Selasa, 25 Agustus 2015

Civilians Suffer as Cease-Fire Falters in Ukraine

Civilians Suffer as Cease-Fire Falters in Ukraine
From Christian Aid Mission (www.christianaid.org)-- For Immediate Release
Contact: Amie Cotton APR, +1 (434) 327-1240, Amie@christianaid.org 
Food distribution in Ukraine Christian Aid MissionUKRAINE (ANS – August 18, 2015) -- 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.
Christian Aid Mission new logoThose 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.”
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 provide help for refugees in Eastern Ukraine, you may contribute online by going to http://www.christianaid.org/Gifts/Basket.aspx 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.
Photo caption: 1) An indigenous ministry worker distributes bread, a staple item in short supply in Ukraine (Photo: Christian Aid Mission). 2) Logo for CAM).
Christian Aid Mission (CAM) is an evangelical missionary organization based in Charlottesville, Virginia, that assists indigenous missionary ministries overseas through prayer, advocacy and financial support. Since 1953, Christian Aid Mission has identified, evaluated and assisted more than 1,500 ministries in more than 130 countries that are reaching the unreached for Christ in areas of the world where there is no witness for Christ, where Christians suffer from poverty or persecution, or where foreign missionaries are not allowed. Today, we assist more than 500 ministries overseas with tens of thousands of indigenous or native missionaries in the field. These ministries are currently working among more than 1,000 people groups in 100+ countries around the world. For more information, please visit www.christianaid.org
** You may republish this or any of our ANS stories with attribution to the ASSIST News Service (www.assistnews.net).

Shekau claims he’s ‘still in charge’ of Nigeria’s Boko Haram

Shekau claims he’s ‘still in charge’ of Nigeria’s Boko Haram
By Nigerian-born Dan Wooding, Founder of the ASSIST News Service
Boko Haram leader has been replacesNIGERIA (ANS – August 18, 2015) – The mystery of the fate of the Nigerian-based Islamist militant group Boko Haram's brutal leader, Abubakar Shekau, has deepened after an audio message has emerged in which he denies he has been replaced.
According to the BBC, in the message, addressed to the leader of the Islamic State militant group to whom Boko Haram has pledged allegiance, Mr. Shekau said he was still in command. He had not featured in the group's recent videos, prompting speculation he had been killed or incapacitated.
Last week, Idriss Déby, the President of neighbouring Chad, claimed that Abubakar Shekau, had been ousted and replaced by his deputy, Mahamat Daoud.
President 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, but now, following his audio message, many are confused as to what is going on with this infamous terrorist.
The BBC said, however, that the Nigerian army has dismissed the audio recording as irrelevant, saying it did not matter whether he was alive or dead.
Mr. Shekau described as “blatant lies” reports that he was no longer in charge.
Chad PresidentI am alive,” he said, adding: “I will only die when the time appointed by Allah comes.”
The eight-minute-long recording mocked a recent statement by the new Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari that Boko Haram would be eliminated within three months.
Mansur Liman, Editor, of the BBC Hausa Service, says, “There is no doubt that the voice is that of Abubakar Shekau, but he seemed more subdued than in his previous recordings.
“His delivery was slow and steady, in contrast to his habitually theatrical performances. It is also interesting that this was an audio recording, rather than one of the slickly produced videos Boko Haram has been releasing, rather like those of its Islamic State allies.
“It could be that the pressure is starting to tell.”
Liman added, “Nigeria's army has been making progress and cutting off the group's supply lines. While they used to stage attacks in large convoys of vehicles with heavy weapons, witnesses say recent raids have been carried out on horseback and even bicycles.”
Horrific attacks
The BBC said that Mr. Shekau took over as the group's leader after its founder, Muhammad Yusuf, died in Nigerian police custody in July 2009.
“Under his leadership Boko Haram has become more radical and has carried out more killings,” said the BBC story. “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.
Boko Haram on the attack Dan WoodingLast month, Mr. 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. A previous prisoner-swap attempt ended in failure.
“Although momentum is gathering for a concerted regional offensive against the group, Boko Haram continues to carry out horrific attacks, not only in Nigeria but in its neighbors too, reports the BBC's Africa editor Mary Harper.
Boko Haram at a glance:
* Founded in 2002, initially focused on opposing Western-style education - Boko Haram means “Western education is forbidden” in the Hausa languageLaunched military operations in 2009
* Thousands killed, mostly in north-eastern Nigeria, abducted hundreds, including at least 200 schoolgirlsJoined Islamic State, now calls itself “West African province
* Seized large area in north-east, where it declared a caliphateRegional force has retaken most territory this year
Photo captions: 1) Abubakar Shekau. 2) The Chad president. 3) Boko Haram on the attack in Nigeria. 4) Dan Wooding as a baby in Nigeria in the arms of his mother, Anne Wooding, a pioneer missionary from Liverpool, England.
Dan Wooding with his mother as a babyAbout 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 Africa.
** You may republish this or any of our ANS stories with attribution to the ASSIST News Service (www.assistnews.net).

