Jacksons, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions

Jacksons Update – May 19th 2021

by Robert MacNaughton

Fraser is now in his new office but can’t work late as he usual (until 6pm) as the building’s alarm is faulty.  The NetACT AGM was successful but he would love partner colleges to make more use of NetAct support.

Dawn finally got her new visa, granted until the expiry of her current passport in September 2022.

Zebulun Church wants to start “investing in the youth” by offering music lessons on Saturdays. Pray that youngsters will be led to God as well as music-making.

Edwin and Marius should be released soon, aware of how they intend to behave outside prison and how their desire to serve and live lives pleasing to God, will be greatly tested by the temptations and stresses of life outside.  Pray that the men will learn from our current lessons on anger and take to heart and practise how to deal with it.  

James leaves Glasgow this week having finished his degree in English literature.  Dawn’s parents are helping him move and providing a bed until his Masters course begins.  Ruth is continuing her degree course in Glasgow.

Blythswood, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions

Blythswood Update – May 5th 2021

by Robert MacNaughton

Daniel Centre

André and Gaby are working well, Cipri is still having his ups-and-downs.  New resident Damian is working now and in good form, having acquired a puppy for himself – a mixed blessing for the other residents.

All of the residents have had their first vaccination, and most of them their second.  Alex the ex-night-watchman is settling to his new administration responsibility.

The demolition work on the depot has been frustrated by the fact that no landfill sites in the area meet EU specifications and the rubble cannot be removed for the time being.

The Hungarian government’s Volunteer League have now selected the 15 final candidates for 2 training sessions for the Kenya project.

Talita Kum

There is no update at the moment on Adi’s situation with the future of Talita Kum.

Barnabas, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions

Barnabas Update – May 5th 2021

by Robert MacNaughton

Jihadists seek out and kill two Nigerian Christians

Barnabas Fund, 30 April 2021

At least two Christians were sought out and killed by jihadists who invaded a town in Nigeria’s northern Yobe State on 23 April.  Around 2,000 residents of Geidam fled their homes after members of Islamic State West Africa Province took control of the town, looting and burning stores.

“Everybody is running away because the insurgents have started killing people who are Christians and those with Western education,” said a resident.

“So far they have killed two Christians and two Muslim school teachers. They went to their homes and slaughtered them,” said another local.

One of the murdered Christians was a member of the Evangelical Church Winning All. The church secretary said they were struggling to recover his body for burial. “Our members at Geidam are now displaced,” he said. “We need your prayers.”

The death toll from the attack was unknown at the time of writing; however, at least eleven residents died when a projectile hit two adjoining homes, killing all occupants, as the jihadists fought to take over the local army base.

The jihadists dropped leaflets around the town, calling for the establishment of an Islamic state. “We are fighting unbelievers; Christians and any other person or group going against the teaching of Islam even if they are Muslims,” the leaflets stated.

Jacksons, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions

Jacksons Update – May 5th 2021

by Robert MacNaughton

Fraser was able to format the latest book for the NetACT portal very easily. He is now setting up two conferences. The NetACT AGM will be online only on the 5th and 6th May.  On 23rd to 25th June, there will be a hybrid conference (online and face-to-face) to improve online teaching practices.  GIVE THANKS!!! He should have his new laptop tomorrow morning at the latest! Thank you for your prayers. 

An inmate, in Drakenstein Medium A for about 20 years after a savage murder, has been different for years since he surrendered to Jesus.  The Restorative Justice course caused many issues to resurface which he wants to make right and he dearly wants to video chat with his parents who have moved to England.  Pray that a way would be found.

A man in Maximum for rape, has repented and turned to Jesus.  His 16-year-old daughter was recently raped. His heart breaks with remorse for what he did, guilt for the lifestyle he abandoned her to, and frustration at not being there for her. Pray he will know how to reach out for her.

Dawn wasn’t able to go to the Bible study at Allandale prison on Friday as Covid19 had been discovered in one of the rooms. With 25-30 men in each room, it is unlikely that there will be only one case. Please pray for them.

