West Texas Missioner

Monday, November 17, 2008

Midland Group: Church Leader Sentenced to "Re-education Through Labor"

The China Aid Association is a non-profit Christian organization - based in Midland, Texas - with a mission to uncover and reveal the truth about religious persecution in China, focusing especially on the unofficial church. They do this, they explain in their website, by exposing the abuses, encouraging the abused and equipping the saints to advance the kingdom of God throughout China.

Issued by ChinaAid, December, 2008 ...

HENAN, CHINA - ChinaAid learned a house church leader in Henan province, Pastor Zhu Baoguo, was sentenced to one year of “re-education through labor,” accused of being an “evil cult” leader.

On October 12, 2008 five church leaders were detained during a church gathering of about 20 people at Dushu village, Yuguang town, Neixiang county, Nanyang city, Henan province. Pastor Zhu received 15 days of administrative detention, while the other four leaders were sentenced to five days. However, on October 30, two days after Pastor Zhu was released from his 15-day administrative detention at the Detention Center of Neixiang County, Pastor Zhu was sentenced to one year of re-education through labor. He was charged with being a member of “an evil cult.” He was immediately sent to a labor camp. His family and church members have not been able to determine where he is being held. According to his family members, Pastor Zhu suffers from heart disease.

“To arbitrarily detain and sentence an innocent house church pastor is a direct violation of the Chinese Constitution and related international human rights covenants guaranteeing Chinese citizens’ religious freedom. It also contradicts the Chinese government’s repeated claim for protecting religious freedom in the spirit of rule of law,” said Bob Fu, President of ChinaAid. “We call upon the Chinese government to release Pastor Zhu immediately.”

Please Take Note

Here is a wonderful way to spread the news ... AND spread the WORD. Notecards bearing images created by orphans of the Lulwanda Children's Home of Uganada, are now on sale at First Presbyterian Church of Midland. A packet of eight 51/2" x 3" cards, printed on heavy card stock, with envelopes, costs $10 and all of the proceeds from the sale goes to Lulwanda Children's Home.

All of the images that appear on the cards were created by the children this summer, when they were visited by FPC's 2008 Uganada Mission Team. You can choose from full-color landscapes, black-and white barnyard animals, or variable-color native plants from this region of Uganda.

First Presbyterian Church is located on the northwest corner of Texas and A streets, on the west edge of downtown Midland, please use the Texas Street entrance near the intersection. The church office is open Monday through Friday, from eight o'clock in the morning until five o'clock in the afternoon. For more information, please call First Prez-Midland at (432) 684-7821.

Lulwanda Children’s Home opened its doors on December 1, 2004, the first children’s home established by the Grace International Children’s Foundation (GICF). Lulwanda now houses and cares for 90 orphaned or abandoned children between the ages of 3 and 12.

Before coming to Lulwanda Children’s Home, many of these children had no one to care for them, while others were living in desperate conditions with aging and overburdened grandparents. Now the children are thriving in a healthy, nurturing environment. The children not only live at Lulwanda, they also attend primary school on site, learning basic life skills, English, math, and a variety of other subjects. Pre-school, kindergarten, and first through fifth grades are held simultaneously for five hours daily, five days per week. The children receive regular medical care, nutritious meals, and lots of outdoor play time – all in a warm family environment that promotes bonding between the children, their house mothers, and the rest of the staff members

Facilities at the Lulwanda Children’s Home include boys’ and girls’ dormitories and bathhouses, living / dining areas, 6 classrooms, a large playground, a kitchen, laundry room, and a garden which provides some of the food for the Home. A 10 acre farm was recently acquired and food crops are being grown and harvested. The Home Administrator lives on site, as do the four housemothers.

CLICK HERE to view or download a 2 page color tri-fold brochure about Lulwanda, in PDF format.

God Issues Today: "Barbers and Barricades"

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Jubilee Campaign: Prayer Requests

Jubilee Campaign is a nonprofit organization seeking to help the persecuted church and children at risk around the world. We advocate for the release of prisoners of conscience and endeavor to change laws wherever necessary.
CLICK HERE for more information

Please pray for ...

• North Koreans who live in squalor and whose lives are threatened by mere attempts to provide for their families
• The NKRs who have escaped to use their voices as a way to change the hearts and minds of others-God to send in the force necessary to rescue these people from harm
• The regime of Kim Jong-Il to fall
• The NKRs who face discrimination in South Korea as they have little means to support themselves
• The post-Kim Jong-Il era to bring stability to Korea, not economic downturn-The ability to care for those impoverished-Protection for Christian aid workers in China as well as for the Gospel message to transform hearts and give peace to North Koreans

The following was prepared by Jubilee Campaign ...

