NEWS FOR PRAISE AND PRAYER -- January – February 2010

Praise God for the Release of about 30 Elderly Eritrean Christian Women!

They were arrested on December 5 by Eritrean officials for gathering for a

prayer meeting. ICC was the first organization to break the news about
the arrest on December 7. Their press release was picked up by major
news agencies, including Reuters which interviewed Eritrea's Information
Minister based on our press release. A journalist from BBC News also
contacted ICC and asked for the contact information. The BBC then
interviewed the sources for their own story about the arrest.

Where light is shone, the darkness scatters! We would like to thank all of
you for praying for these women and all Eritrean Christians. We remain
extremely concerned about the situation of Christians in Eritrea. More
than 3000 Christians are detained in underground dungeons,
metal shipping containers, and military barracks. Please continue to
pray for their release and contact your representatives at www.house.gov.

ON A RESCUE MISSION

On October 29, 2006, The New York Times reported that a 6-year-old named Mark
Kwadwo and other young children were working as slaves on fishing boats in Ghana. Pam
Cope and her husband, Randy, read the article during a trip to New York, and Cope was so
moved that, upon returning to their home in Neosho, Missouri, she tracked down the reporter
and put the wheels in motion to rescue Mark and six other children who had been sold into
slavery.
Nine weeks later, the mission was accomplished. The children were safe in a Christian-run
orphanage in Accra, Ghana, where they would receive an education.
Cope, now 47, made her seventh visit to Ghana this fall. She and her team rescued 13 more
children and placed them in three homes, where they will be cared for, educated and provided
life skills. Village of Life, a new center built by donations Cope helped raise through her
Touch a Life Foundation, celebrated its grand opening in March.

Investing for Eternity

If she had not experienced deep sorrow herself, Cope might not be rescuing kids on the
other side of the world.
“I asked myself, ‘What am I investing my life in that truly doesn’t have any eternal
impact?’ I discovered that, when I was really honest, most of it didn’t have any eternal
impact. I was ready to turn things around.”
Cope’s big turning point occurred in late 2000. She had been trying to raise more funds
(without much success). She felt it was time to give up something she valued: her diamond
solitaire wedding ring.
Since the inception of Touch a Life in 2000, Cope has gone the extra mile to alleviate
suffering, one child at a time.

An Expanded Worldview
Cope didn’t grow up in a churchgoing family. Her faith journey stems from a prediction in
1980 that the world was coming to an end. At that time, Cope was a senior in high school.
She remembers going to a revival every night with her friends— hungry and searching for
answers.
 “I can remember one night when the pastor asked who wanted to become a Christian, and I
felt this magnetic pull. I went forward and said, ‘I’m ready to do this.’ ” Unfortunately, Cope
did not have an intimate relationship with Jesus, and for years she struggled with her faith.
“When [our son] Jantsen died [unexpectedly], I was forced to reflect on everything I had
read in the Bible and my relationship with God up to that point. I was desperate for an
authentic relationship.” Cope says she would beg God to fill her with His presence. “I would
feel His peace wash over me,” she says.
Traveling to Third World countries has opened Cope’s eyes. It is hard to justify spending
$150 on something as frivolous as matching pajamas and slippers after seeing three
generations of the same family living in a one-room apartment in Vietnam, she says.
In recent years, the Copes have made some significant financial adjustments to help support
more children in need. For example, they got rid of their credit cards and committed to an all-
cash budget. They also downsized by moving into a smaller house.
Being Jesus’ hands and feet starts with a simple prayer, says Cope: “Jesus, break my heart
for what breaks Yours.” A few weeks after Jantsen died, Cope says her brother-in-law told
her, “Your life will definitely be sad, but it’s also possible that it will be richer and fuller than
ever before.” Neither of them had any idea how prophetic his words would turn out to be.
Cope, whose family now lives in a Dallas suburb, never dreamed she would be involved in
global outreach. Last year in Ghana, some 7,000 miles away from home, she felt God’s
presence in a special way. Standing under a tree on a 110-degree day eating banana Laffy
Taffy, she knew she was right where she needed to be, doing what God called her to do—
rescuing children who otherwise had no hope of a normal life.
[abridged from Charisma]

