[This magazine has been jointly edited by CHRISTIAN TODAY and Torch Trust for the Blind. All the articles were first published on the CHRISTIAN TODAY website christiantoday.com over the last three months.]
From:-
TORCH TRUST FOR THE BLIND, Torch House, Torch Way, Northampton Road, Market
Harborough, Leicestershire, LE16 9HL, U.K.
Telephone: (01858) 438260, Fax: (01858) 438275, email:
info@torchtrust.org
Charity Number 1095904.
"No society is free from problems," says Ahmed, a young man in one of Darfur's many camps. "We are altogether here in the camp united by our situation, but when there is a problem, people often divide into groups based on their origin," he says.
With thousands of people forcefully driven from their homes into overcrowded camps, where both resources and opportunities are short, disputes have become a frequent feature of life for many of Darfur's displaced.
"There are many problems inside the camp; problems within families - usually between the man and wife, problems between a sheikh and the people of his village, disputes between a buyer and seller," reports Ali, deputy sheikh of sheikhs in Dereig camp, which is currently sheltering over 20,000 people.
"Also, sometimes there is a misunderstanding between different groups of people. If an organisation is serving one sector of the camp and another sector close by is not receiving anything, then this can lead to conflict," explains Ahmed from Mershing, where 50,000 people are living in camps.
However, with training and assistance from two Christian coalitions, the Sudan Council of Churches and Sudanaid, ACT-Caritas' national partners - several groups of sheikhs, women, and youth have been empowered with the skills and knowledge to enable them to resolve conflicts peacefully. The trainees have set up conflict resolution and reconciliation committees in five camps in south Darfur.
"Since we established the committee we have managed to solve many problems inside the camp," says Ahmed, a member of the youth reconciliation committee in Mershing. "For example, disputes between husband and wife, and between groups of boys. We have also integrated the football teams of the camp with those of the local community."
"To resolve a conflict, the way to create reconciliation is to mediate. This is our role," explains Babi, another member of the youth committee.
Salih, a member of Dereig camp's conflict resolution committee of sheikhs, explains further: "In the training we learnt how to intervene so as to solve a problem between people or groups; we listen to both sides, initially separately, and then we bring the two sides together with the committee acting as a neutral party to mediate between them. This enables both parties to speak so that the mediators can determine a way to make peace. This is also reconciliation."
But there are not only conflicts inside the camp. "We share water pumps with the local community, but sometimes problems erupt and they insult us, saying we have brought them problems. When we go to get firewood we are often threatened and attacked by armed men. Every month women are assaulted and sometimes killed when they go to get firewood," reports Babi.
What are the prospects that the committees will be able to address and resolve conflicts that occur outside the camps?
In Mershing the youth committee does not think it is yet possible. "We do not have authority to mediate with those outside the community; they are armed and we are normal people," explains Ahmed. "But if they put down their guns and their support is taken away, then there is a possibility. Human beings can do anything together."
The committee of sheikhs share a similar view. "During the training we learnt about rights - human rights, the rights of women and children, and that as citizens we have rights, to be equal with others, in all fields," states Ali, a member of the committee. "But we are here in the camps because there is discrimination. If there was equality and justice we would not stay in the camps."
According to sheikh Ali, what needs to happen is threefold. "Darfur is not going to be stable unless there is disarmament of the militias. Then there needs to be recognition of guilt so that there can be reconciliation and forgiveness, and there need to be talks with all Darfurians participating and with a neutral party in the role of mediator, in order to solve the current crisis."
Ali is positive. "We can use the methods we have learnt in the training to solve any problem. We have to use it in the future, such as when we return to our homes, so as to co-exist peacefully again with our neighbours. The training has shown us that if there is respect for opinion, and respect for justice, this will lead us to a safe land."
Action by Churches Together International (ACT) and Caritas Internationalis are working together in a joint response to the Darfur crisis.
ACT International is a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergencies worldwide.
Caritas Internationalis is a confederation of 162 Catholic relief, development, and social service organisations present in 200 countries and territories.
The recent move by footballer David Beckham to LA Galaxy has drawn much attention to a sport that has until now failed to hit the big time in the USA.
