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In Sri Lanka where a peace process is on hold following a tumultuous shake-up of the government, instability has prompted a bloody protest, creating a wave of displaced people. It also had another unexpected effect, says IN-Network's Rody Rodeheaver. "When the government becomes focused on itself, and there's a lot of infighting, which is going on right now, these groups see this as an opportunity . . . to accelerate their aggressive and anti-Christian behavior." Rodeheaver says missionaries are feeling the impact. "There is less freedom to just go out and do evangelism," he says. "It makes us a little more tentative. We have to be a little more careful on how we approach some things." The reports of attacks on believers by Buddhist militants have spiked in the last few weeks. (Mission Network News)

TRANSLATION MINISTRY TO DISTRIBUTE 20,000 NEW TESTAMENTS IN VIETNAM

The World Bible Translation Center (WBTC) is in the final stages of the printing and distributing 20,000 modern-language Vietnamese New Testaments to people across the nation. The predominantly Buddhist country has a population of 80 million, but is home to an estimated 1 million professing Christians. "This is a modern translation of the Bible that uses contemporary Vietnamese language," says WBTC spokesman Richard Loh. "Word of the translation has gotten around the Christian community, and believers are eager to see it." Government officials in Hanoi gave WBTC the nod to print and distribute the New Testaments. This marks the third time a communist regime has allowed the ministry to distribute copies of the Scriptures in Vietnam. There are nearly 800 registered churches in the country. (Mission Network News)

NEPALI BELIEVERS ENCOURAGED IN SPITE OF MAOIST TERRORISTS

A ministry that sends Bible correspondence course materials across Nepal reports that thousands of believers were encouraged last month when their leader, a former Hindu priest, spoke to about 500 believers in the 113-year-old MacFarlane Church in Kalimpong. Two-day retreats were held in central and western portions of the country, and a missionary with the organization reported satisfactory progress from a church-planting mission. In some places, those taking the course have to walk all the way to the district postal headquarters to send and receive mail because many village post offices have been destroyed by Maoist terrorists. Christian workers have been forced from their villages by threats of death from the rebels, and in some cases the local believers must walk six hours to the next town for discipleship, fellowship and worship once a month. Although most of the country lives in fear of the Maoist rebels, students continue to send in their course work while local believers are being trained to lead local house churches. (Missions Insider)

NIGERIAN MINISTRY MARKS 20 YEARS OF OUTREACH AMONG PRIMITIVE TRIBE

Missionary Crusaders Ministries, a Nigerian ministry that pioneered outreach to an African tribe that had gone undetected for 100 years, is celebrating 20 years of outreach. In the last half of the 19th century the Koma people of eastern Nigeria retreated to the top of the Atlantika Mountains, purportedly to escape taxes from the colonial Nigerian government. There they disappeared from the government's notice. In 1980 a schoolteacher from India working for the government rediscovered the primitive Koma people. He reported his find to a local church that sent missionaries to the tribe. Today 20 churches have been planted among the Koma. Since there is no Scripture in their language, the missionaries taught them the Hausa, and Christian Aid Mission provided Hausa Bibles. A primary school developed into the Al-Omega Academy which led to the opening of a secondary school in 2001. The ministry also opened a Primary Health Care Center in 1994. As churches were planted, some Koma wanted to become pastors and missionaries, so a Discipleship Training Center and then a Missionary Training Center were opened. Today the ministry has more than 50 missionaries on the field who have planted 30 churches in the region. In addition to the 20 churches planted among the Koma tribe, churches and other outreaches have been established among the Vere, Minda, Kona, Dirim, Jibu and Fulani people groups. (Missions Insider)

* HCJB World Radio, together with partners In Touch Ministries, SIM and the Evangelical Church of West Africa, began airing weekly half-hour programs in the Igbo language in 2000. In 2003, weekly broadcasts were added in two additional languages: Yoruba and Hausa.

