The Friday Fax 2005 #14

Egypt

Demon leaves the bus

"That was too much for some of the travellers - pale and shocked, they stared at a young man who had just been delivered from a demon," reports missions agency Ziel 19 ('Target 19'). Mrs. F. W., an Egyptian evangelist, was travelling in bus, and noticed another passenger who made strange noises, rolled his eyes and occasionally writhed in his seat. The other passengers just looked away, until F.W. was overcome with a 'holy anger'. She turned to the man and said loudly "In the name of Jesus, leave him! And leave the bus!" To everyone's astonishment, the man grunted a little and shook himself, then looked around with bright eyes, saying "Hey! He's gone! I can feel it! Whatever you did with me, thank you!" He laughed and was clearly very pleased. The demon had left him and, obviously, the bus - nobody else was visibly affected. F.W. remained in the bus longer than she planned, telling about the Gospel and freedom in Christ, because the young man and a number of the other shocked passengers had many questions. And that despite the fact that it is unusual for a woman to speak to men in Egypt, particularly in a packed bus.
Source: Andrea Xandry, Ziel 19, Schweizerische Missionsgemeinde, Josefstrasse 206, 8005 Zurich, Switzerland

Egypt

God of fresh fruit

Every child needs vitamins, including the 450 orphans currently living at the Lillian Trasher Orphanage in Asuit, Southern Egypt. Even in a farming nation like Egypt, vitamin-rich fruit can at times be too expensive for average people. The orphanage's supporters prayed for miraculous provision, which they had already experienced a number of times. That very week, a man heard an inner voice telling him that he should help the orphans. "How?" he asked, and heard the answer "Buy 300 kg (around 650lb) of fruit, today!" He did so, and took the fruit to the children's village. 300 kilogrammes of juicy guavas, even though the intercessors had only prayed for 50kg...
Source: Ziel 19, Schweizerische Missionsgemeinde, Josefstrasse 206, 8005 Zurich, Switzerland

North Korea

Is the Babylon of the East crumbling?

Around 100 years ago, North Korea was a Christian nation; Pyongyang, the capital, was called 'The Jerusalem of the East'. According to Open Doors, the 2,300 Christian churches and 300,000 believers disappeared in only a short time under dictator Kim Il Sung. Today, Pyongyang is the Babylon of a modern Nebuchadnezzar, Kim Jong Il, who dominates all aspects of society and the lives of all his subjects. No other nation persecutes Christians as brutally as North Korea. Some 25 huge prison camps symbolize the regime of terror, housing 200,000 'political' prisoners. Even the slightest criticism of the regime result in imprisonment in brutal conditions. The prisoners are forced to work up to 18 hours each day, and produce 40% of the nations gross national product. Much of the produce, such as tablecloths, vases, artificial flowers and textiles are exported to Western Europe. However, there are signs of change. A growing number of Christians are praying for North Korea, bringing more of the regime's dark side under global scrutiny. There are also increasingly reports that Kim Jong Il's power is waning. At the same time, the regime is obviously well aware of the power of God's Word, as indicated by the confidential documents obtained by a Japanese newspaper, which document the role of Christianity in the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe.

Christianity in the Land of Spies

The strict social controls make it almost impossible for Christians to keep their faith secret. Every third person is a spy, so many flee. Several hundred thousand people have crossed the river border between North Korea and China, but most are deported back to the nation they fled. Some 100,000 managed to escape, of which two thirds became Christians. Newly-saved refugees often return to North Korea, despite the dangers, filled with the desire to spread the Gospel. "The life God has given us will not end in prison camps or starvation, but last forever. We have nothing to lose. If we die, we will be with Christ." Open Doors is currently orchestrating a prayer campaign for North Korea, and are seeking 1008 intercessors for a round-the-clock prayer watch. Soon Ok Lee, who spent 7 years in North Korean labour camps, recently published the book "Eyes of the Tailless Animals". Despite the repression, the underground church is growing, according to the Open Doors report.
Source: Offene Grenzen (Open Doors), fax (+49) 6195 676720, web site www.opendoors-de.org

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