To God be the glory

It was a typical dirt-floor shack in the middle of the squatter colony perched above
Guatemala City. Thousands of people were flocking to the city looking for work and a better
life. We were working in Mezuital, a new village of over 50,000 squatters.
Our team decided to plant a new church, and outreach in the colony. So that afternoon we
went around visiting homes and inviting people to the evening meeting. We would talk,
laugh, and pray with the families. Every family had their list of prayer concerns and needs,
but one particular couple really touched my heart.
Jose and Maria were trying to make a new life but had been met with many hardships. The
latest was a struggle with cancer. Jose was lying on the dirt floor and looked to be in his last
stages of cancer and preparing to die.
My brother, Dave, and I knelt down and prayed and prayed. The family was weeping, and
his wife was so distraught. She just sobbed and sobbed.
Each evening we held the meeting, and a few people came to Christ. It wasn't what we'd
prayed for or expected, but each night there was a little response. It was, in our opinions, a
beginning. But that Friday evening changed everything. In walked Jose. He looked like a
new man. His countenance had changed, and his colour was different. He asked if he could
come forward and share what had happened. Everyone knew him and was in awe of this
'different' person.
Jose shared how God had healed him that week, and the doctors couldn't find his cancer
anymore. The congregation went into hysterics. There was dancing and praising. The front
of the room was full that evening with people coming to Christ.
Source: Walk with Me To Another Horizon, by Steven Beam
Pakistani Christian Missionary School Set on Fire
Suspected Islamic militants set the fire that leveled a Christian school in Murree, Pakistan.
Tuesday's fire reduced three buildings of the Christian residential school to ashes and causing
an estimated financial loss to the tune of one billion Pakistani rupees (almost $1.2 million).
The school's records were also lost in the blaze. [RT, 5 Nov]

1.5 Million March for Jesus in Brazil

Hundreds of churches joined together in November for a 2.5 mile march of witness in San
Paulo, Brazil, then stayed to listen to Christian bands and messages. This was the country's
17th annual march, held each year on the same day the Catholic Church celebrates the Corpus
Christi holiday, which is not observed by evangelical Protestants but is a national holiday in
Brazil. Last year, more than 48,000 churches and over 850,000 homes tuned into one of the
largest evangelistic outreaches in history through television, called My Hope Brazil.
Evangelical Protestants have grown from 9% in 1990 to 15%, according to the 2000
census. [CHRISTIAN POST, newsbytes]

India: Witch doctors give in to God's power

In a village of Bihar its four witch doctors controlled people by cursing their cattle and their
relatives. The Christians continued to love the people in Jesus' name, and in a few weeks the
witch doctors came to ask the secret of their power. They had called up demonic powers to
attack the Christians, but the demons had returned saying, "We can do nothing against them,
as they are surrounded by angels and by fire." As they spoke with the evangelists, the
conviction of God fell on all four and they were converted and delivered from evil! The
whole village followed, amazed at God's power.
One young man began to proclaim Jesus in his village soon after his conversion. Within
weeks he was beaten to death, but today a church has been planted in that village. An eye-
witness reports on revival in Bihar: "We have travelled to many villages in the area. The
people are hungry for truth. They say, 'We pray to our gods but they do not hear us or answer
our cries.' Over 150,000 became new believers in recent months, and one church there has
already planted five more churches. It is such a joy to see the Holy Spirit move."
In another village, a leader Sandhu was forced to stand on red-hot bricks for 10 minutes.
This was to be the test: if he was not burned, his faith was the true one. While the other
Christians prayed, Sandhu stood on the coals and was not burned! That day, 47 new converts
were baptised. [Christian Today, Revival Fires, Heartcry for Asia, JN]

India: Temple priest leads couple to true healer

A tumor was growing in Madhuri Jhadav's abdomen. Her husband, Mrigesh, asked various
temple priests to conduct poojas (ritual prayers) on her behalf, but the amount of money they
demanded was too extravagant for the couple to afford. Mrigesh wouldn't give up, though. He
went back to Kaviraj, one of the priests he had approached before, but something was
different this time. Kaviraj told Mrigesh that he was no longer a temple priest, but a follower
of Jesus.
Kaviraj said, he had become severely sick. His daughter, a believer in Christ, took him to a
prayer meeting. It was there, when the "godly people prayed," that Kaviraj was completely
healed. Now K was ready to lead Mrigesh and his sick wife to the One he knew could make
her well. K took them to a prayer meeting and introduced them to the pastor who was leading
it. Mrigesh asked the pastor to pray for his wife, and when he did, Madhuri was miraculously
healed. Mrigesh and Madhuri determined to live for Christ the rest of their lives. Today,
they serve the Lord as missionaries. God has enabled them to plant a church with about 80
new believers attending. [Mrigesh and Madhuri, GFA]
UK: Police praises Christians for helping cut violent crime
The Street Pastor scheme, which sends Christians onto the streets in over 100 towns in the
UK, has been praised by Devon and Cornwall police for its impact on the region's crime
statistics. Deputy chief constable Tony Melville, said: "I researched crime statistics during
the six-month period when Street Pastors had been operating -- no robberies had taken place
at all inTorquay city centre. We had one-fifth less burglaries from homes. Vehicle crime had
fallen by a quarter… Now these are impressive reductions by anybody's standard, and that's
one of the reasons we are so supportive of Street Pastors."
Ros Ede, one of the founder members of Torbay Street Pastors, said: "We get people asking
if we are police, or the council and we explain: 'No, we are just mums and dads, or
grandparents who are out because we care what happens to you.' [Sources: Tony Melville,
Ros Ede, JN]

