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On the Indonesian island of Sumatra, deadly flash floods last week have devastated whole villages. AMG International's Larry Malone says the ministry has teams in the area which are putting aside normal outreach to help. "The floods provide an opportunity for greater work," he says. "One of the things that has helped AMG is that anytime there's a disaster, flood relief, we're in with immediate supplies to help the people just to live and exist for the time being and then we seek to reach into their lives by helping provide homes and food." On his most recent trip to the area, Malone saw a dedication to ministry despite the conditions. "Pray that God will continue to provide for their needs. The economy in Indonesia is devastating," he said. "The people are existing on very little. They just need God's people to uphold them in prayer that they'll stay faithful to the Lord." (Mission Network News)

TERRORIST GROUP IN UGANDA KILLS 18 IN QUEST TO FORM 'THEOCRACY'

At least 18 people were killed and many more abducted when rebels with a terrorist group called the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) launched an attack on a village in northern Uganda's Lira district the night of Wednesday Nov. 5. Military and local government sources said on Thursday that the attack on Apala occurred at around midnight. Army spokesman Lt. Chris Magezi confirmed the assault and said this was the first time Apala had ever been an LRA target. Local Councilor Joel Otim said the attack was on "women and children. They abducted people and looted the place of all its food." Magezi said an army unit had been swiftly deployed to the scene. "Our commanders have not yet verified the deaths. Until they do, we can't be sure," he added. The LRA has been fighting since 1986 under its leader, the enigmatic Joseph Kony. He wants to replace the Ugandan government with a theocracy based on the Ten Commandments, but most attacks have centered on civilians in the rural north. (IRIN News)

* HCJB World Radio, together with the Evangelical Churches of Kampala and FEBA Radio, broadcasts the gospel locally in Uganda on two FM transmitters. HCJB World Radio also worked with Jesus Focus Ministries to put a 500-watt FM station on the air in Masaka. Programs air in English and Luganda.

BAPTIST VOLUNTEERS DISTRIBUTE 45,000 FOOD BOXES IN IRAQ

Iraqis cheered as a volunteer team moved through their neighborhood to give out cartons of food sent by Southern Baptist churches across America. Children ran up to the five Southern Baptist men from Calvary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, N.C., like they were long-lost uncles, giggling and jostling to get close. Mothers handed over their babies to be held, and the few men around extended greetings. If there were any anti-American feelings, they were well hidden in this impoverished Shiite Muslim village where some families have had relatives killed or tortured by Saddam Hussein. "It reminded me of kids coming up to Jesus," marveled Jim Walker, a digital press artist from East Bend, N.C. The 10-day project in late October and early November was just a small part of a massive effort by Southern Baptists to help the Iraqi people. In late October the last of 69 truckload-sized cargo containers -- carrying a total of some 45,000 boxes of food -- arrived by truck and were offloaded in a warehouse for distribution to needy people across Iraq. Thousands of Southern Baptists in America had stuffed each carton with about 70 lbs. of flour, sugar and other basic foodstuffs -- enough to feed a family of four for several weeks. Distribution of the cartons had been halted in August because of fears that supporters of Hussein might target humanitarian workers. Even during this period, however, a small crew of Southern Baptist workers continued to distribute food, working through Iraqi churches, community councils and other organizations. About half the food has been distributed, and the rest is expected to be delivered by the end of this year. (Baptist Press)

MINISTRY WORKS TO HELP AVERT RUSSIA'S 'NATIONAL CATASTROPHE'

Russian President Vladimir Putin has called the situation of Russia's neediest young people a "national catastrophe and social priority No 1." Vera Lekareva, a member of Russia's parliament lamented, "Criminals, sexual predators and drug dealers have opened an insolent and merciless hunt on our children." With at least 3 million of the nation's children homeless, 3 percent living in under-funded childcare institutions run by the state, and 120,000 children serving time behind bars, the plight of Russia's children and youth is cause for grave concern, says Russian Ministries Vice President Sergey Rakhuba. More than 1.2 million Russians have died from drug overdoses in the last decade. At a recent gathering in Moscow led by Rakhuba, workers adopted a new ministry focus and strategy to respond to the critical need for new Christian leaders. The ministry expects to train 1,875 to 2,500 young leaders who will then be challenged to enlist and train five other youth within their region during a two-year period. The organization is working in partnership with St. Petersburg Christian University, Evangelical Christian-Baptist Union, New Life Russia, Josh McDowell Ministries, Reach Out Youth Solutions, Samaritan's Purse, Cross International, Alliance for Saturation Church-Planting, Young Life, CoMission for Children at Risk, The Gathering (Moscow), Evangelical Accrediting Association, and Viva Network. (Assist News Service)

* HCJB World Radio reaches across Russia with a variety of radio ministries. The mission has been sending gospel broadcasts across the country via shortwave since 1941, first from Quito, Ecuador, and now from the U.K. In the early 1990s the ministry began "planting" local radio ministries in Russia and now works with partners in more than a dozen cities. In 2000 HCJB World Radio helped launch the first Christian Russian radio satellite network (operated by Christian Radio for Russia), reaching across Euro-Asia. Downlinks have been installed with more than 26 partners in Russia alone.

