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Starfish Asia
32 Beck Lane
Beckenham
Kent BR3 4RE
UK
Telephone
+44 (0)20 8402 1914
Email
mike@starfishasia.com
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Korian and Gojra Christian houses burned
In the early morning of Saturday 1st August a huge crowd of angry men arrived at the small Christian village of Korian in the heart of Punjab. They were enraged by an unfounded rumour that a Christian had torn up pages from the Koran. They set fire to about 50 Christian homes. No one died but the Christian colony was destroyed.
Tariq Iqbal who runs the Sadaye Aman school and
prison ministry in Sargodha drove to Korian on the
Saturday morning to see the situation. The houses were
still burning. He met the Bishop of Faisalabad and some
other concerned people who wanted to help. They did not
know that the mob was still moving towards Gojra and that
worse was yet to come. 
In Gojra a riot took place in the evening of the same day. Fifty more Christian homes were destroyed. Six members of a family—and one other—were burned alive in their home.
Many Pakistani Christians contributed material help to those who had lost their homes. There was a national outpouring of grief and anger. Starfish Asia also provided some money which was used by our partners (Sadaye Aman, Sargodha and Fellowship of Christ, Lahore) to provide Bibles, food and beds for the suffering. The FOC ladies team also visited and prayed for the bereaved.
The Government has also been quick to respond. The burned houses were quickly demolished at Government expense and new houses are being constructed.
Pray for the Christians of Gojra and Korian.
Bilal Town Christians under pressure
Pastor Shamshad oversses and directs to work of the Gospel School in Bilal Town, a large area of poor Christians in southwest Lahore. Her has faced some serious problems with criminals in the area who have been attacking the homes of Christians. This is part of his report:
The Land Mafia is occupying the properties of poor Christians and threatening them with weapons. These are terrorists and many Christians have been persecuted by them. On July 7th, 2009 the Christians arranged a protest strike and went to the home of the Chief Minister of Punjab. Many news Paper published this news, but so far the government has not take any action against them. Being a Pastor I am with my Church people and handing this situation. We need your prayers.
Summer Camp
Thank the Lord we arranged a summer camp from 1st June to 15th July. The children from our school learned many things in this camp about their education, Jesus' Love, Prayer, Worship and they also had a lot of fun together. On the last day we gave lunch to the children -- they really enjoyed this event.
Also the children are praying for a new school building and for peace in Pakistan.
Teachers Training
Professor Kaleem Dean of CAP Ministries who runs the Community Education Centre (High School for boys) and other schools in and around Lahore, has arranged a three-day Teachers Training Workshop from 17 to 19 August 2009 in his school. We have sent the invitation to all of the Christian schools supported by Starfish Asia and urged them to send their teachers to this unique opportunity to meet together and be blessed by what God is doing -- as well as to receive good training and inspiration. We expect at least 130 teachers to attend. Christian curriculum urgently needed We are taking seriously the urgent ned to prepare a high standard 10-year curriculum of Christian teaching to be use din private Christian schools across Pakistan. Two Christian agencies in Lahore are at present taking this in hand. We are awaiitng clear information to know which one to support. This is a matter for urgent prayer and we will continue to let you know the progress. NT Bible Commentary launched With help channelled through Starfish Asia, a new NT Bible Commenttary, written for Asia by Tom
Hale and translated into Urdu, was launched in Karachi on 6th July. The translator wriote: "This book has been translated in easy Urdu for all those who want to understand the Word of God especially the New Testament. This is a great gift that has been given to Urdu speakers not in Pakistan only but around the world."
Anser Javed wrote on 6th June about the Summer Festival at the Holy Shepherd School,
Karachi: I am pleased to share with you about our Summer Festival yesterday for school children, their parents, sisters & brothers under 15 years of age. This was a total fun time for all of them. Our school children and staff arranged food, drinks stalls and had a good sale. Professional singers and a magician were invited to the programme to perform -- and of course how can I not give opportunity to my own children to come and perform on the stage? Our school children were dancning singing, and had a full day of fun. Eye, Skin and TB free medical check up was also
arranged by the Marie Adelaidw Leprosy Centre for
school children and parents. Orphan children from The Salvation Army Boys Home were specially
invited and their health check-up was also done. The School is now closed and will re open on 3rd August for proper academics to start, but, during this Summer Camps for Boys and Girls from classes V to X seperately are arranged. Boys starts their summer camp from 29 June till 11 July and hopefully on 11 July they will be going for a Picnic at the Water Park. Girls will start on 13 July till 25 July, during these days on 15 July I have planned a Breast Cancer awareness and one-day evangelism seminar for school girls and female staff. We will be inviting women and girls from the area to attened this seminar. Please do keep praying for our school -- and our building project. Akhtarabad: waiting for the bus The Life Transforming Centre in Akhtarabad is waiting in desperation for a new school bus to bring the children in from the surrounding villages. A funding request, on which we had pinned many hopes, has just been turned down. Meanwhile -- as Sajida writes from Pakistan -- "We have been praying and waiting for a long time. As you know it is our desparate need
to purchase before the next session starts. We stopped taking new children in school
before the summer holidays just because we do not have enough space in the vehicle. But
they will come back in August."
A new school building rises from the ground The new school building is now ready for occupation in Youhannabad 2 -- the village of brick kiln workers where the Miracle School Ministries run a school for 200 children. The school finally received permission to build at the start of summer, and the new building was completed in September -- in time for the new session of school to begin. Imagine the excitement of the chidlren who never dreamed they would go to school at all, let alone in a brand new building, made just for them.
Mothers with Bibles
The Bibles were provided by a special gift to Starfish Asia. We were able to provide 800 Bibles -- then the Bible Society told us they had run out of Bibles...
We know we can't help everyone -- but we have to help some! |
Mothers of the children at the school came to a
meeting to receive brand new copies of the new
Urdu Bible. Few of these women know how to
read -- but they now have sons and daughters
who will be proud to read the Bible to them at
home.