Beckham's arrival to the United States last month has helped lift the profile of Major League Soccer (MLS), and football at large in the US. The new midfielder for Galaxy faces a gruelling time, however. Over the next three months, he will play at least 22 games and pile up almost 80,000 air miles playing for the LA team while trying to help England qualify for next year's European Championships.
Some players fear Beckham's burnout but his spokesman, Simon Oliveira, has given assurances of his fitness and Beckham's own confidence that he will be in peak condition.
Last week, Galaxy slipped into their ninth defeat in 17 MLS games and the team is scheduled for many late-season games plus travel.
Pumping up the team's body and soul amid the increased media attention and gruelling schedule is a chaplain trying to develop three-dimensional athletes.
"I tell the players that they should not just think of the fans' approval, which can change at any moment, but rather they should try to play for God's approval," said Ray Caldwell, chaplain for the Galaxy.
Caldwell is part of Campus Crusade for Christ's Athletes in Action (AIA), which has a presence on 10 of MLS's 13 teams. They hold team Bible studies and focus on the idea of building mind, body and spirit, including the players' motivation and morality.
"Players are all about being the very best soccer players they can be, but the physical and mental aspects of sport can only take you so far," Caldwell said. "When they begin to focus on things above they often find they can play at a higher level."
The Bible studies generally draw around six to eight players. Players from Galaxy include former US national team midfielder Chris Klein, midfielder Peter Vagenas, defender Troy Roberts and defender Quavas Kirk. All players and coaches are invited to attend the Bible studies and chapels, according to Caldwell, who recently met with Beckham and extended an invitation to him.
"The front offices (MLS) have gradually gained an understanding that we aren't trying to get something from the team, but rather that we are here to give to and resource the teams," Caldwell said. "Through the relationships and trust we have built up some teams have granted us increased access."
Athletes in Action was founded in 1966 by David Hannah, who desired to build on society's great love of sports and utilise the platform given to the athletes to reach the world for Jesus Christ. As of 2007, AIA has a ministry presence in 85 countries, on nearly 100 US college campuses, and on 35 US professional sports teams.
Youth With A Mission (YWAM) leaders currently meeting on JeJu Island in South Korea have thrown their support behind a global strategy to bring one billion people to Christ in the next 25 years.
The Call2All is an initiative of the Global Pastor's Network, set up by the late Campus Crusade for Christ founder Bill Bright, which will pull together the evangelistic efforts of 200 Christian organisations.
It is based on the command of Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
The global effort will kick off in January 2008 with regional "strategy congresses" to be held in conjunction with other major mission events.
YWAM's Global Leadership Team held its annual meeting in JeJu in August to lay down the vision for its mission work over the next few years.
"The opportunity to take part in a massive evangelism endeavor had GLT members on the edge of their seats," said YWAM. "GLT members recognised both the honour being accorded YWAM as well as the sublime task that lies ahead." YWAM workers will co-host eight regional strategy conferences to take place around the world over the next two years, as well as 30 more throughout 2010.
The 51 GLT members to endorse YWAM's engagement in Call2All affirmed, "We commit by the grace of God to serve the Call2All movement without profile or recognition. We acknowledge our inability, but by faith we will accomplish all that God has for us."
Kevin Sutter, GLT member: "I have absolutely no question in my heart that God has been preparing us for this."
Rev Dr John Stott concluded his final public engagement at the Keswick Convention in July, asking, "What is God's purpose for his people?"
As the world says goodbye to one of the most celebrated evangelists of the modern era, Dr Stott told the crowd: "I want to share with you where my mind has come to rest as I approach the end of my pilgrimage on earth. God wants His people to become like Christ. Christ-likeness is the will of God for the people of God."
Giving his last major address before retiring from public ministry, veteran preacher and Queen's Chaplain, Dr John Stott, electrified his audience and was greeted with a standing ovation.
Building his sermon on three texts, Romans 8:29, 2 Corinthians 3:18 and 1 John 3:2, Dr Stott affirmed that "if we claim to be a Christian, we must be Christ-like".
He went on to stress the five main examples in the New Testament of how Christians should seek to imitate Christ: "We are to be like Christ in his Incarnation," he said. "It was unique, in the sense that the Son of God took our humanity to himself in Jesus of Nazareth, but the amazing grace of God in the Incarnation of Christ is to be followed by all of us. We are to be like Christ in his Incarnation in the amazing self-humbling which lies behind the Incarnation."
