Grisly findings in northern Mexico could signal more violence to come

(Cover photo by Pepe Rivera)
 Victims of drug cartels. (Story photo
 footage from Spanish American
 Mission) Typical church construction
 (similar stage to current project).

Mexico (MNN) ― Five heads were found by Mexican police in the city of Torreon over the weekend.

Delivered with the heads were threatening messages that led authorities to believe this was yet another outbreak of drug gang violence. The grisly findings suggest a feud between local gangs, which could increase the scope of the violence.

Since 2007, when President Felipe Calderon launched a crackdown on the cartels, more than 46,000 people have died.

Spanish American Mission President Doug Bytwerk says the upheaval had an initial impact four years ago. "We slowed up our efforts in sending crews from the United States to build [in Mexico]. We have church planters that continue to do the work of leading people to Christ, planting churches in homes, and then, as those churches get up to a critical mass, we'll send a crew down there to build a building for them."

On January 6, Spanish American Mission sent a team of five to the area to help finish the 600-seat Ministry Center in Gomez Palacio, not far from Torreon. Bytwerk quickly added that the killings did not involve anyone on their team. Everyone is safe.

The war doesn't involve their team because "this is the drug world. It doesn't mean it's safe," Bytwerk points out, "but it does mean that if you're staying away from that part of the city, you're staying away from those people, and if you're not involved in the drug world, you're fairly safe."

However, "There are those who have been killed who have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Pray that our guys are not there at the wrong place when that type of thing breaks out. Pray that God protects them, that they're able to continue on with their project."

Tony Gomez, SAM's field chairman, noted a recent incident that hit close to home. In his most recent communication he shared:

"There was a recent shooting around the Gomez church, and the bad guys left their guns in a church van, knowing that the police would not look there. The church people knew not to touch the guns. The bad guys came back for the guns and did no harm to the church or to the church people."

There's an interesting twist to the story: the work of the evangelists, church leaders, and church planters has earned believers a reputation in the area. Bytwerk explains, "The cartel people know our mission; they know what we're doing. They know Tony Gomez, who is our field chairman down there. They respect him, (so) pray that they continue to respect him and leave him alone."

At this point, the concrete block walls of the Ministry Center have been completed by the Mexicans. Twelve feet high, these block walls will form the lower portion of the sheet steel walls of the sanctuary that, in total, will be 30 feet high. The team there now will be erecting steel walls to completely enclose the building.

Given the tremors threatening to erupt into a blood bath, Bytwerk says, "Pray that they'll continue to see us as a group that is not interested in what they're doing. We're interested in the proclamation of the Gospel, the building of churches. We're not into politics, we're not into government issues in any way, and we're not into the drug world."

Eurozone pressure comes to bear on Greece

(Photo by Kostastsironis)

Greece (MNN) ― Germany warned this week that further bailout funds won't be coming until Greece restructures its debt.

France added its voice, encouraging Greece to find a way to boost growth and jobs against a backdrop of austerity and mounting funding tensions in the Eurozone.

Tasos Ioannidis with AMG International says time is running short. "The goal of th
e Greek government is to complete the negotiations for the restructuring of the Greek debt by the end of this week."

Austerity measures were wildly unpopular when they were first introduced. However, as the crisis deepened, the hope of a bailout became linked with even further cuts. "The hope is through that restructuring and then through structural reforms taking place, by reducing the size of government and reducing the cost of labor in Greece, this will help the country move forward."

Bankruptcy threatens to tip the first domino of countries in the Eurozone.  As the scope of the crisis became clear, the attitude of Greece's people changed. This week,  the Czech Central Bank Governor suggested Greece withdraw from the Eurozone if they can't get debt under control. However, Ioannidis says, "The overwhelming majority of Greek people do not want to leave the Eurozone. More than 80% want to stay in the Eurozone, and they say they are willing to do what it takes to remain in the Eurozone."

The financial disaster hit AMG's St. Luke's Hospital in Thessaloniki especially hard. Since the government couldn't meet its obligations, the hospital ran into a severe cash flow and credit problem.   

It grew severe enough last Fall to threaten the hospital's existence. However, the team did manage to free up some funds and keep the doors open. Ioannidis says, "The situation is holding steady, basically. There are no new developments.

The government continues to be slow in paying its obligations for the insurance that it provides for people in Greece. So it's a month-to month struggle to meet our obligations to get the payments from the government."

The crisis in Greece has helped the local believers in three major areas: first, fully trusting God for their lives; second, depending on Him alone for daily needs; and third, becoming more active vehicles of the message of hope with words and deeds among their communities.

Ioannidis says, "As people have gotten more desperate, they are looking for something to bring hope into their lives. The answer to that, from our perspective is Christ. We see a lot more openness from the people who come to St. Luke's to hearing about the Gospel."

A local church, the Greek Evangelical Church in Thessaloniki is feeding more than 400 people every week, and they have exhausted every single local source. They contact AMG asking for help.