ESCALATING HIV/AIDS PROBLEM IN INDIA PROMPTS MINISTRY TO HELP

The HIV/AIDS epidemic is increasing, but not only in Africa. The same is true of India. Recent reports indicate that 4.5 million Indians are infected with either HIV or AIDS, prompting experts and government officials to call for urgent action. World Vision is helping, but it may be awhile before the full scope of the problem is realized, says spokesperson Reena Samuel "Because of the stigma and the discrimination, we don't have people coming out [and admitting that they have the disease]. But it's surely growing, and it's at a good rate." Teaching biblical moral values and providing loving care is providing great opportunities to share Christ, she says. "World Vision's rule of being with them, standing next to them and saying, 'We care for you.' That's really been the important thing. People come up and tell us, 'It's not about money or material things. It's about the love that we see here in this place.'" (Mission Network News)

BILLY GRAHAM, 85, WON'T LET AGE SLOW DOWN PREACHING IN 2004

While evangelist Billy Graham marked his 85th birthday Friday, Nov. 7, he has no plans to slow down in his preaching. "I never dreamed that I would live to be 85," Graham said in a statement. "I am grateful to the Lord for the strength he gives me to hold additional crusades." Graham spokesman Larry Ross said officials of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association have decided to once again use the term "crusades" to describe Graham's major events, rather than "missions." "I think that there's been consensus among the leadership to return to the more familiar term, 'crusade,'" Ross said. "It's what he's been known for all these years." In 2001 shortly after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Graham suggested the next announcement of an evangelistic outreach be called something other than a "crusade" in an effort to be sensitive to people of non-Christian faiths. Ross said the change reflects an emphasis on the "denotation of the word" rather than "any implied connotation." The evangelist has been meeting with his son, Franklin, chief executive officer of the association, and others to discuss invitations he has received to hold future evangelistic meetings. He plans to announce his 2004 schedule in January. (Religion News Service)

Turkmenistan's harsh new religion law, which came into effect Monday Nov. 10, outlaws all unregistered religious activity, and a criminal code amendment prescribes penalties for breaking the law of up to a year of "corrective labor." Turkmenistan joins Uzbekistan and Belarus in defying the international human rights agreements they have signed by forbidding unregistered religious activity. Only Sunni Muslim and Russian Orthodox communities can achieve registration in the country. Even before the new law came into effect, members of various religious faiths in the country have been fined, detained, beaten, threatened and fired from their jobs. Others have had their homes confiscated. Some have been banished to remote parts of the country or deported for taking part of unregistered religious activities. (Forum 18 News Service)

* HCJB World Radio works in partnership with Back to the Bible to air Christian Turkmen programs. Twice-weekly broadcasts began airing from an undisclosed site outside of Turkmenistan in 2001 and moved to daily programming earlier this year.

2 EGYPTIAN CHRISTIANS REMAIN IN SAUDI PRISON DESPITE PRINCE'S ORDER

Six days after the third-ranking official in the Saudi government ordered their release, two Egyptian Christians remain in police custody in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Arrested on Oct. 25, Sabry Awad Gayed and Eskander Guirguis Eskander were reportedly accused of establishing a non-Muslim place of worship. The two Coptic Christians were active in a house church of expatriate Christians meeting privately for worship in the Saudi capital. Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, who holds the titles of second deputy prime minister and minister of defense, had ordered the two men set free on the morning of Nov. 4. The prince was reportedly alerted to the men's arrest by a written complaint signed by one of their friends, Gamal Ramzy, who declared that the two men were being jailed without a valid reason. After reviewing the charges lodged against the two, the prince issued orders for their immediate release. Family friends in Riyadh confirmed Monday that the two men are still being held. Known for his moderate stance on religious freedom issues, Prince Sultan has repeatedly insisted that non-Muslims living and working in the country have the freedom to worship privately within their own homes, but under the strict Islamic laws followed in Saudi Arabia. Christians and other non-Muslims are forbidden to meet for public worship. (Compass Direct)

