Blythswood, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions

Blythswood Update – February 17th 2021

by Robert MacNaughton

Daniel Centre

André, Gaby and Cipri still have no work but Daniel continues with online school and has a part-time electrician’s job.  The new resident Silveu has already found work with a construction company.

Soreen is now trying to move out with friends, not a good idea.  Marian has a job fixing tyres to earn enough to refurbish his new flat.  Alix will likely have to leave the Centre at the end of March because of his attitude.

Covid infections are falling in Romania.  Blythswood is now awaiting offers for the development of their depot.

Balazs has had an excellent meeting with the Hungarian government representative – they are very open to sponsoring 24 months of volunteering and also for building an extra room for the school in Kenya.

Talita Kum

TK1 is now back to providing afternoon care as the Romanian schools are open again for grades 1-4.   TK2 is still open the mornings as well in their normal afterschool mode.

Adi’s appeal has passed another milestone in acquiring EU funds for running costs for TKs 1-4.  There is still a considerable shortfall, however, for getting TK3 and TK4 up and running.

Barnabas, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions

Barnabas Update – February 3rd 2021

by Robert MacNaughton

Hindu ceremony on church grounds

Barnabas Fund, 19 January 2021

A significant Hindu religious ceremony to a Hindu deity was held on the grounds of a Christian church in Goa, India.

About 25 people performed the Hindu pooja on 30 December directly in front of the Church’s historic façade, which is also a protected regional monument.

At the time of the incident almost 2,000 Christians were worshipping in the church.

At the time of writing, a First Information Report had not yet been made by the police, which is the necessary first step to police responding to a complaint. The South Goa Police Superintendent said this was due to ongoing investigations.

Section 153A of the Indian Penal Code forbids “promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony” and Section 295A, protects all citizens against “deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage reli­gious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or reli­gious beliefs”.

An Indian Christian leader described the incident as “very insidious”. “There have been several incidents like this in the past. There are also attempts to conduct Hindu worship near or even in these Christian worship places. It is primarily an attempt to reduce and even deny sacred places to Christians and Muslims.”

Jacksons, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions

Jacksons Update – February 3rd 2021

by Robert MacNaughton

Pray for the prison officers, who have seen many of their colleagues fatally affected by covid19, to be strengthened in a difficult and dangerous environment. Many of the gang initiations involve stabbing an officer. The prisons are still closed to visitors so even the relief of seeing people from the outside is not available to the inmates which, combined with fear of covid19, can lead to rising tension.

Dawn recently started volunteering weekly at the SPCA community outreach clinic in a black area and occasionally at the main Wellington base, helping to care for God’s creation, reach out to dog owners and lighten the burden of the full-time staff. Pray that she will be a blessing and not bring too many of the abandoned animals home with her.

Fraser was part of a Zoom meeting last week with representatives from theological colleges across Africa.  Education authorities in some countries insist that online courses during Covid-19 are not the same as the in-person equivalent and need to be re-validated, creating an extra administrative burden and impossible in some cases.  Please pray that the authorities will think sensibly beyond bureaucracy and that solutions will be found.

The banning of faith based gatherings outright has been lifted, but our church has not yet decided how to restart. Pray that Dawn and Ashley will follow the road the Lord has prepared in starting small local church groups.

Blythswood, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions

Blythswood Update – February 3rd 2021

by Robert MacNaughton

Daniel Centre

The ambulance will no longer come for Cipri’s nose bleeds.  André and Gaby still have no work.  Daniel continues with online school.  Silveu has joined the Centre.

Soreen seems to be still in Italy.  Istvan had left to live with relatives but is now back, having been beaten up and put out by his uncle.  Marian will stay on for 2 months to earn enough to refurbish his new flat.  Alix no longer works in the Covid situation and causes conflict in the Centre.

Covid is generally under control in Romania but with fewer residents working and contributing to their keep, the Centre’s food bill is rising.  The re-development of Blythswood’s depot is now out for tender.

There is reasonable hope that the Hungarian government – the only European government that officially aids the persecuted church – will give a grant towards The Centre’s project to help adding rooms to a school in Kenya.

Talita Kum

TK1 and TK2 are, unlike the Romanian schools, open again.   Because the schools are still closed, TK1 and TK2 are now operating fully, but now in the mornings as well in their normal afterschool mode.

Adi’s appeal has been granted and they are waiting for a re-assessment of their situation for EU funds for running costs for TKs 1-4.  There is still a considerable shortfall, however, for getting TK3 and TK4 up and running.

Barnabas, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions

Barnabas Update – January 13th 2021

by Robert MacNaughton

Christian prayer meetings under police scrutiny

Barnabas Fund, 8 January 2021

Indian police in Uttar Pradesh State have been instructed to keep a watch on prayer meetings after 5 Christians were accused of trying to “unlawfully” convert people to Christianity.

The order was issued by a regional police superintendent after five Christians were brought to authorities by members of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), a hard-line Hindu group.

The new anti-conversion law prohibits “conversion of religion through: force, misrepresentation, undue influence, and allurement, or fraud, or marriage”.

The instructions given to police stations were to be aware of prayer meetings in their area and to “act strictly when they are completely sure that conversion is taking place in the garb of prayer”.

Local church leader Harold D’Cuhna said that normal charitable activities of the church are being misconstrued as “allurement to conversion”.