A regular from the Drakenstein Bible studies, released on parole late last year, is back in prison after an angry incident with his girlfriend.  Dawn and Hylma have started a new course on the root causes of anger for the men. Pray that it will go deep and be more than theory.

Another man, on parole, said one of his greatest sources of anger was immediately being told “No” when he applied for a job because of his criminal record. Even those really trying to live honestly wonder why they don’t return to crime when they meet such obstacles and can’t support their families with the basics of food and electricity.

Some people are concerned about Dawn’s safety in South African prisons when the aim of having a warden present is not always met. She feels secure with God as her protection.

Blythswood, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions

Blythswood Update – April 14th 2021

by Robert MacNaughton

Daniel Centre

André and Gaby are working well, Cipri is now feeling better and ready for a job in a bottle- and jar-making factory.  Silveu is currently subject of a police investigation.  New residents Damian and Ioan are showing more attitude problems and are not so keen on working.

Alix and Julian have been working hard to empty the depot and demolition work has now begun.  The other Alix who had been night-watchman and was taken onto the care staff is struggling with the new burden.

The Hungarian government’s Volunteer League have received 27 applications for the Blythswood-sponsored school in Kenya and there are many extremely good candidates who will have to be whittled down to the final 8 or 10.

4 of Blythswood’s young people are due to take up rent-free accommodation at the end of May and there are already two new lads interested in moving in to the vacated places in the Daniel Centre.

Talita Kum

The Blythswood board remain committed to the TK1 and TK2  and are seriously studying the conversion of the free space there for the TK3 and TK4 project since they already own the building.

Barnabas, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions

Barnabas Update – April 14th 2021

by Robert MacNaughton

Pastor released from prison in Laos

Barnabas Fund, 13 April 2021

The pastor of a church in Savannakhet, Laos was released from prison on 9 April, three days after being convicted of “creating disorder” and “disrupting unity”.

Sithon Thippavong was arrested in March 2020 after being accused of conducting church services without permission.

He was finally convicted on 6 April 2021 and sentenced to a year’s imprisonment; but released on the grounds that he had already been detained for a year prior to his conviction.

Thippavong, who was also fined £310, was arrested after refusing to sign a document renouncing his Christian faith.

“We prayed for Pastor Sithon for more than a year now,” said a Christian in Laos. “We’re very excited that he’s alive … but now he’ll be happy to be able to serve God again.”

There are about 150,000 Christians in Laos. Christians are subjected to harassment and violence despite the constitutional guarantee of “the right and freedom to believe or not to believe in religion” and official recognition of Christianity alongside Buddhism, Islam and Baha’i.

In December 2020 seven Lao Christians, evicted for refusing to renounce their faith in Christ, were denied permission to rebuild their demolished homed in Salavan province.

Jacksons, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions

Jacksons Update – April 14th 2021

by Robert MacNaughton

Give thanks:

that the Department of Home Affairs has extended the validity of all expired visas (including Dawn’s) until the end of July 2021; that Fraser’s making progress formatting the Portuguese version of the book made available for the NetACT e-library; that Jason came to the Bible study in Maximum today and that Dawn was able to have a good chat with him; for the spiritual maturity of Mbelelo in Medium A. who is hoping for parole in June after 8 years inside but doesn’t regret going to prison because it’s there that he met Jesus, and now determined to be a good father to his 13-year-old daughter and a good son to his alcoholic elderly parents.

Pray for:

Dawn and Ashley’s meeting with the Zebulun church, to discuss the best way forward together; for Dawn’s, wisdom, joy and good health; for Shaniece and Jeremy, a young couple with two small children, regulars on Fridays with a lot of pain in Shaniece’s past, struggling to forgive and rebuild relationships; Dawn working on her very basic ability in Afrikaans (most people are often more comfortable in Afrikaans); the Spirit’s leading as Dawn leads the Bible studies at Allandale prison for the next few weeks; patience and creativity for Fraser as he continues to struggle with his dilapidated laptop.