Arbore, Erbore in Ethiopia

Arbore, Erbore in Ethiopia
The Arbore people live west of the Woito river (which flows from north to south into the swampy plain which was once lake Stefanie), northeast of the lake, and on the right bank of the lower Sagan. They are very active traders and spread into distant areas. They exchange cattle for agricultural products from the Amare Kokke and acquire worked iron from the Kerre and Borana. They build their huts slightly oval in shape. The Arbore have a bodily mutilation of raised dots on the chest and abdomen. They believe in a Supreme Being creator and father of men whom they call Waq.
Ministry Obstacles
Spiritual opposition will almost always be present when Jesus is presented. Pray against this, so the Arbore will be free to understand and believe the message.
Outreach Ideas
There are many evangelical Christians in Ethiopia. Pray that some of these will be given a burden to take the Gospel to the Arbore people.
Pray for the followers of Christ
There are probably about 100 individuals in this tribe who are evangelical Christians. Pray they will be taught accurately the ways of Christ, live in harmony with one another, and live holy lives.
Pray for the entire people group
Please pray the Arbore tribe will soon hear accurately of who Jesus is and what he has done for them. Pray they will hear this message several times, and in different formats.
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: Arbore, Erbore
Country: Ethiopia
10/40 Window: Yes
Population: 10,000
World Population: 10,000
Language: Arbore
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:
1.2

Muslim Relatives Attack Mother, Sons in Uganda for ‘Turning to Christ’

Muslim Relatives Attack Mother, Sons in Uganda for ‘Turning to Christ’
Husband who beat, strangled wife leaves her and son for dead
By Dan Wooding, who was born in Africa, and is the Founder of the ASSIST News Service
Uganda story Morning Star NewsNSINZE VILLAGE, UGANDA (ANS - August 14, 2015), A Muslim in eastern Uganda beat and left for dead his wife and 18-year-old son on Tuesday (Aug. 11) after learning they had converted to Christianity, area sources said.
According to the East Africa Correspondent for Morning Star News (http://morningstarnews.org), Issa Kasoono beat and strangled his wife, Jafalan Kadondi, in Nsinze village, Namutumba District, but she survived, said a source who requested anonymity for “security reasons.”
He said other relatives joined Kasoono in beating her and their two sons, Ibrahim Kasoono, 18, and Ismael Feruza, 16, though the younger son managed to escape with only bruises on his arm.
All three were treated at a local clinic. Due to injuries from the strangling, Kadondi has lost her voice and has difficulty eating, according to the source and an area pastor.
“The mother and Ibrahim Kasoono were seriously injured,” the source said. “Ibrahim was hit with a blunt object, had his right arm broken and has stomach pains, while the mother was strangled and sustained neck and throat injuries.”
Ugandan Christian in worship Morning Star NewsMorning Star News stated that Kadondi requires specialized treatment for her throat injury, said an area pastor whose name and church are withheld for security reasons.
Issa Kasoono left his wife and oldest son inside the house expecting them to die, the two sources said. After Ismael escaped, he ran to a church and informed the pastor of the violence. The pastor and two elders drove to the house, discovered Kadondi and Ibrahim were alive and took them to the clinic in Nsinze, he said.
On Wednesday (August 12, 2015), the pastor took them to a relative’s house in another district, he said.
The mother and her two sons put their faith in Christ three months ago, and Kadondi had occasionally been able to secretly attend church meetings. After attending an open-air evangelistic event in May in Nsinze village, Kadondi and her two sons met with the pastor. After he further explained the gospel, they prayed with him to receive Christ as Lord and Savior, he said.
UgandaHolocaustCovIt was only during this time, when Ibrahim and Ismael are in their holidays, that Issa discovered that the three had joined the Christian faith when a Muslim neighbor informed him,” he said.
Recently, converts from Islam to Christianity in eastern Uganda, have been suffering persecution regularly. The wife of a former sheikh (Islamic teacher) was poisoned to death on June 17, 2015, after she and her husband put their faith in Christ in Nabuli village, Kibuku District. Namumbeiza Swabura was the mother of 11 children, including a 5-month-old baby.
In Kiryolo, Kaderuna Sub-County, Budaka District on March 28, five Muslims gang-raped the 17-year-old daughter of a pastor because the church leader ignored their warnings that he stop worship services, she said.
“Uganda’s population is 85 percent Christian and 11 percent Muslim. The country’s constitution and other laws provide for religious freedom, including the right to propagate one’s faith and convert from one faith to another,” said Morning Star News.
Photo captions: 1) Rural Mbala, in eastern Uganda. (Photo: Michael Shade).2) Worship service in Uganda. (Photo courtesy of Nathan Hale Williams blog). 2)  3) Book cover. 4) Dan Wooding and Ray Barnett, standing on a bridge in Uganda, where the bodies of thousands of Christians were fed to the crocodiles. This photo was taken while Dan and Ray were researching their book, Uganda Holocaust.
Dan and Ray at Karuma Falls Uganda where thousands of Bodies were dumpedAbout 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, including Uganda Holocaust (with Ray Barnett) and has reported for ANS from all over Africa.
** You may republish this or any of our ANS stories with attribution to the ASSIST News Service (www.assistnews.net).

