*Tato a další zprávy jsou v originální anglické verzi zde.

Following the 8.7-magnitude earthquake that rocked Indonesia late Monday, March 28, killing up to 2,000 people, Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) was one of the first to respond to the tragedy, said spokesman Dennis Fulton. "[The day after] the earthquake hit . . . we were able to make some flights into that area and help make assessments of what had taken place. What they saw was a large number of buildings damaged, especially concrete structures. They saw many dead and injured." Medical supplies and personnel were also flown into the region immediately. MAF is doing more than just helping people physically, Fulton said. "As we're flying relief flights or medical evacuations, our pilots themselves who are missionaries, are able to sit and listen to people's stories and just be the hands and feet of Jesus as we go about doing our job there." (Mission Network News)

CHRISTIANS FEAR COUP IN KYRGYZSTAN COULD ERODE RELIGIOUS FREEDOMS

Christians in the Central Asian country of Kyrgyzstan are concerned about religious freedom in the aftermath of a coup. On Monday, March 28, the acting parliament named Kurmanbek Bakiyev as its new prime minister. Bible Mission International is assisting in a church planting movement there, said spokesman Mark Reimschisel. "They've had great success in planting hundreds of churches across Kyrgyzstan, and what they're afraid of at this juncture is that the extreme Muslims in Kyrgyzstan would come to power, and they obviously don't want that to happen." Kyrgyz Christians are asking believers to pray for a peaceful conclusion to the power struggle. Meanwhile, Reimschisel says the ministry is making plans to hold its summer camp programs in the country. "[They] will be kicking off at the end of May, and we would really like to have some resolution to this before we start sending kids out across Kyrgyzstan to camps," he said. (Mission Network News)

BODY OF 'DISAPPEARED' PERUVIAN CHRISTIAN EXHUMED AT MILITARY BASE

The remains of an evangelical Christian in Peru who was detained and disappeared in 1989 have been uncovered and identified, reported a ministry called Paz y Esperanza. Guzman Castillo Roque was detained on Oct. 25, 1989, along with two other Christians, Pastor Jorge Párraga Castillo and Tito Roque Huamanlazo, in Atcas, about 110 miles southeast of Lima. The three were taken by a military patrol and were never heard from again. The bodies of the two other missing believers have not been found, but it is assumed they met a similar fate. With Castillo Roque's remains, investigators found a bullet in the ribs, pieces of clothing, burned rope and a number of broken bones, indicating he was tortured before being killed. Investigators also concluded that the body was burned before being buried in a clandestine location. His remains were returned to his family, and he was given a Christian burial. (Christian Solidarity Worldwide)

* HCJB World Radio, together with local partners, has helped plant Christian radio stations in seven Peruvian cities. Affiliate stations in three cities also carry Spanish programming distributed by ALAS, the ministry's Latin American satellite radio network. Radio programs in both Spanish and Quechua also air across Peru via shortwave from Quito, Ecuador.

SECOND PRESIDENT OF THE NAVIGATORS DIES OF ILLNESS AT AGE 84

Dr. Lorne Sanny, who served as the second president of The Navigators and chairman of the board for three decades, died Monday, March 28, after months of battling serious health issues. He was 84. Born to Charles and Emma Sanny of Granville, Iowa, on Nov. 22, 1920, and raised in LeMars, Iowa, he gave his life to Christ as a teenager. He later attended the Bible Institute of Los Angeles (now known as Biola University) where he met and joined The Navigators, a Christian ministry founded by Dawson Trotman to help people "know Christ and make Him known." For 15 years Sanny served as Trotman's understudy, including seven years with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association as director of counseling and follow-up. When Trotman died in 1956, Sanny was his natural successor, expanding the ministry's worldwide outreach.

During Sanny's 30-year tenure as president and general director, the ministry moved from California to Glen Eyrie in Colorado Springs, Colo., in 1953, and the staff grew from 171 in less than a dozen countries to 2,580 in 71 countries. Today more than 4,000 staff members serve in 110 countries. After stepping down as president and general director in 1986, Sanny continued as chairman of the U.S. Board of Directors until 1993. He developed and served with Navigator Business and Professional Ministries, the organization's marketplace outreach. Sanny continued to be a valued resource to the staff worldwide, a mentor to Christian businessmen, and an active participant at First Evangelical Free Church until his death.

"What I've come to learn is that though Dawson Trotman was the founder of The Navigators, Sanny was the builder of The Navigators," said Jerry White, who succeeded Sanny as the ministry's third president in 1986. "He gave it focus, direction and purpose." Sanny is survived by his wife, Lucy, six children and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. A public memorial service will be held at Glen Eyrie Castle at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 3. (The Navigators)

CONSTRUCTION OF 12,000-SEAT CHURCH IN INDONESIA NEARS COMPLETION

Construction is nearing completion of a stadium-sized church in Indonesia, the world's largest Islamic country. Pastor Petrus Agung leads Jemaat Kristen (Gospel of the Kingdom Church) Indonesia which he launched in February 1991 with his wife, a handful of musicians and some friends. Despite a traditional law that forbids any group from building a facility larger than the city's grand mosque, the congregation in Semarang, the capital city of Central Java, is building a 12,000-seat arena dubbed the "Holy Stadium." It is expected to open this spring. Though the largest mosque in Semarang seats 3,000, the church, which has grown from 25 people to 6,000, received a permit for construction of its stadium in record time. Agung said obedience to God is at the heart of the church's growth. Although members of the young congregation earn an average of less than $300 a month, they have given enough money to operate the church and continue the construction debt-free. (Religion Today/Charisma News Service)

BIBLE QUIZ SHOW ON GERMAN TV NETWORK ATTRACTS 6.6 MILLION VIEWERS

A Bible quiz on German television has turned out be a great success. Nearly 6.6 million viewers watched the show which was aired at prime time, Thursday, March 24, by ZDF, one of the major German TV channels. "The Bible Test" reached a market share of 21.5 percent. It was hosted by the most popular German TV entertainer, Thomas Gottschalk. Among the contestants were five celebrities and four groups in the studio -- brides and bridegrooms, politicians, "nightlife professionals" and "church servants" (wardens and clergy). They had to answer questions such as, "What did God create on the seventh day? A. Heaven and earth, B. Fish and birds, C. Adam and Eve, D. Nothing at all." Three contestants got 27 of the 28 questions right. (IDEA)

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