Blythswood, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions

Blythswood Update – April 1st 2021

by Robert MacNaughton

Daniel Centre

André and Gaby are working well, Cipri is now on medication and has been offered a job in a bottle- and jar-making factory.  Silveu’s time at the Centre has been terminated and he is possibly facing charges for theft.  New residents Damian and Ioan are settling well and looking for work.

Damian, Ioan and Alix have all been helping empty the depot to prepare it for demolition to begin next week.

The Hungarian government’s Volunteer League have interviewed 35-40 potential volunteers for the Blythswood-sponsored school in Kenya and will select between 10 and 15 of them on April 10.

4 of Blythswood’s young people, including Alix, have now accepted offers of 2 years of rent-free accommodation, but Balazs suspects some will return to the Daniel Centre as there is no offer of any other kind of care.

 Talita Kum

It is possible afterschool activities, such as TK1 and TK2  will have to close because of the Covid situation but that some of the work originally planned for TK3 and TK4 will now be developed in the current TK2 building, the Blythswood Board having taken the decision to drop the whole TK3 and TK4 project because of the lack of local government support and lack of EU funding.

Barnabas, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions

Barnabas Update – April 1st 2021

by Robert MacNaughton

Christian families lose everything in Bangladesh

Barnabas Fund, 30 March 2021

Many Christian families lost their shelter and what little possessions they owned when fire engulfed a sprawling Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, on 22 March.

The United Nations refugee agency said 11 people died in the inferno and 560 were injured. Up to 45,000 refugees were displaced as the flames ripped through sections of the densely packed camp, destroying shelters.

Cox’s Bazar is home to nearly one million mainly-Muslim ethnic Rohingya amongst whom are a few hundred Rohingya Christian converts from another background; all fled their homeland in Myanmar (Burma) to escape persecution at the hands of the army.

The homeless Christian families are now living in temporary shelter and Barnabas is providing for their immediate needs of food, clothing, and cooking utensils. We will also be providing them with new homes to replace those destroyed in the fire.

The isolated Rohingya Christian community in Cox’s Bazar is doubly-persecuted. Having fled persecution in their homeland, the Christians are persecuted by an extremist minority among the Rohingya Muslim refugees in the camp.

Jacksons, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions

Jacksons Update – April 1st 2021

by Robert MacNaughton

Jason asked for guidance about how to give his life to Jesus during the Bible study in Maximum this morning. Heavily involved in the prison gangs and the drugs that are readily available inside, he was transferred to a room with Christians (to his disgust), went through a time when he was technically dead in the hospital, and now has decided to hand himself back to God.

Pray for an increase in halfway houses for prisoners who are released but need somewhere to help them reintegrate into society.  It was encouraging today that one of the inmates said that Dawn and Hylma bring life into the prisoners’ lives.

Like so many charities, Hope Prison Ministry’s finances have been badly impacted by the covid pandemic. Pray that there will be funds for the life-changing RJ courses.

Last Monday Fraser talked to colleagues in Nigeria who wanted to offer online courses in biblical languages if NetACT could find a provider. On Tuesday, quite separately, Fraser learned that Hugenote College had told NetACT colleagues they wanted to offer online courses in biblical languages if there was interest. There is no such thing as coincidence!

Today a prison officer beckoned Dawn out of the Bible study in Maximum. A prisoner was acutely suicidal; they’d tried psychologists to no avail, perhaps a spiritual worker could help. The man had attended the Bible study last week so Dawn wasn’t a complete stranger, but we are all inadequate in such a situation. Pray that he will be there next Tuesday to meet Dawn again and that the Holy Spirit will take over that encounter.

Theswin, a big man in stature and in the prison gang system, had always retaliated when provoked and made people regret messing with him. He has been a follower of Jesus for some years. In a recent disagreement, another inmate punched him in the face. Theswin thought about getting his padlock and punching back, about taking the kettle of boiling water and throwing it in the other man’s face. Instead he sat on his bed, feeling an incredible feeling of peace washing over him that could only have come from God, incredulous he hadn’t retaliated.

Dawn has been told that “due to lockdown the processing time (for visa renewals) cannot be estimated anymore.”