TURKISH CHRISTIANS REFUSED NEW RELIGIOUS IDENTITIES

Two months after Deniz Kasan and Turgay Papakci said their wedding vows before 200 relatives and friends at the Istanbul Presbyterian Church this summer, the bride's application to change her religious identity was refused. Her local "population bureau" told her she could not change her religious identity from Muslim to Christian as her new husband had done two years earlier, saying her church was "not recognized as an official house of worship." Begun nine years ago, the steadily growing congregation has met in the historic All Saints Anglican Church in Istanbul's Moda district since late 1997. Another new Christian in the church, 21-year-old Beyza Gun, received an identical refusal the same week. The pastor, Rev. Turgay Ucal, responded, "Any Turkish citizen over the age of 18 has the legal right to change his religious affiliation by signing a simple statement to that effect." Ucal's congregation has hired a local lawyer to contest the rejection of both applications. (Compass)

* Staff members from the HCJB World Radio Engineering Center in Elkhart, Ind., installed a 2-kw transmitter with local partner Radio Shema in Ankara, Turkey, in early 2003. This was a joint project with Words of Hope.

MISSION INDIA GIVES HOPE TO VICTIMS OF ABUSIVE CHILD LABOR

In India where an estimated 11 million children live in "extremely abusive" child labor situations, including slavery, Mission India is bringing new hope. Ministry spokesman David DeGroot says many abused children are attending the mission's Bible Club programs. "These kind of kids often pop up at our children's Bible clubs," he says. "They're often able to sneak into our clubs in the evening hours. Some of them literally have to sneak in because their handlers -- in some cases their slave masters -- don't want to release them, but they find ways to get into our clubs." More than 3 million young people are expected to participate in the Bible club program in the next year. DeGroot says reaching them is critical. "Almost half of India's population is now children. You could almost say that India is a nation of children," he says. "In just a few years they are going to be the leaders of India. These children need to be reached." In addition to those in abusive situations, India has another 30 to 50 million child laborers. (Mission Network News)

MISSION AMERICA COALITION NAMES VONETTE BRIGHT HONORARY CO-CHAIR

Vonette Bright, co-founder of Campus Crusade for Christ International, has been named honorary co-chair of the Mission America Coalition (MAC). The announcement was made at the coalition's annual meeting in New York last month. She joins Billy Graham and John Perkins of the Christian Community Development Association who are also honorary co-chairs. Her late husband, Bill Bright, served as MAC honorary co-chair until his death in July 2003. In making the announcement, MAC Chair Paul Cedar emphasized that he was "delighted that Mrs. Bright has accepted the invitation to serve in this role. She has been strategically involved in the coalition since the beginning, and her involvement through this position will be significant." Bright said she was pleased to step into this role because, "To me the MAC is an awesome demonstration of God's power and His desire that we all work together under His leadership to advance His kingdom." She added that by focusing on the important biblical principle of spiritual unity, "denominations, churches and ministries partner together through the coalition, demonstrating our response to Jesus' prayer in John 17 for the unity of believers as a witness that God had sent Jesus to the world." (Assist News Service)

NEW TELEVISION NETWORK BRINGS PROGRAMS TO U.S. PRISONERS

Prison Television Network (PTN) is a new television network designed specifically to help meet the spiritual and educational needs of the growing prison population. FaithTV announced it has entered into an affiliation agreement with the new network in which PTN will be sending FaithTV programming to many of the nation's prisons, augmenting it with educational and entertaining programming as the network develops. The network, launched Nov. 1, features Christian programming, educational programming, adult literacy courses, GED preparation, college credit courses and wholesome entertainment. PTN founder Buddy Winsett said his first visit inside high-security penitentiaries left him sleepless for months. "They were hungry for the Word of God and rehabilitation in their lives," he said. "I knew then that I had to find a way to give them a network 24 hours a day that offered education, hope, and above all, Jesus." The U.S. prison population is more than 2.1 million -- a number that keeps growing. A study performed for the Florida Department of Corrections revealed that inmates who attend religious services get fewer disciplinary reports than inmates who do not. Religious programming not only is an essential element to control inmate idleness, it's a cost-effective means for providing a safer, more manageable environment. (Assist News Service)

© Copyright 2003 - HCJB World Radio - Colorado Springs, CO USA - btc@hcjb.org

In less than 24 hours, two Roman Catholic priests in Colombia were killed last week, reported Zenit. In both cases, authorities are looking for motives behind the killings, but the assassination of religious leaders by Marxist guerrillas is common in Colombia. On Tuesday, Nov. 4, Father Saulo Carreńo, 41, and hospital employee Maritza Linares were driving near Sarare Hospital in Saravena when two men approached on a motorcycle and began shooting. Both occupants of the car were killed. In a separate incident that night, Father Enrique López, 44, was bound, gagged and stabbed to death in his home in Villavicencio. His body was found the next morning by his housekeeper. (Voice of the Martyrs)