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is the most secretive regime in the world. Few penetrate its borders and fewer personally encounter the horrible poverty plaguing this country and hundreds of thousands of its citizens. Jubilee Campaign partners with the North Korea Freedom Coalition to provide a voice for North Korean refugees (NKRs), and to spread awareness of the gross injustices against them. NKRs are known in the DPRK as "defectors" or "traitors" for attempting to escape in hope of a better life and more freedom. NKRs face repatriation, torture, rape, forced abortion, prison camps, and death. They are treated sub-human. Their children live incredibly malnourished and often scrounge for crumbs they find at people's feet.

Inside sources and reliable veterans document the inner workings of this country from China as of July, 2008:

Border patrols on both sides of the Tumen and Yalu Rivers are being beefed up with more guards and shorter distances between them. The North Korean border patrol has a "shoot-on-sight" order for NKRs trying to cross the border illegally. One activist reported that snipers are now being posted at elevated positions above the river, giving them a wider view and a longer time to train their scopes on fleeing NKRs.

Widespread house-to-house checks by Chinese police in border areas were administered to ferret out NKRs in Chinese households as of the past few months. The work of volunteers has been hindered by an extreme tightening of hotel and guesthouse registration requirements. As of the last few months, rules are strictly enforced that the passport of each traveler must be registered with the H/G, and this data processing is directly accessible by the local police office, giving no anonymity to the guests. In a similar vein, Internet café access may only be gained by showing a Chinese national ID card.

Police officials in the Chinese and North Korean border regions are authorized to issue substantial bounties to the local ethnic Korean-Chinese population to reveal the whereabouts of NKRs hiding in their neighborhoods. These bounties have increased in recent months and are designed to undermine the sympathy that the ethnic Korean-Chinese population naturally has for their NKR cousins from across the river. Bounties are also offered in larger sums for information on any local resident or foreigner who might be helping the NKRs in China.

How many are crossing secretly along the two-river border that stretches many hundreds of miles between China and North Korean is unknown, but the rapidly worsening food situation inside the DPRK (exacerbated by a recent embargo by the Chinese government of grain exports due to the global food crisis, the more strict regulation of food aid by the new South Korean government, and declining distribution worldwide by the World Food Program) increases the "push factors" on North Korean citizens taking the chance to cross.

Widespread reports at the border area confirm that food shortages are now critical in the central part of the country and news of death from malnutrition is becoming more widespread, always with comparisons to the severity of food shortages in the mid-1990's. Prices have soared, and a growing number of black marketers inside NK are deliberately withholding rice to further escalate the price in spite of the famine.

The best estimate we have received from experts located on the border is that roughly 30% of the NKRs are caught by the Chinese and sent back at present. One recent and reliable report indicated the continued use of forced abortions on some pregnant NKR females who are repatriated. A testimony heard on May 12, 2008 told of a NKR mother of two small children, ages 6 and 7, who was repatriated to North Korea the previous day without her children. The authorities paid no heed to the mother-children relationship and callously repatriated the mother only. The activist said that this indicated a new level of hardening of the Chinese position in such cases.

As the activist observer passed the Tumen Detention Center, one knowledgeable resident who was driving the vehicle stated that the there are currently 600 NKRs being held by Chinese authorities in that one detention center alone. They are repatriated systematically once a month, according to this well-placed source.

Inside the DPRK, punishments on repatriated NKRs for leaving North Korea without permission are getting heavier. Reports have come that some repatriated NKRs in the North Korean town of Hoeryong are being forced to walk up to 40 km. to a worksite and the same distance back in a work camp, as part of their punishment for fleeing their homeland.

Friday, November 14, 2008

God Issues Today: "The Cowboys and the Cabinet"

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Midland-based Group: Prominent House Church Leader in China Released After International Outcry

Issued by ChinaAid, November, 2008 ...

BEIJING, CHINA - Pastor “Bike” Zhang Mingxuan, his wife and his wife’s sister were declared “free” by government officials on October 27, 2008 at 1 p.m. in Nanyang, Henan province as a direct result of international outcry on their behalf. It is believed that the three were being held to prevent them from attending the third anniversary of the Chinese House Church Alliance which was held in Beijing on October 20. Pastor Bike, President of the Chinese House Church Alliance, was one of approximately 300 delegates invited to attend the celebration. Because of police harassment, only about 100 of the delegates made it to Beijing for the event.

Pastor Bike was first detained on October 16, after his sons, Zhang Jian and Zhang Chuang, were beaten by police and his wife was evicted from their apartment. The Public Security Bureau (PSB) sent out two separate groups to arrest the family. One group of PSB officers picked up Pastor Bike at the Kunming Airport. Another group arrested his wife and his wife’s sister in Beijing and took them to Nanyang city, Henan province. Pastor Bike was detained in the PSB office of Shilin city, Yunnan province with about 15 PSB officers watching and questioning him in turn. On October 23, Pastor Bike was transported by police car to Nanyang city by two PSB officers from the PSB of Nanyang city. He and his wife along his wife’s sister were detained at Wenquan Hotel in Nanyang city until October 27 when they were all declared “free”.

