Bania, Subarna Banik in India

Bania, Subarna Banik in India The name subarna banik is derived from the word sonar bania, meaning traders of gold. They are known for their exquisite craftsmanship in making designs on gold ornaments. Vermilion and bangles of conch-shell and iron are marriage symbols for women. The community has achieved a high literacy rate. Remarriage of widows is not permissible; female divorcee remarriages are allowed. Most of the people are owners of agricultural land. The majority belongs to the Vaishnava sect of the Hindu religion but they worship all the local deities. Dharmaraj and Kali are their village deities. A Brahman priest performs their worship and rituals. Ministry Obstacles Spiritual opposition can be expected when Jesus is presented to a person or to a people group. But God is greater than this opposition. Outreach Ideas This community has a higher literacy rate than many others in India. Printed scripture and other Gospel messages will be effective, in addition to oral communication. Pray for the followers of Christ None of the people in this community have reported themselves as Christians to the Indian census. It's possible there are a few secret believers. Pray for those who will one day come to Jesus as Lord and Savior, that they will live in obedience to Christ and will serve him with a whole heart. Pray for the entire people group Pray for an increasing awareness of sin among these people, and for a desire to find forgiveness for that sin. Conviction of sin is a great gift, since it shows us our need. Scripture Focus "Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, Who alone works wonders. And blessed be His glorious name forever; And may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen, and Amen." Psalm 72:18-19		People Name: Bania, Subarna Banik Country: India 10/40 Window: Yes Population: 166,000 World Population: 171,000 Language: Bengali Primary Religion: Hinduism Bible: Complete Online Audio NT: Yes Jesus Film: Yes Audio Recordings: Yes Christ Followers: Few, less than 2% Status: Unreached Progress Level: 1.1

Hani in Vietnam

Hani in Vietnam The Hani are polytheists and have a special adoration toward the spirits of their ancestors. It is common for brothers in the same family to worship their dead parents at the eldest brother's house. They practice rituals venerating different gods, thus obtaining their protection. The religious hierarchy of the Hani is divided into three main personages: the zuima who directs the main celebrations; the beima, responsible for practicing exorcisms and magical rituals; and the nima who takes charge of carrying out predictions and administering medicinal herbs. Dwellings are usually two or three stories high, built with bamboo, mud, stone, and wood. Ministry Obstacles Spiritual opposition will surely be encountered as Christ is presented to these people, who are in touch with evil spiritual forces. Outreach Ideas Gospel recordings are available in the language of the Hani people. Please pray for workers. Pray for the followers of Christ There may be a few followers of Jesus Christ among the Hani of Vietnam. Please pray for them, and for others who will soon join their numbers. Pray they will completely turn away from worshipping false gods, and will turn wholeheartedly to the Creator God. Pray for the entire people group Pray the Hani people will soon hear accurately of who Jesus is, and that the message will come to them in ways they understand. Scripture Focus "I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples." Psalm 108:3		People Name: Hani Country: Vietnam 10/40 Window: Yes Population: 21,000 World Population: 767,000 Language: Hani Primary Religion: Ethnic Religions Bible: None Online Audio NT: No Jesus Film: No Audio Recordings: Yes Christ Followers: Few, less than 2% Status: Unreached Progress Level: 1.1

LAST CHANCE TO SIGN TO DEFEND CHRISTIANS IN MEXICO!

LAST CHANCE TO SIGN TO 

DEFEND CHRISTIANS IN MEXICO! 

If you haven't yet, please sign and share our petition with your friends and family calling on Mexico to defend Christians in Mexico.  On June 1st, ICC launched a new campaign to stand for minority Christians who were having their lands seized and being forced out of their homes by village leaders. Thanks to your phone calls and your action, the issue of the persecution of minority Christians in Mexico reached discussion on Capitol Hill. On July 17, Senator Marco Rubio questioned the nominee for the next ambassador to Mexico, the Honorable Roberta S. Jacobson, in regards to ICC's investigation of the maltreatment of Christians in Mexico.  ICC estimates that at least 70 open cases of religious persecution against Christians remain in just five states: Chiapas, Hidalgo, Oaxaca, Puebla, and Guerrero. Each of these cases involves communities of 20 to 100 individuals, putting the number of victims in the thousands. From having water and electricity to their homes cut off for refusing to participate in certain festivals to being driven completely from their villages and having their lands confiscated, Christians in Mexico are facing discrimination and violence for their faith on a daily basis.  With your help, we can make a difference for our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ. You can also tweet about our petition on Twitter using the hashtag #LibertyInMexico.

