Bert Laverne Cole – a Memorial of a Life Laid Down

FROM R.K.’S CORNER

On Friday night November 8 at 3:00 am I was abruptly awoken by a phone call. I looked at my watch — it was 3:00 am! I picked up the phone, Simon Sittin was on the other end, “R.K.— I am at the main road with Bert. We have walked through the bush from my village. Bert is very sick!” I implored him to immediately flag down a car and drive to the capital of Juba and bring Bert to the best hospital there. The only vehicle available was the bus that took 12 hours on a normally 2 hour stretch by car, due to the bad road. By the time they reached the hospital, Bert was ready to go home. His last words to Simon, Matthew, and Ruman, the young South Sudanese men he had come to disciple, was, ”I love you, I love you!”

This is a story in the making; this issue is just a short preface to the compelling testimony of Bert’s impact on the people of South Sudan. In the December issue, I will give a fuller report. On Sunday November 24 at 4:00 pm a Memorial Service will be held at All Nations Church in Charlotte, NC. Simultaneously, there will be a Celebration/Gospel outreach in the bush village where Bert laid down his life. In Bert’s honor, we are asking for donations toward continuing the projects he had planned for the 3500 member tribe in Western Equatoria. You may give via PayPal on this website, or send your gift by mail to: The Bridge International, 13762 State Road 84, Suite 423, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33325. Please mark your gift South Sudan Projects.

BERT LAVERNE COLE – A MEMORIAL OF A LIFE LAID DOWN

Bert Laverne Cole of Cosby, TN – close friend, prayer partner, and co-worker in God’s Kingdom to the nations, died Sunday, November 10 while on a six month mission in South Sudan. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Patricia, daughter Pamela, four grandchildren and one great granddaughter.

Bert was born in Leaton, Michigan on February 29, 1936. At the age of 34 he became a Pastor and ministered in several churches in Michigan before he moved his family to Ft Lauderdale, Florida in 1973. There, he ran a successful welding business, Cole Industrial Services, for over 20 years, then moved to the mountains of Tennessee where he later retired from business. However, he never retired from his entrepreneurial talents and heart to serve the Lord and His people!

Bert was a man of deep faith who lived what he preached. His most outstanding qualities were his generosity and intercession. From the foundation of The Bridge in 1983, Bert was a member of the Board and faithfully attended our prayer meetings where we interceded for the persecuted church worldwide. More than once we witnessed the positive breakthrough in people’s lives and directional changes in nations as answers to Bert’s prayers! God gave Bert a particular love for the people of South Sudan, as he prayerfully followed them through their journey of suffering through war, refugee camps in diaspora, and their 2011 victorious homecoming! Through intercession, God had given him a heart for Simon Sittin and Matthew Denguit, the two young men we sponsored to go to Bible College while living as South Sudanese refugees in Israel. Simon had recently become tribal leader among his 3500 member tribal family in Western Equotoria (approx. three hours by car West of the capital of Juba), many of whom had recently returned from refugee camps in neighboring countries.

A month ago, at age 77, Bert embarked on the journey of his life, as he traveled to South Sudan where he planned to live for six months among Simon’s people on his tribal land while teaching the young men and women in the bush self-sufficiency and faith — with a plow in one hand and the Word of God in the other.

Bert’s favorite scripture was Ephesians 2:6: “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.” Bert lives there today! He gave it all; he poured out his life for the South Sudanese, and then he went home. Thousands of people were touched by Bert’s love and care for them! “Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” John 15:3 .

FROM BERT’S FRIEND AND PRAYER PARTNER, PAUL BOOHER

On November 10, a dear friend of mine went home. His name was Bert Cole. To those who knew him, he was a tall guy with a snow white beard, and a heart as big as all outdoors. Bert had an incredible faith born and nurtured from a life filled with trials and pain, joy and miracles.

I only became aware of Bert and close to him in the last couple of years. A mutual friend brought us together because she saw something that Bert and I had in common: We loved the Lord and believed in prayer, intercessory prayer, you know – the kind that moves the heart and hand of God! For the last couple of years Bert, Angelo (another good friend), and I have met on a regular basis to pray and intercede for people from around the world who are laying their lives down in God’s harvest field. People who literally, day by day, are in danger of losing everything for Christ, and do it gladly for the love of Him who died for them.

This is not about me, but I need to share one important fact about my friendship with Bert. God brought this tough, old guy into my life not long after I had lost my wife of 40 years – a woman who had brought courage, class and joy into my life. Bert helped me to regain my focus and my faith in God’s love and purpose for my life. He helped me trade my sorrow for a place on the wall, for a renewed desire to please God; to serve Him, by serving others; by loving others as He has loved me! Thank you Bert! The full extent of the impact your life had on me and all the others for whom you laid down your life will only be revealed in heaven! You were a mighty warrior while you were here – now enjoy your great reward in heaven, and say Hi to Gloria and all the family for me!

Norway – Afghan, Iranian, and Tajiki Believers in Jesus

(NB! Make sure you scroll all the way down and read the powerful testimony from an Iranian in Norway!)

I have just returned from a two week visit to my homeland, Norway. It was largely personal — celebrating a family reunion and my sister’s birthday with my siblings and closest family members. Needless to say, it was a rich and meaningful time!

This visit happened to mark 40 years since I left Norway for the United Sates, which gave me some thoughtful reflections on the many changes my country has undergone over four decades. Traditionally homogeneous, it has become multicultural with app. 15% immigrants among a population of 4.7 million. Many have come as refugees and asylum seekers. The September 9 Parliamentary election resulted in an unprecedented political shift from left to right. The oil money has made people prosperous, which has caused materialism and secular humanism flourish. The State Lutheran church which seceded from governmental oversight last Spring, has by and large failed its mandate to be salt and light in upholding Biblical truth, but has rather embraced un-Biblical practices, i.e. same-sex marriage, having made the church irrelevant to many.

