*HCJB World Radio ve spolupráci s misijní organizací Hosanna a místními spolupracovníky v Baku v Ázerbajdžánu zdramatizovali a nahráli Nový Zákon v azerštině. Je to součást projektu Víra za slyšení Faith Comes by Hearing. Nahrávky sestavené v roce 1998 se staly podkladem řady rozhlasových pořadů.

Millions in Ethiopia and Eritrea are on the brink of malnutrition and starvation as sustained drought has all but eliminated crops and killed livestock. If relief assistance is not delivered soon, Ethiopia faces conditions similar to the famine of 1984-85, reports Catholic Relief Services (CRS). The agency also reported that nearly half of Eritrea's population will need food assistance as conditions worsen. "The situation here is deteriorating fast," said CRS spokesman Anne Bousquet in Ethiopia. "This year there are areas of the country that have never before experienced severe drought, and in many areas people have not had enough time to fully recover from previous periods of drought." An estimated 10 million to 14 million Ethiopian farmers have been affected by the lack of rainfall. CRS is preparing its emergency operations and has requested more than 300,000 metric tons of food for distribution starting in November 2002 in partnership with international and Ethiopian relief organizations. However, Bousquet said that nearly 2 million metric tons of food may be required in the next year as communities will have little to no food reserves if this year's crops fail completely. In Eritrea the drought's effects have not yet begun to take their toll. But the agency emphasized that emergency relief operations must be in place to deal with a potential disaster that threatens nearly half of the country's 3.3 million people. (Assist News Service)

* Staff members at HCJB World Radio-Australia's studios record Oromo language programs that are aired to 28 million speakers in Ethiopia and Kenya via shortwave from partner FEBA Radio.

REBEL VIOLENCE IN NEPAL HINDERS EVANGELISTIC EFFORTS

Maoist violence is causing problems for evangelism in Nepal as rebels threaten to overthrow the constitutional monarchy in the world's only Hindu kingdom. International Needs Network's Nicanor Tamang says that complicates outreach efforts. "It has been very difficult for us to openly go out ... especially out in the villages and towns ... to preach to the people in other areas," he says. "Traveling has become a very hazardous thing within the country. And that has also caused a lot of problems for us as far as evangelism is concerned." Tamang says evangelists are viewed as spies, so trust takes time to develop. "We need to pray for stability in the government of Nepal. We need to pray for the royal family, the military, the police, the whole administration and the political parties there. Once we have the stability, I believe it will be easy for us to move from place to place, sharing the gospel." (Mission Network News)

AZERBAIJANI OFFICIAL THREATENS TO SHUT DOWN JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES

Rafik Aliev, head of the State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations in Azerbaijan, says his office will attempt to cancel the registration of the Jehovah's Witnesses in Baku. He accused the group of holding "illegal meetings" and involving children in "unhealthy religious services" which he claims are a violation of the country's law on religion, justifying the initiation of court action. This contradicts Aliev's earlier statements when he pledged that the Jehovah's Witnesses had "nothing to worry about" and that legal action would not be taken to liquidate the community. Aliev has closed down the Love Baptist Church and 22 of the country's 26 madrassahs which are strict Islamic schools. (Keston News Service)

* HCJB World Radio, in partnership with Hosanna and local partners in Baku, Azerbaijan, has recorded the dramatized Azeri New Testament as part of the Faith Comes by Hearing project. The recordings, completed in 1998, have been made into a series of radio programs.

CHRISTIAN GROUPS IN BALI TO HOLD JOINT SERVICE IN RESPONSE TO BOMBING

Just 11/2 months after a terrorist attack on Bali nightclub Oct. 12 that killed more than 200 people and injured hundreds more -- most of them foreigners -- Protestants, Catholics and Pentecostals in the area will hold a joint international worship service. The theme of the service, planned for Nov. 29, will be "Fear Not! Love Conquers Fear." "We plan to do the meeting in the form of a seminar, sharing and praying," said Bishop K. Suyaga Ayub. "As God's church that holds prophetic duties, we have to be able to strengthen His people, not only Balinese but all the people in the world, so they will soon recover from the bad feelings after the bombing incidents. We deeply hope that Christians in Bali, church leaders in Indonesia and also church partners from overseas will take part in the international worship for world peace." Volunteers in Protestant and Catholic churches in Bali continue to work together to help survivors of the bombing and victims' families. Some countries have announced travel bans to Indonesia, while tourism in Bali has dropped sharply since the bombing. (Bless Indonesia Today)

ANGEL TREE PROJECT TARGETS 500,000 CHILDREN OF PRISONERS ACROSS U.S.

