Now with 2497 Participants! (Rats! Only 3 more!!!!! :-) )
News and Notes about Brigada, Your Gateway to Missions Networking!
[Pass this issue to a friend! To subscribe, see instructions at end.]

——————-
In this issue….

* HAVE YOU SEEN THE FIREWORKS???
* NEW JP2000 LIST IS LIVE — AND FREE!!!
* PRAY FOR THOSE ‘GOING FOR THE GOLD’
* RANKIN FILE
* CALLING ALL CHAPLAINS
* MAP ORDERS CONTINUE TO POUR IN
* HOW DO YOU SAY ‘HELLO’???
* RAMADAN PASSES FAST!
* RATS — HAVEN’T SEEN IT YET!
* JUST LUCK” FOLLOW-THROUGH
* NEW PEOPLE GROUP RESOURCE ON THE WEB
* GLOBAL GLIMPSE FROM PAKISTAN
* SPECIAL PRAYER REQUEST FOR PRISONERS
* AND FROM THE ‘OOPS’ DEPARTMENT
* TO SUBSCRIBE TO BRIGADA TODAY

————————————–

HAVE YOU SEEN THE FIREWORKS???
If you have access to the WorldWide Web and have never gotten a chance to stop by our “anniversary issue” on the web, you gotta’ see it to believe it! Remember all the talk about wishing I could email you fireworks??? Well our web magician, Bob Mayhew, actually figured out how to do it!!! No kidding. They actually move right there on the screen, via the web!!! (Don’t ask me! I just work here! Probably “Java” or “cafe” or one of those other breakfast drink web programming languages!) Anyway, if you want do drink directly there.. I mean jump directly there and see the explosions (if your web browser is Netscape) at our 1 year anniversary birthday party, set your browser to: http://www.xc.org/Brigada/today/bt960322.html While you’re there, check out the issues on the calendar at: http://www.xc.org/Brigada/btbackis.html You can take your pick! Oh… and by the way, thanks Bob and Patti, for your tireless service archiving all these resources to the web!!!

————————————–

NEW JP2000 LIST IS LIVE — AND FREE!!!
That ever-active AD2000 & Beyond media guy tells us that the new updated (April, ’96) research data is now live and kickin’ at their web page! Start at http://www.ad2000.org and choose Joshua People. To appreciate the immensity of this task, pretend your 3rd grader had 1700 baseball cards and you wanted to update the statistics (every single line!) to make every single card accurate as of last month’s baseball games. To make matters worse, pretend the baseball cards were all printed in different languages and every single one lived in different parts of the globe. What’s more, half of them didn’t care to tell you any additional info. because they were playing for a team that didn’t allow spectators! And you can’t just write in the new stats; you gotta’ encode them in programming code so they come out in 3D or something on the card!!! Gulp. Well that’s something like the equivalent of what this international research/publishing team just managed to pull off! What’s more, now they’re saying they’ll have the “Bethany Profile status” within the next day or two! At this point, I can’t say for sure exactly what that means… whether you’ll be able to actually get the Bethany profile (brand new stuff from the folks in Baton Rouge) or whether it’ll just tell the status of the Baton Rouge efforts. (I guess if it ends up that you have to buy the Bethany profiles, we’ll have to call that the “Louisiana Purchase????” :-) ) (pa-dum pum) Anyway, great job Dan, Lee, David, and anyone else that had a hand in publishing/updating the web version of the info… and tons of thanks also goes to John (Gilbert), Ron (Rowland), Patrick (Johnstone), Luis (Bush) and others who make the annual assessment and PIN work possible!!!! Thanks from all of us!!!

————————————–

PRAY FOR THOSE ‘GOING FOR THE GOLD’
Greg Parsons Greg.Parsons@wciu.edu or greg.parsons@uscwm.org, Exec. Dir. at the US Center for World Mission, writes,
As we have done several times before, the Global Prayer Digest July ’96 issue will highlight countries/people and believing athletes in its daily readings. If people want copies of this special edition at (.50 each for less than 100), they can call (818) 398-2287. If any ministries want to order bulk (more than 100 copies at better prices, but never less than .40) it would be best for them to order by Monday, May 6. I know that is short notice, but that is the day the print run must be set. Of course, we may still be able to supply the orders depending on who orders what quantity when.

————————————–

RANKIN FILE
While you’re on the web, don’t miss the Southern Baptist’s new Foreign Mission Board pages at http://www.imb.org and especially get a look at what they’re going to do at… http://www.imb.org/pray/compnet/comp-net.htm Cool pace to set for web pages!
Great job gang!

————————————–

CALLING ALL CHAPLAINS
The Hospital Chaplains’ Ministry of America, Inc. (HCMA), a faith mission, seeks qualified people of faith who have a compassion for the hospitalized. HCMA is interested in inquiries from pastors and/or missionaries who are actively serving, in transition or retired. Please call (714) 572-3626 or Fax (714) 572-0585. You might even be able to email them at Wetterholm@XC.org.