Yet, in the grassroots of people I found a groundswell of hunger for God! In the midst of increased secularization there are encouraging signs that a new generation is awakening to a renewed interest in the Christian faith, but much of it is informal, happening outside the walls of the traditional church. In 2011, the Norwegian Bible Society published a new translation of the Bible in a more contemporary language. To everybody’s surprise it was rated number one on the Publishers’ Bestseller’s List, and has remained at the top. Even more amazing was a unique theater performance I attended by one of Norway’s famous secular stage actors. Some years ago he had come upon the Bible and read the Gospels for the first time. He was so fascinated and inspired by the content that he learned the Gospel of Mark by heart, then in collaboration with his Director did a theater production whereby he stood alone on the stage, dressed in black, and simply recited the Gospel of Mark word for word from memory without any supporting props. They called it The Gospel of Mark. They expected it to possibly flop, or perhaps half-fill a couple of performances, that – if the church people would bother show up. To everybody’s astonishment, the actor’s brilliant, two and a half hour animated performance mesmerized the audience, brought down the house, and was given raving reviews in the secular press! The theaters were sold out for months as an unprecedented 75,000 people attended 222 performances! Later he followed up with The Book of Acts, with similar success. Then followed Abraham’s Children, with the focus on Genesis! It keeps generating the same enthusiasm as prior productions!

It was delightful and so special to spend a day in Tveita, Oslo (which population is mostly Muslim) with Peter Dalen, an Iranian minister who leads a group of Farsi-speaking foreign believers with vibrant faith in Jesus Christ from Afghanistan, Iran, and Tajikistan! I met Peter more than fifteen years ago on a visit to Norway, so it was delightful to meet him again, now with his wife and children. He invited me for dinner, and afterwards we went to a church nearby where I had an opportunity to meet 20-30 of the believers in Peter’s church group. Peter had cooked delicious Mid-Eastern food for everybody, so after the love meal, we gathered and Peter gave me the opportunity to lead the Bible study. It was a real and rich time! Raised as strict Muslims, each of them had at some point – many through Peter – had a personal encounter with Jesus Christ! Spending time with them both individually and as a group listening to their life stories, I was all over again overwhelmed by the POWER OF THE GOSPEL’S LIFE-CHANGING TRANSFORMATION! They are all aware that, forsaking Islam and embracing the Christian faith, carry very heavy retribution from their respective Islamic governments – certainly persecution, often imprisonment, even death,yet they are standing firmly in their new-found faith! As we were feasting on the Word of God, it became clear to me that these foreigners who initially entered Norway as destitute, traumatized, and impoverished refugees seeking asylum for a better life, had been sent by God to my country to remind my Viking people, who by and large have forgotten what it means to live a life of dedication and vibrant faith and trust in the God of the Bible, of the magnificence and glory which encompasses Him both as Creator of the Universe and loving Father who so loves every person that He even has the count the number of hair on everyone’s head! I was reminded of the verses in Revelation 12:10-11!

After I returned back to the States, one of the Iranian believers there sent me his testimony in Norwegian. Below, I have translated it into English and printed in his own words. I trust Mohammad’s powerful story will be edifying and encouraging in your faith-walk with God! PLEASE PRAY FOR THESE MEN AND WOMEN THAT THEY WILL BE ROOTED AND MATURE IN FAITH AND HOPE!

PERSONAL TESTIMONY BY MOHAMMAD ALI SOLTANIAN

I was born and raised in the southern city of Bandar Mahshahr in Iran. The town is quite small where most people know each other and everybody are highly committed Muslims. When I was ten years old, my mother died of cancer. I was depressed for long time periods. My school performance suffered, I

became aggressive, restless, and vengeful toward those who bullied me and making my life difficult. Two years after my mother died, my father married again. After this event, with a stepmother in our home, my problems became more serious. I became even more aggressive, began beating my siblings and received a good deal of beatings myself in my home. I became tired of life and sometimes thought of committing suicide; I even did a couple of failed attempts. From then on, my siblings did not allow me to be alone on my own.

In school and through committed Muslims among friends and family, I had come to know Allah. The only thing I knew was that if I did not obey him, if I did not participate in fasting and scheduled, routine prayers, I would be faced with his great indignation and anger. It was a common sight to see young people being hung in the streets, women stoned, and people without hands who had been convicted and sentenced by Islamic law. All this made a strong impression on me, causing me to have nightmares with dreams depicting that the same things had happened to me. I lived in constant fear and felt spiritually like a defeated coward.

A few years ago, I came to know the true God – Jesus Christ! Caught by the Iranian regime during the period of the Presidential Election when there were mass anti-government demostrations in the streets, I was arrested. I was beaten badly, then unconscious and bloody thrown into jail. In that hazy state, I saw a man walking calmly towards me. He put his hands on my bloody head and muttered something under his breath. After a while when I came to, I discovered I had received an inner peace and strength within me.

The man said to me, ”He has taken on your burdens, pains and weaknesses. If you allow Him, He will remove all that from you and set you free”. I had never seen anything like this in my life – that someone with humility and love would wish someone else well!

After a few days, I was miraculously set free, and after a few weeks, I met this man in the street. I asked him what he had said to me earlier, what it meant, and why he had said those things. He was very careful not to talk about this while we were in the street, but invited me to a place where we could talk more easily . First, he wanted to be assured I was to be trusted, so I made it clear to him I wanted to know more.

