Mission Network News: thirst for physical and living water

 This is a great article about the work Living Water is doing in Northern Uganda. Below is a pull quote from the original article in Mission Network News.

The Living Water team also spent some time talking to former child soldiers, many whom were abducted between the ages of five and fourteen. During their time in the bush, they were forced to fend for themselves and often "suck the water out of dirt and mud and break tree limbs off and suck the tree limbs just to get some moisture," explained Wiles.

As a result of the war and the AIDS epidemic there are few adults around to take care of the children. "In many of the villages and the IDP camps, you'll find an 11- or 12-year-old girl taking care of four or five younger children," said Wiles.

Read the rest of the article here: Source: Mission Network News

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Other Organizations working in Northern Uganda:
Far Reaching Ministries
Saving Grace World Missions

For Pastors and Missionaries :: Desiring God

Back in the old days, we sold cassettes of the message by John Piper from the 1998 ETS meeting, "Training the Next Generation of Evangelical Pastors and Missionaries." For some reason, we missed it when we transitioned to CDs. But now it has skipped over that technological stage and is available as a free MP3. (It still sounds like a tape, though. Think of it as nostalgic.)

Link to For Pastors and Missionaries :: Desiring God

Kouya Chronicle :: Is The Age of the Great Commission Over?

 This article is a fantastic essay about the Great Commision. What is the church's attitude toward Jesus' final command. What is your attitude? Just who is called to be a missionary anyway?

The Great Commission is composed of active verbs; 'go, baptize, teach'. This is very appealing to Westerners at the start of the 21 Century. We like doing things and we are very good at planning and organizing activities. Would you believe that there are about fifty new plans for world evangelism produced every year? The Great Commission is far from complete, but it has become comfortable; it is no longer counter-cultural. We can plan and organize mission strategies, we can do stuff - that's what we are good at. Yet, at the same time, world Christians such as Brother Yun comment that Western Christians seem dry and struggle with the intense times of prayer and teaching that are part of the life of the World church. I recall with some embarrassment the end of a three day retreat in Africa where one local leader stood up and said that at last he was sure that missionaries were Christians! He'd always understood that missionaries knew a lot about the Bible and could help organize and run churches, but he hadn't been at all convinced by the depth of their personal spiritual walk.

Read the rest of the article at the link below...

Source: Kouya Chronicle :: Is The Age of the Great Comission Over?

Flying missionaries offer physical, spiritual help to Nicaraguan hurricane victims - OneNewsNow.com

Flying missionaries offer physical, spiritual help to Nicaraguan hurricane victims
Allie Martin
OneNewsNow.com
September 12, 2007

A missionary organization is bringing physical and spiritual relief to those affected by the recent hurricane in Nicaragua.

Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) is using a DC-3 to shuttle drinking water, building supplies, and other items to nearly 50,000 people directly affected by Hurricane Felix on the coast of Nicaragua. The hurricane claimed the lives of more than 100 people, and destroyed more than 10,000 homes with at least 9,000 homes partially destroyed.

John Woodbury is with MAF and he states that there are many Christian agencies involved in the relief effort. "It's just great to see the church and other Christian agencies out there really quickly coming together to help," says Woodbury. "When the need was known, a lot of stuff happened basically in a day, with people coming from all over."

God's hand was at work, testifies... http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/09/flying_missionaries_offer_phys.php

Source: Flying missionaries offer physical, spiritual help to Nicaraguan hurricane victims - OneNewsNow.com

related link

The Med Pack campaign

There are many ways for your church to show the love of Christ in a way that opens up doors and hearts for opportunities to share the gospel. Below is an article about and links to Bright Hope International.

Their goals is 50,000 Med Packs.

According to Dyer, this is an opportunity for people in the west to get engaged with people in another part of the world, while empowering the local church to be relevant. "They're delivered by local churches. We've seen it make incredible differences in people's lives physically, but also the Word of God -- planting seeds in their hearts that hopefully will flourish and help Ugandans and Kenyans come to know Him."

