Mission Network News - Asia

Türkiye (MNN) — Today marks the first anniversary of the series of earthquakes that devastated much of Türkiye. The nation needs the support of people with vision and perseverance for long-term rebuilding. 

Bruce Allen with FMI says, “Ten major cities were decimated. When you think about the whole earthquake impact zone, it destroyed 140,000 square miles [of] land and property – equivalent to the entire size of Germany.

“Rebuilding is going to take a long, long time. People need to be in it for the long haul.”

(Photo courtesy of FMI)

The Turkish government faced criticism for its response to the quakes and fading pledges for relief support.

“In responding to public criticism that the government’s rescue workers were too slow in reacting [to the Feb 2023 earthquakes], President Erdogan pledged to build 650,000 housing units,” Allen says.

President Erdogan promised half would be done within the following year.  “[But] even at the end of January, 11 plus months later, construction has only begun on less than half of that amount. Only 46,000 homes have been completed, according to environment and urbanization ministry data. Government response has been slow, although there have been lots of pledges. But even from our partners in the country, they said it did not even last very long.”

Meanwhile, the nation’s tiny Christian population continues to serve the needs of their communities for food, clothing, and longer-term shelter.

“We have to remember that this country of about 86 million people has only a 0.04% population of evangelical Christians. [Then,] 99.2% of the population are in unreached people groups. That doesn’t mean they’re indifferent or hostile to the Gospel. It just means they’re unaware of the Gospel.”

Allen says the compassion and care that Christians have shown over the past year have gained them credibility with Muslim neighbors. 

“People are saying, ‘Why are you treating us so well, when we have treated you so poorly?’ It has provided opportunities not just for physical care, but spiritual care as well.”

Partners of FMI in Türkiye are committed to education for children, housing, and makeshift grocery stores. “But all of those things are consumables and require finances. So the financial need is still there,” Allen says.

Earthquake relief, water and food distribution in Turkiye. (Photo courtesy of FMI)

“There’s also a great need for prayer for these churches, especially in the earthquake zone regions, where they’re relatively swelling with new believers. There’s a lot of that spiritual need of care and growth and discipleship that needs to take place.”

FMI plans to launch five more church planters in Türkiye this year. Click here to learn more and find out how you can prayerfully come alongside Türkiye with FMI. 

Header photo courtesy of FMI. 

Pakistan (MNN) — Violence spikes ahead of a nationwide vote in Pakistan.

The Islamic State shot and killed one election candidate as he campaigned on Wednesday. It’s the second murder of its kind since January 10.

“It is a pivotal time in Pakistan because [of] an election that takes place next week on the eighth,” says Mark*, a Gospel worker serving with Global Catalytic Ministries.

“[It is] a very tense time; the country’s on edge.”

Several candidates’ houses and offices were also attacked in Baluchistan this week. Pakistan’s Election Commission summoned an emergency meeting with security officials yesterday to discuss the “deteriorating” law and order situation.

“There’s a lot of conflict on the border; there are multiple terrorist attacks against Pakistani government facilities and local nationals,” Mark says.

Pakistan flag (Photo courtesy of Abuzar Xheikh/Unsplash)

On January 18, Iran added another layer of uncertainty. Seemingly unprovoked missile attacks from Iran on Pakistani soil brought the neighboring nations close to open conflict. Foreign ministers met quickly to dial down tensions, but Iranian aggression left an indelible impression on Pakistan.

Officials are “saying, ‘Look, don’t mess with us. We have nukes.’ They’re literally saying that on the news in Pakistan,” Mark says.

“They’re not afraid to fight back. I think they’re just holding back till after the election.”

The Lord is moving despite chaos and uncertainty in Pakistan. Recently, “We were praying, and two Sunnis came to our house, gave their [lives] to the Lord, and were baptized,” Mark says.

“They were having visions of angels, and they felt called and directed by God to find us. They were under persecution from within their own faith, so they came in desperation. They said, ‘If I can have anything today, I just need Jesus,’” he continues.

“They gave their [lives] to the Lord, and we’re discipling them. We need to pray for an increase of this across the entire Middle East because it is a season of harvest. We’re going to make disciples amid the chaos.”

Learn more about GCM here, or download a free prayer guide to intercede for church planters working in dangerous places.

*Pseudonym

Header image is a representative stock photo depicting the Minar of a Masjid in Faisalabad, Pakistan. (Photo courtesy of Asfand Yar/Unsplash)

China (MNN) — China’s Gen Zers are facing limited career opportunities and looking for more. The most recent statistics released by the Chinese government in 2023 said urban unemployment rates of 16- to 24-year-olds were at 21 percent.

“There are young people all around the world that are asking a lot of questions — questioning how they’ve been raised, what they’ve been told, and what should be significant to them. That’s happening in China,” says Kurt Rovenstine with Bibles for China.

“One of the Communist Party’s greatest challenge to retention of power is the economic conditions in China. A lot of the Chinese are struggling and wondering if the direction the country is going is the direction it ought to go.”

In terms of the Church, Rovenstine believes the opportunity to share the gospel is wide open in the Chinese culture. “When people are confused, when the dream that they had or the dream that somebody had for them falls apart, they’re very open to what is true on a deeper level.”

