Daniel Centre

They are still without a Counsellor in the Daniel Centre after Aura’s departure but have some candidates to interview to replace her.  Danny therefore carries much of the burden for the time being.

Christina, the Blythswood financial officer who has been at the Daniel Centre for 15 years, has now completed and submitted all the papers necessary to regularise their renting out of their depot.

They are at capacity in the Centre with 2 new lads joining in July.  They have now taken Julian back into their guest room as he is too vulnerable to be left on his own after Ciprian leaving their joint rental.

Olga, who helps Balazs to keep tabs on their Ukrainian partner ministries, will continue in this role after regular Disaster Emergency Funding through Christian Aid comes to an end in February.

Partners in Serbia have rented new premises for afterschool activities and hope to launch a youth version of Christianity Explored with the help of a Brazilian pastor.

Talita Kum

Paul Davidson, in Romania with Inverness school pupils, has given Balazs an encouraging feedback of their time at summer camp with Adi for TK1 and TK2 children.

4 days after the expiry of the previous visa waiver, the new South African Minister of Home Affairs announced the extension of the waiver for those awaiting a decision on their visa application. It’s for another 6 months (until December 31st).  The good news is – he’s committed not to allow such a gap between the end of one extension and start of another to happen again.

We still think we did the right thing by not being illegal immigrants for those 4 days and are grateful for the opportunity to rest and reconnect in the UK.  Please continue to pray for wisdom and sensitivity to God’s leading.

If anyone wants to arrange a time to meet up we’ll be at the Keswick Convention Wednesday-Friday (July 31st-August 2nd), available during the day in Glasgow July 29th/30th and August 6th/7th, and in Westwoodside, North Lincolnshire for other times between now and when we fly back on August 25th.  Other mutually convenient locations could possibly be arranged.

Pray for the men in Drakenstein, for someone to stand in for Dawn and continue the Tuesday Bible studies. A Restorative Justice process is scheduled to start in Medium A on Monday.  Pray for the team from Hope Prison Ministry, the inmates participating, and the prison officials involved. Thank God for confidence that lives will be changed in unexpected ways.

Thank God that Fraser can continue his work and has been able to set up a second screen for his computer.

Steadfast Global, 12^th July 2024 (excerpts)

China:

Since his release from prison in March after serving a seven-year sentence, Chinese pastor, John Cao (64) has maintained a written record of his situation. On 4 June he was detained by police and held for 20 hours without a reason given. Two days later he found security officials installing a CCTV camera outside his 88-year-old mother’s home where he is currently staying. Despite being a U.S. citizen, pastor John is unable to leave Changsha city in Hunan province or access medical care because the authorities have not given him an ID card or passport.

India:

A Christian woman was brutally killed on 24 June in a dispute over ancestral land in Dantewada District, Chhattisgarh state. Bindu Sodi (32), who was the sole bread winner for her family, died from her injuries after being repeatedly struck with an axe and stones by her uncle Chetu Sodi and his son Kumma Sodi. The men claimed that she and her family had forfeited their rights to the land because they had become Christians. Both Chetu Sodi and his son were later arrested by police.

Nigeria:

The devastating loss of life across central and northern Nigeria resulting from the relentless attacks of militant Fulani herdsmen and other Muslim fundamentalists is not the only tragedy facing Christians in this nation. In a recent interview president of the Church of Christ in Nations denomination, Rev. Amos Mohzo shared that at least 70 congregations in the Mangu and Bokkos areas of Plateau state are no longer worshipping because of the attacks. Many of these Christians who fled to IDP camps remain there because of the ongoing instability.

Praise

The night before Alaween’s wedding (the local lad who has been on a spiritual journey), I spent a precious evening with him, his mum and younger siblings at their home. Taking me home in his car he played the song, ‘The Way Maker’ saying, ‘this is still my favourite song’.

Aamir, the brother of Mustafa from Bangladesh who lost his life after a JCB accident, continues to reach out to John, from Bangladesh who served on the Logos Hope. He said recently that he had given his life to our ‘Best Friend’!

At a meeting on ‘injustices amongst migrant workers’, I met a local man from the Labour Marketing Regulatory Agency who had loved every minute of his training in Scotland! He gave me his email and mobile number if I needed his help in trying to help trolley boys, cleaners etc. at the labour camp.

Prayer Requests

For Awad and his family in Sudan. God miraculously provided enough to get all 8 of his family members out from the area where the war and atrocities are raging. However, because of internet failure for almost 5 weeks now, sadly he has not been able to contact them nor send the money needed to get them out.

For all Trolley Boys working in the mall whose boss has not renewed their visas and who are now illegal in the country. The LMRA representative I recently met is willing to try and help them.

For the future of the Kiosk. We were told last week that we should hear this week if our request for a rent reduction has been approved.

The South African Department of Home Affairs didn’t do its usual thing of announcing the extension of the visa waiver at the last minute. Despite still having thousands of backlogged applications leaving people in limbo, there has been no announcement, so we have to leave the country by tonight (30^th June) or be here illegally.

We didn’t quite expect this to happen, but at the same time we’re not particularly surprised.

