This week's persecuted church: India

Village leaders will meet church advocates after Hindus opposing the construction of a church tore down the partially built structure and stopped all work at the site on Saturday.

A 20-member committee comprising 10 members each from the Christian and Hindu communities in a village in Haryana state has been formed to determine whether construction should continue. Building work had started just five days before the attack.

The head of the Hindu delegation, Hanuman Prasad Bishnoi, claimed the majority of villagers were against the church’s construction. Bishnoi also serves as the Sarpanch (head) of Patli Dabar village in the northern state’s Sirsa district.

Apart from two people who have converted to Christianity from Hinduism, none of those associated with the church are from the village, he said.

Thought of the Day:  철물점
Song of the Day:  Feeder-Feeling A Moment

This week's persecuted church: Indonesia

Government actions have made little difference, citing a “urine attack.”

That attack in May involved a Muslim mob throwing plastic bags of urine and feces at members of the Batak Christian Churches in Bekasi, Indonesia.

“The Indonesian government seems indifferent to the rise in religious intolerance. Only a few days after the urine attack, the religious affairs minister for the country, Suryadhama Ali, claimed that Indonesia was ‘the most tolerant country in a world,’” Morgan said.

Morgan said there’s no in-depth information on the level of penetration of the Indonesian government by jihadi groups, but he says the number of violent incidents is increasing.

“I can tell you that we’ve seen a rash of incidents carried out in recent months by radical groups such as the Islamic Defenders Front against Christian churches,” Morgan said.

Morgan also cites a mid-June incident.

At that time, “an Indonesian official in Aceh, the same region where a huge terror cell was busted in 2010, ordered 20 Christian churches to be torn down by the congregations themselves,” Morgan said.

“So far the Christians have mostly ignored the order as far as we can tell, but we also have a report that one of the churches in Aceh was attacked by a large angry mob during its Sunday service,” Morgan said.

Thought of the Day:  Retreat
Song of the Day:  The Game-Hate It or Love It

This week's persecuted church: Kenya

Kenyan Muslims are joining the police in protecting churches in the northeastern province where Christians have come under increased attack from suspected Somali Al Shabab Islamic militants.

Following July 1 attacks on churches in the town of Garissa -- close to the Kenyan-Somali border -- local Muslim leaders have decided to provide their own protection to the churches of their Christian neighbors. Last Sunday, July 8, local Muslim youths and their leaders patrolled with the police during church services, and no attacks were reported.

The patrols are a strong statement of rejection for the militant methods and ideology of Al Shabab, the Somali Islamist militant group that is suspected of carrying out the July 1 attacks in Garissa. By targeting Christians, militants in northern Kenya appear to be punishing Kenya for sending troops into Somalia to attack Al Shabab, and to prop up the shaky Somali government.

Thought of the Day:  Spaghetti!
Song of the Day:  Kingsmen-Louie Louie

"Paradoxes"

O Changeless God,
Under the conviction of the Spirit I learn that
the more I do, the worse I am,
the more I know, the less I know,
the more holiness I have, the more sinful I am,
the more I love, the more there is to love.
O wretched man that I am!
O Lord, I have a wild heart,
and cannot stand before thee;
I am like a bird before a man.
How little I love thy truth and ways!
I neglect prayer,
by thinking I have prayed enough and earnestly,
by knowing thou hast saved my soul.
Of all hypocrites, grant that I may not be an evangelical hypocrite,
who sins more safely because grace abounds,
who tells his lusts that Christ’s blood cleanseth them,
who reasons that God cannot cast him into hell,
for he is saved,
who loves evangelical preaching, churches,
Christians, but lives unholily.
My mind is a bucket without a bottom,
with no spiritual understanding,
no desire for the Lord’s Day,
ever learning but never reaching the truth,
always at the gospel-well but never holding water.
My conscience is without conviction or contrition,
with nothing to repent of.
My will is without power of decision or resolution.
My heart is without affection, and full of leaks.
My memory has no retention,
so I easily forget the lessons learned,
and thy truths seep away.
Give me a broken heart that yet carries home the water of grace.