Islamic State fighter raped 12-year-old between readings of the Quran

Islamic State fighter raped 12-year-old between readings of the Quran
By Mark Ellis, Special to ASSIST News Service
Yazidi girls useSOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (ANS - August 14, 2015) -- Before he raped a 12-year-old Yazidi girl, the Islamic State fighter told her that what he was about to do was not a sin. Because she adhered to a religion other than Islam, the Quran not only gave him the right to rape her — it approved and encouraged it, he claimed.
The militant bound her hands and gagged her. Then he got down beside the bed and prostrated himself in prayer before climbing on top of the preteen, according to a report in the New York Times.
When his dastardly act was finished, he stooped low to pray again, bookending the rape with acts of religious devotion.
“I kept telling him it hurts — please stop,” the girl told the New York Times. “He told me that according to Islam he is allowed to rape an unbeliever. He said that by raping me, he is drawing closer to God,” she said in an interview alongside her family in a refugee camp, to which she escaped after 11 months of captivity.
The Yazidis’ beliefs are rooted in Zoroastrianism, mixed with elements of Christianity and Islam. The methodical rape of women and girls from the Yazidi religious minority has become a big part of the radical theology of ISIS since the group announced it had resurrected the practice of slavery.
The Islamic State recently made it clear that sex with Christian and Jewish women captured in battle is also permissible, according to a new 34-page manual issued this summer by the terror group’s Research and Fatwa Department.
There appears to be no bounds to what is sexually permissible within Islamic State, including child rape!
“It is permissible to have intercourse with the female slave who hasn’t reached puberty, if she is fit for intercourse,” according to a translation by the Middle East Media Research Institute of a pamphlet published by ISIS last December.
One 34-year-old Yazidi woman, who was bought and repeatedly raped by a Saudi fighter in the Syrian city of Shadadi, described how she fared better than the second slave in the household — a 12-year-old girl who was raped for days on end despite heavy bleeding, according to the Times.
“He destroyed her body. She was badly infected. The fighter kept coming and asking me, ‘Why does she smell so bad?’ And I said, she has an infection on the inside, you need to take care of her,” the woman said.
Unmoved, he ignored the girl’s agony, continuing the ritual of praying before and after raping the child.
Photo caption: What does the future have in story for these three Yazidi young women?
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)

