Fraser’s new laptop should be with him now.  Pray for his managing his time, currently having 10 open projects on his desk.  Things are falling into place for attending and leading workshops at the Theological Education Association conference in Pretoria in June.

Thank God for the men in Maximum and Medium A who attend Dawn’s Bible studies. It’s a privilege to facilitate sessions in which such men feel able to be vulnerable and ask questions about topics that worry them.

In Maximum Bible study we’re looking at anger. Pray that the men would recognise the symptoms of growing anger and choose to react in a godly way.

When asked what changes knowing Jesus has made, Theswin, once an angry and violent number gang man, said, “Being able to love my enemies.” Shortly after giving his life to Jesus, a man told him he was the one who’d shot him outside when he nearly died.  Theswin immediately wanted to inflict harm on him but then a huge sense of peace flowed over him. He told the man he now followed Jesus and, whatever his past deeds, he had to love and forgive him. They became close friends until the other man was released and shot dead. Theswin’s family and friends no longer recognise him as the person he was before meeting Jesus and agree that his reaction to his enemy was miraculous.

Ashley and Dawn have visited another drug support group to offer them their Restoration programme. Many of the support group work during the day.  Ashley and Dawn are prepared to try a mixed group.

Our church leadership now must take a final decision on action over a situation in our congregation.  Pray wisdom for the leaders and our response to their decision.

Barnabas Aid, April 3^rd, 2024

On Easter Sunday morning (31 March 2024), a trailer full of Bibles was set alight outside a church in Mount Juliet, Tennessee. Please pray for the congregation of Global Vision Bible Church, that the Lord will give them strength and comfort following the incident.

According to the church’s pastor Greg Locke, “At 6:00am our security cameras caught a man dropping off a trailer in the middle of the intersection and blocking the road into our church. He then got out and set fire to an entire trailer full of Bibles right in front of our church”.

The identity of the perpetrator is currently unknown. Police are investigating the matter, and although they cannot provide any further details at this time, they have confirmed that the fire was set “intentionally”.

This is unfortunately just the latest incident in a rising trend against Christians and churches in the United States. In 2023 alone there were at least 436 attacks on churches – more than double the number reported in 2022. These included 315 instances of vandalism, 75 instances of arson, 10 gun-related incidents, 20 bomb threats and 37 other incidents. This was the second consecutive year where the number of reported incidents was more than twice as many as the previous year, and marks an 800% increase in the number of acts of hostility against churches since 2018.

Such acts serve as a reminder that Western society is not immune to Christian persecution. Jesus warns us that the world will hate us (John 15:18-20).

Steadfast Global, 12^th April 2024

India:

A Christian couple have been released on bail pending an appeal against a 2-year prison sentence imposed under anti-conversion law in Madhya Pradesh. Pastor Ramesh Ahirwar (41) and his wife Sakshi (41) were tried and convicted on 11 March following a false allegation that they had pressured a Hindu woman to convert to Christianity. While giving evidence at the trial, the woman in question denied that she had been pressurised or offered any inducement to convert.   

Pakistan:

The father of a young Christian man who was shot and killed in the Sialkot district of Punjab province last November, has reported that he and his family have been threatened with death unless they withdraw the complaint made against the man accused of killing their son. Noor Ul Qamar reported that on 18 March, six armed men led by the father of the alleged killer, entered their home, and made the threat.

Myanmar:

A prominent community and religious leader in Kachin state was killed on 18 March in what has been described as a targeted attack. Nammye Hkun Jaw Li (47) was working in his computer shop in Mogaung township when three armed men entered and shot him three times. As well as being an active advocate against military activities in his home state, Nammye Hkun Jaw Li previously held roles within the Kachin Baptist Convention. He is survived by his wife and three children.

Daniel Centre

Balazs will now release Roxana on Thursday at the end of her 45-day trial period, the other staff members agreeing that she does not have the right chemistry for the position.  Sergiu, the night warden, has been very distressed about his mother who has mental issues, went missing at the weekend, and was found 150 miles away at a railway station by the police.

The sale of their Cluj depot has not completed and Balazs has still to finish his report for Christian Aid on his work with the Ukrainians in Romania.

He and his wife Agnes spent 4 days with Blythswood CEO Jeremy Ross and his wife Fiona visiting the Cornerstone Project in Navi Mumbai in India which provides afterschool care for the children of prostitutes. They also visited a fledgling church there in the slums.

Balazs will visit Serbia next week with Jeremy, Finlay and Alan Lawson who are all trustees for Blythswood’s work in that country.  Balazs would like Blythswood to sponsor the Theological Faculty there which prepares young Roma Pentecostals for ministry to their own people. 

 Talita Kum

Adi is in good form and does not want to give up teaching the TK1 children himself, so they are currently well-staffed.  The Blythswood shops are also doing well in Jimboliya in support of the Talita Kum projects.  Adi is apparently well-skilled at handling the inspectors who periodically visit charity shops and look for reasons to fine them.

We’re thankful that Fraser is much better and now has a way forward to correct an almighty mess a college made trying to upload catalogue data to a new library system. His laptop is still just about hanging together. Pray that he and the other NetAct leaders can replace it very soon as his computer is threatening to die at any moment.

Thank God for the enthusiasm and desire to learn and change that Dawn encounters during the prison Bible studies. Pray for the men as they encourage others to come and meet Jesus and as they face up to the difficult changes they must make in their own lives and attitudes.

