen and ploughs for two of George Purkweri's ten Ugandan Churches for the Poor. George is now so excited because the people have told the story over and again about this coming of God's mercy and blessing. So much so that he has opened seven more churches in Aromo, Okwang, Adwari, Walela, Ayago, Apala and Orum. George says that faith is moving like a bush fire over the land. We are looking forward to buying more oxen and ploughs so that Uganda's poor can cultivate acres of fallow land abandoned during the 19 year war, now ended.





ONE FRIEND TO ANOTHER

Have you ever thought about the words "to them" in Genesis 1.28?  Before that on eight occasions "God said" and many things happened but it wasn't until He made man that He could say: "to them."  The grass could be under His feet, the fish, birds and cattle could come to His feet, but only man could sit at His feet and listen to His word. What a difference and how happy He must have been to have have someone who could listen to Him and speak with Him.



19th September, 2008

KINDNESS TURNS TO TRAGEDY OVER $4

On the last day of Ramadan in Indonesia a kind businessman began to give $4 to the poor. Within minutes a crowd of 5000 people gathered and in the crush twenty-one mainly older women died and many others were taken to hospital. As our partner there said, " Please keep on praying for my country. There are so many things to do here for the sake of the Kingdom and the people." Next week we hope to sponsor the start up of five new micro-businesses for young people so that such a tragedy never happens to them in the future.






THE WORLD'S NOTICE BOARD

Here are twenty four free information sheets (in English) covering everything  you need to know to get started or to keep going in overseas mission. Our thanks to Mike Frith of OSCAR which is the UK's finest mission information site.

Karen Hawkins of Bible Pathway says that she loves this page and can't wait to read it. Karen can offer you a Daily Devotion in Arabic, English, French, German, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Norwegian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Tamil and Telugu.

From Chambly in France Gerard Bourdage wrote to ask if we could help him find an evangelical church in Madrid, Spain.  Here is a list to choose from, Gerard.



17th September, 2008

SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL IN PERU ANDES

Take a look at these photos from the high Peruvian Andes and you will see Rolando, our partner in Lima making a number of extraordinary wheelchairs out of plastic patio chairs. Rolando has given the gift of mobility to these disabled people who up to now could only lie down all day. When Rolando saw this he said how he began to pray for a way to help and was startled when God answered him immediately with this very cost-effective solution.





WHEN HURRICANE IKE CAME DOWN THE STREET

At last our friends in Camaguey, Cuba, Ranledis and Marilee are back in touch after Hurricane Ike came onshore down their street. They have stories of 245 kph (150 mph) winds hitting them for hours on end. Many buildings collapsed, roofs were ripped off and the sea came in.  After seven days with little food, no power and only contaminated water to drink amazingly both they and everyone at church are all well. Sadly a neighbouring village has only four of the thirty two houses still remain standing. Food is hard to find but the BBC reports that Cuba is working hard to get things to normal again after it's worst storm ever.



15th September, 2008



SPANISH MEDICS TO TREAT THOUSANDS FREE

We have known Dr Angel Olmo and his wife Abigail for over 25 years, he is an eminent surgeon in Spain and she is his theatre nurse. This December their mission which is called EMSI is taking a team of 48 people to give free medical treatment and surgery for thousands of poor people in Burkina Faso and every one of them will hear the gospel and be offered prayer. There is considerable excitement that some totally deaf children will hear for the first time. This month EMSI have shipped a 4x4 truck and a van filled with surgical equipment, medicines, toys, clothes and a bottling machine to set up a clean water micro-business. The DCI Trust is truly proud to support this mission.





KENYA TO MALAWI, NOW INTO ZAMBIA

The leader of the free Schools of Mission in Malawi is Pastor Moses Aringo who himself is a graduate of the Nairobi EAPTC School of Mission. Moses says that he was amazed to see students coming all the way from from Zambia who soon asked if Moses would take the teaching over the border because many others were waiting to learn but couldn't afford to leave their jobs. Moses said Yes, and now there is a new instant School of Mission in Myombe, Zambia.



12th September, 2008

ORISSA ASKS FOR YOUR HELP

Our trusted partner in India Pastor Daniel has shocked us with his news that 111 homes of believers that attend his churches in Orissa have been burned to the ground in the recent wave of persecution and people have lost everything. Even three of his Mercy Homes orphanages have been looted and wrecked. He has heard that the people are desperate for food, clothing and soap.






THE WORLD'S NOTICE BOARD

People living in the tropics may like to know that the world's most active pyrethroid anti-malaria spray is said to be Suspend SC from Bayer.

If you are in Peru Daniel Chavez in Lima can offer you a professional seminar on how to manage the sound equipment in your church

If you suspect that stress is making you ill don't wait till you burn-out. Mike Frith of OSCAR, the UK's finest mission information site recommends the free diagnostic question and advice sheets from the renowned Headington Institute.




