MENJANGKAU DAN MENGASIHI ORANG-ORANG KETURUNAN ISMAEL BAGI KRISTUS
1. Mengajarkan Kristus.
Telah
dikembangkan sebuah metode baru dalam memberitakan Injil kepada
orang-orang keturunan Ismael, yang disebut jalur kenabian. Metode ini
diadaptasi dengan baik untuk pengajaran, traktat, dan bercerita dengan
alat-alat khusus, seperti gelang-gelang dan buku-buku tanpa kata. Cara
ini sekarang digunakan oleh pekerja-pekerja dari beberapa organisasi di
Amerika, Timur Tengah, Asia, Afrika, dan Eropa.
Kasih terbesar
bagi orang-orang keturunan Ismael adalah dengan menceritakan Injil
kepada mereka. Akan tetapi, doktrin-doktrin keturunan Ismael memiliki
"tembok-tembok penghalang" terhadap metode-metode pengabaran Injil
secara tradisional. Mereka berpikir kita bodoh karena memercayai bahwa
Allah bersedia menjadi manusia dan mati bagi dosa-dosa kita. Kami
mendapati, bahkan ketika orang-orang keturunan Ismael "mengucapkan doa"
untuk menerima Kristus setelah penyampaian penginjilan tradisional,
mereka biasanya tidak memahami hal tersebut. Sebagai contoh, seseorang
berkata kepada Dr. C, "Oh ya, kami memiliki doa yang sama dalam kitab
kami." Jelas, ada kebutuhan pemahaman yang lebih mendalam terhadap pesan
Injil.
Metode jalur kenabian dipelopori oleh salah satu
penginjil (juga seorang peneliti) dari Timur Tengah, setelah
bertahun-tahun memenangkan orang-orang keturunan Ismael bagi Kristus di
tiga benua. Metode ini memperlihatkan Injil secara kronologis dengan
menggunakan tokoh-tokoh Alkitab yang dikenal umum oleh umat keturunan
Ismael, tetapi berbeda dengan beberapa metode yang
mengontekstualisasikan Injil, pengajaran-pengajaran dari Alkitab, bukan
kitab mereka.
Kehidupan para tokoh dalam Perjanjian Lama, yang
disebut oleh orang keturunan Ismael sebagai "nabi-nabi", digunakan untuk
membuat langkah-langkah setahap yang mengarah pada Injil. Cara ini
menggunakan istilah yang tidak asing bagi mereka, termasuk kata "Allah".
Beberapa orang Kristen menolak menggunakan kata tersebut sebagai kata
ganti "Tuhan", dengan menunjukkan perbedaan karakter antara Allah dan
TUHAN. Kami setuju dengan perbedaan tersebut dan kami sengaja
membahasnya dalam pengenalan Injil. Akan tetapi, orang-orang Kristen
dari semua denominasi dan Alkitab di Timur Tengah menggunakan kata
"Allah" sehingga kita juga menggunakannya. Yesus adalah sebuah mawar
yang dengan nama apa pun akan tetap merebak wangi!
Hal yang
biasanya tidak disadari oleh orang Kristen adalah hampir setiap kalimat
dalam metode ini, sampai Yesaya disebutkan, berkaitan dengan konsep
dalam keturunan Ismael. Sebagai contoh, pengorbanan anak Abraham
berkaitan dengan peristiwa yang paling suci dalam komunitas mereka,
Perayaan Kurban, yang masih dirayakan dengan pengorbanan darah sampai
hari ini. (Hati-hati untuk tidak teralihkan kepada persoalan Ishak vs
Ismail dalam pengorbanan.)
Orang-orang keturunan Ismael percaya
"tidak ada seorang pun diselamatkan, yang terpisah dari belas kasihan
Allah". Kami sepakat dengan hal itu. Akan tetapi, metode jalur kenabian
menekankan bahwa Allah adalah sangat murah hati, dan Ia telah
menunjukkan kepada kita bahwa keadilan-Nya menuntut pengorbanan darah.
Hanya di dalam Yesus, keadilan dan belas kasih Allah seimbang.
Dari
waktu ke waktu, ketika kami menjelaskan Injil dengan cara ini, umat
keturunan Ismael menjadi kagum. Kami melihat "klik" (titik temu - Red.)
dalam mata mereka. Akhirnya, mereka mengerti apa yang sebelumnya tampak
tidak masuk akal. Hal ini tidak berarti bahwa mereka menerimanya. Tugas
kita adalah untuk menyampaikan kebenaran dengan jelas dan berdoa agar
Roh memanfaatkan momen tersebut (Yohanes 4:24; 2 Korintus 4:2; Yohanes
6:44).
2. Lihat bahan-bahan untuk jalan kenabian dalam beberapa bahasa dan format.
Ayat-ayat
favorit yang dapat digunakan selama bekerja dengan orang-orang
keturunan Ismael: banyak ayat dalam Kitab Suci menjadi memiliki
pemahaman yang baru setelah menceritakan iman Anda kepada mereka. Kami
mengetahui bahwa hal-hal ini sangat membantu, dan kami menyarankan Anda
untuk merenungkannya. Terutama, habiskanlah waktu untuk berpikir secara
mendalam dan berdoa tentang alasan Yesus datang ke bumi, dan
penebusan-Nya:
Yohanes 4:24 - "Allah itu Roh dan barangsiapa menyembah Dia, harus menyembah-Nya dalam roh dan kebenaran."
Yohanes
6:44 - "Tidak ada seorangpun yang dapat datang kepada-Ku, jikalau ia
tidak ditarik oleh Bapa yang mengutus Aku, dan ia akan Kubangkitkan pada
akhir zaman."
Lukas 1:35 - Anak rohani dari Allah.
Roma 3:21-27 - keadilan dan penebusan.
Yohanes 5:31-39 - Yesus menyampaikan tiga alasan mengapa kita harus mengikut Dia.
Yesaya
9:6 - memprediksi "Allah yang perkasa, Bapa yang kekal" akan datang ke
bumi. Disimpan dalam gulungan kitab di Laut Mati sebelum Kristus.