At last, a whole Bible of my own

Sabina held the Bible, the ‘Holy Book’ in her hands and gave thanks for the first
completed edition of both the Old and New Testaments. Just five years ago in 2004, the OT
had been published separately from the NT and made available to Azeri believers. This meant
that Sabina had to carry two separate books. Now she is grateful that she can just carry one
single volume containing the whole Bible.
Permission was granted earlier this year to print 3,500 copies of the Azerbaijani Bible
abroad. Half of these were published in the older Cyrillic script and the other half in the
newer Latin script. It would be the first Bible ever to be published as a single volume in the
Azerbaijani language since independence in 1991. The boxes finally arrived in June but were
held up at customs. Believers began to pray and they were eventually released about a month
later. There was a great demand for the Latin script Bible. This will greatly benefit the
younger generation of Azeri believers aged < 35 years who prefer the newer Latin script to
the Cyrillic one. [OM news]

Report on the global Muslim population

A new study reveals nearly one in four people in the world practice Islam. The Pew
Forum on Religion and Public Life says the total global population is estimated to be 6.8
billion. Of this number, Muslims of all ages living in more than 200 countries in the world
today total 1.57 billion or 23%. When compared to Christianity, there are an estimated 2.1
billion Christians of all ages living in the world today.
60% of all Muslims in the world live in Asia, 20% in the Middle East and North
Africa, 15% in sub-Saharan Africa, 2.4% in Europe and less than 1% in the Americas. The
world's largest Muslim population, 200 million, can be found in Indonesia. India has the third
largest Muslim population of any nation with more than 161 million Muslims. With 4
million, Germany has most Muslims in Europe. In Muslim countries ruled by Islamic law,
religious liberty is rare or nonexistent. It certainly is an important challenge.
http://pewforum.org [JN]

Stars Lined up for New Audio Bible

The LATimes reports that a four-year, $4-million project to record a star-studded audio Bible
is ready for its audience. The recordings were spearheaded by radio veteran Carl Amari, a
Chicago-area producer behind "Twilight Zone Radio Dramas." “You're dramatizing the
greatest story ever told. It's God's word. How can you make God's word lift off the page?
With great actors, great sound effects and music." Released from Thomas Nelson Inc., the
recording involved more than 1,000 actors, technicians and musicians. Voice work included
actors Jim Caviezel (Jesus), Malcolm McDowell (King Solomon) and Richard
Dreyfuss(Moses). The finished work, "The Word of Promise Audio Bible," clocks in at 98
hours and 79 CDs.[RT, 4 Dec]

Revival is taking place in Algeria

(MNN) -- Muslims are turning to Christ in what's being called an amazing move of the Spirit
in Northern Algeria. "We have churches that have grown 820% in a year. Many converts
come from Islam with no Christian heritage, no Christian background, no resources
whatsoever, no training. But they just believe in God." The Kabylie region has a church in
every village or town. One village has more churches than mosques. Pray that training will be
funded and that the Gospel will be heard across North Africa and Europe. [10 Dec]

Christians assist top slum in Africa

Zambia (MNN) -- Extreme poverty plagues much of Zambia. Christians are doing what they
can to assist both physically and spiritually. Speaking from Lusaka, Zambia, Jonathan
Coleman with Kids Alive International says they're working in the Misisi slum. "It's one of
the top five slums in Africa, and poverty is extreme. There are no schools. There are about
90,000 people, with a majority of them 18 and under, and there's not one government school
in the slum." Crime is out of control, and so is the orphan problem. That's why Kids Alive
has started a kids home and Families Together program. Coleman says they're trying to
empower families by giving small loans or grants. [6 Nov]

Ministry adds hope of Christ to the schools in Congo

(MNN) -- A Grace Ministries team wrapped up a seminar in the Democratic Republic of
Congo. The main topic: how to incorporate godly principles into the education. Two tons of
Gospel literature and equipment for evangelistic outreach, including a motorcycle and gas,
were sent to Kama. Pray that God will use them to bring many to Christ. They plan to visit
100 schools by Christmas. [11 Nov]