Across the U.S., churches and volunteers are joining together to help reach prisoners' children with a gift and the gospel this Christmas as part of Prison Fellowship's Angel Tree project. "Right now more than 490,000 children are signed up with an estimated 100,000 to 150,000 kids still to go," says Prison Fellowship Chairman Chuck Colson. "That means we will need at least 300,000 volunteers in more than 16,000 churches. This is a monumental task, but so important when you consider the desperate circumstances many of these children face. They are the most at-risk of at-risk youth in America today -- far more likely to end up in prison than other kids. But we can change all that if we can introduce them to the love and power of Jesus Christ through local churches right in their communities." (Assist News Service)

BELIEVERS URGED TO USE HALLOWEEN AS EVANGELISTIC OPPORTUNITY

With Halloween only a few days away, the American Tract Society (ATS) is reminding people that the day can be used to teach children about evangelical opportunities. ATS is working with a number of local Christian bookstores to provide "Halloween Rescue Kits." The kits include candy, stickers and a tract that shares the gospel message. ATS spokesman Mark Brown says the children can hand them out as they go door-to-door or pass them out from their own homes to trick-or-treaters. (Mission Network News)

*Nejnovější zprávy v originální anglické verzi jsou vždy ZDE (klikněte).

The leaders of a Protestant church in Karakalpakstan, an autonomous republic in northwestern Uzbekistan, have been charged with "participation in the activity of illegal religious organizations" and could face up to three years in prison if convicted. This follows a police raid on the Mir (Peace) Presbyterian Church in Nukus, attended by some members who came from a traditional Muslim ethnic background. Police also accused church leaders of luring minors into their activities. However, the parents of the children who attend the church have all signed declarations saying they do not object to the religious education of their children. Entry to the church office is now forbidden by the police. Officers also confiscated a computer and religious literature. Some suspect that the crackdown on the church may be linked to the fact that it's in the final stage of gaining official registration in Uzbekistan. It is unclear when the investigation will be completed and when the church leaders will face trial. (Keston News Service)

MARTIN LUTHER MONUMENT TO BE INAUGURATED IN PUBLIC SQUARE IN CHILE

Exactly 485 years after the publication of Martin Luther's famous "95 Theses," a monument commemorating the reformer will be inaugurated in Santiago, Chile, Thursday, Oct. 31. Martin Breitenfeldt of the Evangelical Faculty of Theology in Santiago said the area near the corner of Recoleta Ave. and Paragua St. will be named Reformation Square. "It is the first time that a public space in Latin America will be dedicated to the impeller of the evangelical movement and his inheritance," he said. "For the celebration, massive participation of evangelical believers from numerous churches is expected, plus the presence of representatives of the different sectors of Chilean society and the embassies of the countries in which the reformation started." In Chile, celebrating Reformation Day is a tradition not only marked by Lutherans, but of evangelicals from many denominations. A new religion law in Chile recently gave Protestants "legal equality" with the Roman Catholic church in the country. (Assist News Service)

NIGERIAN CITIZENS SPEAK OUT AGAINST REPRESSIVE ISLAMIC LAW

Political and religious leaders in Nigeria continue an intense debate over the implementation of Islamic law (sharia) by 12 of the country's 36 states. Some Muslim politicians appear to agree with Christian leaders that the imposition of sharia is undemocratic. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, governor of the state of Lagos where 60 percent of residents are Christians, told a gathering of journalists and religious leaders that members of the Muslim community have been pressuring him to introduce sharia. He rebuffed the attempt. Tinubu, a Muslim, expressed sadness that some politicians are deliberately dismantling the Nigerian state. "The nation's crisis can be traced to the desperation of people who want to gain power," he said. In the three years since states introduced sharia, more than 100,000 Nigerians have been displaced, and more than 3,000 have died in riots. (Compass)