Yesaya 53 - Mesias sebagai korban bagi kita.
Ibrani 2:10 - tepat bahwa Allah menderita karena segala sesuatu adalah milik-Nya.
Yohanes 4:48 - ada beberapa orang yang memerlukan keajaiban untuk dapat percaya.
Mari kita berdoa untuk mereka! (t/N. Risanti)
Jumat, 31 Juli 2015
Manobo, Umayamnon in Philippines
Manobo, Umayamnon in Philippines
The Umayamnon
are one of several subgroups of Manobo in the Philippines. The different
subgoups are highly dispersed on the island of Mindanao. The Umayamnon
live within the headwaters of Pulangi River in Bukidnon Province and
Umayam River in Agusan del Sur. Agricultural production is supplemented
by hunting and food gathering. They live very ordinary lives, mostly
dependent on below subsistence-level upland farming, fishing from the
river, and gathering non-timber natural resources. Their existence and
survival are being threatened in their ancestral land by migrants and
some other sub-tribes of Bukidnon and Agusan del Sur. They live far
below the poverty line.
Ministry Obstacles
Outreach IdeasLack of workers may prevent this tribe from learning more fully about the way of salvation found in Jesus Christ. There are many evangelical Christians in the Philippines. Pray the Lord will lead some to the Umayamnon Manobo, to tell them about Jesus.
Pray for the followers of Christ
There are a few individuals in this tribe who have professed Christianity. Please pray they will accurately understand what it means to receive Christ as Savior and Lord, and to be real disciples of Christ. They need teachers to help them in this matter.
Pray for the entire people group
Pray the Umayamnon tribe will find ways to raise their standard of living. Their children need education, and they need employment opportunities and improved medical care.
Scripture Focus
"Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name." 1 Chronicles 16:28-29 |
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Pakistani Christian Innocent of Blasphemy Charges
Pakistani Christian Innocent of Blasphemy Charges
In
an e-mail update on the case, LEAD says that in October 2013, two
brothers -- Tariq Masih and Arif Masih -- had been falsely accused of
blasphemy at Thatha Faqir Ullah, a Christian Colony of Wazirabad city,
Gujranwala District (FIR -- First Informiation Report
-- Number 533/2013, dated October 29, 2013) under section 295 B PPC was
registered at the Waziranbad Police Station Saddar against them.
Photo One: Location of Gujranwala
By Michael Ireland, Senior Reporter, ASSIST News Service answritermike@gmail.com
GUJRANWALA, PAKISTAN (ANS, July 28, 2015) –
A Pakistani Christian believer has been acquitted and declared innocent
of blasphemy charges after the complainant told the Sessions Judge that
he was innocent and did not commit the alleged offense.
According to LEAD (Legal Evangelical Association Development) www.leadfamily.blogspot.com,
Arif Masih was on July 25, 2015, acquitted and declared innocent of
blasphemy charges by the court of Mr. Iftikhar Husain Cheema, Additional
and Sessions Judge of Wazirabad, after the complainant of the case, Mr.
Khuram Shahzad, told the court Masif was innocent and did not commit
any offence.
In
an e-mail update on the case, LEAD says that in October 2013, two
brothers -- Tariq Masih and Arif Masih -- had been falsely accused of
blasphemy at Thatha Faqir Ullah, a Christian Colony of Wazirabad city,
Gujranwala District (FIR -- First Informiation Report
-- Number 533/2013, dated October 29, 2013) under section 295 B PPC was
registered at the Waziranbad Police Station Saddar against them.
In the e-mail, received by the
ASSIST News Service, LEAD stated: “Our colleague Mr. Nadeem Masih, a
Christian lawyer, worked diligently and made agreed the complainant and
witnesses with the help of family of the victim to give their statements
in the favor of the accused in the court and the complainant gave his
statement, which was considered by the court and the accused released.”
LEAD explained that Tariq Masih
worked at the cutlery factory and in his spare time used to sell
firecrackers to earn extra money. His brother Arif Masih was working on
the Pakistan Railway. He is stated to have been innocent. Tariq, the
main accused in the case, has relocated to Thailand.
On October 25, 2013, Muzammil
Malik bought the firecrackers from Tariq Masih for the wedding of
Muhammad Zahid. Some of the firecrackers did not work properly,
according to the complaint made by Khurram Shahzad, and when the
firecrackers did not crack, he opened them and noticed they were made
with pages from the Quran. This was also stated by Tajjamul Butt and
Muhammad Waris, witnesses to the case. Tariq Masih relocated to Thailand
and Arif Masih was arrested, charged, and acquitted.
Gujranwala is an industrial city in Gujranwala District, Punjab province of Pakistan, and is the seventh-most-populous Pakistani metropolitan area.
LEAD is an advocacy and legal
aid organization working in Pakistan fighting for minorities' rights and
defends victims of blasphemy laws. It promotes awareness through its
educational projects. The organization is a registered relief,
development, advocacy and free legal aid organization dedicated
to working with children, families, communities, Churches and different
denominations to overcome poverty and injustice. LEAD requests moral and
physical support for uplifting the poor and Christian community, see www.leadfamily.blogspot.com.
Photo One: Location of Gujranwala
Photo Two: Michael Ireland
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 or any of our ANS stories with attribution to the ASSIST News Service (www.assistnews.net).
Syrian Refugee Crisis Meets Greek Debt Crisis
Syrian Refugee Crisis Meets Greek Debt Crisis
Banks
reopened in Greece on Monday (July 20), after three weeks of shut-down
to avert a crash while the government scrambled to obtain a bailout from
international creditors. The first days of the shut-down, however, left
the ministry to Syrian refugees, Bridges, with a cash shortage.
Bridges Directors Ilias and Voula Antouan considered skipping
distribution of one Wednesday of groceries due to the crisis, Voula
Antouan said. They explained the situation to their core group of Syrian
refugees, seeing it also as an opportunity to inform them about
European issues.
“During
June we had the joy to lead many Syrians to Jesus and baptize four of
them,” Antouan said. “Out of those, three are already in other European
countries building their new life.”