CHINESE CHRISTIAN BEATEN IN PRISON, ANOTHER CHURCH MEMBER KILLED

A Chinese house church leader was beaten in prison, and a female church member was beaten to death in two recent incidents of persecution in China. Newly incarcerated Chinese Christian Zhang Yi-nan was badly beaten by fellow inmates Monday, Nov. 10, on the first day of his two-year imprisonment for "anti-party, anti-socialist" writings. Officials used excerpts from his personal prayer journal to convict him. For example, they said he wrote that he was "asking the Lord to destroy the strongholds in China." Zhang was reportedly beaten by fellow inmates as "lesson 1" in his so-called re-education. Yi-nan played a key role in the growing house church movement in his area. He was arrested in Ping Ding Shan City Sept. 26 and sentenced last weekend to two years of "re-education through labor."

News about the beatings came as family and friends mourned the death of a 33-year-old woman, Zhang Hong-mei, who was arrested Oct. 29 for her faith. At 2 p.m on the day of her arrest in Dong Miao Dong village near Ping Du City in Shandong province, her family was called by police and told to pay a bribe worth the equivalent of US$400. The family couldn't raise that money, so at 7 p.m. Hong-mei's husband, Xu Feng-hai, and her brother went to the Public Security Bureau (PSB) to request her release They found her bound with heavy chains and "visibly wounded," and they were not allowed to speak with her. The following afternoon the family was called to the PSB station where they were told that Hong-mei had died that day at noon. An autopsy showed numerous wounds to her face, hands and legs, and serious internal bleeding. In a daring sign of defiance, about 1,000 people joined in a protest march in front of city offices the following day as the family went to city officials to request an inquiry. (Voice of the Martyrs)

BRAZILIAN OFFICIALS EXPEL MISSIONARIES FROM INDIAN RESERVATION

New Tribes missionaries who have lived in tribal Brazil for almost 40 years have been told by officials to leave. They say only government workers are allowed on the Indian reservations. The Marubo land has only recently been declared a reservation, and representatives from the Indian department pleaded for the missionaries to be allowed to say -- at least until they could get their own workers in place. The missionaries say the Marubos are "upset and anxious to overturn the decision." Since the order was issued, the missionaries have stopped entering the reservation, but the Indians visit them in their houses nearby. (Christian Herald)

* HCJB World Radio broadcasts the gospel in Portuguese to Brazil via shortwave from Quito, Ecuador, and maintains a world office and radio studios in Curitiba. Portuguese programs, which have been on the air continuously since 1947, generate more listener letters than any language service at Radio Station HCJB in Ecuador. The ministry's Portuguese programs also air on local radio stations across Brazil.

BELARUS RELIGION LAW OUTLAWS SOME ORTHODOX CHURCHES

Orthodox Christian communities may register in Belarus, but only with the approval of a local Moscow patriarchate bishop, said Vasili Marchenko, the official in charge of religious affairs in the Brest region. While the 2002 Belarusian law on religion states that registration is compulsory, it makes no mention of approval by a Moscow patriarchate bishop in the case of Orthodox applications. The Simferopol and Crimea diocese of the Russian True Orthodox Church, which comes under the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad headed by Metropolitan Lavr (Skurla) of East America and New York, has three parishes in Belarus, all of which have been refused registration and are now "illegal." (Forum 18 News Service)

MEDICAL OUTREACH IN IRAQ MAY LEAD TO PERMANENT MISSIONS PRESENCE

Despite the increasing number of attacks against U.S. soldiers in Iraq, the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism (ABWE) is taking measures to make a permanent presence in the country. "We've targeted medical aid as a way to establish a helping presence in Iraq," says a ministry spokesman called "Doc" who just returned from his second trip to the country. "In the long term we hope to establish a missionary presence there. Right now we see an open door, and obviously there are many needs." The Iraqi medical system has been in a shambles for years, he says. "A lot of people don't understand that with the embargo after the Gulf war, there was an embargo on knowledge. Doctors there told me they are years behind Western medicine, and they want to catch up." Doc contacted a medical school in the U.S. that is willing to help. He says while a few Iraqis want Americans to leave the country, many others have another view. "The Americans have stayed. They're doing a lot of the things they said they would do, and I think some trust is starting to be established. It's still not secure . . . but the Iraqis now have some hope." (Mission Network News)