NEW YORK CITY SCHOOLS OUTLAW CHRISTMAS NATIVITY SCENES

This holiday season New York City schools are barring Christian nativity scenes, alleging the depiction of the birth of Christ does not represent a historical event; but they are permitting Jewish menorahs and Islamic crescents. One public school principal issued a memo encouraging teachers to bring to school "religious symbols" that represent the Islamic and Jewish religions, but symbols of Christianity were not invited. Jewish menorahs adorn the halls as authorized displays, but students are not allowed to make and similarly display nativity scenes. "Christian educators are weary and outraged at this latest affront to freedom of expression," says Finn Laursen, executive director of Christian Educators Association International, a national association of public and private school teachers founded in 1953. Jewish and Islamic symbols are allowed, the district says, "because they have a secular dimension, but the Christian symbols are purely religious." The communications director for New York City's law department added, "There is a separation of church and state that is part of the constitution. It's a clear belief that people try to follow in schools and public office, and schools are saying they adhere to that belief." (Christian Educators Association International)

BIBLE TRANSLATORS IN GHANA BECOME 'CHICKEN LIBERATORS'

Missionaries with Wycliffe Bible Translators have brought many kinds of freedom to far-flung parts of the world where tribal groups speak languages that are often unwritten. When the constitution of Ghana was translated into 22 languages used in the north part of the country, an unanticipated liberation occurred. Wycliffe's Dave Pearson explained that in one people group in northern Ghana it was obligatory for each person to give a chicken for sacrifice to the ancestral spirit. "Once the constitution had been translated into their language, the tribes people realized that freedom of religion is their constitutional right and that they weren't obliged to sacrifice a chicken," Pearson said. This means that chickens are "liberated" since fewer are being ritually slaughtered. "People from the Deg tribe in northern Ghana didn't realize that they didn't have to pay the police to have convicts released," he said. "And they also didn't know that it was illegal for them to be detained in the cells for more than 48 hours without being charged." Bible translators have empowered the tribal people in Ghana to understand their own constitutional rights -- liberating people as well as chickens. (Assist News Service)

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

Four students at a Christian school in India were kidnapped and killed Friday, Nov. 14, in an area that is wracked by ethnic violence. Two of the students were the teenage sons of a man named Rustam who heads Gospel for Asia's English Medium School in the northeastern state of Assam. The four students killed by the Kuki tribal people. The murders were in retaliation against Karbi tribals who days before had kidnapped 28 Kukis and murdered eight. To avenge the murders of the children, the Karbis burned down many Kuki villages, killing a number of youths and men. Villagers are fleeing their homes in fear. "Rustam's whole family is in great shock and pain," wrote a GFA leader. "Pray that God may comfort them and grant them His grace to overcome this time of grief and pain and help them to be firm in their faith. Also pray for the others who have lost loved ones in the conflict." Much blood has been shed in the last 10 years due to ethnic strife between these tribes, and authorities rarely intervene. (Gospel for Asia)

* HCJB World Radio-Australia's new shortwave site Kununurra airs 6.5 hours of daily English programming across South Asia, including India. Two half-hour programs in Urdu, airing Monday through Saturday, went on the air in July, and plans are being made to launch Hindi programs. A radio training center for South Asia has been established in New Delhi. In partnership with FEBA Radio, HCJB World Radio also airs weekly Christian programs to eastern India via shortwave in three languages: Bhojpuri, Chattisgarhi and Mundari.

371 PASTORS MEET FOR TRAINING IN PHILIPPINES DESPITE TERRORIST THREAT

In the Philippines where an Al-Qaida affiliate is training Indonesian extremists, believers are concerned that a four-month-old peace accord will end if they fulfill a strike threatened against Christians near Christmas. Against this backdrop, Global Advance's David Shibley says his team recently met with church leaders to share a mission vision. "It was exciting because not too many pastors' conferences are held in that area," he said. "This [event was held] on the island of Mindanao where there's been considerable terrorist activity, and yet we found a group of pastors who were very committed to continuing to advance the gospel." Shibley describes the outcome of the conference as "encouraging" with 371 pastors and church leaders attending this Frontline Shepherd's Conference. "More than 100 of them made committments to cross-cultural ministry and to be the firs fruits of Filipino missionaries who would go, not only to the rest of Asia, but to the ends of the earth." (Mission Network News)

