The Plight Of The Suffering Church
Greetings!

In John 16:33, Jesus warned His disciples, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." The bad news? We will face tribulation. There is no doubt that over the last 20 months, the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ has faced terrible tribulation around the world. The good news? Jesus has overcome the world and all its tribulations. Tribulations give us the opportunity to draw closer to God, to share the good news of Jesus to others, and to search our hearts and grow in our spiritual maturity.
Haiti has faced its share of tribulations and more. During the last few years, gangs have kidnapped people, robbed people, and killed each other. Pastors have been kidnapped and held for ransom. Other pastors have been murdered. On July 7, 2021, President Jovenel Moise was assassinated, and the country was left without a president.

Then, on August 14, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck the Tiburon peninsula, destroying about 140,000 buildings. Less than a week later, a hurricane followed, drenching the area with destructive downpours. Houses have totally collapsed under the pile of rubble of what once was someone’s home. Now, people are living in tents.

Pastor Jean Calixte’s (CCI coordinator in Haiti) family was terribly affected by the earthquake as their houses crumbled to the ground leaving only rubble and the roof. Two weeks after the earthquake his mother-in-law passed away as no medical help was available. 
The home of a CCI staff member's family located in Les Cayes, Haiti.
Myanmar has also faced turmoil. For about 60 years, a military junta led the government of Myanmar. In late April 2008, the cyclone storm Nargis hit and destroyed much of southern Myanmar. The US government reached out to the military junta, which refused the aid the US offered. About five years later, the military junta gave freedom to the citizens of Myanmar. Before this, cell phones sold for over $2,000 USD. In 2015, cell phones, appliances, new taxis, and new buildings were plentiful. It was a new day for Myanmar. The new generation enjoyed their new freedoms.

Then, on February 1, 2021, the military took over the government. Elections were held last November, and the military was displeased with the results. Since then, there have been protests, and downtown Yangon looked like a war zone with buildings on fire and fighting between the military and Myanmar's enraged citizenship.

Since then, the military has been on a campaign to find and kill all the protestors. Christians have been caught in the crossfire of all this, as well as ordinary citizens. About one hundred thousand (100,000) people are hiding from the military in the forest, afraid for their lives. Among them is one of our coordinators, Matthew, and people from his church. They are scraping the ground each day looking for food to eat. Jesus' words ring true today.
Afraid for their lives, many are hiding in the forest in Myanmar, including a CCI Coordinator.
The new DELTA VARIANT of the coronavirus has been destructive as many people have caught the virus, and many have perished. This month, one of our former CCI missionaries passed away in the arms of his loving wife. Aaron was just 53 years old.

Travel in the Philippines is almost impossible due to the pandemic. Sea travel was common for people around the country. My family and I have ridden many boats traveling from one island to another. Now, due to the pandemic, travelers are forced to get PCR tests to travel from one place to another. Curfews have been imposed in other countries.

The government in Laos fines people with hefty fees for breaking travel restrictions. They have also used this as an opportunity to crack down on Christians and local churches. One of our area coordinators, originally from Thailand, has returned home to Thailand due to the government not reissuing him and his wife a visa.

Such are the times that we live in. Yet, in all of this, God is working in the hearts of people. In Vietnam, during Christmas 2020, unbelievers visited local churches because they were afraid of dying of COVID and were looking for hope. The pandemic has been a wake-up call for people in the Philippines. People have trusted in Christ, been baptized, joined churches, and believers are responding to the call to serve in their local church. One of our trainers baptized 52 new believers this past March. In another church in Mindanao, Philippines, the pastor died of COVID. Thirty-eight (38) church members then signed up for our training because they want to do the work the pastor was doing.
In March, one of trainers baptized 52 new believers.
Would you join us in standing with the suffering church by investing in what God is doing through CCI? Pray for our brothers and sisters facing dire situations. Our CCI staff are helping provide food, prayer, and presenting the Gospel of salvation to many without hope. Your gift will help make an amazing difference in the lives of so many. You can give here to help the plight of those who are suffering.

Thank you for your generous heart to help spread the truth of Jesus!

Grace and Peace,

David Nelson
President & Founder
Crossing Cultures International
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