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The administration of a town in northern Kazakhstan, a country in Central Asia, has closed the Baptist-run Hope Orphanage, claiming that it was not registered with state justice agencies. Dmitri Yantsen, the orphanage's founder, said officials also alleged that conditions in the orphanage were "atrocious." However, he disputed these claims, adding that people in the community consider the facility to be the "best in the town with higher standards than in state-run orphanages." The orphanage is in Temirtau, a town about 20 miles north of Karaganda. Baptists now fear that the Sion charitable fund, which ran the orphanage, is next in line for closure, as the regional procuracy has brought an administrative case against it on the grounds that its statute describes it both as a charitable fund and a missionary organization. This could enable officials to seize the orphanage building. Businessmen have privately expressed interest in buying the building from the local authority. The orphanage has now virtually ceased operations. Of the more than 30 children who lived there before the closure order, just 10 are left. Ivan Pankrats, the orphanage director, formally became guardian to the 10 children before the town administration's decision. Yantsen believes the real reason for the closure is the increasing severity of Kazakh state policy against religious believers. (Forum 18 News Service)

BOOK OF HOPE HOLDS FIRST DISTRIBUTION IN SIERRA LEONE

Book of Hope's Bob Hoskins says the gospel is playing a significant role in helping rehabilitate child soldiers in the war-torn West African country Sierra Leone. "Those children have very [few facilities] to rehabilitate them, so the need for the message of hope is great," he says. "Thankfully, the doors are open. The government leaders actually asked us to come and help in this situation." Hoskins says team members have trained more than 100 church leaders. "They were able to train . . . pastors and church leaders and actually lead those newly trained workers into 19 schools where they distributed 21,000 books. There are few, if any textbooks, so the teachers immediately began using the Book of Hope in the classrooms." The Book of Hope combines the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John to tell the life story of Jesus Christ in chronological order. There is also a clear plan of salvation at the end of the book so children know how to accept Christ as their personal Savior. (Mission Network News)

CHRISTIAN GROUPS GEAR UP FOR LONG-TERM OUTREACH IN INDONESIA

In Banda Aceh, Indonesia, a skeletal city surrounded by a wasteland of ocean, first-responder aid groups are starting to pull out. But ministries such as the Southern Baptist's International Mission Board (IMB) is shifting into high gear. "Once they leave, the local governments will know exactly what they're left with and what they're facing as far as what their needs are," said an IMB spokesman who asked not to be identified for security reasons. "It's at that point, that organizations like ours, who must be focused on the ramifications of the aid they deliver, will know how to step in." He says it's also an unprecedented chance. "It's an opportunity to reshape their understanding of the body of Christ -- that they're people that love them, who are giving themselves to help them through this difficult time, and through that, hopefully, this will be a phenomenal time for the people of Aceh to understand who Christ is." (Mission Network News)

NATIVE MISSIONARIES IN BHUTAN SPREAD GOSPEL 'IN SECRET'

Bhutan, a remote Himalayan nation bordering India, Bangladesh and Nepal, is one of the world's least evangelized countries. Of Bhutan's nearly 3 million inhabitants, less than 0.1 percent is Christian. Attempting to convert a Buddhist or Hindu in Bhutan is prohibited. In spite of this, God's Word is spreading through the work of native missionaries. While some ministries operate secretly within Bhutan, others set up shop along its borders. One such ministry recently held an evangelistic convention in a border town attended by 600 people, many of whom were Bhutanese. These "border ministries" have proven very effective in evangelizing the people of Bhutan. Another native missionary has begun visiting schools in India where Bhutanese students are known to attend, hoping to reach them with the truth of Christ so they may return to their country as living lights for Him. One native missionary leads more than 30 cell groups. These men and women pay a price for following Christ -- ostracized by families and communities -- yet more and more people in Bhutan are receiving the light of Christ. (Christian Aid Mission)