Pastor Bike’s sons, Zhang Jian and Zhang Chuang, moved with their families to Nanyang city, Henan province under police pressure soon after the October 16 attack. They are still recovering from their injuries. However, Pastor Bike’s younger son, Zhang Chuang, has been ordered by his landlord to report back to Beijing and move out of the apartment that he is legally renting. The landlord has been under pressure from PSB officers to formally evict Zhang Chuang to force him permanently out of Beijing. Zhang Jian, Pastor Bike’s oldest son, was evicted from his apartment immediately following the October 16 police attack.

The harassment of the Zhang family is believed to be directly supported by the “Citizen Informant Initiative” of the Beijing State Security Bureau issued July 25, 2008 which requires Beijing citizens to report those “engaging in activities that endanger state security by utilizing religions.” It is believed that officials want not only to force the Zhang family from Beijing, but also to suppress the Chinese House Church Alliance house churches.

After his release, Pastor Bike went directly to Beijing to meet with Chinese House Church Alliance house church members and to settle his apartment contract. At the anniversary celebration of the House Church Alliance on October 20 in Beijing, the approximately 100 Chinese House Church Alliance delegates who made it to Beijing issued a public statement, declaring they will continue live out their faith and care for the poor and orphans despite persecution.

After China Aid reported about the attack against Pastor “Bike” Zhang Mingxuan’s family and the arrest of Pastor Bike that followed, American churches, government officials and individuals expressed deep concern. As a direct result of the international outcry to the Chinese government, Pastor Bike was released. ChinaAid thanks all who voiced concern for this family, and will continue to post updates on this situation.

God Issues Today: "Driving Under Hypnosis"

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

God Issues Today: "If Two People Always Agree, One Isn't Necessary"

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Midlander Invited to Speak at Human Rights Conference in South Korea

Issued by ChinaAid, November 1, 2008 ...

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - Bob Fu, President and Founder of ChinaAid, spoke at the fifth general meeting of International Parliamentarians’ Coalition for North Korean Refugees and Human Rights (IPCNKR) on October 25, 2008 in Seoul, South Korea. This year’s conference addressed human rights issues in China and Bob Fu was invited as a special guest speaker.

Read the text of Bob Fu’s speech at the International Parliamentarians’ Coalition for North Korean Refugees and Human Rights

Faces of Children: Prayer Requests

Faces of Children is an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Our mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, we seek to provide an opportunity for people of God to join together, learn about children and their needs throughout the world, and celebrate Christ's love (especially as it relates to children).

Prayer Concerns for the week of 11/10/08

Democratic Republic of Congo
• Please pray for the children of eastern Congo who continue to be affected by violence that has displaced more than 200,000 people. More than 5 million people have died since 1998 because of war-related violence, hunger and disease.
A Report from alertnet.org

A Report from the Washington Post

Another Report from alertnet.org
• Pray for children and people roaming the countryside seeking shelter, food, water and medical care. Pray for their safety and provision. An estimated 60,000 children have been displaced in the recent fighting. Pray for those who have been separated from family members and must fend for themselves.

A Report from alertnet.org

Another Report from alertnet.org
• Pray for aid workers and church members who are at great risk as they help the children of this volatile area.
• Pray for the estimated 40,000 girls and women who are survivors of sexual and gender-based violence in Congo.
U.N. World Health Organisation Media Center
A Report from alertnet.org
• Pray for a peaceful resolution between rebel groups and the Congolese government.
A Report from the Washington Post
A Report from alertnet.org

Niger

• Please pray for children in Niger affected by the withdrawal of Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders). The government of Niger ordered the medical charity to cease operations within the country, leaving thousands of children at risk.

A Report from the BBC

Thailand

• Pray for Anthony * who is committed to helping hill tribe children and youth in refugee camps on the border of Thailand and Burma. Many of these children and young people do not have identity documents and are forbidden to leave the refugee camp. Anthony helps them with this process, but he is extremely frustrated and anxious because he also lacks documents needed to legally enter and reside in Thailand.

* Name changed for confidentiality and/or protection.
• Pray for hill tribe children and youth who feel hopeless about the future because of their present situation.

Uganda

• Please be in prayer for the disabled children receiving treatment at the CURE International Hospital in Uganda and especially for a 14-year-old boy named Mumo and a 14-year-old girl named Wavinya.

Zimbabwe
• Please pray for the children and people of Zimbabwe during this very difficult time in their country. The inflation rate, running at about 20 trillion percent, has caused extreme shortages of food and basic goods, and threatens the stability of southern Africa.
A Report from the Washington Post
A Report from the New York Times
• Pray that God will comfort and provide for the daily needs of the children and vulnerable affected by this devastating situation.
• Pray for the teachers, nurses, garbage collectors and janitors who cannot afford to pay rising transportation costs to get to their jobs because their salaries continue to devalue. Pray for their children and families.
• Pray for stability in this region and hope for its children and people. Pray that God will convict the hearts of Zimbabwe’s leaders and fill them with compassion for those in need.

