Around the world, November 2008

AUSTRALIA

HEALESVILLE — About 60 Christians from 12 congregations, representing the Australian states of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, attended the recent Revive Camp in Healesville, near Melbourne. Brad and Ronya Johnson, church members from Brisbane, were guest speakers.

BURKINA FASO

DANO — Church members working among the Dagara people in this West African nation have distributed 200 pairs of reading glasses to the elderly in 15 villages through SEE Ministries, missionary Aaron Burk said. Members visiting from the U.S. often assist in the effort.
“It has been a real blessing to these folks who have no access to these kinds of resources — and to our visitors who are able to bless Dagara folks in a concrete way,” Burk said.

BURUNDI

BUJUMBURA — Ten house churches meet in this small African nation, south of Rwanda, minister Samson Munahi said.
West Monroe, La.-based World Radio Gospel Broadcasts sponsors “Chemin de Verite” (“Way of Truth”), a radio program broadcast in French and the local language, Kirundi. The program reaches west into the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo, Munahi said. At least three house churches meet in the Congolese city of Uvira, he added.
CZECH REPUBLIC

ZASEKA — Thirty-two church members from Austria, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia and the Czech Republic gathered recently in this town among the Moravian mountains for the sixth Central European Retreat. Mladen Jovanovic, a minister in Zagreb, Croatia, was the guest speaker.
Matus and Melissa Dedina and Alena Bilek, members of the church in Prague, Czech Republic, organized the event.
EL SALVADOR

SAN JUAN OPICO — About 300 church members met recently in this town, northwest of San Salvador, to celebrate the launch of a new congregation. Armando Ceren, who grew up in the city of 74,000 people, will minister for the young congregation.
Missionaries Alexander Castellanos and Manuel Azucena and Gregorio Rodriguez, minister in Apopa, El Salvador, spoke at the inaugural service.

LIBERIA

MONROVIA — Despite rising food and fuel costs, members of the Smythe Road church have baptized more than 20 people this year, minister Maxwell Whea said. The baptisms were the result of preaching, personal visits, World Radio Gospel Broadcasts and World Bible School correspondence lessons, the minister said.
Economic hardships also have affected rural churches outside Monrovia, Whea said. Several congregations cannot afford communion plates and cups and struggle to provide members with the Lord’s Supper.
“Please help us with communion ware for these churches,” Whea said.

MALAWI

MPONELA — More than 1,000 members of about 100 churches in this nation in southern Africa attended three days of gospel meetings recently. Steve Ridgell and Wes Shutt of Abilene, Texas-based Herald of Truth preached and distributed Bibles and Christian literature in the Chichewa language. Six people were baptized.
After the meetings, 90 elders and ministers attended a three-day training seminar. Malawian evangelist Moses Khombe, a volunteer field representative for Herald of Truth, coordinated the events.
The Herald of Truth staffers also assisted in a four-day campaign in Gurue, Mozambique. Four people were baptized.

NETHERLANDS

MAASTRICHT — “A Body Lives” was the theme of a recent youth weekend attended by church members from the Netherlands and Belgium, said Scott Raab, a missionary in Lanaken, Belgium. The youths learned about how a body of believers must work together, stay active and help others.
“We also took the time to put the ideas into practice,” Raab said. The youths cleaned a public playground.

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

PORT OF SPAIN — Church members in this Caribbean nation are expanding the television program “Know Your Bible” from 30 minutes twice per month to 45 minutes every Sunday, minister Mahase Bissoondath said.
 
In addition to Bible lessons, the new format will include interviews, panel discussions and a live call-in segment. Prisoners in a local jail are allowed to view the program, and 25 have been baptized, the minister said.
Church members launched a weekly radio program recently, Bissoondath said. Minister Wendell Parris hosts the program. World Radio Gospel Broadcasts sponsors the work.