Prayer Thoughts: A monthly memo to encourage us in our prayer life

Prayer Thoughts: A monthly memo to encourage us in our prayer life
When the Church is Under attack
By Colin Stott, Special to ASSIST News Service
MURRIETA, CA (ANS – August 14, 2015) -- “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Tim 1:7 (NKJV)
Stop Killing Egyptian ChristiansThe Church of Jesus Christ, despite all of its appalling failures and sins, is the most potent force on earth for good and the greatest threat to Satan’s Kingdom. It is the only group of people on the planet feared by the god of this age. No other religion poses any threat to him. None. Just the Church. Satan trembles when he hears God’s people praising their Lord. Even the weakest saint on his or her knees surely strikes fear in the enemy camp.
No surprise then that the Church is always under attack. This is especially true today as persecutions and unspeakable horrors are befalling many of our Christian brothers and sisters around the world. We see also the abominations of today’s culture impacting our nations as a flood of evil threatens to overwhelm and marginalize the Church. Sadly, instead of influencing our culture for good, the Church finds itself being influenced by it.
How are we to respond? Such times call for us to confess that we have not been the purified bride that God intends us to be. Nor have we been the salt and light necessary to restrain evil in our society. More than ever do we need to humble ourselves, repent and pray and turn from our sinful ways. (2 Chronicles 7:14.)
Such times call for us to identify the real enemy. It is not our leaders who disregard God’s laws or those in the media or the politically correct brigade who mock us for our faith. Our fight is not against flesh and blood. No, our battle is with the powers of darkness that goad them to blaspheme the sacred and celebrate the obscene.
As prayer warriors we must boldly rise up and take the fight to the heavenlies where the real battle is being waged. Egyptian Christians beheaded Mark EllisWe have spiritual weapons to demolish strongholds of deception and every godless philosophy and false belief system that tries to exalt itself above the knowledge of God. (2 Corinthians 10:4-5) The Church, triumphant in Christ, must confront and destroy these if we are to see God’s kingdom advance.
And so we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. As the days get darker may our worship grow ever stronger. The more the enemy attacks the more praise God will receive! And let us show God’s love to those who rage against the Church and who want to silence it. (How they must fear the Truth!) This is no time to retreat but to step up our intercession for the persecuted church and for God to be glorified among the nations. His honor matters!
Photo captions: 1) Protest against the murders of Egyptian Christians. 2) The 21 Christians from Upper Egypt about to be beheaded by Islamic State killers. 3) Colin Stott.
Colin StottAbout the writer: Colin Stott is International Prayer Coordinator for Global Recordings Network (GRN), a mission that provides audio Bible stories in over six thousand languages and dialects. Colin was born in England. He and his wife Patti make their home in Murrieta in southern California. For more information about GRN and using its materials visit www.globalrecordings.net.  For more information about reprinting this article and others in this series on prayer, contact Colin at colinstott@globalrecordings.net 
** You may republish this or any of our ANS stories with attribution to the ASSIST News Service (www.assistnews.net)

Nuristani, Urmuri in Afghanistan

Nuristani, Urmuri in Afghanistan
The Nuristani people groups are unique amid others living in Afghanistan - so unique they cannot be viewed through a single lens. Their common threads may be religion, ethnicity, and remnants of customs pre-dating their collective conversion to Islam a little more than 100 years ago. As early inhabitants of the Nuristani region in northeast Afghanistan, most still reside there, although two groups - the Malakhel and Urmuri - now live among the Pashtun in Paktika Province southeast of Kabul. Physically, the people favor Europeans; blond or red hair and blue or green eyes are seen frequently. Storied warriors of ages past, Nuristani tribes are described as attractive, athletically-built people. Cited as reliable and loyal, they are creative, too, as attested to by their skilled architecture and craftsmanship.
Ministry Obstacles
Afghanistan presents many challenges to Christian workers, and physical danger is sometimes encountered.
Outreach Ideas
Pray for Christian NGOs at work in the country to effectively help the people, and do it in such a way that Christ is honored.
Pray for the followers of Christ
There are no known followers of Jesus today among the Urmuri Nuristani. Pray the Lord is even now stirring the hearts of many in this tribe to seek forgiveness for their sin, forgiveness that comes only by placing faith in Christ.
Pray for the entire people group
Please pray for peace throughout Afghanistan, and for a national government that is competent and just.
Scripture Focus
"Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation." Mark 16:15
 

People Name: Nuristani, Urmuri
Country: Afghanistan
10/40 Window: Yes
Population: 2,800
World Population: 2,800
Language: Pashto, Southern
Primary Religion: Islam
Bible: Portions
Online Audio NT: No
Jesus Film: No
Audio Recordings: Yes
Christ Followers: Few, less than 2%
Status: Unreached
Progress Level:
1.1

