* JUST A THOUGHT - Disasters like the recent earthquake in Haiti bring out the best and the worst in people. There are those who sacrifice a lot and risk their lives to bring help to victims. Then there are those who loot and fight off victims, away from points of help because they want to get maximum supplies for themselves.
(by Fano Sibisi, 18 Jan 2010, www.cft.org.za) (to index)

* HONOUR YOUR PARENTS - "Honour your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you." Exodus 20:12

The first four Commandments deal with our duty to God. The last six Commandments deal with our duty to man.

Our Lord Jesus Christ summarised the two tablets of the Law when He answered the question concerning which is the greatest Commandment. Jesus said: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great Commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the prophets.’" Matthew 22:36-40

What We Sow That Shall We Reap

Grimm’s Fairy Tales include this story:
Once there was an old man whose eyes blinked continually, and whose hands trembled uncontrollably. As he had no place to live, he moved in with his son’s family. His daughter-in-law hated it when at the dinner table he constantly rattled his silverware and spilled his drinks. In anger and exasperation she insisted he eat his meals alone in the corner, separated from the rest of the family. He began to eat alone, looking occasionally at the family sitting at the table. Then, one day, when his hands were shaking so much that he knocked his bowl onto the floor, his meal spilt onto the carpet. The daughter-in-law screamed: "If you are going to eat like a pig we’ll feed you like a pig!" She placed a wooden trough on the floor and told him that he would have to eat out of the trough like an animal. This he did.

Some days later the woman’s young son came into the house excited to show her something he had made: "Look Mommy! I’ve made a trough to feed you and Daddy out of when I get big."

The woman began to cry as she realised what a terrible evil she was guilty of. From that day forward the old man ate his meals at the table with the rest of the family and the daughter-in-law did everything she could to make up for the cruel way that she had treated her father-in-law.

Abandoning the Elderly

Today in so many ways we see cruel disrespect for elderly parents who are frequently abandoned in old age homes and neglected. One of the first ministries I had was preaching in Old Age Homes. Many complained to me how they "never" had visits from their children.

"Listen to your father who begot you, and do not despise your mother when she is old." Proverbs 23:22
(Frontline Fellowship, 29 Jan 2010) (to index)

* SOUTH AFRICA AND 2010: THE CHURCH’S ROLE IN COUNTERING HUMAN TRAFFICKING FOR SEXUAL EXPLOITATION - "To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others." - Nelson Mandela

2009 marked fifteen years of freedom from the chains of the apartheid era for South Africa, a time to celebrate the successes of a peaceful transition to democracy and the many improvements to the lives of ordinary men and women in the intervening years. Sadly, however, not all is rosy in this fledgling democracy.

Ongoing widespread poverty and unemployment mean many of South Africa’s citizens go hungry. HIV and AIDS is ravaging the land, leaving thousands of orphans in child-headed households. While successful economic policies have resulted in a booming economy, a negative spin-off has been the thousands of immigrants, legitimate and otherwise, who have flooded into South Africa seeking to share in these newfound material benefits. Sadly, some of these new immigrants are members of crime syndicates—criminal parasites who have introduced South Africans to a frightening new twenty-first-century reality, one that feeds off the vulnerability of the poor, the unemployed, the uneducated, and the orphaned. Human trafficking, as in many parts of the world, is becoming a booming business on the tip of the African continent.

Human Trafficking—Fast Facts and Figures

Human trafficking, a modern-day form of slavery, is acknowledged to be the third largest international criminal activity, after arms smuggling and drug trafficking. Worldwide, trafficking in persons generates profits in excess of US$12 billion a year for those who, by force and deception, sell human lives into slavery and sexual bondage.

The U.S. State Department estimates that approximately 800,000 people are trafficked across national borders annually, while many others are trafficked intra-nationally. Trafficking is a lucrative business, because unlike arms or drugs which are sold once, humans can be sold and resold again and again, and the majority of those who are trapped, tricked, and trafficked, are sold for sexual exploitation as prostitutes.

