The CMF leadership continues to monitor the safety of our teams in Bangkok and Chiang Mai as the political situation there deteriorates. The State Department has issued a warning to Americans traveling to and living in those cities due to the escalating violence in central Bangkok, demonstrations in Chiang Mai, and other incidents throughout Thailand.

The United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD or “red-shirts”) continues to demonstrate in central Bangkok. The UDD may change or expand its demonstration locations at any time. Various other groups are engaging in pro-government or counter-demonstrations in Bangkok and Chiang Mai. These clashes may escalate with no warning. Supporters of a pro-Government movement known as “mixed shirts,” “no color,” or “multi-color” have begun nightly demonstrations in the Nimmanhemin area of Chiang Mai city, near Chiang Mai University, an area frequented by U.S. citizens.  Media report that these supporters intend to repeat these nightly demonstrations indefinitely. Supporters of the UDD may confront these demonstrations. In the past, similar confrontations have turned violent. The Royal Thai Government, under the order of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, is still operating under a State of Emergency in Bangkok and surrounding areas that grants special powers to the Royal Thai Police and Army. It is unclear what additional steps the Royal Thai Government may take under the State of Emergency.

Greg Coley, leader of CMF’s team in Bangkok, is observing the situation firsthand. He reports that the protestors are encouraging sympathizers to stop troops and police from other provinces from entering Bangkok. This causes severe traffic congestion and blocked roads that make travel difficult throughout the city and leads to confrontations between rival factions. At the present time, the team members have no serious concerns for their personal safety, but there is a possibility that they may need to temporarily move to Chiang Mai, where CMF missionaries Jeff and Pilar Prus live. Please remember all of CMF’s Thailand team members in your prayers.

A visiting team from Flatirons Community Church in Lafayette, Colorado, got their hands dirty when they visited the CMF long-term team in Central Asia recently.

The president of this country has encouraged the people to plant new trees since so much of the landscape has been devastated during the past 30 years of war. Many of the trees were burned down, used for firewood or for building. Many also died in the past 7-8 years of drought, which ended only last spring.

CMF and national team members contributed money from their own personal funds to purchase about 100 trees to plant at Fragile Water, a refugee resettlement community where the team has been working. Flatirons Church has contributed funds and workers in past trips to help build a clinic and school in this community, so the visiting team was eager to help beautify the spot with the new foliage. Most of the members of the long-term team traveled to the community again to finish the job after the Flatirons group returned home.

Gary Woods, a member of CMF’s team in Tanzania, recently returned from a visit to the church planters in Matale, northern Tanzania, with good news. He reports that in the past two weeks alone, the church planters trained by the team have seen 140 Maasai profess their faith in and commitment to Jesus Christ. In fact, one preacher was late for the group meeting with Gary because, he said, “as I was leaving a warrior came, wanting to be saved.”

Fifty of the 140 came to faith in Christ at the Matale church on Easter Sunday, where church planters Isaiah and Elizabeth have persevered through years of difficulties. Isaiah told Gary that he had seen a vision of being dropped off at Matale by a white man and told to preach. In his vision, he preached the gospel, many came to Christ, and began blowing eland horns. Now, he says, he has seen his vision come to pass.

Last year during one of the worst droughts in years, desperate people became desperate for the Living Water. The team asks that we pray for these “140 newborns in Christ.”

Lukas and Danielle Fortunato, members of CMF’s Globalscope Chile team in Santiago, recently shared an update on the situation in Chile following the massive earthquake. The team and the students in the El Oasis campus ministry have been able to minister to their neighbors in many ways over the past month.

“From the beginning of this thing our question has always been, ‘What is the best way for us to help?’ ” writes Lukas. “And honestly, over the past month that has looked different at different times.”

Initially, the team gathered the El Oasis students together to simply pray and share about their own experiences. They also made El Oasis into a donation center, and asked for different items each week. Then they took a group to a nearby town to help a family dismantle its badly damaged home, clearing rubble so they could start over.

The earthquake seriously affected the life of only one student in the group. Sol’s apartment was badly damaged and considered uninhabitable. In addition, her grandfather was in the south at the time of the earthquake and died while trying to help those around him.
The El Oasis group helped Sol move into a new apartment and purchase some necessities to replace things that she lost.

The ministry is planning a trip to the southern town of Rengo, which was badly affected by the quake, the weekend of April 16-18. They will spend the weekend building homes for the people there.

The team is appreciative of donations given by friends and supporters back home specifically to help with these needs. “It has made these
projects possible and is helping get folks back on their feet,” said Lukas.

As he looked back over the past month, Lukas and the team members have been amazed at how God has shown himself to be good, time and time again. “I think about our students who were without electricity for days, yet made it to El Oasis to pray for their country together,” he writes. “I think about them shoveling rubble at a family’s house. I think about them bringing bags of clothes and food to El Oasis. But I also think about how they’ve gotten back on their feet, gone back to class and how we’ve managed to have an incredible and full month of ministry down here at our campus house in the middle of this big city. God seems to be doing something new here at El Oasis and I’m thrilled to see what he has in store for us this year.”

Keith and Kathy Ham, CMF missionaries in Kenya, recently shared a numerical review of their rapidly expanding work with Missions of Hope International, ministering to the urban poor in the slums of Nairobi. These are the kinds of figures that will warm your heart! Keith urges friends and supporters to “chew on these and thank God for what He is doing through His people.”

One very large valley (Mathare) of 800,000 people for whom Christ died.

3750 children studying in 10 different schools/community centers.

500 plus clients receiving microenterprise loans.

300 people living with HIV-AIDS sharing together in support groups.

Two nurses staffing our small clinic.

Six community Health Evangelism committees meeting local needs, with more than 50 CHE evangelists reaching out with the love of God.

40 short-term mission teams have come or are planning to come and work in Mathare.

Five local churches are following up on those who have been touched by God’s love.

And finally, one Lord, Jesus Christ, is honored and pleased as people come together, both in Kenya and the U.S., to say “it’s history” to both physical and spiritual poverty.