News headlines for August 20th 2003 Mission Network News is brought to you in part by MTS TRAVEL and LUFTHANSA, leaders in providing special fare airline tickets for the missions community. To receive a free airfare quote for your short-term missions group or individual missions travel, please visit http://www.mtstravel.com and click MISSION FARE SAMPLER or MTS TRAVEL Offices to contact one of our 11 nationwide Travel Service Centers. (Liberia)--Topping the news, desperately needed supplies bound for Liberia were lost at sea, but relief work continues. Dean Owen, President of World Vision[1] , says the 140-ton Madame Patricia crashed during a violent storm. "The ship that went down had 15-thousand blankets, 4.8 tons of laundry soap, plastic buckets, water cans, sleeping mats, and much needed diesel fuel and gasoline. With gasoline running at about 40 dollars a gallon on the black market there, these were much needed relief supplies." Praise God no lives were lost. Owen is asking for prayer for workers who remain. "We have about 40 Liberian staff in country some of whom were hold up in their homes for several days because they were fearful to leave. We have other staff, who are ex-pats, from other countries who were evacuated out. Some of our staff are receiving trauma counseling for all the agony and trauma that they went through." Owen says new relief supplies are on the way and will open doors for sharing the Gospel. (USA)--Meanwhile, it's back-to-school time in the United States and an evangelistic organization is reaching out. The Luis Palau Evangelistic Association[2] organized a city-wide school clean-up in Portland, Oregon. According to ministry officials, more than three-thousand volunteers from more than 70 churches helped 35 schools. The clean-up saved the schools nearly a half-million dollars. By their actions, churches helped school children experience the teachings of the Gospel firsthand. (USA)--Families are being recruited spread the Good News of the Gospel aboard through the JESUS Film.[3] Jesus Film Project officials say more than 25-thousand people have participated in sharing "JESUS" on two-week trips since 1995. On a mission trip with the "Macedonian Project", a ministry of the JESUS Film Project, you have the joy of sharing Christ with many who have never heard. Go to our web site or call our resource line to find out how your family can get involved. (USA)--Next, Children's Bible Hour[4] has expanded their ministry opportunity to reach children by way of the internet. Spokesman Dave Slayback, says that since so many young people have access to computers and the internet that it was a nature progression for them. "We created the CBH ministry website to reach just kids with our current materials but we created "King's Call" and "The Greatest Gift" websites in order to reach kids with the Gospel." Slayback says their goal has been to use creative, attractive and animated ways to reach children with the Gospel message. "There's audio that they can listen to, there's games they can play and it's very attractive and high quality. We really are hoping that they will be touched by the Gospel. By the end, they realize what Jesus did for them." So far, the reaction has been very positive with an increased number of children responding. (International)--And finally, Global Advance's[5] David Shibley says the hunger for the Gospel continues to grow. For church leaders, the lack of teaching supplies, training and encouragement pose the strongest threat to evangelism. Shibley says his mid-year numbers represent a cross-section of an international vision for missions. "Already this year, we've had the privilege of giving hand-on, face-to-face training to 8,291 pastoral leaders, pastors and church leaders, in 23 Frontline Shepherds' Conferences, in 18 nations." Shibley says prayer plays a critical role in their work. Even as an anti-Christian sentiment seems to grow, it doesn't stop their work. "None of our teams have been assaulted, but we have been threatened. So, we're very grateful to the Lord for His protection upon us. I'm asking that believers here would pray for the protection of the pastors in the nations as they come to our conferences, and then also, of our ministry teams, our teaching teams who teach at the conferences." [1] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=WVI [2] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=LPEA [3] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=JFP [4] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=CBH [5] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=GAM --------------------------------------------------------------------- IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STORIES ABOVE, EMAIL US AT OR CALL OUR RESOURCE LINE AT 800-995-4828! 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