While the physical help is appreciated, so is God's Word. Dyer says, "I've left villages where I've seen adults flipping through the Bible -- it's an illustrated Bible -- kids were gathered around and looking at the pictures. It's our hope that that Gospel message gets into people's lives." (the rest of the story)

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---

Bright Hope International

Phone: (847) 519-0012
Fax: (847) 519-0024
URL: http://www.BrightHope.org

2060 Stonington Ave Hoffman Estates, IL
60169

 

HT: Missions Network News

Reuters AlertNet - FACTBOX-European converts to Islam

The anniversary of September 11 is sparking a flurry of activity in the media, on blogs, and among would-be terrorists in Europe. Recent arrests in Germany demonstrate that Europe is fertile for recruiting terrorists from among dissillusioned young Muslim men. What would happen if we stepped up missionary activity in Europe, especialy targeting the Muslim community.

It's true that most of the unreached live in the 10-40 Window. But who is going to reach those that emigrate from unreached regions of the planet to the supposedly "reached" areas?

Check out these stats:

Below are some estimated figures for the number of converts to Islam in larger European countries alongside total numbers for their Muslim populations.

GERMANY

The number of Muslims in Germany is estimated at 3.3 million. Around 4,000 Germans converted to Islam last year, according to German media reports quoting figures from the Central Institute Islam Archive. In 2005 there were around 1,000 German converts to Islam.

BRITAIN

The Muslim Council of Britain estimates that there are around 2 million Muslims in Britain.

There are no precise figures for converts but based on the 2001 census figure, researcher Yahya Birt estimated that around 14,000-16,000 Muslims in total in Britain were converts.

ITALY

Italy's Muslim community estimates a population of 1.2 to 1.4 million Muslims. A spokesman for the Rome mosque, one of Europe's largest, gave an estimate of a total of about 15,000 to 20,000 Muslim converts in Italy.

FRANCE The Union of Islamic Organisations (UOIF) estimates there are between 5 and 6 million Muslims in France. Le Parisien newspaper, citing UOIF estimates, said there were 4,000 converts to Islam in the year 2006.

SPAIN Spain's main Islamic organisation has said there are more than 1 million Muslims in Spain of which a small proportion are converts.

Link to Reuters AlertNet - FACTBOX-European converts to Islam

Looking for Renters

I received an email from a friend who has a friend in Rousse, Bulgaria. Rousse is just an hour away from Bucharest, Romania. This friend has a house that needs to be rented and would like to rent to missionaries. If you need any further info, email me.

Mission Network News

Something more and more people with a heart for missionaries on the field is missionary care. Missionary Care is something that folks who know they're not called to be on the field but have a burden for Christian workers living abroad can be involved in with just a little creativity and brainstorming.

Missionaries often can become isolated when living and working away from home in a culture very different from their own.

MemCare by Radio is a 15-minute daily program airing in Europe, Central Asia, and Africa. Each broadcast addresses a topic relevant to the issues missionaries often face.

"A lot of times we deal with conflict management, disappointment in missions, cross-cultural living, and children," said Scott Hollinger of TWR. He emphasized that they are really trying to focus on the entire family.

Read the rest of the article by following the source link below...

Source: Mission Network News

Looking for tomorrow's missionaries | Baptist Messenger of Oklahoma

The following is an article about mentoring the next generation's missionaries.

The International Mission Board's various Hands On projects, beginning in January 2008, will give 18- to 29-year-olds experience in the nitty-gritty of overseas missions as they consider a long-term commitment, particularly college students willing to forgo a semester of study in order to experience missionary life abroad.

Sub-Saharan Africa will be the pilot location for 2008. The program will expand to other parts of the world by 2009, Stillwell said.

Hands On will immerse young adults in a culture and language for four to five months so they can share the love of Jesus. Volunteers will work in both rural and urban areas, with projects ranging from inner-city evangelism to auto repair.

Click the source link below to read the entire article...

