Monthly Archives: May 2011

Calif. student volunteers use henna storying in India

California Baptist University students Amanda May* and Felicia Warner* came to India as student volunteers with the IMB. May and Warner shared the Gospel using henna, a body dye.

By Caroline Anderson

Delhi, INDIA–The temporary tattoo on summer volunteer Amanda May’s* hand told Jyotsna Verma* about Jesus’ birth, life and resurrection.

“I would have never thought that by simply applying henna in story form on my hands, I would get to have seven conversations about the Lord in the market, on the bus and in my English class,” said May who is from Temecula, Calif. and her home church is Calvary Chapel Murrieta in Murrieta, Calif.

May was a member of a student volunteer team from California Baptist University (CBU) in Riverside, Calif., that shared the Gospel through henna in Delhi, India.

Henna is burgundy-colored dye used for body art and hair dye in South Asia. IMB representatives have developed henna designs that incorporate Bible stories. Talking about henna allowed May to share how the design represents Christ’s life and share her testimony with young women like Verma who were students in her class. Verma’s curiosity led her to ask many questions about the Bible.

“She loved the stories and when I asked her about what she believed in, or if she had heard of this before, she had heard about Jesus,” said May, a recent CBU graduate. “She allowed me to try to explain the similarities and differences of what we believed.” While Verma didn’t choose to believe in Jesus, May gave Verma’s contact information to Christian workers in the city.

“A lot of people view India as [an] oppressive [place] because of all the gods and idols, but they [the CBU volunteers] kind of took it on as a challenge to cast down these barriers and pray [with the women] against these gods that people will no longer be serving these idols,” said Kacee Dallion,* an IMB representative.

To help the class learn the story, the CBU volunteers acted out the Bible stories and sang songs about the Bible study. At the end of every Bible lesson, the CBU volunteers encouraged their students to share the stories with families and friends.

The CBU volunteers received invitations to their student’s homes, to share tea and conversation. Fourteen-year-old interpreter Laboni Ganguly* invited CBU sophomore Felicia Warner,* from Temecula, Calif., to her home for dance lessons.

“She taught me how to dance and shared her beliefs and I got to share mine and my testimony,” said Warner. Warner’s home church is Rancho Community Church in Temecula, Calif.

“I was sad to say goodbye to her but am so excited for the growing desire she had for the Lord and how He will use that in her life,” said Warner.

Dallion said for many of the Indian students, it was their first time hearing the name of Jesus.

When the CBU volunteers taught and shared, Dallion had opportunities to share the Gospel that she wouldn’t have had otherwise.

“Volunteers just help you do so much in a small amount of time,” said Dallion. “There is no way we would have been able to reach eight locations in two weeks. Dallion said that the CBU volunteers brought a fresh perspective to a spiritually dark country. Dallion was also pleased that the CBU volunteers were able to pave the way for future volunteer teams to use henna storying throughout India.

“The most memorable part of my trip was knowing that the work we did had real purpose,” said May.

–30—

*Name changed.

California Baptist University has long-term mission partnerships in India with IMB. Caroline Anderson is a journeyman writer, based out of Chiang Mai, Thailand. For more information about and resources for henna storytelling, see http://southasianpeoples.imb.org/resource/evangelism/henna/.

Week of May 29, 2011

May 29 : Good News in a Foreign Land. One formerly “small town” west of a major city has seen thousands of new homes built in the last 10 years. Many of the newcomers are from South Asia. Recently a large property at a major intersection was purchased for building the first house of worship that is not Christian. This may cause mixed feelings in the community. Pray that Canadian Baptists will not adopt the non-involvement stance of “multiculturalism,” but instead, will be motivated by the Holy Spirit to engage their South Asian neighbors with the Good News of Jesus, the giver of eternal life (John 6:40). A cross-cultural worker just met E, a born-again Coptic (Orthodox) Egyptian, who wants to reach followers of a major world religion living in that “small town” area. Soon he will introduce the worker to two others who have the same desire. Pray that the Holy Spirit will give unity and vision to these men as they labor in the Lord’s harvest. Pray that many South Asians in this area will hear the Good News, and that a new church will be birthed soon.