Dr Stott is revered the world over for his life of ministry. The world famous evangelist, Rev Billy Graham, testified to him as "the most respected clergyman in the world today".
Now 87 and increasingly fragile, Dr Stott's frailty vanished as he started to preach for the final time publicly. He warned his audience that being Christ-like in "patient endurance ... may well become increasingly relevant as persecution increases in many cultures".
The Anglican evangelist then returned to the subject of the importance of being incarnational: "As Christ had entered our world, so we are to enter other people's worlds. This entering into other people's worlds is exactly what we mean by incarnational evangelism. All authentic mission is incarnational mission."
He continued: "Why is it, you must have asked, as I have, that in many situations our evangelistic efforts are often fraught with failure? ... One main reason is that we don't look like the Christ we are proclaiming."
Explaining his comments, Dr Stott revealed: "John Poulton, who has written about this in a perceptive little book entitled 'A today sort of evangelism', wrote: 'The most effective preaching comes from those who embody the things they are saying. They are their message. Christians need to look like what they are talking about. It is people who communicate primarily, not words or ideas. Authenticity gets across. Deep down inside people, what communicates now is basically personal authenticity.'"
Dr Stott pointed out the impact that a Christ-like church would have on the world: "There was a Hindu professor in India who once identified one of his students as a Christian and said to him: 'If you Christians lived like Jesus Christ, India would be at your feet tomorrow.' ... From the Islamic world, the Reverend Iskandar Jadeed, a former Arab Muslim, has said "If all Christians were Christians - that is, Christ-like - there would be no more Islam today."'
Rallying a captivated congregation, finally Dr Stott asked the question: "Is Christ-likeness attainable?" He concluded: "In our own strength it is clearly not attainable but God has given us his Holy Spirit to dwell within us, to change us from within ... God's way to make us like Christ is to fill us with his Spirit."
Commenting on the evening, Keswick Convention Council Trustee and preacher, Jonathan Lamb, said: "He may be known as one of the greatest Christian leaders of the 20th century, but few of us could remain unmoved by the sight of a stooped figure, now quietly spoken, calling us to become more like Jesus Christ.
"Emotions were high amongst the thousands present, each with memories of the power and clarity of John Stott's writing and preaching, and thankful for a life of godliness, integrity and humility. How fitting that his final visit to Keswick should deliberately point to the Lord Jesus, whom he has served so faithfully."
Dr Stott, who served as chaplain to the Queen from 1959 to 1991, has now officially retired from public ministry and returns to a retirement community for Anglican clergy in the south of England, which his representatives have said will be able to provide more fully for his present and future needs.
The hospital ship ministry, Mercy Ships, recently began its first surgeries aboard the new and much-anticipated Africa Mercy - the world's largest non-governmental hospital ship.
Dr Glenn Strauss, the vice president of International Health Care and Programs, spoke to our correspondent on July 12 just days after returning from performing surgeries aboard the Africa Mercy docked in Monrovia, Liberia.
The following are excerpts taken from the interview:
CT: I usually hear Mercy Ships performing cataract and cleft palate surgeries, but this was the first time I heard of orthopaedic surgeries (surgery onmusculoskeletal ailments such as arthritis) being done on a Mercy ship. Is this the first time the ministry has done orthopaedic surgeries?
Strauss: No, this is not the first time, but it has been several years since one of our ships have been able to sponsor and support orthopaedic surgeries. So we are thrilled that the Africa Mercy will make it possible for us to support more variety of surgeries than we have been able to do before and orthopaedic is one of those.
CT: You said you weren't able to have orthopaedic surgeries for several years. What made it difficult for other ships to host these procedures?
Strauss: Space restrictions. Orthopaedic is a sophisticated, equipment-heavy type of specialty. It requires certain types of X-ray equipments and large tools required to do that type of work. So it was very difficult to accommodate this when we were dealing with makeshift operating room space.
But the Africa Mercy, on the other hand, is all-purpose built. The operating rooms are all very generously spaced in their proportions. They were designed to give us the space to be able to carry out some of these kinds of work.
CT: What specific kinds of orthopaedic surgeries will Mercy Ships be offering?