CONFERENCE IN U.K. URGES CHRISTIANS TO SHOW LOVE TO PERSECUTORS

There were impassioned pleas for British Christians to use their freedom to speak out for the persecuted church at what is believed to be the world's largest Christian human rights conference in London Saturday, Nov. 15. More than 1,000 people heard speakers from around the globe give moving, first-hand accounts of the growing hardship faced by up to 250 million Christians who are persecuted for their faith. The conference, using the theme "Grace Under Pressure," was held jointly by two British human rights organizations, Christian Solidarity Worldwide and Release International, with support from Premier Radio. The venue was Westminster Chapel. Delegates heard stories of faith under fire from Indonesia, India, Peru, Nigeria, North Korea, Iraq, Sudan and the Middle East. They also listened as speakers describe how Christians were striving to respond to violence with love and by praying for their persecutors. "The church is asleep," warned CSW President Baroness Caroline Cox. "Militant Islam is rapidly gaining ground. Unless we wake up and take this seriously, there will be a backlash against all Muslims -- including moderates." Attendees heard repeated calls for Christians to reach out instead with a hand of love to their oppressors. (Christian Solidarity Worldwide)

130 GATHER IN CYPRUS FOR CONSULTATION ON CHURCH, TELEVISION

Some 130 partners, associates, staff and supporters of SAT-7 television ministry met in Larnaca, Cyprus, Nov. 6-8, for "Network 2003," a three-day event with the theme, "TV and the Church: Encounters with television in the Middle East." The conference addressed some of the key issues concerning the impact of TV on contemporary Arab society and on the life, work and witness of the church. Bishop Moussa stressed the importance of SAT-7, pointing out that it can do what no church can do -- enter millions of homes daily with a variety of speakers, presenting a Christian view on many different subjects. TV was also examined as a tool for social change, and its effectiveness in impacting attitudes, opinions and behavior was frankly discussed. Programming on the 24-hour-a-day digital channel will be expanded throughout 2004 and 2005. Farsi broadcasts will also be extended, including regular slots for children's programming, and support provided to a sister organization developing Christian TV programming in and for Turkey. SAT-7's mission is to provide the churches and Christians of the Middle East and North Africa an opportunity to witness to Jesus Christ through inspirational, informative and educational television services. (Assist News Service)

* HCJB World Radio reaches across North Africa, the Middle East and Europe with Christian Arabic programming aired via shortwave, satellite and local stations. The Radio Al Mahabba (Radio Love) Arabic satellite network airs programs direct-to-home 24 hours a day. This region has the world's highest concentration of personal satellite dishes.

ONLINE CHURCH REACHES PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS IN CLOSED COUNTRIES

The Hungary-based International Christian Internet Church (ICIC) operates a website aimed at reaching persecuted Christians worldwide with church services. Founder Rev. Lazlo Banfi, 42, who suffered for his faith under communism, said the ICIC's new Internet address (www.churchmeeting.net) would make it easier for people "who can not or do not want to go to church" to find his ministry. The Internet is often the only way for persecuted Christians to participate in a church service, he said. Earlier this year a "33-year-old man from Iran wrote a short e-mail saying that their Christian church was closed six years ago," said Banfi. "However, the six or eight believers in the group now gather in a private home to join the online worship service, listen to the preaching, read the daily Bible verse and to shortly pray together. This is the only way to practice their faith." (Assist News Service)

FEAR, LACK OF FAITH HINDER MANY CHRISTIANS FROM WITNESSING

A recent poll conducted via the website for Mission Network News indicates that 43 percent of browsers aren't sharing their faith on a regular basis. The question is, why? Jerry Wiles, author of The Faithful Witness and president of Living Water International, gives some insight. "The main barrier that most people have is fear and the preconceived idea about the way people might respond if they took the initiative," he says. "When you see the biblical pattern in the early church the ordinary people, wherever they went, they [shared] the gospel. It wasn't just the pastors and evangelists, it was the ordinary people." Wiles says people who are actively reaching out "will discover that there's more people in their hearts to talk about the Lord and, in fact, prepared to receive Christ into their lives." Wiles says North American Christians have a lot of training and resources, but lack faith when it comes to witnessing. "The cutting edge is taking the gospel and inviting people to come to Him. Living Water International works to make clean, safe drinking water available to the needy abroad while sharing living water that can only be found in Christ." (Mission Network News)

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

Retired HCJB World Radio missionary Gustavo Molina and his daughter Kathy were among five Ecuadorian tourists wounded this morning when a Jordanian terrorist opened fire on the group at a border crossing near Israel's Red Sea resort of Eilat. Border guards immediately shot back, killing the attacker.