Faces of Children
• Please continue to pray for more churches and individuals to be brought into the ministry of Faces of Children, spread awareness about children in crisis, and invite more people to pray for children at risk.

God Issues Today: "Plato and the President"

Author, educator and commentator Dr. James Denison has been pastor of Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas since June, 1998. Prior to that, he was pastor at churches in Atlanta, Georgia, as well as Midland (at First Baptist!) and Mansfield, Texas.

"As Mr. Obama and his wife prepared to visit the White House today, his advisors were working on first steps for his administration. How are Christians to support him," Dr. Denison askss in today's post at God Issues.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Please Take Note

TSL: ภาษาไทย as a Second Language

Brett & Shelly Faucett are mission co-workers living in Chiang Mai, Thailand, where we had a chance to meet with them during our mission to that country, earlier this year. They are HIV/AIDS regional consultants. Brett is a nurse and amateur photographer. Shelly, a former literacy specialist and ESL teacher. They have their two daughters, Acacia and Annapurna, with them.

Several weeks back, Brett offered this post on their Welcome to the Jungle blog, providing some insight into the process of learning to read and write in Thai ... which can be daunting.

"Thai has been an extremely difficult language to learn mainly due to the tones. Thai language has 5 tones (mid, low, falling, high and rising). The same word can be spoken with 5 different tones and they mean completely different things. For instance (Mai) could be mile, new, no/not, ..., right, and silk depending on the tone you use," Brett explains. "So, sometimes it's frustrating when you are talking to someone and you know you are using the right word, but they keep looking at you like you have an arm growing out of your back. Some people can't seem to figure out what you are trying to say because of the wrong tone used even though the context is clear."

Sawat dii khrap gap choke dii na khrap

West Texas Mission Opportunities:
Faces of Children

There are some for whom the word "mission" conjures up images of travels to the far side of the world for extended periods of time ... but that is NOT always the case. There are opportunities going on in your community - right here, right now - that have a genuine need for someone with exactly your skills, and exactly your schedule.

One is Faces of Children, an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Our mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, we seek to provide an opportunity for people of God to join together, learn about children and their needs throughout the world, and celebrate Christ's love (especially as it relates to children).

Faces of Children has a four-part mission ...
• educate by raising awareness about suffering children and children at risk;
• pray and mobilize groups to pray for children in churches, neighborhoods, communities across our nation, and throughout the world;
• build relationships with global ministries that reach out to children, praying with and for those ministries and the children they serve; and
• provide an opportunity for people of God to join in celebrating Christ's love, especially as it relates to children.

Faces of Children regularly prays for children at risk and in crisis - suffering children - and the workers and organizations who serve them. Faces of Children prays for the Church, governments and care-givers in their roles of responsibility to protect and care for God's children. They encourage others to form prayer groups that will also intentionally and regularly pray for children of war, poverty, abuse, hunger, sexual exploitation and slave labor ... for orphans, victims of AIDS and those suffering from disease ... for those who love and care for these young citizens of God's Kingdom. They believe that through prayer and petition, God will change the lives of children and transform the hearts of those who abuse, exploit and oppress God's children.

For more information, you can call Faces of Children at (432) 684-7821, e-mail them at info@facesofchildren.net or visit their website.

God Issues Today: "So Much for a Honeymoon"

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Today is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

The following was prepared by www.persecutedchurch.org/

The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP) is a global day of intercession for persecuted Christians worldwide. Its primary focus is the work of intercessory prayer and citizen action on behalf of persecuted communities of the Christian faith. We also encourage prayer for the souls of the oppressors, the nations that promote persecution, and those who ignore it.

We believe that prayer changes things. Exactly what happens is a mystery of faith. God invites us to present to Him our requests and to pray without ceasing. Persecuted Christians often plead for prayer to help them endure. The most we can do is the least we can do — pray. We also encourage continuing prayer and educated involvement on behalf of persecuted Christians. Visit our partner Web sites to discover further ways to get involved.

How did the IDOP get started?

The IDOP began in 1996 through the efforts of the World Evangelical Fellowship (WEF) in cooperation with a variety of denominations and faith-based organizations. From a core group of approximately 7,000 churches, the IDOP has grown to be the largest prayer day event of its kind in the world. The IDOP is a rallying point for Christians and others to stand behind those who suffer for their faith by providing prayer support and appropriate advocacy.

In 1998, Prayer for the Persecuted Church, Inc. (PPC) took oversight of the IDOP organizing efforts in the United States while WEF continues to coordinate the IDOP internationally. PPC is an independent, nonprofit, nonpolitical organization whose primary agenda is informed and active prayer.

