Across Pacific & Asia

December 26, 1998  -  Strategic Times

FROM THE "GARBARGE CATHEDRAL"
TO A PASTOR SAVED FROM HANGING IN CHIAPAS -

1998 WAS A YEAR TO REMEMBER
By Dan Wooding
International journalist Dan Wooding gives some highly personal insights
into some of the people he met and reported on during 1998 and also reveals
why Monty Python star Michael Palin did a special video to thank him.
__________________________________________________________________

GARDEN GROVE, CA (December 20, 1998) -- I met some unusual people in my
travels around the world this year, but easily the most remarkable was
Father Sama'an who has possibly the most extraordinary parish in the world.
It is located on Muqattam Mountain, home to 30,000 garbage collectors or
-- zabbaleen -- in Cairo, Egypt.  This exceptional man has brought a
wonderful beauty to the ashes of this area of narrow dirt lanes -- a parish
church that is a modern marvel, not just for the garbage collectors, but
for all who visit it.

        His incredible "Garbage Cathedral" is the largest church in the
Middle East.  It seats 20,000 and would do justice to the Hollywood Bowl
with its modern sound system, and closed-circuit television.  It is quite
spectacular as a huge overhanging rock covers most of the amphitheater.
The church is affiliated with the Coptic Orthodox Church that has about 6
million adherents in Egypt, or 13.5 percent of the total population.

        As word has spread through the Middle East about the Muqattam "Cave
Cathedral," it has drawn together evangelicals, Orthodox, and Catholics.
Its pulpit has attracted not only the Coptic Orthodox pope, but also
western evangelicals.

        Clad in Orthodox garb and sporting a beard, this humble cleric --
who preaches like Billy Graham and also prays for the sick -- met with me
and a few friends in May before the regular Thursday services, which was
attended by thousands of believers from Cairo.  They had left the village's
pungent odors and crowded into the cavern for a night of vibrant singing
with the help of a praise choir.  He shared with me how he had found Christ
through the witness of a garbage collector on his doorstep and had then
gone to visit the Muqattam area and eventually was called of God to be
their priest.  And what a priest he is!

BROTHER ANDREW'S 70TH BIRTHDAY IN BETHLEHEM

        Our little group then went on to Jordan and, from there into
Israel, to link up with Brother Andrew, the Dutch-born author of the
best-selling book, "God's Smuggler," who had flown to the Middle East to
celebrate his 70th birthday with his friends at the Bethlehem Bible
College.  Brother Andrew also took time to spell out for Christians around
the world why we should love Muslims and not fear them.

        After receiving a warm welcome from Dr. Bishara Awad, the Founder
and President of the Bethlehem Bible College, as well as the staff and
students who sang "Happy Birthday" to the founder of Open Doors, Brother
Andrew paid a visit to trouble-torn Hebron on the day when Palestinians
were protesting the founding of the State of Israel.  It was a day of
violence during which nine were killed and 200 were injured, mainly in
Gaza, where he also later visited.  The Palestinian protest was called
"nakba" or "the great catastrophe."

        In an interview in Hebron, to the sound of gunfire and explosions,
Brother Andrew said, "If we were to define ISLAM, I believe it should be,
'I Sincerely Love All Muslims.'  Then we should prove that statement by our
presence and our letting down our guard and reserve by putting our arms
around them and saying to them, 'God loves you; therefore I love you.'  If
we would do this, we would get somewhere.

        "Now we still have an enemy image and when you have an enemy image
of anyone -- be it Communist or Muslim -- the love of God cannot flow
through you.  Hostilities will continue and get worse."

CHIAPAS INDIAN PASTOR SENTENCED TO BE HUNG
BY LYNCH MOB SAVED AFTER
INTERVENTION BY EVANGELICAL SENATOR

        In March, I was able to witness an extraordinary reunion that took
place in Tuxtla Gutierrez, the capital city of the southern Mexico state of
Chiapas, between an Indian pastor who was sentenced to be hung by an angry
lynch mob and the courageous evangelical senator who saved his life.

        The pastor, Manuel Arias, a Tzotzil Indian, had been arrested by a
lynch mob of supporters of the Zapatista National Liberation Army, known by
the Spanish acronym EZLN, who have been conducting a four year armed
struggle against the Mexican government.  His detention took place shortly
after the massacre of 45 Indians on December 22, 1997, in the town of
Acteal in the Chenalho area of Chiapas.

        His life was spared only after the intervention of Chiapas senator,
Pablo Salazar, the first evangelical ever to be voted into the Mexican
Congress since the revolution took place against Spain some 170 years ago.
The emotional reunion took place at a special "unity" conference organized
and held in Tuxtla Gutierrez, by Latin American Indian Ministries of
Orange, California.

        In an interview, Pastor Arias, whose evangelical church is located
close to Acteal, said, "I was arrested because I was falsely accused of
transporting weapons for the paramilitary groups who are opposing the
Zapatistas.  They had seen me helping the [Christian Indian] brothers and
many times I had asked the president of the municipality to help me with
transportation when I had food for the refugees.

        "I think the real reason for my arrest was because they were angry
with me as I had told my brethren not to get involved in any of the
conflicts or fights because that's not what the Bible says.  But they said
that I had been involved in the conflicts, but I have not.  Perhaps I was a
barrier for the Zapatistas [who wanted support from his congregation] and
that is why they arrested me.