Eventually, I was allowed to participate in their meetings, and during those times, I became more familiar with Jesus Christ who had given me inner peace and tranquility. I received the Bible as a gift and was told to read it when no one was around. One day, while reading Genesis, I came upon the verses where Abraham was about to sacrifice his son, Isaac, to God. It was quite opposite to what I had learned – that Abraham’s son, Ishmael, was the one to be sacrified. It was very interesting, as at the same time, there arose many questions in my head. I eagerly read further and found that the Bible states that he who blesses Israel will be blessed and those who curse Israel will be cursed. This made me very scared, as it was perfectly normal and natural to shout, ”death to Israel!”. The more I read, the more enlightened I became. I was learning to know the one true and holy God! A deep reverence of Him filled me. This was not the same oppressive fear which disheartened me when I heard Allah ‘s name mentioned or was reminded of his wrath and judgment. Entering respectfully into a personal and intimate relationship with the Holy God, this fear was an awe and reverence which lifted me up and inspired humility and warmth.

I told my Christian friends that I had a good number of questions about the Word of God and wanted to know more. They told me that it was better to start reading from the New Testament to get a better understanding. The more I read, the more humble my heart and mind became. Jesus Christ showed me grace and mercy while in prison and took away my weaknesses and pain. He strengthened me and opened my eyes to the truth that is in Him. When I heard testimonionies from others on what Jesus had done in their lives, I was filled with hope and life, as I realized that He is the living God with love for mankind, a God who forgives us human beings!

As I became more familiar with Him and His Word, I began experiencing His goodness. I understood that I could be free from my sin and evil deeds and live in His mercy, justification, and Sonship as His child. By faith and repentance I received Jesus Christ, His glad tidings, and His sacrifice on Calvary. Prior to this I had been a slave to sin, a slave in a society which dictated what to believe and not believe, what to do and not do. A slave who did not have my own free will, not being allowed to think or ask questions. Therefore, I was spiritually sick, not in harmony and peace with myself or those around me, with serious psychological problems with which I did not know how to cope. When Jesus met me, He gave me a renewed mind which made me look at life with different eyes. I let go of all that had plagued my mind which had been with me for years. I, who had been aggressive and vindictive, was saved and healed by His wounds, and I am forever grateful for his merciful love – a love that wants to give and serve – a love that does not want anything in return .

When I had the flu with pain in the bones and burning throat and headache, I experienced being healed. I went to our meeting, weak as I was, and my brothers put their hands on me and prayed for me. Then I felt that the disease was lifted off of me ,and I was completely healthy and fit within a few days. For some years, I struggled with repeated nosebleeds and headaches. In another meeting my brother prayed about this very issue for which the doctors had no cure. During the prayer I felt that fire had been ignited in my nostrils and tears began flowing from the sting of the fire. After this prayer, I have not had nosebleeds and headaches, thanks to Jesus who sees our illnesses and heals us!

I so wanted to tell my friends and family what I had experienced and share with them the Good News about salvation. My friend mentioned above, and I packed Bibles and New Testaments into nice wrapping paper.

At night, we threw these packets into people’s houses. Many actually believed that they had received a gift from God and began reading the Book. We wrote down testimonies and interesting topics from Christian Persian web pages and added them to small toys and chocolate which we wrapped in gift paper and gave to youngsters without revealing who had sent them the gifts. We had to be careful so that it did not lead to any trouble for those who received the Word of God .

Here in Norway, the situation is different as you do not have the same concerns. We are allowed to grow in faith and have open fellowship with one another. I am a member of Gideon whose purpose is also to give people Bibles and New Testaments. I distribute them, especially among Farsi-speaking Iranians and Afghans, then invite them to attend our fellowhip to come to know a different God.

I am a member of a local church in Oslo where I was baptized. My desire and goal is to see my people come to know the love of Jesus Christ and be delivered from the power of sin. I want God to use me as long as I live, wherever I live. I know that there are still many things I need to learn and experience because I am still like a child who wants to learn more and more. My greatest desire is to attend Bible college to grow more in the knowledge of God’s Word, that I may one day return to my homeland, Iran, plant a church there, and make Jesus Christ known to my people, that they, too, can enjoy His glorious salvation!

“May Your Kingdom Come”… in Syria! – September 2013

FROM R.K.’s CORNER

With the media-blitz covering the heightened conflict between the Syrian regime and the United States government in face of Syria’s use of chemical weapons on its own people, I have pondered how to present this complex issue from the perspective of God’s Kingdom to our friends and supporters. I knew that this needed the input from an insider’s perspective to help us discern the news behind the news.

I contacted a longstanding friend and partner, Benny Hashem, whom Steve and I have known for nearly two decades. I offered him to address in this issue the situation in Syria from the paradigm of being an Arab who has come to faith in Jesus Christ, a Minister of the Gospel to the nations of the Middle East, a man serving the refugees who are entering the US from those war-torn nations, and a trainer of American believers on how to effectively get involved in the lives of these traumatized new immigrants. Hashem’s message to the church is simply: You do not need to go to the unreached nations of the world, the nations have come to you, so — serve the nations in your neighborhood!!

If you want to financially support Benny Hashem and his ministry through us, you may do so via PayPal by clicking on the Donate button above. Please mark you donation: Liaison International!

MAY YOUR KINGDOM COME … IN SYRIA!

BY BENNY HASHEM

“…thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” – that is our declaration when we pray the Lord’s prayer. Today in the ancient country of Syria, where no one can count the statistics accurately regarding population, tribe or religious group, there is little that demonstrates the fulfillment of that prayer. The land has spiraled down into disarray and chaos.

