2020 – SILVER LININGS

 

When we think of the year 2020, we think of virus, disease, shelter-in-place, unemployment, death, riots, and many other issues that have made the news. 2020 has undoubtedly been a difficult year, for some even more than others. We might think that God has taken his grace away from us. And yet God’s grace is still at work, working in many ways amid trial, opening the doors to the Good News of salvation. From DRC to South Sudan, to Chad, CAR, and Cameroon, the grace of God has pierced through the dark clouds to bring hope and help us keep our eyes fixed on Him. 

 

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Changamoto, the magazine of hope 

A new magazine for young people has emerged in DRC! "Changamoto" which means " challenges " or " opportunities " in Swahili, aims to help its readers discover Jesus Christ, and develop skills to feel, think and act biblically. This first issue whose theme is " Secouer l’espoir” (Shake hope), includes teachings, scientific articles, comics, and testimonies. Changamoto is unique for its partly bilingual (English and French) content and the participation of writers and illustrators from Mexico, Kenya, Cameroon and DRC. A beautiful illustration of the unity in the body of Christ, initiated by editor-in-chief Jean-Pasteur Kahindo Katavo, assisted by his wife Daphrose. This magazine born in 2020 is a flame of hope that will shine like a lighthouse to show the path of life to the entire nation of DRC.         

 

 CAMEROON: A new television channel and a mini-library 

The Cameroonian government has just granted a broadcasting license to a new television channel, TV7 Vie. Its mission is to promote holistic development and communicate the good news in multimedia and emerging contexts. A dynamic coordination team has been working for a few weeks for the operation of this audiovisual communication company. The promoter, Dr. Alphonse Teyabé, and his wife Emilie, who are authors of several books, also made a mini library available to Christians in Yaoundé, following the seminar on librarianship, organized by the Tyndale Foundation in Bangui. This peaceful setting for research, reading, and retreat that opens in 2020 reminds us of the importance of seeking the presence of God in difficult times.

 

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Hope for Next-Gen Leaders 

CIDEL (Center International for the Development of Ethical Leadership) is a ministry that work to bring Christian ethics into all levels of society through seminars and workshops, mainly in CAR, but also in Cameroon, DRC, Ethiopia, Kenya, etc. In addition to working with students of the University of Bangui, the founder, Dr. Augustin Hibaile has conducted seminars on ethical leadership for numerous government officials. This year, God allowed CIDEL to continue their activities despite the health crisis. On July 30, 2020, leadership certificates were awarded to 24 students from the University of Bangui. In total 2500 students have been trained on character development through the course based on the book “Habitudes: Images that Form Leadership Habits and Attitudes” by Dr. Tim Elmore. In total, 1668 students over 2500 have graduated after 13 weeks of training. CIDEL is promoting a new generation of leaders who will transform our society with godly principles and values of good governance.

 

CHAD: A first training session in Moundou for the JEA

JEA - Jeunesse Evangélique Africaine (African Evangelical Youth) is a movement that aims to lead young people to Christ and train them for His service through physical activities, games, and Bible teaching. Brother Mbairo Nestor is the overseer of the JEA of the district of Moundou in Chad. One of its missions is to bring together all the troops for Bible training. However, over the years he encountered obstacles due to internal conflicts that prevented him from organizing the training. Nestor persevered in prayers and this year, God has made a change in hearts that resulted in a session of Bible training, September 1-7, for the first time in the district of Mondou. In times like this, it’s a blessing to have a motivated leader committed to fighting in prayer to enable young people to be taught and trained in the Word of God.

 

News in brief

This year 2020, the media have informed us of the problems that have arisen one after the other, in different countries of the world. However, some news has also come in that testifies to the grace of God even amid the turmoil.

ERITREA: Prisoners released 

According to the Open Doors website, Eritrea is ranked 6 ^th on the World Index of Persecution of Christians. More than 1000 Christians languish in prisons because of their faith. On September 9, probably because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the government released on bail some 20 Christians who had been imprisoned for years. Although the situation is still critical and is the subject of our prayers, we give thanks to God for those who were able to find their families. (Source: Portesouvertes.fr) 

SOUTH SOUDAN: New Bible

Monday, September 14, the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio in South Sudan inaugurated the launch of the first edition of the Bible in the Pazande language. The pazande is a language spoken by the Zandés or Azandes who constitute a people of 4 million individuals, distributed between the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic. The Bishop of the diocese, Mgr Eduardo Hilboro hopes that they will be encouraged to read, pray, and share the Word of God. (Source: InfoChrétienne.com)         

PAKISTAN: The Good Samaritan 

God uses whomever He wants. In this case, it is Shakeel Ahmed, a Muslim aid worker from Kasur district, in Pakistan's Punjab province. After three weeks of confinement, many Pakistani Christians have suffered discrimination by being excluded from aid distributed locally. For example, an NGO in Karachi refused to help the poor Hindu and Christian populations in the Korangi region, in the province of Sindh. Food donations have also been refused to Christians in Sanda Kalan village, Kasur district, Punjab. Shakeel Ahmed then decided to intervene, contacting several Christian organizations that sent food aid to the Christian population of Sanda Kalan. But these people still need help, and Shakeel Ahmed, himself a Muslim, denounces the treatment of Christians in his village as inhuman and contrary to the teachings of Islam. Pakistani Catholic authorities, including Archbishop Joseph Arshad, Archbishop of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, also called to help and protect all the country's inhabitants, without distinction. (Source: missionsetrangeres.com/churches-asia /)    

 

This track record of blessings in the world challenges us to take a sheet and a pen and count the blessings of God in this year 2020, towards us and our loved ones. May the Lord help us to see and feel His presence through good and tough times!