19-year-old honors student from Mississippi planned to join Islamic State

19-year-old honors student from Mississippi planned to join Islamic State
By Mark Ellis, Special to ASSIST News Service
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (ANS - August 12, 2015) -- She was a high school honors student and a member of the homecoming court only two years ago. Studying to become a doctor at Mississippi State and newly married, her family was left reeling by her arrest related to plans to join Islamic State, also known as ISIS.
Immediately before Jaelyn Young’s arrest, she allegedly praised the Chattanooga shooting by a home-grown radical Islamist, which claimed the lives of five American servicemen, according to a report by ABC News.
“What makes me feel bette[r] after just watching the news is that an akhi [brother] carried out an attack against US marines in TN! Alhamdulillah [Thanks be to God], the numbers of supporters are growing,” Young told an undercover FBI agent in a conversation online on July 17, a day after the deadly shooting, according to the FBI.
Last night authorities issued a criminal complaint against Young and 22-year-old Muhammad Oda Dakhlalla, another Mississippi resident. The FBI says the couple planned to travel to Turkey, then on to Syria to join ISIS, according to ABC News.
“The only thing keeping me away is $$$ but working all of this overtime will be worth [it] when I am finally there,” Young reportedly said online.
Based on Young’s pre-med studies, she hoped to provide medical aid to injured or wounded Islamic State, also known as ISIS, fighters after she got to Syria.
Young and Dakhlalla reportedly had an Islamic marriage for the purposes of traveling together to Syria. Initially, Dakhlalla allegedly said he wanted to use his computer science and media skills to help ISIS counter anti-ISIS messaging in the West, and then he would fight on ISIS’s behalf, according to ABC.
“I wish to be a mujahid akhi [holy warrior]. I am willing to fight. I want to be taught what it really means to have that heart in battle!” Dakhlalla allegedly told an undercover agent.
Photo caption:  Couple planned to use their honeymoon to join Islamic State.
MORE
About the writer: Mark Ellis is senior correspondent for the ASSIST News Service and also the founder of www.Godreports.com , a website that shares stories, testimonies and videos from the church around the world to build interest and involvement in world missions.
** You may republish this and any of our ANS stories with attribution to the ASSIST News Service (www.assistnews.net)
Read more

Islamic State terror group, Releases 22 Assyrian Hostages in Syria

Islamic State terror group, Releases 22 Assyrian Hostages in Syria
By Dan Wooding, Founder of the ASSIST News Service
SYRIA (ANS – August 11, 2015) – The self-styled Islamic State (IS) terror group, has released 22 Assyrians that it captured on February 23 when it attacked the 35 Assyrian villages on the Khabur river in the Hasaka province.
According to the Assyrian International News Agency (www.aina.org), Islamic State, also known as ISIS, captured 253 in the initial attack and drove 3,000 Assyrians from their villages. Most have not returned.
The 22 Assyrians who were released, 14 of them women, were from the villages of Tal Shamiram and Tal Jazira. The number of Assyrians still being held is now 205.
IS released Assyrians on the following dates:
* August 11: 22 released
* June 16: Francois Sawa released
* May 26: two elderly women released, Ramziyya Rehana (80) from Tel Jazira and Yoniyya Kanoon (70) from Tel Shamiran
* March 3: Two Assyrians from Tel Shamiram were released, Yatroun Marko and his wife Wardiyya Yonan. Two Assyrians from Tel Goran were released, 6 year-old Mariana Mirza and her father's aunt, Bobo Mirza.
* March 1: 19 Assyrians Released, all from the village of Tel Goran
“Negotiations to release the captives have been ongoing between the Assyrian Church of the East and IS, who have demanded $100,000 for each hostage. According to observers, negotiations are ongoing for the release of the remaining hostages,” said AINA.
A video posted on YouTube by the Syriac Military Council (NFS), an Assyrian militia that has been fighting IS in Syria, shows members of MFS entering the Assyrian village of Tel Shamiram after it has been liberated from IS. The video shows massive destruction in the village. ISIS scorched farm fields, destroyed buildings and homes and completely leveled the church of Mar Bishu. The damage caused by IS runs into millions of dollars and renders large parts of the village uninhabitable. In addition, ISIS has left booby traps in homes and farm fields in the villages it has retreated from.
To view the video, please go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuanevMWTNQ
Note: Assyrians make up around 2% of Syria's population. They live primarily in Al-Hasakah Governorate, with a significant presence in the provincial capital and the cities of Qamishli, Malikiyah, Ras al-Ayn, and Qahtaniyah, as well as in Tell Tamer and nearby villages. As of November 2014, only 23 Assyrian and Armenian families remain in the city of Ar-Raqqah. Christian bibles and holy books reportedly been burned by IS militants.
Assyrian is the common collective term in the English language for modern Aramaic-speaking peoples of the Near East, regardless of their regional self-identification. Old Aramaic was the language that was reportedly spoken by Jesus.
Photo captions: 1) Some of the released hostages with a priest. (Photo: AINA). 2) Two young Assyrian boys previously released by Islamic State. 3) Dan Wooding pictured outside the Kurdistan Parliament in Erbil, Northern Iraq, during a reporting trip for ANS.
About the writer: Dan Wooding, 74, is an award-winning author, broadcaster and journalist who was born in Nigeria of British missionary parents, and is now living in Southern California with his wife Norma, to whom he has been married for 52 years. They have two sons, Andrew and Peter, and six grandchildren who all live in the UK. He has written some 45 books. Dan also hosts three TV programs, His Channel Live on www.hischannel.com , “Inside Hollywood with Dan Wooding”, a 13-part series which is still be worked on with Tim Hathaway, and “Windows on the World with Dan Wooding and Pam Christian”, which will begin airing on Wednesday, August 12, on www.hsbn.tv . He also hosts the week Front Page Radio show on the KWVE Radio Network (www.kwve.com), which is also broadcast on several other stations in the US, UK and Belize.
** You may republish this and any of our ANS stories with attribution to the ASSIST News Service (www.assistnews.net)
Read more

