Ukraine Church hit by explosion
An 80-year-old woman has died after an explosion at an Orthodox Christian church in southern Ukraine which injured at least eight other people, officials say. The blast in the city of Zaporizhzhya is believed to have been caused by a homemade explosive device. It is not clear who is behind the explosion. It came towards the end of a visit to Ukraine by the Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill I which has attracted protests by right-wing nationalists. Thousands of Orthodox believers gathered in the Ukrainian capital to celebrate the historic ‘Baptism of old Russia’. Modern Kiev is the place where the Christianity started in this part of the world. Back in 988, Prince Vladimir took the first bunch of pagans into the Dnepr River in Ukraine and baptized them to become the Orthodox Christians. The whole Christianization process took several centuries, but Kiev is still considered to be the cradle of Orthodox Christianity in this part of Europe. Pray: for the believers in Ukraine and against the enemy that is stirring up dissention. (Ps.64:1) More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-10123640
Dagestan: Pastor in Russian Republic Killed
A pastor in the Russian republic of Dagestan known for founding the biggest Protestant church in the region and for successfully reaching out to Muslims has been killed by unidentified gunmen, local authorities have confirmed. Artur Suleimanov, 49, pastor of Hosanna Christian Church in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan, was shot on the evening of July 15 while leaving his church building. The identity of the shooters remains unclear, but in the weeks leading up to the killing, Dagestan media broadcast calls for people to take measures against Suleimanov because he was too ‘active’ and converted ethnic Muslims. Suleimanov founded Hosanna Christian Church in Makhachkala in 1994. It started out as a small prayer group, but now with 1,000 members it is the largest Protestant church in the Northern Caucus region. According to a letter Suleimanov wrote to Compass several years ago, 80 percent of the congregation is made up of former Muslims. Pray: for the continued growth of the Church in Dagestan and protection of the believers. (Ps.5:11) More: http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/Dagestan1/23303/
Dagestan: Pastor in Russian Republic Killed
A pastor in the Russian republic of Dagestan known for founding the biggest Protestant church in the region and for successfully reaching out to Muslims has been killed by unidentified gunmen, local authorities have confirmed. Artur Suleimanov, 49, pastor of Hosanna Christian Church in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan, was shot on the evening of July 15 while leaving his church building. The identity of the shooters remains unclear, but in the weeks leading up to the killing, Dagestan media broadcast calls for people to take measures against Suleimanov because he was too ‘active’ and converted ethnic Muslims. Suleimanov founded Hosanna Christian Church in Makhachkala in 1994. It started out as a small prayer group, but now with 1,000 members it is the largest Protestant church in the Northern Caucus region. According to a letter Suleimanov wrote to Compass several years ago, 80 percent of the congregation is made up of former Muslims. Pray: for the continued growth of the Church in Dagestan and protection of the believers. (Ps.5:11) More: http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/Dagestan1/23303/
University volunteers leave for Mongolia
The Catholic University of Korea has sent a 90-strong staff-student medical team to treat people in the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar. The team, which includes students majoring in various fields such as internal medicine, obstetrics, paediatrics and radiology, will provide medical and social services from July 25 until Aug. 4. The team will also build or repair houses, and offer educational activities for poor people in regions near the capital. During a July 24 departure ceremony, University President Father Johan Pahk Yeong-sik encouraged participants to take the opportunity to think deeply about sharing their lives and practicing the school’s ideals of truth, love and service. ‘The service you will provide will be a fundamental indicator to assist you in choosing your way in life,’ Father Pahk counselled. The university has, since 1997, dispatched similar teams to ‘Third World’ locations during summer vacation each year. That year, the school first sent a team to Papua New Guinea. Praise: God for this initiative and pray that many will be blessed. (1Cor.12:5) More: http://www.ucanews.com/2010/07/28/university-volunteers-leave-for-mongolia/
