Nigeria adds curfew to state of emergency

(Cover photo: Boko Haram. Story photo:
Burned out homes. Images courtesy Christian Aid Mission)

Nigeria (MNN) ― Nigeria's military is striking back against the insurgency of the Boko Haram.

Boko Haram has battled the government since 2009 in an effort to impose Islamic law on majority-Muslim northern Nigeria. It's been a bloody fight. More than 3,000 people have been killed in Boko Haram-related violence, including hundreds in government counter-insurgency operations.

With the recent uptick in violence, the military imposed a 24-hour curfew in 11 parts of the northeastern city of Maiduguri, the home base of the Boko Haram.

A state of emergency is also currently in force in Adamawa, Yobe, and Borno states. Brittany Tedesco is the Africa Director for Christian Aid Mission, your link to indigenous missions. She explains, "The curfew is from 6 in the morning till 6 in the evening. That, as you can imagine, is really affecting their work."

On Friday, U..S Secretary of State John Kerry urged the Nigerian army to show restraint and not violate human rights as it pursues the militants. However, the rebels are not so circumspect.

Christian Aid-supported Missionary Crusaders Ministries in Nigeria have had to respond to the constant threat. Ministry leader Gabriel Barau writes, "In as much as our missionaries remain committed to sharing Christ with the unreached, we need your prayers and support." Just last month, says Tedesco, "Terrorists set fire to three of the homes/mission bases of the missionaries that [Barau] is working with."

Discouragement is one major challenge. Fear is another. The attacks were personal. "The missionaries are currently staying at the mission school of missions until [Barau] can provide accommodation for them. On top of that, there's the follow-up and the discipleship that he provides to new believers."

Barau is scrambling to get the survivors of the fire resettled, Tedesco adds. "Thanks to help of our donors, Christian Aid was able to send some funds to rebuild these homes/mission bases.
"
Each simple home, which doubles as a place for cell group meetings and discipleship of new converts, costs $3,500. The need is especially urgent now as the rainy season is about to begin and will halt construction.

Since 1983, Barau has trained and sent out missionaries to share Christ with the unreached of Nigeria. The ministry has grown, in spite of the harassment and persecution coming from the Boko Haram. Despite being targeted, prayer cover has been their mainstay. Tedesco says, "None of these missionaries have been harmed. There are 183 missionaries working with this ministry. None of them has been harmed or killed."

Many of their mission fields are located in the country's Muslim northern region, where the majority of Boko Haram attacks have occurred. However, Tedesco says, "This ministry is committed to moving forward despite the danger that they're in right now. They've reached two new tribes with the Gospel."

Safety IS a concern. Christian Aid has been working closely with this ministry to help them relocate their headquarters. "The headquarters office that they're renting is located in Adamawa state, where Boko Haram has been striking repeatedly." The project has been a long time in coming when the risk of attack is imminent.

Still, God has been faithful. Tedesco says, "We are in the home stretch, praise the Lord! Right now, all we need is the windows, the doors, and flooring." The team will move into this office as soon as the roofing is completed.

Please pray for wisdom for Gabriel Barau as he leads the work of Missionary Crusaders Ministries, and pray that terrorized Nigerians will experience a return to peace in their homeland. "Continue to pray for the Lord's hand on this ministry, to give discernment to the ministry leader as to how to move forward in the safest possible way, and also just for protection for these brave missionaries who are risking it all to remain on their fields."

A registered church is raided in Kazakhstan, says Forum 18

Kazakhstan (MNN) ― In former Soviet Union countries, preaching or attending an unregistered church is against the law. But if a church is registered, they have so far flown under the governmental radar.

However, according to a recent article from Forum 18 News, that seems to be changing.

Forum 18 says a visiting pastor was delivering an Easter sermon at a New Life congregation in Kazakhstan when four police officers raided the church. The pastor was accused of being a missionary and conducting illegal missionary activity; but in reality, he was a local pastor associated with the New Life network.