Luke translated in three Sudanese languages

(MNN) -- After 25 years of civil war in Sudan, there's a short time to put the Gospel in
writing. In 2011 people will vote on independence for southern Sudan. The Seed Company is
translating the book of Luke and the JESUS Film script into three Sudanese languages, in
some cases actually creating a written language in the process. Pray that translations would
be finished in time and would reach many.[6 Nov]

Europe: How revolutionary prayers took down the Wall

20 years ago, in Nov. 1989, the Berlin Wall came down and communism started to collapse.
A historical event that truly was a modern-day miracle! Christians had prayed for years for
the persecuted church in Russia and Eastern Europe. In Timisoara, Romania, a handful of
parishioners started a vigil outside their pastor's house which triggered the Romanian
revolution. Nothing is permanent, except God's Kingdom. People of faith can make the
difference. [Joel News, 12 Nov]
A Miracle through ‘JESUS’ DVD
Iraqi Christians are reaching out to the Kurds in Northern Iraq with humanitarian aid
and DVDs of “JESUS”.
At a humanitarian aid center in another part of Iraq, there is a medical/dental clinic.
One day, a Middle Eastern taxi driver walked in, needing dental work. He didn’t know the
center was run by Christians. When he saw the Bibles and Christian materials he became
quite upset.
Because the portable projection equipment and generators had been given by partners
in America and shipped in a large batch, the team didn’t have individual receipts. Unable to
prove they were not thieves, the police took it all, for the moment ending their ministry.
Even though repulsed, he waited to see the dentist. You see, tradition and culture
teach that Christians are filthy, infidels…people to be shunned. After the procedure, he
angrily walked out the door.
One of the disciples followed him to his cab, offering a copy of “JESUS.” He told the driver,
“Here, you may need this.” Still upset, the taxi driver accepted, saying, “Okay, okay, give it
to me.” He grabbed the DVD from the worker and drove away. An hour later he was back—
pale, shaking and terrified.
He told the workers, “This film saved my life! I wanted you to know what it did for
me. Thank you!” Mystified, they asked, “When did you have time to watch it so quickly and
become a follower of Jesus?”
“I didn’t watch it!” explaining: “When I left your clinic I was stopped at a false check
point.” (Armed radicals will sometimes set up traps or “false check points” on the road,
where they demand to see a person’s ID. They are looking for people not of their religious
sect. Many have been killed in this way.)
He continued: “When I discovered I had no way out, I thought I was a dead man. I knew
that when they saw my ID, that I was not of their sect, they would shoot me on the spot. As I
pulled up and the guard was about to ask for my papers, he saw the DVD of ‘JESUS’ lying
on my dashboard. He waved me on, calling to the other guards, ‘Let him go, he’s just a dirty
Christian. Let him go.’”
Now back at the clinic, and still shaking, he told the workers that he for sure would
watch the film that night at home. The next morning he was back, totally changed and joyful,
raving about all he had seen and experienced. He then asked: “Can you give me 50 more
DVDs of ‘JESUS,’ please?! I have 50 taxi drivers I work with. They all have to see this
film!” [Jesus film project]

Released -- Answer to prayer

Iran (MNN) -- After more than 9 months of imprisonment, Maryam
Rostampour and Marzieh Amirizadeh have been released from prison.
The two Iranian Christians were being held for converting from Islam
to Christianity. [19 Nov]

Woman testifies to impact of Crossroad Bible Institute

USA (MNN) -- Since she was a child, Kim suffered abuse. As an adult, she married an
abusive man. The marriage ended in divorce, and she lost custody of her children. Charged
with killing her husband, she is serving a 115-year prison sentence. However, she turned to
Christ for salvation. Enrolled in Crossroad Bible Institute, Kim reaches out to similar women
across the U.S. with the restoration Christ offers.
The ocean depths declare the glory of God
The scientists say they could announce that a million or more species remain unknown. On
land, biologists have catalogued about 1.5 million plants and animals. They've found 5,722
species living in the extreme ocean depths, waters deeper than 3,280 feet.
"The deep sea was considered a desert until not so long ago; it's quite amazing to have
documented close to 20,000 forms of life in a zone that was thought to be barren," said Jesse
Ausubel with the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, a sponsor of the census. "The deep sea is the
least explored environment on earth."[Source: yahoo news, 23 Nov]

After two years in labor camp, Christian leader released

China (MNN) -- Christian leader Wusiman Yiming was finally released. Wusiman was
sentenced in 2007 not for "revealing state secrets," but for his Christian faith.[30 Nov]

