Youths in Central European nation of Croatia bundle up for rally
Children in Croatia pose for the camera during a two-day youth rally organized by the church in Varazdin.
Youths from three Croatian congregations “played outside, did Bible-based drama and enjoyed wonderful hospitality of the Varazdin church,” said Mladen Jovanovic, a minister in the Croatian capital, Zagreb.
New life, New Guinea
ALOTAU, Papua New Guinea — In recent months “there have been more baptisms than I can remember in such a short period,” said Craig Ford, a missionary in this South Pacific nation. About a dozen people gave their lives to Christ from January to February, Ford said.
The missionary finds it even more encouraging that many of the baptisms are a result of evangelism by local Christians.
Sonya Diosi is one example. Her conversion followed many Bible studies with Ford and church member Joel Siropodi.
“After one of the studies at our house she decided to be baptized, and Joel baptized her that very night,” Ford said, adding that he features a new Christian converted though Siropodi’s efforts in almost every issue of his newsletter.
Loss and hardship haven’t stopped Angela Tanby from reaching souls, said Marcus Reese, another missionary in Alotau.
Tanby and her husband, John, were baptized Nov. 3. Exactly one month later John Tanby died from an ulcer, leaving Angela with five children. She soon lost her home and property to her in-laws and was forced to move to the neighborhood of Popova, close to her family.
“Angela has already hosted three Bible studies for her relatives and neighbors in Popova,” Reese said. Her brother and one of her neighbors were baptized recently.
“And thus begins the story of another baby church,” Reese said.
GABON
PORT GENTIL — A small congregation in this African port city is growing rapidly, minister Ibinga Annam Solomon said. Many of its members have difficulty finding work and lack funds to expand the church’s facility, he said.
Despite the challenges, African Christians have established five churches in Gabon, beginning the work there in 1992, said Eric Asante, a church member in South Africa who makes missionary trips to Gabon.
HAITI
PORT-AU-PRINCE — Charlene May, a member of the Eagan congregation near St. Paul, Minn., conducted a ladies’ seminar in this Caribbean nation recently.
The topic was “Molding our Hearts to God’s.” Seventy-one church members from the Port-au-Prince area attended.
ISRAEL
MITSPE RAMON — Ten Jewish and five Japanese Christians attended a recent three-day seminar in the Negev, a desert region in southern Israel.
The believers discussed the divine nature of Christ and issues facing Jewish followers of Christ in Israel, said Joseph Shulam, a minister in the Netivyah, ministry — a group of Messianic Jews that receives support from Churches of Christ.
“The wonderful reaction of the young Messianic Jewish leaders on the study topics was a great encouragement for us older men,” Shulam said.
The group also repelled into nearby Ramon Crater.
“For young people there is no problem to repel down a 100-foot cliff,” Shulam said, “but for 72-and 63-year-old men, to do it for the first time it was exciting.”
NICARAGUA
MANAGUA — Sixteen Christians from Alabama, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia provided medical and dental care — and puppet shows — to people in this Central American nation recently.
“We work in sections where the kids have nothing,” Steve Fox, minister for the Kanawha City church in Charleston, W.Va., told the Charleston Daily Mail. Searcy, Ark.-based Health Talents International coordinated the trip.
Among the participants was Katey Shelton, an 18-year-old high school senior who assisted in the mission’s dental clinic.
“I would like to go every year,” Shelton told the newspaper.
RWANDA
KIGALI — Charles Murigande, Rwanda’s minister of governmental affairs, spoke at the second anniversary of Christ’s Church in Rwanda.
“There is a lot to celebrate today,” Murigande said to about 500 attendees at the service, the New Times of Rwanda reported. “When I review the achievements of this church, it has worked towards transforming the community.”
The congregation chose its name for several reasons, including the registration of the name “Church of Christ” by another religious group, missionary Dave Jenkins said.
THAILAND
BANGKOK — Donnie Hilliard, director of the Cloverdale Center for Family Strengths at Faulkner University in Montgomery, Ala., and his wife, Sherrie, presented 10 lessons on building strong families recently at the Friendship Church of Christ in Bangkok. Subin Panboon, the church’s minister, translated the lessons and explained concepts that were unfamiliar or challenging to the Thai audience.
The University church in Montgomery supports Panboon and the Thai congregation.
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
PORT OF SPAIN — Vadas “Dave” Dallsingh, one of the first three baptized believers in this Caribbean nation,
died Feb. 23. He was 59.
In 1968 missionary Ralph Wharton baptized Dallsingh and Kaso and Chan Ramcharitar. The first Church of Christ on the islands met at Dallsingh’s home.
“I know it is a great lost for us,” said Chan Ramcharitar, now living in Toronto where her husband serves as an elder of the Harding Avenue church.