Former President Jimmy Carter reveals he has cancer

Former President Jimmy Carter reveals he has cancer
By Mark Ellis, Special to ASSIST News Service
PLAINS, GA (ANS - August 12, 2015) -- Former President Jimmy Carter – the first candidate to run for president proclaiming himself a born-again Christian — says he has cancer and it has spread, although he did not reveal the kind of cancer he has.
Carter, 90, had a mass removed from his liver Monday, according to an NBC news story.
“Recent liver surgery revealed that I have cancer that now is in other parts of my body. I will be rearranging my schedule as necessary so I can undergo treatment by physicians at Emory Healthcare. A more complete public statement will be made when facts are known, possibly next week,” Carter said in a statement released to the media.
James Earl Carter, Jr. was 39th president of the United States, from 1977 to 1981. He has been one of the most active ex-presidents, working with groups such as Habitat for Humanity and founding the nonprofit Carter Center, and teaching Sunday school and serving as a deacon at the Maranatha Baptist Church in his hometown of Plains, Georgia.
Carter’s family has a history of pancreatic cancer. His father, both his sisters and his brother died of pancreatic cancer and his mother had pancreatic cancer as well, according to NBC News.
In 2007, Carter revealed that he had CT scans twice a year and later MRIs to look for tumors in his pancreas, according to the New York Times.
In March, Carter left Guyana earlier than originally planned. He had been monitoring elections there, but said he felt ill.
Pancreatic cancer will often migrate to other organs, including the liver. It is also possible the cancer began in the liver and spread to surrounding organs. Carter did not provide any information about the type of cancer he has or how far it has spread.
However, when cancer spreads from one organ, it is usually considered Stage IV cancer — the most advanced stage. Stage IV cancer is normally fatal although it can be treated, depending on the type.
Dr. Robert Mayer, a gastrointestinal cancer specialist at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, says that at age 90, 90, Jimmy Carter is unlikely to tolerate much treatment, according to NBC News.
There are many different possible cancers that Carter could have, Mayer said. “This is a 90-year-old gentleman with apparent widespread disease. The goals of treatment would be his comfort.”
“I really don’t know from paucity of information which of these would be the situation for President Carter. I don’t know what his symptoms were. I don’t know what led to surgery on his liver,” Mayer told NBC News.
Mayer says a 90-year-old patient cannot tolerate the same treatment that could buy years of life for cancer patients in their 60s or 70s.
Many words of encouragement were sent to the former president, including one from President Barack Obama.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Rosalynn and the entire Carter family as they face this challenge with the same grace and determination that they have shown so many times before,” Obama’s statement read.
“Jimmy, you’re as resilient as they come, and along with the rest of America, we are rooting for you.”
Photo caption: Jimmy Carter.
About the writer: Mark Ellis is senior correspondent for the ASSIST News Service and also the founder of www.Godreports.com , a website that shares stories, testimonies and videos from the church around the world to build interest and involvement in world missions.
** You may republish this and any of our ANS stories with attribution to the ASSIST News Service (www.assistnews.net)
Read more

Seven Assyrian Villages in Northern Iraq Hit by Turkish Air Strikes

Seven Assyrian Villages in Northern Iraq Hit by Turkish Air Strikes
By Dan Wooding, Founder of the ASSIST News Service
NORTHERN IRAQ (ANS – August 12, 2015) -- The German public TV channel ARD reported yesterday (Tuesday, August 11, 2015) that Assyrian villages in the Qandil mountains were hit by the recent Turkish air strikes against the PKK, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party.
According to the Assyrian International News Agency (www.aina.org), the villages hit by air strikes were Sharanish, Baz, Barwary Bala, Hayes, Dawoodiya and Margerija.
One Assyrian village the German reporter visited is Sharanish, located in the district of Zahko, near the Turkish border. Sharanish has hosted 60 Assyrian families from the Nineveh Plain who were driven out by Islamic State, also known as ISIS, in August of 2014. Among the displaced Assyrians are many from the Assyrian city of Baghdede.
A displaced Assyrian said in the interview “the airplanes are over our heads. They bomb the area and we do not know where we can escape to.”
AINA went on to say that in Dawoodiya there is a refugee camp with 700 families. The majority of the refugees are Yezidis from Shengal, but about 20% of them are Assyrians from the Nineveh Plain and Mosul.
There were no injuries or fatalities caused by the air strikes, but there was extensive property damage.
An Assyrian resident told AINA the PKK should not place its camps and warehouses so close to villages, as this endangers the residents.
Photo caption: 1) Christians reclaim the Iraq village of Bakufa from Islamic State. 2) Dan Wooding pictured outside the Kurdistan Parliament in Erbil, Northern Iraq.
About the writer: Dan Wooding, 74, is an award-winning author, broadcaster and journalist who was born in Nigeria of British missionary parents, and is now living in Southern California with his wife Norma, to whom he has been married for 52 years. They have two sons, Andrew and Peter, and six grandchildren who all live in the UK. He has written some 45 books. Dan also hosts three TV programs, His Channel Live on www.hischannel.com,  Inside Hollywood with Dan Wooding, a 13-part series which is still be worked on with Tim Hathaway, and “Windows on the World with Dan Wooding and Pam Christian”, which began airing on Wednesday, August 12, on www.hsbn.tv . He also hosts the weekly Front Page Radio show on the KWVE Radio Network (www.kwve.com), which is also broadcast on several other stations in the US, UK and Belize.
** You may republish this and any of our ANS stories with attribution to the ASSIST News Service (www.assistnews.net)
Read more

