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A Jordanian believer was killed late Tuesday, May 6, while attempting to diffuse a bomb that damaged the home of a European missionary family living next door to his home in Tripoli, Lebanon. Jamil Ahmed al-Rifai, 28, died instantly when the 4.5-pound bomb exploded just before midnight. Rifai, a Muslim convert to Christianity, was at the couple's house when they heard a noise outside. Leaving the apartment, al-Rifai found a bag with sparks coming out of it. Inside he found a bomb with a lit fuse. While trying to remove the fuse, it detonated, killing him instantly and damaging nearby houses and cars. The missionaries, Jakob Griffioen from the Netherlands and his German wife and their three children, were unharmed. Griffioen said he was "almost 100 percent certain" that the attack was religiously motivated, adding that he had been "repeatedly threatened" during 20 years of ministry in Lebanon. A Muslim man calling himself Mohammed who recently visited the couple, claiming that he wanted to convert to Christianity, is the prime suspect in the attack. He is among three persons detained by police after the incident. The deadly bombing was the second attack against Christian missionaries in Lebanon in the past six months. Last November an unidentified gunman shot and killed American missionary Bonnie Penner Witherall at a Christian medical clinic in Sidon. (Voice of the Martyrs/AFP)

9-YEAR-OLD PAKISTANI GIRL BEATEN IN RETALIATION FOR IRAQ WAR

A 9-year-old Christian Pakistani servant girl was recently beaten severely in retaliation for the Iraq War. Razia Masih, whose father is deceased and whose mother has a mental illness, was forced to work as a servant in the home of Mohammad Asim Malik in Faisal Town, Lahore. When the girl's brother, Farooq, heard his sister's complaints about abuse in mid-April, he repeatedly sought her release, but was rebuffed and warned never to return. When Masih tried to escape on April 26, Malik and his wife beat her so severely that she had to be admitted to the intensive care unit of a local hospital. She suffered a broken right arm and numerous cuts, bruises and burns. Masih said her employers began beating and torturing her during the bombing of Iraq. The wife told her, "We will take revenge on you for the American bombing of Iraqi Muslim children because you are an infidel and a Christian." Violence and persecution against Christians has intensified in Pakistan since 9/11. (International Christian Concern)

WORLD VISION TO SHIP TONS OF FOOD FOR NEEDY FAMILIES IN IRAQ

World Vision is poised to begin distributing emergency food and supplies to children and families in northern Iraq. World Vision has been asked by the World Food Program to provide this emergency food distribution in Mosul near the ancient city of Nineveh. So far 4,000 metric tons of emergency food have been shipped -- enough to feed 250,000 people for two months -- to help needy families who suffered under Saddam Hussein's regime. Many of these families had to flee their homes during the war and lack food, safe water, medicines, blankets and shelter materials, says World Vision President Rich Stearns. "Under Saddam, 500,000 Iraqi children were suffering from severe malnutrition; 60 percent of the population was dependent on food rations which stopped with the regime's collapse." (World Vision)

CHRISTIAN TV MINISTRY TO ARAB WORLD CONTINUES AT REDUCED LEVEL

Christian satellite television will continue in the Middle East, although at a reduced level. Last month the SAT-7 Christian television ministry in the Middle East and North Africa, announced it would have to end analogue programming because of a $2-million budget shortfall. SAT-7's emergency appeal resulted in more than $200,000 in pledges and a matching grant of $400,000. This allowed SAT-7 to continue broadcasting, but at a reduced level of four days a week instead of daily. (Mission Network News)

WYCLIFFE BIBLE TRANSLATORS NAMES NEW PRESIDENT

Wycliffe Bible Translators has named Robert Creson as its new president, replacing Roy Peterson who is now working with The Seed Company. Creson says he plans to continue pursuing Wycliffe's "Vision 2025" project. That's the plan to see Bible translation in progress in every language that needs it by the year 2025. More than 3,000 languages still lack Bible translations. (Mission Network News)

'INFLATABLE CHURCH' TO DEBUT AT CHRISTIAN EXHIBITION IN U.K.

The world's first "inflatable church" will debut at the site of a series of lectures May 13-16 organized by staff members from the U.K. web magazine, www.shipoffools.com. "The church and hot air have a long and interwoven history!" said Stephen Goddard, coeditor of the web magazine. "We thought a series of lectures looking at how the church engages with popular culture would be an ideal way to 'baptize' Michael Gill's intriguing creation." The lectures will take place in the air-filled balloon church at the Christian Resources Exhibition in Esher, Surrey, England. The inflatable church is 47 ft. high from ground to steeple, 47 ft. long and 25 ft. wide. It includes a blow-up organ, altar, pulpit, pews, candles and even "stained glass" windows. It holds approximately 60 people. The church will be commissioned by Anglican priest Michael Elfred on the first day of the exhibition. For details and photos visit www.inflatablechurch.com www.inflatablechurch.com. (Assist News Service)

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