Federated Republic of Brazil South America Geography Area: 8,511,965 sq km, one-half of the land surface and population of South America. World's fifth largest country in both area and population. Population As of 2010: 210.1 million Capital: Brasilia, 3,904,918 Other major cities: Sao Paulo, 20.3 million; Rio de Janeiro, 12 million -- 18 other cities with at least one million Peoples Brazil is a melting pot of nations with much intermarriage and blending of the many immigrant ethnicities. Most Brazilians have at least some mixed ethnic heritage. European: 50.2% including the world's largest diaspora populations of Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, and German Mixed race: 38.0% Mestizo and Mulatto African: 6.4%, mostly descendants of slaves brought from West Africa Asian: 5.6% including the largest Japanese population outside of Japan -- 0.7%, Jews and Chinese Amerindian: 0.41% - 275 indigenous tribal groups speaking 185 languages. Only 700,000 tribal people remain Literacy 88.6% Official Language: Portuguese A total of 193 languages are spoken, including 181 indigenous languages. Economy Vast natural resources combine with a large labor force to create an emerging economic superpower, especially in agriculture. One great challenge will be to increase agricultural space without traumatizing the precious Amazon and Pantanal ecosystems -- stewardship v exploitation. Unemployment: 10% Religion Catholic - 72.79% of population Protestant - 16.34% Independent - 12.42% Orthodox - 0.09% Marginal - 1.54% Fmc in BrazilPresent Ministries
The Brazilian FMC saw significant growth in the late 1990s and early 2000s. In 2003, the Brazilian conference became a provisional general conference and elected their first suffragan bishop, Jose Ildo Swartelle de Mello. In August 2004, the Brazilian Provisional General Conference reorganized with five annual conferences. This conference was recognized as a General Conference in November 2007. A church planting strategy is targeting the national capital Brasilia. Missionaries Dan and Hope Owsley are assisting in this work. Parallel to the Brazilian General Conference, the Nikkei Annual Conference has continued to grow its ministries in Brazil and around the world. Although at one time, the Nikkei Conference was uniquely focused on persons of Japanese descent, its churches now look very much like Brazil with diverse membership. The Nikkei churches experience steady growth year after year. Outreach to the World The two Brazilian conferences have sent missionaries to Portugal, Italy, Hungary, a creative access country, East Timor (Indonesia), Equatorial Guinea, Venezuela, and the Suruwaha tribe in the Amazon Rainforest. Furthermore, the general conference oversees a mission district in Angola. The Nikkei Conference connects with Japanese-descendent churches in Paraguay, Peru, and Argentina. Brazilian General Conference
Nikkei Annual Conference
Challenges for Prayer Endemic corruption and cronyism Poverty still affects tens of millions Crime is a serious problem Brazil is a spiritually open country Numerical rather than spiritual growth is an emphasis Prosperity theology is shaping much of Protestantism Effective appropriate training is key to the above Indigenous Amerindians have endured centuries of prejudice, oppression, massacre and exploitation, which continue to this day by encroaching woodcutters, gold prospectors and ranchers. Their unique cultures are disintegrating through despair, disease, substance abuse and suicide. Republic of Tanzania Africa Geography Area: 945,037 sq km (Comprising mainland Tanganyika and the offshore islands of Zanzibar and Pemba (2,460 sq km)) Population: 45,039,573 Annual Growth: 2.92% Capital: Dodoma (official); Dar es Salaam (de facto) Urbanites: 26.4% Peoples 160 (21% unreached) More information about peoples Languages Official Language: Swahili, English 2% speak only Swahili and no local African language Total Languages: 127 Religion Largest Religion: Christianity Christians: 24,352,897 (54.07% of population) Evangelicals: 8,042,731 (17.9% of population) Challenges for Prayer Growth in the mainline Churches has been good but sporadic. Renewal movements in Lutheran, Anglican, and Catholic churches bring life to traditional congregations; most of the bishops are evangelical. Some problems that limit further grow in numbers and spirituality are:
FMC in TanzaniaPresent Ministries The Tanzanian church has three districts, plus an area in the south being evangelized by the Malawi FM Church. The districts center around Kigoma, on the shores of Lake Tanganyika; Mwanza, on the shores of Lake Victoria; and Mugumu near the Kenyan border. A local FM church in Michigan has helped develop several church buildings in the Geita district. Origins In 1988, a group of Christians near the Kenya border wanted to become part of the Free Methodist Church. In 1992, the Free Methodist Church became registered with the government of Tanzania. Country Statistics (Information taken from Operation World website, a ministry of InterVarsity Press, and Free Methodist World Missions.)