Arthur Bennett, editor, The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions, revised edition (Carlisle, Pennsylvania: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2002), pp. 128–129. 


Thanks, Sam.


Thought of the Day:  Louis C.K.
Song of the Day:  Utada Hikaru-First Love (Piano)

Finals Week

My school is going through finals this week, so I get to show movies.  For my first year students, I decided to show The Sandlot.

For my second year students, I showed Big.

I'm so glad they enjoyed both movies.  It's weird having so much freedom.  I don't have any classes for the next three days, so I'm just going to go ahead and start preparing my lessons for second semester.  That and lots of Youtube.

Thought of the Day:  홍어
Song of the Day:  The Tokens-The Lion Sleeps Tonight

This week's persecuted church: Pakistan

Thousands of people dragged a Pakistani man accused of desecrating Islam's holy book from a police station in central Pakistan, beat him to death and then set his body on fire, a police official said Wednesday.
The incident highlighted the highly charged nature of Pakistan's blasphemy laws, under which anyone found guilty of insulting Islam's Prophet or the Quran can be sentenced to death.

Gujar said the victim seemed to be mentally unstable. He was arrested after residents said he threw pages of the Quran into the street. While the man was being questioned, some people started making announcements over mosque loudspeakers, urging residents to go to the police station and punish him.

Within hours, thousands gathered outside and demanded the man be handed over to them. Gujar said police tried to protect him, but the mob turned violent. They burned several police vehicles and wounded seven officers before grabbing the man and dragging him into the street, where he was beaten to death and his body set on fire. Gujar said the mob also attacked the house of an area police chief and burned his furniture and possessions.


Thought of the Day:  Craigslist
Song of the Day:  Great is Thy Faithfulness

This week's persecuted church: India

The attack on three men on June 9th, were in response to an open air Gospel meeting where a pastor was brought in to preach the message.  It seems that the 40 Hindu extremists attacked the believers in hopes of stopping these types of meetings from continuing.  While the believers were beaten, "rioters started breaking into the houses of Christians, includring these three.  The houses were looted, cattle were robbed and household things were stolen."  The men were brought to a hospital, seriously wounded, while other Christians fled to various villages, some even hiding in the jungle.

Thought of the Day:  Spiderman
Song of the Day:  Fun-We Are Young

Whimoon Middle School

The first day was absolutely draining and overwhelming, but I have finished my third day today and feel like I'm adjusting well. I love how some of the kids have to clean around the teachers' desks as punishment. I love how my kids clean my classroom. I love how there are a million of them and they all know who I am and say hi to me when I pass by them. Having a wireless microphone and touchscreen board is awesome! It's wonderful having co-teachers who are super supportive and patient with me. It's so great having breaks in between classes and being free to do anything I want during those breaks. School food is good food. I'm finally a real middle school teacher!

Thought of the Day: Bank
Song of the Day: The White Stripes-Seven Nation Army (The Glitch Mob Remix)

This week's persecuted church: North Korea

A former female prisoner in one such facility, Camp 18, recalled coming upon a fellow prisoner who, apparently crazed from hunger, had beaten her daughter to death and was cooking the body in a pot.

A woman who served time in the Jeungsan Re-education Facility, a smaller prison near the capital of Pyongyang, told the South Korean commission that thousands of prisoners are buried in a mountainside cemetery. The woman said she served on burial detail several times and that, because graves are so shallow, the ground "feels squishy when taking a step."

Thought of the Day:  Earmuffs
Song of the Day:  Biggie-Hypnotize

This week's persecuted church: Uzbekistan

Secret police officers and other officials raided the Sunday worship service of an unregistered ethnic Korean Baptist Church in the town of Chirchik in Tashkent Region on Feb. 5.

Police Inspector Otabek Alimov, Urtachirchik District and Nurmina Askarova, Chair of the local Mahalla Committee, were among the 10 officials who raided the 9 a.m. worship service; they confiscated a sound amplifier, microphone, keyboard, projector, hymnals, audio cassettes and DVDs.