Thank God for the sense of peace within the sadness and organisation of a sudden departure. Thank him that we have a strong sense of his presence through it all, his preparation of the way and that he has something in mind for what’s going to happen, even if sometimes we have to wait to understand.

Thank God for being able to research and purchase plane tickets online and that we’ve saved and kept an “emergency ticket” fund.

Thank God for friends and neighbours who have taken care of our animals and given us a lift to the airport, and for Dawn’s parents who always have space for us.

Pray for the men in Drakenstein who will miss the Tuesday Bible studies (and Dawn will miss them).

Pray for a smooth journey back to England.

Pray for wisdom about whether to abandon the current visa application and try again.  There’s always a sneaking suspicion that our paperwork has been lost. The problem is not knowing.

We have return tickets for the end of August, so we should get the usual 3-month tourist visa at the airport.

Steadfast Global, 28^th June 2024 (excerpts)

China:

The persecution in Xinzhou, Shanxi province has continued since the gospel first reached the city in 1883. China Aid recently learned that 76-year-old Pastor Du Mingliang was detained on 15 March 2021 and charged with organising illegal border crossings. He is currently serving a 5-year-prison sentence.

Iran:

Eight of the Christians arrested in the city of Izeh during raids last Christmas, were sentenced in late May to a combined total of 45 years in prison. With the exception of Yasin Mousavi, who was given a 15-year sentence, little is known of the other Christians involved other than names and punishments imposed. All but Iman Salehi are currently on bail and awaiting summons.

Pakistan:

4 weeks after the 25 May mob attack and the murder of her husband Nazeer Masih Gill (74), his heart-broken wife, Allah Rakhi Bibi (72), died on 21 June after suffering a cardiac arrest. Her son said that she had constantly talked about Nazeer ever since.

Fraser is currently at the TEASA Consultation in Johannesburg.  Give thanks for some excellent and thought-provoking presentations.  Pray for him as he presents his workshop on Wednesday, 12th.

Dawn’s still discussing anger in the Maximum Bible study and a particular warder came up whom many of the men find awkward, obstructive and difficult to deal with. Thank God that some of the prisoners have already realised that this man needs prayer and they need humility in their attitudes before him. Pray that God will be glorified and others confused (in a good way) by unexpected behaviour.

Pray for the inmates who follow Jesus. They say that many who are active in the gangs know that what they are doing is wrong but don’t want to give it up for Jesus. Pray for a life-giving change.

Faiek was a new member of the Medium A Bible study today. We have a tradition that newcomers introduce themselves at the start of class. Faiek said straight away that he was a Muslim, but the imam hadn’t come today and, whilst lying on his bed, he’d felt a call to attend the Bible study. Pray that he felt welcomed, understood what he heard, was intrigued by what he experienced and will return next week. He accepted the offer of a Bible in Afrikaans to take away for himself. Pray that he will read it and encounter Jesus.

Steadfast Global, 7^th June 2024

Pakistan:  

74-year-old Christian businessman, Nazeer Masih Gill, died in hospital on 3 June as a result of serious head injuries he received after being attacked by a mob in Sargodha, Punjab on 25 May. The mob formed outside Mr. Gill’s home around 6 a.m. after he was falsely accused of burning pages from the Qur’an. After police arrived to take Mr. Masih into custody for further investigation, the mob attacked throwing bricks and stones and striking him about the head to his serious injury.   

India:

A young Christian widow who witnessed the murder of her 22-year-old husband, has fled her home and community in fear of her life. Jime Kawasi is now in hiding after relatives killed Kosa Kwasi on 4 May following a ruling by villagers in Bastar District, Chhattisgarh, that families with Christian converts were forbidden from participating in festival offerings to local gods. The killing also resulted in five other Christian families fleeing the village and area.

Nigeria:

Media outlets have reported the good news that 350 hostages, most of whom are women and children, were rescued by the Nigerian army following a raid on a Boko Haram camp in the Sambisa Forest in Borno State. Of the number, 209 are children – many believed to have been born as a consequence of forced marriage, 135 women and six men. The released captives are being cared for by the authorities ahead of their return home.

Daniel Centre

Aura, replacing Louisa as Counsellor in the Daniel Centre, has started work and is doing well.  Danny’s sister in Germany who worked for the Daniel Centre in its early years is very ill with cancer.

For 4 days later this week, Balazs visits a project that Blythswood supports in Bulgaria with Jeremy Ross and James Campbell.  The project involves a church plant among the Roma people,

Balazs will continue working with their 3 partners in Ukraine after Christian Aid finishes their commitment there in February.  Olga, who co-ordinates that work, now hopes to live permanently in Cluj with the Daniel centre rather than return to her native Ukraine.

Balazs also works with a Christian Seminary in Moldova which prepares students to work among the Communist and Muslim populations of the old Soviet Union.

 Talita Kum

Adi is in good form and does not want to give up teaching the TK1 and TK2 children himself, so they are currently well-staffed.  Nor does he seem to have any intention of giving up plans for an eventual TK4.  He is currently working with his camp for HIV sufferers and will again be receiving volunteers from Inverness for his summer camp for young people at the end of June.