May 30 : A Different Answer. “Thank you for praying last month that God would bring Great Commission Christians to this city to work with Muslims. When I made that request, I was thinking about families coming for a stay of two, three or more years. Those people still may come to Lucknow, but at the same time, three young women agreed to minister in our city this summer. Thank God for answering your prayers, and pray for their time in Lucknow.” http://www.IsaMasih-Lucknow.org

May 31 : Full Surrender. Thank you for praying for an older Bihari Muslim man, Mr. B, who said, “I do not want (anything) in this world anymore; but I want after I am dead, my soul will go to heaven.” Now both of Mr. B’s sons have married. The youngest, R, is a secret follower of Isa (Jesus). Bengali Christians have approached Mr. B regarding the possibility of R attending a Bible training program. He tells the Christian friends that he is open to R going, but when the Christians leave his small home, Mr. B tells his son that he cannot go. Please continue to pray for this family: Mr. B, his wife, their two sons, and their sons’ wives. Pray that together they all will understand their need for salvation and will surrender to follow Isa fully and proclaim Him gladly in their crowded Bihari community. Please also ask the Lord to give the Christians discernment regarding how much to push for Bible training for R, how much to share with Mr. B and his family, and when to just be quiet. BihariBride@pobox.com

June 1 : Busy Summer for Volunteers. “The task of reaching 30 million people is impossible for the Forward Caste Team alone. Volunteers are a major part of our efforts to reach the lost with the Gospel. This month marks the beginning of a busy summer full of volunteers. Please pray for those who will be partnering with the team as they are making their final preparations for departure and arrival. Please pray that the hearts of the lost people the volunteer teams encounter will already begin to be moved by the Holy Spirit.”

June 2 : Breeding Fish. Have you ever heard the saying, “Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime”? Well, in K valley, workers are going a step further by teaching villagers to breed their own trout fish to sell in the local market! Pray that many poor families will be blessed by this unique initiative, and ask that as local believers interact with the project, they will truly become “fishers of men.”

June 3 : Ready to Serve. “Recently two national leaders approached us about the burden God had placed on their hearts for starting churches in Kolkata. Both S and B have been working in Christian ministry for years, but in other aspects besides church-planting. Pray for these two men of God as, together, we seek God’s will in how He wants to use them in Kolkata. We all sense God’s divine hand in this as He directs our conversations. Ask God to give His direction for timing, where to start the church, what language to use, and leaders. Pray for these two men as they make important decisions about their current ministries, asking that they will trust God in whatever He asks them to do.”

June 4 : Answering the Call. Please pray for Muslim-background believers to have boldness, with reliance upon God, to witness to their friends and family in their community. Give thanks to God that He is calling workers into the harvest fields among the Mappila. We have received word of some who desire to work among the Mappila Muslims!

Pakistan ‘blasphemy’ law used against kids

Baptist Press, May 17, 2011: http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=35319

by Staff/Compass Direct

ISTANBUL (BP)–Pakistan’s notorious “blasphemy” laws can put even children at risk, and Christians say the days when they could teach their offspring pat answers to protect them from accusations of disparaging Islam or its prophet seem to have passed.

A 30-year-old Pakistani woman who grew up in Lahore said her Christian parents taught her formula answers to keep from falling prey to accusations under the blasphemy statutes, such as “I am a Christian, I can only tell you about Him.” But even then, before militant Islamists began influencing Pakistani society as they have in recent years, schoolchildren were taught not to discuss religion, she said.

“We knew never to get into religious discussions with others,” she said. “We had them at home — our parents would put us through the drill of asking us tough questions to see how we answered. Only now I realize that was practice for school.”

In this way, she was imbued with the fundamentals of the Christian faith and at the same time learned that she should discuss it only with her parents, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Though the Christian faith is inherently evangelistic, the blasphemy laws have made people silent, she added. The blasphemy statutes signal to non-Muslims that they are second-class or “dhimmi” status citizens who must stay within narrow social boundaries, leave or be killed, she said.

“Christians constantly face questions like, ‘What do you think of the Quran, do you like it?’ and, ‘What do you think of Muhammad?’” she said. “One answer is, ‘As a Christian I have only read the Bible, I can’t read Arabic.’ These questions used to be easier to answer, we had formulas. But those are not working any more. We just tell children ‘Don’t talk about religion in school.’ This is shaky ground now.”

She added, “Some parents don’t even tell their children about Jesus, because they are scared they will go to school and say something wrong. One street kid did not know anything except about the blasphemy law. When her mother was asked why she did not teach her daughter about Jesus instead of the blasphemy law, she replied, ‘If I tell her too much, she will talk about it on the street, and someone will kill her or charge her with blasphemy.’”

The street child, she said, was afraid to tell her what church she attended.

“She said the mullah in the shop behind us was listening, and as she said that, I saw the man nearly fall off his chair from trying to listen to us,” she said.

An entire generation, Christians fear, is growing up not knowing their faith for fear that it will lead to potentially disastrous schoolyard talk. Moreover, children required to take Islamic studies in school are in danger with a single misstep.

“If they write anything or misspell anything to do with the prophet Muhammad, they can be in serious danger,” the source said. “In fact, the other side of this is that they are made to answer questions saying what a wonderful man he was.”

Christian kids in predominantly Muslim areas don’t have friends to play with, as even a cricket game can be risky, she said. Adults are equally fearful.

