Missionary Herald 2000

217 Pages·2000·176.7 MB·English

by  Baptist Missionary Society

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contents .1.~.§.Y.!.0.9. ..Y .9.WC. .. G.9.!Tif.9.C.t ... ~.QD~ ...................... .
.
mh
january ~ february 2000
.
■features
10 Danger, disease and drunk soldiers
Simon and Karen Collins describe everyday life in Angola
14 Dangerous to stay?
One couple's reaction to God's call to a danger zone
16 Starting from scratch
Angela and Paul Foster describe their first year in Nepal
18 At your age?!
God knows no age barriers, as Stanley and Nancy found out
19 The greatest risk of all
Is it going or returning? Chris Mattock ponders the question
■regulars
9 NEW SERIES Lee Bray's Diary
Read Lee's account of his journey to Bangladesh and Thailand
20 Our Town
Featuring Zagreb
24 BMS Volunteers and Action Teams
Working for God in Kosovo and the Czech Republic
26 Take 2
Resources for leaders focusing on the theme of this issue
28 People, Projects, Prayer
Latest news and updates
D credits
General Director Alistair Brown
Managing Editor Richard Wells
Editor Jan Kendall
Regular Contributors Lee Bray, Alistair Brown, Steve Flashman, Sam Gibson, Jan Kendall,
Dik Lapine, Vinoth Ramachandra
Design Editors Sarah Prentice, Carolyn Tabor
Director for Missionaries David Kerrigan (for enquiries about service]
Printed by Halcyon Print & Design, Heathfield, East Sussex
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COVER PICTURE KOSOVAR REFUGEES, ALEX SMITH
© Copyright 2000 Baptist Missionary Society ISSN 0264-1372
mh [Missionary Herald] The magazine of the Baptist Missionary Society
■
BMS
mh january \ february 2000 3
...........................e ditori.a_l
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ro CO) [L [D)
Welcome to the first issue of mh magazine at Q,
the beginning of this new millennium!
IF=il='
We're as keen as ever to stay at the cutting 0
edge of mission, and we have some tough 7
ro
topics to tackle this year.
This time we're looking at coming out of our
comfort zones, and taking a risk for God.
Sounds great when viewed from one's
armchair, but things do hot up for some ro
Christians when they take God seriously, or is
Q,
it God takes them seriously?! It's a risk we all
take every time we ask God to break further IA},
0
into our lives, to change situations, or other
people, or even ... us. It only needs an off-the 7
ro
cuff remark in a prayer like 'Lord give me
more faith' or 'Lord, I surrender my will to
your will' and God does take us at our word.
Suddenly we're plunged into situations that
ro
demand more commitment, or more prayer,
or whatever. God is answering our prayers
Q,
and stretching our faith at the same time.
In the same way God answered the prayers IA},
0
of all the BMS personnel featured in this
7
issue. People like Simon and Karen Collins ro india
(page 10). Stanley and Nancy Hornsby (page
18). and Mary Parsons (page12). He asked
were destroyed but the
them - and the others featured too - to move hospital itself only suffered
out of their comfort zones and do something minor damage.
ro
for him. What he wanted wasn't dependent The remainder of the
on their looks, their age, their academic et grant will be used in general
ability - just their willingness and availability. relief work.
ii==ll=
As it's a new year we've made one or two Two cyclones, less than
0
small changes in mh magazine. You'll see a ten days apart, devastated
7
new series called Lee's Diary (page 9) the state ofOrissa. Winds
00
recounting a trip by Lee Bray to visit BMS were recorded at 160 mph,
personnel in Bangladesh and Thailand. India destroying homes and
There's also a new way of responding to crops, and causing flooding.
things you've read in mh: see page 35, the BMS helps Power and telephone lines
were made inoperative.
inside back cover, for ways you can follow up
cyclone victims People had to survive
the articles and items in each magazine. Just
without food or water for
fill in the coupon to know more, pray more
four days, resulting in riots
effectively, give some money or offer yourself IA},
0 BMS has given £25,000 and looting. Entire villages
for some kind of service with BMS.
7 from its Relief Fund to help of mud huts and thatch were
Hoping it's a brilliant year for you in your walk
ID in the aftermath of the washed into the sea, with
with our missionary God.
cyclones that ripped more than 90 miles of
through the eastern Indian coastline affected.