Source: Looking for tomorrow's missionaries | Baptist Messenger of Oklahoma

Hostages' Pastor: 'Remorse Is the Face of the Church' | Christianity Today

Christianity Today interviewed the pastor of the hostages recently released from captivity in Afghanistan.

excerpt:

The hostages did not know until after they were released that two male hostages, including the associate pastor of the church, were killed.

"Upon hearing the news, they all wailed and were in great agony," Park said. "They couldn't handle the sadness, losing their loved ones."

Park said that 20 South Koreans traveled to Afghanistan for a short-term trip to volunteer at a school and provide medical aid. He said that three of the hostages were missionaries who had already been in Korea when the group arrived. Before it had left for the country, the group was told to be cautious in the dangerous area.

Link to Hostages' Pastor: 'Remorse Is the Face of the Church' | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction

Robin & Tracy Shelley: Trip to Ica & Canete (earthquake damage and relief)

Robin & Tracy Shelley have some great pictures of ministry to earthquake victims over on their blog. Click on over there and check it out... 

The face of need!

Link to Robin & Tracy Shelley: Trip to Ica & Canete (earthquake damage and relief)

Prayer Request from Ed Compean

 I thought Shepherd's Staff missionary Ed Compean's take on the Korean Missionary crisis coming to an end was interesting enough to re-post here:

But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison." Acts 12:17

Dear Friends,

Please pray for God's great missionary endeavor across the earth He created. Please pray for the South Koreans that were recently released from the Taliban in Afghanistan and for all the laborers working in dangerous fields. Please pray that South Korea's succumbing to the demands of the Taliban will not set a higher price for missionaries. Please pray for the Taliban. Pray that they would repent and receive the forgiveness that only Jesus can bring. Please pray that South Korea will remain a strong missionary sending nation. Please pray these things will not stop the laborers in dangerous places and that God will use this situation to further His glory among the nations.

Please pray for wisdom as we deal with superstition and witchcraft. Please pray that we can speak the truth of God's word in love and not recoil in disgust.

Please pray for purity in the teaching of God's word, humility in His servants and a love for the people of Githurai.

Shalom!

Ed

Ed Compean
Calvary International Fellowship
Githurai, Kenya

Source: Ed Compean

Peru Earthquake update from John Bonner

 

We heard creation groaning last week in the 8.0 earthquake that hit the coast of central Peru. Tragically, hundreds lost their lives, thousands are wounded, and thousands more are homeless. The Lord has presented us with a wonderful opportunity to serve Him at such a time as this.

Nearly each day since the August 15th quake, we have sent busloads of volunteers to help in the work of evangelism and the relief effort. We have been concentrating in two hard hit areas: Cañete, where pastor Jaime Inga oversees a Calvary Chapel outreach, and Pisco, further south. Both regions are spiritually dark areas.

God has been faithfully providing for us to minister to the physical needs of many victims. We have delivered much needed tents, food, water, blankets, clothing and medicines. We have also been able to meet spiritual needs through works of compassion, music, mimes, puppets, and the free distribution of Bibles. Dozens from the church and Bible College have worked extremely long days, and have shared many touching reports. Our hearts have been warmed by the phone calls and letters of concern many have expressed, and also from those wanting to help. Several church teams have already come to work with us, and several more have expressed interest in helping in the weeks and months ahead to help the people rebuild their lives. Leo Maestre, my assistant pastor, is helping to organize the relief effort, and he can be reached at the following special email: ccbc_peru_earthquakerelief@yahoo.com.

Thank you for your prayers at this time. We are extremely busy with our new semester beginning tomorrow, and a packed house of students, interns, staff and missionaries. We need God's wisdom, and super-human strength that the Spirit promises! It is reassuring to know you are interceding for us before the Throne of Grace.

Meet You There!

John Bonner

Correspondence:
Jr Trujillo #456
Magdalena del Mar
Lima, Peru South America

Financial Support:
"Friends of Calvary Chapel Bible College Peru"
1771 E. Palomar St.
Chula Vista, CA 91913