From Christian Aid Mission (www.christianaid.org) -- For Immediate Release
Contact: Amie Cotton APR, +1 (434) 327-1240, Amie@christianaid.org
GREECE (ANS – July 28, 2015)
-- Fallout from Greece's international debt crisis is expected to
further squeeze war-ravaged arrivals from Syria, but the refugees and an
indigenous group serving them are rising to the challenge.
Banks
reopened in Greece on Monday (July 20), after three weeks of shut-down
to avert a crash while the government scrambled to obtain a bailout from
international creditors. The first days of the shut-down, however, left
the ministry to Syrian refugees, Bridges, with a cash shortage.
The directors were pleasantly
surprised and encouraged when the Syrians they have worked so hard to
serve offered to help them in return.
“They looked at us and said, ‘I
have got some money; I will lend it to you, and you give it back when
this ends,’” Voula Antouan said. “We really have to admit that God has
been our shield and protection, as we went through these capital
controls as if they never existed. That Wednesday we were able to
provide groceries for about 209 people.”
Throughout June, the ministry provided 850 Syrians with groceries and clothes, she added.
Some 31,000 refugees, most of
them from Syria, came to Greece in June. The capital controls that began
June 29 included the closure of money transfer offices such as Western
Union that refugees rely on.
“The refugees are using mainly,
if not exclusively, Western Union to transfer money,” Antouan said. “By
my point of view, this is partially good, as this way they were not
able to transfer money to their smugglers.”
After seeing their homes in
Syria bombed and their relatives killed, refugees in Greece now struggle
to afford housing and food. That task became tougher this week, as
terms of Greece's bailout include a 23 percent tax, up from 13 percent,
on many food and other items. In exchange for bridge loans to make
payments on debt to the International Monetary Fund and the European
Union, Greece agreed to the tax hikes as well as privatizations that are
expected to drive other prices higher.
“More effects will be brought
to the surface, as we shall have about a 10 percent increase on many of
our groceries plus on many other services,” Antouan said.
The ministry works with several
social, medical and other agencies not only to meet basic needs of
refugees but to advocate on their behalf. Though small, the group is one
of the most effective groups ministering to refugees in Greece; the
Antouans’ sometimes laugh when the larger agencies to which it refers
refugees suggest they return to Bridges for help.
“When we send our people to
other agencies to find help, they come back to us with a piece of paper
and laughter as they show it to us, saying, ‘They told me that if I want
to get help I have to call Ilias, and they wrote his name and phone
here,’” Antouan said.
Most of the refugees are
passing through Greece enroute to other destinations, so their
priorities are food and shelter, as well as attaining legal status that
will smooth their paths elsewhere. Bridges helps them with these needs,
especially temporary housing, as it addresses their deepest spiritual
needs. Refugees regularly put their trust in Jesus.
“During
June we had the joy to lead many Syrians to Jesus and baptize four of
them,” Antouan said. “Out of those, three are already in other European
countries building their new life.”
At times the directors feel it
is impossible to fully grasp the hardship the refugees face. Antouan
said she and her husband asked the fourth person baptized, formerly
Muslim, if he would share his faith with his wife, who is still in
Syria. He replied, “If I do that by phone, there are two possibilities:
My wife and children will be either kidnapped or murdered.”
The new Christian has asked for prayer to get his wife and children out of Syria and bring them to Greece.
Hundreds of refugees are coming
to the Greek islands every day. The ministry receives calls daily from
people from Syria and elsewhere – Egypt, Turkey and Jordan, among others
– looking for assistance in a country reeling from economic crisis
that, even in the best of times, is ill-equipped to receive them.
Shelters, medical services and jobs are in short supply.
Smugglers are getting rich from
Syrians' despair, Antouan said. In spite of their hardship and
vulnerability, those who arrive seek to give as much as they receive,
she said.
“We have a 5-year-old boy who
is here with his mother; the parents are divorced,” she said. “He lost
his voice when their house was bombed before they left Syria. He is
under psychological tests. The mother has legalized herself in Greece
and is helping us with groceries and clothing distribution, organizing
our storage, and doing home visits, as she is still unemployed.”
Whenever the ministry can
afford it, it supports the mother financially, as she works with all her
heart alongside the ministry team, she said.
Last month, at least 25
refugees benefitting from Bridges left for other European countries, but
the number attending the ministry's worship meetings remains constant
with the continual stream of newcomers. The directors strive to remain
in contact with those who leave, and they have considered starting
Bridges branches in the European countries in which the refugees are
settling. Those departing regularly ask the Antouans’ when are they
coming to countries such as Belgium, Germany or Sweden.
“We are blessed to hear their
voices before they go, saying, 'You must help us to start the same
there!’” Antouan said. “We are blessed to see how Jesus changes hearts
and rebuilds broken lives so that then they become servants of others.”
To help support ministry to Syrian refugees in Greece, you may contribute online at 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, USA.
Photo caption: Syrian refugees can still be seen living on the
streets of Athens. (Photo: Christian Aid Mission). 2) Christian Aid
Mission logo.
Note:
Christian Aid Mission 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 story with attribution to the ASSIST News Service (www.assistnews.net)
Zhaba in China
Zhaba in China
The Zhaba are
counted as part of the Tibetan nationality, although they speak a
Qiangic language. Sexual promiscuity has long been rife among the Zhaba.
They worship a wide variety of demons and ghosts. These influences date
back to the pre-Buddhist Tibetan religion of Bon. They believe large
demons live inside mountains, and so they offer frequent sacrifices to
appease them. There are no known Christians among the Zhaba, although
there are a few Tibetan Catholics farther west near Litang.
Ministry Obstacles
The Zhaba have been in bondage to evil spiritual forces for many generations. These bonds are not easily broken.
Outreach Ideas
Workers need to find ways to assist these people with their material and physical needs, as well as with spiritual needs.
Pray for the followers of Christ
Even though there are no known followers of Jesus among the Zhaba people today, pray that the Spirit of God would be even now preparing the people to receive the gospel with gladness.
Pray for the entire people group
The Zhaba lead hard lives. Workers seeking to reach them will need to help them physically and not just spiritually. Pray for greatly improved living conditions for the Zhaba.