Akha, Tchitcho in Laos

Akha, Tchitcho in Laos The Tchitcho Akha are considered one of the most distinct of the Akha groups in Laos. Even though the Pouly Akha are near neighbors, one researcher claims, "They are different classes of ethnic groups. Pouly and Tchitcho have little in common and no contact or affinity with each other." An Akha wedding is marked with great festivities, feasting, and alcohol consumption. Divorce among Akha couples is unfortunately high. For generations they have tilled their fields and gone about their daily tasks, completely unaware of the presence of Christianity or the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Ministry Obstacles There is much spiritual darkness among the Ahka people, but the light of the Gospel can overcome it. Outreach Ideas Pray that indigenous Laotian Christians will be led to the Akha groups and will be successful in planting healthy, vigorous churches among them. Pray for the followers of Christ There are probably no followers of Jesus Christ today among the Tchitcho people of Laos. However, please pray for those who will one day come to saving faith. They will need our prayers. Pray for the entire people group Pray the Lord will begin to stir the hearts of these people to want to know the creator God, the one who loves them and has provided the way of redemption for them. Scripture Focus "And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations, and men of every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed." Daniel 7:14		People Name: Akha, Tchitcho Country: Laos 10/40 Window: Yes Population: Unknown World Population: Unknown Language: Akha Primary Religion: Ethnic Religions Bible: Complete Online Audio NT: Yes Jesus Film: Yes Audio Recordings: Yes Christ Followers: Few, less than 2% Status: Unreached Progress Level: 1.1

Abubakar Shekau Removed as Leader of Boko Haram, Replaced by Deputy

Abubakar Shekau Removed as Leader of Boko Haram, Replaced by Deputy
By Dan Wooding, who was born in Nigeria and is the founder of the ASSIST News Service
CHAD, AFRICA (ANS – August 13, 2015) -- Abubakar Shekau, the brutal head of the Boko Haram Islamist terror group, has been ousted and replaced by his deputy according to Idriss Déby, the President of neighboring Chad.
A story posted on the Nigerian-based website -- http://www.tori.ng –- says that if the security reports of the president of Chad, Idriss Déby, are to go by, world renowned terrorist and the leader of the Boko Haram sect, Abubakar Shekau, has been removed from the position of leadership and consequently replaced by his deputy, Mahamat Daoud.
President Idriss Déby revealed this surprise information during a press conference on Tuesday, August 11, 2015, in which he also said that Boko Haram is “losing the way” and would be “annihilated” by the end of this year.
Déby said, “There is someone apparently called Mahamat Daoud who is said to have replaced Abubakr Shekau and he wants to negotiate with the Nigerian government. For my part, I would advise not to negotiate with a terrorist.”
Mr. Shekau has not featured in the group's recent videos, leading to speculation that he has been killed.
The website stated that the source of his information is “currently unknown” as Abubakar Shekau was reported to have relocated due to increased military operations by the Nigerian and Chadian soldiers.
Mr. Déby was speaking to reporters in the Chadian capital, N’Djamena, on the 55th anniversary of Chad's independence from France.
“His claims that Boko Haram are facing imminent defeat will be questioned by some, however, given the carnage the group has wreaked in recent days across its strongholds in north-east Nigeria,” added the Nigerian website.
“While claiming progress in the fight against the jihadists, who have repeatedly hit border areas of Cameroon, Chad and Niger, President Déby admitted that suicide bombers still posed a threat.
But he added: “Boko Haram is decapitated. There are little groups [of Boko Haram members] scattered throughout east Nigeria, on the border with Cameroon. It is within our power to definitively overcome Boko Haram.”
He went on to say, “Abubakar Shekau must surrender. We know where he is. If he doesn’t give himself up, he will suffer the same fate as his compatriots. He [Shekau] was in Dikwa (in Borno State, Nigeria) two days ago. He managed to get away but we know where he is. It’s in his interests to surrender.”
The BBC says that the last Boko Haram video, which was released earlier this month, showed an unidentified young man speaking in the name of the Islamic State in West Africa calling on people to be patient: “We are still present everywhere we had been before.”
He spoke in the regional Hausa language, with an accent from the Kanuri ethnic group, to which Mr. Shekau belongs.
In numerous videos, Mr. Shekau has taunted the Nigerian authorities, celebrating the group's violent acts including the abduction of the more than 200 Chibok schoolgirls in April 2014.
He was last heard from in March, when he released an audio message pledging allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) group.
Last month, Nigeria’s new President Muhammadu Buhari said he would be willing to negotiate with the Boko Haram leadership for the release of the Chibok girls - depending on the credibility of those saying they represented the group.
Photo captions: 1) Abubakar Shekau was the leader of the Nigerian militant Islamist group Boko Haram, which been behind a deadly insurgency in the north-east of the country for the last five years, and has now been replaced. 2) This unidentified man spoke in the last Boko Haram video earlier this month (BBC). 3) Idriss Déby, the President of Chad. 4) Norma and Dan Wooding (PHoto: Bryan Seltzer)
About the writer: Dan Wooding, 74, is an award-winning author, broadcaster and journalist who was born in Nigeria of British missionary parents, and is now living in Southern California with his wife Norma, to whom he has been married for 52 years. They have two sons, Andrew and Peter, and six grandchildren who all live in the UK. He has written some 45 books and has reported for ANS from all over the world.
** You may republish this or any of our ANS stories with attribution to the ASSIST News Service (www.assistnews.net).
Read more