With best wishes,
state of Orissa, leaving as The nature of the disaster
many as 5,000 people dead hampered relief workers
and more than 1.5 million reaching the area, and made
homeless. it impossible for an
Five thousand pounds·. immediate assessment of the
ii==ll=
will be used towards the damage. Helicopters were
0
costs for re-roofing the used to drop food packets to
7
nurses quarters at the remote areas. The Prime
00
Christian Hospital for Minister Vajpayee declared
Women and Children at it a 'national calamity'.
Berhampur. Many roofs (Christian Daily News)
4 january february 2000 mh
w..o.r..!.d ...
0.§.W.$. .....................
Two key Baptists have been arrested by the
Burmese military, and so far nothing further has
been heard about them. Biak Kam, senior pastor
ras preparing their hearts" Meza
of the Thantlang Baptist Church and Thawng
said. Eventually the boys
Kam, General Secretary of the Thantlang Baptist
Former came to church once a week
Church were arrested when they tried to hold a
for Bible study, and began to
meeting to address the torture of village leaders.
alcoholic wins accept Christ. But they did
Fellow Baptists have not been allowed to visit
not integrate well into the
them, and fear they might be tortured and be in
gangs for Christ
church.
danger of death. (BWA)
A Southern Baptist
missionary, Tim Patterson, Papua New Guinea
Former alcoholic shared some church
Members of the Malaumandan tribe in this South
Armando Meza has planting concepts with Meza
Pacific nation have been 'blown away' by God's
evangelised the gangs of including allowing natural
love, according to a missionary spokesperson.
Tegucigalpa, and as a result groupings of people to form
Following a six-month programme of Bible
today these gangs are house churches with home
teaching and use of evangelistic drama, 65 tribe
reaching out to .'30 groups of grown leadership. "We
members have become Christians. Sketches of Old
1,100 youths in 15 discussed the possibilities of
and New Testament stories as well as dramas of
neighbourhoods of the raising leaders from the new
the crucifixion, burial and resurrection ofJ esus
capital city. converts and allowing each
were used alongside teaching emphasising biblical
Meza, giving his natural social grouping
truths. "The people were totally overwhelmed by
testimony on the local
what Jesus had done for them," the missionary
television station, described
said. (Christian Daily News)
himself as a 'sick alcoholic'
and said, "I knelt down and
:J
asked the Lord to pardon
Christian radio broadcasters have come up with a
me, that I had failed to stop
novel way of spreading the gospel in isolated
drinking. I asked him to
areas of Africa. They have customised and
please help me."
converted shipping containers, making them into
God answered his prayer
studios, and transported them to northern areas
powerfully. Ten years later
of Mozambique. From this 'studios' workers
Meza became pastor of
broadcast the message ofJ esus Christ (Christian Daily News)
United States
"A long awaited movement of God is taking
place among Native Americans" declared Russell
(gang) to
Begaye, a Najavo Indian and Christian leader.
become a
Begaye, a church planter with the Southern
church in
Baptists has said that several influential Indian
itself."
chiefs have already become Christians.
The
Evangelistic groups are compiling a list of every
new
Native American home on all 550 reservations in
i approach the USA so that every Native American living on
l worked,
a reservation can be prayed for. (Christian Daily News)
Cerro Grande Baptist and Meza reported that God
Church, and, after a heart began to move so Laos
attack in 1997, felt led to dramatically among the gang
At least 25 evangelists have been arrested for
reach out to the youth of the members that a profound
sharing their faith. Some have been put into
city. He approached a local change was being made in
solitary confinement, and locked up day and
football team trainer, and as the Cerro Grande
night in wooden stocks. The wife of one
a result began to help with neighbourhood."
evangelist was arrested along with her baby. She
getting uniforms for the Publicity from the
was driven insane by the experience, but since her
team, and began attending television programme has
release has fully recovered and believes the jail
team games. led to invitations for Meza to
authorities put something in her food to cause her
At first the boys were start groups in other parts of
to suffer hallucinations. (CSW)
wary of him, "but I was Tegucigalpa.
praying God would be (Christian Daily News)
mh january j february 2000 5
world news
··································· ............................. .