The officials said that the confiscated items would be sent to the state Religious Affairs Committee for "expert analysis"; they then charged Pastor Vyacheslav Kim under Administrative Code Article 184-2: Illegal production, storage, or import into Uzbekistan with a purpose to distribute religious materials.

Thought of the Day:  Dream
Song of the Day:  Martin Solveig & Dragonette-Hello

Catching Z's

"Yes, sir, that is true, and I am grateful for all favors, I am sure, and anything that I could do to oblige you, or the lady, I should be proud and happy to do; but I can't give up my Sundays, sir, indeed I can't.  I read that God made man, and He made horses and all the other beasts, and as soon as He had made them, He made a day of rest, and bade that they all should rest one day in seven; and I think, and I am sure it is good for me; I am stronger and healthier altogether, now that I have a day of rest; the horses are fresh too, and do not wear up nearly so fast  The six-day drivers all tell me the same, and I have laid by more money in the Savings Bank than I ever did before; and as for the wife and children, sir-why, heart alive! they would not go back to the seven days for all they could see."
-Jerry Barker from Black Beauty


As I'm getting older, I'm realizing just how valuable and necessary sleep is for the mind, body, and soul.  If you miss one good night's sleep, the rest of your week kinda snowballs into an imbalanced usage of energy and efficiency.  A lack of sleep messes with your emotions and concentration whether you're at work or home.  It screws up your appetite, metabolism, and exercise.  Routines are out of whack along with future sleep that tends to spiral down into ugly cycles.  I'm a pretty big fan of food, but I'm beginning to see a growing value in sleep these days.

I can easily see how good rest for the body and mind often brings good rest for the soul as well.  I always try to "start my Sabbath" on Saturday night instead of waking up really tired on a Sunday morning.  More often than not, these "early Sabbaths" help me to have a much more enjoyable day of rest that God has given to His people.  And when His people rest on His day, I believe we can be stronger, healthier, and happier people during the week.  So get yo rest!

Thought of the Day:  HIV and TPBE Tests
Song of the Day:  TaeTiSeo-Twinkle

코리아

I watched "Korea" with Michael yesterday since they're taking it out of theaters this week.  With Michael's love for ping pong and North Korea, we knew we had to watch it when we found a theater with English subtitles.  But more than the ping pong, the heart of the movie was about a unified Korea.  I never knew it was based on true events.

Although 하지원 was the main actress of the movie, I personally liked 배두나's acting more.

My student calls her the Frog-eyed Girl.  Haha.

I'm sure you can guess which event I'm anticipating the most for this year's Olympics.  I love the Olympics in Korea!

Thought of the Day:  Cover Letter
Song of the Day:  DJ Babyboi-April Tears [Piano Solo for DJ HHH]

Uncle Drew

Thought of the Day:  코리아
Song of the Day:  Juniel-바보

This week's persecuted church: Myanmar

Fighting between government troops and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in northern Kachin state has forced dozens of civilians to take shelter at a Baptist church in Sumprabum, located about 80 miles north of Myitkyina.

At least 40 people from Mai Htawng village arrived at the church yesterday and it is expected that more will come over the next few days, according to church volunteers. Church officials also say they cannot continue to support the displaced people unless they get more aid.

More fighting is also said to be taking place in two other nearby villages, Hka Garan Yang and Sumpyi Yang.

Thought of the Day:  Wedding Dress
Song of the Day:  IU-너랑 나

This week's persecuted church: Egypt

"The television and film are also inundated with Islamic propaganda. In the schools, the boys and girls start their day with Islamic teaching. It starts when the students are outside they are again inundated by Islamic propaganda; it is called Khutbah. When there is a transition from one teacher to the next the same ritual is again repeated.

In terms of employment when one is looking for work particularly in the public sector, you are asked for your name, which is normal, but in Egypt, you are asked your name; this is the system, and through your name particularly in Egypt your name, your father’s name and your grandfather’s name and if there is no mention of Mohammed in your series of names then you are known to be a Christian .. You will know that you have been classified and it could be a reason for a refusal of a job and things like that.

