October 2011 – Yalaland might sound like a make-believe country in a child’s imagination, but the region in southeast Nigeria is quite real. There, the Yala people mostly make their living by raising crops like yams, cassava and rice. And on Sundays, hundreds of Yala worship at one of Yalaland’s 10 Lutheran congregations. However, Yala Lutherans … Read More
March 2011 – In the midst of the destruction of the 8.9 earthquake and resulting tsunami that struck Japan on March 11, reporters asked Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara, “How should the Japanese people view the quake?” Ishihara, who is Buddhist and Shinto, shocked many people when he replied, “The identity of the Japanese people is greed. … Read More
March 2011 – In the Communist country of Laos, Christianity isn’t easily accepted. Many believe that the Christian faith is a western religion, and others associate westerners with the Central Intelligence Agency. Because the CIA helped Hmong rebels fight the Communist Lao government, Christians are considered the #1 enemy among some government leaders. But the Holy Spirit … Read More