Christians forced to flee Syrian city
MAY 2012
Christians forced to flee Syrian city Militant Islamists go door-to-door SYRIA (The Christian Post): While the world is raising concerns over rights abuses by anti-government forces in Syria's ongoing violent conflict, few would even know that militant Islamists have expelled the majority of Christians from the western city of Homs, according to the country's largest church. The Catholic news agency Fides says it has received a note from the Syrian Orthodox Church, which represents 60 percent of the Christians in Syria, about "an ongoing ethnic cleansing of Christians" by members of the militant Islamist outfit, Brigade Faruq, which has links with al-Qaida. The militants have expelled 90 percent of Christians in Homs, which has faced the brunt of violence related to the uprising, and grabbed their homes, it said. They went doorto-door in the neighbourhoods of Hamidiya and Bustan alDiwan forcing Christians to flee without giving them the chance to take their belongings, it added. Syria has witnessed protests against the government as part of the wider Arab Spring since last January. About 10 percent of Syria's 23 million people are estimated to be Christians,
who have generally supported President Bashar Assad, a Muslim from a Shiite off-shoot who is autocratic but protects religious minorities. On the other hand, the majority of the Muslims in Syria are Sunni.
movements are making headway."
The Christian minority is being targeted in other cities as well. Just recently, the Vicar recalled, a car bomb exploded in the vicinity of the school of the Homs had a large population Franciscan fathers in Aleppo. of Christians, and Muslims from "By a miracle, a massacre of the Alawite sect to which the children was avoided, at the president belongs. Centre of catechesis of the Church of St Bonaventure: only On the local Islamists group's because the Franciscan, sensing association with al-Qaida and danger, made the children leave militants from Libya and Iraq, 15 minutes before the usual Giuseppe Nazzaro, the Vicar time." Apostolic of Syria's largest city of Aleppo, was quoted as There were also explosions in saying, "We have no sources Damascus. "These are bad signs to confirm this information for religious minorities," the directly, but we can say Vicar said. However, he added, that these relationships are "I am confident that peace can beginning to break down the return: for this we Christians wall of silence built up to now count on constant praying." by the press worldwide. In this - NZ Challenge Weekly situation Islamist and terrorist
Samoa "Talofa Lava and Warm Christian Greetings in our Saviour's Name! I am compelled in my spirit to put ink to paper and share with you the word our Lord gave to me for me and Every Home for Christ in Samoa in the beginning of this year as our team embarked on a journey of 21 days of prayer and fasting.
The Holy Spirit impressed upon my heart for our team to meet every night for 3 hours for worship, prayer and bible reading for the next 21 days. Every night the Lord visited us as we worshipped Him, prayed to Him and read from His word. Our simple obedience to His instructions resulted in his visitation almost every night. We all know that it is critically important to complete everything God has called us to do in this life before He calls us home someday. One day, that day shall arrive and we shall leave this place but it is my prayer that before we leave to go and spend eternity with God we would have completed every task, every assignment and every project assigned to us by our Heavenly Father." - Pastor Morgan Samoa EHC Director
Samoa Island of Savaii The Every Home for Christ outreach team is now based on the big island of Savaii. The work is progressing very well and we hope to complete the island wide coverage of systematic home to home visitation in Savaii by November of this year, 2012. Please continue to pray for our outreach team in Savaii as they systematically visit every home with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, because they are attempting something that has never been done before by any Christian church or mission agencies in Samoa.
Christian Leadership Workshop This month of May, 2012, the second Christian Leadership Workshops in Upolu and Savaii. We are expected to conduct leadership training for more than 300 local leaders. We need your prayers for this event. We also need to raise $2,539.00 to fund all our expenses for this crucial leadership workshop. Any financial donation towards this cause shall be greatly appreciated.
Every Home for Christ worker Patti witnesses to a man on his way to his taro plantation.
Death in the village
From: gutaivai village, Savaii
In the village of Gutaivai, we were told to leave and not to witness or even pass out our gospel tracts, so we left, since the person telling us to leave was not willing to listen to us explain the nature of our work. We retreated and went right into prayer asking God to open the doors and give us favour to visit every home. In the evening as we were finishing off our prayer time, we received news that this very person who stopped us from visiting every home in the village of Gutaivai died of a heart attack. We don't know if God has removed this individual so we can reach this village, but we plan to come back to this village after we've covered the whole island of Savaii.
A gift worth giving From the desk of Katherine Franks
Imagine life with no hope. No prospects. Fear of tomorrow, while trying to live for today…. Little food. No education. Sickness. Death. Suffering. For many in Africa, they don’t have to imagine. That is how they live. Today the needs are many – food, shelter, clean water, sanitation, orphans, funerals to pay for… and tomorrow who knows what it will hold! Sometimes I close my eyes and put myself in the shoes of a woman in Africa. Every time tears begin to well. I am saddened by their hard plight, the lack of opportunity – but amazed at their strength, resilience, their faith that tomorrow may be different. I will never forget when my eyes were first opened to death on one of my first trips to Malawi 10 years ago. I was trying to hold a meeting, but many didn’t come – they were at a funeral. I couldn’t get my work done. It was frustrating. So I decided to sit and talk, to ask about the funerals – how many they go to, what people are dying of, the debt it leaves them in, the orphans, the child-less parents…. I was expecting them to tell me it was Aids killing them. But they didn’t. They said Malaria.