AMG's Fotis Romeos writes: "This is true of many local churches all over Greece as they seek to share the Gospel but at the same time serve the urgent needs of people in their communities. "

Ioannidis says not only that, churches are becoming more missions-minded. "A large group went to Tanzania providing gifts for poor children in that African nation. In the midst of the crisis, what we are seeing is that the local church is mobilizing to help people in Greece but also reaching beyond the country of Greece and helping others around the world."

It's the beginning of a year that promises challenges and triumph. "Pray that the churches would have the resources that they need as people come to them asking for help. We need to pray that lives that have been touched through the team that has gone to Tanzania will be impacted for the cause of the Gospel."

Costa Rican outreach starts 2012 with a bang

Costa Rica (MNN) ― The work of Grace Ministries International in Costa Rica is active and growing. From the well-established church located near San Jose, the field has many goals.

In just five year, since the Grace Bible Institute of Costa Rica was launched, a Great Commission vision seems to be catching on. Sam Vinton with Grace Ministries International says the school started with just 13 students but now enrolls over 40 each trimester.

The goal is to train the next generation of pastors, lay leaders, and missionaries. In the next couple of years under the leadership of Bible institute students, GMI hopes to plant churches. Their team has been praying that the nationals  catch a vision of doing missionary work. God is answering beyond their hopes and imaginations. Vinton says, "I believe this is one of the big things that we're seeing happen in all of Latin America."

A new church was recently planted in Alajuela and just celebrated its first-year anniversary. GMI's Chuck Befus writes: "We are really too large a group for our present church rental with at least an average of 110 each Sunday and growing. We have seen God change the lives of many people and there is excitement waiting to see what God will do next. Please pray with us."

As a church and a field, the ministry also has a cross-cultural dream. "The churches in the San Jose area have had a real vision for the last couple of years of taking a team every summer into Nicaragua, which is the country north of Costa Rica."

By what they saw in Nicaragua, planting a church in Nicaragua could be a reality soon. "The responses have been good, and so starting this next month, instead of once a year, we're planning on going probably six times during this coming year."

With each trip, the team further cultivates the soil. There's no church yet, but there are study groups forming. Since the Nicaraguan women tend to be more spiritually inquisitive and sensitive to the things of God, the women members of the team prepared special Bible studies which proved very valuable as they conducted over 20 Bible studies.  

Vinton explains from there, "We're hoping that in another year or two, we'll have an actual Costa Rican family go as missionaries and possibly have an international team of different groups in South America, as well as an American missionary couple."

Already, Vinton says, "We have friends, we have contacts--people who used to be members of our church in Costa Rica who have moved back home to Nicaragua, who are foundational to this ministry."

It's an exciting time for Grace Ministries."Pray that the nationals will catch a vision of doing missionary work. I believe this is one of the big things that we're seeing happen in all of Latin America."

College students learn what how to RADIATE hope for 2012

International (MNN) ― What do you get when you team up college students, a mission, and the Bible?

You get: RADIATE 2011. It's a Bible conference from December 28 through January 1, hosted by Campus Crusade for Christ. Geared specifically for college students, it gives them a concentration of worship, Bible teaching, and discipleship.

The enthusiasm of youth fills the conference center in Baltimore, Maryland for four days, so what do you do with all that energy? You release it. This year's conference theme is "Be Free," and the students are encouraged and challenged to not only live in the freedom of Christ but also to radiate His love to the world.

As part of the conference, there is a day set aside for the participants to put their faith into action. This year, they partnered with Global Aid Network (www.gainusa.org) to assemble and ship vegetable seed packets to over 50,000 flood-affected families in The Gambia, West Africa.

With the help of roughly 1000 college students, 495 letters, 4500 Gospel bead bracelets, 1650 care packages, and 20,650 Harvester packs were prepped for shipping. The impact college students can make through GAiN USA means the ministry can address the needs of the families they've already been helping.

Harvester Packs shipped overseas provides a variety of seeds to plant crops that will yield 4 to 6 months' worth of food. Once the harvest begins, the food will provide meals to save a life, and the surplus food can be sold to provide income for education and healthcare.

In that region, there's growing food insecurity. The government says that upland rice and groundnut farmers are most likely to be affected by the shortages. The poorest households in urban areas will also have trouble due to rising food prices and cost of living. 

Global Aid Network has been working with a Gambian church partner since 2010 to address the needs. Their approach to meeting needs has opened some new Gospel doors in this Islam-dominated country. In some places, the team has been allowed to show the JESUS Film, too. Pray that the Gospel seeds planted take root. 

The Constitutional crisis in Nepal provides backdrop for a project launch

(Photo courtesy of BFTW)
Bible Distribution Center

Nepal (MNN) ― A new crisis seems to be looming over Nepal's fragile peace process.

This week, the government and the judiciary locked horns in a question of another extension to the Constituent Assembly term.

