Ministry in Sudan

As you will note on the video, the Peace Agreement that was signed in Southern Sudan in 2005 is in serious jeopardy. Please pray for peace in this region. The long-lasting civil war displaced millions of innocent people and claimed the lives of thousands. The region is currently very fragile. Additional conflict would be horrific for the people who have returned and tried to rebuild their lives.

Our current plan for "Mission Africa 2008" is to engage in ministry in Southern Sudan. We will be working with Sudanese Pastors who are seeking to establish churches and be involved in community development. These men are serving in difficult circumstances. We want to support and under gird the work. We will keep you informed about ways thait you can pray.

stay off the paved road... --craig

How Would You Live?

The question is, "How would you live for Christ if you knew that your life was in danger each and every day as a result of your faith?" The following story comes from the International Mission Board

RICHMOND, Va. --Believers in Gaza are mourning the loss of a Baptist leader killed this past weekend. It is believed he died for taking a stand for his faith. Rami Ayyad, 29, a prominent member of Gaza Baptist Church and manager of a Christian bookstore owned by the Palestinian Bible Society, was kidnapped Oct. 6 shortly after closing. His body was found the following day about a mile from the store. No one has claimed responsibility for his death. He had been shot twice and struck with a blunt object. Ayyad leaves behind a wife, Pauline, who is pregnant with their third child, and two children under the age of 3. Hundreds of fellow Christians gathered Oct. 7 for his funeral. He was buried next to his father.
Please pray for Ayyad's family and all believers in Gaza.

stay off the paved road ... --craig

Defending the Faith

We will begin a new sermon series at Crossroads Church of Pittsburgh on October 7 called "What Do You Know - Defending the Faith." 1 Peter 3:15 defines the significance of the study; "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have." (NIV). I will be brief today and conclude by sharing a quote from scholar and apologist R.C. Sproul. He states, "I was once asked what is the difference between the Christian God and the gods of other religions?" Sproul replied in a simple yet profound way." The main difference is this: The God of Christianity exists."

stay off the paved road... --craig

Abstinence Education in Kenya

In my August 23rd blog, I described some of the areas where we will minister during Mission Africa 2008. Over the last couple of years we have taught Abstinence Education/True Love Waits to over 15,000 students in Kenya schools. We will continue working in this vital area. The majority of students made a True Love Waits pledge and many of them committed their lives to the Lord. In addition to abstinence education in schools, we will also be training teachers. Consider the statistics below. Be in prayer for the team as they prepare for this awesome task.

An estimated 24.5 million adults and children were living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa at the end of 2005. During that year, an estimated 2 million people died from AIDS. The epidemic has left behind some 12 million orphaned African children. The estimated number of adults and children living with HIV/AIDS, the number of deaths from AIDS, and the number of living orphans in Kenya at the end of 2005 are shown below.


People Living with HIV/AIDS - 1.3 million
Percentage of the adult population - 6.1 million
Women living with HIV/AIDS - 740,000
Children living with HIV/AIDS - 150,000
AIDS deaths - 140,000
Orphans due to AIDS - 1.1 million


The total population of Kenya 28,337,000. Forty six percent are under the age of 15. Those over the age of 65 represent only 3 percent of the population. The average life expectancy is 48. As we travel to Kenya, we will go sharing life saving information for body and soul.

stay off the paved road --craig

PRAY AND ACT

There have been some disturbing developments in the Darfur region of Sudan over the past couple of days. I have written about the situation in the past. You are probably aware of events from news reports. Below are two seperate reports. One comes from Fox News and the other from the Save Darfur web site. This continues to be the greatest humantiarian crisis in the world. Greater pressure has to be put upon the Sudanese Government. Please PRAY for President Bush and his staff that he would have the wisdom to make decisions that will improve the situation. Also, pray for those who are ministering in the area. Please ACT by making your elected representatives aware of your concerns. After Bosnia and Rwanda we said, "never again." How quickly we forget!

September 28 from the Save Darfur Website
NYALA, Sudan (AP) -- Humanitarian groups are facing a new escalation of violence in Darfur, with more than a dozen of their vehicles hijacked in recent days and several employees abducted or critically wounded. Several aid groups are questioning how much longer they can go on amid the spiraling chaos. Most attacks occurred on roads to refugee camps housing some of the 2.5 million people chased from their homes by Darfur's warfare. But gunmen have also struck within Nyala, capital of South Darfur state. A driver from the Christian aid group World Vision was ambushed and his car hijacked in Nyala this week, as was another the week before. Three of the group's local employees were wounded, one critically, in a separate attack on a convoy Sept. 20.

September 30 from Fox World News
HASKANITA, SUDAN — Rebel forces stormed a small African Union base in northern Darfur and killed 10 peacekeepers in an unprecedented attack on the beleaguered mission that threatened key peace talks set for October. Several others were wounded and dozens were missing after about 1,000 rebels attacked the base in Haskanita late Saturday and eventually stormed it early Sunday, AU peacekeepers told The Associated Press in Haskanita.

The remaining AU peacekeepers were evacuated from the base under the protection of the Sudanese army, who routed the rebels out of the area. Some government troops could be seen plundering goods from the burned-out camp as an AU armored vehicle lay smoldering nearby. "This is the heaviest loss of life and the biggest attack on the African Union mission," said AU spokesman Noureddine Mezni. "Our troops fought a defensive battle to protect the camp, but 30 vehicles eventually stormed it. ... The camp is completely destroyed."

PRAY AND ACT --craig