Deaf Believers in the Middle East may soon have the Gospel in Sign Language

Deaf Believers in the Middle East may soon have the Gospel in Sign Language
By Michael Ireland, Senior Reporter, ASSIST News Service, answriternike@gmail.com
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (ANS, Aug.19, 2015) – The Deaf Bible Society (DBS) has launched a program designed to bring the story of Jesus in sign language to the Middle East, where native signers have no Bible content in their own languages. It expects the new evangelistic tool to be available by the end of 2015, according to a media release from A. Larry Ross Communications.
DBS explains that the deaf community in the Middle East uses more than 20 sign languages, and each is its own unique language, not a word-for-word translation of a written language.
DBS President J.R. Bucklew estimated that the new presentation of the Gospel will be available by the end of the year, but the sign language and country have not been revealed yet for security reasons.
mi DBS mission resources 08 19 2015"Deaf people in the Middle East not only don't have access to the Bible, they usually don't have access to any information in their sign language," Bucklew said. "When they do get access, it gives them hope. And finding out that Jesus loves them and speaks their own language is incredibly affirming."
DBS revealed that the deaf, often shunned and ignored, particularly in developing countries, are one of the largest unreached people groups in the world. The World Federation of the Deaf estimates that there are 70 million deaf people around the globe, but there is little hard data about the deaf population.
The DBS stated that many Christians believe a printed Bible can expose the deaf to the Gospel, but that's a misconception. The written text is not their primary or heart language, and many of them can't read. In the developing world, most deaf people can't read their own name or count to 10.
When ISIS released a video in March attempting to recruiting Muslim members of the deaf community, DBS decided to produce its own video with an evangelistic message.
"The ISIS video seemed to offer prosperity and joy, but it actually offered false hope for the deaf community," Bucklew said. "It breaks my heart knowing there is not one Middle Eastern sign language that has Bible content. The deaf community has no way of fact-checking what was in this video and discovering what is truly hope and where they can find it."
In its news release, obtained by ANS, the DBS says it has taken special security precautions while making the new video. A native signer – a refugee who recently relocated to the U.S. – recorded the first draft.
DBS explained that native signers in an open country in the Middle East watched the video and gave their feedback before DBS made revisions. The ministry also plans to develop an online video platform so other signers can watch the video and provide their own feedback.
DBS will use makeup and prosthetics to disguise the signer who records the final draft. The finished product will be distributed via video platforms including the Deaf Bible app, which features 16 of the world's more than 400 sign languages.
The Deaf Bible Society works with other ministries to offer the global deaf community unlimited and free access to the Bible and other Christian resources in their heart sign language. An offshoot of Faith Comes By Hearing, DBS is in the process of becoming a separate nonprofit. For more information, please visit www.deafbiblesociety.com.
Photo One: DBS seeks to get the Gospel into the hands of the deaf using modern resources. (Courtesy Deaf Bible Society)
Photo Two: Michael Ireland.
Michael Ireland small useAbout 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)

Bisaya, Sabah Bisaya in Malaysia

Bisaya, Sabah Bisaya in Malaysia
The Bisaya are an indigenous people of the northwest and the coastal area of Borneo, Malaysia. Bisayas' indigenous people settled in Borneo thousands of years ago. The traditional musical instruments consist of Kulintangan, gong, and many small gongs. "It is as if somebody just beats the gong and everyone - men, women, young, and old - just starts to dance." Most Bisaya are Muslims, but usually mixed with traditional religions. The dukun, or herbalist-curer, acts as a witch doctor. A spirit medium uses trances at public ceremonies to cure people.
Ministry Obstacles
Spiritual opposition will be encountered as Jesus Christ is presented to this Muslim / Animist people. Pray against this.
Outreach Ideas
There are quite a number of evangelical Christians in Malaysia. Please pray that some will be given an interest in and a burden for the Bisaya people. Pray the Lord will lead them to share Christ with the Bisaya, and will remain to disciple them.
Pray for the followers of Christ
There may be a few Christians among the Bisaya people today, but even this much is not certain. Pray for those followers of Christ who will soon be coming to faith, that they will learn to be devoted to one another in brotherly love.
Pray for the entire people group
Pray all of the Bisaya tribe will be drawn away from worshipping created beings, and will be set free to worship the one and only Creator God.
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: Bisaya, Sabah Bisaya
Country: Malaysia
10/40 Window: Yes
Population: 22,000
World Population: 36,000
Language: Bisaya, Sabah
Primary Religion: Islam
Bible: Portions
Online Audio NT: No
Jesus Film: No
Audio Recordings: Yes
Christ Followers: Few, less than 2%
Status: Unreached
Progress Level:
1.1