Strauss: Our emphasis is going to be patients who have been suffering from long-standing, debilitating conditions. So we expect it will be primarily for those who have old injuries - bones that have been broken or motor vehicle injuries that were never tended to (in other words, the bones were never set properly so they are not able to walk on the leg that was broken or it may be distorted or misshapen) - or hands that are not functional because the arms that have been broken were never set correctly; those types of procedures.
One other type of procedure is dealing with children with the condition of club feet - where their feet are actually misdirected. It is a congenital condition where procedures can be done to restore the feet to the proper alignment and that allows the children to have normal mobility.
CT: So even though it may be years and possibly decades that a person's bones were not being set correctly, you can still correct that after such a long time?
Strauss: Yes, and it requires again the orthopaedic specialty. Though it is an unusual problem for them to deal with (of course being from the developed world), it is certainly something well within the range of what can be accomplished on the ship.
CT: What is one of the most severe cases you've dealt with in terms of plastic surgeries?
Strauss: On the Africa Mercy, I was there to start the eye surgeries a couple of weeks ago. We've done VVS (vulvar vestibulitis syndrome) surgeries on the new ship now and orthopaedic has done their first case, but we haven't yet done our first maxofacial case on this ship. That will be in another few weeks until we start that.
But in the past, one of the worst cases I've seen was a 7-13 pound tumour, a huge tumour, on the face of this young man that had distorted his face for years. He had to walk around with it sort of draped so that it wouldn't scare people away and he was pretty much an outcast.
CT: Which country was this in?
Strauss: I believe this was in Sierra Leone.
CT: What were some of his reactions after the tumour was removed and how long did the surgery take?
Strauss: The procedure itself took some hours to accomplish what was desired. It is not unusual either in some of these cases that it might be done in a couple of stages. First stage is to remove the growth and set things generally in the right condition. Then we do the reparative procedure to restore some functions; so it is not unusual for it to take several stages to get everything in a way that's functional.
In his case it took some hours to get this tumour removed and his reaction was one of disbelief at first. It sort of goes in stages with these patients. First of all, right after surgery they can hardly believe it is really gone; they lived with this for years. They look in the mirror and they have this disbelief that it's really gone. They even reach up to touch the area where the tumour used to be to prove to themselves that it is not there. And then what happens, as they come to understand the impact of what happened - that it is gone now - the celebration starts.
The first patient I did a couple of weeks ago I had removed a cataract and she could see right after the operation. She came down the hallway dancing. (Laughs) It was remarkable. They don't all do that but she did. (Laughs) But it is an amazing experience to see the joy that these people so unreservedly express. No reservation - dancing down the hall or singing at the top of their lungs. Sometimes they get all the patients on the floor and they all sing. (Laughs) It is quite a sight. It is quite the experience to see that.
CT: Why are there so many extreme cases [of tumours and other extreme facial deformities] in Africa?
Strauss: I think medical conditions like these exist everywhere. But when the access to medical care has been disrupted for a significant period of time then what happens is these conditions which normally stay small and insignificant become overwhelming.
So I would say that the extreme severity of the conditions we see and the overwhelming prevalence of these unusual types of problems stems from one primary root cause - and that is lack of access to medical care.
There are rare African conditions which you don't normally see outside of Africa, but the things we are talking about working on exist because some minor condition didn't get attention and resulted in a 7lb growth. It is a benign tumour but has gotten so large that it threatens his life.
CT: Do you also have your own private practice in the United States? In what way does the reaction of patients in the US differ from your patients in Africa and has that influenced your decision to work for Mercy Ships?
Strauss: I'm full-time Mercy Ships now. I had an ophthalmology practice up until December 2004 and then joined Mercy Ships full-time in January 2005. I've been working with Mercy Ships for ten years now altogether, using vacation time to do so since 1997.
What I saw in my experiences during my short trips prior to leaving my practice was the sincere gratitude that these patients would express. It is the type of gratitude you see in someone who is truly desperate for any type of help. But they didn't just get some help but were cured.
It is the patient who was blind who doesn't just receive a little of their vision back but they got perfect vision now. The type of gratitude that they express is unreserved, full of joy and it was an expression to me of the real joy of doing medical care in the first place; the thing you really went into the business for - to impact a life. To see that visibly in the eyes of the patients or seeing them dance down the hall, seeing them hold their hands in the air and sing - those are the type of things that is a blessing to me.