He and the lead pastor were brought to the Police station to write down their statements, but the police found no evidence of any law-breaking, so they were allowed to leave. This is one of the first raids on a registered church in this area.

Joel Griffith of Slavic Gospel Association says, "If this is now something that is being done by authorities on a registered church that actually has an existing legal charter, that's a definite change in the game on the ground there."

Kazakhstan's restrictions against the church have risen in the past few years, but this raid is something Griffith hopes doesn't become a regular occurrence. He says, "We're going to have to watch and see how this filters down to the rest of the registered churches."

Because of increased pressure, SGA has made it a point to be discrete when it comes to their ministries. Griffith says the pastors' safety is a "top priority."

If the situation worsens, SGA will be with Kazakh Christians every step of the way. "We're going to try to serve them however they need us to serve them," he states. "We will be there to support them in prayer and we will be able to support them however they have need for us."

U.S. pastor pleads guilty in Russia

Pastor Thomas Kang takes a plea deal in Russia, now free.

Russia (MNN) ― American Pastor Thomas Kang felt compelled to plead guilty to charges in court just outside of Moscow.

On Tuesday, April 2, a hearing was held on the case of Pastor Kang. He and his lawyer decided to plead guilty in order to soften the punishment for the crime.

Wade Kusack, Russian Ministries Project Manager for Religious Freedom Issues in Eurasia, says, "He agreed to plead guilty and received six months in prison and 90,000 rubles, or $3,000, in penalties." Following that, Pastor Kang was released because he had already served seven months in jail.

Kusack says Pastor Kang didn't have a choice. "He accepted the offer from the prosecutor [to] plead guilty and be free. He was separated from his family for almost seven months. It was almost impossible for him to prove the truth." (Click here for more details.)
Kusack says, "We believe that the case was fabricated by the local authorities, that the pastor gave a 'bribe' under pressure from the police officer and had been abetted by his assistant. He believes this was a test by authorities to put pressure on religious minorities. I am afraid they will practice such a situation in the future on other minorities in the future.

The following is the statement by the Russian Guild of Experts on Religion and Law:

Increasingly in Russia, prosecutorial agencies take action against the faithful, against Christian missionaries, and these actions are not, formally, prosecution initiated on the basis of their religious beliefs. Essentially, representatives of various faiths are provoked, and said provocations result in criminal, or other action.

Kusack says, "In this regard, the Guild of Experts on Religion and Law calls on the Investigative Committee of Russia, the Prosecutor General's Office, the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, and the general public to take note of the case of the Protestant Pastor Thomas Kang, a U.S. citizen, who, as a result of obvious provocation, is under investigation for bribery."

The case isn't completely over. Kusack says authorities took personal belongings from him. "There are many things that just disappeared from his apartment: jewelry, 28,000 rubles, and more things. The lawyer has initiated a case against the police officers who searched his apartment."

Kusack also says Pastor Kang will have another issue facing him. "There's a good chance that Pastor will be deported from Russia because of his so-called 'criminal' past. I don't know what will happen."

Actions such as this, which are clearly targeted at believers who are persona non grata (an unwelcome persons), as well as at active preachers who are unable to defend themselves, will inflict damage on Russia's international reputation as a Christian country. Kusack says, "What transpired with Pastor Kang is a case of blatant persecution on the basis of religion, aided by criminal provocation. There is no doubt that the actions against Pastor Kang were taken with the aim of stamping out the Christian community which he created, and developing a means of expelling him from Russia."

Kusack continues, "We hope that, both within Russia and abroad, the public will respond vigorously to such blatant violations of the rights of believers to religious freedom and freedom to practice their beliefs, which are more and more frequently being threatened under various pretexts on the territory of Russia."

No Longer A Secret Christian

Gospel for Asia
For Immediate Release

Women’s Fellowship teams visit families like Veenu’s, who may not receive encouragement in their faith from other sources.