Scripture Focus
"Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me." Matthew 25:40 |
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Concern grows for Pakistani-Christian girls who are seen as easy targets for forced conversion through rape
Concern grows for Pakistani-Christian girls who are seen as easy targets for forced conversion through rape
BPCA
says details of the abduction have not yet been made public. However,
Muslim landlord Muhammed Nazir employed the whole family, including the
children in a form of modern day slavery, paying very little money and
providing squalid shelter. The husband signed a contract with a
thumbprint because he was unable to read it. Only 7 percent of
Christians attain an adequate level of literacy.
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.
By Michael Ireland, Senior Reporter, ASSIST News Service answritermike@gmail.com
PUNJAB, PAKISTAN (ANS, July 29, 2015) --
A Christian mother of three who was kidnapped and raped by her Muslim
landlord, has again highlighted the dangers faced by young women who are
followers of Christ.
According to the British Pakistani Christian Association (BPCA) www.britishpakistanichristians.org,
the incident occurred on July 23, 2015 when Fouzia Sadiq was abducted
from a field located at at Burj Mahalam, Chak No.35, Pattoki**, located
in Punjab Province of Pakistan, where she worked on as a bonded laborer.
BPCA
says details of the abduction have not yet been made public. However,
Muslim landlord Muhammed Nazir employed the whole family, including the
children in a form of modern day slavery, paying very little money and
providing squalid shelter. The husband signed a contract with a
thumbprint because he was unable to read it. Only 7 percent of
Christians attain an adequate level of literacy.
In an e-mail update, obtained
by ASSIST News, BPCA says: “This family has been oppressed for
generations and when they discovered their daughter had been abducted
they approached the landlord's house and were told by the brother that
she would be returned shortly. The family simply waited prayerfully for
the return of their daughter and told no-one of the incident. The next
day when they returned for their daughter they were threatened with
violence and warned not to say anything as the girl was now property of
Muhammed Nazir who had married her after she had allegedly accepted
Islam.”
BPCA said its officer Mehwish
Bhatti has travelled to the location to speak with the family and has
offered help, which the family have accepted. “We will be placing the
family in our BPCA safe house and have already coordinated a solicitor
who will challenge the local Police station to register an FIR (First
Incident Report).”
Iqra Sadiq, Fouzia's sister,
said: "My sister has been missing for five days and police are refusing
to register an FIR, my heart is broken. Our landlord is a cruel man and
we have been starving since he stopped the little payment that was due
to us. We have no power and have to face such injustice, please help
us!"
BPCA says Mehwish Bhatti left
enough money for the family to survive and travel to its secret safe
house. The family consist of Father Sadiq Masih (60) who is paralyzed
and cannot work, his wife Bashira (55), and seven children. “Mehwish
left enough money for the family to feed themselves and to travel to our
safe house. We are desperately going to need donations to help them
further,” the advocacy group said.
BPCA says tragedies such as
these are not rare, but commonplace and in their April 2014 report
"Movement of Solidarity and Peace in Pakistan" stated that 1,000 girls
are abducted, raped and forced into Islamic marriage every year, 700 of
which are estimated to be Christian girls.
BPCA cites the latter’s report,
which states: "....cases of forced marriages/conversions follow a
distinctive pattern: Christian girls — usually between the ages of 12
and 25 — are abducted, converted to Islam, and married to the abductor
or third party. The victim’s family usually files a First Information
Report (FIR) for abduction or rape with the local police station. The
abductor, on behalf of the victim girl, files a counter FIR, accusing
the Christian family of harassing the willfully-converted and married
girl, and for conspiring to convert the girl back to Christianity. Upon
production in the courts or before the magistrate, the victim girl is
asked to testify whether she converted and married of her own free will
or if she was abducted. (In most cases, the girl remains in custody of
the abductor while judicial proceedings are carried out). Upon the
girl’s pronouncement that she willfully converted and consented to the
marriage, the case is settled without relief for the family. Once in the
custody of the abductor, the victim girl may be subjected to sexual
violence, rape, forced prostitution, human trafficking and sale, or
other domestic abuse."
According to the BPCA email, in Jan 2012, The News (http://www.thenews.com.pk)
reported on a Muslim brothel that had been created with Christian rape
and forced conversion victims, in a place called Ayub Goth, near the
town of Essa Nagri in Karachi, only meters away from a Catholic Church.
BPCA states: “Moreover, Muslim
men gather in the very same Christian area every evening armed with guns
and pick which houses they will loot and which girls will be raped. In
one incident, an elderly mother from Essa Nagri, told The News. ‘I had
to bear the screaming of her two daughters while she was behind a locked
door in another room crying and praying.’ She has been quoted as
saying: ‘I saw two of my daughters being raped in front of me.’ It is
considered that Chooras have no integrity.’ She says that around
midnight, men from other areas start gathering in their neighborhood.
‘They are usually drunk. They choose which home they will plunder.’”
The BPCA is currently providing
shelter for the family of Sherish and Farzana and free legal aid, after
the two sisters were abducted at gunpoint, brutalized and gang-raped
for more than 12 hours.
These sisters were then dumped
naked and unconscious in the same field they were kidnapped from and
found by their father and a friend who had been up all night searching
for them. The girls were left vulnerable as their annual earnings were
GBP£592 (USD$925) per year, meaning they could not afford a toilet at
their home and had to use a local field to relieve themselves. When the
sisters' family took the case to the local police they were ignored
until humanitarian pressure resulted in an FIR being laid and arrests
being made.
BPCA’s Mehwish Bhatti stated:
“The pain felt by our sisters in Pakistan wounds the heart of our
community. Latest victim Fouzia Bibi was a mother of three, yet she may
still be forced to remain in the forced Islamic marriage despite
existing legal precedents from Lahore High court which clearly state
that a ‘married Christian woman cannot be remarried to a Muslim even if
converted. Sexual abuse against religious minority women is covered
under Hadu’d laws – which does not distinguish rape from adultery and
gives the same punishment in both cases. Moreover, these cases are tried
in Islamic Shari’a courts which are permitted to give punishments to
non-Muslims but forbid the appearance of non-Muslim lawyers in court or
to be a presiding officer. Non-Muslims are also not considered equal
witnesses to Muslims in Shari’a courts. Worse still, radical clerics and
imams in their mosques and madrassers preach that if you rape
non-Muslim minority women then you will obtain a special status in
heaven.’"