CT: I read that some of these patients who have physical deformities are often outcasts not only in society but even within their family. Why is this?
Strauss: That is an interesting question. It is because the belief system in Africa is so strongly animistic. The fact that they have a defective child means that that child should be shunned or it could cause grief to the whole family. So they see it as protecting the family by rejecting the deformed child because this belief is so strong.
It is not that they don't value life; that's not what it is about. They see it as survival of the whole family. Their community is very family-orientated and they survive because they live in communities and tribes. So if they have a child that is deformed or has a serious condition of some sort - a cleft lip for instance - because of their belief system they think it is harmful to the rest of the community and the family in particular. So the child would be an outcast as a result.
CT: Do they think the child is possessed by an evil spirit or why exactly does the family think the child is harmful?
Strauss: I'm glad you asked that. That is correct. They think either some evil spirit has done this to the child or the child is actually possessed by the evil spirit. In either case it is dangerous for the family. "If the evil spirit did this to this person, then why wouldn't it happen to one of us?" It is the obvious concern they have. That child needs to be ostracised to protect the family.
CT: Mercy Ships is a Christian organisation. How is the gospel message being conveyed through the works of the ministry? Does the ministry do evangelistic activities through community outreaches such as giving out Bibles?
Strauss: Several different aspects are the answer to that question. I like how you stated the question as to how the gospel is shared by what we do - it is an interesting way to ask the question actually because in fact one of the biggest factors of our being able to communicate the message is through what we do.
Let me give you an example of these women that were on the ship just a couple of weeks ago. There were six women who had a condition where they were chronically incontinent of urine because of a child birth injury that occurred because they didn't have access to medical care for the delivery of their child, resulting in this condition.
Well, they are on the hospital ward and the staff had the chance to just get to know these patients. So what they get to do is just sit with them and they'll chat with them and tell them stories of their own lives. Often times those stories will include what they have done, but also they include stories on what God has done in their own lives.
The thing that makes the biggest difference is not the stories themselves but the fact that these women have up till now been outcast - they may not have had human touch for 8-10 years - just imagine that! And now there is someone sitting next to them on the bed. They're sitting in a puddle of urine because they are chronically leaking and they have a staff member sitting their holding their hands.
It is very common for a patient to say that the care that you show me, just caring and the human touch I had here, I am convinced that there must be a loving God for this to be possible. That is how they say it. Often times in a different language, but that is what they say. (Laugh) This caring touch that I received, it's clear that God is not evil and angry as I have thought. There must be a loving God.
Well, guess what, that opens up the door to explaining about a loving God. Then we can say we are here because He has loved us and it is just the chance for us to share that love with you and that opens them up wide to the gospel.
And out of those six ladies all of them are Muslims. Four of them chose to follow Jesus as a result of this experience. It wasn't because we had a gospel tract to give them or were handing them a Bible at the door or anything like that. It is because we sat on the bed with them and touched their hands and told them that there is a loving God and they saw that in what we did. That is the main way the gospel message is communicated - the touch we give to the outcast people and taking care of people no one else will have anything to do with.
We do show the Jesus Film and we do hand out Bibles by the way. But those are support things and aren't the primary means we use.
This community that we are [currently] in is a community that no one has ever paid attention to before. Why are we there? That is their question. (Laughs) It is because God is a loving God and He has enabled us to come here for you. We would love to tell you about Him.
Christians and churches worldwide joined together at the end of June for a weeklong global prayer event for spiritual change in North Korea as part of the centennial anniversary of the Pyongyang Great Revival.
The South Korean Church urged believers worldwide to participate in the Global Week of Prayer for North Korea, June 25-July 1, when it declared 2007 as the International Year of Prayer for North Korea. This prayer event is particularly important because it occurs on the 100th anniversary of the 1907 Pyongyang Great Revival - considered the base of Christianity in Korea.
"The contrast between the spiritual climate in North Korea today and one hundred years ago could not be starker," commented Stuart Windsor, Christian Solidarity Worldwide national director, in a statement. "It is vital that the church awakens to the urgent need to pray for North Korea," he said.
The call to prayer is a response to serious concerns over the spiritual and physical conditions of North Korea. Christians are systematically and violently persecuted under the reclusive communist regime where citizens are forced to worship the personality cult revolving around current dictator Kim Jong-Il and his father, Kim Il-Sung. North Korea was named the worst persecutor of Christians by Open Doors for the fifth year straight when it topped the persecution watchdog's annual World Watch List in 2007.