Freed Pastors Arrive Home from Sudan after Ordeal of False Charges

Freed Pastors Arrive Home from Sudan after Ordeal of False Charges
 
By Jeremy Reynalds, Senior Correspondent, ASSIST News Service (jeremyreynalds@gmail.com)  
 
Two South Sudan pastors freedJUBA, SOUTH SUDAN (ANS. AUG. 19, 2015) --  Two South Sudanese pastors arrived home in Juba from Khartoum, Sudan today after an eight-month ordeal of imprisonment, fabricated charges of capital crimes and a ban on leaving the country.
 
According to a story by Morning Star News, while Revs. Peter Yein Reith and Yat Michael were acquitted of the crimes calling for the death penalty on Aug. 5, they were prevented from boarding a plane out of the country the next day. 
 
Sudan's notorious National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) had ordered the travel ban when they were initially detained - Michael on Dec. 14 and Reith on Jan. 11 - and gave the orders to the airport personnel.
 
Attorneys for the two pastors had been working for their release since then, but it was not immediately clear why they were released. 
 
Michael and Reith were transported from Juba International Airport to a church in Hai Jebel in Juba, where they attended a thanksgiving service.
 
“Thank God for their arrival home,” Michael’s wife told Morning Star News after the service.
 
South Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church (SSPEC) leaders welcomed the pastors, who expressed their gratitude to Morning Star News amid the cheering congregation. 
 
An international outcry erupted over their weeks-long incarceration without charges after Morning Star News on Dec. 28, 2014 broke the news of Michael's arrest, and on Jan. 20 published the first account of Reith's arrest.
 
“Thank you very much, Morning Star News, for your great role which led to our release from jail,” Reith said.
 
Reith and Michael were convicted of lesser charges and released on the time they had served. 
 
Reith was convicted under Article 65 of  “establishing or participating in a criminal organization,” while Michael was convicted under Article 69 of “disturbing public peace.”
 
Morning Star News said the pastors had also been charged with spying (Article 53), punishable by death, life imprisonment or prison and confiscation of property; undermining the constitutional system (Article 50), punishable by death, life imprisonment, or imprisonment and confiscation of property; disclosure and obtaining information and official documents (Article 55), punishable by two years in prison or a fine; blasphemy/insulting religious creeds (Article 125), punishable by one year of imprisonment or a fine or no more than 40 lashes; and joint acts in execution of a criminal conspiracy (Article 21).
 
Agents from NISS, said to be manned by hard-line Islamists, arrested the pastors.
 
Michael, 49, was arrested after encouraging Khartoum Bahri Evangelical Church. The church was the subject of government harassment, arrests and demolition of part of its worship center as Muslim investors have tried to take it over. 
 
Morning Star News said Reith, 36, was arrested on Jan. 11 after submitting a letter from SSPEC leaders inquiring about the whereabouts of Michael.
 
Police in North Khartoum on Dec. 2 beat and arrested 38 Christians from the church that Michael encouraged and fined most of them. They were released later that night.
 
On Oct. 5, 2013, Sudan's police and security forces broke through the church fence, beat and arrested Christians in the compound and claimed  parts of the property belonged to a Muslim investor accompanying them. 
 
Morning Star News said as Muslims nearby shouted, “Allahu Akbar (God is greater),” plainclothes police and personnel from NISS broke onto the property aboard a truck and two Land Cruisers. After beating several Christians who were in the compound, they arrested some of them. They were all released later that day.
 
Harassment, arrests and persecution of Christians have intensified since the secession of South Sudan in July 2011, when Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir vowed to adopt a stricter version of sharia (Islamic law) and recognize only Islamic culture and the Arabic language. 
 
The Sudanese Minister of Guidance and Endowments announced in April 2013 that no new licenses would be granted for building new churches in Sudan, citing a decrease in the South Sudanese population.
 
Sudan since 2012 has expelled foreign Christians and bulldozed church buildings on the pretext that they belonged to South Sudanese. 
 