The Supreme Court had given three options if the Constituent Assembly failed to draft a new Constitution before May 28, 2012: Take a referendum, conduct fresh polls to elect a new body to draft the constitution, or seek some other alternative.

Apparently fed up with the slow progress, the Courts reject petitions for another extension should a draft fail to emerge in May. In 2008, the legislative body was given two years to draft Nepal's new constitution, but despite four extensions, the task is no closer to completion than it was when the CA was given its mandate.

However, some of the penal codes were re-written, and Christians were alarmed at the wording of anti-conversion legislation that could seriously complicate outreach.

Against that backdrop, Bibles For the World is launching the New Year with a new project: Bibles For Nepal.

BFTW's Mawii Pudaite says despite the ongoing changes in the government and concerns about religious freedom, Christianity remains the fastest-growing religion in the country. "We believe that it is an important time to plant Gospel Seeds in Nepal that will bear much fruit in the years to come."

With a roughly 48% literacy rate, BFTW is directly targeting this demographic for Scripture distribution, evangelism and discipleship. She explains that what often happens is development in the community. "These efforts will also have an indirect-multiplying effect among the illiterate population, as local churches and new believers engage their communities with the Gospel."    

While the window remains open, the ministry is moving ahead with plans for 2012. "We have made contacts with the leaders of these various groups and churches in Nepal, and they enthusiastically are responding to working with us in the distribution and follow-up ministries."

The next step, Pudaite notes, is printing and distributing the resources. "Claiming Nepal for Christ and His Kingdom will take prayer and resources to provide the tools: Bibles, New Testaments, and Gospels to do the job of evangelism, discipleship and church planting." 

Dr. John Stotts was noted for saying, "The Bible is the best tool for evangelism." Change for Nepal can come from within. "Today I am asking you to join me in praying for the people and country of Nepal. Let us claim the nation of Nepal for Christ and His Kingdom."

The pace of the project is dependent on the funding they receive. They're also mobilizing prayer teams to pray for Nepal. Check our Featured Links if you want to explore more with Bibles For The World.

Ministry team sees revival starting in India

India (STM) ― Sammy Tippit Ministries recently concluded evangelistic meetings, a pastors' conference, and student discipleship in the northwestern state of Punjab. Sammy Tippit preached in the evangelistic meetings and taught in the pastors' conference, while Dave Tippit led the student discipleship through his ministry, Eternal Concepts.

The evangelistic meetings were the largest that Tippit has ever held in the region. Each evening, many people responded to the message on "victory in life." The crowds increased nightly, and the response to the message also grew. Nearly half of those in attendance responded on the final evening.

Tippit noted, "God is doing something wonderful here in the Punjab. People are open. They are responding to the Gospel. Many Sikhs have come to Christ in the Punjab. It's exciting to see God at work." Pastor Nazir Masih agreed, stating, "The people of the Punjab are hungry for the good news of Jesus. This time has been a great blessing for us."

Tippit not only conducted the evangelistic meetings, but he also led a Pastors' Conference in a desert region of the Punjab with pastors who don't normally have the opportunity to attend leadership conferences. Many of the pastors are new believers and have been learning from "Jolly" Singh, who translates for Tippit. Pastors gave testimony of a deep work of God's Spirit in their lives. The church has been growing rapidly -- some would describe it as multiplying. Most of the pastors attending the conference were new in their walk with Christ.

Tippit also met a number of new believers who had come to Christ through his ministry in previous trips to the Punjab. He said, "One of my greatest joys is to meet these believers who have continued in their walk with Christ."

Dave Tippit also ministered in Punjab, pouring into the lives of students from Chandighar. More than 65 students attended the discipleship seminar provided by Eternal Concepts. EC has been working in partnership with STM on many STM outreaches around the world. Young people gave testimonies of a deep work of God.

Everybody loves a wedding

Haiti (BHM/MNN) ― Everybody loves a wedding.

The venue has been selected, invitations have been sent, the order of the ceremony has been decided, and now the countdown has begun for a special wedding day in Haiti.

A Baptist Haiti Mission church partner will be officiating over a wedding ceremony for 91 couples on December 30 in Muraille Lacee, a small town in northwest Haiti.

The region has had little evangelical witness and no evangelical pastors or churches in the area. Because of a lack of Gospel exposure, there is not a strong moral presence in the community. So it's normal for unmarried couples to live together.

As a result, many of the young women in Muraille Lacee have babies before they are 18. Pastor Jean Claude Smith and members of the Conservative Baptist Church of Williamson have begun traveling to Muraille Lacee to do evangelism. 

The church team made their first evangelistic venture into the community this past August. The journey to Muraille Lacee takes over half a day--some of it by car, some on foot. Upon arrival, the team did door-to-door evangelism and hosted outdoor church services. Lay preachers returned twice more to the area to preach and serve the Lord's Supper.  

Pastor Smith and several people from Petionville Church and Williamson Church will make another trip to Muraille Lacee for this incredible wedding ceremony in a couple of weeks.