Chechnya French Baptists
situations of increasing have been a way of obtaining
Christians flee lawlessness and instability. the expulsions of the ten pray and fast
It is believed that around INF workers.
terrors 40 Christians remain in this The situation has been
breakaway, predominantly brought to the attention of
Muslim, republic of British Secretary of State for The Federation of Baptist
Two elderly women Chechnya. (EBPS, Open Doors) Foreign Affairs, Robin Churches in France (FEEBF)
members of Grozny Baptist Cook, who has intervened, encouraged its 111 member
Nepal raising the issue with his churches to rise to the
Nepali counterpart. challenge of sharing the
Christian INF have declared that if gospel and to join in three
the situation regarding long days of prayer and fasting.
workers outstanding visas was not The FEEBF General
resolved by Secretary Etienne
expelled mid Lhermenault and Director of
Evangelism Bernard
Delepine said "We invite you
In a wave of to join us in prayer". On Day
persecution against One "we want to repent of
Church, Chechnya, have Christians, ten personnel our lack of zeal in witnessing;
reportedly been brutally Protestant churches involved to the lack of unity that keeps
murdered. An 82 year-old have been burned by leave Nepal churches and denominations
widow was allegedly fanatical Hindu within three from working together; the
tortured, raped and groups. The Nepal wrong motives that stain our
strangled; another woman in Baptist Church evangelistic efforts." On Day
her 70s was beaten to death. Council has joined Two "please pray with us for
Another woman member with other Christians renewed compassion, for the
was kidnapped and her in speaking to the ,.__ ____. ....., planting of new churches, for
abductors are demanding government about the increased creativity and
US $4,000 for her release. protection of human rights. boldness in our proclamation
Earlier in 1999 the Elsewhere in Nepal, ten of the good news." And on
International Nepal Fellow Day Three "An invitation
ship (INF) workers and their will be given in worship
families were issued with services for congregations to
exit visas, and given 14 days discern who among them
to leave the country. Some God is calling to serve as
of those named were already evangelists, pastors or church
out of the country on leave planters, for church members
or home assignment. INF to move out for the gospel
state that the expulsions through personal witnessing,
have nothing to do with the practical service, and support
individual's conduct, but of those involved in such
relate to their 'extra' or 'out
of work' activities, that is,
church's pastor Alexander religious or Christian
Kulakov, was kidnapped and activities.
murdered. His severed head For a long while INF
was put on public display in personnel had experienced
Grozny. The man who took delays in obtaining
over as pastor, Vitaly residence and exit visas.
Korotun, a 23 year-old BMS workers Colin and
deacon, was abducted in Denise Clark told BMS practical difficulties for the
August 1999. General Committee in individuals and projects,
Because of the threats October how they had only some of which will have to
and violence, 23 of the had valid visas for five out of
church's members have fled 22 months, and then had It seems that only those
the area, and are now living difficulty obtaining their exit who have been in Nepal
in a safe house in southern visas to come back to the with INF for a long period ministries."
Russia. Those who are left UK. The delay in granting of time are affected by this The leaders added, "French
are having to cope with these visas is believed to situation. (BWA/INF) men and women often have a
6 january february 2000 mh
.w.orl.d ...o .~w..$.. .................. .
rationalistic mind set that is additional regular attendees.
a barrier to faith in Jesus." For two years the group
The French Baptists have from Minnesota has
invited other denominations travelled to the Ukraine to
in France to join them in run a children's camp. The
Spring 2000 in another time church helped out by
of prayer and fasting. sending supplies, leading
"Together, let us lift up our the crafts programme and
voice and ask the Lord to arranging sports activities,
have mercy on this country" while the church from
say Lhermenault and Uman provided the camp
Delepine. leadership, teachers and
The FEEBF has 111 helpers.
churches with 6,224 One of the U man
members. (EBPS) leaders, a man called
Vladimir, told the
Ukraine/USA Minnesota group to expect
about 20 to 25 children for
Sister churches the camp, but in the event
39 turned up and 25 of
evangelise them expressed an interest People in this country nod, smile, say 'Hmm ... , interesting'
in going to a weekly Sunday but I don't think they believe me. I tell them the world is
former Soviet school class led by another exploding technologically, and that in the most remote of
Uman church member places satellite dishes are springing up. People who used to
have little awareness outside their own region are now world
Union called Nina.
conscious and media bombarded as never before. But that's
BELARUS hard for us to grasp. We're slow to subscribe to satellite TV or
.I the Internet so how can poorer nations be ahead?
But many are. The photo here is from Thailand. The
Ukraine location is a remote village; the house is a traditional self·
build wooden construction on stilts. The family are not
especially poor, but neither are they well·off. And out the back,
among the shrubs, there's an enormous satellite dish. Often
they're watching the programmes we watch. They're being
asked to buy the same international brand names as us. Other
cultures are impacting them like never before in history.