NORTH AFRICA: Ahmed Gets New Heart

"What is it that is different about you?" Ahmed asked. "Why is it that I feel that your heart
is clean?"
"I've never had an experience where I didn't have to argue with a Muslim about whether
Christ really died on the cross," Charlie [IMB worker] says.
Tears filled Ahmed's eyes as he listened to Charlie's testimony. "I've messed up my life, and
I don't know how to fix it," Ahmed confessed. "I divorced my wife 3 years ago, and I haven't
seen my sons since. I drink to forget them because it hurts, and I don't want to do that
anymore. Tell me what I have to do to be like you and have a clean heart."
"All you have to do is ask God to come change your life," Charlie said. Ahmed
immediately stretched out his hands in the Muslim prayer position as he had done so many
times before. But this time, he was speaking to a God who listens and responds. [Baptist Press
News, November 30, 2009, missions catalyst]

A mob of 3000 Muslims attacks Coptic Christians

Egypt (MNN) -- A mob of 3000 Muslims attacked Christians in Egypt last week. 7 Coptic
women were abducted and several Christians were injured. International Christian Concern
says no international powers have stepped in. The U.S. continues to give aid to Egypt even as
religious freedom is violated. The U.S. in particular should put pressure on countries who
ignore human rights. [27 Nov. 09]

Romania: Police officers pray for 'a redeemed police force'

There are many ways to bring God's Kingdom and see a nation being gradually transformed.
Take the initiative of Christian police officers in Romania who recently formed an
association. Three of their officers shared that there are now 500 police officers in this
association and they are praying for 5,000 more over the next few years. They've been
inspired by The Sentinel Group's documentary of the deep move of the Holy Spirit in
redeeming violent parts of Sao Paulo, Brazil, through the prayer and work of redeemed men
and women who work in law enforcement.
 BEFORE THE THRONE

Headlines and Brief News

Germany celebrates the 20th anniversary of the fall of Communism
Fast-Growing Christian Churches Crushed in China[14 Dec]
Evangelical Leader Dobson Leaving Radio Show
Iran's government recently ordered the Assemblies of God Church to shut down its Friday
services. (MNN, 9 Nov)
Seminary Students in Indonesia Evicted from 2 Locations [3 Nov, RT]
Tajikistani Church Tried for Meeting in Home [7 Dec]
Another 5 Chinese Megachurch Leaders Sentenced [4 Dec]
Iraqi Christians Face More Bloodshed as Bombings Kill 118 [8 Dec]
Turks Threaten to Kill Priest over Swiss Minaret Decision

Pakistan: Christian janitor gives life to save Muslim students

A Christian janitor saved many lives at the women's campus of Islamabad's International
Islamic University, when on October 20 two suicide bombers launched an attack.

16 Colombian natives kidnapped

(MNN) -- Sixteen indigenous Christians were taken captive in Colombia in an attempt to
force them to denounce their faith.[24 Nov]

Yemen Workers Still Missing

Last June, 9 foreigners were abducted in Yemen, 3 of whom were found murdered. no news
of the remaining six: a German couple, Johannes and Sabine, their 3 children, Lydia (4),
Anna (3) and Simon (1), and a married British man, Tony. All were connected to a hospital in
the northern city of Saada. [newsbytes]

Iran's Christian Book Famine

It is illegal for the church in Iran to print or sell Persian Christian books. One would-be
publisher was told by a government officer that anyone producing Christian literature
deserves to be executed. Some try to photocopy material, others use the internet, but most
books have to be smuggled into the country. The demand for Scriptures far exceeds the
supply. An added problem is the shortage of literature in the Persian language. The Arab
world has 10,000 titles to choose from, but Iran has less than 400. Children have under 20
Christian books. [ELAM MIN.]

India: House church network

In the first nine months of 2009 a total of 307,592 people have joined the church, of which
9,085 Brahmin, 4,003 Muslim and 16,194 women.[Source: Victor and Bindhu Choudrie]

Church Torched by radicals

Police investigations found that members of two radical groups, Rashtriya Swayam Sevaks
and Bharatiya Janatha Party (BJP), poured petrol on Jesus Lights Manna Church and set it on
fire on Dec. 8. Witnesses saw the church burning around four o'clock in the morning and
warned Pastor Mengu Elia. Police officials have arrested a BJP leader and another culprit.
[RT, 14 Dec]

59 Christians Released From Jails in Pakistan

The Christians were released after Rizwan Paul, president of the Christian group Life for All,
presented a petition to Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari for the pardon of these Christians
who he stated had been "falsely accused of minor crimes." The group estimates that there are
still more than 2,500 Christians in jails all over Pakistan who cannot afford the legal
assistance for their release.
[RT, 17 Nov]

Another Christian killed in Somalia

(MNN) -- Pastor Ali Hussein Weheliye was shot by the Islamic group al-Shabab October
10th. Pastor Ali, a Muslim background believer, died of his injuries. "Ali is the 15th Christian
to be killed this year by Islamic extremists in Somalia." [18 Nov] Pray that Somalia will soon
become a democratic country.