Naturally, a wedding of this size will attract a lot of attention. Pastor Smith hopes the wedding will be an opportunity for a positive testimony to the community to help them begin to follow biblical principles. 

A public commitment before the Lord, family, and friends has the power to change an entire town. Naturally, there are a lot of logistics that need to fall into place.

Pastor Smith says they need extra funds for some of the wedding expenses. Baptist Haiti Mission is looking for help with this opportunity for a complete and total heart change in the community of Muraille Lacee.  

Click here if you want to help.

Provide Bibles for inmates this Christmas

Support Biblica's Prison Scripture
 Fund today.

USA (MNN) ― Christmas is a lonely time for a lot of people, especially prison inmates. At a time when many people are thinking about family and friends, inmates try to forget. Where do they turn?

Biblica has something that can help them find the peace they need at Christmas.

Biblica CEO Doug Lockhart says they have a special Bible just for them, called "Free On the Inside."

"It's a full Bible with stories of redemption from other people who have spent time in prison for whatever reason. 

Everything we do is designed to connect with someone, wherever we are, and hopefully take them into God's Word."

Lockhart says these Bibles are great for people who have prison ministry. "If they're interfacing with inmates, they're able to highlight one of the stories, and maybe it becomes a conversation piece that very naturally takes them into God's Word."

What's the end goal? "That they end up in God's Word, they're lives are transformed and changed, and they accept Christ. That is certainly the end goal."

This Christmas you could have a profound impact not only on prison inmates, but jail and prison chaplains, too. "It's amazing: the number of county jail and state prisons where there are chaplains and they walk into a prison situation, and there just might not be any Bibles."

In the U.S., nearly 2 million adults and youth crowd prisons and jails. Every year, about 30% of them are released after serving an average of three to five years. About two-thirds of ex-convicts re-offend and return to jail within three years. But inmates who make decisions for Christ and then are released, research shows, are 50% less likely to end up in jail again.

This fiscal year, Biblica will help reach 123,000 men, women and young people incarcerated in American prisons and detention centers with the life-giving message of Christ's love and forgiveness.

A great gift this Christmas may be to donate a case of Bibles. For $84 you can purchase a case of 24 Bibles. Click here to order your case. 

If you'd like to donate to the Prison Scripture Fund, click here. 

Lonely truckers at Christmas, Biblica can help

The Road Home points
 truckers to Christ.

USA (MNN) ― Christmas is a happy time for many people. However, the holiday season can be difficult for many, especially those who are separated from family and friends. Long-haul truckers are affected by loneliness this time of year. Biblica wants to provide them with hope and encouragement.

Biblica CEO Doug Lockhart says they have a resource that can help. It's called "The Road Home." "'The Road Home' is a Bible. It's a New Testament Bible with a cover on it that's a truck. There are stories and testimonies within that New Testament that really are designed to connect with a trucker."

Lockhart says "The Road Home" helps Christian truckers. "That Christian truck driver who's out on the road and lonely can certainly identify with some of the testimonies that are in the New Testament, as well as the Bible is right there so they can engage in the Bible."

"The Road Home" can also be used to make a difference with friends and colleagues. "The hope is that Christian truck drivers would say, 'Boy, you know, when I'm at a stop or interacting with another driver, this is a Bible like they've never seen before because of the cover. And it might connect with them in a new way. They might just be more open to God's Word because of it."

Lockhart says at $2.50 a copy, "People can buy them and have a case in their truck. It's just a wonderful evangelism tool. The hope is that during that loneliness, the design of the cover or the stories inside [will] grab hold of their heart, and they begin to engage in God's Word and find Christ."

If you'd like to get copies of "The Road Home" click here.

Advent: A Time of Waiting… and Tweeting

By Michael Ireland
Senior International Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

UNITED KINGDOM (ANS) -- Every day during Advent, Fresh Expressions -- an evangelistic outreach of the Church of England -- is sharing Twitter reflections on the coming of Christ and the meaning of Christmas.

Fresh Expressions was initiated in 2005 by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York but now involves the Methodist Council, the United Reformed Church and a number of other partners.

The movement has resulted in hundreds of new Christian communities being formed alongside more traditional churches.

Those who have contributed seasonal tweets include The Archbishop of York, John Sentamu; Lorraine Dixon, Anglican priest and DJ; Andy Frost, director of Share International; Ian Bell, co-ordinator of the Methodist Church’s VentureFX Pioneering Ministries scheme; Mark Russell, chief executive officer of Church Army; Russ Bravo, editor of Inspire magazine; and Juliet Kilpin of the Urban Expression mission agency.

One of the tweets describes the incarnation as ‘a package put together to solve the debt crisis.'

To find out who went on to say, ‘He lived among us, loved us, was rejected. The deal never left the table,’ follow the Advent conversations now @freshexpression on Twitter or viawww.freshexpressions.org.uk/advent.  