Dallsingh is survived by three children, all living in Florida.
Youths from three Croatian congregations “played outside, did Bible-based drama and enjoyed wonderful hospitality of the Varazdin church,” said Mladen Jovanovic, a minister in the Croatian capital, Zagreb.
New life, New Guinea
ALOTAU, Papua New Guinea — In recent months “there have been more baptisms than I can remember in such a short period,” said Craig Ford, a missionary in this South Pacific nation. About a dozen people gave their lives to Christ from January to February, Ford said.
The missionary finds it even more encouraging that many of the baptisms are a result of evangelism by local Christians.
Sonya Diosi is one example. Her conversion followed many Bible studies with Ford and church member Joel Siropodi.
“After one of the studies at our house she decided to be baptized, and Joel baptized her that very night,” Ford said, adding that he features a new Christian converted though Siropodi’s efforts in almost every issue of his newsletter.
Loss and hardship haven’t stopped Angela Tanby from reaching souls, said Marcus Reese, another missionary in Alotau.
Tanby and her husband, John, were baptized Nov. 3. Exactly one month later John Tanby died from an ulcer, leaving Angela with five children. She soon lost her home and property to her in-laws and was forced to move to the neighborhood of Popova, close to her family.
“Angela has already hosted three Bible studies for her relatives and neighbors in Popova,” Reese said. Her brother and one of her neighbors were baptized recently.
“And thus begins the story of another baby church,” Reese said.
GABON
PORT GENTIL — A small congregation in this African port city is growing rapidly, minister Ibinga Annam Solomon said. Many of its members have difficulty finding work and lack funds to expand the church’s facility, he said.
Despite the challenges, African Christians have established five churches in Gabon, beginning the work there in 1992, said Eric Asante, a church member in South Africa who makes missionary trips to Gabon.
HAITI
PORT-AU-PRINCE — Charlene May, a member of the Eagan congregation near St. Paul, Minn., conducted a ladies’ seminar in this Caribbean nation recently.
The topic was “Molding our Hearts to God’s.” Seventy-one church members from the Port-au-Prince area attended.
ISRAEL
MITSPE RAMON — Ten Jewish and five Japanese Christians attended a recent three-day seminar in the Negev, a desert region in southern Israel.
The believers discussed the divine nature of Christ and issues facing Jewish followers of Christ in Israel, said Joseph Shulam, a minister in the Netivyah, ministry — a group of Messianic Jews that receives support from Churches of Christ.
“The wonderful reaction of the young Messianic Jewish leaders on the study topics was a great encouragement for us older men,” Shulam said.
The group also repelled into nearby Ramon Crater.
“For young people there is no problem to repel down a 100-foot cliff,” Shulam said, “but for 72-and 63-year-old men, to do it for the first time it was exciting.”
NICARAGUA
MANAGUA — Sixteen Christians from Alabama, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia provided medical and dental care — and puppet shows — to people in this Central American nation recently.
“We work in sections where the kids have nothing,” Steve Fox, minister for the Kanawha City church in Charleston, W.Va., told the Charleston Daily Mail. Searcy, Ark.-based Health Talents International coordinated the trip.
Among the participants was Katey Shelton, an 18-year-old high school senior who assisted in the mission’s dental clinic.
“I would like to go every year,” Shelton told the newspaper.
RWANDA
KIGALI — Charles Murigande, Rwanda’s minister of governmental affairs, spoke at the second anniversary of Christ’s Church in Rwanda.
“There is a lot to celebrate today,” Murigande said to about 500 attendees at the service, the New Times of Rwanda reported. “When I review the achievements of this church, it has worked towards transforming the community.”
The congregation chose its name for several reasons, including the registration of the name “Church of Christ” by another religious group, missionary Dave Jenkins said.
THAILAND
BANGKOK — Donnie Hilliard, director of the Cloverdale Center for Family Strengths at Faulkner University in Montgomery, Ala., and his wife, Sherrie, presented 10 lessons on building strong families recently at the Friendship Church of Christ in Bangkok. Subin Panboon, the church’s minister, translated the lessons and explained concepts that were unfamiliar or challenging to the Thai audience.
The University church in Montgomery supports Panboon and the Thai congregation.
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
PORT OF SPAIN — Vadas “Dave” Dallsingh, one of the first three baptized believers in this Caribbean nation,
died Feb. 23. He was 59.
In 1968 missionary Ralph Wharton baptized Dallsingh and Kaso and Chan Ramcharitar. The first Church of Christ on the islands met at Dallsingh’s home.
“I know it is a great lost for us,” said Chan Ramcharitar, now living in Toronto where her husband serves as an elder of the Harding Avenue church.
Dallsingh is survived by three children, all living in Florida.
View Comments
