Jacksons, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions

Jacksons – October 18th – Update 2 (excerpts)

by Robert MacNaughton

Fraser is developing good working relationships with the Lutheran Theological Seminary staff in Pretoria.  The staff need to do more groundwork on the physical stock before the system can be further developed.  He is also grateful for the quiet times when he can move forward with the work whose smooth running can make such a difference in the life of academic establishments.

He is also delighted that everything has gone smoothly with the tax authorities for the church’s returns.

At Drakenstein Bible studies, Dawn continues with God and money matters. 2 weeks ago, a man was given an extra phonecard at the shop. Often overcharged, he thought he’d say nothing and keep it. He thought again and returned to the prison shop to repay the money. The man was impressed by his honesty and let him keep it.

Another man asked if it was wrong to accept sugar stolen by someone else from the kitchen. Thank God they are wrestling with practical issues. May they have the insight to see the wrong path and the courage to change.

Dawn could join another marginalised community in town. Pray for wisdom as she tries to introduce community members to Jesus in a loving way.

Only 4 men came to Maximum Bible study today.  One said he wished it could be like that every week for more personal discussion about their issues.  It was only after incarceration that they truly met Jesus and learned about the importance of the Bible. Six men have applied for the George Whitfield Explore the Bible course.  Pray that they would be accepted and benefit from this sound course.

A prison ministry colleague longs to reach out to gang members in his area and do an RJ/reconciliation course with them before they’re incarcerated.  He would like Dawn to be involved.

Barnabas, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions

Barnabas Fund – October 4th – Update 1

by Robert MacNaughton

Updates on the persecuted Church – 26 September 2023

Barnabas Fund, 26th September 2023 (excerpts)

  • More than 13,000 ethnic Armenian Christians have fled Nagorno-Karabakh since Azerbaijan seized control of the enclave in a military offensive launched on 19 September 2023. Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, Primate of the Armenian Church of the UK and Ireland, said, “There are reports of mass killings, raping, and torturing of people. A scene of war crimes is unfolding.”
  • Afghanistan’s Taliban government has detained 18 charity workers (17 Afghans and one US citizen) for allegedly preaching Christianity. The workers were arrested from the office of Swiss charity International Assistance Mission (IAM) in early September. IAM is a Christian charity but provides aid to people of all religions. Pray that the authorities will be convinced of the vital contribution Christians are making to help Afghan people.
  • Iranian-Armenian pastor Anooshavan Avedian, 61, reported to prison in Tehran, Iran, on 18 September to begin a 10-year sentence for engaging in “propaganda contrary to and disturbing to the holy religion of Islam”. Ask that Pastor Anooshavan will experience God’s sustaining power as he begins this long sentence.
  • 23 pastors have been killed and more than 200 churches shut down because of anti-Christian violence within the past four years in Nigeria’s Kaduna State. The total number of Christians killed in Kaduna in this time is not known but is likely to be hundreds. Pray for God’s protection over church leaders and churches in Kaduna State.
Jacksons, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions

Jacksons – October 4th – Update 1 (excerpts)

by Robert MacNaughton

A man in the Maximum Bible study who said he was a Jehovah’s Witness read the material Dawn gave him describing JW beliefs and what the Bible says, and he has concluded that the JWs are mistaken. Another man has requested a one-to-one with Dawn to discuss the material. Pray she will know how to answer his concerns.

Pray for inmates who lead prayers in the prison rooms. Many want to preach; not all of them are well equipped.

A new guitar learner at Maximum told Dawn he wants to turn away from the life that has led him to prison.

Fraser has high levels of cholesterol and has been put on low levels of medication – pray this will control it.  He is now helping the Lutheran Theological Seminary (LTS) in Pretoria with their library catalogue.  A good working relationship has been established and progress made.  The old system needs work to prepare it for the new system. Pray for him to find ways to do this systemically and thank God for opportunities to connect across denominations and show that we’re all one in in Christ.

Severe storms with heavy rain and strong winds have rocked the Western Cape. Pray for those in flimsy dwellings or sleeping on the streets, and for children electrocuted in Philippi township because of illegally connected cables which fell into storm water.  

A young man in the Maximum Bible study had a one to one with Dawn and wants gang and devil tattoos on his face removed as he’s now a whole-hearted and committed follower of Christ. He wants his face to reflect his inner cleansing. Sadly, he has been caught up in the Jehovah’s Witnesses.  Pray for Philip van Dyck, chaplain in Maximum, as he considers how to respond to the JWs.