The staging of the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010 has been cause for national celebration, and has provided thousands of jobs as hundreds of man-hours and materials are poured into the construction of soccer stadiums and preparations for hosting the tournament in venues around the country. South Africans are justifiably proud of being chosen to host this prestigious world sporting event.

But there is a major downside to the staging of the World Cup. Most experts in the field of counter-trafficking argue that there is a correlation between demand for the services of prostitutes and large numbers of male tourists attending major sporting events, and there is great concern that trafficking in South Africa will increase as thousands of tourists descend upon the country, visa requirements are relaxed, and schools are closed for a five-week, mid-year holiday period. Many feel that this extended school holiday places already vulnerable and unsupervised children at further risk, as they are drawn to soccer venues or fan parks where they will be vulnerable to traffickers.
(Lausanne World Pulse, Jan/Feb 2010) (to index)

* LOCAL MISSIONARIES TO HAITI ARE SAFE - Asked to go to Haiti to determine the extent of damage to an orphanage caused by the Jan. 12 earthquake, a Caledonia man was happy to learn that its residents and the missionaries who work there escaped injury.

But the Christian Service International mission's orphanage, where several of its girl residents live "as a family," will have to be rebuilt, said Jim McGuire, owner of J.L. McGuire and Associates Inc.

Authorities estimate the quake killed 200,000 people, injured 194,000 and left 1 million homeless. Approximately 236,000 residents fled Port-au-Prince for the countryside.

McGuire, an industrial engineer and First Consolidated Fire District firefighter, condemned a guest house used as a headquarters by the staff that operates the orphanage after his inspection revealed the magnitude-7.0 quake had made it unsafe. A CSI clinic appeared to be OK except for a perimeter wall that partially collapsed and "a couple cracks in the building walls." Plumbing had to be repaired, but the team at the site quickly cleaned up and restored operation of the clinic shortly after the quake, he said.

"There are a lot of bad stories, but a lot of good stories, also," said McGuire, who arrived in Port-au-Prince the day after the earthquake and returned home Thursday. Responding to a call by CSI missionaries Greg and Cathie Benson, he flew in to help with a CSI director and former missionary who speak Creole, the language of most Haitians, via Missionary Flights International.

"I am so proud of the commitment missionaries make to serve God," he said, noting that some fly other missionaries, some operate orphanages, some run hospitals, and some build orphanages and hospitals. "From what I have seen they, the missionaries, all work harder and longer than me."

A doctor friend of McGuire's from San Francisco was performing operations within three days following the quake in downtown Port-au-Prince, he said.

"There have been a lot of crushing wounds followed by amputations," McGuire said. "With the lack of modern equipment like MRI machines, it is difficult to treat head injuries and torsos."

American surgeons have helped, but more help is needed, he said, adding, "There is essentially no post-operation care in Haitian hospitals. Eight days after the quake there were still people waiting for care with compound fractures. Their bones were sticking out of their skin."

Communication, he said, was the most pressing need he noticed while in Haiti. He said he saw hundreds of trained international rescuers at the airport when he was leaving, and told them many people needed help three miles away.

"They wanted to go, but had no direction or instructions," he said. "There's always a disconnect between people there to help and those in need."

He said his spirit was raised by individual instances of individuals and groups doing what they could to help. He noted Hendrick Motorsports, which he said donated the use of three large planes, crews and fuel until commercial flights restored operation.

Menson, a Haitian man who works with the missionaries, lost a daughter and his home in the quake.

"Even though you don't know each other's language, we know each other," McGuire said. "You can still console somebody even though you don't know the language."

Menson's wife was "so distraught (others) couldn't get her to move," he said. "She was actually in shock, just laying in the street, and with some consoling they convinced her to move to a new location, to a house we built for her, and she seemed better."