DRC (Formerly Zaire) Africa Geography Area: 2,345,410 sq km Congo contains most of the Congo River system and much of the vast Central African rainforest. Population: 67,827,495 Annual Growth: 2.8% Capital: Kinshasa Urbanites: 35.2% Peoples Some 239 ethno-linguistic groups and numerous sub-groups. An uncountable number of refugees and displaced peoples have moved back and forth between the DRC, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Sudan, and Tanzania in the last 20 years. (>2% unreached) Unreached Peoples in DRC: Arab Population: 24,000 Main Language: Arabic, North Levantine S Main Religion: Islam Bible in their language: Portions Status: Least-Reached Christ-Followers: Few, less than 2% South Asian, general Population: 171,000 Main Language: Hindi Main Religion: Hinduism Bible in their language: Complete Status: Least-Reached Christ-Followers: Few, less than 2% Swahili, Central Population: 48,000 Main Language: Swahili Main Religion: Islam Bible in their language: Complete Status: Least-Reached Christ-Followers: Few, less than 2% More information about peoples Literacy 89.8% (officially) This is greatly reduced by the collapse of the education system. Languages Official language: French Trade languages: Lingala/Bangala in north and northwest, Swahili in east and south, Tshiluba in center and Kikongo/Kituba in west Total languages: 217 Religion Largest Religion: Christianity Christians: 62,503,037 (92.15% of population) Evangelicals: 12,688,720 (18.7% of population) Politics For centuries, DRC has suffered the depredations of Arab slavers, Western exploitation and in recent years, exploitation by Africans. A Belgian colony for 60 years, the precipitate granting of independence to an unprepared people led to years of violence, anarchy and secessionist wars, culminating in a military coup in 1965. The Great Lakes War in Rwanda and Burundi spilled over into eastern Congo, leading to new rulers who were also erratic and autocratic. Further war led to invasions by Uganda and Rwanda, requiring intervention by Angola, Zimbabwe, Namibia, as well as U.N. peace keeping forces. All foreign forces had withdrawn by 2003. The country had its first free elections in 2007 with turnout of more than 70%. Rebel militias in the east and from Rwanda still operate with relative impunity. This conflict has led to more deaths than any other since WWII. Challenges for Prayer The Church of Christ in Congo (ECC) was a conglomeration forced by government edict in 1970, which artificially bonded conservative Protestants, Pentecostals/charismatics, and syncretistic African Initiated Churches, sixty-five denominations in all. Most evangelical leaders are now in favor of their membership in the ECC. Positive benefits include a reduction of tribalism in the Church, a reduction of unnecessary competition, rationalized administration, and increased cooperation in training schemes and media. But today, restructuring, change and renewal are imperative in order to face the daunting challenges that exist. Pray for nominal Christians to find new life in Christ. Nominalism is a major problem. Large numbers have no clear grasp of repentance and faith in Christ nor of salvation by grace and not works. Much nominalism is due to inadequate preaching of the gospel, satisfaction with a superficial response, and failure to follow up with those touched by the preaching. There is a notable lack of Biblical knowledge in most churches; pray that the Bible would be read, used, and applied in churches in the DRC. Pray for "revival churches" which are growing rapidly. Their spiritual liveliness and strong faith are positive, but many lack Biblical teaching and are often led by charlatans who use their pastoral position for personal gain rather than to serve the faithful. Prosperity theology runs strong through these churches and draws many with its promises of wealth for a population in desperate economic straits. Pray for syncretism, witchcraft, and false teachings to be rooted out of the Church. Animistic thought patterns, occult influences, and fear of witchcraft are major problems present in the underlying culture, polluting the faith of millions. Such continued spiritual ties oppress Christians and stymie their spiritual growth. Many are falsely accused and subject to cruel "exorcism" rituals. Jehovah's Witnesses with glossy literature and