What are the goals of the IDOP?

The goals of the IDOP and Prayer for the Persecuted Church are to:

• Increase awareness of the persecuted Church worldwide.
• Lead in prayer on behalf of the persecuted Church.
• Promote ongoing and appropriate action on behalf of the persecuted Church.

Why doesn’t the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church pray for all persecuted people regardless of their religious, political, or social affiliation?

As a human rights issue, the persecution of Christians dwarfs all other forms of religious injustice. It is beneficial to take advocacy for fellow believers who suffer for their faith as a starting point, as Christians living in free societies have been largely unaware of or silent to this increasing tragedy. As we gain a deeper understanding of the plight of our Christian family, we can also grow in knowledge about human rights issues affecting all people. A Christian’s compassion is not reserved only for fellow Christians, but is to be given to all who suffer injustice and oppression (Luke 12:29) and to those whose dark consciences press them to perpetrate evil (Matthew 5:44). Christians are encouraged to “do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (Galatians 6:10).

What have been some results of the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church?

Prayer is a mystery and difficult to measure. However, we can look at some of the changes occurring in the past and draw inferences from them.

• Over 100,000 U.S. churches, representing nearly every U.S. denomination, are estimated to have taken part in the IDOP.
• Christians in over 130 countries remembered the persecuted on the IDOP.
• Christian churches are growing in awareness of the problem and coming together in unity to pray for fellow believers.
• Christian leaders in restricted nations report that they are experiencing a new boldness in their witness to others.
• There has been increased media coverage of the problem of persecution in both secular and Christian publications. (In the U.S., such publications include The Denver Post, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, Focus on the Family with Dr. James Dobson, Christianity Today, and Message of the Open Bible.)

Friday, November 7, 2008

God Issues Today: "Serving in the White House"

Author, educator and commentator Dr. James Denison has been pastor of Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas since June, 1998. Prior to that, he was pastor at churches in Atlanta, Georgia, as well as Midland (at First Baptist!) and Mansfield, Texas.

"I've been contemplating which job in the new administration I would like," Dr. Denison writes in today's post at God Issues. "My first choice would have been chief of staff, but it's already taken. I will admit that Rahm Emanuel has some credentials I don't. He is an accomplished ballet dancer and triathlete. Criticized for his hard-nosed partisan political ways, he is also good friends with John McCain's best friend, Lindsey Graham, and current White House chief of staff, Joshua Bolten. He is a devout Orthodox Jew; in fact, his father was involved in the movement which led to the creation of the State of Israel in 1948. His family's Hebrew faith is clear in his name: 'Rahm' means 'high,' while Emanuel means 'God with us.'"

"After serving for years in the Clinton White House, he returned to the private sector where he became a very successful investment banker. He was then elected to the House of Representatives in 2002 and became the fourth-ranking Democrat in the House. A close friend of Mr. Obama, he will now work to accomplish his agenda. I guess his political experience somewhat dwarfs my own (though anyone who has worked with a Baptist church's finance committee knows something about political intrigue)."

"I don't think Treasury would be a good fit for me, since Janet balances our checkbook to keep us out of jail. This morning's New York Times tells us that Mr. Obama is meeting today with a new economic advisory board including Warren Buffett, Lawrence Summers, Robert Rubin, Paul Volcker, and Eric Schmidt (CEO of Google). I use Google quite often and wish I owned some of Mr. Buffett's stock, but would have no other expertise to add."

"Education might be a good fit, since I happen to have one. I would really like Secretary of State, since he or she gets to travel. Commerce wouldn't be as attractive (see checkbook admission above). Interior might work, since I live in the interior of the country. As you can see, Mr. Obama is making a wise choice in not choosing me."

"I may not be qualified to serve in Mr. Obama's new administration, but I can be helpful in other ways. First and foremost, as we have seen this week, I can and must pray daily for our new president. God's word makes this imperative mandatory for all believers, no matter our political affiliations and preferences (1 Timothy 2:1-4). I am also required to demonstrate Christlike character in speaking of our new president, when I agree and when I disagree with his decisions. Matthew 18:15 obligates me to speak to people rather than about them, our leaders included. If you follow Jesus, you are under the same mandates. Have you obeyed God's word today?"

Midland-based Group: Beijing Rights Defense Lawyers Fired From Law Firm

Issued by ChinaAid, November 30, 2008 ...

BEIJING, CHINA - On October 30, Christian Attorney Li Subin was told he was fired from the Beijing Yitong Law Firm because he and 35 other Beijing lawyers signed an open letter in August calling for direct election of the leaders of the Beijing Lawyers Association [equivalent to Bar Association]. About five to seven other lawyers have also been dismissed or forced to leave their respected law firms for the same reason.