“People in offices are silenced into submission,” she said. “The fear is creating aggression.”

Conviction under Section 295-C of Pakistan’s blasphemy law for derogatory comments about Muhammad is punishable by death, though life imprisonment is also possible. Curiously, accusers in blasphemy cases cannot repeat the alleged derogatory comments without risk of being accused of blasphemy themselves.

A district court judge last November stunned the nation and the international community by handing down a death sentence to a Christian mother of five for allegedly speaking ill of Muhammad.

Subsequently three politicians spoke out against the blasphemy law that put Asia Noreen (also called Asia Bibi) in prison. Two of them have been killed for standing up for Noreen and against the blasphemy law. One is in hiding for fear of her life.

Noreen, mother of two children and stepmother to three others, has been in prison in solitary confinement since June 2009, accused of having blasphemed against Muhammad, after a verbal disagreement with some women in the village of Ittanwali, near Lahore. If she is released from prison, her life will be at risk. Her husband and children are on the run, receiving constant threats from Muslims who say they will take justice into their own hands.

Suspected Islamic militants in Faisalabad shot dead two Christians about to be acquitted of blasphemy charges on July 19, 2010. The Rev. Rashid Emmanuel, 32, and his 30-year-old brother Sajid Emmanuel were shot days after handwriting experts on July 14 notified police that signatures on papers denigrating Muhammad did not match those of the accused. Expected to be exonerated, the two leaders of United Ministries Pakistan were being led in handcuffs under police custody back to jail when they were shot.

Christian Lawyers’ Foundation President Khalid Gill said the two bodies bore cuts and other signs of having been tortured, including marks on their faces, while the brothers were in police custody.

For secular-educated Pakistanis, the blasphemy law has come to symbolize the measure to which militant Islam has overtaken society. In the span of three months, Islamists murdered two of the nation’s most outspoken leaders against the blasphemy law. On Jan. 4 Salman Taseer, the governor of Punjab Province, was murdered, and on March 2 parliamentarian Shabaz Bhatti, who as federal minister for minority affairs was the only Christian cabinet member, was assassinated in Islamabad.

Pakistan is moving increasingly towards a state driven by fear of militants, where even moderate politicians make conservative choices to appease Islamist threats, according to Sara Taseer Shoaib, daughter of the late Taseer.

“Pakistan is definitely becoming more right-wing and extremist when it comes to religion,” she said. “Religious parties are gaining a cult following, and even moderate leaders are trying to gain popularity and votes by taking a right-wing position.”

The reasons for this shift, she said, are many: issues like defense of the blasphemy law serve to deflect attention from the real issues of poverty and lack of hope; there is an increasing trend to blame all woes on the West; and there is a prevailing sense of a need to defend Islam as the perception remains that it is under global attack.
–30–
From Compass Direct News (www.compassdirect.org), a California-based news service focusing on the persecuted church. Used by permission. www.bpnews.org

Macon woman chronicles life as missionary in Pakistan

Bettie Rose Addleton wrote a book about the more than 30 years she spent as a missionary in Pakistan. (GRANT BLANKENSHIP/THE TELEGRAPH)

By Liz Fabian

MACON, Georgia–For Bettie Rose Addleton, missionary life took some getting used to.

Not so much for the young bride of 25 who, along with her husband and toddler, boarded a freighter from New York to Pakistan, but for the woman who returned to Macon in 1994 after 34 years on the mission field.

“When we came back here to retire, it was an adjustment,” Addleton said at her home. “We hadn’t been here, and life goes on without us.”

During one visit home, the variety of dry cereal in the grocery store was astonishing.

“I was never so confused in my life,” she said.

Both Bettie Rose and her husband, Hu, felt God’s calling, and that common goal cemented a long-running relationship that began as children when they attended school together in Jones County.

They packed belongings into large steel drums and boarded the ship for the five-week journey. She had to take larger sizes of clothing for their young son to grow into, as there would be little to offer in the wilds of the fledgling country that had recently won independence. But they found a peaceful existence.

It wasn’t until her family returned home for a visit that her younger son was exposed to violence — on television.

“Jonathan sat in front of the TV and saw all this violence, and he came running,” she said.

It was her own viewing of recent violence in her adopted homeland that led her to publish her new book, “The Day the Chicken Cackled: Reflections on a Life in Pakistan.”

“Pakistan is for me much more than a newspaper headline or a comment on television,” Addleton wrote in the preface. “I know the flesh and blood that lies behind the headlines. I know what it is like to live in a country that seemingly exists at the edge of a precipice all the time.”

She wanted to show the world the human side of life in Pakistan.

In 13 chapters, she recounts many experiences in a new culture. Entertaining was a highlight of her time spent with Pakistani women who often gather for tea.