North Korea is also facing one of its biggest food shortages in the past decades with millions of people going hungry because of poor harvest and a 75 per cent drop in donor aid. Thirty-seven per cent of North Korean children under six are chronically malnourished and one-third of North Korean women are anaemic and malnourished, according to World Food Programme spokesman Mike Huggins, on his return from a recent trip to North Korea.
"The human rights situation in North Korea is arguably the worst in the world," said Suzanne Scholte, chairman of the North Korea Freedom Coalition, at a press conference in April. "Living under the dictatorship of Kim Jong-Il, North Koreans live in what they describe as a 'hell on earth' of enslavement - cut off and isolated from the rest of the world and dependent on the regime as their source of information and for their needs."
In the 1990s, estimates indicated that some two million North Koreans died as a result of a severe famine coupled with the regime's mismanagement of foreign food aid. The government is accused of diverting food aid meant for citizens to its military.
"We pray that as the Church rises up on behalf of its beleaguered brothers and sisters, a tidal wave of prayer will sweep away the darkness and usher in the light and love of God once again," urged Windsor. "We hope that all Christian groups and individuals will respond to this call to pray."
Two huge containers full of redundant educational equipment made their way to under-resourced schools in northern Uganda, Zambia and South Africa in July thanks to an enterprising group of sixth form students at Greenford High School in Ealing, London.
Due to an impending move to new premises in August, Greenford High School found itself with an abundance of "old" equipment to dispose of. The task was given to the sixth form Enterprise Group, which decided it would like to see the equipment put to good use in developing countries rather than risk it ending up in landfill here in the UK.
One of the students, 18 year-old Ishtar Saleh, found international development charity World Emergency Relief (WER) on the internet and arrangements were soon made to ship the equipment. The sixth form students started loading the containers yesterday.
"The equipment would have had limited use or value here in the UK," says Ishtar. "It seemed like it would be such a waste, so I thought I'd see if children somewhere else in the world might be able to benefit from it. I looked at a few different charities online, but WER's website was really focused on children so I figured they might be able to help - and I was right."
The equipment being donated by Greenford High School includes reading and text books, classroom furniture and technical equipment such as drills and lathes. Most of this will be shipped to Almond School and its associated technical college in Lira, northern Uganda, where many of the students are from Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps due to 18 years of brutal conflict in the region. Many have also been affected by HIV and Aids and are orphans or living with extended family. At Almond School classroom and educational equipment is sparse with often only one or two text books per class.
"We're so proud of Ishtar and the Enterprise Group," says Tony Heaps, assistant head teacher at Greenford High School. "This exercise has really raised our collective consciousness at the school about the importance of recycling and taking actions that will benefit children in need elsewhere. It's really inspiring for both students and staff to think of our old chairs, white boards and text books making a tangible difference to other children's lives. We're really looking forward to fostering relations with Almond School for our mutual learning benefit."
Also keen to help those in developing countries is Costain Construction, the firm building the new Greenford High School, which will be providing heavy lifting gear to help get the containers loaded.
In northern Uganda the 18-year conflict between the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army) and Ugandan Government has uprooted an estimated 1.8 million people, most of whom have been forced to seek refuge in IDP camps.
WER has been supporting children, families and communities in northern Uganda for a number of years by donating aid, equipment and cash grants through its local partner, All Nations Christian Care.
At Almond School WER has funded the drilling of a water borehole and, in the past year, the construction of a girls' dormitory with 120 beds, creating opportunity for more girls to receive senior level education. WER also funds the boarding and school costs of more than 50 orphan girls at Almond School.
"The Greenford High School donation will make a huge difference to the children at Almond School," says Alex Haxton, director of operations at WER. "We delivered a few desks and chairs to the school last year, but otherwise its resources are very limited. Education is the only route out of poverty for most of these youngsters, which makes the importance of donations like this all the more tangible. We have direct contact with the schools and communities which will benefit from these donations so now they will make a significant difference to the education and lives of many children."
As well as shipping equipment to Almond School in northern Uganda, WER will also be distributing some of the Greenford High School resources to schools in Zambia and South Africa.