For more information, contact: Karen Carter, Media Officer, Fresh Expressions +44 (0)7545 928724karen.carter@freshexpressions.org.uk;  www.freshexpressions.org.uk

---

** Michael Ireland is the Senior International Correspondent for ANS. He is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London (United Kingdom) newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB UK, a British Christian radio station. While in the UK, Michael traveled to Canada and the United States, Albania,Yugoslavia, Holland, Germany,and Czechoslovakia. He has reported for ANS from Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Israel, Jordan, China,and Russia. Michael's volunteer involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' (MIMM) -- of A.C.T. International of P.O.Box 1649, Brentwood, TN 37024-1649, at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International where you can make a donation online under 'Donate' tab, then look for 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' under 'Donation Category' to support his stated mission of 'Truth Through Christian Journalism.' Michael is a member in good standing of the National Writers Union, Society of Professional Journalists, Religion Newswriters Association, Evangelical Press Association and International Press Association. If you have a news or feature story idea for Michael, please contact him at: ANS Senior International Reporter

---

** You may republish this story with proper attribution.

Thailand flood toll tops 600

Baan Sang Khom Childcare Center

Thailand (MNN) ― Thailand is still experiencing flooding in the Bangkok area. The death toll tops 600, and damages are estimated around $10 billion dollars.

According to government reports, 18 provinces are still underwater, including the capital: Bangkok. Waters are receding in 46 other provinces. However, early indicators are that more than 13 million people (or one in five Thais) have been affected.

Tens of thousands of businesses were damaged, putting over a million of employees at the risk of losing their jobs. Nearly a quarter of the crops were also waterlogged.   

AMG Thailand last week reported that they had escaped the high waters. But workers say the Baan Sang Khom Childcare Center has since been flooded. The project is in the middle of the slum. Center director Pramwadee says both the center and the church are located near the sea, so the height of the flooding is determined by sea level.

Unfortunately, that means the streets around the church areas--including the neighboring communities and many of the children's home--are flooded. 

In the wake of evacuation, parents in the area have sent their children to family in less flood-prone areas, especially since the government announced the schools in the flooded areas will remain closed until the waters recede and the land dries out.

AMG has a sponsorship program for 25-30 children at the center where the children get a meal and homework support. On weekends, there is Bible teaching and singing. All the parents are invited on special occasions such as Christmas. Right now, things have been disrupted in the scatter.

To help flood victims, AMG put together survivor packs including rice, noodles, canned fish, oil, fish sauce, tissue, and snacks, which are delivered by local church members.

Pray that many hearts will be softened, and that many people will learn to trust God. Pray too that the ministry will resume soon.

Got $5? It makes an eternal difference to kids.

India (MNN) ― What does a dollar buy these days?

  

In North America, it buys a cup of coffee, a pair of socks, 2 packs of gum, or a changed future.

Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Mission India can do a lot more than that with a buck. The population they work with is in India. Nearly half of India's population--over 463 million--are under the age of 20. They are members of an emerging world superpower and the world's largest democracy.

However, the existing caste system condemns millions to a life of degrading labor and social invisibility. Of the poor, 35% of school-aged children are not in school. Many wind up working in dangerous situations in order to help support their families. Child marriage is common.

Yet, India's Christians are eagerly waiting for the chance to introduce Children's Bible Clubs into their communities. Mission India provides indigenous ministry partners with in-depth training for volunteer club leaders and materials in five age levels and more than 20 Indian languages.

Children's Bible Clubs are introduced in a community through a 10-day program. In the clubs, children enjoy songs, skits, and games, listen to Bible stories, memorize Scripture, and discover a loving Savior.

Many children in Children's Bible Clubs make a decision to follow Jesus, and these children are bringing their parents to Christ. Every year, new churches grow out of Children's Bible Clubs.

Children's Bible Clubs provide many important social, educational, and spiritual benefits to children and families, introduce a loving God who created each child in His image, teach children to pray confidently and expect answered prayers, teach the importance of good nutrition and personal hygiene, encourage parents to send their children to school, and teach youngsters to share their faith with friends and family.

The clubs also inspire children to serve their communities and become future leaders. Got $5? Reach 5 Indian kids with a Children's Bible Club. Click here to find out more.

InterVarsity Press acquires Biblica Books

International (Biblica) ―InterVarsity Press (IVP), a leading publisher of thoughtful Christian books, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Biblica Books, the book-publishing arm of Biblica Worldwide.

In the acquisition, which is expected to close by the end of the calendar year, IVP will obtain 170 current and nearly 30 new Biblica Books titles. This includes Operation World, the definitive global prayer guide that's now in its seventh edition.

The acquisition agreement between IVP and Biblica was made possible when Biblica recently made a strategic decision to narrow its focus solely to the Bible. A search for the right strategic partner with which to place their book-publishing portfolio led them to IVP.