One encounter, though, she might want to forget. She had her cook prepare some beef patties for her new Hindu friends.

“That was a big mistake on my part, and they were offended and left,” she said. “Nevertheless, we became friends, and they overlooked that.”

Addleton learned to prepare native dishes laden with aromatic spices, and she still mixes her own curry. Mastering the chapati flat bread cooked over an open fire still eludes her.

Equally elusive was the title of the book. After considering countless options, she remembered a woman once telling her she should write about her life with the title “The Day the Chicken Cackled.”

Why?

“You’ll have to read the book,” she said with a smile. “Look in the food chapter.”

–30–

This story was originally published Jan. 30, 2010, at www.macon.com and is used by permission. Writer Liz Fabian can be reached at lfabian@macon.com.

Week of May 22, 2011

May 22 : Koli Adopted. The Koli Malhar people are an unreached people group who are said to be the first inhabitants of the vast Mumbai. A Southern Baptist church recently began to partner with us by taking on the task of adopting and engaging this people group. As the Gospel was abundantly sowed among the Koli last month, many believed. Please pray that these new believers will grow deeply in their new faith, being obedient to Scripture and multiplying a hundredfold. Pray that these new groups of believers will become strong, healthy churches among the Koli.”

May 23 : Living Among the Chitwan. At the end of May, a college student will be coming to volunteer for one month with a national worker in South Asia. He will have many opportunities to share with Chitwan Tharu people in villages surrounding them. The plan is for him to stay among the people for three weeks before returning to the city for a week to recharge and return home. Please pray that even now, he is being prepared to endure the differences in culture, amenities, food, etc., and that he will not only tolerate those differences, but also thrive in this environment while sharing, doing follow-up and discipleship training. Please petition for safe travels, and ask God to do a mighty work among the Chitwan Tharu while he is here. May this experience have a lasting impact on his life for the lost.

May 24 : Who are the Maruthuvar? Traditionally the Maruthuvar (also known as Navithar) people of southern India have been known as barbers and midwives. Today, as the country of India moves toward modern advancement, many of the Maruthuvar people are leaving behind the professions of their parents and are attending a university and pursuing careers in education, engineering and medicine. However, what this new generation is not leaving behind is their religious tradition and heritage. The Maruthuvar people of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, who number more than 650,000, worship all Hindu gods, but their main deity is Muneeswarar. According to Hindu legend, Munesswarar is a deity who took on seven different incarnations meant to protect his followers. Devotees think that in praying to Munesswarar, a statue in the form of a man clothed in traditional Indian clothing and holding a trident, they will achieve bliss and good health in life. Today and throughout history, Munesswarar has been worshipped as either a fierce god or a peaceful god. Pray for the Maruthuvar people, who have no Christian witness among them. Pray for the one, true, living God to soften the hearts of the Maruthuvar people and graciously send someone to share the Good News with them.

May 25 : Trekking for Jesus. At the end of May, a team of two college students will be coming to volunteer for two months. They will be trekking to many middle-hill villages with a national worker and a translator. The plan is for them to stay in the villages for three weeks before returning to the city for a week to recharge, and then to repeat that schedule. The terrain they will be trekking involves stairs, stairs and more stairs! They will be relying on God to find them a “person of peace” (Luke 10:6) or a fellow believer with whom they may stay as they go. Please ask the Holy Spirit to begin even now preparing their hearts, minds and bodies to endure all that they will encounter. Pray for safe travel to and from South Asia and while they are in-country sharing, doing follow-up and discipleship training. Ask God to do a mighty work among the G people while they are here, and may the lives of these college students be greatly impacted for the lost because of this experience.

May 26 : Health Training Among Bihari. Give thanks to the Lord that three Bengali Christians who serve among Bihari Muslims received training this spring that will help them share simple health lessons with Biharis who live in cramped quarters and have limited facilities for practicing good hygiene. These Christians want to help Biharis in Bangladesh improve their quality of life by avoiding preventable illnesses and learning how to recognize treatable illnesses when they occur. Please pray for both the physical and spiritual health of the many Bihari Muslims living in Bangladesh. Every day, both young and old Biharis enter eternity without having experienced the new and abundant life that Isa (Jesus) so longs to give them. BihariBride@pobox.com

May 27 : Drawn to the Light. “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ” (Colossians 2:8, NKJV). Please pray Colossians 2:8 for the followers of Jesus in Karachi, Pakistan. May they walk in obedience to the teachings of Christ in a genuine relationship with Him and turn away from philosophy, empty deceit, traditions of men, and the basic principles of the world. Please ask that they will shine His light brightly and that those who have not yet come to follow Christ will be drawn to that light. Pray for the millions of people in Karachi who do not know the truth of who Jesus is and are caught up in the traditions of men. May their chains be broken and their lives set free as they choose the fullness of life found only in Jesus Christ.