Blythswood, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions

Blythswood – September 28th – Update 2

by Robert MacNaughton

Daniel Centre

The new resident with severe psychiatric issues, also a Ionuz, has been off drugs for the last 6 weeks since they, combined with his psychiatric medication, can make him suicidal. The other Ionuz is now a very positive influence in the Centre but struggles with money management. 

Finlay MacKenzie is now on his final visit to Romania before retirement.  Jeremy Ross, son of Jackie Ross (the founder of Blythswood), takes over from James Campbell as the Blythswood CEO next week and will be monitored by James till he officially retires in 4 months’ time.

There has been no recent movement on contractual negotiations for renting their depot in Cluj.  Balazs has visited Montenegro, part of old Yugoslavia, and Blythswood have undertaken to support a church there, largely composed of Roma refugees who now have citizenship in that country.  The pastor, himself a refugee from Serbia, does not yet have citizenship in Montenegro.

Blythswood are still looking for a Ukrainian, among the 10,000 Ukrainian refugees in Cluj, to be responsible for what they are doing in the Ukraine.

Talita Kum

Adi has now raised the salaries offered by Talita Kum in line with government salaries.  His own daughter returns early from pregnancy leave to fill one vacant post and Adi is doing some teaching himself. 

He already has about 10 older children who have graduated to high school into a fledgling TK3.

Barnabas, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions

Barnabas Fund – September 20th – Update 2

by Robert MacNaughton

Updates on the persecuted Church – 12 September 2023

Barnabas Fund, 12th August 2023 (excerpts)

  • A church minister in southern Kaduna State, Nigeria, was burned to death on 7 September by Fulani Islamist extremists. Three other men were able to escape, but he died in the blaze. “There was no reaction or support from the military forces,” said a senior church leader. Pray that security forces will be awakened to the need to protect Christians.
  • A man and a woman in Nepal were attacked on the morning of 5 September for preaching Christianity. A group of extremists handed both Christians to the police. Church leaders report attacks on 7 church buildings in the last 3 weeks. Pray that the 2 arrested will not face charges despite the vague wording of a law banning “hurting religious sentiment”.
  • 5 suspected jihadists have been arrested and 5 bombs discovered in Kampala, the capital of Uganda just days after the arrest of another member of the bomb plot as he attempted to enter a church service with an explosive device on Sunday 3 September. All men are linked to the Allied Democratic Forces who carried out a school massacre in June.
  • A new report raises concerns that the Azerbaijani blockade of Armenian Christian enclave Nagorno-Karabakh, which began nine months ago on 12 December, represents the beginnings of a new Armenian Genocide.
Jacksons, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions

Jacksons – September 20th – Update 2 (excerpts)

by Robert MacNaughton

Fraser thankfully recovered all the old data after severe technical issues when upgrading some of the NetACT servers.  Pray for the systems to be up and running for staff and students throughout Africa without much delay.  He has now been invited to help another theological college in South Africa with their library set-up.

The NetACT theological journal may see changes in the near future – possibly joining forces with Association for Christian Theological Education in Africa’s new journal. 

Thank God that Dawn is developing good relationships with prison staff at Drakenstein and was able to give one warder a lift home today.

She has offered to provide one to one counselling for men at Medium A from the Restorative Justice course. Pray for a suitable time and for promises made during RJ to be kept.

At least 3 Jehovah’s Witnesses attend the Maximum Bible study every Saturday and their influence seems to be growing. Pray they will hear the truth, question what they learn from JWs and know Jesus for who he is.

Pray for the leaders, staff and volunteers of Hope Prison Ministry to be inspired, humbled and surrounded by God’s power and love.

Thank God for 2 good Bible classes at Drakenstein today. In Maximum we looked at Honesty in Earning – how much harder to be honest or trustworthy if everyone else is being dishonest. It was encouraging when one man gave an example from his cell cleaning rota. Some inmates don’t clean properly so it is tempting for him to do a shoddy job too. Then he remembers who he is and who he really is working for, so he cleans the room thoroughly, for God.

Blythswood, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions

Blythswood – September 7th – Update 1

by Robert MacNaughton

Daniel Centre

The new resident with severe psychiatric continues to be a challenge but Ionuz has benefitted greatly from his time in the Centre but still struggles with money management.  They have now lost 3 lads within a few weeks but are expecting two more coming in.

One of Blythswood’s partners in the Ukraine has dropped out since they have other sources of funding who require less accountability than Christian Aid.  Negotiations continue for funding of Ukrainians still in Romania.

