Wise words

What if the lockdown was lifted and nobody came? A lot of people seem quite happy with life under Covid, especially educated middle-class people on social media who are happily swapping Spotify playlists and recipes for sourdough bread.

The paths around Hoolet are hard trodden these days, as the village takes its daily gulp of fresh air. Along hedgerows, down tree-lined avenues, through the woods and by the stream, legions of boots have stomped, marking out time. With almost no rain for six weeks, the lanes are dusty and tracks that were made by tractors, horses and bikes in the February mud have solidified into treacherous ruts.

One size fits all? How wrong you are

IT could have been a warm welcome home for a conquering comedy hero when Billy Connolly appeared before an audience of Scottish school children at the BBC in Glasgow.

Source: www.washingtontimes.com - Saturday, May 09, 2020
BEIJING (AP) - Yao Ming, the former Houston Rockets star and now president of the Chinese Basketball Association, says the league has three options for resuming the season that has been on hold since Feb. 1 over the coronavirus pandemic. Yao said the league might play out the full schedule; ...

Source: www.reuters.com - Saturday, May 09, 2020
Malaysia's government extended the time frame for movement and business curbs by another four weeks to June 9, amid a gradual reopening of economic activity stunted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Source: www.wellingtondailynews.com - Saturday, May 09, 2020
The Freewill Baptist Church will be giving away food and other items to people in the community, starting at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 16, but you have to make an appointment by calling the church office at 326-5521.Non-perishable food items and brand new items, such as fashion accessories, swimwear and home decor has been donated, Charlotte Brooks, church administrative assistant said. Shelter Insurance donated $1,000 worth of food.“Every donation is by the community [...]

Source: www.reuters.com - Sunday, May 10, 2020
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will set out a five-tier warning system for the coronavirus in England on Sunday when he outlines the government's plans to begin slowly easing lockdown measures, British media reported.

Source: www.justjared.com - Saturday, May 09, 2020
Kristen Wiig is the host of the season finale of Saturday Night Live ! The 46-year-old Wonder Woman 1984 actress hosted the Mother’s Day episode remotely from her home. During her monologue, Kristen took the opportunity to wish her mom a Happy Mother’s Day. “This is the Mother’s Day show and at SNL it’s a very special time to celebrate moms,” Kristen said. “Unfortunately, like a lot of you, I can’t be with my mom this Mother’s Day so I hope it’s okay I tell her I love her.” “You know I’ve been thinking lately, I don’t know if I truly appreciated my mom the first 45 years of my life, but this year I’m feeling especially grateful for all the things she taught me, preparing me to be a mom myself,” Kristen said before showing a plate of raw chicken breast. “Things like breastfeeding, babies love that chicken, she would always say that.” Kristen ended her monologue by thanking all the parents supporting their families during the pandemic. “So I do want to thank my mom and all the moms out there helping us get through this and have been there,” Kristen said. “We thank you so much, happy Mother’s Day. Thank you moms and thank you dads.” Find out when Wonder Woman 1984 will be out in theaters .

Source: www.justjared.com - Saturday, May 09, 2020
Alec Baldwin is back as President Trump on Saturday Night Live ! The actor once again impersonated the president on the sketch show’s season finale on Saturday (May 9). Alec as Trump made an appearance during the cold open, which featured a virtual graduation for college students. “I’m so honored to be your vale-dictator,” Alec as Trump said. “But today’s not about me. It’s about you. Although I should spend a little time on me first, because I’ve been treated very poorly, even worse than they treated Lincoln.” “You’re actually lucky to be graduating right now there are so many exciting new jobs out there, like grocery store bouncer, cam-girl, porch pirate, amateur nurse and coal,” he continued. “Don’t forget about coal. It’s in the ground, and you just dig down and grab it.” At the end of the cold open, Alec broke character, suggesting that this is his last time playing Trump . “And taped from my home, one last time,” Alec said, “it’s Saturday night.” Alec has been playing Trump for the past four years since the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Source: www.washingtontimes.com - Sunday, May 10, 2020
OAKLAND PARK, Fla. (AP) - There is nothing like a big smooch, gentle touch or a wet nose nuzzle with a happy dog. But social distancing rules, due to the impact of COVID-19, has created a barrier between those in need of canine therapy visits and those special pups that ...

An OM worker in Bosnia shares how the enduring faith of two elderly women of God has inspired her to also persevere to the end.

Providing disadvantaged children with backpacks brings the gospel into homes in remote Muslim villages of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

European youth more than ever need good relationships with adults, says OM Europe’s Empowering Kids&Youth team, who focus on positively impacting Europe’s next generation.