cheap Bibles are making rapid inroads. Pray for Biblical leadership patterns. The cultural tendency toward centralized leadership has sometimes harmed the local congregational life and initiative. It has stimulated hierarchical structures and has increased power seeking, pride of position, and misuse of funds. It has compromised the Church's prophetic role. Changes must come, but not at the expense of unity, fellowship, and cooperation. Pray for vision for the future. The DRC needs a complete re-evangelization. Colonial comity agreements and formation of the ECC served well in earlier eras, but they imposed rigid geographical boundaries on any outreach activity. This left many areas devoid of an evangelical witness and hindered cross-cultural outreach. There is great freedom to minister the gospel in many ways, but lack of vision, resources, and stability hampers potential outreach. The work of the Holy Spirit in some areas has led to increased love for God's Word, prayer movements, mobilization of youth and a new indigenous hymnody. Pray for new initiatives in research. After radical change prompted by the past chaos, destruction, and displacement, a nationwide survey is desperately needed to reveal the state of the Church and the needs of the nation. Before strategies can be developed and implemented, the real situation in this vast, populous and complex nation must be understood. Pray for a team of capable researchers, supported by the national churches, to undertake this daunting task. Pray for new starts in evangelism and church work. The trauma experienced in the DRC betrays the failure of discipleship. But out of the ashes, new models of minsitry -- holistic in approach, community-based, discipleship-focused, and sustainable in nature -- can be devloped. Pray that this opportunity for fresh ministry might be seized by believers, both indigenous and expatriate. -Most of this information is taken from Operation World: The Definitive Prayer Guide to Every Nation - 7th Edition, by Jason Mandryk FM World Missions in DRCMusic and singing from the Nundu Free Methodist Church, 2014 HDN - Nundu Deaconess Hospital - directed by Congolese physicians with a long history of partnership with FM World Missions - now hosting a church, accredited nursing program, and 21 outpatient clinics
Good Morning my dear friends,
I hope that you are enjoying the coming of fall. It has rained and rained and rained since I returned from the States in May. The only exception (and miracle) was the week of VBS when it didn't rain at all until late in the evening after we had finished our evangelistic week. God is so good! Today we start classes. We've got over a hundred kids registered in classes with waiting lists for some of the classes. It's going to be a great year. Please pray for us--we have some kids in the list that are going to challenge us with their difficult behavior and others who will challenge us with their learning disabilites and others who just need a ton of loving. This is our ministry, this is our joy. REJOICE WITH ME: For several years now I have wanted to move out of the ministry house and seperate myself from always being available to people. It has become overwhelming and exhausting in the last couple of years. But it seemed like over and over again the Lord closed the door. So last week I stepped out in faith and rented a house. I was concerned that if we couldn't find a watchman that I would be spending money on a house that I'm not even using. But I really felt like the Lord was leading me to rent the house. So last Tuesday I rented a house not too far from the ministry house. And I didn't tell anyone here that I had rented it! Yesterday (Sunday) some friends came by and interviewed to be the caretakers of the property. Many of you will know them, they are Rocio (my friend who helps me with the cleaning at the house. Her husband's name is Solteo. And the kids some of you know as well: Anayeli, Estefani, Santiago and Isreal). The house I rented needs some repairs before I can move in and the room out back where the family will live also needs some work to make it livable. So we are looking at the beginning of October as the time when the family will move here and I will move to my own house. What great timing and answer to prayer. I love to see how God moves in His perfect ways and perfect timing. Thank you