DAWN Fridayfax 1997 #24

DAWN News from North Africa and India

Himachal Pradesh, North India: exponential growth in hard-core Hindu area

According to Patrick Johnstone of Operation World, the North Indian state Himachal Pradesh (HP) is "India's least-evangelised state". Dr. Alex Abraham (Ludhiana) was therefore very surprised that between 150 and 200 pastors and staff attended the Himachal Pradesh Staff Conference from 20-22 May 1997 in Sundernagar, HP, to discuss how to evangelise the state. "This requires the planting of at least one church for every 1,000 inhabitants of the state, or each village," said Dr. Abraham. The official census in 1991 revealed 4,435 "Christians" (of all confessions), which is around 0.085% of the state's 5.1 million inhabitants. Now, though, the end of the dry years is in sight: firstly, an estimated 1,177 people have been baptised in the last 5 years and secondly and more importantly, the number of Christian churches is increasing rapidly. A study recently published by Rev. Sam Abraham shows that while only 7 new churches were planted in 1992, 12 in 1993 and 5 in 1994, the church planting rate jumped to 26 in 1995 and 57 in 1996. This year also shows an increase: 20 new churches were planted in the first three months. The Kinnaur district, which has 70,000 inhabitants, had no church until 1995; today, there are 4, including "a very lively church of around 300 believers led by the young and dynamic pastor Randeep Mathews," says Dr. Alex Abraham.
Source and info: Dr. Alex Abraham, fax (91)-161-609061, e-mail alex.agape@axcess.net.in

North Africa: the Joseph hour

Some time ago, Bill Bright, director of the mission agency Campus Crusade for Christ, wrote that "we are experiencing an amazing phenomenon. Moslems in particular are having dreams and visions confirming the reality of Christ. After one radio programme reported that Jesus had appeared to many Moslems in a dream and said to them 'I am the way', the radio station received thousands of letters from Moslems in North Africa and the Middle East, in which the listeners said they had suddenly understood earlier dreams. They then wanted more information about Jesus." We at the Friday Fax know of a radio station which is developing a special programme in cooperation with Arabic-speaking Christians, with the working title "The Joseph hour". The idea behind the programme is that if the missions researchers' estimates are correct that millions of Moslems have experienced Jesus in their dreams, then they need a translation and a deepening of their experiences (see Job 33:14-18). God has once before changed a whole country through a young man who could interpret dreams: Joseph. He once said "The interpretation of dreams belongs to God". Why shouldn't that happen again? The radio programme wants to help Moslems to correctly understand their nocturnal experiences by interpreting dreams. The station expects millions of listeners, and are currently still looking for sponsors.
Info and contact: DAWN Europe, 4-6 School Road, Tilehurst, Reading RG31 5AL, England fax (44)-118-9412953. e-mail WolfSimson@compuserve.com

North Africa: voice without a body

Dick Eastman, director of the mission agency Every Home Crusade (EHC), reports of some of what EHC staff experienced during their outreaches: One man tried to give a booklet about Jesus to a passer-by in a North African city. The man tore the booklet to shreds which he threw in the evangelist's face, then threatened to kill him. At dawn the next day, the evangelist was woken by a knock at his door, and found the young Moslem waiting outside. He now wanted the booklet which he had torn to pieces the previous day. When the evangelist asked how the man had found his address, the man told him "Oh, the voice in the night told me," and continued to explain that "a voice without a body" told him that he had torn up the truth as he destroyed the booklet. The voice then told him the evangelist's address and told him that if he would go to collect another booklet and believe what it contained, then he would have eternal life. The young Moslem happily decided to obey the voice and accept Christ; he has recently completed a six-month Bible course and is today a full-time missionary.
Source: Dick Eastman, EHC, Colorado Springs, USA

Tamil Nadu, India: modern "bleeding woman" healed

Just like a predecessor in the New Testament, a woman in Tamil Nadu state, India, had been suffering from haemorrhaging, reports the mission agency Gospel for Asia. "Her illness was so severe that she was no longer able to work. As she heard that Joseph, a local evangelist, would be preaching in a nearby church, she asked friends to carry her to the meetings on her bed. Joseph noticed the woman as soon as he started preaching. Nothing happened on the first day, but Joseph was filled with joy on the second day as God touched the woman wonderfully. She got up from her bed and jumped for joy. 50 people decided to become Christians that day, and 25 have already been publicly baptised."
Source: Gospel for Asia, Thiruvalla, Kerala, India

This Web version of the DAWN Fridayfax is maintained by the Jesus Fellowship Church (Jesus Army) as a service to the Christian church. Please visit our web pages which feature the e-zine Streetpaper and its special Revival section.