Children's medical care in Guatemala is a family affair

Children's medical care in Guatemala is a family affair
By Kenneth D. MacHarg, Special to the ASSIST News Service
GUATEMALA CITY, GUATEMALA (ANS – August 13, 2015) -- Helping sick children find medical treatment in Guatemala is often a family affair.
Take the Hobson family: Dr. Eric Hobson of Franklin, Tennessee, his twin brother Scott Hobson of Carrolton, Georgia, and Scott’s wife, Elaine--all recently spent a week working at the Moore Pediatric Surgery Center in this Central American capital.
“I don’t sit still well,” Eric reflected while taking a break from talking with patients and their parents, supervising Doctor of Pharmacy students from Belmont University in Nashville, and inspecting the entire building for physical needs such as painting and replacing the roof.
“I guess serving is part of my DNA,” he said, explaining that he was raised in a family which served as missionaries in Jamaica for several years and later managed Woodland Christian Camp in Temple, Georgia. “I can’t imagine not being involved in some sort of service.”
Eric’s relationship with the Moore Center in Guatemala began several years ago when a woman he did not know asked if she could sit at the same lunch table in a crowded cafeteria with him and a Belmont University colleague. Eric is a professor in the Department Of Pharmaceutical, Social and Administrative Sciences in the College of Pharmacy at the university.
“She started to share her enthusiasm for the work of the Moore Pediatric Surgery Center in Guatemala,” he remembered. “As the Executive Director of The Shalom Foundation which owns and operates the hospital, Allison Bender talked about the work that the Christian foundation was doing at the clinic helping children who needed surgery.”
“The hospital needed a pharmacy, so I worked with a colleague to design one for the facility and in May of 2011 we brought several students here and opened the pharmacy,” he related.
Since then Eric says ninety-five percent of the pharmacy services have been performed by Belmont students and the facility has completed over 3,000 surgeries performed by doctors from all over the United States.
While Eric supervised students and did his walk-through inspection of the building as the foundation’s treasurer and overseer of all the operations and maintenance, Scott, and Elaine were making their way from patient to patient, stopping to chat with mothers and children, giving a Bible to each family and praying with them as the child recovered.
“The capacity here is 20 beds,” Scott explained. “So, with over 100 surgeries this week, they can only stay here overnight until they recover.”
While many children remain overnight, a few are well enough to leave with their mother by the end of the day.
“We sit with the families, talk, pray, help them pass the time,” said Scott speaking about his and Elaine’s ministry with the patients and their families. “We do whatever is needed to help the mothers as they wait.”
“Sometimes there are difficult cases,” Elaine said. “We met one mother who has two children, six and three, and just found that her husband has a relationship with two other women. We encouraged herto talk and prayed for her and her children.”
The family involvement with the hospital hasn’t been limited to just those on the recent working trip to Guatemala. The twin’s mother, Mary Alice Hobson of Temple, Georgia volunteered there several years ago as did some of the next generation of Hobsons.
The Moore Center and its U.S. parent organization, The Shalom Foundation, were founded by Nashville concert promoter and former CEO of the Country Music Association, Steve Moore, after a trip to Guatemala with a group from his church. Later, his relationship with the Monroe Carell Jr Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville convinced him that a first-class medical center was needed to care for needy children. Thus, the facility opened in 2011.
Today the center is the site of hundreds of surgeries each year including procedures in general surgery, ENT, plastic surgery, orthopedics, urology, dental and ophthalmology.
Without intervention, many children would go untreated, facing life-long suffering or death from injuries, congenital defects or other medical problems.
Most of the patients come from throughout Guatemala, but the facility has also attracted children from the neighboring countries of Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Mexico and Belize according to Dr. Ligia Figueroa, the surgery center’s Medical Director.
Dr. Figueroa points to gaps in the country’s medical system that make the Moore facility crucial to serving children. “Our public hospitals are limited,” she said. “In addition, ninety percent of Guatemalans can’t afford private hospitalization and the social security (insurance) system covers employed people only and limits its treatment of children to those under seven.”
“For many of our patients the Moore Center is the last resource. When we see parents knock on the door, we cannot tell them no.”
This compassionate pediatrician told of a three year old girl who arrived at the hospital several months ago. “She was born with a congenital disease and her bones were extremely fragile. Her father has the same affliction and sells pencils at the airport.”
“Last February, the Moore Center pediatric orthopedic team lead by Dr. Brian Shaw performed surgery on Katy to straighten her legs and arms. After the surgical procedures on her legs performed by Dr. Shaw this year she should live with less pain.”
The Moore Pediatric Surgery Center receives teams of surgeons throughout the year for one-week sessions. Some are sent by medical practices or hospitals, while other groups are put together by the foundation from individual doctors who volunteer.
In addition, teams of non-medical volunteers such as Scott and Elaine Hobson are recruited to provide comfort and support to patients and their families. More information is available at www.theshalomfoundation.org.
Meanwhile, the extended Hobson family is enthusiastic about the center and plans to continue its involvement.
Eric pointed to the devoted nature of all who volunteer at the center and commented, “We have surgical rock stars volunteering here. Most of these doctors are the best in their specialty.”
Photo caption: 1) Child helped by the foundation. 2) Healthcare in the ministry. 3) Kenneth D. MacHarg
About the writer: Kenneth D. MacHarg is a retired Missionary Journalist who lives in Carrollton, Georgia. He currently is serving as the Interim Pastor at the International Christian Fellowship in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. His address is: 102 Comly Rich Dr., Carrollton, GA 30117 and e-mail is: kdmacharg@gmail.com .
** You may republish this or any of our ANS stories with attribution to the ASSIST News Service (www.assistnews.net).
Read more