Factions once thought to be the rebels have now joined forces with the government in fighting the multinational terror organization, Al Qaeda. New rebel forces have emerged in opposition to the government. More than 100,000 people have been killed and several million displaced from the caldron of confusion which now permeates the once unimportant, non-oil producing nation.

What is Really Going on in Syria?

Up until the mid-1960ties, Syria enjoyed the presence of Western missionaries and the Gospel was preached openly without much opposition. That changed in late 1967, when the Syrian government uncovered an alleged ring of “spies” working as missionaries who were accused of broadcasting messages to Israel from the pulpit. The missionaries involved in the incident were hung after the Syrian government found them guilty on charges of espionage. The remaining missionaries were arrested and expelled, and all missionary visas cancelled. Since then, Syria has been added to the list of “creative access” countries, i.e. countries which deny access to foreign Gospel workers.

Directly following the shutdown of western missionary activities, the national Syrian evangelical church rose up and embraced their mandate to spread the Gospel, and since then, the national believers have been busy working within their own national boundaries. The evangelical believers gained significant success even under Hafez Al Assad’s government (1971-2000), so this time period is referred to as the “Golden Years of Syria”.

Protected by the minority-ruled Alawite Muslim government, Christian activity was virtually unchallenged by the authorities, so the church prospered and grew to include 20% of the population.

After the missionary incident, tragically, all the churches became suspect of espionage, causing the secret police to visit them on a regular basis and question the leadership on the Christian activities among the believers.

This has not fared well for the Christian community in the present conflict, as the insurgent faction of Al Qaeda are now targeting these Christian leaders for execution, claiming they are collaborators with the Syrian National Government. In fact, all Christian believers, who up till now have enjoyed a relatively peaceful existence in Syria as underscored by their sheer number, are being earmarked for extermination by the radical Al Qaeda.

As with any predominantly Muslim country, proselytizing of Muslims to Christianity is prohibited . According to one mission network focusing on Muslim unreached people groups, Syria has at least five unreached people groups within its borders.

This Civil War has led to the diaspora, not only of Muslims, but Christians into Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and several other countries. These camps where refugees now reside have become havens for lawlessness and crime. Despite the best efforts of the United Nations, lack of food, water, blankets and medicine are among only a few of the problems suffered by the refugee population.

WHERE ARE THESE REFUGEES GOING?

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) works with nations worldwide to resettle the victims fleeing from wars, famine and natural disaster.

There are currently four resettlement agencies working in the United States to help resettle these victims. Of the refugees that end up in the United States, more than 40% have been beaten, raped or tortured. The result is that a large number of the refugee population suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

WHO ARE THESE REFUGEES?

The demographics of these refugees are as varied as the conflicts they come from. In some cases they are the Christians who have been caught in the conflict. In other cases they are the Muslims who have chosen not to participate in the fighting which oftentimes are sectarian conflicts — Sunni vs Shia Muslims. In yet other cases, such as Iraq and Afghanistan, they are the nationals who have sided with, translated for, or aided US troops.

Sadly, almost all have lost immediate family in the conflict. They have given up everything — land, homes, businesses, and loved ones — to avoid fighting. They are the “good guys” and have been driven out of their homes by the “bad guys”.

Once cleared by Homeland Security to enter the United States, these refugees are placed in communities that have sufficient resources to help them resettle. Unfortunately, there are far more families than case workers in most of the resettlement agencies and this leaves a huge gulf between the refugee families and the communities into which they are attempting to resettle. In many cases, people are put together with other families from the same country, which causes them to remain isolated from the American society with little interaction with Americans. Since many of the women continue to cover themselves with their traditional garbs, they are looked upon with disdain by people in their new communities, causing these victims to be further secluded and trapped in their own sub-culture.

Men with Arab names are routinely passed over in the job market, due to fear of them. The little dignity and hope the refugees had when they arrived in the “land of the free and home of the brave” is slowly diminished.

God in His infinite wisdom saw that the church in the West was unable to penetrate these closed and restricted access countries with the Gospel so He planned to bring the unreached nations to the West. Here, we have freedom of speech and freedom of religion. Here it is illegal to kill converts. We have a well-informed, well-resourced church to draw from to reach the nations that the Lord has brought into our very neighborhoods! WHERE IS THE CHURCH — the glorious Bride of the resurrected Christ? Where is the splendor and majesty of the Ambassadors of Christ? Where are the believers in the marketplace who reach out with open hearts to the alien in the land with love, and include them in their lives?

“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick , and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me’.”

Liaison International

is a Non-Profit Organization that works among the world’s refugees and underprivileged assisting in community development and relief aid.

Founded in 1998, Liaison International works in 36 countries throughout Europe, the Mediterranean Basin, Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and 30 Cities in the United States.

Working among the diaspora communities of the world, Liaison International trains individuals and organization to engage peoples from the perspective of cultural sensitivity. We focus on meeting needs of displaced and persecuted peoples and help rebuild lives ravaged by war, famine, oppression and natural disaster.

As the Refugee Community grows in the United States, Liaison International partners with resettlement organizations in helping train mentors, ESL teachers and provides a community of “friends” for the refugees who are often isolated by fear and trauma. More than 40% of all refugees immigrating to the US have been the victims of violent crimes and suffer Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

The Liaison International Center for Intercultural Studies located in Selma, TX was developed to inform, mobilize and train workers who will make real differences in the lives of those they encounter.

