On Feb. 18 while trying to show a film on the life of Jesus to an eager crowd of villagers in an unreached region of Jharkhand in eastern India, 26-year-old Titus, an energetic Gospel for Asia missionary and film team leader, was attacked by a group of hostile men. After nearly strangling him with his own scarf so he couldn't cry for help, the men began punching and beating him with sticks until he fell unconscious. Other members of the film team were also beaten, but they managed to escape. Titus remained in the village where a Christian friend carried him to his house. The next morning the attackers returned, this time carrying pen and paper, demanding that he renounce Christianity. "No, I can't leave my faith," he managed to say, even though his throat was sore from nearly being strangled the day before. The group then beat him again, and he is resting from his injuries. The village leaders will meet again on Wednesday, Feb. 26, to discuss the matter. They have demanded that Titus and his team feed approximately 2,000 villagers for two days. After that they will decide what else should be done. (Assist News Service)

* In partnership with FEBA Radio, HCJB World Radio airs weekly Christian programs to eastern India via shortwave in three languages: Bhojpuri, Chattisgarhi and Mundari. A five-hour block of English programs also beams across India from a shortwave site in Kununurra, Australia. The ministry is investigating potential opportunities to help launch local Christian stations in key cities across India.

HUNGARIAN POLICE DETAIN MAN ACCUSED OF MURDERING PASTOR

Hungarian police have arrested a 25-year-old man who is accused of murdering an Evangelical Lutheran pastor who helped mentally ill people. The resident from the town of Veszprem, identified only as Csaba J., allegedly confessed to strangling pastor Eszter Andorka , 32, in her Budapest home early Sunday, Feb. 16, police officials told reporters. Atilla Petofi, who heads the Life Protection department at Budapest police headquarters, said no motive was given for what is believed to be the first murder of a Hungarian church leader in decades. Detectives suggested that Csaba may have been among those receiving counseling from the 32-year-old pastor. They found the suspect after looking into Andorka's contacts and discovering her cell phone and purse in his apartment. "The victim had helped people with a criminal record, and her home had always been open to such people," Budapest police said. However Andorka's friends told reporters they can't believe that any of the people under her care "would have turned against her." (Assist News Service)

* HCJB World Radio's partner station in Oradea, Romania, airs three hours of Hungarian programming to Hungary each week. The ministry also recently signed a partnership agreement with Yes Radio in Budapest to broadcast Christian programs via the Internet. The partner ministry is applying for a local FM license.

ETHIOPIAN AUTHORITIES CONTINUE TO HOLD 2 PROTESTANT CHURCH LEADERS

Evangelical Christians in northern Ethiopia confirm that instead of being released as expected, two local church elders jailed without charges 10 months ago were remanded to prison by a local court judge Saturday, Feb. 22. Under Ethiopian law, Pentecostal church leaders Kiros Meles, 46, and Abebayeh Desalegn, 35, can remain in detention only if a prosecutor produces sufficient evidence to press formal murder charges against them. Otherwise, the judge is required to release them. Compass Direct, however, reported that their hearing was postponed another two weeks. Meles and Desalegn were arrested after a mob of Orthodox Church extremists staged a two-day rampage last April against Maychew's five evangelical churches. Local police named the two men as suspects in the death of a young Orthodox man shot dead during the last day of the riots. Church members say that local police used the two Protestants as scapegoats in an attempt to exonerate an off-duty policeman accused of firing the fatal bullet from the local police chief's gun. (Religion Today)

MINISTRY REACHES OUT TO SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA'S 13 MILLION AIDS ORPHANS

In Sub-Saharan Africa 13 million children have been orphaned because of HIV and AIDS. Jacqui Bond from AIDS, Orphans and Street Children, a partner ministry with Teen Missions International, says the organization is reaching out to these needy children both physically and spiritually. "We have built five of what we're calling 'orphan rescue units.' We have 10 national staff members who have been through Teen Missions' Bible school training. And they reach out to these children, so the children have somewhere to come to have their basic medical needs met. We also teach them how to garden and grow food for themselves." Bond adds that the outreach opens up many witnessing opportunities with these young people. "We have Sunday school each week, and once a month we have a Christian camp. The children will come in and have a little vacation Bible school." As a result, many children have turned to Christ. (Mission Network News)

CHRISTIANS WORLDWIDE URGED TO SET ASIDE 03/03/03 FOR PRAYER

The World Prayer Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., is calling on Christians everywhere to participate in a Worldwide Day of Prayer Monday, March 3. World Prayer Team President Ted Haggard says his office has been flooded with messages from people around the world saying that God is impressing upon them to prepare to pray on 03/03/03. "These believers do not know one another, nor are they connected to one another," he said. "They do not know that the others are saying the same thing. Clearly, the Holy Spirit is speaking to His church, and He is calling His people to pray." Haggard says the need for prayer is urgent as the U.S. prepares for a possible war against Iraq. The key verse for the event is Jeremiah 33:3 -- "again, three 3s" -- "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." Haggard says many Christians think the date is significant because its numerical sequence "reminds them of the Trinity." March 3 is also the eve of the Islamic New Year and marks the last day of the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca where Muslims are encouraged to make a sacrifice at least once in their lifetime. (World Prayer Team)

120,000 ATTEND EVANGELISTIC MEETINGS IN WAR-TORN DEM. REP. OF CONGO

Civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo isn't stopping the spread of the gospel. Last week evangelist Sammy Tippit held evangelistic meetings in Kisangani, a rebel-held city in the eastern part of the country where war has broken out five times in the last four years. An estimated 120,000 people attended the three afternoon meetings Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 20-22, with 18,000 making decisions for Christ. Tippit says his team was "overwhelmed" by the response and warm reception. "I was surprised when we landed in Kisangani," he said. "I really didn't know what to expect. The pilot of our plane said that there was something happening on the ground and that we may have to circle the airfield. I wondered if fighting had broken out. But when we arrived, there were 1,000 people waiting for us. A band was playing. They immediately had a parade and brought us through the city. People lined the streets singing, dancing and shouting. It was truly amazing." The meetings were hosted by a network of evangelical churches. Rev. Jean Marc Runiga who chaired the meetings said, "This was a special time in the life of our community. The only thing that the international community has heard about us is that there is war. But now there has been singing, dancing and rejoicing in our streets and in our stadium. We have been so blessed by these meetings. Many thousands have come to Christ. This is the hope for our nation and our people." (Sammy Tippit Ministries/MNN)

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