_____________________Monday, April 02, 2007__________________
Dear ECFers,
Hello, sorry for not posting last week. Anyway, heard about the Tsunami at Soloman Islands? Found a little website on Praying for Soloman Islands, and lets bow our heads down for this place this week.
Overview:
The UK established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands in the 1890s. Some of the bitterest fighting of World War II occurred on these islands. Self-government was achieved in 1976 and independence two years later. Ethnic violence, government malfeasance, and endemic crime have undermined stability and civil society. In June 2003, Prime Minister Sir Allen KEMAKEZA sought the assistance of Australia in reestablishing law and order; the following month, an Australian-led multinational force arrived to restore peace and disarm ethnic militias. The Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) has been very effective in restoring law and order and rebuilding government institutions.
Religions:
Church of Melanesia 32.8%,
Roman Catholic 19%,
South Seas Evangelical 17%,
Seventh-Day Adventist 11.2%
United Church 10.3%
Christian Fellowship Church 2.4%
other Christian 4.4%, other 2.4%
unspecified 0.3%
none 0.2% (1999 census)
Prayer request
-Unreached peoples. The land has been so exposed to the gospel that only pockets of resistant animists on Guadalcanal and Malaita hold out against the gospel. Yet the continued influence of syncretistic or almost pagan ‘cargo cults’, which have prompted an exodus from churches in the past, shows the need for a personal appropriation of the gospel by each generation.
-Christian support ministries for prayer:
a) Bible translation.
National believers are taking the initiative, and this long-underestimated ministry is now receiving the attention it deserves. Pray for the 17 translation projects by UBS and SIL (20 workers); 20 more languages may still need to be tackled. The major need is for the completion of the Bible in Pidgin (the trade language). Only 10 of the 66 languages have the New Testament.
b) The JESUS film
has been viewed by over half the population in English. Two local language editions are in preparation.
c) GRN
has gospel messages available in 85 languages and dialects — a good resource in a nation with so many small language groups.
d) Christian hospitals
are significant for the country. The Solomons have one of the highest incidences of malaria in the world.
Lets also pray hard for our Chocolate Fondue event on for Wednesday. God Bless.