On October 27 and 28, seven officials from the Bureau of Justice of Haidian District of Beijing visited Li Subin’s office. Officials took photos and questioned staff about cases they had handled in the past. The director of the firm who is also a Christian, Attorney Li Jingsong was pressured by officials who indicated his law firm’s inspection might not be passed by the Bureau of Justice. This would mean the survival of the law firm would be in danger if he did not fire the “troublemakers” in his firm. Along with Li Subin, four other lawyers who signed the August letter were also purged from Yitong Law Firm. They are Mr. Cheng Hai, Zhang Jianguo, Wen Haibo and Yang Huiwen.

The open letter sent in August by lawyers from various Beijing law firms called for direct election of the officers of the Beijing Lawyers Association. This letter is in agreement with the Lawyer’s Law which states that the association is an autonomous social organization where representatives are chosen by election. However, on September 5, 2008, the Beijing Lawyers Association sent a “Stern Statement,” calling the open letter “illegal,” and that it was essentially a “total repudiation of China’s current lawyers administrative system, judicial system, and even political system.”

Despite the increased pressure on lawyers who have signed the letter, according to the organization Human Rights in China, the number of lawyers in support of the letter has grown to 82.

Bob Fu, President of ChinaAid, stated, “We request prayer for Christian lawyer Li Subin who has been campaigning for religious freedom and ask the Chinese government to correct the wrong path for the true spirit of rule of law.”

Faces of Children: Prayer Requests

Prayer Concerns for the week of 11/07/08

Kenya
(CURE International – www.helpcurenow.org)
• Pray for the disabled children and youth receiving treatment at the CURE International Hospital in Kenya and especially for 18-year-old Beth, 12-year-old Mueni, and four boys: 17-year-old Peter, 16-year-old David, 13-year-old Musa and 12-year-old Muli.

Mexico

• Please pray for the children of Mexico who have been traumatized by the increase in drug-related violence along the Mexican and U.S. border. More than 3700 killings related to drugs and organized crime have occurred this year so far. Pray for an end to the madness of drug cartels fighting one another for the growing domestic market and for the northern transit routes.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/20/world/americas/20tijuana.html?_r=1&pagewanted=2&th&emc=th&oref=slogin

• Pray for children who have seen this violence firsthand—who have seen the mutilated bodies dumped near their schools or in the community—who know the names of drug traffickers from popular songs and the Internet. Pray for the children who are traumatized or hardened by this recurring violence.

Pakistan

• Please keep the children and people of Baluchistan, a southwestern province in Pakistan, in prayer as they deal with the aftershocks of a 6.5 magnitude earthquake that hit early on October 29. Pray that safe, warm shelter will be found for the estimated 12,000 people who are now homeless. Survivors are staying outside their homes because of the aftershocks and must endure cold weather without adequate shelter.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/ISL112872.htm

Thailand

(Mae Kha Chan Children’s Home – http://mchildrenshome.com/index.htm)
• Pray for the children, leaders, staff and volunteers at the Mae Kha Chan Children’s Home in Thailand as they deal with an increasingly challenging economic situation. With the global increase in fuel and food prices and the decrease in the value of the U.S. dollar, the leaders of this home for ethnic hill tribe children are faced with very difficult circumstances.
• Please pray that God will provide the resources necessary to feed, clothe, educate, support and care for these children and help the home become self sufficient.
• Pray that God will sustain and encourage the home’s children as they face persecution for their Christian faith in the school they attend. Children in public schools are forced to bow in worship to idols. When Christian children refuse to participate, they are ostracized by teachers and students—some have even received beatings after school.

United States

• Please continue to keep 2-month-old Audrey* in prayer as she faces more surgeries to correct a birth defect. Audrey was born with spina bifida and has already endured three surgeries. Pray that God will place healing hands on this little one and comfort her family. Pray for the medical personnel with whom they come into contact.
• Pray for an 11-year-old Ukrainian girl named Elizabeth* who recently moved to the U.S. with her mother. Give thanks to God that they were able to escape an abusive situation and are now safe. Please pray for Elizabeth as she tries to settle into her new school and make friends. Ask that God might bring kind children into her life.

Yemen

• Please keep the children and people of Yemen in prayer as they cope with the aftermath of severe flooding caused by monsoon rains. An estimated 7000 people have been left homeless because of the flooding in this very poor country.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LQ114781.htm

Faces of Children

• Please continue to pray for more churches and individuals to be brought into the ministry of Faces of Children, spread awareness about children in crisis, and invite more people to pray for children at risk.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

FBR Report: Killing of Villagers; Deadly Landmines

The Free Burma Rangers (FBR) is a multi-ethnic humanitarian service movement. They bring help, hope and love to people in the war zones of Burma. Ethnic pro-democracy groups send teams to be trained, supplied and sent into the areas under attack to provide emergency assistance and human rights documentation. Together with other groups, the teams work to serve people in need.