He added: "I fear for Fouzia
and will pray endlessly for our sister as she has to fight a system set
up to undermine Christians. When courts make judgements in these cases
more often than not, they forgo the age limit allowing forcible
marriages of girls under the legal age of 14, discounting family
objections and basing decisions on the testimonies of weeping victims.
Victims who claim to be consenting to the marriage and having adopted
Islam, when the girls have never been removed from the custody of the
assailants and are threatened with violence to them and their families
if they dare to speak the truth. In such cases the authority of a Muslim
man's words significantly outweighs that of Christians, so they have
little hope of ever retrieving Fouzia from a life of pain, brutality and
debauchery."
Mehwish Bhatti concluded:
"These injustices have been allowed to continue unchecked by a
government insouciant to the concerns of their largest minority. While
the west continues to fund Pakistan through large foreign aid subsidies,
they make themselves more complicit in the ongoing genocide of
minorities living there. The BPCA has so often called for a cessation of
Britain's foreign aid budget to Pakistan or use of the budget as a
lever for change in the poor human rights record of Pakistan. But
realpolitick based on intrinsic trade agreements and ostensible ally
status of Pakistan in the war against terror have created little
appetite in our heartless politicians for such action.”
**Pattoki is a town in the Kasur District of the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is the headquarters of Pattoki Tehsil, an administrative subdivision of the district. It is the only city in Pakistan that has a flower market mainly for roses. The city is known as "The City of Flowers."
Photo One: BPCA Officer Mehwish Bhatti prays with the victim family (Courtesy BPCA).
Photo Two: Michael IrelandAbout
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 or any of our ANS stories with attribution to the ASSIST News Service (www.assistnews.net).
Islamic State executioner Jihadi John on the run
Islamic State executioner Jihadi John on the run
Jihadi
John first appeared in an August 2014 video, dressed completely in
black with only his eyes exposed. He spoke with a British accent, but
authorities did not reveal his identity until February. He has not been
seen in any videos since January, leading some to speculate he might be
dead.
By Mark Ellis, Special to ASSIST News Service
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (ANS - July 29, 2015)
-- Notorious executioner Mohammed Emwazi is believed to have fled
Islamic State because he believes the terror-based caliphate has no
further use for him, according to a report by the UK-based Daily Express.
It is thought that Emwazi, also
known as Jihadi John, left the hyper-militant group a few weeks ago and
is on the run in Syria – reportedly headed for North Africa. A U.S.
intelligence source was quoted as saying he is hiding in Libya.
Kuwaiti-born Emwazi is wanted
for the horrific beheadings of journalists and aid workers Stephen
Sotloff, James Foley, David Haines, Alan Henning and Peter Kassig.
Jihadi
John first appeared in an August 2014 video, dressed completely in
black with only his eyes exposed. He spoke with a British accent, but
authorities did not reveal his identity until February. He has not been
seen in any videos since January, leading some to speculate he might be
dead.
Islamic State would drop him “like a stone or worse if they feel he is no longer of any use to them,” a source told the Daily Express. “So it is possible he will end up suffering the same fate as his victims”.
The British terrorist,
originally from London, was said to be unnerved by the publicity he
received after he was identified as the murderer of the British and
American hostages, according to the source. He knows British and US
Special Forces in Iraq and Syria are hunting for him. They would like to
apprehend or kill the 26-year-old terrorist.
Emwazi is alarmed by the fact that his unmasking has reduced his value as an Islamic State killer, according to the Daily Express.
A school friend of the
terrorist said Emwazi was “not a good Muslim” during his school years.
He dressed “like a gangster rapper, smoked drugs, drank and was violent
towards other boys,” the anonymous friend told the Daily Express.
“The fact he portrays himself
as a strict Muslim is laughable and shameful. I never saw him pray or
wear Islamic dress – he would not even mention religion at all.”
Photo caption: The shocking act of beheading David Haines.
About the writer: Mark Ellis is a 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)
Konjo Coastal in Indonesia
Konjo Coastal in Indonesia
The Coastal
Konjo are a community which maintains traditional ways of living, such
as wearing black clothes, not using tools and practicing occultism as
part of their animistic worship. They have never had a king and do not
follow a system of social stratification like other Konjo groups. They
tend to be materialistic and proud. They demonstrate a competitive
desire to gain more wealth but spend lavishly to impress others. They
also feel that they must protect their siri (honor/self-esteem), as well
as that of the community. They are Muslim, however animistic practices
are still maintained and the Islamic religious leader does not have much
influence. The people choose him for leading religious ceremonies and
duties in the mosque. An Amma Toa (old father) from the Konjo Hitam is
regarded as the religious leader in the area and is feared because of
his magical powers.
Ministry Obstacles
This people group is strongly committed to their traditions, and they are a proud people.
Outreach Ideas
Gospel recordings are available in their language. Pray for workers to take these to the people.
Pray for the followers of Christ
Please pray for those few individuals in this tribe who are Christians. Pray they will clearly understand what it means to know Jesus as Lord and Savior, trusting him fully for forgiveness of sin and for power to live this life.
Pray for the entire people group
The Coastal Konjo need to be prepared for encountering the changes of the modern world so that they can adapt to the changing world without losing their identity. They need leaders who understand loyalty to traditional customs while also introducing new and beneficial practices. Pray for these things.
Scripture Focus
"Now to Him who is able to do exceedlingly abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21 |
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Pepperdine students chose to serve Syrian refugees during summer break
Pepperdine students chose to serve Syrian refugees during summer break
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (ANS - July 30, 2015)
-- Caleb Scott and Ben Drolet will be juniors next year at Pepperdine
University in Malibu, California. While some students may have chosen to
surf the waves in Malibu during their summer vacation, these two
Jesus-followers decided to minister to Syrian refugees in northern
Jordan for almost six weeks.