Civilians Suffer as Cease-Fire Falters in Ukraine

Civilians Suffer as Cease-Fire Falters in Ukraine

August 13, 2015

An apartment dweller in a bombed-out building in Ukraine.

Missionaries native to Ukraine are risking their lives to bring life-saving aid to civilians as violations of a cease-fire add to the nearly 7,000 people who have perished.
A cease-fire signed in February between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces has been crumbling fast in the past week as troops on both sides have reported casualties. The February agreement followed the break-down of a prior cease-fire signed in September 2014. The United Nations estimates more than 6,800 people, both civilians and troops, have been killed since April 2014, with 17,100 wounded.
Untold misery continues to unfold in a conflict little understood in the West. Preceding the battles was the collapse in February 2014 of the Ukrainian government as protests mounted. Demonstrators raged at the government's decision, under pressure from Russia, to forego a trade pact that would have drawn Ukraine closer to the European Union. Protestors were further incensed at the subsequent acceptance of a major loan from Russia.
Amid the unrest, Russia on March 18, 2014 annexed the Ukrainian region of Crimea. At the same time, pro-Russian demonstrations in eastern Ukraine escalated into an armed insurgency, and an indeterminate number of Russian paramilitaries have since joined the Russian citizens in eastern Ukraine who launched the rebellion.
Since the fighting in eastern Ukraine started last year, an estimated 1.4 million people have been forced to flee their homes. Starvation and disease took the lives of many who fled bullets and bombs, according to a Ukraine-born, Christian leader overseeing organizations ministering in the conflict zones.
"Those too frightened to escape the war-ravaged towns and villages because they believed they couldn't make it past the bullets, artillery, and bomb explosions sought shelter in the basements of homes and apartment buildings," he said. "Their 'refuge' had no food or water, no medicine, no heat during the cold Ukrainian winter, and no sanitary facilities."
In combat areas in eastern Ukraine, heavy artillery has been used in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions in spite of the cease-fire signed in the Belarus capital of Minsk. As many as 400 pro-Russian separatists attacked Ukrainian forces over the weekend (Aug. 8-9) with the aid of 10 tanks and 10 armored personnel carriers, according to a government spokesman.
Many stores are closed, making it difficult to buy staple items such as bread, and travel is dangerous. The indigenous missionaries that Christian Aid Mission assists said they have the know-how and contacts to overcome the obstacles of war to get aid to people.
"Every week we send out food parcels and clothing to different locations in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions where people are unable to leave the territory," a local ministry director said. "Food delivery capability is very limited, as there are only seven corridors through which humanitarian supplies may be delivered. Many people are in need of food."

An indigenous ministry worker distributes bread, a staple item in short supply in Ukraine.

The ministry has established mobile kitchens in tents where people are fed. Three such tents are in place in Donetsk, two in Lugansk, and one each in Makiyevka, Krasnodon, Rubizhne, and Yenakievo. Each day, up to 1,000 people receive food, the ministry director said.
"All these people hear the testimony of Jesus Christ," he said. "They are offered the opportunity to repeat a prayer of repentance. According to the pastors, no one refuses to repent."
The daily cost of feeding one person per day is 70 cents. The ministry also provides clothes and toiletries, but great needs for pharmaceutical items remain.
The hostilities have not only caused businesses to close their doors, but several other aspects of society have ceased to function. Pensioners have not received their pensions, and students have been unable to study. Where food is available, prices have skyrocketed. All these problems have led to a steep increase in crime.
Displaced families are settling wherever they can; some have been directed toward orphanages, while churches are making their basements, pews and any other space available. "We await the arrival of 23 more boys and girls who have lost families/caregivers," the director of one ministry recently wrote.
Ministries based in Ukraine seek to expand aid to meet the growing needs of the Internally Displaced People (IDP) and those who have no way of leaving conflict areas. In the expanded plan, crucial medications, diapers, baby formula, personal hygiene items and warm clothing would be distributed along with food, water and temporary shelter.
"This kind of help is expected to continue for an indefinite time," the Christian leader from the region said. "Secondly, the multifaceted social implications of such a crisis situation will also be addressed. Longstanding outreach programs will play a vital role in the rehabilitation of fractured lives."
Local Christian workers from indigenous ministries who have proven ability to extend aid in Christ's name would build upon existing programs in the effort to expand. Ukraine has a network of churches, ministries (including orphanages) and volunteers in place, all working together to provide critical help.
"Volunteers, church workers, and the IDPs themselves are working together to restore abandoned buildings to house the homeless," a ministry director said. "Overall, the efforts have been successful, but there are concerns about sufficient funding to sustain these projects over longer periods of time – six months or more – and about funding for programs in those areas where no help has yet been given."
Proposed "Temporary Accommodations Centers" would house 70 people at sites to be constructed or renovated for 14 to 18 families. Once housed in renovated old houses or abandoned buildings, adults would be assisted with finding new jobs and their children enrolled in area schools.
Since the military conflict began, ministries assisted by Christian Aid have helped more than 10,000 people, the Christian leader said. The indigenous missionaries are in great need of funding for their planned expansion of the relief programs.*
"We are so grateful to everyone who helps us make this possible," the Christian leader said. "Your gift helps to save souls daily."

