DAWN Fridayfax 1997 #46

This Fridayfax is devoted to the role of women in mission

Tatarstan: angel shows the way

"Good works are not the way to salvation," an angel said to a woman in Tatarstan in a dream. "Read the gospel, and good works will follow when you have Jesus," the angel continued. The woman's husband, who was interested in religion and philosophy, brought a bible home one day. After reading the first page, the woman could not put the book down. "That is the truth," she told her husband. They both decided to become Christians. This, according to the AD2000 women's track, is just one of the many reports from the International Christian Women's Prayer Conference in Cyprus. The AD2000 women's track wants to support and promote women in mission through prayer, encouragement and training. The movement's current leaders are Kenya's Judy Mbugua, Lorry Lutz from the USA, Australia's Robyn Claydon, Juliet Thomas from India and Mercedes Dalton from El Salvador.

Mass baptism of 200 Moslems

During the prayer conference, another woman brought a report from a previously gospel-resistant ex-Soviet republic. During her prayer walks, she asked God "So many people pray. When will there be a change?" Then she was invited to a service in another village, and found 200 newly-saved Christians, all ex-Moslems, who wanted to be baptised.
Source: AD2000 Women's Track newsletter 3/97

Middle East: 5,000 new women's prayer groups planned

The aim of the conference was to train women from the Middle East and CIS countries to pray for people who do not know Christ, and to mobilise them to reach those who have never heard the gospel. There were many reports of decisive experiences in prayer triplets and during regular prayer walks alone or in pairs. The women's movement, led by the prayer coordinator in Iqbal Massih, aims to start 5,000 prayer groups by 1998 in the traditionally Islamic countries Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Jordan and Pakistan.
Source: AD2000 Women's Track newsletter 3/97

Brazil: call Mom!

In Brazil, a second movement "Call Mom" wants to encourage women to pray for their children, similar to "Wake up Deborah" mentioned in a previous Friday Fax. Young people are given the opportunity to call a 'mother' in a church to ask her to pray for them. "Sometimes, youths find it easier to speak with a mother other than their own," says the project leader Anna Maria.
Source: AD2000 Women's Track newsletter 3/97

Nigeria: "We want Jesus too. Tell the missionaries to come to our village as well."

Rae Burnett, Christian Aid Mission's Africa Director, tells of missionaries Femi and Folake Orekoya, who have planted 5 new churches since going to the Abuja Federal Capital Territory in 1991. Both had good prospects for the future: Femi had completed his training in agriculture and cattle breeding, and his wife Folake left a successful career as a journalist. She wanted to take the gospel to women isolated by the 'purdah', the practice of completely isolating Moslem women from the outside world, so that they are not seen by any man except their husband. "They are practically prisoners in their own homes," says Folake. Today, they have a team of 9 missionaries who can hardly keep up with the invitations saying "We want Jesus. Tell the missionaries to come to our village too." Their strategy? Femi and Folake choose a village without a church, form an initial group of believers and pass the work on to a colleague who trains the new believers, disciples them and helps the new church grow.
Source: Christian Aid Mission, 3045 Ivy Road, Charlottesville, VA 23903 USA.

"We are tired of Islam and ready to give up our gods"

Even in traditionally completely Islamic villages such as Kutara, a Basso Komo settlement, people are starting to open for the gospel. In Kutara, they said "Come and help us become Christians. We are ready to give up our gods. We're tired of Islam." After a few visits, the inhabitants of Kutara joyfully accepted the gospel, and a Christian church now gathers there under a tree, led by Wale Junaid, an ex-Moslem. On the way through Timbodo on the road to Kutara, people started asking Femi and Folake "Why do you neglect us? We want you to tell us about Jesus." Femi and Folake started visiting there regularly, and there is now a church of around 40, led by missionary Joseph Tukura, one of Femi and Folake's disciples.
Source: Christian Aid Mission, 3045 Ivy Road, Charlottesville, VA 23903 USA.

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