Travel, he said, must take place before 5 p.m. when homeless residents begin spreading out blankets to sleep in the street.
Making his third or fourth visit to Haiti, McGuire said he "prepared to not be prepared. I was expecting a lot of surprises, and I received those surprises."
He said he saw many dead bodies, including a pile 8 feet high and 20 feet in diameter that were being burned.
"It's not a sight or smell that I want to witness again," he said.
Typically, funeral homes rent a space in a tomb and use it again once the body has decomposed, he said.
"You just had compassion knowing that they had family, they had friends, they had a life, and it ends gruesomely," he said, sympathizing with Haitians' need to turn to the alternative methods to deal with the massive number of dead.
He said he was impressed with the resilience of the Haitian people in a time of such sadness.

Relating a conversation he had with a pastor while visiting a church for a prayer shortly before he left, he said, "The pastor came out, and he talked to me for at least 10 minutes. He just wanted to vent. He told me where he was when it was happening. He told me about his calamity. He lost his brother and his brother's wife. He now has a set of 4-year-old twins to take care of. It's really beneficial that there are people that care."

"They actually take the devastation and the tragedy better than we would in Marion County," he said.

McGuire plans to return in a month during a "crucial phase" of the orphanage's reconstruction.
(Marion Star, 27 Jan 2010) (to index)

* CHINESE OFFICIAL SAYS GAO ZHISHENG "WENT MISSING" - Since mid-December, 2009, ominous rumors have circulated about Gao Zhisheng, hinting that he has died after brutal torture in prison. However, no reports have been confirmed, and the Chinese government continues to refuse comment on his condition and whereabouts.

Gege, Gao's daughter, had been reportedly "pale and tired-looking" with worry for months. After hearing a rumor of Gao's death just before Christmas, Gege became so emotionally distraught, she was forced to be hospitalized. She remains fragile and under medical watch in a New York hospital.

This week, after searching out the policeman who originally detained Gao Zhisheng back in February, 2009, Gao's brother Zhiyi was told that Attorney Gao allegedly "went missing while out on a walk" on September 25, 2009. Gao's wife refused to comment, but was reported to be extremely upset after hearing the news.

This is the first time a Chinese government official has hinted that they no longer have Gao Zhisheng in their custody, leading ChinaAid to believe Gao's condition has taken a turn for the worse.

"It is totally unacceptable for the Chinese government to lose track of their own prisoner," said President of ChinaAid Bob Fu. "It is absolutely clear that he was forcibly taken from his home in February 2009. Nearly a year later, the Chinese government now says they do not have him."

Though the rumors of death cannot be confirmed, Bob Fu remains extremely concerned for this new development.

"We have every reason to suspect that the Chinese government has something very serious to hide. Gao's family has every right to know what happened to him. It is unbelievable that a high security prisoner would go missing while "out on a walk," without suspecting that there is a major cover up of his condition."

The Chinese government can no longer hide their actions from the world and must be held accountable for their treatment of Gao Zhisheng.
(ChinaAid, 15 Jan 2010) (to index)

* ICC RELEASES HALL OF SHAME REPORT - International Christian Concern (ICC), a Washington DC based human rights group, has released its annual Hall of Shame report. The Hall of Shame is a list of the world's ten worst persecuting countries of Christians.

This report calls attention to the trend of Christian persecution which continues on an alarming scale. Communist and former Communist states are becoming less antagonistic towards Christianity (North Korea being the exception) while persecution continues to increase in Islamic countries.

In keeping with ICC's mission to raise awareness of Christian persecution, ICC’s website, www.persecution.org, is updated daily with the latest reports of anti-Christian violence from web sources and ICC correspondents. Consequently, persecution.org is the only website where Christian persecution news is warehoused in such a comprehensive manner. The Hall of Shame analyzes these news reports from the ten countries where Christian persecution has been most severe in 2009.