Operation Mobilisation (OM) has appealed for prayers to bolster its staff currently serving in troubled Zimbabwe.
Inflation is sky-rocketing in the southern African country where, according to official government data, inflation stood at 3,713.9 per cent in April 2007. The Zimbabwean Government is yet to release the rates for May and June, fuelling speculation that they are too horrific to reveal to the public. A price slash, meanwhile, sparked a rush to stores which has now left many shops empty-shelved.
State television reported that the Zimbabwean Government now plans to import 200,000 tonnes of maize from Tanzania, with the possibility of an additional 200,000 tonnes from Malawi, in order to avert massive food shortages. According to OM's team in Banket, the shop next to their centre has no food left in it.
"There are queues in the banks of up to two hours to withdraw a maximum daily limit of the equivalent of US$22 cash," said OM. "Fuel is scarce. Power cuts can last for up to 20 hours a day and matches and candles are no longer available."
The charity added, "Phone lines to the country are out of operation so we are unable to get further information from our OM teams."
OM is asking Christians to pray for OM Zimbabwe leader, Mike van Vuuren and his family who are living in "survival mode", the charity said. The charity also appealed for prayer for Edwin Derera who leads a community centre project and is being harassed by the Zimbabwean authorities, and also Vicky Graham who runs a medical clinic single-handedly in a rural area and is struggling to find the necessary medicines.
[Aitken challenges Christians to get involved in Prison Ministry.]
Former politician turned Christian writer and speaker, Jonathan Aitken, has challenged his listeners to "Go back and ask your own church: does your church do anything in the way of prison ministry or after-care for prisoners? And if not, why not?"
Speaking at this year's Keswick Convention, Mr Aitken voiced concern over re-offending statistics which show that seven out of every 10 released prisoners are back in jail within two years, while nine in 10 prisoners from young offenders institutions are back behind bars within two years.
"That is a terrifying failure rate and one that society as a whole should be thinking about, not just those responsible for the prison service," he said. "There is something wrong with the system here ... we are bad at one vital element in the prison system: rehabilitation."
Mr Aitken went on to highlight the high rate of illiteracy among prisoners, with one third of all inmates having no reading or writing skills at all.
"Launching a real attack on prison literacy would be a step towards rehabilitation," he said, adding that skills training would also go some way to keep released prisoners from re-offending.
Turning to the drugs problem in British jails, Mr Aitken said that proper rehabilitation centres inside prisons were crucial in efforts to break re-offending caused by drug abuse. Mr Aitken suggested mentoring, which has been hugely successful in the US in cutting re-offending rates. "If you look around the world, you will find there is more and more success in reducing re-offending rates in post-release mentoring. It is almost always Christian post-release mentoring because often - not exclusively - it is the Christian churches that volunteer for this."
He pointed to the Inner Change ministry led by Chuck Colson in the US, which runs Christian mentoring with prisoners in jail and in the months following their release. According to Mr Aitken, the repeat offending rate among those on the scheme is now just seven to eight per cent, in comparison to the national average in the US of 65 per cent.
"There are areas of hope and we shouldn't be satisfied with the repeat offending rate where it is now. We should say that we can do more about this," he said.
Hundreds of churches across the UK are expected to hold Micah Sunday 07 events this autumn to highlight the issues of HIV and Aids and the worldwide fight against poverty. Micah Sunday is an annual event which aims to galvanise the international Christian family to act on behalf of the world's poorest people.
The event is part of the Micah Challenge movement founded in 2004 as a worldwide body of Christians, churches, church organisations and key individuals across 32 countries to make sure that the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are implemented.
The theme of Micah Sunday 07 in the UK is HIV and Aids. Sermon themes, creative prayer and worship ideas and practical ways to engage with relevant issues will be provided by Micah Challenge UK.
Andy Clasper, Micah Challenge UK Executive Director, said: "Micah Sunday 07 will be a chance for us to look again at God's heart for the poor and to remind ourselves that when the church family stands up and speaks out in support of the poor it makes a difference. It will be a time to take practical steps that make a difference in alleviating poverty, and tackling HIV and Aids. I would urge churches to seize the opportunity to get involved. Stand together, learn together, speak out, invite your MP along, get involved! Our actions do count!"
The official Micah Sunday date is October 14, but churches have been invited to hold events any time from the beginning of October to the end of 2007.