By Mark Ellis, Special to ASSIST News Service
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (ANS - July 30, 2015)
-- Caleb Scott and Ben Drolet will be juniors next year at Pepperdine
University in Malibu, California. While some students may have chosen to
surf the waves in Malibu during their summer vacation, these two
Jesus-followers decided to minister to Syrian refugees in northern
Jordan for almost six weeks.
As International Studies
majors, they had been following the warfare in Syria and the tragic
plight of refugee families victimized by the crisis. “We wanted to be
part of the solution,” Caleb says.
They emailed several ministries
working with refugees and a Christian Missionary Alliance Church in
Mafraq, Jordan was the first to respond to the young men’s inquiry.
“They needed workers and asked us to come,” Caleb notes.
Weeks later they found
themselves at the church, ideally located in the heart of the city, only
eight miles from the Syrian border. While the al-Zaatari refugee camp –
located nearby – holds 81,000 Syrian refugees, there are another 76,000
refugees in the city — essentially overflow from the camp.
Caleb and Ben helped distribute
food boxes, medical supplies, mattresses, gas stoves, blankets and
pillows. “When we delivered the food we would drink tea with them and
share about Jesus,” Caleb notes. “Many were very open to hearing about
Jesus, especially because of the violence they’re seeing.”
“Two people told us we as Christians are doing more for them than their Muslim brothers,” he adds.
Caleb met one Bedouin nomad’s
family with 20 children. “I met with them every week and they were
excited to hear Bible stories,” Caleb says. “The father would not let us
start telling the stories until everyone in the family was there.”
Photo caption: Caleb Scott with his guitar.
About the writer: Mark Ellis is a 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)
The forgotten crisis in Central African Republic
The forgotten crisis in Central African Republic
World
Watch Monitor, which is particularly concerned with reporting on the
underlying causes of persecution and aims to connect the dots to reveal
the forces behind acts of violence and injustice, says the Séléka rebel
movement, together with the local Muslim population (consisting of
mainly Chadian and Sudanese migrant descent and Fulani Mbororo herdsmen)
continues to dominate the north and east of the country, while the
anti-Balaka holds sway in the south and west, virtually dividing the
country into two halves.
“Some of my family call me and are surprised when they hear that I am still alive,” he said.
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.
By Michael Ireland, Senior Reporter, ASSIST News Service answritermike@gmail.com
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC (ANS, July 30, 2015) --
On July 25, 2014, a ceasefire was signed between the two main warring
groups in the Central African Republic: a predominantly Muslim rebel
coalition known as Séléka, and violent vigilante groups who opposed
their advance through the country, which became known as the
“anti-Balaka” (“Balaka” means “machete”), according to World Watch
Monitor www.worldwatchmonitor.org.
World Watch Monitor says that a
year later, the Central African Republic may have dropped out of global
news headlines, but the suffering of its people has continued.
In an online article, World
Watch Monitor says that International intervention by UN forces helped
to restore security in the cities its forces occupied, but it left the
interior largely unprotected and open for armed militias. UN troops have
been accused of not doing enough to protect the local population and
even of committing atrocities themselves.
World
Watch Monitor, which is particularly concerned with reporting on the
underlying causes of persecution and aims to connect the dots to reveal
the forces behind acts of violence and injustice, says the Séléka rebel
movement, together with the local Muslim population (consisting of
mainly Chadian and Sudanese migrant descent and Fulani Mbororo herdsmen)
continues to dominate the north and east of the country, while the
anti-Balaka holds sway in the south and west, virtually dividing the
country into two halves.
“Despite the peace agreement,
Central Africans – particularly those in the northeast – are still
tormented by persistent violence. Access to the northeast is very
limited, as road travel is impossible and there are no commercial
flights,” the organization says.
“World Watch Monitor has heard
reports of Fulani herdsmen abducting hundreds of people in the
northeast, subjecting them to hard labor and using women as sex slaves.
The herdsmen also reportedly invaded the towns of Mbres and Bria, where
they killed many Christians, burning down their homes and churches and
forcing many to flee. Pastors were hunted down and killed,” the group
reports.
In an analysis piece written
for the web and posted July 29, 2015, World Watch Monitor describes the
experiences of three Central Africans contacted by an anonymous source,
which provide further insight into the horrors still being experienced
by Christians.
Lucien
Lucien Debriel, 48, is a pastor
from a village in the north of the country, near the market town of
Kaga Bandoro. He explained: “When Séléka arrived in Kaga Bandoro, the
sound of gunfire from heavy weapons could be heard from all directions.”
World Watch Monitor says that
when he heard the rebels coming, Debriel hid at home with his wife
Angelique and their six children, but they were then forced to listen as
the rebels killed three of their neighbors and dumped their bodies in
nearby boreholes.
Terrified and traumatized, his
family fled, joining other villagers hiding in the bush, but Debriel
said the stress of the situation proved too much for his wife Angelique,
who became ill and died soon after. She was only 42.
“While we were still mourning,”
Debriel explained, “one of her family members who belonged to Séléka
came into the bush with others and accused me of having killed Angelique
by neglecting her health. He said I had to pay a fine of CFAF 250,000
[just over $400USD].”
Some Christians helped raise money, knowing that the man would kill
Debriel if he did not pay up. But they could gather only CFAF 100,000
(just over $160USD).
“They [Séléka] said the money
was not enough … They took my goats and six bags of groundnuts. They
also took the church’s musical instruments,” Debriel said.
Séléka returned again a few
days later to demand the rest of the money, but Debriel had nothing to
give, World Watch Monitor reported.
“When I told them I had no more to give, they again threatened to kill me and destroyed the church benches,” he said.
Debriel’s congregation begged
him to flee to the Internally Displaced People’s (IDP) camp with his six
children. There, he found several other pastors. Many report great
shortage in food and shelter.
World Watch Monitor explained
that although Séléka as a group has been disbanded, the Fulani herdsmen
who were part of the rebellion continue to rule over the area. The
people of Kaga Bandoro feel like they are in a prison.