Liaison Middle East Ministries International dba Liaison International Center for Intercultural Studies

Islamist Persecution against Christians in Northern Nigeria – August 2013

From R.K.’s Corner

In spite of the President of the United States declaring, after the 2011 capture and killing of Osama Bin Laden, that al-Qaeda was on the run and Islamic terrorism is on the decline, the chilling facts of recent events prove differently. Just a couple of weeks ago, 20 US Embassies throughout the Islamic world were closed for fear of attacks by terrorists. In fact, atrocities against “infidels”, specifically the targeting of Christian believers, are steadily on the rise in those nations while the rest of the world, including the media, are silent bystanders.

A recent human rights report stated that, in 2012, 70% of Christians killed for their faith took place in Northern Nigeria. It was largely executed by an Islamic sect, Boko Haram, whose goal is to kill and drive out all the Christians from the twelve Northern states, secede from Nigeria proper, and fully execute Sharia Law for all remaining residents.

This caught my attention, as I remembered The Bridge’s investment into the Gospel in Northern Nigeria from 1999 through 2003. Through the partnership with Dr. Boyo, a Nigerian medical doctor, we financed the digging of two water wells in Muslim communities and sponsored ten medical missionaries who were sent from the South to the arid, Muslim-dominated Northwest of Nigeria to bring the light and life of the Gospel to the Dukawa tribe. Having not brought an update from that mission field for a number of years, I felt compelled to bring your attention to the systematic persecution taking place among our brothers and sisters in Christ in the North, specifically for the purpose of intercession and prayer for those who are suffering so much!

As I was researching this issue, a local Nigerian friend “happened “ to introduce Steve and me to a Pastor from Northern Nigeria who was a Muslim. Forty years ago, as a young man, he encountered the Gospel and came to faith in Jesus Christ. He is presently doing geo-political research in one of the universities nearby. Steve and I spent an evening with him and were deeply moved and impressed by his insight, knowledge and clear Biblical perspective on what is taking place in his homeland.

Our new friend emphasized the importance of – what we already know – distinguishing between Islam and being Muslim.

ISLAM is a religious belief system – a world view – which, at its core, ultimately commands its loyal adherents to kill all “infidels” (non-believers in Islam) through Jihad (holy war), for the purpose of ushering in world domination of Sharia Law in a pure Islamic world. The MUSLIM is a human being created and loved by God, but is a sinner and in need of God’s grace through Jesus Christ on par with all other human beings not born again. As such, a Muslim is to be treated with dignity and love!

CHRISTIANITY is also a belief system – a world view – which at its core commands the Followers of Jesus Christ to demonstrate a life of love and forgiveness. As they have also been forgiven, they are to accept all human beings as created by God – including Muslims! As believers in Jesus Christ, we reject Islam as belief system, but love the Muslims!

Please pray that the revelation and transforming power of the love of Jesus Christ will reach the hearts and minds of the members of Boko Haram, and that love and forgiveness will triumph among the Christians in the midst of their suffering, that they truly will shine as stars in the midst of a perverse and crooked generation!

BRIDGE PROJECTS IN NORTHERN NIGERIA 1999-2003

The pictures here are from the December 2003 Bridge Report sent by Dr. Boyo, with an update on the 10 missionaries and two water wells sponsored by Bridge partners among the Muslim Dukawa tribe in Northeastern Nigeria. Following are a couple of quotes from the report:

“ There are a small team of indigenous Christian workers (the couple to the left is one of them) battling to spread the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ. They have forsaken the opportunities to live a far better life in the Christian part of Nigeria to go to the hinterland and demonstrate the love of Jesus to the Dukawa tribe, dominated by a strongly fundamentalist Muslim government. These families are courageous and willing, not only to live for Christ — but to suffer for Him – Phil 1:29

“Through the use of local and sustainable methods we were able to dig two wells. They are enhancing our thrust toward social responsibility, also helping to facilitate evangelism. The villagers come to fetch water from the ‘well the Christians built’. May thousands come to drink from the Well of Living Water, never to thirst again” – John 4:7-14

The gathering below is a picture from our newly acquired friend’s church in the city of Jos, where he has been Pastor for 40 years while training and mentoring more than 2000 followers of Jesus.

THE PERSECUTION OF THE CHRISTIAN BELIEVERS IN NORTHERN NIGERIA

Since its 1960 independence, Nigeria was for decades ruled by dictators from prominent northern Muslim families. The corruption and nepotism of these dictators and the vast amounts of public funds they funneled back to their home states, as well as into Swiss accounts, is a matter of public record.

In 1999, a pro-democracy movement successfully ended military dictatorship and a Christian President from the South was elected. This resulted in horrific violence in the 12 Sharia-based Northern states the following year that left thousands dead when Christians protested peacefully. Such acts of violence continue to this day with virtual impunity.

In the last three years, an estimated 3000 Christians have been killed, including gruesome massacres executed in Jos in March, 2010, and Kano in January 2012. The eruption of violence in a 48 hour period after the April 2011 election of Christian President Goodluck Jonathan, left 764 church buildings burned, 204 Christians confirmed killed, more than 3,100 Christian-operated businesses, schools, and shops burned, and over 3,400 Christian homes destroyed.

Christian girls below the age of 18 are forcefully abducted and made to denounce their faith. Many families reject Western education, leaving their children with wandering Mallams (Islamic clerics) to be instructed in Islam while begging for their bread. The goal is to bring new recruits among unschooled and unemployed youth into Boko Haram, often by force (Excerpts ©Morning Star News).

Please pray for protection for the believers in Christ, and that they remain strong in faith and hope as they demonstrate forgiveness and love, and pray for those who persecute them!

BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON NIGERIA

Twice the size of Texas, Nigeria with a population of near 170 million, is the most populous country in Africa. Located on the Atlantic Ocean, it shares borders with Benin, Chad, Cameroon, and Niger. The country is divided into 36 states. The three main ethnic groups Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo (formerly Ibo) comprise 60% of the population. The remainder consists of 250 minority groups who speak over 500 living languages,. The official language is English.

The colonization of Nigeria started in 1800 when Great Britain and France began the slave trade. In 1901, Nigeria became a British protectorate which lasted till 1960, when the country gained its independence. The Europeans settled in the South and along the coast, which caused the Yoruba and Igbo peoples to embrace Western style Christianity, education and culture. The majority of the wealth, however, lies in the North, as the control of the rich oil fields in the country were given to the Hausa who are predominantly Muslim, by the British when they left in 1960. In fact, 12 of the Northern states have embraced Sharia Law and are working toward becoming a pure Islamic nation. Hence, the Christian believers in that region are being pushed out, terrorized, mutilated, and killed.

The international statistic claims a ratio 50/50 Muslims to other faiths in Nigeria. Within the country, however, there is a counter-claim that the ration is 35/65. Where the atrocities are taking place, massive corruption of the rich vs. abject poverty, ignorance, lack of education, ethnic strife, territorial land disputes, and religious fanaticism are fueling the recruitment into radical Islam!

From New York City to the Mountains of Haiti – July 2013

From R.K.’s Corner

For many, the thought Missionary evokes images of either a person who is a bit weird, unusual, or perhaps somewhat super-human. That is not quite right! The simple truth is that God calls and equips very normal, ordinary people to do extraordinary things in this world for Him and His Kingdom!

Jeanette Felix is such a person. Steve and I just spent a couple of days with her as she stopped over on her flight from New York City to Haiti. A farm girl from Pennsylvania, later nurse in New York City, Jeanette was led to identify with and serve the families in the remote mountains of Haiti, one of the most impoverished rural areas of the world.

Forty years ago, shortly after I first arrived in the States, I was introduced to Jeanette and her family through a girlfriend in NYC. We visited the farm of her parents and received warm hospitality, and I was received into their circle of friends. Since then, I have had the privilege of watching Jeanette’s journey of faith as she passionately embraced the mission she was called to fulfill – and continues to find ways to serve the people in her care. While with us, I asked Jeanette to write her story which I have included in this month’s Bridge Report. I trust it will be an inspiration and encouragement for you to reach higher up and further in faith – expecting the extraordinary from God in your life!

Please pray for the Felix family, their mission and the families, students and staff of the school. If you want to help sponsor the students and staff at Children in Need Haitian Project via this website, click on the DONATE button above, follow instructions and mark your contribution Haiti Outreach. Thank you!

A Missionary’s Journey – My Story

by Jeanette Felix

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of Praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” Is. 61:1-3

The above quote from the Bible is one of my favorite, as it expresses the mission God has given me for the nation of Haiti and the Haitian people! My background, however, is very different from that of the people I serve! I was born and grew up in the beautiful rural part of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. My father was a dairy farmer. I was the proverbial tomboy who loved to work alongside of him in the field and with the cows in the barn. My parents were God–fearing people for whom the Bible was central in their lives, so we learned from an early age to embrace faith and trust in the Lord. We regularly attended the local Mennonite church. After finishing high school, I went to nursing school, hoping that skill would be useful in helping people in need.

At 25, I was invited to go to Haiti as a volunteer with a team from the States to help build a medical program for an orphanage there. The goal of the team was to help co-ordinate a Haitian team who would establish a clinic in the rural part of the mountains, a couple of hours drive south-east of the capital Port-au-Prince. I had decided to give three months to the program — I actually ended up staying for three and a half years! I had fallen in love with Haiti, and especially enjoyed the children. I was impressed by the people’s carefree, laid back way of life. I found them open, warm, and hospitable. They took time to enjoy life and had time for each other! There was something beautiful with the way they confronted life’s difficulties using their well-known expression, “Pas de Problem” – (“no problem”).

In 1982, I became ill in Haiti and had to return to the States. I spent the next two decades working in a pediatric intensive care unit in New York City. My love for Haiti and its people never left my heart and mind, so I was happy when a group of Haitians I had befriended in the mountains moved to the States and settled in New York. I integrated into the Haitian community, again – this time in my own country! While in Haiti, I had also met my future husband, Chris, but at the time we were only casual friends. After I returned home, we had not stayed in touch with each other, so when we years later reconnected in New York, Chris had already immigrated to the States and was working there. We began spending time together and fell in love. Knowing that a bi-racial marriage would bring many unique challenges, we prayed about our future, and came to the same conclusion — we knew that God had brought us together and destined us to be husband and wife. In 1994, we married. We bought a home and settled in New York City. God gave us a son who is a great source of joy and pride. He finished high school this year and has just left home to go to college.

In 2004, after being away from Haiti for so many years, Chris and I decided to visit the island, again, this time as a family. When we arrived in the picturesque mountains where I had lived and worked, I cried. I was heartbroken to realize that the beautiful Haiti I once knew had disappeared. The political instability and corruption among government officials and leaders affecting the population at large had caused devastation, even at the most fundamental level. The basic infrastructure — physical, social, and emotional, was gone from the Haitian society. The streets were no longer safe; education was only for the few well-to do who could afford to pay, and jobs were practically non-existent. Everything was dirty and filthy, impoverished and deprived. Instead of the joyous, open, carefree life I had experienced among people, there was now distrust, oppression, and heaviness of spirit. When I looked into people’s eyes, I saw hopelessness and despair. They were not able to think beyond the survival of each day, so they had no vision for the future. I thought of the profound truth of Proverbs 29:18, “Where there is no vision, people perish, but happy is he (she) who keeps the law”. I felt it accurately applied to the Haitian people. The lack of vision breeds criminal behavior; being forced to only look for the immediate needs for today, negates the consequences of tomorrow. It is said that in some of the more remote communities in the mountains that parents do not name their newborn children for several years, as they do not expect them to live.

