Prayer Call

American Baptist International Ministries is again calling for prayer on behalf of Christians in Orissa, India, during a recent wave of violence. The latest outbreak of violence occurred after a Hindu religious leader was killed and militant Hindus blamed Christians for the death. In news reports, the police have said they believe so-called Maoist rebels were responsible for the murder of Swami Laxamanananda Saraswati on Saturday, Aug. 23.

But since that time, the churches, homes and lives of many Christians have been threatened in Orissa -- a state in Eastern India, which borders the Bay of Bengal.

Rev. Samaresh Nayak, with the Bengal-Orissa-Bihar Bap more »

John and Tomoko serve with the Japan Baptist Union (JBU) churches in the Kansai (western) area of Japan. Currently, they are working with the Nishi Okamoto Baptist Church in the city of Kobe.They write: This has been a time of transition for us as we have not only moved back to Japan, but also moved to a new residence. Transitions can be times of stress and uncertainty but they can also be a time to stretch and rethink. It can be a time to let God be in the lead and to look for the doors that He opens. But for that to happen one has to be listening for God, a challenge in the middle of our busy lives.Perhaps we are feeling a little like Abraham and Sarah right now. We felt the str more »

Roberta lives in Tokyo where she is coordinating a volunteer program with the Japan Baptist Union by finding places in Japan needing a volunteer, and then finding the right volunteer from American Baptist Churches to fit those needs. She also speaks in churches and conducts Bible and English Classes.She writes: After a full year of knowing that some time I would need to move, the time came, suddenly at that, for me to vacate the mission house in Tokyo that has been occupied by American Baptist missionaries for fifty years.  As I watched the house being torn down I wondered about all the stories those walls could tell; how many Japanese had heard the gospel for the first time? How many had met Chri more »