SOUTH ASIA (ANS) -- As a poor farmer with several children, Veenu blended right in with the rest of the people who lived in his village. But he was keeping a secret. His neighbors noticed Veenu seemed to always be sick or too busy when it was time for the traditional religious festivals, but no one cared that much.

So when three women, part of a Gospel for Asia Women’s Fellowship team, visited Veenu’s village, it was time to reveal his secret. They gave Veenu a Gospel tract and started to introduce him to the Lord.

Veenu listened to the women for a while and then made a confession: He already was a believer. Veenu explained how he came to know the Lord when another missionary visited him in 1998.

The women were surprised but continued listening to Veenu’s story.

He had been excited about his new faith in 1998, but when the missionary moved on to another area of ministry, Veenu was left with no other believers for fellowship and encouragement. Over time, he grew more and more afraid of the other villagers who were ardent worshipers of their ancient traditional gods. Veenu didn’t want people mocking and rejecting him if they found out he was a Christian. So, he never told anyone. He would make up excuses when his neighbors wanted him to join in their religious observances.

Veenu didn’t want people mocking and rejecting him if they found out he was a Christian. So, he never told anyone.

The women’s team members were empathetic toward Veenu’s plight, so they encouraged him from the Bible.

As they studied together, Veenu was ashamed he’d hidden his faith in Jesus, but he was filled with gratitude that someone could at last help him in his walk with the Lord. He asked the women to come and help his family study the Bible.

The women’s team started a prayer meeting at Veenu’s house, helping the entire family to grow in their faith.

The instruction and encouragement meant so much to Veenu. He declared that no matter what happened, he would never again compromise his faith in the Lord by hiding his light.

---

Gospel for Asia’s Women’s Fellowship is reaching many hurting people in Asia.

 http://www.gfa.org/womens-ministry/womens-ministry-about/

---

Gospel for Asia is an evangelical mission organization based in Carrollton, Texas, involved in sharing the love of Jesus across South Asia.

Missionary attacked while walking home from church

Mission Network News: "South Asia (MNN) ― As a result of their location and of the general offensiveness of the Gospel, missionaries and pastors in South Asia frequently come up against extreme opposition.

Thus, Gospel for Asia workers are often chided, harassed and beaten for their faith."

Read more...

Missionary Finally Released from Prison

CARROLLTON, Texas, August 29, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- Gospel for Asia-supported missionary Roshan Kuma was released from prison August 10 after a trial found him innocent of the charges brought against him. He served 17 long months after being falsely accused of working with the Maoists, an anti-government terrorist group.

 

Roshan, and his brother-in-law, M.T. Joshri, were arrested March 10, 2010.

 

In some parts of South Asia, the Maoists are a popular political party, but in the country where Roshan lives, they are most often insurgents who terrorize citizens. The country's prime minister calls them the "single biggest internal security challenge ever faced by our country."

 

Although Roshan was in prison, he refused to give up his calling to share the Gospel. He told his fellow prisoners about the love of Jesus and many chose to follow Christ. Roshan also started a prayer meeting in the jail.

 

"In spite of spending more than a year of suffering in prison, Pastor Roshan's vision for serving Jesus never dimmed. He still has an unquenchable thirst and passion for the ministry," said Dr. K.P. Yohannan, Gospel for Asia president and founder. "He continues to serve in the same area where there's a lot of Maoist activity, which causes many people to live in fear. Yet he has a successful and wonderful ministry in this small village."

 

When he was arrested, Roshan was pastor of a church with about 100 members. Some in Roshan's village believe the accusations against the missionary pastor originated with anti-Christian extremists unhappy with the growth of the church.

 

The believers in Roshan's village continually prayed for their pastor while he was in prison. In spite of their leader's arrest and imprisonment, the church grew and now has about 125 people attending worship each week.

 

Roshan's congregation is in the midst of constructing a new church building, which they plan to dedicate this fall.

 

"Please pray for Pastor Roshan, that God would continue to use him mightily for the Kingdom," K.P. asked. "Praise the Lord for using Pastor Roshan in prison, and for the inmates who chose to follow Jesus. Pray that they will stand firm in their faith--even while they are in prison."