SPECIAL AUDIO PLAYERS ASSIST BIBLE TEACHING IN RURAL BOLIVIA

In Bolivia "TapeTalk2" audio players are being placed in a rural Quechua village, reports Audio Scripture Ministries (ASM). The mission recently began a series of small shipments of the special wind-up, solar-powered players that are designed exclusively for missions use. ASM works with Bible translators, missionaries and others who recognize the need for Scriptures in audio format. They also assist projects such as leadership training, evangelism and Bible literacy, teaming with those on the field to provide the appropriate playback equipment, training and strategy. (Mission Network News)

* HCJB World Radio has worked with local radio partners to plant local AM and FM stations in the Bolivian cities of Santa Cruz, Tarija and Tupiza. Four stations with eight transmitters in four cities (La Paz, Caranavi, Santa Cruz and Sucre) are also affiliated with the ALAS, the ministry's Latin American satellite radio network that makes Spanish programs available to local stations 24 hours a day.

© Copyright 2003 - HCJB World Radio - Colorado Springs, CO USA - btc@hcjb.org

Sri Lankan churches continue to face pressure from Buddhist militants, reported the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka. As a crowd arrived to celebrate the seventh anniversary of the Philadelphia Church Rajagiriya branch Oct. 26, a mob of Buddhist monks began disrupting the service. They accused the pastor of showing disrespect for Buddha by putting a statue of him on the floor. However, church members say it was the monks who placed the statue on the floor and demanded the pastor worship it. When he refused, he was beaten. Chairs were broken, banners destroyed and musical instruments damaged. The pastor and another member were held hostage by the mob until the police arrived and took them to the station for their safety. Speaking to the police, some of the monks demanded that the church stop all Christian activity in the area. In a separate incident Oct. 30, five Buddhists, including two monks, attacked the Assembly of God church in Homagama. At midday they entered the house where the church met, dragged out the pulpit and hymnals and burned them, and stole some musical instruments. On Thursday, Nov. 6, while members of the Calvary Worship Centre in Udugampola were praying, a hand grenade was thrown at the church by a man on a motorcycle. A vehicle was damaged as well as a wall of the building, but there were no injuries. (Voice of the Martyrs)

CHINESE AUTHORITIES ARREST ANOTHER PROMINENT CHURCH LEADER

On the morning of Sunday, Nov. 9, Dr. Xu Yong-hai and his wife, Li Shan-na, were finishing their night shifts at Ping'an Hospital in Beijing where Yong-hai is a prominent psychiatrist when they were arrested by the Public Security Bureau (PSB) and interrogated. Shan-na, who was released later that day, said they were questioned about the activities of Liu Feng-gang, a house church activist who has been held by the PSB since Oct. 13. Officials said her husband was accused as "a suspect of espionage the national secrets" in collaborating with Liu Feng-gang. This arrest is only the latest in a new crackdown on leaders of the house church movement in China. Yong-hai previously spent more than two years in "re-education" for his faith. He is a prominent advocate for the house church and has spoken out against corruption in the Chinese medical system. Yong-hai came to Christ in 1989 after losing faith in the communist system and seeing the spiritual void. In an interview with Associated Press in 2000 he said, "Life without faith is unbearable. After I found God in 1989, my life totally changed. I felt like a new person." (Voice of the Martyrs)

CHRISTIAN RELIEF AGENCY RUSHES AID TO FLOOD VICTIMS IN CHINA

Heavy flooding in northwestern China has left its mark on the country's economy with hundreds of thousands residents homeless. Recent Chinese state media reports says weeks of heavy rain and floods in Shaanxi province have now affected more than 2 million people. The Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC) began responding to the immediate physical needs since this summer when the crisis began. Wybe Bylsma, a former CRWRC board member, contacted the committee office with the desire to get involved in the flood project in China. Part of Wybe's objective was to involve local young people by encouraging them to volunteer -- nearly an unheard-of concept in China. These students willingly participated by gathering and distributing basic items of need. The teams provided 180 families with blankets, mosquito nets and bed mats. In addition, the teams left behind 1,100 lbs. of rice, providing an opportunity to show the love and compassion of Christ to those whose lives were severely disrupted by a ravaging flood. (Mission Network News)

IBS SENDS SCRIPTURES TO CALIFORNIA'S WILDFIRE VICTIMS, WORKERS

The International Bible Society (IBS) has sent thousands of Scripture booklets, Bibles and New Testaments to southern California churches and fire department chaplains following the state's most devastating wildfires. Approximately 14,000 firefighters fought nine fires that ravaged 745,000 acres, killed 22 people (including a firefighter) and destroyed more than 3,600 homes. The 4,600 Scriptures from IBS were designed to minister comfort and hope to both victims and workers in disaster situations. Literature included "Answering the Call," a New Testament designed for and with firefighters; "When Your Whole World Changes," a booklet in both Spanish and English for disaster survivors; "Building the Mosaic," a new Scripture-based journal for disaster and relief workers; and "God's Story" Bibles and New Testaments. (International Bible Society)