"The addition of Biblica Books is a significant strategy for IVP. This will help us further serve and equip the church in its witness of grace and truth in the world," says Bob Fryling, publisher of InterVarsity Press. "With this acquisition, IVP becomes an even stronger publisher for biblical and missions-oriented resources. We are grateful for this expansion opportunity."

The two publishers readily agreed that IVP is in a very strong position to effectively carry forward the vision of Biblica Books. Through its missions-focused publishing program and networks such as the Urbana Student Missions Conferences, plus its broad reach in both trade and academic markets, IVP will now be publishing an even greater selection of books to help Christians throughout the church better fulfill their kingdom calling.

Scott Bolinder, president of global publishing for Biblica, says that "there could not be a better fit for our authors and their wonderful content that makes up our unique book-publishing portfolio. The mission of IVP and Biblica resonates deeply with seeing lives around the world transformed through the Bible and biblical resources. We are delighted with the outcome of this transition and the potential to continue working closely as partners in global ministry."

IVP plans a strong sales and marketing focus for current Biblica Books titles starting in January 2012. This will include "Operation World," as well as the recent release, "The Future of the Global Church" by Patrick Johnstone. The official launch of the new line of Biblica Books at IVP will begin in March 2012.

Thailand floods could last into new year

AMG Thailand getting relief
 supplies ready.

Thailand (MNN) ― While the floodwaters in Thailand are finally receding, the Prime Minister warns that the high water may last until next year.

Government reports indicate that the death toll of Thailand's worst flooding in at least five decades was 564. People are slowly coming back after a mandatory evacuation hit 1/3 of Bangkok's districts. The rains put 700,000 people out of work and caused billions in damage.

Thailand has seen about 3.8 million acres of farmland inundated, forcing the government to cut its estimate for this year's main crop by 24%. This week, the United States announced a $10 million aid package to help get the country back on its feet.

The disaster has hit many ministries in the region. AMG Thailandhas two childcare centers in central Thailand: Living Stream and Bright Home. While both stayed dry, survivors in the community need food, medicine, rain boots or similar shoes to protect their feet, and small flat-bottom boats for transportation.

AMG's missionary in Chiang Mai, Ron Hamme, says, "As for our child-care centers in Nan and Museekee (northern Thailand), they are NOT flooded. Earlier flooding in Nan did wipe out the electricity to Camp Joy and the Joy Youth Development Center for about two months, but they are again with power. "

AMG National Director in Thailand, Chowkee Zaw Min, lives in Bangkok and reports: "By the Grace of God, [at] this time, the office, our homes, and all of the AMG childcare centers ARE SAFE. However, the only childcare center in Bangkok (most of the AMG childcare centers in Thailand are in the mountains or highlands in Northern Thailand),  Baan Sang Khom (with 35 AMG-sponsored children), will probably be affected because it is near the sea."

Chowke has been in constant communication with the Baan Sang Khom project director. The ministry not only sent funds but also made plans for evacuation, temporary housing, and emergency supplies for the families." The team also bought several small boats for the center, so people can move around and get help from the government and others that are providing relief. 

The Thailand flooding provided yet another opportunity for AMG to share the compassion of Christ by meeting physical as well as spiritual needs in areas where AMG had already been working for years.

AMG is asking for funding help in order to continue to respond to these needs and to show the love of Christ to people who need recovery assistance.

UN leader calls for cooler heads in Sudan

[Cover photo by Samaritan's Purse.
 Story photo by AIM-AIR.]

Sudan (MNN) ― The UN Secretary-General is trying to keep a lid on the simmering tensions threatening all-out war again in Sudan.

Ban Ki-Moon is calling on cooler heads to prevail over the conflict between Sudan and newly-independent South Sudan. The world's leaders echoed the United Nations' condemnation of  Khartoum's bombings of a refugee camp in South Sudan's Unity state--a charge Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir denies.

It's the first test of independence since South Sudan formally seceded from Sudan in July following a successful independence referendum in January that was guaranteed in a 2005 peace deal. 

Disputes that festered are flaring into violence. Phil Byler with Africa Inland Mission says, "The President of North Sudan is just a ruthless man who doesn't care who he kills. Bombing the refugee camps in the South is an atrocity, in my opinion."

It may be that the war of words is now a step closer to a genuine conflict. Satellite photos revealed last week's strikes on refugee camps were just the beginning. It appears Sudan's military is repairing and improving air bases in its Blue Nile state, potentially allowing it to bring challenge over disputed borders with South Sudan.

Now, both leaders of Khartoum and Juba are predicting the possibility of a new war in an oil-rich region that has seen a spike in cross-border attacks. "The President of South Sudan is now saying that war is a possibility. Up until this point, he has repeatedly said, 'We will not go to war again.' This is a disturbing trend," says Byler.

It is disturbing, but not alarming. "All of our missionaries, besides the pilots, are well out of the area. Samaritan's Purse personnel were on the ground; our AIM-AIR pilots were in the air, and they mobilized an intense evacuation force to deal with the bombing."  