Although details are sketchy, the injuries to Molina and his daughter are not considered serious, and both are recovering in the Eilat hospital in southern Israel. Patricia Terán, a member of La República Alliance Church in Quito, suffered the worst injuries and was airlifted to Beersheva for treatment of head wounds, reported El Comercio. The five victims were part of a group of 29 Ecuadorian tourists from Quito and Guayaquil. They were on a tour of Jordan, Israel and Egypt.

Reuters reported that the rare incident of violence on the Israel-Jordan frontier broke out just before Palestinian leaders began talks in Gaza with militant factions on reaching a cease-fire with Israel to revive a U.S.-backed peace plan that has been stymied by persistence violence.

The gunman, a truck driver from the predominantly Palestinian city of Zarqa, Jordan, passed through the Jordanian border terminal outside the port of Aqaba and crouched among trucks lined up at the Israeli terminal before opening fire on tourists waiting ahead of them.

"The gunman . . . opened fire 20 yards from the entrance to the Israeli passport check," Menachem Zelichovsky, from the Airport Authority which oversees Israel's sensitive border crossings with Arab states, told Israel radio. "He hit five tourists before border guards shot back and killed him. It was all over very quickly."

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack in the southern Israeli border zone, scarcely touched by more than three years of violence in a Palestinian uprising. Guerrilla-style border attacks on Israel launched from Egypt or Jordan have been rare since 1979 and 1994 peace accords were signed. But more than half of Jordan's population is of Palestinian descent and many opposed the normalization of relations.

Jordanian government spokeswoman Asma Khader told Associated Press, "Preliminary information indicates that this was an individual, not an organizational attack."

Molina has served as a chaplain at HCJB World Radio's Vozandes Hospital in Quito for more than 40 years -- the last 34 year of those as a missionary. Although officially retired since August, he continues to volunteer at the hospital. His goal was to lead at least one patient Christ every day, and thousands responded to the Lord throughout his career. (HCJB World Radio/El Comercio/Reuters/AP)

4 MORE CHRISTIANS SLAUGHTERED IN INDONESIA AS VIOLENCE INCREASES

Four more Christians were killed in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, on the weekend, and 2,000 police officers and soldiers have been put on alert as Muslim anger erupted over attempts to arrest those responsible for previous anti-Christian violence. On Nov. 16 the bodies of Mr. Tadjodja, 58, and his nephew were found in their car between two Muslim villages near Poso. He was the treasurer of the prominent Central Sulawesi Christian Church and had been sent by the church's synod to preach in one of the villages hit in the earlier attacks on Oct. 12. His 26-year-old nephew was the driver. The windows of the car had been broken and Tadjodja was struck with a blunt instrument. His nephew was attacked with a machete or similar weapon. On the same day, another church member was traveling through Poso when an irate Muslim mob reportedly forced him to a halt, dragged him from his motorbike and beat him to death. His body was found near the market area in Poso along with the body of another Christian man who had been killed in a similar fashion. The Muslim mob was venting its anger over the arrest of Muslim suspects in the Oct. 12 attacks. (Barnabas Fund)