Kristy Simmons
Westmedia
Malaria?....What? Its true – every 30 seconds a child dies round the world of malaria; that is not even including the adults!! Sub-Sahara Africa carries the brunt of this. Of course it is exacerbated by hunger, by aids, by sickness, disease, lack of medicine, but quite simply lack of prevention…. So what is the next logical question? How can we help?!! With $10. That is the answer. That is how we can help. A treated mosquito net is the single most effective way to stop the spread of malaria, one family at a time. Some time ago my husband was in Malawi, at the funeral of an 8 month old, who was the 2nd child in the family to die from malaria. The grieving father’s plea to him: “…Please, help us. Now my 2nd child is dead…We need nets…!”. Amazingly their only surviving child had not caught malaria – but she slept under a net. So our aim? To get a net into as many African homes as possible in Malawi and Zambia where we have been working for the past 10 years, then hopefully beyond…. We have Every Home workers in 30 African countries – all in the same situation, all in need of nets. Why should people suffer from something that is so preventable? They don’t have to. We can change that. We can do something. So for $10 – why not? Amidst all the craziness of how we spend money, know that for $10 you have made a difference in the life of a family in Africa. That is a gift worth giving!
A $10 Mosquito Net A gift worth giving To know more visit
www.everyhome.org.au
Sponsor A Child $30/$44 A Month
For the last 25 years, Every Home for Christ has been providing opportunities for children in developing countries to access education and a better way of life through child sponsorship. Our reasons are simple: 18,000 children die every day from starvation. Children are being used as cheap labour and never have an opportunity to go to school. Children are recruited for prostitution and used as soldiers. Millions of children are left homeless when their parents die of AIDS. The EHC child sponsorship gives you the opportunity, to rescue a child from severe poverty, to give them the chance to get an education that leads to a better future. To receive a daily hot meal, school uniform, books and medical help. To escape from the curse of child slave-labour. To break the bitter cycle of poverty and dependency, and provide a way to lead a meaningful life that will benefit their whole society.
Gold Sponsorship Child sponsorship through EHC still costs only $30 a month - a dollar a day. Choosing Gold Sponsorship for $44 per month allows you to invest in the community through micro business and adult education, and contribute towards much needed repairs to school property. Making a Difference One child at a time There is a story about a young boy on a beach, rescuing starfish that had been washed ashore by throwing them back in the sea. When a man saw the boy doing this, he asked him "Why are you bothering? There are thousands of starfish washed up here, and you can't possibly save them all." The boy looked at the starfish in his hand, then looked up at the man and replied: "Yes, but I can save this one".
All it costs is $30 a month. Please make a difference in the life of a child?
Helping the poorest of the poor, healing the sick and educating for a better life
A gift worth giving So what did Jesus say about a gift worth giving... in other words "Helping the Poor" In Matthew 25 Jesus blesses some people for what they have done. Confused, they ask, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?" (vv.37-39)
Ask yourself: if you actually saw Jesus hungry and with no clothes, what would you do for Him?
"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on His answer is mind boggling, "I tell you him, how can the love of God be in him? the truth, whatever you did for one of the Dear children, let us not love with words or least of these brothers of mine, you did for tongue but with actions and in truth. This me" (V.40). Jesus is saying that we show then is how we know that we belong to the tangible love for Him in how we care for truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in the poor and those who are suffering. He his presence whenever our hearts condemn expects us to treat the poor and the desper- us." ate as if they were Christ Himself. - 1 John 3:16-20
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PLENTIFUL HARVEST MEXICO
COLOMBIA
An Easter Advance was held in Michoacan, one of 31 states in Mexico where there is an urgent need for the Good News of Christ due to the fear, insecurity and hopelessness that has engulfed the region. In the fifth largest city in Michoacan—Zitacuaro—very few people dare to go out to distribute gospel literature, share the Word or preach the Gospel even though there are several Christian churches located there.
Every Home for Christ workers have been reaching the Indians of Colombia with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Overcoming Fear and Hopelessness
But EHC workers do not let fear stop them! In 42 days, 70,000 gospel messages were distributed in 18 different neighborhoods in Zitacuaro, with an average audience of 300 people in attendance each night. This was indeed a miracle in a nation ravaged by drug cartels, kidnappings and blatant murder in the streets. Not only do many fear for their lives after accepting Christ, some were criminals themselves and doubt if the Lord can forgive all their crimes. Some do not even recall the number of people they have killed. But EHC Mexico workers tell them that Jesus loves them and desires to save their souls. He promised to not just help those who are healthy, Gloria says, but those who are “spiritually ill.” Workers have seen deliverances from serious gambling addictions, including many so addicted they refuse to eat because they cannot stop gambling. Another woman was delivered from a serious cocaine habit in a rehab centre, where 18 people accepted Christ in one day. Gloria says, “We have seen strong men crying before the Lord, repenting of their sins! This Advance has been a great victory.”
Thirsty and Hungry for God
The challenges EHC pioneer missionaries face in Colombia include long distances, horrible roads, lack of time and almost zero communication. Some of the Indians reached with the Gospel are people who are literally cut off from civilization, with no knowledge of computers, cell phones, or television. To reach some areas during previous Easter Advances the roads simply were impassable due to a cold snap that ravaged the nation. The work was delayed by two entire days. Despite this, EHC National Director Jaime Doncel said, “We knew the Lord would give us victory and heal the land once we delivered the fruit of the Good News!” The Indians indeed were very happy to receive this Good News, but by nature they are a suspicious people. So EHC workers give glory to God who “gave us the grace to reach hearts with the fellowship and love of Jesus.” Workers shared the Gospel for ten days among a group they would later call “the thirsty and hungry for God.” EHC leaders believe their work among the Indians, who are often illiterate and live in farming communities, will positively affect Colombia as workers take the Gospel to this culture that is sometimes forgotten. The reality of life in the jungles of Colombia is often overlooked. Jaime Doncel says, “Through our Easter Advance we can offer hope to those who at times have limited resources to survive.”