You also find discrimination in the university. A Christian cannot be a gynecologist, or teach Arabic, because their reasoning is that being Christian, how can one teach Arabic when it is based on the Koran and how can you teach the Koran if one is not a Muslim.”
-Father Samir

Thought of the Day:  Evites
Song of the Day:  Humming Urban Stereo-Hawaiian Couple

Bibliomaniac

I got The Lost Hero during the winter and finished the 550+ pages to give to my student for Children's Day and also to use it for our next reading material.  I figured the book was long enough for him to read for a while so that I would have about two weeks off of preparing new reading material.

He finished it in three days.  He liked it so much that he asked his mom to buy the next book too, which is 500+ pages.  He finished that one in two days.

I'm not even proud of my student.

I'm behind in my reading.  =(


I hope I can get this public school job.

Thought of the Day:  Interview
Song of the Day:  Yozoh-My Name Is Yozoh

This week's persecuted church: Nigeria

At the same time the attack on the Catholics was taking place, other members of the sect attacked the Chapel of Victory Protestant church service, meeting outdoors near the Faculty of Medicine. Professor Julius Falola, who was preaching when the Islamists arrived, recounted a horrific scene similar to that described by Professor Olofin. Explosions and gunshots were followed by fleeing church members who provided easy targets for Boko Haram killers.Falola said that some of the Christians “jumped over the fence while others ran deeper into the campus.” Falola hid in the university clinic. Falola and Olofin, as well as other witnesses, said that the police did not arrive until 10 AM. “The shooting went on for 45 minutes,” said Falola.

Boko Haram topped off their killing spree later that night, by opening fire on the Church of Christ in Nigeria parish in Jere. Because of a state of emergency in the town, worshippers had foregone meeting in the morning in favor of what they assumed would be an unnoticed and therefore less dangerous evening worship. Halfway through the service, witnesses reported that the Islamists came “in their trademark car, Volkswagen Golf, dressed in flowing gowns.” After “their routine shout of ‘Allah akbar,’ they . . .  headed straight for the altar” where they shot and killed the pastor, Reverend Albert Naga. Four others died from the attack, as well.

Thought of the Day:  Costco
Song of the Day:  Taetiseo-Twinkle

공포

One of my students is fascinated by American horror movies, so lately I've been educating him on Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street series.  Today, he asked a lot of questions about The Texas Chainsaw Massacre:

Student:  So is the Keychain really dangerous?

Me:  You mean Chainsaw?

Sometimes, I can't believe I get paid to do stuff like this.  Only sometimes.

It's freaking hot.

Thought of the Day:  Lesson Plan
Song of the Day:  HAHA-너는 내 운명

This week's persecuted church: Bangladesh

His journey towards conversion began abroad, far from Bangladesh. It led him first to baptism in the Presbyterian Church. After that, he fell in love with a Catholic woman, married her and then converted to her faith. Once they were back in Bangladesh, Vincent and his wife were welcomed by threats and violence. Members of his community beat him almost to death.

After almost two months in hospital, Vincent is back home. But the same Muslims who followed him and held him in high esteem when he was their imam now cannot accept his new "status".

Beating is also not enough. Other forms of violence can be used. Both husband and wife have been ostracised, forced to move from home to home. Vincent eventually lost his job and now has to do odd jobs to survive.

Thought of the Day:  Lotte World
Song of the Day:  Small Talk

This week's persecuted church: Laos

A Lao student and six Thai Christians are still being jailed for participating in worship services in Luang Namtha district of Luang Namtha province. On March 24, 2012, Lao police went to Tribal School in Phonsawang village and arrested a Lao student, known by his first name as Ala, for religious involvement. The police authorities also arrested six Thai Chrisitans who visited Ala. It has been 25 days that Thai Christians, known by their first names as Ayo, Sanon, Tawit, Taweesak, Sarlapong, and Piloo, hve been waiting in prison in order to be charged formally. Later today (April 17, local time), Lao officials are expected to informally charge Thai Christians and also to inform those charges to the Lao Christian leaders in Luang Namtha province.

Thought of the Day:  Curtains
Song of the Day:  Amazing Grace