LEGACY OF MILITANT ATHEISM LINGERS IN BELARUS FOLLOWING SOVIET ERA

The influence of Soviet-era atheist ideology upon Belarus remains strong, suggest Orthodox and Protestant churches in the country. Many of the officials who worked for the Soviet-era Council for Religious Affairs reportedly continue to staff the State Committee for Religious and Ethnic Affairs which has a far more extensive network of officials than similar bodies in Russia. Their legacy is so prevalent that Belarus is witnessing the "rebirth of dark communist times." Texts used for instruction in state education maintain that "Religion's promises to give a person everything that he seeks in it are but illusion and deception." Pentecostal spokesman Naum Sakhanchuk said the repression of non-Orthodox confessions is much more closely connected with this atheist legacy than with state support for the Belarusian Orthodox Church. One anonymous Orthodox source agreed, maintaining that the 2002 religion law was adopted in the interests of the state, not the church. "It was made out to be for the benefit of the church so that society would accept it," the source remarked. (Forum 18 News Service)

PASTORS ATTEND CONFERENCE IN CLOSED MIDDLE EAST COUNTRY

American evangelist Sammy Tippit is calling for prayer as he begins a pastors' conference in a closed Middle East country. He says this training is being videotaped to provide resources for Christian workers across the Arab world. "We're making DVDs and CDs so that they can go back, and this can be multiplied," Tippit says. "There is a great need to raise up a new generation who can handle all of the people who are coming to Christ." Tippit says the ministry also has secured time on a cable television channel to share the gospel in the region next year. Up to 100 million people will have access to the gospel broadcasts. (Mission Network News)

CHRISTIAN APOLOGIST BOB PASSANTINO DIES IN CALIFORNIA

Bob Passantino, a Christian apologist and co-founder and co-director (with his wife, Gretchen) of the Answers in Action ministry, died from a heart attack on Monday, Nov. 17, in Costa Mesa, Calif. He was 52. A ministry spokesman described him as being "one of our greatest defenders of the faith." A statement on the ministry's website added, "After returning home from a walk, [Bob] complained of dizziness. Because of his ongoing heart problems, the paramedics were called and he was taken to the hospital. The doctors worked to save him for several hours, but were unable to keep Bob's heart going." The statement went on to say the he spent the last 32 years of his life dedicated to the defense of the Christian faith. Respected in the fields of apologetics, evangelism, philosophy and theology, the Passantinos were beloved mentors, teachers and friends to countless individuals who sought their insight over the years. Answers in Action was set up to equip Christians to be effective and successful witnesses, evangelists and apologists for the Christian faith and to adopt sound reasoning and solid critical thinking. The Passantinos authored several books including Answers to the Cultist at Your Door, Witch Hunt, When the Devil Dares Your Kids, Satanism, and The New Cults. Funeral services are set for 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, at Prince of Peace Church in Costa Mesa. (Assist News Service)

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

One of the five Ecuadorian tourists wounded Tuesday morning when a pair of Palestinian gunmen opened fire on a border post between Israel and Jordan has died of her wounds, officials at the Ecuadorian embassy in Tel-Aviv told EFE. Patricia Terán, described as in her 40s, suffered serious head injuries and was operated on at Soroka Hospital in the Israeli city of Beersheba where she died at 8:45 p.m. local time. Four other Ecuadorians were injured in the attack, including retired Ecuadorian HCJB World Radio missionary Gustavo Molina and his daughter, Kathy. Their injuries range from "moderate to light," and the four are expected to be released from the hospital in Eilat "within a day or two," officials said. Initial reports indicated that a single attacker sprayed gunfire at a group of tourists waiting to enter Israel from Jordan at the Arava border crossing. Border guards killed an attacker who came from Jordan, but subsequent reports indicate that there was a second attacker who escaped. Along with the Ecuadorians, the group of 29 tourists included pilgrims from Argentina, Uruguay and Venezuela. Following the shooting, Israeli and Jordanian officials met to decide on mounting a search operation for the missing gunman and agreed to close the border post until further notice. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack which coincided with efforts to forge a truce between Israel and armed Palestinian factions. Terán attended La República Alliance Church in Quito. (EFE/HCJB World Radio)

