Belarus was the most affected by the Chernobyl catastrophe of 1986, which happened close to their border in Ukraine.  Today, there is still environmental and human destruction from that disaster.  Belarus, though separated from USSR in 1991, is still mostly controlled by Russia and still operates like a dictatorship.  There is very little religious freedom, and while the believing Church is growing, there is still persecution and state hostility.  The Russian Orthodox church is the state-sponsored church, however it is mostly a ritualistic entity used for baptisms, marriages, and burials. Pray for hope, justice and a brighter future for the […]
Barbados is the most easterly of the Windward Islands in the Caribbean.  It is a prosperous and successful economy of tourism, sugar and off-shore banking.  The majority is Christian Protestant of the Anglican Church, but the second-largest church is Seventh-day Adventist.  As I’ve mentioned before, denominations such as Mormon Church of Latter Day Saints, Seventh-day Adventist and Jehovah’s Witness are all quietly increasing in great numbers in Latin America and other places.  Without getting into theological differences, one of the concerns of these denominations is that they believe you are only saved through their denomination and you cannot change churches.  […]
Bangladesh is one of the world’s poorest nations.  Nearly half the population lives on less than $1 day.  Think about that for a moment. The official state religion is Islam, however there are several churches there, and the churches have been growing faster than the population rate for the last 50 years.  Some of the churches include Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Church of the Nazarene, and a rather large one called Muslim followers of Jesus.  There are tens of thousands Muslim believers who claim to follow Jesus but it is hard for them to leave their Muslim background.  It can be […]
Bahrain is a small group of islands in the Arabian Gulf between Qatar and Saudi Arabia.  Unemployment and poverty are becoming bigger problems as their oil and water supplies are dwindling.  The ruling government is Sunni Muslim but the majority of people are Shi’a Muslim, and this is a source of conflict.  There is also a large expatriate community of workers from more than 50 nations drawn to this part of the world.  It is illegal to proselytize Muslims but Christians are free to worship, though there are not many places where they can do so. For over 100 years, […]

Pages:

Subscribe to Blog

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive new posts by email.

About the Author

Sue McCusker is a writer, Bible teacher, and web developer who loves sharing the stories of life, hope, and faith she sees around her every day. She has written for Guideposts and Angels on Earth magazines, and teaches the story of God in women's Bible study.