Looking out Looking up
India
The governments of Meghalaya and Assam are staring at a major humanitarian crisis with over 30,000 people displaced from their homes due to an outbreak of ethnic clashes between the Garos and Rabhastribal people groups in North East India.
Pray for the ethnic conflicts to subside, peace to be restored, that no political parties will exploit the conflicts for their ends and that the bond between the Rabha and Garo believers will be strengthened in Christ, as a powerful testimony of healing and reconciliation to the local community. Pray too for wisdom for the local authorities to work out appropriate solutions to the conflict. - WO
Indonesia
Government officials in West Java Province, Indonesia, banned the Indonesian Christian Church (GKI) in Bogor's Taman Yasmin area from worshipping on 26 December 2010 while Islamic groups pressured the authorities to seize the property of another church. Demonstrations were carried out against GKI's Christmas service on 25 December but police were able to restrain the demonstrators. The Bogor municipality requested that GKI cancel its Sunday morning worship service on 26 December 2010. Also, the church members were barred from entering the church premises the next day. A GKI spokesman says that while discrimination is becoming systematic and is spreading in Indonesia, most Indonesians turn a blind eye to it.
Pray for a change in the discriminatory systems against Indonesian Christians, that justice and religious freedom will be established and that the Indonesian church will be strengthened by the challenges it faces. - CDN
Egypt
The Egyptian uprising could cause instability to the country and across the Middle East. While President Mubarak has agreed to institute reforms and a smooth transition, the protesters are calling for his resignation. Egyptian Christian leaders have been calling for intercession for their nation lest unwanted extremists take advantage of the transition of power. Pray that God will reveal every secret plot of the extremists and for a smooth transition to a secular government.
Pray also for the police and military to exercise their powers wisely to control the delicate situation and for comfort and peace on the civilians who are caught in the middle of this instability. - GI
Mongolia
When the door for the gospel was opened in 1990, the church grew from four believers to 50,000-60,000 believers across 500 plus churches. In September 2011, the Mongolian church will celebrate its 20th anniversary and all the churches will be invited to participate in many events and activities.
Pray for the Church of Mongolia as it will launch its 20/10 project during its anniversary, aimed at reaching 10% of the 2.7 million population of Mongolia by the year 2020, training 300,000 disciples for Christ and planting 3,500 churches - WEA.
Australia
Besides the floods and cyclones that have hit northeastern Australia, this continent has been undergoing many changes, all of which place greater strains and tensions on the nation. Increasing pluralism and aggressive secularisation have taken greater hold of Australia's public life. Traditionally a Christian country, Australia is now characterised more by its diversity of religions under a secular rubric, with increasingly secular laws - especially regarding issues of sexuality, religion and the sanctity of life. Sustained immigration has created a multicultural country - at least in the larger cities - and introduced fast-growing religious and ethnic minorities, with all the attending tensions. Pray that Christian values might not be driven into the margins, but that believers will engage secular society in a productive and relevant manner.
Pray also that its role as regional peacekeeper would continue to bond Australians together and establish stability in many Pacific and Asian countries like Timor, Bougainville, and the Solomon Islands. - WEA
Vietnam
It is one of the most tightly controlled nations in the world where Christians face severe opposition for their faith and witness. Some have family members who are imprisoned for serving Christ. Others are underground church members who live with the constant threat of arrest and imprisonment. Pastor Quang, a prominent church leader and lawyer in Ho Chi Minh City has been imprisoned, slandered in newspapers and followed by police in recent years. In December 2010, authorities demolished a building that was both his home and the headquarters of the Vietnam Mennonite Church. However, and he and his church are determined to continue proclaiming their faith in the Lord.
Pray that imprisoned Vietnamese believers will be released. Ask God to enable them to share his grace and truth with others, even in prison and those facing trials for their faith will draw strength from God. - VOM
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