Angola
Bibles are needed in the Kangela language. Please pray that the Bible Society in Angola will
be able to print these Bibles.
Indian pastor recovering at home
(MNN) -- Police in Karnataka are pressuring a church pastor to drop charges against the
militant Hindus who put him in the hospital last month. Pastor Anil is now recovering at
home. The Children's Bible Club he established as part of his church planting work is still
meeting, though some parents are fearful of ongoing violence.
24 Girls Rescued from Mumbai Brothel
A joint force of the Indian Rescue Mission (IRM), Mumbai Police and a social activist have
rescued 24 girls from a posh brothel in Mumbai. Police raided the building on Dec. 17 and
released the 24 girls, many of whom are minors. This brothel keeper had been arrested twice
for keeping minor girls in the sex trade, but was released, allegedly thanks to her influence
and money.[RT, 22 Dec]

Severe verdict delivered to Chinese house church leader

(MNN) -- China Aid Association learned that a severe legal sentence was given to house
church leader Alimujiang Yimiti. China recently sentenced the house church leader to 15
years in prison.

Japan's Congress on Evangelism

Sapporo was the venue for a once-in-a-decade Congress on Evangelism, attended in
September by some 1,900 pastors, missionaries, and members from many denominations.
This was the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Protestant mission to Japan. Under
1% of the 127 million population Christians. [evangelicals now, newsbytes]

Marking two centuries of reaching the lost

(MNN) -- Much has changed since 1809 when the International Bible Society was born. Now
called Biblica, it has changed with the times, all the while sharing an unchanging Gospel. [10
Dec]

Middle East: Satellite TV reaches 10 million people each week

A satellite TV ministry, SAT-7, which broadcasts Christian programs in the Middle East and
North Africa, says it reaches nine to ten million people each week. Earlier this year, about 5.3
million Iraqis, 19% of the population, watch SAT-7 programs. Iraq only has a Christian
population of 600,000; millions of Muslims are watching the Christian programs. Also in
Iran, the SAT-7 channel is among the most popular. A growing number of Muslims
throughout the Middle East are becoming followers of Christ.[David Shibley, Michelle Vu,
JN]

Christians harassed in West Singhbhun, Jharkhand, India

25 believers residing at Khunta village, who had earlier converted themselves to the Christ
from their original Sarna faith, have been under pressure to go back to their original faith.
The leaders of Adivasi Maha Sabha, and the village visited the church on 27 October 09, and
asked the believers to return to their faith. They took away the handle of the hand pump, the
only source of water for the believers. [AICC]

Pakistan: Father and Daughter Acquitted of Apostasy Charges

Gulsher Masih was a prisoner in the Faisalabad Jail, while his daughter Ashiyana (20), was
imprisoned in the Jhang District Jail. Their accuser, Muhammad Farooq Alam, admitted that
he had a personal grudge against the two. According to their lawyer, "while he and others
were in the mosque to offer their prayers, the father and daughter used to put on the loud
speaker in the nearby church." [RT, 16 Dec]

Human Trafficking in Egypt

Researched by anti-trafficking specialist Michele Clark and Egyptian women's rights activist
Nadia Ghaly, the report documents a criminal pattern involving deception, sexual violence,
captivity, compulsion to convert to Islam and forced marriage. This violence against Egypt's
Christian women corresponds to human trafficking. The report includes cases of underage
girls, some as young as 15, who were forcibly converted, raped, and married to Muslim men.
[RT, 11 Nov]

A FAITHFUL FRIEND – Bangladesh

Following a local cyclone a number of years ago, the team decided to reach out to those
who had been badly affected. In this way, they met Aron, a local weaver. Aron wove lungis,
worn by men in rural Bangladesh. He earned about two pounds a day for 12 hours’ work. He
met with the team over months to study God’s Word, although like many in the country, he is
illiterate.
One day Aron took a public step of faith. He faithfully reached out to many of his fellow
workers, and today there are a substantial number of followers in this area as a result,
including his wife and children. A few months ago, Aron’s employer fired him because of his
faith, which has left him and his family in a difficult situation. There was a cost to his
obedience. Aron decides to start a tea shop or pull a rickshaw; his decision is based on
which will be most useful in reaching others with the Good News. [om]