May 28 : Following Christ’s Commands. Please continue to pray for five Hindu-background believers in East Africa attending a weekly Bible study to follow through on their commitments and receive believer’s baptism. Pray for four individuals from different faiths to carry through with the recording of their personal testimonies.

FIRST PERSON: One American opens his heart to Pakistani students

When in Pakistan, many foreigners visit historic mosques like this one. Of the 168 million people who live in Pakistan, nearly all of them are Muslim.

By Cade Rutledge*

PAKISTAN — Less than an hour after our President announced Osama bin Laden’s death to the nation, a Facebook friend updated his status: Never forget 9/11. Rest assured, I haven’t. In fact, I vividly remember that Tuesday morning like it was yesterday.

On a rooftop, I bore witness to my generation’s Pearl Harbor. For a hundred and one minutes the towers burned until they were no more.

Currently, I’m teaching Pakistan’s new generation at a local university. Younger Muslims previously lived in their own bubbles, but are now being exposed more to what Pakistan is experiencing. They want freedoms of expression and religion. They want choice.

My older brother worked on the 82nd floor when Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower. He survived and joined thousands of ash-covered New Yorkers in a mass exodus across the Brooklyn Bridge. On the other side thousands more waited. Some carried photos of their loved ones; others offered free rides.

At home, my family gathered to watch and wait. When I walked home that day in September, the streets were eerily quiet. Phone lines were jammed. Only one TV station worked. And, travel into Manhattan was banned. All anyone could do was wait.

When I first heard about the death of Osama bin Laden earlier this week, I was in shock. I heard it on the loudspeakers at a neighborhood mosque. I think I’d just given up on the idea he would be found. Little did I know, he was in the same country.

Watching the celebrations at Ground Zero and in front of the White House reminded me of a victory like the end of WWII. Osama bin Laden’s death united a country weighed down by economic distress and political polarization. At least for a while it’s giving Americans hope that things will be okay and that our cause is just.

In the days that followed bin Laden’s death, public transportation was silent, as people avoided the subject everyone wanted to talk about. But, not in my classroom. My students have always been open to discussing issues of faith, ethics and worldview. And they’ll express opinions about Islam that would surprise or shock anyone.

Average Pakistanis are tired of just surviving. But that’s the thing. I admire the Pakistani people’s resilience in the face of suicide bombings, Islamic militancy, political assassinations (and corruption), rising costs for basic necessities and even a flood which laid waste to one-third of their country. Punch after punch they get back up. It reminds me of the resilience I experienced among New Yorkers after 9/11.

Most don’t support Osama bin Laden or his cause. However, when I asked in class whether Islam is compatible with globalization, they answered reluctantly because they didn’t want to be perceived as bad Muslims. This thinking prohibits people from pursuing freedom, love and peace. But, peace doesn’t come from Hollywood or not practicing Islam. It only comes from Jesus.

After my family was attacked on 9/11, we waved flags, posted posters of the skyline and chanted U-S-A at baseball games. I’m an American for goodness sakes! But all that changed in September 2003 when I met Jesus.

Soon after, God began replacing my American identity with one grounded in His Son. Where I placed my security was no longer in my passport, but in His eternal Word. Like streams in the desert, Jesus’ life was marked by a compassionate obedience. A love for the lost and an obedience to see that no one should perish.

I know someone who looks like any other Pakistani. But, this man fought for his country in the name of a terrorist group. That is, until he found a Bible and read, “Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.” A truly radical thought.

I don’t know when or how long it took for him to truly follow Christ. Now, he disciples a group of men, whom he has led to Christ.

The question is not how can I possibly love the Muslims who attacked my country, but will I do so? Our answer should always be yes because our Jesus-centered faith demands it. Our Christian response must never resemble the world’s.

To this day I’m convinced it was the Spirit who laid this nation on my heart. A country, a people which never once crossed my mind became an inescapable thought. So much so that when I shared this calling with my close friends I couldn’t help but weep.

Should Christians celebrate bin Laden’s death? As the online debate raged another Facebook friend posted on his wall: I’m a Christian and I’m happy Osama is dead. My heart broke. Juxtaposing his reaction with his faith, our faith made me wonder how much of our response is more American than it is Christian. More from our fallen nature than from God.

The Pakistani people desire that same hope Americans express by rejoicing at Ground Zero. They wonder whether we care enough to tell them things will be okay.

The early church felt the same way about Saul as we do about today’s terrorists. As I did about those who attacked us on 9/11. However, look at what Paul left behind in Jesus’ name. I believe it can happen again because God can transform even the hardest of hearts.

On September 11, I watched the towers burn and worried for my brother’s safety. Ten years later, I was in Pakistan when Osama bin Laden died. And, I’ll never forget.