SUPPORTERS SEND 15,000 CARDS, LETTERS TO JAILED INDONESIAN MINISTER

Rev. Rinaldy Damanik, 44, an Indonesian minister imprisoned on charges of possessing illegal weapons, has thanked supporters around the world for sending nearly 15,000 letters and cards. He has been an outspoken critic of the apparent lack of commitment by the police and government authorities to measures aimed at ending the violence. Damanik also has been a key supporter of the reconciliation process and, as such, a hindrance to the activities of the Muslim militants largely held to be responsible for the sectarian violence in the Moluccan Islands and Sulawesi. His supporters says Damanik was framed, and his detention is a bid to silence him and to placate extremists who still have influential supporters in both the government and the military. In June 2003 he was sentenced to three years imprisonment, a verdict his legal team is planning to appeal. (Religious Media Agency)

25,000 RUSSIANS ATTEND EVANGELISTIC FESTIVAL IN ST. PETERSBURG

More than 25,000 Russians attended the first night of the "2003 Russia Miracle Healing Festival" in St. Petersburg, Russia, Wednesday, Nov. 12, led by Lee Jae-Rock, senior pastor of the 80,000-member Manmin Joong-Ang Church in Seoul, South Korea. Russians of all ages crowded into the "SKK" indoor Olympic Stadium to hear the preaching, sing along with the orchestra playing praise music, and seek both spiritual and physical healing. Members of Jae-Rock's 140-member team also put on a tae kwon do demonstration complete with colorful Korean costumes. Jae-Rock preached an hour-long gospel and healing message on the theme, "God the Creator," based on Genesis 1:1. He also gave his personal testimony of how God healed him in 1974 from seven years of severe diseases. The event coincides with the 300th anniversary of the founding of St. Petersburg, the birthplace of communism. Services are also planned for tonight and Friday evening. (Assist News Service)

* HCJB World Radio reaches across Russia with a variety of radio ministries. The mission has been sending gospel broadcasts across the country via shortwave since 1941, first from Quito, Ecuador, and now from the U.K. In the early 1990s the ministry began "planting" local radio ministries in Russia and now works with partners in more than a dozen cities. In 2000 HCJB World Radio helped launch the first Christian Russian radio satellite network (operated by Christian Radio for Russia), reaching across Euro-Asia. Downlinks have been installed with more than 26 partners in Russia alone. Three downlinks have been installed in St. Petersburg, one at the offices of the Association of Christian Churches, and two at local men's and women's prisons.

© Copyright 2003 - HCJB World Radio - Colorado Springs, CO USA - btc@hcjb.org

All but five of the 22 Christian converts and their supporters who were arrested in Alexandria, Egypt, in late October have been granted bail. One of those arrested reportedly died in police custody. Isam Abdul Fathr had high blood sugar levels and bowel problems before his arrest. He was a Muslim and had been implicated with helping to obtain false papers for the converts. All 22 were indicted on similar charges related to falsifying official documents. The five remaining detainees continue to suffer from degradation and abuse. While in custody, all 22 were severely beaten and tortured, and some were raped. Among those sexually abused was Mariam Girgis Makar (one of the first to be arrested) who continues to be held in the same quarters as prostitutes. Her husband, Yusuf Samuel Makari Suliman, was one of those released. He said that he was "beaten and tortured on various occasions." Once he was beaten in front of his wife by eight men wielding lengths of plastic cord in an attempt to force them both to return to Islam. A hearing for the five remaining detainees is set for Thursday, Nov. 20, when they will either be released or have their period of custody extended. Those released are being kept under close surveillance by the police in the hope of finding out the identities of yet more converts. (Barnabas Fund)

RIO GRANDE BIBLE INSTITUTE IN TEXAS NAMES NEW PRESIDENT

Larry Windle has been named the next president of Rio Grande Bible Institute (RGBI) in Edinburg, Texas. On Thursday, Nov. 6, the school's board voted unanimously to elect Windle to this position. He and his wife, Ruth, and their four children plan to arrive on campus later this month. Windle will serve as president-elect until the installation service, tentatively set for Friday, Jan. 16. Windle, who grew up in Bolivia where his parents served as missionaries, came to RGBI in 1997 so Ruth could learn Spanish. Then they went to Bolivia to serve with Gospel Missionary Union (now called Avant Ministries) and returned to the U.S. last month. RGBI, near the U.S.-Mexico border, combines a Spanish language school for missionaries with a Bible school for Hispanic students on the same campus. (Rio Grande Bible Institute)