ILACl SEA
Is that bad? It can be. But minds open to new ideas are
One of the visitors from also open as never before to the gospel. I don't champion
Minnesota , Betty Foulkes, pumping people with culturally insensitive Christian messages,
Two churches half a commented that "the but wise programming can be a powerful tool for God's work.
world apart have got children were amazed at the So here we are in 2000. BMS has new enthusiasm for
mission. We'll be doing face to face mission work, but we'll
together in a sister church fact they had a choice of
also be using other ways of passing on the good news:
relationship to evangelise an materials. Normally they
satellite TV, the Internet and whatever else is available. We
area in the Ukraine, a might only have one
mean to go through every open door God puts before us. May
republic, part of the former coloured pencil or <:rayon, this be the century when, for the first time, all peoples hear
Soviet Union. and they would have to the good news. •
The Evangelical share that with others," she
Christian Church (Baptist) said. (Assist) Alistair Brown is General Director of BMS
ofUman, Ukraine and
Cross of Glory Baptist Kosovo
Church, Hopkins,
Minnesota have formed a BMS helps
connection to take the change, and for four months need and they are all
gospel to the city ofUman, Kosovans get the temperature does not receiving regular supplies of
a major city, about three rise above freezing; often it is food.
hours drive south of Kiev, ready for winter minus 20° in the daytime. Families have been
the capital of the Ukraine. Families and family groups encouraged to identify a
The Evangelical Christian are preparing for winter. room in their damaged home
Church has about 250 to Winter comes suddenly Eight villages to the north to seal off, and use for all
300 weekly attendees and in the Balkans. From the end and west of Prishtina have activities. BMS has given a
Cross of Glory has about of October the days of been identified by BMS grant of 100,000 DM (that is
300 members with warmth and sunshine personnel to be in special £32,600) to buy 200 wood
!
mh january february 2000 7
...................... world. .. news
stoves and four cubic metres of wood per
family to provide warmth and cooking
facilities in two or three of these villages.
"Lot looked up and saw that the whole
plain of the Jordan was well watered ... So
Lot chose for himself the whole plain of
last throughout the the Jordan and set out towards the east."
winter. It is having to [Gen 1 2: 1 0 -11 )
be bought from a
safe area and "Moses chose to be mistreated along with
transported to the the people of God rather than to enjoy the
region, because fleeting pleasures of sin ... He regarded
many people have disgrace for the sake of Christ as of
been killed or injured trying to collect firewood because of greater value than the treasures of Egypt."
mmes. (Heb 11 : 25 - 6)
In another initiative different families in Kosovo are being
encouraged to live under the same roof together for the winter. We face choices all the time. These range
BMS has provided a grant of20,000 DM (£6,550) to provide from the trivial ("What shall I make for
concrete blocks which will act as screen walls to give each family dinner?") to the life-changing ("Should I
a degree of privacy. change my job?"). Choices we make reflect
.-------- n both our character and our basic
framework of thinking, what is sometimes
0) called our "world-view". But the reverse
also holds: we make choices, but our
cIIIIC.
choices also make us. It is the choices we
make that determine what kind of people
we turn out to be.
For instance, Lot's choice reflected the
popular worldview. Prosperity is more
important than godliness. He ended up a
weak, ineffectual man humiliated by his
own children. In contrast, Moses' decision
sprang from a different vision. It led to
loneliness, rejection and apparent
forsakenness by God himself. But he
ended up a humble, broken and powerful
leader of God's people, one with whom
God talked as a friend.
Moreover, every major decision involves
risk and a measure of uncertainty. This is
how God has arranged things in his world,
so that we trust in him and not in our
decision, that we love him and not his
Action Cards for 2000 can be ordered from gifts. So when we demand of God that he
Christians Aware, 2 Saxby Street, Leicester, LE2 gives us "assurance" before we do
ONO [Tel/Fax [phone]). Themes for the something that we know (from all other
year include issues of fair trade, poverty, the factors) to be the most God-honouring
environment, refugees, child labour, debt and thing to do, might we be
development. Use the Action Cards to send a guilty of unbelief? •
message of support, protest, congratulations or
challenge. Vinoth Ramachandra is South Asia
They cost £2.50 per pack. Cheques or postal Regional Secretary of IFES.