Ashley is making enquiries in the next area regarding the community/gang restoration course. Pray his message and our offer will be well received, that opposing forces will be negated and that God will lead us to a receptive place. Pray against the darkness and violence seeping through many aspects of life in many community areas.

Pray for the men hanging around the streets who are sort of interested but weren’t brave enough to sign up to face themselves and change.

Ruth hit her head on a marble counter on Friday and has been suffering from concussion ever since.  Thank God she’s in a place where medical care is readily available and has friends who are helping take care of her.

Steadfast Global, 29^th March 2024

Uganda:

A Christian evangelist was abducted from his home in the village of Nakitiku on 8 March and later killed by Islamic extremists infuriated by his street preaching ministry. Kiisa Masolo’s (45) body was found the following day with a note written in Arabic stating, “We had warned you not to convert our Muslim brothers and sisters to Christianity, but you failed to heed to our warning. This has finally cost your life.”  

India:

Police have failed to act following a report of an attack against a Christian family in Chhattisgarh state. On 6 February Ayatu Ram Podiyami was accosted by a group of Hindus who demanded that he return to Hinduism. After he refused a 250 strong mob gathered at his home causing him to flee into the jungle. Six days later the mob returned and after he again refused to renounce his faith, he and two other family members were beaten.

Iran:

Middle East Concern have requested prayer for Iranian-Armenian pastor Anooshavan Avedian (61) who is serving a ten-year prison sentence in Evin Prison, Tehran.  Pastor Avedian commenced his sentence on 18 September 2023. The case against him stems from a raid on a private Christian gathering during August 2020.

Daniel Centre

Balazs has doubts that Roxana, who has been taken on in place of Louisa as a carer for the young men, really fits the bill and will probably release her at the end of her 45-day trial period.  He requests prayer for this decision.

They still await a completion certificate to complete the sale of their Cluj depot as the project manager had lost the necessary papers that he had to submit.

Balazs has finished his 6-monthly reporting for Christian Aid, but it has become increasingly demanding for him and for his Ukrainian partners.

2 of the lads, Ionuz and another, have now been expelled from the Daniel Centre for drug use.  Another of the lads, Julian, who works with Ionuz at the fire department of a local store, reports that Ionuz is giving the Daniel Centre a bad reputation there by his continuing drug use.

Balazs, the new Blythswood CEO Jeremy Ross and their wives fly out via Munich on April 7th to visit Cornerstone in Mumbai, India for 4 days.  Also with Jeremy, he hopes to visit Serbia and perhaps the 2 Roma churches in Bulgaria in late April.

Talita Kum

Adi had become fairly stressed by having to do his share of teaching at Talita Kum in Jimboliya.  He has now found a part-time teacher, however, who has helped to lighten his load.  He is still running remedial work for half a dozen older girls in Talita Kum 3 though no building work is envisaged for that programme yet.  Several of the TK3 girls have now found part-time jobs.

Thank God for the men in Maximum and Medium A who are using their time to study the Bible and deepen their relationship with God. One man in Medium A lamented the wrong teaching and motives apparent in some Christian teachers and preachers who hold sessions in the prison. They look on the men just as prisoners, not realising that a lot of them spend time studying, praying, and learning and can recognise dodgy teaching when it’s in front of them.

Thank God that despite 40C heat, two committed and appreciative men came to the first Restoration group on Monday. We’ve offered those who signed up, but didn’t make it, a chance to catch up by running an extra first session, but they didn’t appear.  The two men who came have both got jobs (a good thing) that occupy them in the afternoons. We’ve had to close the first group and instead we’re giving the women a chance. There is such a need for change in the community and perhaps the women will be the key.

Fraser had a tough week fighting off the infection from his tooth abscess and has had the tooth removed. Pray for our stamina.

One of Fraser’s correspondents is completely untrained and inadequate and keeps asking for Fraser’s help, pays no attention to his solutions, and then asks the same questions repeatedly. Pray that Fraser would be able to set boundaries while still being patient with the person.

At church on Sunday, a member of the congregation from Mbekweni (a township adjoining Wellington) asked for prayer because middle aged men come systematically from Cape Town to kidnap and rape women and girls from the township.

For an unknown reason our water supply was cut off, but it came back on very quickly.

Steadfast Global, 15th March 2024

Algeria:

An appeal hearing has been set for 26 March in the case of Pastor Youssef Ourahmane who was sentenced to one year in prison and fined the equivalent of £580 on 27 November 2023, after being convicted of organising an unauthorised religious assembly and conducting worship in an unauthorised building.  

 Pakistan:  

An accusation of blasphemy led to the arrest on 6 March of 18-year-old Christian student, Ashbeel Ghauri in Attock city, Punjab. Ashbeel, who is a devoted Christian, was accused by a former Muslim classmate of disrespecting Islam and Islamic teaching during a WhatsApp discussion two months ago. Prior to his arrest, Ashbeel told his parents that some Muslims in his class had been pressuring him to convert to Islam.

 China:

Last week we had the good news of the release of Pastor John Cao after completing his seven-year prison sentence. Following his release, Pasto Cao spoke of his time in prison in an inspirational statement transcribed by China Aid. His story is prefaced by this remarkable testimony of God’s love and grace:

 “I have been separated from you all for seven years, but these seven years have been filled with joy, filled with God’s grace, and everyday God’s special presence has been with me. Truly, even though I walked through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for we know that the Lord Jesus is with us, and brothers and sisters are with me too!”