SIM CELEBRATES 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF CHURCH'S FOUNDING IN ETHIOPIA

Thousands of Christians, members of the Ethiopian Kale Heywet Church in Addis Ababa, are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the church's founding this week. The opening ceremony on Monday, Nov. 10, featured a service of praise and prayer. Guest of honor was Ethiopian President Girma Wolde Giorgis who expressed his thanks to the church for its contributions to the nation. Surrounding the building where the celebrations are being held is a "village" of tents displaying the work of the various ministries of the church: chickens from the farm projects, videos of theological teaching, photographs of clinics helping HIV/AIDS sufferers, and many other ministries. For three days the meetings continued, filled with worship, teaching, discussion and testimonies Main speakers were Dr. J.L. Williams from the U.S., Ato Mulatu Belachew, an Ethiopian church leader now working in Kenya, and Dr. John Stott from England. SIM International Director Malcolm McGregor also traveled to Ethiopia (where he and his wife had served as SIM missionaries) to take part in the celebrations. He said that the church is a good example of developing interdependence as it is now an autonomous organization while continuing to enjoy cooperation with SIM and other churches and agencies. The church's name, Kale Heywet, means "Word of Life." (SIM)

IRAQIS 'MOST RESPONSIVE TO GOSPEL' OF ANY PEOPLE IN MIDDLE EAST

In Iraq, Christians are having a major impact on the lives of Iraqis, says Mike Creswell of the Southern Baptist International Mission Board (IMB) who just returned from a food distribution trip with volunteers. The IMB is in the process of handing out more than 1 million pounds of food. Creswell says that's not all they're handing out. "We've distributed thousands of Bibles, and our people said they only gave out Bibles when they were actually requested. We're helping start churches. Our people who are familiar with the situation in Iraq say that the Iraqis are some of the most responsive to the gospel of any people in the Middle East." Creswell says political uncertainty means the time is now for ministry. "This is what could be a very narrow opportunity for sharing the gospel, meeting needs and building relationships with the people." (Mission Network News)

MINISTRY BRINGS HOPE TO RUSSIA'S HOMELESS PEOPLE

A ministry that reaches out to the homeless in Russia reported that eight homeless people were recently murdered there. Three were brutally stabbed with knives. "It happens every winter," Yuri Degtar, leader of Works of Faith said. "Drug addicts beat them for money, for clothing or even to take their place to sleep. The homeless are afraid to sleep even in a doorway." Addicts demanding money recently beat one man with a pipe, breaking his arm in three places. To assist these homeless people, the ministry operates a daily food tent. Degtar said that about 20 people were coming for food each day -- four of them were among the murder victims. Two of the victims had trusted in Christ last summer. New converts have the opportunity to attend regular Bible studies where they are encouraged by Works of Faith personnel who talk and work with each one who comes. (Missions Insider)

* NEW PARTNER STATION IN MADAGASCAR BROADCASTS TO TRIBAL AREA

Christians were dancing with joy in the Madagascar city of Ihosy when the area's first evangelical radio station went on the air Oct. 24, culminating four years of praying and planning. Piet Jooste, a volunteer installation engineer with partner Radio Africa Network (RAN), said he "couldn't have imagined a happier bunch of people" as the switch was pulled, making gospel broadcasts available to nearly 500,000 people in the area.

Sandy Day, administrator of RAN in Cape Town, South Africa -one of the partners in the project along with HCJB World Radio, Madagascar Mission and four local churches-says most of the programming is in the Bara dialect, spoken by the region's main tribe.

"These people are steeped in witchcraft and practice the exhumation of the dead in a kind of ancestor worship ceremony," Day explains. "Local churches can now use the radio station to reach these people with the gospel." The station also airs informative programs covering community healthcare (produced by a local doctor), agriculture and environmental issues.

The Bara tribe, living in the country's south-central plains, comprises 1 million semi-nomadic cattle herders who are known for their dancing and woodcarvings. The people are in bondage to demonic powers. They fear their ancestors who they believe have great power to curse. The Bara people are animists who have had little contact with the gospel. In 2001 there were only five known believers in this tribe.

The 250-watt FM station, broadcasting at 104 MHz, is on the air two hours a day, but this will increase to 24 hours daily "as soon as the latest license fee is paid," Day says. In addition to Bara, programs go out in Malagasy, the country's official language. The station also airs some music in French and English.

Putting the station on the air proved to be a greater challenge than anyone imagined when plans were formulated in 1999. "First, funding for the antenna was a problem; then a 60-percent import duty that is levied on equipment was beyond our reach," Day explains. "The local authorities were approached to waive the import duty as the equipment was a gift to the people of Madagascar. Civil unrest and change in government then led to many delays in processing the permit."