To help indigenous missionaries meet needs, you may contribute online using the form below, or call 434-977-5650. If you prefer to mail your gift, please mail to Christian Aid Mission, P.O. Box 9037, Charlottesville, VA 22906. Please use Gift Code: 368REF. Thank you!

*Those interested in discussing expanded projects giving opportunities in Ukraine may call Christian Aid Mission's Raul Hernandez at (434) 422-2585.

Meeting Christ in the Air Waves

Meeting Christ in the Air Waves  

Family members in Ukraine listen to a Christian radio program via a broadcast system the former Soviet Union built after World War II to spread communist propaganda. Since former Soviet leaders equipped every house, apartment, office, school, supermarket, hospital, army base and prison with a single channel for their propaganda, now more than 100 million people in Ukraine, the European part of Russia, Moldova, Belarus, and Baltic and eastern European Union countries listen to the "Faith, Hope and Love" program once a week. Two other programs are aired in Ukrainian cities. The Ukraine-born director overseeing the ministry that operates the station said it wasn't easy persuading Communist Party officials to allow use of the radio system, but God opened the door. "Our office in Kiev, Ukraine receives tens of thousands of letters from different people," he said. "There are testimonies about deliverance, salvation and healing. Thousands of Bibles and New Testaments are sent to people who request our Christian literature. Thousands of people have received the salvation of Jesus Christ." The ministry seeks $27,000 per year to produce the three weekly programs.

Kanowit in Malaysia

Kanowit in Malaysia Kanowit is a town and the capital of a district of the same name. The town takes its name from the Kanowit, a Melanau ethnic group. The Kanowit language is still spoken, and there still are some Kanowit people living in the Kanowit area. However, the language may be doomed to extinction. The village where Kanowit people live is called Kampung Bedil, a short trip by boat up the Rajang River from Kanowit town. There have been talks of relocating the village to another site as severe erosion of the banks of the Rajang River will soon wash away the remaining houses there. Ministry Obstacles The Kanowit are a tiny tribe and are losing their language. It may be difficult to even find them. Outreach Ideas Gospel recordings are available in the language of the Kanowit. Pray for those who will take these to the people. Pray for the followers of Christ There may be a handful of Christians in the tribe, but this is uncertain. Pray for divinely appointed encounters between the Kanowit and believers who will recognize the opportunity to share the gospel with them. Pray for the entire people group Pray this tribe will be able to provide stable housing to replace housing in danger of being washed away by the Rajang river. Scripture Focus "Those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south." Psalm 107:3		People Name: Kanowit Country: Malaysia 10/40 Window: Yes Population: 200 World Population: 200 Language: Melanau, Kanowit-Tanjong Primary Religion: Ethnic Religions Bible: Questionable Need Online Audio NT: No Jesus Film: No Audio Recordings: Yes Christ Followers: Few, less than 2% Status: Unreached Progress Level: 1.1

Cia-Cia, South Butonese in Indonesia

Cia-Cia, South Butonese in Indonesia The Cia-Cia people are found throughout the southern part of Buton island, generally in the more rural areas. They also inhabit the remote island of Batu Atas (south of Buton) as well as the eastern half of the island of Binongko in the Wakatobi island chain. The Cia-Cia make their living as farmers or fishermen, depending on where their village is located. Almost all Cia-Cia people have identified with Sufi Islam, but the Hindu and animistic traditions of their past are very active. According to their teachings, they practice meditation in order to receive visions from God, or to find hidden truths far beyond their own reasoning. Ministry Obstacles Scripture is not reported as available in the Cia-Cia language, but Gospel recordings are available. Outreach Ideas There are many evangelical Christians in Indonesia, in other tribes. Pray some of these will be given an interest in the Cia-Cia people, and will be obedient to help disciple the Christians already in this tribe. Pray for the followers of Christ Please pray the few Christians in the Cia-Cia tribe will be accurately taught the ways of Christ. They need teachers to help them. Pray for the entire people group Please pray this tribe will not be exploited by those who would take the minerals on their land from them. Scripture Focus "Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations." Luke 24:46-47		People Name: Cia-Cia, South Butonese Country: Indonesia 10/40 Window: Yes Population: 95,000 World Population: 95,000 Language: Cia-Cia Primary Religion: Islam Bible: None Online Audio NT: No Jesus Film: No Audio Recordings: Yes Christ Followers: Few, less than 2% Status: Unreached Progress Level: 1.1