CHRISTIANS WOUNDED, HOMES BURNED IN MUSLIM VIOLENCE IN EGYPT

"Numerous Christian individuals" in Egypt and their properties were attacked by nearby Muslims, angry over plans to found a church, an organization representing Egyptian believers reported. "The incident took place on Friday, Nov. 7, in the village of Jizra, 18 miles south of Cairo," said Christine Tadros, policy adviser of the U.S. Copts Association (USCA) which advocates democracy, religious freedom and human rights in Egypt. "Of the 11 injured, five were hospitalized." After arresting 20 individuals, police officials stated that just four people had been "slightly injured." Tadros said officials "suspiciously refrained" from stating that all those injured had been Coptic Christians. At least a dozen of the victims' homes were also burned or burglarized. In addition, crops were uprooted, and seven Christian businesses were attacked and looted. The disagreement appears to have developed over plans to convert a small Christian library into a church. (Assist News Service)

EGYPTIAN ARMY AGAIN ATTACKS CHRISTIAN FACILITY NEAR CAIRO

The Egyptian Army has once again carried out an unprovoked attack on the Patmos Christian Centre 20 miles east of Cairo. Just after midnight in the early-morning hours of Tuesday, Nov. 18, an army dump truck was driven repeatedly into the perimeter wall surrounding the facility. This caused "considerable damage," including the destruction of one of the reinforced concrete pillars. This is the eighth attack on the building in the past seven years. Soldiers from the local army unit were trying to destroy the wall, apparently to conform to a new law passed in January 2003 that requires all buildings to be at least 100 meters (328 ft.) from the Cairo-Suez road. The wall stands 50 meters from the road and was built 10 years ago in full accordance with the law at the time. Workers at the facility point out that the local army barracks' own walls also stand 50 meters from the road, and no attempt has been made to demolish these. Similarly, many other buildings in the area are even closer to the road, including some 15 mosques which stand less than 10 meters back, but no attempt has been made to demolish any of these buildings. The center provides care and support for mentally and physically handicapped children and orphans, and is legally registered with the Egyptian authorities. It receives between 500 to 1,000 visitors every day. (Barnabas Fund)

MUSLIMS COME TO CHRIST IN WEST AFRICA DESPITE PRESSURE FROM FAMILIES

An indigenous missionary in an unnamed West African country says that Muslim Africans are responding to the gospel despite strong persecution from family members. The missionary said he had made friends with shopkeepers and teachers, and as a result many of them, including Muslims, were turning to the Lord Jesus Christ -- but not without cost. "It was very hard for the adults who welcomed Jesus to stand up and come to our fellowship without undergoing violence from their Muslim relatives on the way," the missionary said. "Many of the converts have been thrown out of their homes." The missionary now fears for his life. "The Muslims hate me so much that they would kill me if they could. But the hand of God is upon me," he said. (Missions Insider)

IBS RELEASES TRANSLATION OF NEW TESTAMENT IN INDIA'S BRAJ LANGUAGE

The International Bible Society (IBS) released a contemporary translation of the Braj New Testament at a dedication ceremony in Mathura, India, Oct. 13. Braj is spoken by more than 15 million people. A team of 25 translators began work on the New Testament in 1994, completing the project earlier this year. IBS President Peter Bradley said he expects the translation to be well received by Hindu scholars as Braj is a Sanskrit language, "The Braj New Testament marks a new day in the study of God's Word for Braj speakers," he said. A highlight of the dedication came when one Hindu scholar exclaimed, "Forgiveness is found only in the cross of Christ," and another declared, "Jesus is the only one who offers salvation." At the same ceremony, an Islamic leader stated, "Only Jesus can bring peace into the world." On the day of the release, 1,000 copies of the Braj New Testament were distributed, and two days later an additional 1,000 went out. (International Bible Society)

* HCJB World Radio-Australia's new shortwave site Kununurra airs 6.5 hours of daily English programming across South Asia, including India. Two half-hour programs in Urdu, airing Monday through Saturday, went on the air in July, and plans are being made to launch Hindi programs. A radio training center for South Asia has been established in New Delhi. In partnership with FEBA Radio, HCJB World Radio also airs weekly Christian programs to eastern India via shortwave in three languages: Bhojpuri, Chattisgarhi and Mundari.