—30—

*Name changed.

Cade Rutledge recently served two years in South Asia as a university instructor.

Muslim women need our prayers

Will you pray for South Asia Muslim women today?

(Month of Prayer & Fasting for Muslim Women)

Many Deccani Muslim women face social injustice such as religious persecution, domestic abuse, female genital mutilation, rape, “nikah mut’ah” (temporary wife), and honor killings. As followers of Christ, we are called to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God (see Micah 6:8).

A sister organization is focusing on praying for Muslim women in May 2011. Join us in advocating for Muslim women by standing in the gap to pray for them. The purpose of this intentional prayer emphasis is driven by love–our love for God and His love for them.

Our desire is to see the church rise up and express the love of Christ very deliberately and very clearly. The best way to begin is with prayer. ‘The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much’ (James 5:16b, NKJV).

We invite you to become an advocate for Muslim women by joining us in this 31 days of prayer. (For those who register at the website, a daily email with a different prayer point will be sent, beginning May 1.) https://www.crescentproject.org/31daysofprayer

For more resources on praying for South Asian Muslim women–including a downloadable 31-day prayer guide, go to http://southasianpeoples.imb.org/prayer/adorned/.

To order Adorned for Prayer, a free resource to use with small groups of women, go to
http://imbresources.org/index.cfm/product/detail/prodID/3207/page/1.

Week of May 15, 2011

May 15 : CD Reaches the Lost. Three years ago, you were asked to make this an “overall prayer”: “May there be many believers who will sing, draw, dance, dramatize and sculpt God’s praises in their own tongues and in their own beautiful artistic, cultural styles so that His name will be praised throughout the peoples of South Asia!” A cross-cultural worker in South Asia now shares this answer: “About two years ago, I made a demo recording for a pastor I know of songs he had written. He took the demo and persuaded a CD company to produce a recording professionally. It has since become the top-selling Christian recording ever released in his language. One auto rickshaw driver, the only believer in his family, played that CD while driving around. His parents, who persecuted him, discovered that he had left the CD at home one day, and they decided to listen to it. When the driver came home, his parents said, ‘We want to know more. This is beautiful.’ Now that driver has two believing parents!” Praise the Lord for these new believers. Pray that this CD will bring many more people into the Father’s kingdom and that His name will be praised with indigenous music throughout South Asia.

May 16 : Pondering the Jesus Way. Several South Asian migrant workers in the Middle East heard the Gospel in March. Pray for one Bengali Muslim leader who invited workers back so that he could hear more. It was unusual that he did not debate, but rather asked sincere questions. He is pondering “the Jesus way”! Pray for him and hundreds of other South Asian migrants who have never heard the Good News of the Savior. http://prayerthreads.imb.org

May 17 : Chiefs Needs Jesus. The Bhojpuri-speaking Shaikh are a Muslim people group numbering more than 1.5 million within the East Himalayan Basin Cluster. The word “shaikh” means “elder” or “chief.” The Shaikh people have been involved primarily in cultivating crops and domesticating herd animals. The Shaikh also hold trade, business and white-collar jobs. Mosques and shrines are their common places of worship. Please pray that harvesters will rise to the task of sharing the Gospel among the Shaikh. Ask the Spirit to reveal Christ as the Messiah through visions and dreams. http://prayerthreads.imb.org

May 18 : Kalal Need Prayer. Kalal Muslims exist all over India and have few, if any, known Christians among them. Today, please focus your prayers on Kannada-speaking Kalal Muslims living in the state of Karnataka. There are several identifying marks of these people. First is their adherence to the Islam religion, and second is their name. The people of this group often have the family name of Kalal. In fact, you can even find Kalal Muslims in big cities in the United States – just check your phone book! Pray that people from this group will be able to see that there is truth in the Bible. Pray that Christians living in Karnataka will develop friendships with them and point them to a God who loves in a way they have never experienced. Finally, please pray that God will burden a group or a church to pray for these people regularly, and also ask that someone will accept the challenge to develop a plan to engage them with the Gospel. http://prayerthreads.imb.org

May 19 : Nobody Comes; Nobody Cares. Recently a volunteer team from Texas came to North India to focus on the Banjara, an unreached people group. Approximately 275 Banjara heard the Good News, some of them for the very first time. One man commented, “Nobody ever comes. Nobody cares. Thank you for coming. It might take awhile for people to believe.” One of our workers has gone back a few times to this particular group and told them the creation and the fall stories from God’s Word. Pray in particular for two women, S and K, to receive the Lord as their Savior. http://prayerthreads.imb.org