(Photo courtesy Bibles For China)

Bibles for China has distributed physical copies of Scripture in rural China since 2011. Today they are looking at additional approaches to bring God’s Word to China, such as “audio Bibles, SD cards, trying to focus a little more on the diaspora,” says Rovenstine.

“I love giving a Bible to a [believer] in rural China. But I’m also motivated and excited to be able to hand a Bible to someone who’s never had one before and is asking questions about what is what is truth, and what is what is real and what is eternal.”

Pray for Bibles for China as they seek to be open to the leadership of the Holy Spirit to find places to reach the next generation of Chinese, many of whom are disillusioned and need the truth of God’s Word. Click here to learn more about their ministry.

“In terms of invitations and opportunities, many of the people that have worked in China in the past are saying the door seems to be swinging to the open side for those who choose to work as we do, openly and legally, within China,” says Rovenstine.

Find your place in the story by praying for Chinese church leaders to have wisdom and courage to do what God leads them to do. Ask God to move powerfully among young people and call them to purposeful, joyful life in Christ.

Finally, as a believer in Jesus, take this story to your home street.

“Disillusionment is not just a Chinese problem, so embrace the Word of God, love your neighbor, share truth with them,” says Rovenstine.

Header image courtesy of Robert Bye via Unsplash.

Indonesia (MNN) — The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) issued a report in January 2024 on the the state of religious freedom in Indonesia. USCIRF recommends that Indonesia be placed on the U.S. Department of State’s Special Watch List “for engaging in or tolerating severe violations of religious freedom.” 

Although Indonesia’s constitution protects certain minority religions, including Christianity, Bruce Allen with FMI says, “One of our partners, [a pastor] on the island of Java, says, ‘While the laws are made to protect the equality of all people, including religious equality, the problem is that at the level of implementation it is unequal.’”

Indonesian believers worshipping (Photo courtesy of FMI)

For example, it is relatively simple to gain permission to build a mosque, but it can take years of red tape to be allowed to build a church.

“In June of last year, Catholics in the city of Pinang were finally able to open the doors of their church after a 33-year struggle,” says Allen.

Another example comes from the school system.

“Indonesia’s education system in some districts mandates the wearing of a hijab if you’re a female student, even if you’re not a Muslim. Non-compliance can mean that students can be prevented from attending class.”

The lack of consistency in laws applied is partly due to the fact that Indonesia is a nation with six thousand plus inhabited islands.

“There is so much variety, so [many] different cultures on these different islands that what happens locally is much more important than what the federal government says,” Allen explains. 

So although the Constitution may speak of equality, “locally, it doesn’t always play out that way.”

In addition to local governments, which Allen says “are increasingly codifying discrimination against religious minorities,” another concern for religious freedom comes from a law passed in 2022.

At a federal level, Indonesia has a new criminal code scheduled to take effect in 2026. Among other changes, it will further criminalize blasphemy laws, which are already used against Christians. (Read the full outline in the USCIRF report of the concerns that this code raises.)

Indonesia, July 2019 (Photo courtesy of FMI)

There are political pressures facing Indonesian believers today as well.

“What is putting the Christians on edge is that this is an election year. Their presidential elections are coming up February 14. Of the three leading candidates, one is very blatantly wanting to go toward a more radical Islamic bent for the nation. The other two are a little bit more moderate.”

Pray for civility and nonviolence in the upcoming election, and for leaders to be chosen who will protect the rights of all Indonesians. Ask God to enable believers to persevere with confidence in Christ, “as victors, not victims,” says Allen.

“Pray for the Lord’s favor in these issues of getting permission for church site construction. FMI was honored to be able to assist with five such projects last year. There are more in the pipeline.”

Click here to learn more about how FMI partners with local church planters in Indonesia and around the world.

Header photo courtesy of FMI. 

Pakistan (MNN) — Iran’s foreign minister and his Pakistani counterpart are meeting today to repair diplomatic ties. Iran’s January 18 missile strike in western Pakistan – and how it could’ve been avoided – tops the agenda.

“There’s always been a ‘situation’ between Pakistan and Iran for the last few years,” FMI’s Nehemiah says. “But that (the January 18 strike) was the very, very first time when Iran violated Pakistan’s airspace.”

Although Pakistan presents a strong front to neighboring Iran, it may lack the capacity for a prolonged conflict.

“Pakistan is fighting on all the borders – India, Afghanistan – now this is a third force that is fighting against Pakistan.”

Tensions have simmered – for now. However, experts say Iran’s January 18 strikes have altered the long-term security outlook for Pakistan. Tighter border controls could be problematic for Gospel workers.

“I can see the challenges that minorities and especially FMI partners are going to face in terms of traveling to Iran, and the people coming back from Iran to Pakistan,” Nehemiah says.

Now that you know, what will you do? “Pray for the church to be an instrument of peace in the areas of conflict, especially in Baluchistan, where these terrorist groups are,” Nehemiah says.

“Pray for leaders from both countries to prioritize peace over aggression. Pray for the message of the Gospel to break barriers and heal divisions in both countries,” he adds.

Finally, “please pray for FMI partners who are serving on the ground in this very, very difficult situation.”

Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Lara Jameson/Pexels.