Core members working within the Micah Challenge UK include: African and Caribbean Evangelical Alliance (ACEA), Alpha International / Holy Trinity Brompton, BMS World Mission, Christian Medical Fellowship, Christian Today, Evangelical Alliance, Faithworks, Global Connections, New Frontiers International, Oasis, Shaftesbury Society, SPEAK, Tearfund, World Vision UK.
"John" watched anxiously as his students hungrily devoured meagre portions of rice gruel and traditional plain wheat buns called "mantou" during mealtime at his music school in Beijing.
Earlier, he solemnly apologised to his pupils for not being able to purchase better food. Chinese authorities were constantly monitoring the school. It was no longer safe for donors and patrons to stop by. The situation was growing desperate.
During prayer, a student recited the Bible verse from Psalm 23:5 - "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil, and my cup overflows."
Reassured by these words, John felt certain that he would see his students mature into China's newest generation of Christian musicians despite the adversities. In 2005, John's perseverance and dream seemed to be realised as he led the alumni to perform to crowds throughout China. His music school was finding gradual acceptance even in secular Chinese society.
That same year, John brought his prodigies to Singapore to perform before an audience of ten thousand people. Eight hundred people at the concert later became believers.
"I think ... [our school] is different from other music schools," a soprano named Ning later recalled. "It is not because [we had] exquisite skills or much intelligence, but the biggest difference is that there was love. There was real acceptance and encouragement, and the real presence of God."
John, who is just shy of his 40th birthday, often downplays his role since those events occurred - preferring to tell audiences that God was always "watching over the music school", and that the faith of his students in the "Heavenly Father" allowed the school to persevere.
The composer was once a rising star at a state-owned symphony, but left after he turned to Christianity in 1996 and attended an "underground" house church - a church that operates outside government regulations and restrictions.
Currently, the only Chinese Christian groups allowed to operate legally in the communist country are those registered with the China Christian Council and the Three-Self Patriotic Movement or the Catholic Patriotic Association.
Although registered groups are able to own property and operate without being harassed by local government officials, their internal affairs are subject to interference by government officials or by state-approved church officials. Members of underground "house churches", meanwhile, have risked imprisonment and worse to operate free from government control.
The persecution of unregistered house churches is among the top concerns in China for Christians, especially as the number of believers continues to rise towards the hundreds of thousands. Christianity is said to be the fastest growing religion in the 1.3 billion-people nation.
As a Christian, John sought to make a difference in his newfound spiritual home.
In 2000, he started his music school, which could only provide barely-usable electric keyboards for students to practise music. Three years later, the first class of graduates was being dispatched to house churches throughout China. Since then, the school grew to include several classrooms, new pianos, an ornate music hall, a practice room and a library.
John says the school remains to "train young worship leaders for house churches" so that "the holy music of churches will get developed ... and attract more people to come in".
The students at the school come from virtually every corner of China - from Yunnan Province in China's southwest to the north-eastern province of Heillongjiang. Though most students are of Han-Chinese origins, a few are from the Miao ethnic minority.
"I'm especially happy here, just like when I was still a child," an ethnic-Miao believer shared.
Each day, students at the conservatory spend hours attending class and practising music - only stopping to eat or rest at night in the school's dormitory. Though the work is hard, students are generally appreciative of the school.
"I thank God that I learned a lot here," said a 16-year-old male student from Heillongjiang Province.
"Because of ... [the school] I began to desire to seek the Lord and make a relationship with Him; that's the biggest benefit for me," a female student recalled.
John continues to believe that his pupils through "church music could affect society and culture" in modern, secular China. His students often travel the world, performing at booked concerts in Europe and North America. Favourite selections at the concert include the Canaan hymns. The hymns, commonly sung in house churches through China, were entirely composed by a musically-illiterate peasant girl named Xiao Min, who sang into a tape-recorder and jotted down the lyrics for someone else to write the score.
Despite seeing amazing growth in the music school, John still hopes to see it push still further in its development.
"We know that at present there are still a lot of needs in China's house churches; it is far from being fulfilled," he said. "I really hope there will be more brothers and sisters who can participate in our works. We pray that every province has [our music school], so that more music of praise shall ring to all of China," he added.
[Editor's Note: Names in this article were changed to ensure the anonymity and safety of the sources represented.]