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Around the world: Panamanian children get school supplies and snacks


Members of the Murietta, Calif., church donated school supplies to Pan-American Mission, and Rowell distributed the supplies to more than 200 children in the village.
The Waunaan people settled in maje in the 1940s. Felix Piraza, chief of the Waunaan council in Panama, is one of the Maje church’s leaders, Rowell said. Church members are petitioning the Panamanian government to help their fellow tribesmen suffering from guerilla warfare in neighboring Colombia. The land where they hunt for food in Colombia is filled with land mines, Rowell said. Many have fled to Panama. Church members in the United States are raising funds to help the refugees. For more information, see www.panamis.org.
BENIN
TCHAADA
In this West African nation, a minister named Innocent preaches in a language called Gun.
About 500,000 people in southeastern Togo and parts of Nigeria speakGun, also called Alada. Innocent Ahounhou ministers for a Gun-speakingcongregation in the town of Tchaada.
The growing church decided recently to plant a congregation in the townof Doke. Members who live in Doke walk six miles to reach the Tchaadachurch, Ahounhou said.
George Akpabli, administrator of the Benin Bible Training Center inCotonou, said he used to get headaches thinking about the number oflanguages he had to learn to reach all the peoople of West Africa.
After hearing reports from Ahounhou and other ministers, Akpabli saidhe’s come to realize that “I do not need to learn all the languages toturn Benin upside down for Christ.”

ARGENTINA

BUENOS AIRES
Workers with the Bible Institute of Churches of Christ in Argentina are developing a post-secondary program in Bible and practical theology, missionary Joel banks said. If approved by the government, the program will help Argentine Christians work as chaplains or teach religion in private schools. The program would keep ministers from having to rely solely on churches for financial support.
A donation from the Harpeth Hills church in Brentwood, Tenn., has helped the institute fund development of a curriculum team. We believe that the program will be officially approved within the next year or two,” Banks said.

BANGLADESH
KHULNA
Churches in southwestern Bangladesh have 80 new Bibles and 100 song books in their native language, thanks to a donation from a church member in Oklahoma, said Micheal Brooks.
Brooks, missions minister for the Highland Park church in Muscle Shoals, Ala., distributed the Bibles and song books during a recent trip to Bangladesh. Brooks works with the church-supported Khulna Bible College.
CANADA
TSAY KEH DENE
Norm and Jen Weir, members of the Central Valley church in Abbotsford, British Columbia, led a mission team to the northern part of the province recently. The group ministered to Canadian Indians in Fort Ware and Tsay Keh Dene.
Norm weir spoke to a congregation of 15 in a meeting hall made of logs. The church members also conducted bible studies and helped promote a drug and alcohol awareness program.
ITALY
MILAN
More than 60 women from 10 congregations in northern Italy attended the second annual Ladies Day at the Milan church recently, missionary Tammy Short said. As Short and Lucy Console spoke to attendees, the men of the congregation met for study and discussion – and to baby-sit the children, Short added.
“We are so thankful that God has brought the congregation to the point of maturity and cooperation to be able to host an event like this,” Short said.
KAZAKHSTAN
ALMATY
It’s amazing how people can bond after shooting each other with paint at 300 feet per second, missionary Steve Vrooman said. The Almaty church’s “paintball ministry” is a big hit with the churches teens and visitors, Vrooman added.
But the congregation’s recent growth presents challenges. The Almaty church has outgrown its meeting place, a rented cafe with capacity for about 80 people. Members recently were informed that the cafe’s rental fees would double soon.
The church will begin construction on its own building this summer, Vrooman said The cost will be around $300,000.
Almaty church members have contributed more than $15,000 and U.S. contributors have added about $103,000 The church seeks additional contributions.
MALAYSIA

KUALA LUMPUR
Kwai Tai Choom’s preaching is clear and simple – in English or Mandarin Chinese, say members of the Kuala Lumpur church. Kwai, a bilingual missionary and lecturer at Four Seas College of Bible and Missions in Singapore, was the guest speaker at a recent Mandarin/English Gospel Meeting at the Kuala Lumpur church. More than 60 attendees heard sermons on Christian living – in both languages.
OMAN
MUSCAT
A group of recently baptized expatriates has established a small congregation in this Middle Eastern nation, said Dan Ford, a church member who makes trips to the region.
“The charter members are well-employed,” Ford said. “This will be a working church … hopefully able to do some mission work from the outset.”
SENEGAL
DAKAR
More than 200 people in this predominantly Muslim country registered for free English lessons using the Bible, minister Arnold Dzah said.
But the three workers from Texas-based Let’s Start Talking could teach only 45 students during their recent visit to this West African nation.
Nonetheless, Dzah said he was pleased with the outreach ministry.
TANZANIA
MOSHI
Students from Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif traveled to this East African nation recently to teach English using the bible through the Let’s Start Talking program, missionary Charles Ngoje said.
The Moshi church aslo plans to host a group of ministry interns from the Nairobi Great Commission School in Kenya. The Moshi church is close to appointing its first elders, Ngoje said.
THAILAND
UBON RATCHATHANI
Church members in this southeastern Asian nation recently launced a radio program for listeners in neighboring Laos.
Broadcasting from Thailand’s Ubon Ratchathani province, the radio signal reaches across the border into Laos, a communist nation since 1975, said Catherine Thamkaew, who works with Louisiana-based World Rado Gospel Broadcasts.
“My eyes were full of tears to think that day was the day that our brothers and sisters in northeastern Thailand and in … Laos could hear the Light of Life World Radio program together at the same time,” Thamkaew said. “Only the Mekong River separated us, but God’s love bound us together.”

Filed under: National Staff Reports

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