AUDIO MINISTRY HELPS PRESERVE CULTURE OF SMALL TRIBE IN UGANDA

Audio Scripture Ministries (ASM) is helping to preserve the way and life of the 5,000-member Ik tribe in northeastern Uganda. ASM teams are working on basic recordings of some foundational Scripture verses and messages in the tribal language. A local recording studio has been contracted to make the first-ever gospel recordings for the remote Ik people. They live mainly along the escarpment between the Timu Forest and Kidepo National Park near Uganda's border with Kenya. In addition to the audio recordings, the translation of larger Scripture portions continues indirectly with translators working in the U.S. and a national helper in Uganda. ASM provided a laptop computer to assist in the venture. (Mission Network 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.

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

Missionaries in Turkey are exercising extra caution following the deadly bombings on Istanbul on Thursday -- the second attack by Islamic militants against Western targets in a week. IN-Network's team, for example, is keeping a low profile because of its ministry's reputation, says U.S. Director Rody Rodeheaver. "That's always a struggle in these types of countries --Christianity being tied to America and the West. So our staff has to work hard at overcoming that, and these kinds of events trigger some of those kinds of feelings." Rodeheaver says the news from Turkey is not all bad. "We've been seeing a lessening of the regulations, and a lessening of the pressures there, with more freedom being given and opportunities to reach out with the gospel." (Mission Network News)

TURKISH AUTHORITIES ORDER CLOSURE OF PROTESTANT HOUSE CHURCH

Seven months after the newly constructed Diyarbakir Evangelical Church opened in southeastern Turkey, a local council under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism has ordered the church to close its doors. Pastor Ahmet Guvener was served written notice on Oct. 30 that the use of his building for any purpose except as a home was illegal. The council stated it was "obliged" to notify local authorities of this breach of a law protecting historical sites, so that either a court case would be opened or the building closed to prevent its misuse. The new evangelical church stands opposite the ancient Syrian Orthodox community's historic Virgin Mary Church. In response to the council's notice, Guvener applied to the local municipality on Nov. 4, requesting that the building's zoning status be changed to a place of worship. (Compass)

HAITIAN GOVERNMENT THWARTS CELEBRATION BY EVANGELICALS

Tuesday, Nov. 18, was to be a day of major celebration by Christians across the island of Haiti. Ed Walker, former president of World Team U.S.A. and a long-time missionary in Haiti, reported that the Haitian government changed its tune at the last minute and rescinded permission for evangelicals to hold hands and pray across the country. The official statement stated that this movement was contrary to the official policy and plan to dedicate the country to the Voodoo spirits. Walker stated that Christians did meet together in prayer across the country and plan to try the "hold hands and pray across the country" celebration again Dec. 7. "Christ is building His church in Haiti, and the gates of hell cannot stop it," he said. Since 1994 President Jean-Bertrand Aristide has moved further and further away from his Roman Catholic roots. He said he plans to rededicate the nation to the voodoo on Jan. 1, Haiti's 200th anniversary of independence from France. Christian leaders have laid out extensive plans for countering this attempt and are going to do whatever is necessary to call the Haitian nation back to God and dedicate the country to Christ on Jan. 1. (Assist News Service)

CHRISTIAN COLONEL RELEASED FROM PERUVIAN PRISON AFTER 8 YEARS

Col. David de Vinatea, a decorated officer in the Peruvian army and an evangelical Christian, regained his freedom after serving eight years and 10 days in prison for alleged drug trafficking. De Vinatea walked out of the gates of Lima's Lurigancho Prison Wednesday, Nov. 19, accompanied by several family members. "Right now I feel kind of strange," he said, commenting on his long-awaited freedom. "The good thing is, the Lord has protected and sustained us. My wife and my children have been strengthened, and I was able to survive. Thank God, all that is over now." Arrested on Nov. 9, 1995, while commanding an army base in the Amazon jungle, de Vinatea was sentenced in December 1997 to 16 years in prison for alleged involvement in cocaine trafficking. Observers who closely followed the case became convinced that de Vinatea was not only innocent of the charges, but that high-ranking officials in the government of former president Alberto Fujimori falsely accused him of wrongdoing in order to cover up their own illicit activities. An international coalition of Christian organizations lobbied the Peruvian government to review the case. Largely due to their efforts, President Alejandro Toledo decided last year to commute de Vinatea's sentence, opening the way for his release. During his incarceration, de Vinatea led Bible studies for inmates and pastored a small church inside the prison. (Open Doors)

