Page 6 - Good News September 2016 paper

resident Vladimir Putin organiza-tion, and they cannot
approved a package of evangelize anywhere besides
Panti-terrorism laws that churches. “There are potentially
usher in tighter restrictions on very wide-sweeping ramifications
missionary activity and evange- to this law,” Joel Griffith of the
lism in Russia. Despite prayers Slavic Gospel Association said.
and protests from religious “It just depends on how it is going
leaders and human rights advo- to be enforced, and that is a very
cates, these laws went into effect huge question mark.”
on 20 July 2016.
Following a wave of Russian
According to the new rules nationalist propaganda, the laws
Christians in Russia won't be passed almost unanimously in
allowed to e-mail their friends an the Duma and the Federation
invitation to church or to evange- Council. The anti-evangelism law
lize in their own homes. The laws, carries fines up to $780 for an
considered the country's most individual and $15 500 for an
restrictive measures in post- organization. Foreign visitors
Soviet history, place broad who violate the law face depor- www.cornerstone-group.com
limitations on missionary work, tation. Russia has already moved according to government statis- 'If it will come to it, it's not going
including preaching, teaching, to contain foreign missionaries. tics. to stop us from worshipping and
and engaging in any activity sharing our faith. The Great
designed to recruit people into a The 'foreign agent' law, adopted in Sergey Rakhuba, president of Commission isn't just for a time
religious group. 2012, requires groups from Mission Eurasia and a former of freedom.'”
abroad to file detailed paperwork Moscow church-planter, said:
To share their faith, citizens must and be subject to government “Russia's evangelicals have gone [Source: Barnabas Fund, Forum
secure a government permit audits and raids. Since then, the underground before, and they'll 18 News Service, via Joel News
through a registered religious NGO sector has shrunk by a third, be willing to do it again. They say, International 1002].

any Christian athletes hours, pulling the boat and
competing in the Olym- stopping it from capsizing before
Mpic Games in Rio de reaching the island of Lesbos.
Janeiro, testified of their faith. The group then continued their
1 000 mile journey from Greece on
Take the Fiji Sevens Men's Rugby foot, by train and by bus, before
Team who won their country's eventually arriving in Germany.
first ever gold medal. In perfect
harmony in both English and She was given asylum in Berlin,
Fijian they sang: “We have where her swimming talents were
overcome. By the blood of the spotted, leading to her being the
Lamb, and the Word of the Lord.” first member of a 10-strong
refugee team to compete in Brazil.
— ooo 0O0 ooo — Her story won the hearts of many
in Rio and across the world.
The swimmer Yusra Mardini who
won her heat in the 100-metre — ooo 0O0 ooo —
butterfly also testified of God's
goodness. Last year she fled American women's high jump
Damascus in Syria with her sister record-holder Chaunte Lowe's
and travelled through Lebanon testimony is also inspiring. When Yusra Mardini
and Turkey before trying to reach she was only 4 years old, God But Lowe's grandmother planted with Christ. God knew this sport
Greece in a boat made for 6 planted a vision in her heart to seeds of faith, took her to church would allow me to go and share
people, but carrying 20. compete in track and field in the and told her about Jesus. Years my testimony. It's because of
Olympics and testify of her faith. later she represented the U.S. in Jesus that I am here.”
After the motor of the boat failed, Born into a single-parent home the 2004, 2008, and 2012 Olym-
the Mardini sisters and another with a mother addicted to alcohol pics, and this year in Rio. “All I do [Source: Andy Merrick, Christian
woman jumped into the water and drugs, becoming an Olympic is run and jump over a bar,” she Today, Charisma News, Joel
and swam for three and a half competitor seemed impossible. stated. “But I have a relationship News International 1002].