May 20 : Freedom in Jesus. The country of Bangladesh recently was shut down for a strike called by a group protesting women’s rights. This was disturbing, especially in light of a story in the paper just a few weeks earlier. A 14-year-old girl was raped when she went out of her home to use the restroom (outhouse) and was abducted by an older man. Hearing her screams, the wife of the attacker came running and proceeded to beat the girl! The village authorities got involved and sentenced the man and the girl to lashes as their punishment. Because she had been raped, the girl was seen as committing adultery, and thus she was flogged. The girl died as a result of the beating. This story is almost beyond comprehension and left me physically ill by the end of reading it. I want to pull my hair out and scream at such horrors, but instead I ask for your prayers. Many Bangladesh citizens are outraged by such behavior and do not want such laws in their country. Pray that those who push for such laws will not gain a foothold in this land, but that God will bring believers into positions of authority. Ask for the women bound by such laws to be freed by the Savior of the world. Pray that God will bring families to faith and that such treatment will cease.”

May 21 : Unified Vision. “Recently a local ministry has felt burdened to help reach Muslims in our state. They have decided to host a believers’ conference for first-generation Muslim-background believers as well as ministers focused primarily on reaching Muslims. Please pray that the advertisements will attract only true believers and only those ministering to Muslims in this state. Ask God to blind the eyes of any who might do harm or try to sneak into this type of meeting for evil purposes. Pray that the local ministry will be able to supply their portion of the budget. Also pray that this will not only encourage Muslim-background believers and those ministering to them, but provide our representatives with solid connections for partnerships and church-planting efforts. Pray for all the logistics to come together smoothly. This includes a venue, a program, and travel/housing arrangements. Lift up those who will be traveling by bus, train or other modes of transportation. Also pray for the physical safety of everyone attending the meetings. Ask God to unify those planning this event and lead them in each detail. Ask His Holy Spirit to prepare hearts and give a unified vision so that the Muslims of our state will join us around His throne in heaven.”

Pakistani students ponder their future

Baptist Press, May 13, 2011: http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=35296

By Torie Speicher

University students in Pakistan ask questions about Osama bin laden's death and the effect it will have on their country.

PAKISTAN — For Americans, the name Osama bin Laden conjures images of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on 9/11. For Muslim university students in Pakistan, it is the same.

They’re not proud of him. They don’t align themselves with conservative Muslims. They are, however, concerned about what the future will bring.

They’re ready for a new way of living, a way that allows their country to develop economically and replaces the image of violence that the world sees.

“It’s very painful to talk about Pakistan’s image across the globe. To the best of my knowledge, Pakistan is known as a ‘terrorist’ country,” Ghina Guneta,* a Pakistani university student, said. “Wherever there are any terrorist attacks, Pakistan is held responsible either directly or indirectly.”

In some ways the death of Osama bin Laden is just another day in Pakistan. The news is always reporting the assassination of someone. Tariq Ahluwalla,* a university student in Pakistan, said, “Pakistanis are used to it.”

Students agree that Pakistan has paid a price during the past several years because of the 9/11 attacks and the Al-Qaida movement. For these university students, who should have their whole lives of opportunity ahead of them, it will be difficult to experience another way of living because their passports will keep them from having access to many places in the world.

Cade Rutledge,* an university instructor, said his students regularly talk about the effects of world events on young people in Pakistan.

“These students represent a whole generation of Pakistani youth that are ready for a turning point in their country,” Rutledge said.

This young Pakistani generation wants change so much that they’re even open to discuss issues of faith — such as Christianity. Strict blasphemy laws, however, keep it from moving very far beyond a philosophical discussion in a classroom to taking root in their own lives. Students say there’s a lot of pressure to be good Muslims. “Blasphemy” laws in Pakistan mandate death for people who leave or “insult” Islam. Shahbaz Bhatti, the only Christian in Pakistan’s government, was assassinated March 2 after pushing for reform of these harsh “blasphemy” laws.

HOPE FOR PAKISTAN?

Pakistan is a difficult place for a Christian of any nationality, but it’s especially difficult for Americans. Louis Claman* claimed this is the best time for Christians to show love to Muslims. Afterall, the American added, people are people and naturally drawn to each other.

On a trip in Pakistan, Claman met someone affiliated with a Mujahideen outfit.

“He hugged me and invited me for tea,” the American recalled. “At that time in history, we were not enemies — me, the American Christian, and he, the Muslim Mujahid who fought for the liberation of Kashmir and Afghanistan.”

That day was September 11, 2001. Since they were in an area with no phone, they did not know about the day’s events back in the States.

“Neither of us could have imagined the way the world would change over the coming decade,” Claman said. “Forced to be on the global stage, young men such as this were compelled to choose between a false dichotomy of Al-Qaida or USA.”

Since that time, Pakistan has endured through an earthquake that killed almost 100,000 people and a massive flood that destroyed infrastructure and crops.