Church Officials: 15,000 Bibles Seized in Malaysia

Malaysian officials have confiscated more than 15,000 Bibles in recent months because the
Bibles refer to "God" as "Allah." Most of the Bibles were imported from neighboring
Indonesia. The Rev. Hermen Shastri, general secretary of the Council of Churches of
Malaysia, said the Roman Catholic Church is challenging the "Allah" ban in court.
 Why would a woman marry a Muslim man and convert to his religion?
She could have been tricked into conversion. And the result might be intense physical
and emotional abuse.
In growing numbers, women all over the United States are marrying Muslim men
from other countries. Many find themselves trapped in a nightmare of oppression, abuse and
control, according to W.L. Cati, founder of Zennah Ministries, an organization that reaches
out to women married to Muslims.
“I should not be alive,” says Cati, an American woman who endured an abusive
relationship with a Muslim man from the Middle East. After 14 years of horror, she managed
to escape. Most women, she says, don’t make it out alive.
“They are allowed to beat their wives and children. They are even allowed to kill.
And this is going on right here in the United States.”
Cati was born again in 1972. She loved the Lord and was in a full-time singing
ministry. Then she met Muhammed. “He talked to me about his principles [and] family
values,” she remembers. Cati’s Christian parents and friends tried to talk her out of it, but her
mind was made up. “He said that they believe in Jesus, heaven, hell, the Ten
Commandments, angels, the prophets and the Bible.”
When Muhammed asked Cati to marry him, she said yes, promising to marry in a mosque
and raise their children as Muslims.
During the ceremony, Cati repeated phrases in Arabic with no idea of what she was
saying. After the ceremony, she read her marriage certificate and was shocked to find that her
first name had been changed to a Muslim name and that she had converted to Islam. Her new
husband assured her that it was “just on paper,” but suddenly Cati’s knight in shining armor
turned into a nightmare.
“He controlled everything—money, my decisions and my social life. He usually
stayed out all night in strip bars or with other women. The physical abuse started while I was
expecting our second child.”
On the outside, Cati’s life looked like a Hollywood fantasy—seven homes, a nine-carat tennis
bracelet and any car she wanted. But inside she was experiencing a living hell. She called the
police many times to report beatings and other abuse but never pressed charges. “I always
ended up saying I was sorry to him.”
In the midst of Cati’s nightmare, her parents continued to pray for her. One day she and her
husband rented their vacation home to a ladies’ group. “I didn’t know they were Christians,”
she says. “They came in and started praying over everything. They prayed that I would come
back to Jesus.”
When Cati returned to the home, the Lord started speaking to her heart. A neighbor
invited her to church, and surprisingly, her husband gave her permission to attend as long as
she didn’t convert.
“That night at church,” she remembers, “I started crying and couldn’t stop. I can’t remember
what was said, but God was talking to my heart.” Eventually, Cati reconverted to
Christianity, making a decision that enraged her husband. Their children became born again
and prayed for the salvation of their father. Finally, Muhammed threw them out of the house.
Cati was penniless, but “there was no pain or tears,” she says. “God’s mercy and grace gave
us freedom from the Muslim way of life.”