Aidan Clay, ICC Regional Manager for the Middle East, said, "This report reminds us that constant vigilance is needed in the struggle to defend the fundamental human right of religious freedom. The Hall of Shame is a mere glimpse of the immense persecution endured by Christians worldwide. Most Christians suffer in quiet, their circumstance unknown and their voice unheard. Those of us fortunate to live in countries that grant religious freedom must not forget nor neglect the plight of Christians who are unable to worship freely and are hence condemned to suffer for their faith. We call on journalists and every concerned individual to help expose religious persecution in 2010."

ICC has ranked the following countries as the world's worst persecutors of Christians in 2009: Eritrea, Pakistan, Iran, North Korea, Somalia, India, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Nigeria and China.
(Persecution.org, 21 Jan 2010) (to index)

* HINDU RADICALS BURNED DOWN A CHURCH IN ANDHRA PRADESH - International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that Hindu radicals burned down a church on January 22 in Andhra Pradesh, India, causing serious injury to the pastor in his attempts to extinguish the fire.
A group of people broke into the Memorial Gypsy Church and set it on fire after dousing the building in several gallons of kerosene oil. The fire destroyed church furniture, carpets, electrical wires, fans, a lectern, song books, prayer books and Bibles. The damage has been estimated at 35,000 Rupees ($755).
The church’s pastor, Kumara Nayak, sustained third degree burns all over his body after he unsuccessfully attempted to extinguish the flames. He was admitted at the Relief Hospital. At the time of writing, the pastor had not yet been released from the hospital.
A police complaint was filed by the area Christians at Pahadi Sharif Police Station, and a First Information Report (a report written by police when they receive news of crime) was registered against the perpetrators.
The sub-inspector of the police station, Lakhsmi Kandh Reddy, told ICC that the police were tracing the groups involved in this mischief and appropriate actions would be taken against them.
ICC’s Regional Manager for Africa and South Asia, Jonathan Racho, said, "Hindu radicals have stepped up attacks against Christians and churches in India. We are deeply concerned about this latest attack on Memorial Gypsy Church. We urge Indian officials to take all the necessary steps to arrest the perpetrators of the church arson."
(Persecution.org, 29 Jan 2010) (to index)

* HOMESCHOOLED GIRLS MAIL BIBLES TO CHINA - At VOM we get many testimonies from Bibles Unbound mailers. Their stories inspire and encourage us with their faithfulness, and sometimes we just have to share them. Recently, Paul Gerardi shared how mailing New Testaments to China has blessed and enriched his family.

Seven-year-old Ann and 10-year-old Jana, Paul and Brenda’s adopted daughters from China, assist their parents in putting the packages together. Praise God, the Gerardi’s are a great example of the many faithful BU participants mailing God’s word into restricted nations. This family and others like them have now mailed more than one million New Testaments!

"Jana and Ann were each adopted from China while still infants. When we read about Hudson Taylor and his work in spread the Gospel in China, the girls became very excited and asked if they could help spread the Gospel to their home country, too… [They] decided they wanted to send Bibles to China so the Chinese people could hear the word of God and grow in their Faith."

"Each month the girls look forward to getting their delivery of Bibles to mail out, and the names of those waiting for their copy, " Paul added. "After the Bibles are packaged, prayed over, and sent, the girls put the recipient names into their prayer journals where they are lifted up to God regularly. We monitor the progress of the Bible deliveries on the Bibles Unbound Web site. We are truly grateful to The Voice of the Martyrs and Bibles Unbound for this program, which has become an essential component of the mission’s work and part of our children’s education."

We are grateful to faithful believers like the Gerardis’ in the United States who are receiving New Testaments monthly, praying over them and sending the Word of God to people who have never heard it before. These are seeds sown in good soil, and God promises a harvest. We are also thankful for our brothers and sisters inside restricted nations gathering names and addresses of people who need to read God’s Word.
(Persecutionblog.com, 29 Jan 2010) (to index)