“The people are demoralized by chronic poverty, racked by corruption and desperately seeking God,” Claman said.

Isaiah and Josie Gabdon* agreed with Claman and said there is an openness to hearing God’s Word. The couple has worked among South Asian peoples for 16 years and has seen the openness come and go. They claimed that anytime there is a significant event in the Muslim world — like an attack or an uprising — people become more open to talking about life and death issues.

“The conditions in the country (terrorism and economic problems) are leading many Pakistanis to question things and have softer hearts to the Gospel,” Isaiah Gabdon said. “Nearly 70 people have come to faith in recent months.”

—30—

*Names changed

Torie Speicher is a writer serving among South Asian peoples as a volunteer with International Mission Board. Used by permission. www.bpnews.net

Week of May 8, 2011

May 8 : Young People Lead. Please pray throughout the month of May for a group of young Indian believers who will be attending evangelism training sessions during their summer break. These young men and women, ages 15-30, have been chosen to attend 17 days of classes, based on their desire to be involved in full-time ministry in the future. Class topics include the doctrines of salvation, sin, baptism, the Holy Spirit and resurrection, as well as topics such as women in ministry, storying the Bible, moral purity, basic spiritual disciplines, roles of husbands and wives and parents, plus many others. It is a unique opportunity for these emerging leaders of the faith! Please pray that God will draw into the training those whom He wants to be there. Pray for the various instructors teaching the subjects, asking that they will prepare what God wants them to teach in the power of the Holy Spirit. Pray that the students who attend will continue to grow in their walk with Christ, and that God will use them as Spirit-reliant, effective leaders who will radically impact God’s kingdom in South India.

May 9 : Here am I! Send me. Imagine 25 countries, each with 62 million people (the population of the United Kingdom). Imagine all those people without even one Christian. Imagine three of those countries without any harvest workers. That would be nearly 200 million people with no access to the Gospel. The countries of India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and the Maldives make up the homelands of the South Asian peoples: The greatest concentration of lostness on earth. The people of South Asia have fewer cross-cultural workers than all the other areas of the world, and there are more people in South Asia who need to hear the Gospel than anywhere else in the world. Get on your knees and pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His fields. Ask Him if He wants you to go. Be ready to say with Isaiah, “Here am I! Send me.” http://prayerthreads.imb.org

May 10 : Storytelling Workshop. Please pray for team members as they plan and run a storytelling workshop in May, aiming to form sets of stories in different dialects representing four unengaged, unreached people groups in northern India. Pray that believers representing each people group or believers who live near these groups will attend the workshop and take these stories back to those communities. Pray that those who hear the stories will give their hearts to Jesus.

May 11 : Training to Reach Others. Please lift up several trainings that will occur in K state among the V people and other unreached people groups during the month of May. There will be several dozen nationals who will be trained in “best practices” for reaching their communities and in Storying Training for Trainers (ST4T), an evangelism tool that uses chronological Bible stories to share the Good News in a reproducible way. The workers have seen much fruit, but persecution continues to be a concern as well. Pray for boldness and wisdom for the nationals, asking that they will not only live out their faith, but also seek opportunities to share boldly and disciple those around them.

May 12 : Beautiful Feet. “How can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent?” (Romans 10:14b-15a). And how can they be sent unless they get a visa? Workers in two locations in South Asia have great difficulty securing visas to work in these areas. If granted, the visas are often for less than a year, and the constant insecurity of not knowing what is next can be very stressful. Pray that permission to administer projects to help the poor and needy will be granted by government officials. Pray also that workers will not grow weary from this constant challenge, but will trust the Lord of the harvest to send His workers, regardless of where they come from or how they get there, into the harvest fields of these two areas.

May 13 : Sri Lankan Moors. The majority of the 1.5 million Sri Lankan Moor are dispersed along the island’s remote and beautiful eastern coast. It is estimated that 1,000 follow Isa al Masih (Jesus Christ). Moor Muslim-background believers vary in how discipleship is lived out in the community and struggle to stay connected as a result of their new faith. Intercede for three Muslim-background believing families by asking God’s Spirit to make them desperate for Him

May 14 : Beaten for Jesus. “In March, we received word about three Indian believers who had left their city and traveled to a nearby town in North India to do an evangelism training for other believers in that city. The region is a stronghold for fundamental Hindus. Police got wind of the training and raided the meeting, severely beating all three trainers. One was beaten so badly that he had to be taken to a local hospital. The other two could not walk out on their own power and were hauled off to jail, where they remained for an unspecified period of time. As of today, we have learned that the three men are free to return to their own city, but we have no update about their physical condition. Fear seems to be reigning at this time. Please pray that these men will not succumb to fear, but will continue to share God’s Word boldly. Despite this opposition, pray that the Gospel will spread throughout North India.”