-----------------

Incidents in the Toungoo District

Burma Army attacks remain frequent in the northern Karen State; shoot-on-sight killings and the destruction of crops remain the primary concern for those in hiding, and the subjugation and deliberate starvation of ethnic Karen villagers continues as the Burma Army attempts to consolidate its rule and squeeze displaced populations into areas it can control. Following attacks which displaced more than 30,000 people in northern Karen State between early 2006 and 2008, the Burma Army has slowed its offensive but has not eased in its ill-treatment of Burma's ethnic minorities. Forced labor, extortion, theft and harassment are commonplace for villagers living under the Burma Army and these abuses are conducted with impunity.

Burma Army attacks against IDPs, and sweeps to locate and terrorize IDP populations and destroy their means of livelihood have increased in Toungoo District over the last several months. Designed to make life terrifying and impossible for people in hiding, the Burma Army hopes to brutalize these Karen villagers into submission, further solidifying its grip on power throughout Burma. While there have been few reports of villages being burned down in 2008, this is in large part due to the Burma Army's large-scale attacks in 2006 and 2007 in which numerous villages were burned and thousands of villagers were forced into more remote, precarious and unsustainable situations.

IDPs are now living in smaller groups, building more temporary housing structures, and must now venture further into areas recently occupied by Burma Army troops in order to cultivate and gather enough food for basic survival. This, along with a marked increase in Burma Army activity, has resulted in an increase in reports of villagers and families being surprised and attacked by Burma Army troops in their farms or gardens.

Beginning on 7 August, 2008, Burma Army troops under MOC 10, stationed in Bawgali Gyi (Kler La) village, forced villagers who own vehicles to transport rocks from Toungoo Town to their camp in Bawgali Gyi. These vehicle owners were forced to make at least two trips per week during this period. At around the same time, each household in nearby Kaw Thay Der was also forced by troops under MOC 10 to cut seven lengths of bamboo for the Burma Army's use in their local camp. Additionally, people from the villages of Kler La, Kaw Soe Ko, Kaw Thay Der, Wa Tho Ko, Ga Mu Der, Der Doh and Maw Koh Der were forced to make improvements to the local Burma Army camps.

Throughout this period, the Burma Army also halted all villager trade from Kler La to Toungoo. Villagers weren't allowed to collect food in the mountains and sell their produce in Toungoo, including items such as durian fruit, mangosteens, and betel nut. This trade is a large part of the villagers' income, and this denial of movement has caused a significant problem for a number of local residents.

On 13 September, 2008, Burma Army MOC troops blocked 200 villagers from the plains area from working on their fruit and cardamom plantations at Pa La Wah. MOC 10 is commanded by Ko Ko Hla.

On 3 September, Burma Army troops entered Kaw Tha Kaw village, stealing many of the villagers' belongings. The local pastor was robbed of two baskets of rice, 400,000 kyat, one gold necklace and one ring. These troops were under the command of Kyaw Zay Ya.

On 2 September, 57 villagers were forced to carry supplies from the Burma Army's camp at Play Hsa Lo to their new camp at Htee Pla Day. The villages included in the forced labor were Play Hsa Lo, Yaw Lo, Paung Pai, and Plaw Baw Der.

The Free Burma Ranger’s (FBR) mission is to provide hope, help and love to internally displaced people inside Burma, regardless of ethnicity or religion. Using a network of indigenous field teams, FBR reports on human rights abuses, casualties and the humanitarian needs of people who are under the oppression of the Burma Army. FBR provides medical, spiritual and educational resources for IDP communities as they struggle to survive Burmese military attacks. For more information, please visit www.freeburmarangers.org

God Issues Today: "Celebrating History"

Author, educator and commentator Dr. James Denison has been pastor of Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas since June, 1998. Prior to that, he was pastor at churches in Atlanta, Georgia, as well as Midland (at First Baptist!) and Mansfield, Texas.

"Barack Obama will be the next president of the United States of America. On this Wednesday morning, 62 million Americans are thrilled; 57 million are disappointed with yesterday's results. Whichever way you feel, three facts are worth celebrating today," Dr. Denison writes in today's post at God Issues.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Midland-based Group: Christian 'House Churches' Banned in Chinese City

Issued by ChinaAid, November 1, 2008 ...

HEILONGJIANG, CHINA - ChinaAid sources report that all house churches in Yichun city, Heilongjiang province were banned in mid-October. According to sources in the area, officials have warned all house churches in the city to cease operation because of a verbal directive from both the provincial and central governments which had been passed down to different levels of government agencies.

Yichun city is located in northeast China in Heilongjiang province, which shares a border with Russia. The city has an area of about 22,617 square miles and a population of approximately 1,000,000. Mainly Han-Chinese, there are several minority groups including: Korean, Manchu, Muslim, Oroqen and others. In 2005, The United Nations declared Yichun city “Green Yichun", due to its development of urban forest ecological protection

God Issues Today: "The Election Was Already Decided"

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Partners Blogcast: "Reflections of a Hero"

Steve and Oddny Gumaer started Partners Relief & Development in response to the needs of refugees and displaced people from Burma. This blog is meant to be a more personal stream of conversation than newsletters allow for. The opinions expressed here may not be those of Partners Relief & Development.

