Zprávy HCJB 6.3.2007

	Festival v Burundi přilákal nečekané množství lidí. 5000 zachráněných.
	Zdroj: Christian Newswire. Pětidenní festival v Gitega ve východoafrické Burundi, který pořádal evangelista Dan Owens a Eternity Minded Ministries (EMM) vyústil v asi 5000 obrácení. Tuto misijní cestu zajišťovalo dvacet devět dobrovolníků spolu s Danem Owensem, ředitelem EMM Carlem Dawsonem a pastorálním zástupcem EMM pro východní Afriku. „Říkali nám, že Gitega je studené město, nepřístupné ostatnímu světu, a že tam jen ztrácíme čas,“ řekl Dawson. Ale již první celonoční evangelizace, na kterou přišlo 15 000 lidí, místní pastory překvapila. Lidé seděli na stromech, aby slyšeli Owena mluvit o plánu spasení. Protože hrozil déšť, modlitebníci se modlili k Pánu, aby déšť zadržel. Přestože během pěti dnů, kdy se festival konal, denně pršelo, nikdy déšť nepřišel při evangelizaci. Za dobu jeho konání tak evangelium slyšelo 75 000 lidí a přes 5 000 jich vykročilo za Ježíšem Kristem a modlitbami. Během dne misionáři také navštěvovali školy, vězení, nemocnice, sirotčince a vojenské ubytovny. Také došlo k položení základů křesťanské školy v Gitega, jejíž stavbu finančně podporuje EMM.
	Všechny zprávy v angličtině.
	ANTI-CHRISTIAN SENTIMENTS HAMPER MINISTRY IN SRI LANKA Source: Mission Network News Anti-Christian sentiments in Sri Lanka are making ministry increasingly difficult as civil war looms between the government and rebel leaders. Itinerant pastors can become easy targets as they raise people’s suspicions. James Kanaganayagam, Back to the Bible’s Sri Lanka director, says once such pastor was arrested recently after entering a new area. “When going into new areas, people are very suspicious,” he said. “Based on your name and the area you come from, you could be branded as a terrorist.” In addition, large-scale outreach has lost effectiveness due to fear of arrests. “We had this program for our youth a couple of days ago,” Kanaganayagam explains. “Only a few actually showed up because possibly the fear of coming into the city, knowing that they could be arrested. So there is a general fear of moving around unless you have to.” The anti-Christian sentiment also affects Back to the Bible’s radio broadcasts. “[Radio stations] don’t want our programs because they’re Christian programs, but they can’t openly say that. So one way of getting our programs off the air is by charging us unreasonable commercial rates which we are unable to pay.” BURUNDI FESTIVAL DRAWS SURPRISING CROWDS, 5,000 SALVATIONS Source: Christian Newswire A five-day festival in Gitega in the East African country of Burundi by evangelist Dan Owens and Eternity Minded Ministries (EMM) resulted in more than 5,000 conversions. Twenty-nine volunteers supported this mission trip along with Dan Owens, EMM Director Carl Dawson and EMM’s pastoral representative in Africa. “We were told that Gitega is a cold city unreceptive to the Word and that we would be wasting our time,” Dawson said. However, the first-night turnout of 15,000 surprised local pastors. People were hanging out of trees to see Owens lay out the plan of salvation. Because rain was a concern, prayer warriors were vigilant in asking the Lord to hold back the rains. Although it rained during most of the five-day festival, it never rained once during the gospel messages. By the end of the event, more than 75,000 people heard the gospel and more than 5,000 people came forward to receive Jesus Christ and prayer. During the day ministry members also visited schools, prisons, hospitals, orphanages and military barracks. The festival also celebrated the groundbreaking of a new Christian school in Gitega funded by EMM. * Staff members from the HCJB Global Technology Center in Elkhart, Ind., worked with local partners to install a Christian FM radio station in Bujumbura, Burundi, in 1999. CHINESE LEADER DENIED REFUGEE STATUS, CRACKDOWNS COMING Sources: China Aid Association, Christian Newswire, Religion Today, Voice of the Martyrs The China Aid Association (CAA) has learned that persecuted house church leader Lei Wensen from Xi’an, China, and his family were denied the protection of refugee status by the U.N. High Commissioner Office in Thailand. Wensen and his family were allegedly persecuted for their leadership in the house church movement, and it is believed they will receive more harsh treatment if they are forced to return to China. CAA President Bob Fu received a letter for help from elder Lei on Jan. 26. After a thorough investigation, CAA has verified Lei’s claims of persecution. Fu is asking the U.N. for quick action. “We urge you to reconsider your previous decision and grant elder Lei and family members in Thailand refugee status,” he wrote. Meanwhile, Todd Nettleton from Voice of the Martyrs reports that persecution in China is ramping up as the 2008 Olympic Games approach. Nettleton expects the Chinese government to crack down on outspoken Christians as the Summer Olympics approach in August 2008. Nettleton says the Chinese government will try and put a stop to all public protests by Christians leading up to the event. Some sources claim that the Beijing municipal authority has announced its intention to enact more than 70 local laws and decrees before the start of the Games, including a ban on protests and the institution of penalties for any dissemination of materials deemed “not beneficial to the state.” GALLUP POLL: CHURCHGOERS SPLIT ON OPINION OF MORMONS Source: Religion Today A new Gallup poll found that U.S. residents’ favorable and unfavorable views of the Mormon religion are almost evenly split. Forty-six percent say they have an unfavorable opinion of the Mormon religion in general while 42 percent have a favorable opinion. Those who attend church regularly tend to have highly negative views of Mormons. Americans who seldom or never attend church are more likely to have a favorable view. When asked what comes to mind first when they think about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the most listed term was “polygamy” among both parties who have favorable and unfavorable opinions. Those holding favorable views of the Mormon religion also listed “good people/kind/caring/strong morals” while those with unfavorable views listed “dislike their beliefs/don’t agree with their doctrine/false teachings.” The poll comes on the heels of questions about Mormon presidential candidate Mitt Romney who has also been invited as the commencement speaker at Regent University, an evangelical Christian institution in Virginia Beach, Va. * PARTNER OPENS SHORTWAVE STATION IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC Source: HCJB Global Six years of planning and praying culminated on Thursday, March 1, as Integrated Community Development International (ICDI) in Boali, Central African Republic, officially began broadcasting the gospel via shortwave with help from HCJB Global Voice. This is the country’s first privately owned shortwave station, making Christian broadcasts available to most of the country’s 3.5 million people. “Our partner, Jim Hocking, and the staff of ICDI have prayed and worked to see this vision of nationwide Christian radio,” said Curt Bender, manager of radio planting and development at the HCJB Global Technology Center in Elkhart, IN. He led a team that installed the equipment. In a clear example of the voice and hands of Jesus at work, Bender shared, “This is a country that has been devastated by war and HIV/AIDS. The folks at ICDI plan to use the radio broadcasts to help disseminate community health information and to spread the gospel. The needs are immense, but this station is a significant step in helping a people who need so much.” The station, broadcasting at 6030 kHz, airs eight hours daily with programming in French and three African languages, Sango, Aka and Fulfuldé. “This low-power shortwave radio station will enable the staff at ICDI to deliver community health information and the gospel daily to remote villages inaccessible by vehicle,” Bender added. Bender, together with engineers Dan Anderson, Don Hastings and Jeremy Maller, installed the 1,000-watt shortwave transmitter at ICDI, a ministry founded by Hocking 3˝ years ago. Anderson said response to the new broadcasts was almost immediate. “Within hours of going on the air the station received cell phone calls from 10 towns across the country even though no formal announcement had been made. Reports came from as far away as 300 miles! Pray that many will come to trust Christ and that the churches in the country will be built up through the ministry of this station. We thank God for the privilege of having a part in starting this ministry.” A week earlier (Thursday, Feb. 22), the mayor of Boali spoke during a “commissioning ceremony” to thank all the people who helped make the station a reality. “Her comments were aired to the nation over the radio during an initial one-hour test broadcast,” Bender said. The TB1000 shortwave transmitter, while portable and compact like a FM transmitter, “can send the signal much farther than FM transmitters.” The antenna, designed at the technology center by Hastings and Maller, covers an area almost the size of a football field when fully assembled. The team also set up two satellite dishes for access to the Internet. This allows ICDI and other mission organizations in the country to have “reliable e-mail and Internet access,” Bender explained. Hocking first got involved with HCJB Global Voice six years ago when he was with Grace Brethren International Missions. At that time engineers helped the mission set up an FM station in the capital city of Bangui. “I felt like we needed broadcasts that would reach further,” said Hocking. It was a year after founding ICDI that he began serious discussions with HCJB Global Voice regarding a shortwave station to complement the ministry’s community development work. ICDI has been involved in various community health projects across Central African Republic such as well-drilling to provide drinking water in remote villages, orphan care and micro-enterprise development. “The radio station is as an effective way to disseminate community health information and spread the gospel,” Hocking explained. “Poor roads make traveling to many villages difficult or dangerous. For these reasons, radio has become the logical tool to reach the inaccessible people of the country.” He expressed his appreciation to the staff at the HCJB Global Technology Center on Monday, March 5. “There would not be a shortwave station on the air today in the Central African Republic if not for the help of HCJB Global,” Hocking said. “We are already having fantastic results with people calling from across the country.” © Copyright 2007 - HCJB Global - Colorado Springs, CO USA

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