“The Fulani prevent them from
moving two kilometers beyond the city to farm or harvest their crops.
Instead, those crops have now become food for the Fulani herds<’ the
group stated.
World Watch Monitor stated that
some of those who have ventured back to their destroyed homes in search
of food have been killed. Out of desperation for food, the locals have
sent their women to look for food and firewood, but many of them have
been raped at gunpoint – some by one man, some by two, some by up to
seven. The effect on marriages has been devastating.
Omer
According to World Watch
Monitor, the town of Bangassou, in the east of CAR, near the border with
the Democratic Republic of Congo, was invaded in March 2013 after
Séléka defeated the national army. Séléka rebels soon began harassing
the local population with the help of local Muslims.
“As the main source of authority in the region, this left regional prefect Omer Youmoina in grave danger<’ the group stated.
“However, Youmoina praises the
courage of a group of pastors who decided to confront Séléka. They
marched to their camp and asked the rebels whether they were fighting a
jihad (holy war) or political war. If it was purely political, they
asked, then why were Christians being targeted?”
World Watch Monitor explained
that although the leader of the rebels promised to stop harassing the
people, Séléka members came to the home of one of the pastors that very
night to rape some of the women under his care. Many more Christians
were then killed, women raped and Christians’ homes, businesses and
churches looted and destroyed.
The group said: “After spending
two months in the DRC, Youmoina decided to return with his 12 children.
At the time of writing, he remains the only local authority to have
returned to the town.”
Daud*
Daud (not his real name,
withheld for security reasons) is from Bambari, an important market town
in the southern province of Ouaka. For almost 50 years, the Christian
and Muslim inhabitants lived in relative peace, working together,
renting houses from each other, intermarrying, and trading at the same
markets.
“However,” World Watch Monitor
says,”after the arrival of Séléka in January 2013 the situation changed
radically. Local Muslims helped Séléka murder Christians, loot their
homes, rape their wives, and destroy their businesses and crops. Muslim
men who refused to join in were recruited by force. Christians lived in
deep sorrow, as most of them had lost several family members.”
As a result, Bambari became
divided, one half consisting of Muslims protected by Séléka and the
other half of non-Muslims (predominantly Christians), World Watch
Monitor reports.
It stated: “The situation
worsened after the anti-Balaka attacks on Bangui in December 2013
because it led to revenge attacks on the non-Muslims of Bambari (in the
Akpe quarter specifically).”
On December 23, Séléka burned
houses and churches and killed men as they were fleeing to the St.
Joseph Catholic Cathedral, which served as an IDP camp for the Christian
population. They also fired shots into the camp and threw a grenade
into it, which killed 87 people.
World Watch Monitor continued:
“Today, churches in the west of Bambari hold services, but those in
areas controlled by Séléka do not. Even where churches are still open,
Christians often do not attend because they fear for their lives and do
not trust the UN to protect them.
“Like all Central Africans,
Daud’s life has been turned upside down by the crisis in his country,
but his conversion from Islam to Christianity made his life even more
complicated.”
The group says Daud’s Muslim
family was furious and sought to kill him. Meanwhile, anti-Balaka
members distrusted him for his ties to the local Muslim community. They
killed many members of his family; the few that survived were forced to
flee.
Had it not been for the protection of his church, Daud said, he would have not survived.“Some of my family call me and are surprised when they hear that I am still alive,” he said.
*Daud’s real name has been withheld to protect his identity.
Photo One: Central African Republic. Map courtesy Open Doors International
Phoot Two: Michael Ireland
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 or any of our ANS stories with attribution to the ASSIST News Service (www.assistnews.net).
Yora, Manu Park Panoan in Peru
Yora, Manu Park Panoan in Peru
The Yora live
in the jungles of Peru and have had very limited contact with the
outside world. They prefer to live in isolation, and sometimes go deep
into the jungle to avoid outsiders such as loggers. They are quite
vulnerable to diseases which may be brought by outsiders.
Ministry Obstacles
Access to this tribe is obviously quite limited and difficult.
Outreach Ideas
Trust must be established with these people. Scripture portions are available in their language, and workers who have won the trust of the people and can read the language may be able to minister the scriptures to them.
Pray for the followers of Christ
There may be a few in the tribe who know of Christ. Pray for an accurate understanding of who he is and what he has done. Pray against mixing traditional religions with the purity of the Gospel.
Pray for the entire people group
Pray for protection against diseases, and against outsiders brutalizing the people. Pray that outsiders will treat the Yora people kindly.
Scripture Focus
"How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent?" Romans 10:14-15 |
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GPN - 31/07/2015
31/07/2015
Dear Dave,
A friend is one who comes in when all others have gone out. Proverbs 17:17; 18:24IMPORTANT: Mrs. S.B. asks us to pray for a successful hip surgery. For a miracle of healing for her daughter C. who is being treated for breast cancer. For God's help in the relationship of her granddaughter S. with R. They have two children. Ms. R.
For healing of a spastic colon for Mr. W.W. and deliverance of attacks in his mind.
USA: Mrs. L.G. asks us to pray for healing of her husband who had a heart attack.
Pray for Mr. R.R., for strength and a speedy recovery of an open heart surgery. Also for new strength for his wife who takes care of him.
Mrs. A. asks prayer that she will be delivered from sorcery and that she will live in God's victory.
Mrs. P. has to pay tax remission and needs God's provision in this.
Pray for Ms. E., for God's guidance and provision in a Christian life partner.
Mrs. L.P. needs to leave her past behind. That she will put her faith in the promises of God's Word.
Pray for healing of the eyes of Mrs. J.R. and for restoration in the relationship with her two sons. And for her ex, that his eyes will be opened and that he returns to God.
Mr. L.D. was attacked by two men. Pray that he receives God's rest again.
Mrs. V.H. grieves over her family and suffers from physical pains in the chest and abdomen. Pray for her healing, victory and power in spirit, soul and body.
Pray that Mrs. Petra L. will recieve God's peace and encouragement. That she will attent church again.
Mrs. G.v.E. feels very confused and struggles in her faith. Pray for God's peace and that she will set her mind on Jesus as her Rock.