After numerous letters and visits to his office by local people, Dinah Ratsimbajaona of Madagascar Mission in South Africa traveled to Madagascar to meet with the minister of economy who then gave written permission to waive the import duty. Delays continued until the radio equipment was finally delivered to a partner church in Ihosy in mid-October. "There was much rejoicing and excitement as the crate was unpacked," Day says.

Jooste then installed the equipment-again a bigger task than anticipated. "Since there were no rungs on the station's 100-foot antenna tower, installers hoisted him up by a rope. He spent 12 hours on the tower, finishing the work in one trip rather than risk being hoisted up more than once!"

Day expressed her thankfulness to HCJB World Radio for making this project a reality. "Friends of the ministry provided for the tower and paid for half of the transmitter costs. The engineering team at Elkhart, Ind., also gave very helpful advice. They were a real blessing to all of us. We look forward to hearing what God is going to do through this station."

Dick Jacquin, HCJB World Radio's vice president of support ministries, played a key role in raising funds for the project. "Madagascar is a country that needs gospel broadcasts, and we praise God that this station is reaching more hearts for Christ," he says.

The Madagascar Mission and local believers are already considering the possibility of starting another radio station in Mahajanga, the capital of Madagascar's Sakalava province. This is area where few people have heard the gospel. (HCJB World Radio)

* NEW PARTNER STATION IN MADAGASCAR BROADCASTS TO TRIBAL AREA

Christians were dancing with joy in the Madagascar city of Ihosy when the area's first evangelical radio station went on the air Oct. 24, culminating four years of praying and planning. Piet Jooste, a volunteer installation engineer with partner Radio Africa Network (RAN), said he "couldn't have imagined a happier bunch of people" as the switch was pulled, making gospel broadcasts available to nearly 500,000 people in the area.

Sandy Day, administrator of RAN in Cape Town, South Africa -one of the partners in the project along with HCJB World Radio, Madagascar Mission and four local churches-says most of the programming is in the Bara dialect, spoken by the region's main tribe.

"These people are steeped in witchcraft and practice the exhumation of the dead in a kind of ancestor worship ceremony," Day explains. "Local churches can now use the radio station to reach these people with the gospel." The station also airs informative programs covering community healthcare (produced by a local doctor), agriculture and environmental issues.

The Bara tribe, living in the country's south-central plains, comprises 1 million semi-nomadic cattle herders who are known for their dancing and woodcarvings. The people are in bondage to demonic powers. They fear their ancestors who they believe have great power to curse. The Bara people are animists who have had little contact with the gospel. In 2001 there were only five known believers in this tribe.

The 250-watt FM station, broadcasting at 104 MHz, is on the air two hours a day, but this will increase to 24 hours daily "as soon as the latest license fee is paid," Day says. In addition to Bara, programs go out in Malagasy, the country's official language. The station also airs some music in French and English.

Putting the station on the air proved to be a greater challenge than anyone imagined when plans were formulated in 1999. "First, funding for the antenna was a problem; then a 60-percent import duty that is levied on equipment was beyond our reach," Day explains. "The local authorities were approached to waive the import duty as the equipment was a gift to the people of Madagascar. Civil unrest and change in government then led to many delays in processing the permit."

After numerous letters and visits to his office by local people, Dinah Ratsimbajaona of Madagascar Mission in South Africa traveled to Madagascar to meet with the minister of economy who then gave written permission to waive the import duty. Delays continued until the radio equipment was finally delivered to a partner church in Ihosy in mid-October. "There was much rejoicing and excitement as the crate was unpacked," Day says.

Jooste then installed the equipment-again a bigger task than anticipated. "Since there were no rungs on the station's 100-foot antenna tower, installers hoisted him up by a rope. He spent 12 hours on the tower, finishing the work in one trip rather than risk being hoisted up more than once!"

Day expressed her thankfulness to HCJB World Radio for making this project a reality. "Friends of the ministry provided for the tower and paid for half of the transmitter costs. The engineering team at Elkhart, Ind., also gave very helpful advice. They were a real blessing to all of us. We look forward to hearing what God is going to do through this station."

Dick Jacquin, HCJB World Radio's vice president of support ministries, played a key role in raising funds for the project. "Madagascar is a country that needs gospel broadcasts, and we praise God that this station is reaching more hearts for Christ," he says.

The Madagascar Mission and local believers are already considering the possibility of starting another radio station in Mahajanga, the capital of Madagascar's Sakalava province. This is area where few people have heard the gospel. (HCJB World Radio)

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