ARSON SUSPECTED IN FIRE THAT DESTROYS HISTORIC COLORADO CHURCH

A tiny white frame church on a knoll along a historic Western stagecoach line in Colorado was destroyed by fire early Sunday, Nov. 16. Colorado officials suspect that an arsonist torched Virginia Dale Community Church which was always kept unlocked as a haven for travelers along a lonely stretch of U.S. 287 between Fort Collins, Colo., and Cheyenne, Wyo. The nondenominational church, dating back to 1880, is believed to have been started by Sheldon Jackson, the indefatigable Presbyterian missionary who established more than 100 congregations in states stretching from Wisconsin to Nevada before moving on to Alaska. The old church was part of a designated historical site, the Virginia Dale Stage Stop, on the Overland Trail. Today Virginia Dale is barely a wide spot in the road. All that remains of the wooden church is a concrete foundation crowned by a blackened wood-burning stove strewn with charred timbers and ashes. An organ and piano are among the casualties. Church members, buoyed by local support, have vowed to rebuild. "They can't defeat us," said Shirlie Moen. Architects and contractors have offered to build a little wooden church -- just like the one that burned. "That's our plan," Moen said. (PCUSA News)

* PARTNER RADIO MINISTRY HOXO IN PANAMA DEDICATES NEW STUDIOS

The dedication of a new studio complex at Radio Station HOXO, HCJB World Radio's partner ministry in Panama City, Panama, Saturday, Nov. 8, demonstrated how God can revitalize a ministry that most had left for dead 11 years earlier.

The once-dilapidated station, on the verge of shutting down in 1992 due to runaway debts and equipment failures, again has a vibrant ministry in this strategic country. Today HOXO is a healthy outreach, on the air 24 hours daily, reaching across Panama, the "crossroads of the world," with programs in Spanish, English and Cantonese.

"It was an incredible joy and delight that Tom Fulghum was invited to take part in the dedication of HOXO's studios," says HCJB World Radio President Dave Johnson. "Knowing the crisis that this ministry had gone through not many years ago, it's significant to see how they have matured and stepped out on their own with support from the Christian community in Panama"

Fulghum, who serves in HCJB World Radio's member care department in Colorado Springs, Colo., said it was "absolutely wonderful" to take part in the dedication, held in Panama's newest, most modern shopping mall. "From a station that 11 years earlier was in the pits of despair, I walked into the ministry's new complex with three studios-one for HOXO-AM, one for Stereo Vida-FM, and a talk studio in between."

More than 500 people were present for the event, including a local pastor who lauded the station for being "faithful through all of Panama's trials" since going on the air in 1949 and becoming associated with HCJB World Radio in 1963.

When the mission first asked Fulghum to help restore the station in 1992, it seemed like an impossible task. "The station had a debt of $60,000 that was increasing at a rate of $3,000 a month, worn out equipment and an inactive board," he said. "The few people on staff often went unpaid due to the financial situation."

The country itself was in shambles following the downfall of dictator Manuel Noriega. Revenue from cooperating broadcasters was also down, the station's AM and FM transmitters were in poor shape, and the building for the AM transmitter was surrounded by a slum, vulnerable to robbers and other hazards.

Then Fulghum read about Ezekiel's vision of the valley of dry bones when God commanded the prophet to speak to the bones, "I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord'" (Ezekiel 37:5-6). "It was impossible to read about that without thinking about HOXO," he said. "I just knew that God was going to rescue that station!"

For more than five years Fulghum traveled back and forth from Quito to Panama, taking measures to revive the ministry. "At first I couldn't find anyone to serve on the board," he said. "But then people who had said no came up to me and said yes!"

By 1999 the station was self-sufficient financially -- partly because the old AM transmitter site was sold at a high price to make room for a new highway going from the airport to Panama City.

Fulghum said the turnaround of HOXO has been his most satisfying experience in 36 years of missionary service with HCJB World Radio. "I wish I could take the credit for what has happened, but it was all God," he said. (HCJB World Radio)

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