Kosovo has declared a day of mourning in the wake of deadly sectarian attacks last week that killed 28, injured hundreds and left more than two dozen Serbian churches destroyed. Last week's attacks were the worst outbreak of violence since 1999 when a NATO air war ended a Serb crackdown on ethnic Albanians seeking independence. The war killed 10,000 ethnic people. NATO rushed extra troops into Kosovo to restore order. However, people in the area remain tense. The unrest illustrates the depth of hatred between Kosovo's mostly Muslim ethnic Albanians, who want independence, and Christian Serbs. Ministry leaders immediately called a vigil for peace, safety and stability in the country. Baptist World Aid (BWAid) has outreach through relief work in both Kosovo and Serbia. Rev. Bekim Beka, pastor of New Hope Baptist Church in Pristina is urging people worldwide to pray. His church serves both as a worship center and a place of relief for refugees caught in the war between Serbs and ethnic Albanians. BWAid also has helped with relief work in Serbia through a programs called Love Your Neighbor in Novi Sad and Bread of Life in Belgrade where unrest also has broken out. There is concern that security issues may interfere with their work. BWAid Director Paul Montacute adds, "I do hope and pray that this raising of ethnic tensions can be held down before the Balkans are once again caught up in a maelstrom of death and destruction." (Mission Network News)

SURVIVOR OF ATTACK ON AID WORKERS IN IRAQ TRANSFERS TO DALLAS

Carrie McDonnall, the lone survivor of a March 15 attack on five Southern Baptist humanitarian aid workers in Iraq, is back in the U.S. and expected to make a full recovery from her bullet wounds. She is in stable condition in a Dallas-area hospital following a 12-hour medivac flight from Germany Saturday, March 20. Physicians who evaluated McDonnall on her arrival are pleased with her condition and optimistic about her recovery. She received wounds in the chest, face and all four limbs in the attack that killed her husband, David, and co-workers Karen Watson and Larry and Jean Elliott. The doctors reported that bones shattered by small-arms fire in McDonnall's right arm and leg are aligned and healing. Her facial injuries do not appear to require reconstructive surgery. And while McDonnall lost most of three fingers on her left hand, her thumb and middle finger are intact, leaving her with a functional hand. Physicians said her other wounds are also healing well. McDonnall has been heavily sedated since the attack, but since arriving in Dallas she has awakened and is responding to family members, doctors said. A memorial service for her husband, David, was held March 20 in his hometown of Lamar, Colo. A service for Karen Watson is set for March 24 in Bakersfield, Calif., and for the Elliotts March 25 in Cary, N.C. (Baptist Press)

FLOODS IN HAITI LEAD TO ADDITIONAL MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES

Recent flooding has added to the woes in Haiti where political unrest has wracked the country in recent weeks. Compassion Ministries, an outreach of the Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA), has moved in to provide much-needed relief, especially in the city of Cap-Haitien which has been particularly hard-hit by both flooding and violence. EFCA is helping with clean-up efforts, food, and shelter for those who lost their homes. The flooding destroyed crops and livestock and many are homeless. EFCA is appealing to Christians to help provide relief aid and to pray that the situation will push Haitians to think about Christ as they are helped by bel ievers. (Mission Network News)

* Staff members from the HCJB World Radio Engineering Center in Elkhart, Ind., have been working with OMS International to establish a satellite radio network, based at 4VEH outside the city of Cap-Haitien, that will deliver programs to FM stations nationwide. Downlinks have been installed in Tortue Island and Pignon, and at least three more are planned as the situation stabilizes. Meanwhile, 4VEH continues to broadcast a message of hope from an AM station and two FM stations. HCJB World Radio also helped partner World Gospel Mission with a small station in Port-au-Prince.

ARAB LEADERS DISCUSS RIGHTS AMID PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS

Kings and heads of states of 22 Arab League nations will be asked to improve human rights, including those of Christians, by amending the 1994 Arab Charter on Human Rights at a summit in Tunisia March 29-30. The developments are part of what some Arab commentators have dubbed a "democracy frenzy" in the Middle East, a region with hundreds of political and religious prisoners. Authorities still have wide powers to arrest civilians, hold them indefinitely and try them in military courts with limited rights of appeal, analysts say. The amendments to be discussed this month in Tunisia are specifically affirming every individual's right to life; the right to fair trial; the legal status of crime and punishment; the right to political asylum without extradition; and prohibitions on torture, deportation and revocation of citizenship. They also strengthen workers' rights and refer more explicitly to the equal rights of men and women. "One of the problems facing these modest amendments is that no Arab state has yet ratified the 1994 charter," reported The Jordan Times. "Another is that if the amendments are approved, the legislatures of seven member states will have to ratify the revised charter for it to come into force. Despite the virtually incessant talk of reform in the region, there is little optimism that this will happen any time soon." The summit is expected to be closely monitored by Christian human rights watchdogs. (Assist News Service)

RELIGIOUS LEADERS PROCLAIM 'DAY OF PRAYER FOR PEACE OF JERUSALEM'

Protestant, Catholic and Jewish leaders worldwide are endorsing the first annual international "Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem" on Sunday, Oct. 3. Endorsers of this effort include its co-founders, Jack Hayford and Robert Stearns, along with National Association of Evangelicals President Ted Haggard, Mission America Chairman Paul Cedar, CBN Chairman Pat Robertson, National Religious Broadcasters Chairman Glenn Plummer and dozens of others. Stearns, co-chairman of the event, says, "We must realize the hour in which we are living. Throughout the world dark forces are at work, seeking to destroy the Judeo-Christian world and Western civilization as we know it. This gathering is a strategic time in which Jewish and Christian leaders can affirm the importance of faith, the value of unity, and a commitment to pray for Israel and the peace of Jerusalem." Those endorsing the event will sign a special document during a two-day convocation in New York City May 20-21. Thousands of churches globally are expected to unite in this effort. (Assist News Service)

CAMPUS, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS OPEN DOORS IN PHILIPPINES

Reports from indigenous ministry leaders in the Philippines reveal effective outreach is ongoing to Muslims on the island of Mindanao which is in the heart of the country's Islamic area. A new student resource center recently opened at a university offering English, mathematics and computer courses along with other services. The center also helps meet spiritual needs by providing a venue to show the "Jesus" film to interested students. About 18 volunteer students and teachers help at the center. In another area of the Philippines, Christian organizations worked together and opened a mobile medical clinic that will service the needs of a large group of people who can't afford adequate healthcare. Tutoring is also available to needy children in the area. A pharmacy has opened in a village to provide basic medication at reasonable costs to the local people, and a well was dug to give access to clean drinking water. Another outreach offers a parenting class to Muslim women looking for tips on rearing their children in a healthy manner. Most importantly, all of these efforts open doors to share the love of Jesus. (Missions Insider)

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