so much for your prayers and all the ways that you have lifted me and the Victory Center up. I appreciate you my dear friends. Blessings, Sue Republic of Haiti Caribbean Geography Area: 27,400 sq km Western third of the island of Hispaniola; shared with the Dominican Republic Population: 10,188,175 Annual Growth: 1.6% Capital: Port-au-Prince Urbanites: 49.6% Peoples 9 people groups (11% unreached) More information about peoples Official Language French (10% speak it) Common languages include Haitian Creole, English, and Spanish (increasingly used as a second language) Economy The poorest state in the Western Hemisphere, aggravated by overpopulation, deforestation (only 2% of original forests remain), soil erosion, pollution and hurricanes. 75% of the population live on less than $2 per day. Literacy 51.9% but functional literacy may be as low as 20% Religion The Roman Catholic Church's role as the state church ended in 1987. An estimated 75% of Christians are also actively involved in voodoo, a development of West African Spirit-ism and witchcraft. Over 5,000,000 are members of an organized Protestant denomination. Largest Religion: Christianity Christians: 9,690,992 (95.2% of the population) Evangelicals: 1,633,193 (16% of the population) Answers to Prayer The spiritual response to the tragedy of the 2010 earthquake was an almost universal outpouring of prayer, repentance and calling upon God for mercy and deliverance. Evangelical Christians have steadily grown in number. Church-mission relations have improved greatly. Challenge for Prayer Haiti needs godly leaders who will prioritize the good of the nation and address its problems. Two centuries of misrule, tyranny and recent flawed democratic attempts have brought hopelessness and despair. Corruption is rampant, and robberies and kidnappings commonplace. The economic plight of most Haitians deepens each year, exacerbated by the events of 2010. Many seek to escape, some physically by fleeing the country in unsafe and leaky boats, others emotionally through taking drugs. Pray that men and women may be raised up who will reverse these trends and establish justice, righteousness, and long-term stability. The earthquake was a disaster. 230,000 lost their lives, 300,000 were injured, and over one million were rendered homeless. Hundreds of thousands of homes and buildings were also destroyed, including some major government buildings. Coordination of aid is difficult and assistance will be needed for a long time. The tyrannies, cruelties and use of voodoo as a means of control have fostered a spirit of fear that permeates every level of society. Pray the powerful spirits underlying voodooism might be bound in the name of Jesus. Pray that Haitians who call themselves Christians might experience the transforming nature of a personal relationship with Christ. Pray this nation might enjoy stability, safety and sustained development by removing the evils holding it back and by instilling Biblical values and practices on every level. Pray for renewal, reformation, and the cleansing work of the Holy Spirit throughout society. Leadership training is too limited because of the poverty of churches. A rigid traditionalism of imported theologies and systems is widespread. Many pastors have little training and some are barely literate. Pray for Bible schools and seminaries. Pray for resources in Haitian Creole that will foster lay training and leadership development. Missions plays a valuable supportive role to the national Church. Upheavals and violence have forced many missionaries out of the country at one time or another. Pray for servants of the Lord, for their testimony and service that they may contribute to the maturing of the Haitian Church. -Most of this information is taken from Operation World: The Definitive Prayer Guide to Every Nation - 7th Edition, by Jason Mandryk How are free Methodists helping Haiti?Haiti Providence University - a Free Methodist liberal arts college
Kingdom of Nepal Asia Geography Area: 147,181 sq km A mountainous Himalayan state between China (Tibet) and India. It contains 8 of the 10 highest mountain peaks in the world Population 29,852,682 Annual Growth: 1.86% Capital Kathmandu Urbanites 18.2% Peoples 380 (93% unreached) Official Lanugage Nepali Lanugages 127 Religion Largest Religion: Hinduism Challenge for Prayer Answer to Prayer |