Besides raiding Christian bookstores and arresting Christians, Morning Star News said authorities threatened to kill South Sudanese Christians who do not leave or cooperate with them in their effort to find other Christians.
 
Sudan fought a civil war with the south Sudanese from 1983 to 2005. In  June 2011, shortly before the secession of South Sudan the following month, the government began fighting a rebel group in the Nuba Mountains that has its roots in South Sudan.
 
Due to its treatment of Christians and other human rights violations, Morning Star News said Sudan has been designated a Country of Particular Concern by the U.S. State Department since 1999, and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom recommended the country remain on the list in its 2015 report.
 
Sudan ranked sixth on Christian support organization Open Doors' 2015 World Watch List of 50 countries where Christians face most persecution, moving up from 11th place the previous year.
 
For more information visit http://morningstarnews.org
 
Photo caption: 1) Peter Yein Reith and Yat Michael. 1) Jeremy Reynalds.
 
Jeremy Reynalds useAbout the writer: Jeremy Reynalds is Senior Correspondent for the ASSIST News Service, a freelance writer and also the founder and CEO of Joy Junction, New Mexico's largest emergency homeless shelter, www.joyjunction.org. He has a master's degree in communication from the University of New Mexico, and a Ph.D. in intercultural education from Biola University in Los Angeles. His newest book is "From Destitute to Ph.D." Additional details on "From Destitute to Ph.D." are available at www.myhomelessjourney.com. Reynalds lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico with his wife, Elma. For more information contact: Jeremy Reynalds at jeremyreynalds@gmail.com. 
 
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Refugee crisis on Greek Islands

Refugee crisis on Greek Islands
By Nico Bougas, Special to ASSIST News Service
Police with refugees Nico BougasATHENS, GREECE (ANS – August 20, 2015) – Six Syrian refugees, one of them a baby, drowned while trying to cross by sea from Turkey to the Greek islands on Tuesday, as the United Nations revealed that an unprecedented 21,000 made the crossing successfully last week alone.
They died when the 30ft-long boat they were travelling in overturned. Rescuers recovered the body of the baby. Three more migrants – two men and a child – survived for hours in the vessel’s overturned hull, breathing air trapped in a pocket, before being rescued by divers.
A growing number of Syrian and other middle eastern countries are fleeing war and violence and are now using the east Mediterranean Sea route to reach Europe. This has resulted in an unprecedented number of refugees arriving in Greece’s Dodecanese islands. Arriving migrants, asylum seekers and refugees are left with poor accommodation conditions and limited access to healthcare.
J Macris Nigo BougasJohnathan Macris, President of Hellenic Ministries and a team from the mission have just landed on the island of Mytilini (bordering Turkey) to assess the reality of the humanitarian needs generated by the massive influx of refugees entering Europe through Greece’s islands.
They have planned a meeting with the Mayor on the island who has been struggling to cope with this recent crises…as if the economic/political crises of the last month hasn’t been enough.
After the busy period following the hectic summer season which included a major Bible distribution campaign to 125,000 homes in northern Greece and subsequent ministry camps at their campsite at Porto Astro. Hellenic Ministries have been moved by the plight of thousands of refugees pouring into Greece. Macris put it even more strongly, “our hearts have been torn apart by the tragedy of waves of humanity that are flooding our country.”
They were aware that upwards of one million refugees have been waiting on the other side of the Greek border in Turkey to enter Europe through Greece. But they were completely amazed, at the huge numbers of refugees that arrived on the Greek islands and inundated them so quickly.
In the last month, it is estimated that some 30,000 refugees have flooded the island of Mytilini alone and has almost doubled the population of the island overnight. They are arriving in small plastic rafts/boats. In the last month or two, more refugees arrived in Greece than the total number since the beginning of the year.
Hellenic Ministries are a relatively small ministry with a staff that is way too small to cope with the demands and opportunities that are coming their way. But they have done all they can to provide extra food distribution in the town squares.
At the same time, they are finding that people are leaving Greece as quickly as they are coming. The new gateway or route has been afforded by FYROM (Macedonia) which is granting a three-day temporary visa to transit the country with all transportation expenses covered to Serbia then finally to the border of Hungry. This is a short window of opportunity for approximately 2,000 refugees a day rushing for central Europe through Greece before Hungary is able to build its security and stem the flow of new refugees.
Macris has made a plea for prayer support that the Lord would give wisdom as they add yet another dimension to their social ministry in order to make the most of this opportunity to bless and minister to more refugees. Evangelicals comprise less than 0.2% of the population but they are having a significant impact on a nation that is reeling under the impact of the economic austerity measures being placed upon them.
The mission is working on the possibility of temporary housing, shade and sanitation, and to set up a “Welcoming Center” initially on the island of Lesvos in the town of Molivos - the side of the island nearest Turkey.
There is also a possibility of duplicating the service on the islands of Kos and Kalymnos. The vision is to have an evangelical Christian mission to be the first to welcome people as they come out of the water. They would be greeted with a gift bag of necessary items for their survival for the first days in Europe!
They would be provided with water and transportation with a bus across the island that would alleviate a 40 mile walk through this mountainous island in the heat to the capital for registration. They are also working on setting up a medical facility by hiring local medical personnel that would be near the official registration center for any first aid needs.
Almost all these refugees are coming from Muslim backgrounds. Welcoming people here could possibly be a means of introducing them to the Christian gospel and to the HM Refuge centers in Athens where they can get further assistance both medically and by way of food, showers, and care.
For more information on Hellenic Ministries and how you can get involved or support its work, please go to the website: www.hellenicministries.org 
Photo captions: 1) A policeman hits a migrant as police try to disperse hundreds of migrants during a registration procedure on the island of Kos. 2) Johnathan Macris, President of Hellenic Ministries. 3) Nico Bougas.
Nico BougasAbout the writer: Nico Bougas is the International Development Director for Hellenic Ministries. He has a master's degree in communication from Wheaton Graduate School and M. Div and D. Min degrees from Trinity Theological Seminary. He is the author of five books. He previously worked for Youth for Christ in South Africa and was Editor of In Magazine and Christian Living TODAY and currently serves as Consulting Editor for JOY Magazine and a Trustee for Radio CCFM and was one of the founders of Sports Outreach Africa. He previously served on the national executive of the SA Association of Evangelists and as a Trustee for the Bible Institute of South Africa and on the advisory board for the South African Theological Seminary and on the executive of The Evangelical Alliance Relief Fund (SA). For further, information contact: nico@bougas.info 
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Iran deal shocker: Side agreement allows Iran to inspect key nuclear site themselves