The regional police superintendent also referred to two other cases of “unlawful” conversion in which the accused were Muslims. The implication was that Muslim prayer meetings could be watched by the police as well.

Jacksons, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions, Whats On

Jacksons Update – January 13th 2021

by Robert MacNaughton

Hugenote College doesn’t know when face-to-face teaching can restart.  Fraser’s skills in online learning and technology are so appropriate at this time.  He is completing more training materials for teaching staff to make better use of the online learning platform.  Students throughout the partner colleges have to surmount challenges of electricity supply, infrastructure and finance to get available online resources.

Pray for Christ’s followers in prison with prisons now closed to visitors again. Pray their behaviour and attitudes will give hope and comfort to officials and other prisoners.

Dawn had a good meeting with Ashley about starting small groups to help people learn more about the Bible and God. Ashley’s heart is broken for the drug dealers and gangsters he knows from his old life. Groups are banned at the moment so we should put off starting until the regulations have been lifted.

Many people are being infected, hospitalised and dying with the new variant of covid19.  May those who follow Jesus stand out by his strength and introduce others to Him.

Dawn still hasn’t heard back about her visa.  Please pray it won’t be lost in the system.

Blythswood, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions

Blythswood Update – January 13th 2021

by Robert MacNaughton

Daniel Centre

The church’s FEBE old folk’s nursing home initially lost 3 residents to the Covid pandemic but the home is now Covid-free.  The number of daily cases in the country has fallen from above 10,000 to just above 4,000.

André, and Gaby are still without work.  Daniel continues to do occasional delivery jobs but is still very serious about his studies.  The Centre currently has 2 vacancies.

There has been no update on news over the festive season about Soreen in Italy wanting to come back to the Centre.  Cipri and  Alix need to see big changes in attitude if they want to continue at the Centre.

Two businesses have expressed serious intentions of renting in the re-developed Blythswood depot.

There are hopes that the new government will be less mired in bureaucracy than the outgoing one.

 Talita Kum

TK1 and TK2 are, like the Romanian schools, closed again. Over the festive period, there has been no progress on Adi’s appeal against the initial refusal of their application for EU funds for running costs for TKs 1-4.

Jacksons, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions

Jacksons Update – December 16th 2020

by Robert MacNaughton

Fraser was granted his new visa and he collected it last week. Dawn’s application is still awaiting an outcome so please continue to pray that it will be sorted out soon.

Fraser has some server updates scheduled for the end of the year (the only time no student needs access to the resources).  Pray it goes smoothly with no technical hitches.

God doesn’t leave us to travel along the wrong path without giving warning signs. Thank him that some of those in the prison ministry realised they were heading the wrong way and sought help before things got too bad. Pray that they will be restored and grow in maturity, wisdom and faith.

Pray that the parolees in the recent restorative justice course can put into practice what they learned over the Christmas period.

Pray for the ability to pass on God’s message even when it’s not welcome.

We wish you all a blessed and joyful Christmas and thank you for the part you’re playing in supporting God’s work.

Blythswood, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions

Blythswood Update – December 16th 2020

by Robert MacNaughton

Daniel Centre

The Covid situation in the church’s FEBE nursing home has improved significantly.

Cipri still struggles with his health, more emotional than physical.  André has lost his work for refusing to sweep floors.  Gaby still has no job and brother Daniel has had to give up his job.

Soreen has phoned from Italy, wanting to come back to The Centre.  Marian is not quite into his new flat yet.  Alix’s mortgage hopes are on hold because his working hours are reduced by the Covid situation.

The re-development of Blythswood’s depot goes out for tender in January with work to begin in March and the Blythswood shop there due to close in January.

Most of the residents watch an online church service and then eat together each Sunday.

Talita Kum

Adi is more positive again.  TK1 and TK2 are back in action in the mornings, with breakfast and online school lessons though schools themselves are still closed!   No answer yet to his appealing the refusal of their application for EU funds could well be a good sign.

Barnabas, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions

Barnabas Update – December 3rd 2020

by Robert MacNaughton

North Korean Christian gives chilling testimony

Barnabas Fund, 24 November 2020

A rare insight into the persecution endured by Christians living under the totalitarian North Korean regime has been given by Sookyung Kang, a Christian who fled her homeland to be able to worship freely without risking her life.

“The North Korea regime tries to control people by idolising and divinising the leaders,” she said. “I believe the Gospel gives freedom to everyone. But the North Korea regime takes away freedom and won’t allow people to think freely.”

Kang explained that officials deny citizens food, sleep and safety in order to force them to focus on getting these basic needs met. “They persecute Christians most harshly. Sometimes they are executed or sent to political prison camps,” she said.

Kang’s uncle was a Christian missionary who “put his life on the line and lived each day as if it was his last”. He was eventually imprisoned and Kang recalled how she began to see the reality of the regime’s repression once she started to visit her uncle in prison to take him food.

In 2011, Kang, then aged 17, escaped to South Korea where she found refuge and was able to worship God freely, without having to risk her life. “I was so thankful for this freedom … My heart was so full of gratitude,” she added.

In November, Christians working in the region described how North Korea has set up “quarantine camps” for Covid-19 patients, where they are deprived of food and medicine, causing many to die of starvation.