The following is taken from THE CAST NET newsletter published by Fishers of Men Ministries, Inc., P.O. Box 400, Bon Secour AL 36511-0400. Our thanks to Dr. Wayne Mund, director of the ministry, for permission to reprint the article.
While admittedly gruesome, what here follows serves to underscore the reality existent in certain areas of our world and the situations with which some believers and, as in this instance others also, are confronted. (Formerly known as the British protectorate Nyasaland, Malawi was granted independence in 1964. It is located in southeastern Africa.)
As we prepare in this country to celebrate Thanksgiving in acknowledgement of the blessings that are ours, we do well to remember our brothers and sisters in settings such as this.
Burl Ratzsch
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Herewith the article:
HUMAN BAIT
A dear brother who is a missionary in Malawi wrote the following excerpt from his letter after being robbed in the middle of the night.
"Obviously, what happened to us is not an isolated incident. These things happen all over the world each and every day. However, the overall condition of this country is rapidly deteriorating. Some government officials were caught setting mosques on fire and blaming it on Christians in an attempt to cause conflict between Christians and Muslims.
There has also recently been an outbreak of murders all over the country. People are being butchered and then their body parts are being sold to deep-sea fishermen to be used as bait to catch a particular kind of fish. Last week 20 women were killed at one time just for this purpose.
On top of this, the government just put a serious increase on the fuel prices in the country. Because of this, all of the prices on everything in the country will go up due to the cost of transporting goods. This in turn means that the general population will not be able to afford basic necessities. The final result of all this is an increase in crime because there's simply no other way for the common man to make it otherwise.
The future looks very bleak for these people. Please pray that we can reach as many as we can with the gospel."