On November 9, SIM evacuated six team members from Doro base--the area in which the refugee camp was bombed last week by Sudan's military. The team was moved before the attack. They were flown out of Doro and are in Nairobi until things settle down.  

This not only presents a direct threat to these refugees of the Nuba mountains and the Samaritan's Purse team, but a challenge for ministry and aid teams. Byler says, "The war activity along the border area disrupts life drastically. That's why there are refugees. Consequently, the work of the church and the presentation of the Gospel is disrupted as everybody goes into a survival mode."

AIM AIR has been supporting the work of relief efforts that are helping to meet the immediate needs of those who were displaced. They are providing critical supplies and evacuation options to several other organizations in contested regions between North and South Sudan. 

Please be praying for the country of Sudan as a whole, that the Church would grow strong in this turbulent time. "We're alert and watchful," says Byler, "hoping and praying that the war will not restart and/or spread throughout the region."

As the tensions ignite, "Pray that in the providence and sovereignty of God, He will spare the people of South Sudan from another war, Number One. Number Two, pray that even in the horrible things that are happening localized in Sudan, God will make Himself known to the people that are seeking Him."

Please also pray for safety for AIM AIR personnel and passengers as the team seeks to serve those who are serving in these tense locations.

Heisman Trophy winner homecoming launches outreach in the Philippines

Artist rendering of CURE
 Philippines. (Photo by CURE)

Philippines (CURE/MNN) ―CURE International will be opening a new children's hospital in Davao City, Philippines.

The dream will likely come true sometime in mid-2013. It is CURE's first in the Philippines and 12th worldwide, and will be on the island of Mindanao--a particularly poor area of the Philippines.

It will be a 30-bed surgical facility focusing primarily on orthopedics. The groundbreaking is slated for January 2012 and will be a celebration of the first project between CURE and The Tim Tebow Foundation. 

That partnership was announced in October 2011 and is a sort of homecoming for Tebow. The starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos and a Heisman Trophy winner at the University of Florida says, "I was born in the Philippines, and my parents have been missionaries to that area since 1985." He adds, "I'm excited to be a part of this hospital that will bring healing to thousands of children who would not otherwise have access to care."

With 80 million children suffering from clubfoot and other surgically correctable deformities, it's not hard to see the need for CURE's outreach. Dr. Scott Harrison, founder and president of CURE International, says, "We feel blessed that the Tim Tebow Foundation has chosen to partner with us to bring first-world quality care and spiritual healing to the children of the Philippines."

The construction project is expected to cost $3 million, with donors from CURE and the Tebow Foundation sharing the costs. Due to the poverty in the area, about 30% of the children treated at the hospital will be unable to pay for treatment.   One of CURE's most basic operating principles is that their teams will not turn away a patient due to an inability to pay, ethnic background or religious affiliation.

CURE International's mission is to transform the lives of disabled children and their families in the developing world through medical and spiritual healing, serving all by establishing specialty teaching hospitals, building partnerships, and advocating for these children.

As part of their service to the community, CURE also incorporates a faith component in a culturally-relevant and sensitive way. Their team works in the name of Christ and often has opportunities to share their faith with patients

One way this component will be included in the Philippines hospital will be through Timmy's Playroom. The play area will provide workers an opportunity to incorporate faith, hope, and love to children before and after their surgeries. It will be the Tim Tebow Foundation's first international playroom.

The Tim Tebow Foundation was created in January 2010. Its mission is to bring faith, hope, and love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need. The foundation is accomplishing this mission through the building of playrooms in children's hospitals, supporting orphans worldwide, and making "dreams come true" for children with life-threatening illnesses.

Audio Bible Ministry Records in 600-Plus Languages

There’s been talk this week that the gospel could bepreached in every nation within the next 10 to 15 years.

Ministries like Faith Comes By Hearing are part of making that possibility possible. Faith Comes By Hearing just released 11 new language recordings.

(Facebook)

With the new languages, the audio Bible ministry now has New Testament recordings in more than 600 languages. Altogether, these languages are spoken by more than 5 billion people in more than 185 nations.

Faith Comes By Hearing is making fast progress. The ministry has released New Testament audio Bibles in 100 new languages in the past year.

"This sort of amazing progress is only possible through great partners working together for the kingdom," says Morgan Jackson, Faith Comes By Hearing's international director. "From translators to recording teams to the donors who fund the work, this is the body of Christ coming together."

The 11 new languages are Bawm (Bangladesh), Biate (India), Chinantec de Ozumacin (Mexico), Gbaya Southwest (Central African Republic), Koorete (Ethiopia), Margos Quechua (Peru), Mousgoum (Cameroon), Nomaande (Cameroon), Samba Leko (Cameroon), Tabaru (Indonesia), and Tarahumara Baja (Mexico).