During this visit, we spent time with the people in the same mountain region where I had earlier helped establish the medical clinic. Talking with some of my old acquaintances, I asked them what their community needed the most. They unequivocally answered, “Education for our children” followed by health care and job training. The leader of the community looked at me and said, “Let me show you something”. He took me to an old dilapidated school, beautifully perched on a mountain ledge, which had been abandoned when the political instability in the country forced them out. He said, “If you can raise a little money to pay for a couple of teachers, we will run the school”. Considering the teacher’s average salary is app. $200.00 per month, we could not refuse the offer to help.

Returning home to New York, we established a non-profit charitable organization Children in Need Haitian Project, through which we began raising funds toward the restoration and expansion of the school buildings and the support of students and teachers. The call toward this island and its people kept increasing and I sensed God’s nudging toward us moving there. With the love for my husband, and the Haitian people in my heart, yet with some reservation and trepidation considering the huge cultural and social changes I would encounter in my new land, I responded to the Lord’s calling. In 2006, I gave up my senior position as a nurse, sold our house, uprooted myself from family and friends, and with my husband and eleven year old son, set a course toward the mountains of Haiti, twenty miles South East of Port-au-Prince.

We built our new home on my husband’s family land, and directly oversaw the school and its functions with the local Director. The grade levels are pre-Kindergarten through fifth grade. Next year, we will be adding 6^th grade. The area is very remote and quite poor, so we feed the 120 students and staff a nutritious meal every day. The school’s operating budget is approximately $20,000 per year, but we also raise funds to remodel the existing building which is now extremely crowded. We have already laid the foundation for a new building which will give room for more students and staff. The curriculum is Christ centered. We wanted to see that all the students, not only receive a Biblically based education in the school, but also as adults find and embrace their calling and place in the Body of Christ at large. We have therefore established a local church for parents and students who are not attending other churches in the area, to also give those students a chance to experience practical church life in a community setting.

The major earthquake in 2010 did not directly affect our school or our home, as we were far enough away in the mountains to escape the main destruction of that disaster and the following two hurricanes that have ravaged Haiti since then. However, after the quake, our son’s American school in Haiti temporarily closed, forcing us to relocate him back to the States, where he just finished high school.

Other extenuating circumstances have made it necessary for us to spend more time in New York, with visits to Haiti, all the while working with the nationals at the school by sponsoring the staff and financing the students’ education. We are currently working diligently on finishing the new school building. Due to a generous donation from a group of French speaking Canadian friends, we have now 1000 children’s books in French (Haiti’s official language) to open the very first school library in the entire region in which there is not s single library!

It is challenging to be a self-supported missionary by working full time, while keeping up two households, one in New York, the other in the mountains of Haiti, carrying the burden for the needs of the school and its staff and children, erecting new buildings for expansion, as well caring for the overall needs of the people in the community.

Yet — it is in the midst of all the daily struggles and pressures that I experience the reality of God’s mercy and faithfulness. His grace is indeed sufficient!

Robert and Sandrina Jurjevich Planting New Church in Sarajevo, Bosnia – June 2013

From R.K.’s Corner

During the seasons of life, some come and some go. We welcome Peter and Solvei Stohl’s return home to the States after completing twenty years of mission work overseas. They served the Body Of Christ as counselors, Bible teachers, and helped train new counselors, predominantly among believers in the C.I.S. nations of the formerly Soviet Union. The Stohls have now relocated from Kaunus, Lithuania to St. Paul, MN. Before they moved overseas, they were accomplished artists, so they are now actively pursuing their artistic talents, again; Peter as painter, and Solvei as photographer. WELCOME HOME, PETER AND SOLVEI – FAITHFUL FRIENDS AND MISSION PARTNERS (Mt. 25:21)!

Our friends and partners, Robert and Sandrina Jurjevich are in the process of doing the opposite — they are moving back into the mission field, after being away from their beloved Sarajevo, Bosnia for twenty years! The 1992-95 Bosnian civil war forced their family out of the city. Now, after serving the Lord in Holland and the United States while raising four children who are all serving the Lord, they are planning to move back to Sarajevo in July, and plant a church there in September. Although not their main sponsors, we support them in their in their efforts to return to the Balkans with the life-giving light of the Gospel! PLEASE PRAY FOR THE JURJEVICH FAMILY! Mark your donations: 8345 BALKAN WORKERS.

Below, Robert and Sandrina are expressing in their own words about their journey, vision, and plans for the near future:

Sarajevo, Bosnia – Where We Will Serve

In 1987, we moved to Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia, and lived there till, in 1992, the Yugoslav civil war forced us out. Bosnia suffered greatly during the three year war. 250,000 citizens were killed, untold masses suffered injuries and were displaced as refugees away from their homes. Nearly twenty years later, the scars of the war still cover the land and define the lives of so many families and individuals. In 1987, the city of Sarajevo had 600,000 residents; today there are short of 400,000; among them there are 150 Bosnian evangelical believers.

The spiritual climate remains challenging. Predominate ethnic groups are Bosnian (mostly Muslim), Croat (mostly Roman Catholic) and Serb (mostly Eastern Orthodox). There are nearly 30 churches with an estimated total number of believers of 700. To put it into perspective, Bosnia is the same geographical size as the state of North Carolina. With only 700 protestant/evangelical believers from a population of nearly 4 million, Bosnia truly is a harvest field waiting for the reaper. Who will be the sower, who will be the reaper? Thankfully, it is God who gives the increase! He is the Lord of the harvest — both the sower and the reaper rejoice together in the rewards of the harvest.

