Missions Box

Eugene Peterson, a man many pastors called their pastor, left his legacy here on earth and entered in the presence of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ on October 22, 2018. Peterson was born in 1932 in Washington State and was raised in Montana. He attended Seattle Pacific University, New York Theological Seminary, and Johns…

Is the Israel/ Hamas problem our problem?By and large, it is reasonable to say that many Americans – and, perhaps, many Christians – do not stay abreast of news in Israel. Whether that is a result of a preoccupation with our own personal concerns, the American political scene, or any other number or equally legitimate…

ORLANDO – “When people encounter Jesus, everything changes” is a theme of The Jesus Film Project. The project began with the release of the two-hour movie in 1979 and the vision to reach everyone everywhere for Jesus Christ with the film and the Gospel message translated into their own heart languages. In the initial days…

TORONTO – If you are hospitalized in Toronto, where this writer once lived, calling for the MAID means something entirely different that summoning a woman with a mop and a bucket. MAID is the new euphemism for euthanasia. It stands for “Medical Assistance in Dying.” A working group at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children published…

CANBERRA – Can a Christian govern without compromise? The question has been asked many times and in many different circumstances. Perhaps the election of a Liberal majority in the Australian Parliament offers the best answer yet as Scott Morrison, an unabashed Pentecostal and the leader of the Liberal Party has become the country’s new prime…

ABKHAZIA – SOAR International Ministries is holding special camps for handicapped kids in Abkhazia. Raise your hand if you know where Abkhazia is? Anyone? Anyone? Okay. Let’s try this. Raise your hand if you have ever even heard of Abkhazia. Anyone? Anyone? Abkhazia is a small, independent state on the eastern shore of the Black…

IZMIR – Pastor Andrew Brunson is on his way home to North Carolina after more than two years either in prison or, more recently, under house arrest in Turkey. The Trump administration has been tightening the screws on the Turkish economy for its part in getting Pastor Brunson released. While the diplomatic efforts of the United…

ALGIERS – Rachid Ouali appeared at a hearing in court on August 9, 2018, in the town of Bouira, about 60 miles south of Algiers. He was accused on charges of attempting to evangelism his wife. Rachid is a Christian. His wife is a Muslim. Islam is the official state religion of Algeria. Official estimates…

THAILAND – When Christians wait upon the Lord to open doors, unexpected things happen. When we follow where He leads, we end up in places far different – even stranger sometimes – than we would have had we followed our own plans. That was exactly what happened to Keith and Sarah Neigenfind while beginning a…

PALU, Indonesia – On Friday, September 28, 2018, Icose Mafella awakened with an unsettling feeling that would not go away. A devout follower of Jesus, he knew that he needed to stay calm so that he could hear the voice of God. 140 fewer people died in the Indonesia earthquake that day because he did….

WASHINGTON DC – People need to be seriously aware that Jesus said more than “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s” in Mark 12:17. He also said, “And to God the things that are God’s.” Christians and evangelical churches around the globe are feeling the oppression of officials whose desire is to bring the…

IRAN – Mojtaba Hosseini was arrested for being a threat to the national security of his home country of Iran. His crime was being a leader of a house church group. When he was originally arrested, he was placed on probation and warned to cease his church activities. I wonder what I would have done…

WASHINGTON DC – The International Monetary Fund has appointed India-born Gita Gopinath as its next chief economist, replacing Maurice Obstfeld who will be retiring at the end of 2018. Dr. Gopinath was born in Kolkata in 1971. She earned her BA at the University of Delhi, followed by a double Master’s degree in economics from…

INDONESIA – People all over the world have heard the story of Aldi Novel Adilang. Most won’t remember his name. They will remember him only as the Indonesian teenager who was survived being stranded at sea for 49 days in a wooden fishing hut. Most mainstream media has told the story of how the 18-year-old…