        "When I was detained in a town in the municipality of Chenalho, I
saw that they were preparing the ropes to hang me because they thought if
they killed me they would have the open space to bring all the other
Christians into the fight.  My little brother was there and saw what was
happening and he discovered that brother Pablo Salazar was in the area.  He
ran to him and told him what was happening and thanks to him, I was
liberated and thanks to God I am here and free."

        Senator Salazar then took up the story, "When I heard what was
happening to Manuel, I told the Zapatistas and other groups there, 'I know
Manuel.  He is a pastor.  A man of peace.  He is a good man, a preacher of
the Word.'  I also said that I knew that he has never taken a weapon and he
has never trained or helped anyone to be involved in conflict.  I then
demanded they liberate Manuel because he was unfairly detained.

        "I told the Zapatistas, 'Unless you liberate Manuel, I will
denounce what is going on here in a national way through the media.  I
believe that it was not because I was a senator, that I should help him,
but because I knew Manuel, and because I am a believer in Jesus Christ.
Thank God, they did free him and he was not hung."

        Fighting back the tears, Manuel Arias then said, "What can I say?
When I was liberated, I said to God, 'Thank you for this freedom and thank
you for Brother Pablo Salazar, because it is because of him that I am a
free man and my life has been spared."

        Then, turning to the senator, he added, "I have known him for years
and I know he has been chosen by God for the position of senator so he can
represent God and the church here in Chiapas and also so he can help the
Indian people."

        Senator Salazar was later to address the conference and standing at
his side as his Indian interpreter was none other than the pastor whose
life he had helped to save!

        Dr. Dale Kietzman, Founder and President of Latin American Indian
Ministries and Chairman of ASSIST International, said, "We feel our role in
this situation in Chiapas is to offer support to believers who are fearing
for their lives in this region torn by political and religious strife.

        "On the one hand you have the four-year military conflict between
the Zapatista revolution and the government.  Add to that the struggle
between the growing evangelical Christian populace, which some say is now
as high as 40 percent, and the traditionalists or Christo-pagan Catholics
who mix their old pagan practices with the Roman Catholic faith.  They have
run evangelical Christians off their farmlands and from their tribal
communities, burning houses and killing men, women and children because of
their refusal to continue in a pagan lifestyle.  This has been going on for
30 years, unchecked by the authorities.

        "Then, of course, there is the fact that Chiapas is the poorest
state in Mexico.  When you mix all this together you truly see a hurting
people.  This grieves the heart of God."

"AGAINST ALL ODDS" IN NEW ZEALAND

        In mid-July, I flew from Los Angeles to Auckland, to begin work on
a book called "Against the Odds," which tells the story of Radio Rhema
struggle to get on the air in New Zealand.  It is due to be released some
time in 1999.  Whilst I was at Radio Rhema, I did a couple of live
interviews on "Straight Talk New Zealand" with host Stephen Tetley-Jones,
and this has since resulted in a weekly live interview about politics in
American, world missions and the Suffering Church.  At the end of each
"Worldwatch" segment, we promote the "Bridge of Friendship" pen pal
programme with new Christians in the former Soviet Union.  Many calls and
letters have since arrived at Bernard Riley's home office and many linkings
have already taken place.

        In the United States, we at ASSIST USA have now linked more than
6,600 individuals together through this project and hundreds more have also
been linked in the United Kingdom through ASSIST Europe, under the
leadership of Phil South.

        Peter Wooding, my younger son, is now the news editor for UCB
Europe, the Christian radio station based in Stoke on Trent, UK.  Each
week, I do a program on the Suffering Church called "Window on the World"
with Bruce Sonnenberg, Pastor of the Village Church of Irvine, California,
and Jim Palmer, President of the Orange County Rescue Mission.  It is
transmitted each Saturday at 6:00 PM.  The same program is also carried on
a Christian radio station in Tonga.  Plans are now afoot to have the
program carried on US stations as well.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT...

        You may be wondering where Michael Palin comes in.  Well, many
years ago, when I was a reporter for the Middlesex County Times, in Ealing,
West London, I used to cover the escapades of the Monty Python team when
they did their filming in the streets of this borough.  They were based at
the BBC studios at Ealing and I would receive a call from the BBC press
office telling me where they would be that week.  When Palin was in Los
Angeles, my elder son took a video camera and went to a book signing and
told Michael of my reporting of the early days of "Monty Python's Flying
Circus."  So Michael looked into the camera and did a little "thank you"
piece saying that he appreciated what I had done and obviously I had no
idea in those days where all of this would lead.

        In summary, I would say that there are many heroes in the Church
around the world who have continued to live victorious lives for Christ
"Against the Odds."  They are, and should be, an inspiration to us all!

++++++++++++++++++

Dan Wooding is an award winning British journalist now living in Southern
California with his wife, Norma.  He is the founder and international
director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times).  Wooding is
also the author of some 38 books, the latest of which is called "A Light to
India" with Lillian Doerksen (WinePress Publishing), a syndicated columnist
and a commentator on the UPI Radio Network in Washington, DC.  ASSIST's
website is at: http://www.rwcc.com/assist.htm.  This website also contains
many of Dan Wooding's recent feature articles.

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