A new Sars-like virus discovered in humans could pose “a threat to the entire world”, the World Health Organisation warned this week. The organisation believes the virus is “emerging faster than our understanding” after cases were reported in eight countries - including two in Britain. During an address to delegates gathered at the World Health Assembly in Geneva, director general Dr Margaret Chan said that this virus was now “her greatest concern”. Dr Chan advised the world to pull together all of its resources to tackle the virus, warning that “alarm bells” must be responded to. The coronavirus has infected 44 people worldwide and experts are unsure as to what causes the virus or how it spreads. It has a similar molecular structure to the Sars virus that killed 774 people in 2003. Like Sars, it causes respiratory problems in the patient, but unlike Sars, it can also induce life threatening kidney failure.
Pray: for scientists around the world to work together to understand and manage this new virus. (Ex.15:26)
More: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/world-health-organisation-warns-against-threat-to-the-entire-world-from-new-sarslike-virus-8638434.html
Vietnam: Tragic details emerge in persecution
11 Sep 2010
International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned new details about recent religious persecution in Vietnam and the following brutal cover-up. Vietnamese authorities ordered the Christian Con Dau village, near the city of Da Nang, to be abandoned to build a resort on the site. When the people resisted water irrigation was shut off to the rice fields, cutting off the main source of income and food. On May 4, 2010, Vietnamese police surrounded and attacked a funeral as it approached the cemetery. Police arrested and beat 62 persons. After the initial incident, special police units have since returned to Con Dau multiple times, demanding information and forcing villagers to sign self-incriminating statements and to spy on each other. ICC's Regional Manager, Logan Maurer, stated, ‘The Vietnamese government has exposed its brutality and greed, torturing and killing Christians to make room for their ambition. The tourist resort they plan to build in Con Dau will have its foundation in blood’. Pray: that the Vietnamese government would recant and reverse its decisions. (Ps.5:11)
Vietnam: The harvest field
09 Nov 2011Repression of all types of freedom continues, drug addiction, AIDS, prostitution and exploitation of children are common and the land has seen great violence. In spite of repression of religious, economic and political freedoms the Church continues to grow, although it is still small. Please pray that the government will lift harsh restrictions on religious activities and give a free reign to pastors and believers in the registered churches. Unregistered churches are harassed with meetings broken up and leaders arrested. Pray for unity between leaders of registered and unregistered churches. Many pastors are old, and younger churches are often led by those with little opportunity for theological study and are susceptible to error or bias in their teaching; pray for leadership training, study materials, theological books and commentaries to be imported. Christian literature production is strictly monitored, though Bibles are printed and available for purchase in Vietnam. Please pray for increased production and distribution.
Pray: that suitable people will take up the opportunities to work in Vietnam in development and professional work, particularly with the ethnic groups scarcely touched by the Gospel. (Mt.16:18-19)
More: http://www.operationworld.org/viet#prayer
Vietnam: Patriotic Front
05 Jul 2012A group of thugs linked to the Vietnam Patriotic Front, activated by local authorities,(who pay each thug up to 25 dollars for their actions, targeted believers in a house of prayer celebrating Sunday Mass on July 1st. The mob brutally injured dozens of people and is the latest in a series of persecution incidents targeting Christian communities in the area since last November. In response the parishioners have protested outside the offices of the district Con Cuong People's Committee, asking the local party secretary to put an end to violations and respect the principle of freedom of religious profession. But leaders continue to ignore these requests and allocate police to harass the faithful. In recent weeks the traffic control officers have closed access to churches, making it increasingly difficult to participate in mass and services. The faithful expect a strong and resolute stance from the Bishop of Vinh, in defence of religious freedom.
Pray: for the church in Vietnam to be strengthened, protected and encouraged to continue to peacefully speak out for the religious freedom laws of the country. (Mat.16:18)
Vietnamese officials in Muong Cha district, Dien Bien Province, destroyed two new church buildings of ethnic minority Hmong Christians this month and threatened to tear down a third. The Ho He Church, erected in April by the unregistered Vietnam Good News Mission was demolished on June 17th .The Phan Ho Church of the registered Evangelical Church of Vietnam (North) was destroyed on June 13th 2012. The church threatened with demolition, The Cong Church, also belongs to the Vietnam Good News Mission. These congregations of 500 to 600 people which began as house churches had long outgrown even the largest home so the Hmong had sacrificed and worked to erect wooden worship buildings. As local police, paramilitary forces and other authorities descended on the church buildings by the dozens, the Christians could only watch with deep sadness and frustration as the houses of worship were reduced to rubble and government promises about freedom of religion were again broken, area sources said.
Pray: that the Vietnamese Church would not be deterred from teaching God's word, and discipling new believers. (Mat.28:19,20)
More: http://www.opendoorsuk.org/news/stories/index.php?newsitem=3&date=27jun2012&country=vietnam
Vietnam: Officials bulldoze Bible school
12 Jan 2011
At 7am Vietnamese time, about 500 police, soldiers and fire officers arrived with bulldozers at Pastor Quang’s school and demolished the property. Pastor Quang, (one of the so-called 'Mennonite Six' jailed in 2004) is currently being held at a undisclosed location after being beaten with batons 'until he fainted.' Twenty students from the school were also arrested and interrogated. Police specially drafted in from the Central Highlands region were on hand to escort students back to their provinces. Montagnard Christians from this region make up a large proportion of the Mennonite Church in Vietnam. Pastor Quang's wife, Phu Dung Le, and his three children are safe. Leaders and Bible college students linked with Pastor Quang have come under intense pressure from officials to give up their association with the Mennonite church since October. Pray: for God to keep those arrested in His perfect peace and to touch the officials involved through the witness of the Christians. (Mal.1:4)
Vietnam: House Church attacks
02 Aug 2010
A gang of youths attacked a house church as the congregation worshipped on Vietnam’s south central coast. The youths smashed the walls of the home and wreaked havoc within, railing against evangelist Mang Vuong for being a Christian and building his home to be a house church. In Vietnam a common approach for church expansion is to build a roomy home for an evangelist to serve also as a meeting place. The evangelist’s house was nearly completed when it was first attacked last month, then on June 10th the same youths were spurred by local authorities to break into Vuong’s home stealing more than $3,000 and destroying furnishings, utensils and books. Vuong, who works for the Evangelical Church of Vietnam, has recieved death threats. A petition sent to district and provincial officials stated it was Communist Party leaders who plied the youths with liquor then incited them to attack the evangelist’s house. Pray: for the Christian community to respond with Christ-like love and forgiveness. (1Pe.3:9) More: http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/vietnam/23120/
Vietnam: House Church attacked
28 Nov 2011A house church in Hanoi faces uncertainty over where to worship after armed men broke up their meeting, seriously injuring a dozen Christians including women and children. Three were evacuated to an undisclosed hospital in Ho Chi Minh City after local hospitals refused to examine or treat them. (Vietnamese doctors dare not treat or even examine victims of religious persecution.) Pastor Nguyen Thi Lan is a recently-retired Communist Party official who converted to Christianity last year. Within that short time she has led 50 people to the Christian faith, angering fellow villagers who threatened to kill her if she continues to organize church meetings. Pastor Nguyen Danh Chau was brutally injured with internal injuries to the kidneys, liver and other organs, and left unconscious. Another victim was hit with a steel shovel on her chest and stomach as well as her back, in considerable pain but not admitted to hospital.
Pray: for God to give his wisdom and protection to the growing unregistered house church movement of 2,200+ meeting in over 35 congregations. (Ps.22:19-20)
More: http://www.bosnewslife.com/19146-news-alert-vietnam-house-church-attacked-12-injured