EVANGELISTIC OPPORTUNITIES ABOUND AS CHAD EMERGES FROM CIVIL WAR

Two new outreaches are hoping to touch the hearts of the people of the West African country of Chad. Book of Hope's Bob Hoskins said that as the country recovers from civil war and faces incredible economic turmoil, opportunities for the gospel abound. "Some of our colleagues got a license for what's called Hope Radio," he said. "On Nov. 15 the station will begin broadcasting from N'Djananja, the capital city of Chad. In connection with the launch of Hope Radio, we're launching the Book of Hope distribution in the schools there." While Chad is predominately Muslim, Hoskins explained to government leaders that the Book of Hope, based on the Bible, can help in the battle against AIDS and drug and alcohol abuse. "I said, 'I know you don't believe Jesus as God as I do, but your Koran says that Jesus is one of the greatest of the prophets, and His teachings are acceptable in Islam. And so these are the teachings of Christ on ethics and morality. Because of the need and because of that rationale, they're accepting it.'" (Mission Network News)

BIBLE READING OUTREACH EXPANDS INFLUENCE WORLDWIDE ONLINE

A ministry that encourages English-speaking people to read through the Bible in one year is making it easier for people to read the Scriptures in other countries. Bible Pathway Ministries' Karen Hawkins says the organization's reading-through-the-Bible material is already online, and it's growing. "In January we will have German online, making it our 11th language online. And we will add six more Indian languages soon after that." Hawkins says having the material online is important. "We are even receiving e-mails from Arabic-speaking countries now," she says. "Often there are no pastors or anyone who has had Bible training, particularly in the Islamic-controlled countries. Many of them have never had Bible school, and this helps them." For details, visit BiblePathway.org. (Mission Network News)

* HCJB WORLD RADIO PARTNER IN HONDURAS BEGINS CHRISTIAN BROADCASTS

A Christian AM radio station started with HCJB World Radio's help in the central Honduran city of Siguatepeque is broadcasting the gospel in the area for the first time, culminating a two-year process. "Radio El Shadday began test broadcasts on Oct. 18, and an inauguration will be held in a few weeks after some technical glitches are solved," says Anabella Cabezas, HCJB World Radio's radio planting administrator for Latin America. The equipment was purchased with help from the ministry's Engineering Center in Elkhart, Ind.

Milton Pumisacho, an Ecuadorian engineer with ALAS, a Spanish satellite radio network operated in partnership with Trans World Radio, will travel to the city to install a downlink, connecting the station to the network, as soon as he obtains the necessary visa.

The process to plant a radio station in the city with an area population of more than 75,000 began about two years ago when a friend of HCJB World Radio visited the partner church and met with interested people. The church then applied for and received a broadcasting license that was approved in April 2001. "Their vision is to cover the central part of Honduras with the gospel," Cabezas says. "The Christian programming will be directed to every social group in the areas, becoming an affiliate of ALAS in the process."

The church initially applied for an FM station, but all of the frequencies were taken. However, the government then approved the AM frequency of 1370 kHz. A 1,000-watt AM transmitter is now on the air. "AM has the advantage of reaching further into the rural area around Siguatepeque," Cabezas said. The sponsoring church, Ministerio El Shadday, is the umbrella for Radio El Shadday. The church is part of Iglesia de Santidad (Holiness Church), a denomination with 200 congregations scattered across Honduras. She added that the partnership is somewhat unusual since the church obtained not only a radio license, but a UHF channel for closed-circuit TV. (HCJB World Radio)

*Nejnovější zprávy v originální anglické verzi jsou vždy ZDE (klikněte).