Balazs’ wife Agnes is coming on Blythswood staff to deal with contractual negotiations for their depot in Cluj.  A potential tenant would like to lease the whole depot.

Blythswood are still looking for a Ukrainian in Cluj to be responsible for what they are doing in the Ukraine.

Talita Kum

Adi has still not found replacements for the two teachers he has lost and may have to take a more active role in TK2 himself.

He already has 8 older children who have graduated to high school and therefore has them in a fledgling TK3.

Barnabas, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions

Barnabas Fund – August 30th – Update 1

by Robert MacNaughton

Updates on the persecuted Church – 22 August 2023

Barnabas Fund, 22nd August 2023 (excerpts)

  • On August 19, Ehsan, a young Pakistani Christian man, uploaded a video on his TikTok account showing solidarity with the Christian community in Jaranwala, Punjab following anti-Christian riots on August 16.  Ehsan, from Sahiwal, 62 miles to the south, was accused of uploading a “blasphemous” message in the video that was hurtful to Muslims’ feelings and dishonouring to Islam.  He and his family were forced into hiding once the complaint was registered with the police. 
  • Pastor’s wife Peace Chinyereugo was fatally wounded and her husband Samuel was injured in a shooting outside their church in Edo State, Nigeria on August 14.  The church’s assistant pastor was also injured.  The pastor and his wife had just arrived at the church in their car when 3 gunmen approached and opened fire.  The pastor and his assistant both received hospital treatment.  Ask the Lord to draw close and comfort Peace’s family and friends.  Pray for healing for Samuel and his assistant as they recover from the trauma of the attack.
  • 2 Myanmar churches and a pastor’s home have been damaged in airstrikes by the military in Christian-majority Chin state.  7 people were injured when a church and a residential home in Ramthlo village were hit on August 12.  The same day a pastor’s home in the courtyard of a church in Hakha city was damaged in a missile strike.  A church was also hit in an airstrike in Kayah state on August 12.  Pray for healing for those wounded in the airstrikes.
Jacksons, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions

Jacksons – August 30th – Update 1 (excerpts)

by Robert MacNaughton

Simxolele, a young man with a face full of prison tattoos, sometimes comes to Bible study in Maximum. Most weeks he’s evangelising other inmates and can’t make it. He’d been in and out of prison many, many times, always visited by his parents and thinking he always would be, until his mother told him that if he was sent back again, she wouldn’t visit any more. She wanted him to change his life. The next time he was sentenced she was true to her word. She has neither visited nor answered his phone calls. He was sure she hated him and covered his face with bitter and dangerous symbols. Then he met Jesus.

Now he has left gang activity behind and is living out his faith humbly in the room, helping the older men, washing up for them and showing the change in his life.  Give thanks for the warders who care and try to help the men.

Pray that Dawn will have wisdom and understanding to interact with the men. There’s an opening for someone to do another Bible study at Allandale Prison. Pray that Dawn will know whether to volunteer for that gap.

The NetACT Journal Board meets soon to appoint a new editor.  Pray for wisdom.  Fraser is setting up the Mukhanyo Library system to automatically print spine labels and book plates.  It is painstaking finicky work to get everything matching the labels they already have..

Serina, a lovely lady in our Wellington church, holds a street Sunday school in the town, sometimes in a field where the gangsters gather at the edges and gang-related gunfire accompanies the lesson. Pray for her safety and that of the children.

Blythswood, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions

Blythswood – August 23rd – Update 2

by Robert MacNaughton

Daniel Centre

Another resident has been expelled for drug use and a new resident has arrived with severe psychiatric problems at the request of the local psychiatric hospital.  So, challenges continue, particularly for the night staffers, Sergiu and Avram.

Balazs has a significant load of paperwork with Christian Aid increasing their requests for accountability from Blythswood’s partners in the Ukraine over the next year’s funds.  Negotiations are also going on for the funding of the Ukrainians still living in Blythswood premises in Cluj.

Because of other paperwork commitments, Balazs has fallen behind with contractual negotiations for letting the Blythswood depot in Cluj.

Blythswood are also looking to take on a suitable Romanian who speaks Ukrainian to be responsible for what they are doing in the Ukraine.

Talita Kum

Adi’s summer camps have all gone well and the Blythswood shops in Jimbolia continue to be a major contributor to the running costs of the afterschool TK1 and TK2 activities.

Having lost the Head Teacher for TK2, Adi has now reported the loss of a key teacher in TK1 – both because of the recent salary increases in the public sector.

Despite these setbacks, Adi has not given up his dream of launching TK3 for older children.