Sarajevo2013 is our response to the harvest field of Bosnia. Our assignment from the Lord is to plant life-giving churches in the Balkan nations. The first will open its doors in Sarajevo in September. We invite you to partner with us in this time of harvesting. Please join us in our mission by your prayers and finances!

Who We Are

Robert: I was born in Mobile, Alabama, the seventh of eight children. My father, a chief engineer in the merchant marines, was the son of Croatian immigrants who settled first in Springfield, Illinois, and later moved to Perdido, Alabama. My mother, an elementary school teacher, was a native of Alabama with English and Creek Indian background.

In August 1978, after an extensive search for spiritual reality, I received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. Awaking from a dream, trembling and sweating in fear of being eternally lost, having dreamt that I was being left behind while my Christian friends were gathered up by Jesus, I knelt beside my bed, repented of my sins and asked Jesus into my heart. At that moment I had the revelation in my spirit was that I was born again, had become a new creation and received a new life from God the Father. Within a month I experienced the infilling/ baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Several months later, while looking out through a window and worshipping the Lord, unexpectedly, the Lord spoke in what seemed like an audible voice, “I am sending you back to the land of your forefathers.” Quick and simple. No fanfare and no angelic hosts. I knew immediately that I was on my way to Croatia, one of the six republics in the former Yugoslavia. I replied, “Lord, I have never been there and don’t know how I’m going to get there.” The Lord said nothing more about it till four years later.

In 1982, I went on my first summer missions trip to Europe, and had a week of ministry in Yugoslavia. At the end of the two month trip, I remained in Brussels, Belgium, where I attended Continental Theological Seminary. In 1984, I graduated with a B.A. in Biblical Studies and Theology. There, I met my wife, Sandrina Deij from The Netherlands. We were married in June of 1984 in Middelburg, The Netherlands. The Lord has blessed us with three sons and a beautiful daughter, all of whom are serving the Lord.

Sandrina: I was born in the coastal city of Vlissingen, located in the province of Zeeland in the The Netherlands. My father was a seaman in the Royal Dutch Navy till his retirement when I was a young child. My mother was a stay-at-home-mom; she raised my three older sisters and me most of the time on her own. My ancestry lineage is a combination of Dutch and French Huguenot..

As a child I faithfully attended the Dutch Reformed Church with my parents and also attended Sunday School classes, which I did not always find appealing. I believed in God as far back as I can remember, but I did not have a close relationship with Him. That changed when I was eight and was invited to a children’s club which captivated my heart. There I was asked if I knew for sure that I was a child of God, or if I had decided to follow Him. That night, I surrendered to Jesus and was later baptized. As a teenager, after being baptized in the Holy Spirit, my desire for more of God grew as a mighty flame in my heart. I wanted to be fully used in is service no matter the cost.

Soon, I began to work in the church as a deaconess, and later as social worker in homes for the homeless. The desire to be a missionary burned in my heart, so the church sent me to visit a mission base in Suriname, South America, but did not feel the peace that it was the right place for me. While vacationing in Macedonia, former-Yugoslavia, the Lord spoke to me that this was the country in which I was to live and work. Upon returning to Holland, I left for Continental Theological Seminary in Brussels, Belgium.

Where We Have Been

1984-85 Spent our first year of marriage in the U.S. where Sandrina learned Southern cooking.

1985-86 Lived in Zagreb, Croatia, at the evangelical ehurch where we did language and cultural studies.

1986-87 Spent in the U.S. while sharing the vision for Bosnia. Attended Christ Fellowship in Carrollton, GA, which became our US base while overseas.

1987-92 Arrived in Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia. Robert pioneered a church there and served as senior pastor of the new fellowship. When communism fell in 1991, we were able to register the church, Biblijska Vjerska Zajednica ‘RAFAEL’ and legally function as a Bosnian church..

1992 While on a two month visit to the U.S., civil war broke out in Bosnia and Sarajevo was closed off, so we could not return. Our apartment was bombed; we lost everything. The BVZ Rafael church ceased and most of the members were scattered throughout the world as refugees.

1992 – ’99 Resettled in Holland, the first two years (’92-’94) in the city of Gorinchem where Robert served as the ministry coordinator for the Dutch/US mission organization The Bridge International over the Balkan region (southeast Europe and Turkey). Lived the next five years in Sandrina’s home town, Vlissingen, while serving in leadership and missions through her home church.

1999—’04 Moved back to the US; settled first in Gulf Shores/Orange Beach, AL. From 2001, Robert served as missions / associate pastor at Christian Life Church in Orange Beach, AL, while Sandrina served as a counselor at a pregnant crisis center.

2003 – ’04 Robert served as chief of Pastors at Bethany World Prayer Center in Baton Rouge, LA. Sandrina served at Center of Hope as a Biblically –based counselor to women of the church and community which she continued till 2010.

2004 – ’10 Robert made short term mission trips to the Balkans, especially with focus on Bosnia, while working as an independent contractor and networker for missions.

2010 – ’12 Robert served in Concord, NC as executive pastor at The Refuge, and Sandrina served as a Biblical counselor and teacher for women.

2012—’13 The vision for returning to Sarajevo was born and www.Sarajevo2013.net was set up to be the initial communication channel. We thank God for His call and guidance! We welcome you to partner with us by sending an email and/or donate via this website of The Bridge International, or do the same via our website mentioned above, where you will also be able to follow our journey updates through our blogs!