A Disturbing Trend
Sadly, Cati’s story is not unusual. Thousands of American women, including many
born-again Christians, marry Muslim men. Most have no idea what Islam teaches about
women. For example, even though there are laws against polygamy in the United States, a
Muslim man living here can marry up to four women—even if he already has a wife back in
his own country. Marriages here are performed in a mosque, and if the couple does not apply
for a marriage license, there is no way of showing the husband is already married.
According to Islam, a husband is allowed to beat his wife and children and to
refuse to support his wife for any number of reasons. A father can beat a child who does
not pray. Wives do not jointly own property with their husbands; on the contrary, they
are considered property themselves, the same as a house or a car. A wife can’t spend
her husband’s money or allow anyone to enter his house—without his permission.
A wife inherits only a small portion of her husband’s wealth; the rest goes to his
parents, brothers, uncles and children, and male children receive double the portion of female
children. If a man states, “I divorce you,” three times to his wife’s face, he considers himself
legally divorced. His wife is not entitled to any of her husband’s possessions, including his
children. There are no visitation rights in Islam.
While Maroudi was still married, the Lord challenged her to reach out to other women
like herself. So she placed an ad in her local paper: “American Women Married to Muslims:
Support group offering fun, fellowship and prayer.” For six years, Maroudi’s group has met
regularly to share support and encouragement. Women who attend come from Christian,
Jewish and nonreligious backgrounds.
“I strengthen them in who they are and stress they are valued because of Jesus,” Maroudi
says. “I show them how to have a personal relationship with Him, [and] tell them what
Christianity really believes versus what they’re taught at the mosque.
Maroudi wants to start similar ministry support groups in every major city in the
United States “so that there’s not one woman who feels like I did,” she says.
Cati’s experiences also prompted her to launch an outreach to women married to
Muslims. Zennah Ministries offers counseling, seminars and information services. “I promote
the Lord Jesus and His ways and trust in Him to help make these women whole again,” Cati
says. “We want to help [these women] break the bondage and stand firm in their faith in
Jesus Christ as their Lord.”
Cati has written Married to Muhammed (Creation House Press), which provides
graphic quotes from the Quran and Islamic holy texts—a shocking wake-up call to any
woman considering a new life as the wife of a Muslim man.
Adds Maroudi: “If we can get these women saved and on the right road, [they] can
affect the whole family. My husband converted because he saw the change in me. I changed
from being a pew-sitter to living for Jesus. And my husband saw that.”
Perhaps God is bringing Muslim men to this country for just this reason—so that they
can hear the gospel. If women like Cati and Maroudi continue to reach out—they will hear it
through their wives.
Elisabeth Farrell. Reprinted with permission from Charisma magazine, “Married to Muhammed,” June 2000.
Published by Strang Communications.
Contact W.L. Cati at www.wlcati.com, and Nadia Maroudi at http://www.domini.org/lam/home.htmls.
 Listening to God
Alice Smith
All my life I have been a talker. I love to talk! Good thing I became a preacher. I remember
in school how I would get excited about something going on in the class and turn to my
classmate to talk about it. Mrs. Lovett, my elderly ninth-grade algebra teacher—with her
dyed blue hair, thick glasses and nasal voice—would briskly walk toward my desk and stop
in front of me to say in her grandmotherly manner, “Alice Lee Day, would you listen to me?
Stop talking!” Without missing a beat she would then return to the blackboard and continue
to teach.
Listening to God has been a rather difficult discipline in my prayer life; it was always much
easier to talk. Thankfully, I have learned how to listen, and I know that unless I am constantly
communing with Him in a listening attitude, I may miss His soft and gentle voice. Jesus told
us that we would hear His voice if we would only listen:
The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He
calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all
his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they
know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run
away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice (John 10:3-
5).
In Beyond the Veil, I wrote, “Some Christians live as though God wrote a best-seller, the
Bible, and then retired! They act as if He has left what happens here totally up to us. But the
truth is that God is very active upon the earth! He is fulfilling biblical prophecy daily,
finishing the work that He began. His purposes are coming to pass! He is a living, loving,
relational God who speaks today! He never stopped speaking! We simply stopped listening.
Do you have a yearning for God that burns so deeply within you that your soul is crying out
to hear His voice?”
The voice of the Holy Spirit is so soft that unless we are sensitive to Him we will miss His
guidance. Even worse, unless we are listening carefully, we may grieve Him and never know
it. Consider the reasons why we should listen for the Holy Spirit’s voice:
• He is the one who confirms to us that we are born again (see Rom. 8:16);
• He is our guide who tells us where we are to go and what we are to say
and do (see Rom. 8:14);
• He is our revelator who reveals Christ and the Father to us (see John
14:26; 15:26).
• The Spirit of God is our helper in intercession.When we don’t know how
to pray, He prays for us (see Rom. 8:26).
• The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin (see John 16:8). He teaches us the truth
about our future (see John 16:13).
 One reason some of us struggle to hear God is because we are not expectant. We ask but we
don’t ask in faith expecting to hear Him! Another reason we don’t hear is because we haven’t
predetermined that we will obey Him. The Scripture says, “and the sheep follow him: for
they know his voice” (John 10:4). It is more than hearing; it is hearing so that we might
follow!
When the Lord speaks to you, there is a process that follows; when light is received, more
light is given. If you hear and obey the instructions the Lord gives to you, He is pleased to
show you more. But if you do not act upon the revelation you have received, then the Lord
will withhold revelation until you are once again obedient. Unfortunately, should you quench
the Holy Spirit through disobedience, you will go no further in hearing His voice. You can
return to a place of intimacy by repenting and turning away from your disobedience to follow
Him once more.
If your testimony has been reduced to only speaking of the past—”when Isaw this” or
“when God did that”—then you’re living off of what Jesus said and did yesterday instead of
what He is saying and doing today. You must commune with the Father regularly to keep
your testimony from becoming past tense. He will not lead you into deeper things until you
return to seeking His voice.
When it comes to prayer, have you been more of a talker than a listener? Ask the Father
right now where you might have received His instructions but didn’t listen and obey. Then
repent and take action. The result will be new revelation from Him!
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