* HCJB World Radio ve spolupráci s Africkou biblickou školou pomohlo založení křesťanské rádio stanice ve městě Lolongwe v Malawi v roce 1995. Tato stanice vysílá programy v místním jazyce a v angličtině. HCJB World Radio dále pomohlo místní misii se založením nemocnice a poskytlo výuku včetně seminářů zaměřených na pomoc při krizi HIV/AIDS. Minulý rok technici z HCJB World Radio – technického centra v Elkhartu (Indie) instalovali FM vysílače na stanicích ve dvou místních městech, Blantyra a Mzuzu.

*Nejnovější zprávy v originální anglické verzi jsou vždy ZDE (klikněte).

*HCJB World Radio spolu s Campus Crusade for Christ a místními spolupracovníky provozují křesťanské vysílání od roku 1998. Stanice je v hlavním městě Phnom Penhu, jmenuje se Nový Život, vysílá anglicky a v místním jazyce.

Ve stejnou dobu byla vybrána vládní skupina, která začala už druhý den vyjednávání s rebelskými vůdci ve městě Loma. Tyto vyjednávání mají za cíl dosáhnout trvalého přiměří a ukončit tak hrozící boje. Na programu dnešního jednání jsou náročné otázky, mezi které patří navrácení území držených rebely pod vládní správu a odzbrojení povstalců – toto je považováno rebelskými vůdci za nemožné pokud nebudou ujištěni o vyřešení problémů na jejichž základě započalo celé povstání. Vláda zároveň odmítá politické požadavky rebelů jako je rezignace prezidenta Leurenta Gbagboa a vyhlášení nových voleb, které by nahradili výsledky předchozích voleb před dvěma lety, které byly poznamenány násilím, a ze kterých byl nakonec vyloučen vůdce severní opozice Alassane Ouattara. Většina rebelských bojovníků říká, že chtějí ukončit roky etnické diskriminace. Stoupenci prezidenta Gbagbo namítají, že rebelové pouze touží po moci a využívají podpory ze sousedních států. Ve stejnou dobu dochází k sestavení 2,000 sboru ozbrojenců ze severní Afriky, který nahradí francouzské vojáky v přední linii. Francie a Velká Británie souhlasila se zaplacením počátečních nákladů při vzniku takovéto skupiny asi na prvních 10 dnů. (Religion Today / Associated Press)

Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) confirmed this week that the 14 students from Nasser University in Tripoli, Libya, who were arrested on Aug. 21 for converting to Christianity have been sentenced to death. This contradicts earlier unconfirmed reports that they had been executed. "Pray for efforts to pressure Libyan authorities to reconsider," reported VOM. "Pray that God would minister to these students who were given the choice to reject Christ or face death and have chosen Christ." Even if the students are released, there is concern that they could be killed by their families for leaving Islam. (Voice of the Martyrs)

CHRISTIANS TARGETED BY REBEL SOLDIERS IN CÔTE D'IVOIRE

Christians have been targeted by soldiers and their supporters in rebel-held areas during the six-week-old rebellion in Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), reported the Barnabas Fund. Christians and other non-Muslim groups have been singled out for attack in Bouaké. The fighting has left hundreds killed and forced thousands to flee. Christian districts of the city have been attacked and devastated while Muslim areas remain untouched. The uprising started with a mutiny of soldiers who were due to be demobilized. This led to a coup attempt that was quickly suppressed in the south but developed into an armed rebellion against the government in the north. Christian ethnic groups comprise most of the population in the southern part of the country, while in the north most of the tribes are Muslim. A temporary cease-fire has been agreed to between the government and rebel forces. French troops are monitoring the cease-fire which leaves the rebels in control of much of the northern part of the country while attempts are made to resolve the situation.