OM Europe hosts its third annual Youth Factors Conference in Pälkäne, Finland, in April, which offers participants an opportunity for reflection and self-discovery.

OM's work in Finland began 50 years ago in 1965. Since then, approximately 3,000 Finns have participated in OM’s work.

Wanted: an adventure-loving, open-minded driver. Esa was that driver.

An Iranian refugee surprises a long-term worker by stating his desire to become a Christian.

Bus4Life ministers in Central and Eastern Europe, bringing hope and Christian literature to the region's widespread towns and villages. During the spring and early summer of 2018, Bus4Life visited Hungary, Moldova, and Ukraine.

Recently, a team of 32 OM volunteers from the UK, Canada, Costa Rica, Guatemala and El Salvador worked together in an outreach to bring gifts and the Gospel to La Ceiba, Corozal in Honduras. For a week, they ministered in a community with a high percentage of people infected with HIV and a high mortality rate due to the consequences of AIDS. Many families in the area have suffered the loss of a father or mother. OM El Salvador took the initiative to respond to the needs of many kids and share about the love of Jesus in the outreach ´Changing gifts for smiles´.

OM team members in El Salvador reach out to young people in their country, challenging them to live a healthy life.

The power of unity and the diversity of the body of Christ was enjoyed during an outreach in El Salvador.

A woman confesses a need for her heart to be healed following a terrible experience.

Various Pastors joined OM El Salvador on an outreach to Honduras, obeying the Lords command to make disciples.

“… If God has called you to China or any other place and you are sure in your own heart, let nothing deter you… remember it is God who has called you and it is the same as when He called Moses or Samuel.” - Gladys Aylward.

No method is infallible when trying to reduce Bible poverty among the least reached, an OM worker discovers as he distributed Bibles.

Pason lost his family when he fled Myanmar. By playing football with OM team members, he finds friendship and hope.

"How could God use someone from the jungle to go to another country?" Agustinus once wondered. 

“Aren’t there enough churches in Italy?” Not to reach the 50,000 people in Pisa, says OM team, who plants La Torre.

OM Ministry Leader, Lenna Lidstone, discusses how to use Discovery Bible Studies to see vibrant communities of Jesus Followers among the least reached.

African women who never went to school were unable to read the Bible upon becoming Christ followers. A new opportunity is giving them access to God's Word firsthand.

Prayer Hub is a newer ministry that exists to help develop and nurture a culture of prayer in OM. The founders, Boyd and Ribka Williams, have made prayer their ministry.

Prayer and fasting have been part of the Algerian Church's lifestyle since its beginning. Unity among believers has contributed to ongoing spiritual strength amidst persecution.

The leader said: "This is a secret; if we started to teach about Jesus in our mosques then we might as well open churches."

In partnership with local churches, a team shared the good news of Easter through music with all kinds of people in Austria.

Ariela left Argentina to serve Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and ended up going on a journey she never could have imagined.

OM Director's Update from Lawrence Tong

“As I watched the ending scene (that lasted about three minutes) I thought about the “happy ending” notion,” says Ava. “Is it real or is it a fairy tale? A utopia created by Hollywood to give their viewers a false sense of hope in the reality of a broken world? And so, I said to myself: I believe in happy endings.”

The Bailie family serve with their local church as part of OM in Ireland's Philippian Project.

In 2008, OM Ireland purchased Lacken House to be their headquarters. Ten years and hundreds of people later, the team continues to minister from the heart of Ireland.

How prayer shaped the history of OM and how important prayer still is today.

"[The village] didn’t know about the cyclone." OM worker Macdonald tells how his village experienced Cyclone Idai.

Saskia perseveres through language learning and connects with a young Albanian girl who becomes a follower of Jesus.

Santa Cruz, Bolivia :: God surprises a Logos Hope crewmember with birthday treats and new perspectives as she serves with a team on shore.

Jose, an Argentinian worker serving in Southeast Asia, tells of how he entered overseas service and what he has seen God do through his not-so-typical ministry.

IT should really be remembered as one of Danny McGrain’s finest hours, not Scottish football’s darkest days.

Twenty-three people from Czech Republic attend an OM missions weekend held at the team base in České Budějovice in April.

A South African OM missionary joins volunteers from a local Czech church to bring hope to asylum seekers at the Kostelec nad Orlici Residence Centre.

Bringing justice for the oppressed is the mandate given to every Christian, says Natasha Shoultz, working among sex workers in Prague.