PRAYER WORKS: My youngest son has received a new home after two prayer requests. Pray: For my ex-husband, that he returns to Jesus. Mrs. W.
The Blessing Family Message Station
NEW, MODERN AND SUPER FAST!
Listen non-stop to the faith-building messages of anointed preachers with singing, music and special prayer. Choose your own language, preacher and topic. Listen, download, like it, put in your favorites, share with others and much more! Pray and thank God that this station will reach many people in places where little or nothing of the Gospel is found and where people are on their own. Tune in at maasbachradio.com.
We wish you a very blessed weekend!
The team of Global Prayer Network
Nigeria: Mubi During and after the Carnage -- From the perspective of schooling
Nigeria: Mubi During and after the Carnage -- From the perspective of schooling
I
have delayed in telling the story of what our school suffered amidst
the crises that engulfed this part of Nigeria until I personally
travelled to Mubi after it was recovered by the Joint Task Force (JTF)
to see what is left of the city and its investments after the carnage.
If
the government pay their public school staff and maintain their schools
from the federation and state accounts which accrue from our oil money,
taxes and other public funds, from where will private schools pay their
staff and maintain their schools; especially these schools in crises
affected areas which lost much/most of their population and returned to
damaged and abandoned compounds? Are the staff, pupils and students in
these school not Nigerians? Some financial support from the government
and philanthropists, in such a time as this, will help to encourage
their efforts in contributing to education in Nigeria.
By Prof. Herbert M. Eze, Special to the ASSIST News Service
MUBI, NIGERIA (ANS – July 31, 2015)
-- As the academic year 2014/015 ended on Friday July 24, 2015 in
Nigeria, it is necessary to tell the unfortunate story of how many
schools in northeastern Nigeria with particular reference to those in
Mubi, Adamawa State, had less than one term of schooling out of the
three terms, due to the activities of the Boko Haram (BH) insurgents.
I
have delayed in telling the story of what our school suffered amidst
the crises that engulfed this part of Nigeria until I personally
travelled to Mubi after it was recovered by the Joint Task Force (JTF)
to see what is left of the city and its investments after the carnage.
The forces of Boko Haram entered
the city of Mubi and began to unleash terror on Wednesday, October 24,
2014. I would have arrived Mubi the previous day, Tuesday, if I had not
changed my travel plan to go the upper week.
Our school Supervisor arrived
Mubi from Onitsha on Monday, the 22nd, and just left the school compound
a few minutes on Wednesday morning before the BH struck at about 10.45
am. She escaped from where she was because coming back would be
suicidal, but she called the school and warned them of the unfortunate
development in the city. It was a call that helped in saving many lives
although we lost some lives.
The supervisor and one of the
head teachers who escaped death during the Mubi crises fled to Yola but
became stranded as their journey to Onitsha was delayed for days because
luxury buses were not available for their journey down south. Even when
they became available, the population waiting in Yola for the journey
was too much, therefore people lined up for days before it could reach
their turn for the journey.
These two ladies visited me in
Nnewi on Saturday, November 8, 2014, after their return from Yola and
gave me first- hand account of what transpired in Mubi during the BH
incident. They informed me that the school lost our Chairman of Parents
Teachers Association (P.T.A), and a male parent of our school children.
Resumption date for the third
term 2014/015 in Evangel Academy, Mubi, was on Monday, 27 April. I sent a
text message to our key staff members to inform them, however, it was
only the principal that called me on that day and reported his arrival
to Mubi. For security reasons, our staff from the East and the school
children from the eastern area did not respond. Even among the
indigenes, it took some time before staff and school children started
gradually returning to school.
General Muhammadu Buhari (GMB)
became president elect following the presidential and national assembly
elections on 29th of April and later sworn in as president a month
later. Our staff and people from the east began trickling into the city
when people started to feel a bit secure after GMB was sworn in
peacefully as President.
Even till the end of the term on
Friday, July 24, 2015, we only had less than a-quarter of the previous
school population and could hardly pay our available staff not to talk
of adding the cost of my transport and other expenditures to Mubi during
the trip. This accounts for my not travelling again to participate in
the end of the year event scheduled for Sunday, July 26th.
I hope to be in Mubi at the
beginning of next term for Teacher Education and Planning Programme
(TEPP) which has been our tradition almost since the inception of
Evangel Academy in 1987. However, the security situation is yet to
improve following the recent killings in Askira Uba near Mubi by BH
insurgents believed to have come from Sambisa forest.
We pray that President Buhari
will soon deliver on his promise of defeating and totally uprooting
terrorism in the country. Until then, the hope of having steady
schooling in Mubi is dashed. For the whole academic year, 2014/015, we
lost first and second term and the third term was incomplete. Although
we may not say this for all the schools in northeastern States of Borno,
Adamawa and Yobe, but sure, for most of them.
If
the government pay their public school staff and maintain their schools
from the federation and state accounts which accrue from our oil money,
taxes and other public funds, from where will private schools pay their
staff and maintain their schools; especially these schools in crises
affected areas which lost much/most of their population and returned to
damaged and abandoned compounds? Are the staff, pupils and students in
these school not Nigerians? Some financial support from the government
and philanthropists, in such a time as this, will help to encourage
their efforts in contributing to education in Nigeria.
Evangel Academy, Mubi, in
Adamawa State has provided education in the State for nearly three
decades through our Day-care, Nursery, Primary and Secondary School
programs. Our vision/ proposal for a private university is only on hold
due to the present crises in the northeast. We have made significant
contribution towards the development of Adamawa State in various ways.
(See GNAGAD/NISSGA 2014 Award, The Majesty Magazine, p. 54. Our Majesty
Global Magazine, Abuja).
Our graduates serve at various
places in Adamawa State and Nigeria both at the public and private
sectors. Many of them are presently in higher institutions at different
places in the country and overseas.
Photo captions: 1) Evangel Academy Students before the incident. 2) Students before the Boko Haram incident,
Prof. Herbert M. Eze can be reached by email at hmezefom@gmail.com.
** You may republish this or any of our ANS stories with attribution to the ASSIST News Service (www.assistnews.net).
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