Assyrian School in Hasaka, Syria Occupied by Kurdish Militia

Assyrian School in Hasaka, Syria Occupied by Kurdish Militia
By Michael Ireland, Senior Reporter, ASSIST News Service, answritermike@gmail.com
HASAKA, SYRIA (ANS, Aug,16, 2015) -- According to a report from Swedish-based AssyriaTV, the YPG, the Kurdish militia in Syria, has occupied an Assyrian school in the city of Hasaka for the last three weeks and is using it as a base of operations. Hundreds of Assyrian students are at risk of missing the start of school year.
The Rev. Gabriel Khacho, the priest of the Syriac-Orthodox Church in Hasaka, who is responsible for school, identified the school as the Amal Elementary School and said it has 900 students, according to Assyrian International News Agency www.aina.org .
According to Rev. Khacho, the YPG militia do not seem to want to leave the building. "We talked to them several times and every time they say 'we will see,'" he said in a telephone interview with Assyria TV.
"The school is located in center of the city center and ISIS is very far away from here; there is no fighting in the town anymore," said Rev. Khacho. "We do not understand why they do not return the school."
AINA says the YPG has also forcefully occupied several other buildings in the city.
AINA also explained that the Syrian regime's soldiers also occupied the school during the fighting against ISIS in late May and early June, but they behaved much better and cleared the building when asked to do so after the fighting against ISIS stopped. The Syrian army even asked for permission prior to moving into the building.
YPG did not ask for permission to occupy the school and has not heeded the requests to clear it.
The Amal Assyrian Elementary School in Hasaka, Syria, which has been occupied by the YPG Kurdish militia.(Courtesy AINA)
About the writer: Michael Ireland is a Senior Correspondent for the ASSIST News Service, as well as a volunteer Internet Journalist and Ordained Minister who has served with ASSIST Ministries and ASSIST News Service since its beginning in 1989. He has reported for ANS from Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Israel, Jordan, China, and Russia. Click http://paper.li/Michael_ASSIST/1410485204 to see a daily digest of Michael's stories for ANS.
** You may republish this and any of ANS stories with attribution to the ASSIST News Service (www.assistnews.net)
Read more

Danjuma: A Scar and a Smile

His face is marked with a vicious scar…and a brilliant smile. Thirteen–year–old Danjuma Shakaru was critically injured during an attack on his village in northern Nigeria. Muslim militants struck Danjuma on the head, arm and body with their machetes. Thinking he was dead, the villagers who found him dug his grave. But Danjuma’s grave is empty. He is alive in part because of the care he received through VOM’s medical program. Violence against Christians in Nigeria continues to rise, and VOM helped more than 500 believers with serious medical injuries during the past year. VOM pays for travel costs, hospital bills, prostheses, tests and medicines for severely injured Christians. Will you help us serve others like Danjuma?

Please share this email with a friend.

The Persecuted Church of Eritrea Needs Your Help

The Persecuted Church of Eritrea Needs Your Help 

#NoMoreCages

Today, we want you to join with us as we call on the government of Eritrea to put an immediate end to the arrest, torture, and murder of Christians across Eritrea.  For years, International Christian Concern has received numerous reports of serious religious freedom abuses targeting Christians who do not adhere to the three state-approved denominations in Eritrea. Since 2002, all Churches outside of the state-approved denominations have been forcibly closed and ordered to officially register with the Department of Religious Affairs or cease their religious activities. However, reports indicate that churches which attempt to file the appropriate registration are refused official recognition. Please take just a moment and click on the link to sign our petition on behalf of persecuted believers across Eritrea.

Petition Calling for Immediate Action to End Torture Against Christians in Eritrea

In Eritrea, metal containers and underground dungeons serve as a form of torture for Christians unwilling to join government controlled churches.

Everyday these Christians are faced with the decision to recant their faith or be jailed in these containers in desert locations and experience scorching and freezing temperatures, both day and night.  

There are believed to be as many as 3,000 Christians currently held in these containers. Many are placed in a "helicopter" position where the hands and feet of the victim are tied behind the back whilst forced to lie on the ground face down outside in the desert sun. This is a punishment that is usually assigned for one or two weeks; however there are reports of prisoners being kept in this position for as long as 55 days.

In 2011, five Christians who were subjugated to this type of torture died as a result of their treatment at the hands of the Eritrean government. Eritrean Christians who manage to flee successfully from the "North Korea" of Africa (as Eritrea is often called) suffer from the realization that their family members will likely be forced to pay heavy fines or face imprisonment as a result of their escape.

 

It's time for this cruel form of punishment and torture to come to an end. Please take a moment now and let your voice be heard on behalf of those who have lost their freedom for their faith. Sign our petition, and urge the government of Eritrea to put an end to the arrest, torture, and murder of Eritrean Christians.  

 

SIGN THE PETITION NOW!

"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."- John 13:35 (NIV)