Ministry shows lay church leaders how to build

Haiti (MNN) ― If you've never built a house before, it would be absurd to build one without getting some training first.

No matter how simple the structure, without the know-how and the tools, the house won't be well made.  It's a similar story with lay church leaders in Haiti. They have the desire and the passion to build the body of Christ, but they don't always have the know-how or the tools. The other problem: poverty blocks access to the resources.

Chris Lieb with Baptist Haiti Mission says, "There's a great need for training for the people in the church. There's very little good quality systematic training for Sunday school teachers. This is one of the first trainings that we've done for Sunday school teachers in recent history."

What it boils down to is: to have an effective leader, it is critical that he be trained effectively. Last week, Baptist Haiti Mission brought in a team from the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism to work with the lay pastors and church leaders. Gill and Denise Thomas along with Carl Sexton taught from a Bible curriculum that was written in Haitian Creole. 

This week, it's the Sunday school teachers who are getting resources and tools. More than teaching from topic to topic, says Lieb, "They're looking for more resources and for a way to go through the Bible systematically."

A typical congregation has three kinds of people: genuine believers, professing Christians who have not clearly understood or genuinely embraced the Gospel, and seekers. That's why "ABWE has come in with some materials that they've developed especially for Haiti," says Lieb. "It goes from Creation to the end of the Bible, and it shows how God is Redeemer through each section."

These lay leaders need a resource that will help them teach a fairly thorough presentation of the Bible's redemptive story to people who attend their churches. The Chronological Bible Teaching Curriculum used by ABWE covers 100 Bible stories. Not only do the teachers have a clearer biblical worldview, but Lieb says they "have really appreciated having this material and having the training. It's not only the materials: they're also learning how to teach in a much better way."

Now that the foundation is laid and the framing is in place, the lay pastors and teachers are ready to go to work. Lieb says, "For those who have received the training, pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to use them and that they would be tools in the hands of God and multiply the work of ministry." 

HCJB Global, Feba UK Announce 'OneSheep' New Media Consortium

International (HCJB/MNN) ―Since when do sheep and unity work together?

Since HCJB Global and Feba UK have united in a special partnership called "One Sheep."

It's a collaboration that shares strengths and vision. Wayne Pederson, president of HCJB Global, explains, "Feba brings to the table the research and strategy they've created to use new media. What we bring to the table is the hardware and software and the know-how in creating the content for the new media."

Why re-invent the wheel? "Partnership is in our DNA," says Pederson. "Our mission statement is 'Serving with Global partners as the voice and hands of Jesus.'"

The collaboration came about because of some of the vehicles being developed for communication today: i-phones, i-pads, You Tube, Twitter, and Facebook. Pederson says it's a challenge to keep up. "Pray that God will show us how to use the new media to reach the next generation. We're all learning together on this, and in many cases, the commercial world, the secular world, the marketing world are ahead of us on this."

"One Sheep" has engaged a group of 20-somethings to help them visualize a new media strategy for outreach to the next generation. "It's absolutely critical if we're going to reach the next generation with the Gospel," Pederson explains. Traditional methods of sharing Christ may not reach them at all.

  

It could be argued that "the medium is the message." "We've got to be able to use these tools. Millennials are watching television less, they're listening to radio less, (and) they're getting their entertainment, their information, their inspiration and their communication with the new virtual media."

Effecting change and creating a dialogue space through the new media means the strategy must be regional. "Because our communication system has gone from 'few to many,' and now with the new media, it's 'many to many,'" notes Pederson, "each of our regions, each of our countries, each of our cities, each of our people groups is able to create podcasts to stream audio, to stream video in the language of the culture in which they are operating."

Teams won't just jump into the new media stream without help. Pederson says, "We are going to be creating a new media resource Web site that will coach and mentor some of our teams toward using social media in an excellent way. We're going to be presenting seminars and training events to build capability among our partners."

By jointly researching how young people communicate and consume media, HCJB Global and Feba will discover how to reach them with biblical truth. Together, the two organizations will learn how to present the Gospel in a rapidly-changing, increasingly-globalized and connected world. The group also welcomes other Christian organizations to join and participate.

The consortium will place a priority on projects that impact unreached and limited-access people groups. These groups are embracing new media, particularly that which is delivered via mobile devices.

The scope of the OneSheep new media consortium includes:

• sharing ideas, production, creation and delivery of social media content through the launch of OneSheep.org, a new media resource Web site
• 
  
• consulting, coaching and mentoring for project teams toward excellence in social media ministry
• 
  
• delivery of training to build capacity among partners and clients of both organizations in new media
• creating practical connections between online projects and offline ministry
• 
  
• filling skills and resource gaps in new media ministry.
• 
  

Lastly, Pederson urges prayer, prayer, and more prayer. "Jesus has called us to unity. That's the idea of the 'One Sheep' concept. We are all one flock. Our effectiveness in evangelism is going to be determined by how we can work together collaboratively and cooperatively to get the message out."

There's more here.