orders to be made payable to Christians Aware.•
8 january february 2000 mh

Simon and Karen Collins describe life ,n Angola
m
ention the risks of crime occurs, it is often violeut. Several all the smaller roads are precarious
living in Angola to people in our church have been killed riveted mud tracks filled witl1 sewage
someone, and their in recent months, victims of armed and rubbish. Despite this, the
thoughts usually jump to the robberies. Every shop employs Angolans drive as if they are on a
danger of land mines. While they unifonned guards who sit by the door, Formula 1 racing circuit. Speeding and
undoubtedly cause much death and proudly sporting their weapons. We seemingly suicidal overtaking occur all
suffering, we are relatively safe still haven't quite got used to the sight too frequently. The cars. taxis and
from them. Perhaps surprisingly, of shoppers putting their hand guns lorries are a danger in themselves, most
Angola's long-running civil war has into a locker at the entrance to the being battered wrecks fit for the
left Luanda, the capital city, supem1arket before starting their breakers yard. They often have broken
virtually untouched. The victims of weekly shop. windscreens, no suspension and no
the landmines are the poor We live on a large site that is owned lights, so driving after dark is
farmer, forced by hunger to return by the Assemblies of God church. It is something we avoid whenever
to his fields, and the young child a beautiful location, with a view across possible. To add to the difficulties,
innocently playing in a country to rolling hills and the sea. The base there are no pavements and little
village who comes across a itself is very peacefol, consisting of four children often run out of their houses
brightly coloured object and who missionaries' houses, a Bible school straight onto tl1e road. Pedestrians
can't resist picking it up. with students' accommodation, and a often cross without looking or
large area of farmland. There are (e specially true of teenage boys) with
Luanda is an unsanitary city, heaped always three armed guards on duty, the goading attitude "Hit me if you
with rotting rubbish and awash with and a perimeter wall adds to our sense dare!" On various occasions we have
muddy mosquito-infested sewage of security. Yet virtually every night we seen dead bodies lying in the road
water. Unlike the pioneer missionaries, hear the sound of gun shots and hand where someone has hit them. The
we take anti-malarial tablets and our grenades. The local houses where the danger for us is that, in Angolan
house has mosquito screens at the materials are stored at night usually culture, an angry mob will form and
windows. We have to boil and filter have their own armed guards. They kill the driver of the vehicle no matter
our water to make it safe to drink. fire warnings, designed to scare any whose fault it was. Travelling by plane
During the ten months that we have would-be robbers away, so we often on domestic flights is also dangerous,
been in Luanda, we have been kept hear one or two shots. Sometimes, as many of the aircraft are poorly
remarkably free from the serious however. it is more in the nature of a maintained. On our recent flight to
tropical illnesses such as salmonella, running battle. A few weeks ago, we Cabinda. not only were the seats
typhoid fever and amoebic dysentery were e1uoying a barbecue early one broken but we were very disconcerted
Saturday to see streaming wisps of vapour from
"people evenmg. the cloud we were passing through
The leaking into the cabin. Even when we
eh killed, weather was are on the ground aircraft are a danger
have been
sunny and to us. At least four Russian cargo
victims the coals planes have crashed here in the last ten
were months, usually due to being over
, 1ed robberies" hotting up loaded. One of these hit a residential
nicely. part of Luanda,just tvvo miles from
Suddenly, a where we work.
___________________________. ..,.gunfight
Not all the clangers we face though
which are so common here. erupted in the market, about 200 yards are man-made. The guards have shot
Despite being relatively safe from away. For about 20 minutes, our dead various snakes. Our neighbour,
disease, we still face dangers, most of cooking was accompanied by the Mark, is the proud owner of the skin of
which. unfortunately, are man-made. sound of pistol shots, bursts from one of them, an eight-foot-long boa
The biggest danger is clue to AK4 7 rifles, and the blast of the constrictor. Recently there was a
Luanda's crime rate. As a legacy of32 occasional haud grenade. We later spitting cobra on the steps in front of
years of war, gw1s are widely available. found out tl1at a dmnk soldier had our house. Simon took one look at it
Combined with mass unemployment, started the trouble, and that the police and, remembering Mark 16, promptly
overcrowding due to the influx of had then responded. Although we squashed its head witl1 his sandalled
thousands of refogees and a rate of were relatively safe behind our wall, it feet. Unfortunately we can't deal with
inflation that is out of control, it is did lend the proceedings a somewhat all tl1e risks we face with such ease; yet
harlliy surprising that for many, surreal air. we know that God is able to save us
turning to crime seems the easiest Travelling is another danger tliat we and even ifhe doesn't we will still
quick-fix solution. After so much war, face. In the middle of Luanda large pot serve him (Daniel 3:16-lS)e
people view life cheaply - and when holes disfig,1.tre most of the streets, and Simon and Karen Collins are BMS workers in Angola
10 January february 2000 mh