 

Gospel for Asia is an evangelical mission organization based in Carrollton involved in sharing the love of Jesus across South Asia.

Prayer Sought for Students, Missionary Attacked while Sharing the Gospel

Gospel for Asia
For Immediate Release

These three Bible college students and their leader, Kamik Sandbahor (far right), were severely beaten by a gang of more than two dozen anti-Christian radicals. Today GFA leaders are asking that believers around the world pray for their recovery.

SOUTH ASIA (ANS) -- Gospel for Asia leaders in both Asia and America are asking for prayer for three Bible college students and a GFA-supported missionary leader who were severely beaten.


Kamik Sandbahor, who serves on the staff of the GFA state office, was leading a team of students from a local Bible college as they visited villagers in a rural community. Kamik, Jatrinda, Ajmal and Sanjavin were handing out Christian literature when they were attacked by a gang of about 25 young men wielding iron rods and sticks.

"Yesterday, these faithful servants were receiving medical treatment in a hospital for the injuries inflicted by these anti-Christian radicals," said GFA President K.P. Yohannan.

 "Today, they are a bit discouraged that their expressions of love and concern for the people were returned with violence and injury.

"I ask that Christians around the world pray for these young men, that God will strengthen and heal them, and fill their spirits with His encouragement.

"Pray also for their persecutors, that their hearts will be softened by the example of love shown by these students and their courageous leaders."

---

• Read how other student-and the Bible college itself-were attacked and one victim's surprising reaction to his injuries.

---

Gospel for Asia is an evangelical mission organization based in Carrollton, Texas, involved in sharing the love of Jesus across South Asia.

In Hiding from His Own Family

Gospel for Asia
For Immediate Release

Rasul was able to escape before his family members could beat him, but this believer was not so fortunate. When his father found out he was going to church, he beat him and threatened to kill him.

SOUTH ASIA (ANS) -- "The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?" -Ps. 27:1 (NKJV)

His heart pounding, Rasul Gupta hurried into hiding to escape from angry family members who wanted to beat him. What did they have against him? He chose to follow Christ.

A few months ago, Gospel for Asia-supported missionary Pallab Singh met Rasul, a member of the Brahmin caste, and the two struck up a conversation. As they talked, Pallab had the opportunity to share about how Jesus had touched his life.

 He also explained the Gospel to his new friend. After thinking about Pallab's words, Rasul ended up deciding to surrender his life to the Lord. At the church where Pallab serves as pastor, Rasul testified that he wanted to follow Jesus, and he joined the congregation.

But his new faith sparked frustration from his family members. Staunchly devoted to their traditional religion, his parents, in-laws and even his wife chastised Rasul for his decision to serve Christ. Like many other Brahmins, they believe any connection with Christianity, which is often considered a low-caste religion, would make them impure.

On July 25, Rasul's family members told him he must deny Christ and stop attending the church. His father-in-law and his uncle planned to beat him. Thankfully, Rasul was able to flee and find refuge at the home of a believer from his church.

Two days later, Rasul had the opportunity to meet the GFA regional leader, who prayed for Rasul and encouraged him to trust God.

Rasul is still staying at the fellow believer's home. His friends have gravely warned him not to return home because his whole family is waiting to torture him.

Rasul's situation is unique. Many women in South Asia face opposition from their entire families when they choose to follow Christ, it is much less common for a man to face the anger and abuse of all his family members-even his wife.

Pastor Pallab and other GFA leaders in the area request prayer for Rasul to stand firm in the Lord during this trying time and for God to protect him from harm. Also, please pray for his family members to come to know Christ very soon. 

---

• Like Rasul, Namisha comes from the highest caste and suffered the rejection of relatives when she chose to follow Christ.
• Read more stories about believers who have faced persecution for their faith in Christ.

---

Gospel for Asia is an evangelical mission organization based in Carrollton, Texas, involved in sharing the love of Jesus across South Asia.