Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s regime is dealing a severe blow to Christian revival in the country by outlawing Muslims who convert to Christianity. Ethnic Christians are still allowed to express their faith within their own church walls, but those who come from a Muslim background face tremendous risk because the government wants them to return to Islam. Iran’s new policy has brought fear to the church because they are forbidden to support these [believers], and as a result are removing their support from their brothers and sisters of Muslim origin. “That is regrettable,” said Open Doors staff worker Stefan Van Velde. “They [former Muslims] now form little cell groups that only meet in secret. This makes it more difficult for the government to track them down. At the same time, it’s very hard for organizations like Open Doors to reach them too. This is a problem because most [of the former Muslims] are new converts to Christianity. They have very little knowledge of the Bible. There is a big risk that false doctrines will arise,” he said. “They aren’t intimidated by the government and continue to spread the gospel.” (Assist News Service)

WORLD VISION AIDS VICTIMS OF ‘SILENT EMERGENCIES’ IN AFRICA, THAILAND

World Vision is bringing hope and encouragement to survivors of “silent emergencies” in Sub-Saharan Africa and Thailand where stories of massive flooding have failed to make international headlines. In Malawi 9,000 families were left homeless by flooding in December. Ironically, this in an area where people have suffered years of drought. Downpours resulted in flash floods that caused deaths and destroyed crops. In some places, villages were leveled to fields of sand and farms turned into large lakes.

The situation is even worse in low-lying Mozambique where after years of too little rain, at least 22 people died due to flooding, and thousands were displaced. Some 10,000 acres of crops were lost.

World Vision is raising funds to help farmers replant crops, provide materials for temporary shelters and repair damaged homes.

In December heavy rains and flash floods paralyzed southern Thailand, killing 27 people and forcing large-scale evacuations. Floods suspended train services, shut down schools and damaged roads. Thousands of villagers were forced from their homes. More than 700,000 families were affected. In some places, 80 percent of the land was inundated.

World Vision distributed more than 4,250 survival kits to families. Kits contained items such as food, drinking water, clothing, shoes and medicine. (World Vision)

* In partnership with African Bible College, HCJB World Radio helped plant a Christian radio station in Lilongwe, Malawi, in 1995. The station airs programs in Chichewa and English. Staff members from the HCJB World Radio Engineering Center in Elkhart, Ind., also installed FM transmitters at stations in two Malawian cities, Blantyre and Mzuzu, in 2000.

PROTESTANT PASTOR ACCUSES UZBEK AUTHORITIES IN BEATING

Protestant Pastor Bakhtier Tuichiev is convinced that a brutal assault he was subjected to on Christmas Day, leaving him unconscious and needing a week of hospital care, was arranged by Uzbek authorities. “In early January I saw my attackers on the street, and now I even know where they live, but the police don’t even want to talk to me,” he said. Tuichiev’s church is in Andijan, a city in Uzbekistan’s Fergana Valley. “All I remember is that before starting to beat me, my attackers told me I had betrayed the faith of their ancestors. When I regained consciousness, I was in resuscitation.” Tuichiev is convinced that his beating was arranged by the authorities. “I’ve been called into police headquarters several times and told openly that if I don’t stop what I’m doing, then there’s a lot of trouble in store for me. I fear this attack was just a warning,” he said. Tuichiev has been trying in vain to register his church since 2002 and has faced repeated harassment from authorities, including four consecutive days of interrogation in mid-November. (Forum 18 News Service)

LONDON TO HOST DAY OF PRAYER FOR MYANMAR’S PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has joined with Karen Aid, the Karen Action Group and the Committee for Internally Displaced Karen People to hold a “Day of Prayer” for Myanmar (Burma). The event will be held at St. Paul’s Church in London, England, Saturday, March 11, as part of a global prayer initiative. “Even as CSW campaigns for change in the political sphere, we are fully aware we must also pray for the people of Burma,” said CSW Chief Executive Officer Mervyn Thomas. “The ongoing human rights abuses in Burma must drive us to our knees. I would urge as many as possible to join us for the Day of Prayer for Burma.” An estimated 1 million internally displaced people live inside Burma, and an estimated 10,000 people are killed by the Burmese Army each year. (Christian Solidarity Worldwide)

U.S. CONVENIENCE STORE OWNER PROMPTS CLIENTS TO MEMORIZE VERSES

Dale Lanier has found a way to get people to read and memorize Bible verses. If they walk into his convenience store in Snead, Ala., and recite the Bible passage he has selected, they can have a free soft drink or cup of coffee. This month’s memory verse is Psalm 118:8, “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man” (NKJV). Lanier says he has been doing this for the last six years, and gives away between two and 12 drinks a day. He says entire families sometimes walk in and recite the Bible passage he has picked. Lanier credits God with showing him a way to share the gospel at his business. (AgapePress/Associated Press)

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