Operation World: Hot Spots in the Americas

Hot Spots of the Americas

1 The moral devastation caused by drug trafficking is corrupting politicians, law enforcement agencies and judicial systems, filling the prisons with the small-fry and destroying the lives of millions of drug users across the two continents. The desperate poverty of the growers and the seemingly insatiable craving for drugs — especially in wealthy North America — makes for lucrative opportunities for criminal drug cartels and leftist guerrilla movements who exploit this dual need. Drug enforcement bodies and billions of US dollars have scarcely dented the problem. Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Jamaica, Haiti and other nations have been so impacted by this that the traffickers often wield more power than the central government. Pray that this evil might be tamed, and even eliminated, and that those in authority might pursue viable and effective policies to achieve this.



2 The unresolved issue of widespread poverty. Economic progress has often failed to filter down to the poor. Marxist guerrilla insurrections once plagued many countries, but since 1990 these have been reduced in number. Only in Colombia is there widespread military conflict with rightist militia and leftist guerrillas controlling large areas of the country and financing their forces with drug trafficking. Low-scale insurrection continues in Peru and Mexico and an uneasy peace after years of war prevails in Nicaragua and Guatemala. Democratic government is fragile and economies are struggling in many countries. Pray for the resolution of existing conflicts and courageous government actions to alleviate the conditions that provoke uprisings.



3 The political resurgence of indigenous Amerindian peoples. The Guatemalan civil war was largely a protest by the repressed, marginalized Mayan peoples. The violent Peruvian revolt was likewise a movement of the Quechuas, and the quirky guerrilla movement in south Mexico is a demand for redress by marginalized Amerindian peoples. Pray that the centuries of wrongs against the indigenous peoples may be righted and their economic, cultural and political rights restored.

4 Countries facing an uncertain, possibly traumatic future:

a) Cuba after the departure of President Castro will need to recover from over 4 decades of Marxism and economic isolation.

b) Haiti with its desperate poverty and appalling history of dictatorships, rigged elections and bad government.

c) Guyana and Suriname with unresolved ethnic tensions and unstable governments.

d) Countries struggling to survive, such as: Nicaragua — after civil war; Honduras — natural disasters; Paraguay dictatorships and coups.

5 Unresolved territorial disputes — Venezuela and Suriname's claims on Guyana; Argentina's on the Falklands (Islas Malvinas) and Guatemala's on Belize.



Pasted from <http://www.operationworld.org/region/am/owtext.html#Pray5>

Operation World: Answers to Prayer in the Americas

1 The growth of Evangelicals in Latin America in the 20th Century has been spectacular. In 1900 Evangelicals numbered about 700,000, or 1% of the population (only about 200,000 of these being in Spanish-speaking countries). By 2000 they had multiplied to 55 million (over 50 million in Spanish-speaking countries). The breakthrough point for Evangelicals came with the wide implementation of congregation mobilization through national Evangelism-in-Depth programmes in the 1960s.



2 Pentecostal Evangelicals have demonstrated the greatest vigour and have become the largest component of Evangelicals in Latin America with over 32 million affiliates. This is 28% of the world's Pentecostals. Their greatest success has been amongst the poor. Growth has been weakened by multiplied splits, inadequate discipling of converts and often exaggerated claims of growth.



3 The spiritual impact of North America, and especially the USA, on the world. Praise God for:

a) Great evangelists who have touched the world (Finney, Moody, Billy Graham and others).

b) Great missionary statesmen and visionaries who helped to lay the foundations for the present global harvest.

c) Unstinting generosity in giving for great causes — especially missions advances.

May this influence continue, and supplant the blatant secularism propagated by the media. The Hollywood view of American life is not the whole story!

4 The impact of the Scriptures on Catholics has opened the hearts of millions to a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus. Many have become fervent evangelical believers, both within the Catholic Church and, increasingly, outside it.

5 People movements are growing among the Amerindians who have long been resistant or indifferent to the gospel. The present growth of Quechua and Aymara churches in the Andes and Mayan peoples in Central America is exciting.



6 The divinely ordered convergence in Latin America of greater freedom of religion, more open and accountable democracy, a series of military, natural and economic disasters which loosened the hold of traditional structures have enabled many to come to Christ. The 1990s were a time of resurgence of Christianity in Cuba despite the decades of Marxist propaganda and pressure.



7 The Bible translation achievements of WBT/SIL and UBS have been remarkable. The pioneer work of WBT/SIL in providing New Testaments in indigenous languages has sparked ingatherings of peoples into churches across the Americas. In some lands the work of translation has been virtually completed. Praise the Lord for a task well done!



8 The missionary contributions of North Americans in the 20th Century. Increasingly the missionary enterprise is becoming global, but even in 2001 it is still predominantly North American. They make up over 50% of missionaries in other lands and 34% of all missionaries (home and foreign).

9 There has been rapid growth and maturation of missions vision in Latin America. The 1987 COMIBAM conference in São Paulo, Brazil, generated continent-wide interest and sparked off numerous initiatives to reach the unreached. Major missionary-contributing nations are Brazil, Costa Rica and Argentina, but in most lands missionary sending structures are developing.



10 The impact of the media has been significant all over the New World. Widespread use of local, national and international radio and television networks by Christians has had a big influence. International Christian radio agencies broadcast an estimated 3,000 hrs/wk in Spanish and 320 hrs/wk in Portuguese by satellite as well as by short and medium wave. The multiplication of local television and radio stations and broadcasts further widens the opportunities for proclamation of the gospel.