Hasil gambar untuk Iran deal shocker: Side agreement allows Iran to inspect key nuclear site themselves
Iran deal shocker: Side agreement allows Iran to inspect key nuclear site themselves
By Mark Ellis, Special to ASSIST News Service
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (ANS - August 20, 2015) -- According to a secret side agreement seen by The Associated Press, Iran will be allowed to inspect and report on one of their key nuclear sites themselves, bypassing the U.N. agency everyone thought would be conducting the oversight.
This new, previously undisclosed detail will certainly embolden critics of the deal signed by the U.S., Iran and five world powers in July. Those critics have complained that Iran cannot be trusted, while supporters maintain there are strong verification safeguards built into the agreement.
The site in question is located at the Parchin Military Complex, located 19 miles south of Tehran. Iran has refused access to Parchin for years and has denied any work on nuclear weapons at that location, according to Fox News.
But U.S. and Israeli intelligence has led to suspicions that Iran may have experimented with high-explosive detonators for nuclear weapons there.
The Parchin deal is a separate, side agreement worked out between the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Iran. The U.S. and the five other nations that signed the Iran nuclear deal were not part of this agreement but were briefed on it by the IAEA and endorsed it as part of the larger package, according to Fox.
Without revealing its contents, U.S. officials have described the document as nothing more than a routine technical arrangement between Iran and the U.N.’s IAEA on the details of the inspections.
During a hearing on Capital Hill July 23rd, Sen. Bob Menendez, D-NJ, and Sen. James Risch, R-ID, questioned how Parchin would be inspected. Kerry said the Parchin inspection was “a classified component” of the deal and wouldn’t go into specifics, according to Fox.
The agreement diverges from normal inspection procedures between the IAEA and other countries by essentially surrendering the agency’s investigative authority to Iran.
Further, it allows Tehran to employ its own experts and equipment in the search for evidence for nuclear weapon activities – the fox guarding the proverbial hen house.
Evidence of this surprise concession will certainly increase pressure from U.S. opponents as they review the nuclear deal and vote on it in early September.
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.
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