10th September 2008

AFTER THE HAITI CATASTROPHE: CUBA

Since our friends in Camaguey, Cuba sent us a hastily written e-mail on Monday to say that Hurricane Ike was due to come ashore any moment precisely where they live we have heard nothing, except to say we have seen these frightening BBC pictures of what happened there. We are waiting anxiously for news of the many children and elderly people who Ranledis and Marilee tenderly care for.





SACRED FOREST LOSES SECRET FOLLOWERS: IVORY COAST

There is a free School of Mission in Danane, one of the remotest parts of the Ivory Coast and Diongbeu Hermann Tiemoko is a recent graduate from there.  Diongbeu wasted no time in opening a new church at Bouleu where he says God is doing some wonderful things. Forty-seven villagers are growing in their new faith in Christ having turned their backs on worshiping the spirits of the nearby scared forest.  Now they are looking at ways of defeating poverty by creating new jobs and businesses.





ONE FRIEND TO ANOTHER

One thing I have asked, one thing I do, one thing I think, one thing I need is the message of  Psalm 27:4, Luke 10:42 and Philippians 2:1 and 3:13. It seems  that the Lord prefers that we who love Him listen to Him that we may know His desire, rather than do things for Him without knowing His will.



8th September, 2008

THE COURAGE OF THE TAXI DRIVER: PERU

We have a friend in Lima, Peru.  He is Juan, the taxi driver. When he finishes work at midnight he takes food and a few words of God's love to street people, and prays with many of them. Just lately he hasn't found anyone willing to go with him on Thursdays into what he admits are dark and sometimes dangerous places, like the street where the male prostitutes gather but Juan told me that they listen to him carefully and treat him well. He is sure that some will soon decide to follow Jesus. For 3 years Juan has also visited a forgotten village called Picapiedras where he speaks in the parks and baptises people in the open air.




 
BAPTISM: NOW OR LATER ?

Chuy from Mexico asks what we think about baptising infants. Personally I am very committed to the baptism of believers of all ages but I do now that many churches prefer to baptise infants into God's covenant. We dedicated our infants to the Lord in childhood and we were blessed to see them choose believers baptism for themselves later on. It was a great occasion.



5th September, 2008

MY COUNTRY IS DYING: HAITI

From the middle of this catastrophe, Johnny Auguste told me this morning with undisguised anguished, "We need mercy, no more water, 200 people are dead, Many thousands are on roofs with no food, water or shelter and will surely die."

FUTURE OF B2 STEALTH BOMBER REVEALED

GUNS AND MACHETES ALREADY PLOUGHS: UGANDA

3rd September, 2008



HURRICANE WIPES OUT SCHOOL OF MISSION: HAITI

Three weeks of Hurricanes Fay, Gustav and Hanna with more on the way has brought the death toll in the West's poorest nation Haiti to 177 and rising with many thousands facing the total loss of their homes and possessions. See BBC Video of Haiti floods. The School of Mission in Miragoane is flooded and everything inside has been ruined. There is not one water pump in the town. Our partner Johnny Auguste is receiving calls from anguished students, family and friends all over the country and hardly knows what to say or do next. He is exhausted. Food is short and our hearts go out to him and his people.

THE TENDER FACE OF CUBA

We have two new young friends in Camaguey, Cuba, Ranledis and his wife Maria who not only open churches but have a very tender vision for 100 poor children who come most days for a wash, medical care, school help and food. Some many abandoned and ill-treated older people have also found a home there. Ranledis and Maria support this from their own jobs and now they have started a first School of Mission to raise much needed leaders. There is some land nearby and apparently just $5000 will buy them all the space they need for future training, food production and care facilities. We hope to be able to help them.




1st September, 2008

INDIA TURNS BLIND EYE TO ANARCHY AND DEATHS

The bad news from Orissa, in India continues unabated. The BBC News says that 10,000 Christians are in refugee camps. Our partner John Joseph asks us to tell everyone that many churches, orphanages, school building and houses have been destroyed this past weekend and more than 70 Christians have been killed. A 200 strong mob was reported heading towards his own churches and orphanages causing believers to stay awake all night fearing attack knowing there is no help from police or government. John said that in Sindhibhata all the Christian women and children have fled into the jungle while the men hope to guard their houses and property.





GRADUATION IN AFRICA'S HEART: BURUNDI

One of the Schools of Mission in Burundi is led by Felix Niyongabo there on the Great Lakes in the very heart of Africa. Felix began with 26 students but over time one died, nine gave up and three did not pass their examination. However thirteen rightly proud graduates did receive their diplomas and three of have a vision to open new churches in this still very unstable and often dangerous land. We congratulate Felix and his men, they have done well.
 

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