Meanwhile, a team from the Côte d'Ivoire government has begun a second day of negotiations with rebel leaders in Lome, Togo, as they work to end to the fighting. Tough issues expected to come up in today's talks include returning government authority to rebel-held areas and disarming the insurgents -- something the rebels say is impossible until they are sure their grievances are met. The government is also dismissive of rebel political demands such as the resignation of President Laurent Gbagbo to make way for new elections to replace a violent poll two years ago from which northern opposition leader Alassane Ouattara was banned. Most of the rebel fighters say they want to end years of ethnic discrimination. Gbagbo's supporters say the rebels are simply hungry for power and have backing from neighboring states. A 2,000-strong West African force is being assembled to replace the French soldiers on the front line. France and Great Britain have agreed to help pay to get the force off the ground within the next 10 days or so. (Religion Today/Associated Press)

THREAT FROM TERRORISTS IN PHILIPPINES DIMINISHED, SAYS PRESIDENT

Philippines President Gloria Arroyo has assured the population that while groups of al-Qaida operatives may be present in the country, they do not pose a "significant threat." While the terrorism risk has not stopped the work of the gospel, it has interfered, says Beth Flores of the International Needs Network. "There is fear, but as Christians we are also praying that God would intervene. We have church planters and evangelists in the south area. And we have churches in that area that are working with Muslims." Flores adds that despite the security troubles in the south, God's hand is evident. "When we started with the church planting, God gave us a vision of 200 churches by the end of 2000, and God has answered that prayer. It's tremendous how God has provided Filipinos who have a vision -- Filipinos who are willing to go back to their towns and villages to share the good news of Christ." (Mission Network News)

9 CHURCHES PLANTED IN BURUNDI DESPITE LACK OF RESOURCES

Mission work in Burundi is making steady progress despite the lack of transportation and facilities, says Andrew Nzaniye, director of Evangelical Ministries of Central Africa. He said that showing the "Jesus" film is bringing the gospel to people who are rejoicing in the good news. "Our film teams are climbing mountains and carrying generators and projectors on their heads," Nzaniye said. "They reach places where people have never seen a car or a motorcycle. The people they witness to are so much excited by the new life they find in Jesus Christ." So far nine churches have been planted. Walls of the meeting halls have been constructed and now await funds for roofing. Nzaniye was pleased with the progress, considering that the teams lack means of transportation. Each team, he said, needs two bicycles. (Christian Aid Mission)

BIBLE LEAGUE LAUNCHES EVANGELISTIC MINISTRY IN YUGOSLAVIA

The Bible League opened a new office in Yugoslavia in September that is focusing initially on making new contacts and preparing Project Philip study materials. Rev. Robert Martin, the ministry's director for ministries in central/eastern Europe, says churches will begin using the project in January 2003. Through Project Philip believers invite their friends to participate in a Bible study. After completing the studies, they can earn a New Testament and then a full Bible. Throughout the process, participants study God's Word side-by-side with local Christians. As a result, many have come to faith in Christ. The Bible League will concentrate on reaching Yugoslavia's Serbian population, comprising about 63 percent of the population. Less than one-tenth of 1 percent of this group is evangelical. Other ethnic groups within Yugoslavia include Albanians, Montenegrins, Hungarians, Slovaks and Romanians. Yugoslavia includes the republics of Serbia and Montenegro along with the two semi-autonomous regions of Kosovo and Vojvodina. (The Bible League)

ADVENTIST WORLD RADIO BEGINS BROADCASTS IN CAMBODIAN LANGUAGE

Adventist World Radio is stepping up its presence in Southeast Asia with new programming aimed at more than 12 million people of Cambodia. Shortwave broadcasts in Khmer, the primary language of Cambodia, began airing from AWR's Guam station on Oct. 27. Khmer is considered a "mission language" by AWR because less than 5 percent of the country's population is Christian. Cambodia has been ravaged by guerrilla war -- a conflict that lasted for almost two decades and killed more than a fifth of the country's population. Thousands more have been maimed by land mines. In 1975 when the Khmer Rouge regime took power, there were 33 Adventist members, most of whom were killed in the subsequent upheaval. But some Cambodians who had fled to the safety of Thai refugee camps joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church. When the war ended in 1993, 600 of these new believers returned to Cambodia. Since then interest in Christianity has grown, and there are now some 4,000 Seventh-day Adventist Church members in Cambodia. (Adventist News Network)

* HCJB World Radio, in cooperation with Campus Crusade for Christ, worked with a local partner to plant Cambodia's first Christian radio station in 1998. New Life Radio in the capital city of Phnom Penh broadcasts the gospel in both Cambodian and English.