MANY BIBLE STUDENTS SERVE IN HOME COUNTRIES AFTER TRAINING ABROAD

Each year Bible schools train thousands of believers from countries such as Sudan where war and poverty make studying the Bible in their home country difficult. Schools are able to disciple Christians in church planting and pastoral ministries, and send them back to serve in their country of origin. A Sudanese graduate from an evangelical seminary in Europe recently began ministering in Khartoum. His work is difficult in the current tumultuous atmosphere of Sudan as civil war in the south and genocide in the north perpetuate ethnic and religious tensions. A trainee from a different institute is now pastoring a Sudanese fellowship. "Probably the greatest benefit of attending Bible school for me has been the growth of my personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ," he said. "Studying the Word of God has become the first priority in my life. This has helped me to make important decisions in my life and ministry as a pastor." (Christian Aid Mission)

* HCJB WORLD RADIO HELPS VISION AFRICA RADIO OPEN STATION IN NIGERIA Nigeria's first educational radio station dedicated to moral programming went on the air at noon local time Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2004, as the sounds of "Amazing Grace" became available to more than 250,000 area residents. The first broadcasts culminated more than six years of prayer and planning, and the work of several partners.

"By the end of the first hour on the air the news had spread, and radios in every store and house were blaring Christian songs through the streets of Umuahia," said Tim McDermott, general manager of KSBJ in Houston, who traveled to Umuahia to help launch the station. "We are ecstatic! The staff is so excited and the sound quality is excellent."

Called "The Real Love Station, Sharing God's Love," the 24-hour, 2,000-watt FM station was installed by engineers from the HCJB World Radio Engineering Center in Elkhart, Ind. It broadcasts at 104.1 MHz.

Bob Howard, chairman of Vision Africa Ministries which operates the station, pointed to the help of HCJB World Radio missionaries such as Sub-Saharan Africa Director Lee Sonius, Ken and Sharon Cummings, Dave Pasechnik, Marty Jones, Larry Burk, Ed Muehlfelt and Mattias Barthel.

"They traveled to Nigeria numerous times and are to be commended for their patience and perseverance," Howard said. "While God has the plan, HCJB World Radio is faithful to it. Remember the mustard seed, and please pray that this one station is the beginning of a tree that will cover all of Africa!"

A volunteer team led by Mark Stephens of Baltimore, Md., also worked with local volunteers to assist in the construction of the building. In addition, Mark Foster led a volunteer team from Oklahoma City, Okla.

Sonius said the station is strategically located in Nigeria's oil-rich delta region. "I'm thrilled with the potential ministry the station can have," he said. "We need to pray now that this 'infant' station will soon grow and mature into a strong healthy 'man,' spreading the good news of the gospel in that area of Nigeria."

The station was the vision of Dr. Sunday Onuoha, a native Nigerian who graduated from Southern Methodist University in Dallas and went on to become a prominent evangelist in his home country. Through his many crusades, his ministry has been instrumental in starting 106 churches, many of which are within hearing range of the new station.

"I first got the idea of this type of radio for Nigeria about eight or nine years ago," Onuoha said. "I saw radio as a chance to reach out to more and more people. I was at a missions conference in Marietta, Ga., sharing my vision, and I was told to get in contact with the engineering center in Elkhart, so I called."

In one of the many miracles in the process, the government of Nigeria's Abia state paid to erect a 4,000-square-foot building for the station. "This building was the promise made by Abia Gov. Dr. Orji Uzo Kalu in order to encourage Vision Africa to commence its pilot station in that region," Onuoha said.

Onuoha, who serves in the Nigerian cabinet as a special assistant to the president on privatization, said his many contacts with high officials were "invaluable in working through the requirements for broadcasting and will help in fulfilling subsequent requirements by the Nigerian government."

While much of the station's programming is not overtly Christian, Onuoha emphasizes that it's all presented from a Christian worldview. Some programs, for example, educate people about the facts of HIV/AIDS, debunking misconceptions about the disease while promoting abstinence from sex outside of marriage.

Onuoha adds that up to 100 volunteers are involved at the new station, doing everything from producing programs to following up listeners. "We are ultimately going to reach about 20 million Nigerians through this radio station," he said. "We intend for it to bring communities together and build mutual understanding among people." (HCJB World Radio)

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