By Oddny Gumaer - Over the last few weeks I have been thinking a lot about what a hero is. A super-star athlete or a pop star? A person who has made millions of dollars without having to do much for it? A beautiful face or a perfect body?

A new Partners magazine will soon be printed. The theme is, as you may have guessed: What is a hero? We have met heroes in Burma. They are men and women who daily risk their lives to do what is right in a country ruled by evil.

While working on our magazine, we received a letter from Doh Say, one of our greatest heroes. He is Partners and FBR staff and spends most of his life in the jungles of Burma, helping internally displaced people. Most of all he wants to help the children. Recently he spent some weeks with children who had left their parents to be in a hide site for internally displaced people in Kyaw Kho Maw, in Karen State. Doh Say and the relief team were in the area to document what the army has done, how the conditions are for the people living there, and to give do relief work. The following are some of the thoughts in Doh Say’s letter.

This afternoon I had mixture of more happiness and more sadness. After the Church service, during playing an indoor-game with the children from the boarding house, I was very happy when I saw the children who were enjoying drinking sweet tea and playing games. For me all the children should have the right to be happy and the right to have what they should have. This afternoon, I believed that they had a happy childhood for some hours. I just wish they always had a chance to be happy like that.

This afternoon I found out more about their needs. It was painful to know that they do not have soaps, washing power, enough clothing. For instance girls or boys have only one or two under wears which are no good for the rainy reason. K’Chay and me arranged with a teacher to buy more clothing for them.

About food, they have only two meals a day. They do not have a chance to have lunch. One teacher told me that they are already used to two meals a day. For me I am sure that they want to have lunch, especially when they are working hard. Rice is the only food they can have. They hardly have a chance to eat this and that like coffee, Milo, snacks etc like we do.

The house they are living in is already dilapidated. Many big holes on the roof, the floor is broken and no proper walls. Many of them, I am sure that they are missing their parents. For me all the children around the world should have a chance to live with their parents till they grow old enough. (It) makes me very sad that these children may not have a chance to see their parents for a long time. I was told that the children may not be allowed to go home due to many other difficulties.

I want to add a little bit more by saying that just like I told you several years ago, my main spiritual objective is to have a chance to go to Heaven when God wants me to come back and together with friends in Haven.

I wanted to have this and that a lot, mainly about materialism until I was 30 years old. It is now become clear and clear to me that my second objective is to see everyone, poor or rich, educated or uneducated, to have the right to live peacefully and without fear. So I would like to request you to pray that: 1, everyone in Burma stops killing each other solve all the problems with peaceful mean that we are facing and peace and harmony for everyone prevail in Burma, 2. everyone in the world stops killing each other and peace and harmony prevail in this world, 3, everyone gets enough food to eat and, 4. everyone has a reasonable things that he or she needs to live on.

Thank you very much for your understanding the time you spent on this letter. God bless you all and the world.

What is a hero? You have just read a letter from a person who risks his life to give life to others. When you read this, Doh Say is on another mission in the jungles of Burma. Partners is proud to work with men and women like Doh Say.

God Issues Today: "How to Vote"

Monday, November 3, 2008

Midland-based Group: Persecution of Christian in China Intensifies After Olympics

Issued by ChinaAid, October 30, 2008 ...

BEIJING, CHINA - Since the end of the Olympic Games, ChinaAid has received reports of intensified religious persecution from across China. In Beijing, Pastor “Bike” Zhang Mingxuan and his family members have been evicted from their home, beaten and arrested. In Heilongjiang province, one city called Yichun recently banned all of the house churches. In Yunnan province, some house church members were attacked right after the Olympics. In Shandong province, Pastor Zhang Zhongxin was sentenced to two years of re-education through labor, and after the Olympics his appeal was denied. Pastor Zhang’s lawyer, Li Fangping, was refused permission to meet with him because authorities claim Pastor Zhang could endanger state security.

In another shocking new discovery, ChinaAid learned 29 house church leaders have been serving time in a labor camp and prisons in Henan province since July 9, 2007. They are accused of being “evil cult” members. Among the 29 house church leaders, 21 are being held in No. 3 Prison of Henan province. One leader was released in September 2008. The other seven house church members belong to a house church group in Lingbao city that is part of the “Born Again Movement”. They were sentenced by the court as “evil cult" members on July 9, 2007. One leader was sentenced to seven years imprisonment, which is the harshest sentence against a house church leader in recent years besides Pastor Zhang Rongliang who was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in 2004 for allegedly "attempting to illegally cross the border and forgery of an official document".