DAWN Fridayfax 1998 #12

News from Iraq, Sudan, Jordan, Africa

In this issue:
Iraq: Saddam Hussein's son Uday hears of Jesus
Sudan: Head of state Al-Bashir hears the gospel
Jordan: 35 percent of Jordanians want to know more about Jesus
Prayer initiative on the Horn of Africa

Iraq: Dream guidance - Hussein's son Uday hears of Jesus

Saddam Hussein's wild son Uday, whose debaucherous lifestyle has been creating headlines for years, was bedridden for some time last year after being shot. We have now heard from a reliable source that a young Christian called Rahkma (name changed) "saw herself explaining the gospel to Uday in a dream". The dream made such an impression that she immediately set off on her way to Uday's office in Baghdad. "I have a message for Uday from Jesus Christ, which I can only give him verbally," she told the security guards, who initially suspected an unusual joke, but Rahkma persisted. "Jesus Christ is a well-known person," one of the guards said, "so perhaps we should let the woman in," and spoke with Uday. "There's a woman here who claims to have a message for you from Jesus Christ. We can't get rid of her. What should we do?" Uday told his secretary to send Rahkma to him in his limousine. She spent 2 hours with him, and could not only explain the gospel to him but also pray with him to invite Jesus into his life. According to the report, Uday was crying as he prayed. "What can I do for you or your family?" asked Uday. "Nothing," replied Rahkma, giving him a Bible. "I'm simply your sister now." Observers consider it unthinkable that Uday will publicly speak of his experience with Jesus in Iraq's current religious and political climate. However, during a televised speech some days later, he spoke out for increased tolerance towards Christians.

Source: name and address withheld.

Sudan: Head of state Al-Bashir hears the gospel

Rahkma, the same young Christian who spoke with Hussein's son Uday, recently travelled to Sudan following another dream in which "Jesus asked her to go to Khartoum" to explain the gospel to the Muslim Head of State General Omar Al-Bashir. Christian aid agencies speak of up to 1.5 million martyrs who have died since the start of the civil war in Sudan. Bashir is known for his fiery sermons from the Koran. After a long wait, Rahkma finally had an opportunity to speak with him after his sister arranged for her to attend a family celebration. He was just on the way out of the house after an urgent telephone call when Rahkma got her chance: "You have one minute," he said. Rahkma said "I have a message for you from Jesus Christ. If everything were taken from you, General, power, money, health, what would you do, and who would help you? Jesus Christ is always there for you!" One minute turned into forty, and Al-Bashir listened astonishedly to the gospel. At the end of the time, he asked Rahkma to pray for him. Observers consider this event unprecedented, but Sudanese Christians have just informed us that restrictions on Christian meetings in Northern Sudan were recently "inexplicably lifted by someone in high position."

Source: name and address withheld

Jordan: 35 percent of Jordanians want to know more about Jesus

Many Jordanian households are currently being visited as part of a poll of radio listening habits, particularly in the area of religious broadcasts. The questions include whether the person would like to know more about Jesus Christ, and whether they would be interested in a follow-up visit. Of the between 3,000 and 4,000 people interviewed each month, 35 percent indicated interest in hearing more about Jesus and receiving a follow-up visit. According to the poll, around 1 percent of the population regularly listens to Christian radio broadcasts.

Source: a media group, name and address withheld.

Africa: prayer initiative on the Horn of Africa

The Horn of Africa Prayer Initiative took place between 15th and 19th February this year. Almost 200 pastors and intercession leaders attended the conference in Addis Ababa to pray for the region's particular challenges, such as the many still unreached people groups, the Sudanese war and associated flight ban hindering humanitarian assistance, the reconstruction of Somalia's government, Djibouti's social and economic problems, and the threatened Islamisation of Ethiopia and Eritrea. The initiative was organised and supported by the Evangelical Churches Fellowship of Ethiopia and the mission agency World Vision. Some Christians attended a special prayer event at a place near Addis Ababa where both the earlier leader Haile Selassie and the Marxist dictator Mengistu reportedly regularly performed human sacrifices in order to obtain more spiritual energy to maintain their power. Ethiopian Christians "repented for these bloody crimes on behalf of their people and celebrated communion there." "There is a renewal movement in the Orthodox church with around 200,000 members. These so-called 'Orthopentes' are Orthodox Christians who study the Bible and exercise the gifts of the Holy Spirit in home groups."

Source: World Vision, e-mail John_Robb@wvi.org

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