————————————–

MAP ORDERS CONTINUE TO POUR IN
If you haven’t yet ordered your global map of peoples groups, colored according to percentage of evangelicals, don’t forget to do so at:

Foreign Mission Board, S. Baptist, Customer Service
PO Box 6767
Richmond, VA 23230
Voice: 804-219-1507; Fax: 804-254-8970
E-Mail: 0002050296@mcimail.com

Remember that the prices quoted ($6.95 for 24×36″, $9.95 for 3×5′) are for shipping to USA locations. Shipping internationally will be a tad more, I’m afraid. These things are hot. I taught a Perspectives class last night in Louisville and there was a lot of interest. We also have received several inquiries from the press, since they’re hearing about the widespread interest in the concept! Someone asked how 60,000+ orders can come in in just two weeks… the secret is working together. Global Mapping has done a tremendous job mobilizing over 60 networks and Brigada is just one of those… so God is working broadly across his kingdom to bring strength in unity of purpose!

————————————–

HOW DO YOU SAY ‘HELLO’???
… to your missionaries on ‘home service’ (furlough)? Kevin Paszalek wants to know! He’s the Sr. Pastor at Southway Community Church in Houston, TX and he feels convicted that we just aren’t doing enough to care for the ones we love (the missionaries coming home on furlough). If you’ve got a neat case study of how you were cared for (if you’re a missionary-type) or how you reached out to debrief or share love with someone coming home (if you’re a church-type), just send a note about it to Kevin at pkevinp@soho.ios.com sometime during the next two weeks.
Kevin, we’re going to ask you to gather up all the notes into a big file that we can post here on Brigada so anybody can read the results. Okay? Thanks!!!

————————————–

RAMADAN PASSES FAST!
Paul Filidis is still “mopping up” from the “30 Days Muslim Prayer” mobilization (coinciding annually with the Muslim month of fasting) for North America. He writes, We distributed over 30,000 informative adult booklets in North America, over 1,500 videos on Islam, and thousands more booklets for younger readers. Worldwide, we are still tallying the numbers and receiving reports. The new translations of the booklet that were launched for this year’s Ramadan included Czech, Dutch, Indonesian and Chinese, bringing the total to 24 languages. Editorial and design work on the materials for next Ramadan (starting January 10, 1997) are under way. Interested ministries that want to place bulk orders, and mobilize their constituency to participate during the next “30 Days Muslim Prayer” Focus, better plan ahead, and order early this year. There will not be enough time (as in previous years) to leave ordering until after Christmas. The Islamic lunar calendar causes the Ramadan dates to occur earlier every year. For those who want to receive a flyer and order form later this year, should send their name and mailing address to wcn@xc.org. Great job, Paul!!! Count on our Envision’96 churches to get on board in a big way! We’ll want to display your materials in Lexington!

————————————–

RATS — HAVEN’T SEEN IT YET!
Hoped to be able to tell you about a new video today, from Proclamedia (YWAM productions), but it’s still apparently in route. Still, I’m sure it’ll be dynamite, if you want to go ahead and get your order in now. YWAM and World Christian have over 300,000 titles of books currently in print that are available at a discount. Paul writes, While our heart beat is toward promoting missions-related resources, we can ALSO ship any other book (including those from secular publishing houses). So think of us next time you want to purchase books; you could help Youth With A Mission. To view a booklist of selected titles and prices, direct your web browser to http://www.ywam.org/books.html, or send your mailing address by email to wcn@xc.org (tel: 1-719-442-6409). If you already know what books you want, you can just send title and author’s name, and tell us if you want them sent by surface mail or first class / airmail; we can invoice you, and also accept visa and mastercard. Some excellent mission videos can also be ordered, including Challenge of our Unfinished Task (10 min.), and the JUST COMPLETED Joshua Project 2000 video (13 min.). That’s the one I want to see. They’re going to price it at $9.95 for readers! This price includes shipping for USA orders!!!. That’s a super price! (How do these people pay for these videos, video cases, production, scriptwriting, music scores, shipping, and have any money left over for food for their families! I mean… duh… these people have to eat. But I’d better hush or they’ll raise the price back up to the normal $14.95! :-)) More about it next week once I’ve seen it! We hope to use it in July at a special mission mobilizers’ luncheon in Dallas, TX. It’s supposed to be hot… sharing some of the exciting opportunities and challenges among the least evangelized people groups of the world. Thanks Paul, John, and all the folks at Proclamedia!! That’s Colorado for ya! :-)

————————————–

JUST LUCK FOLLOW-THROUGH
Thanks to those who responded kindly toward the “Just Luck” note in last week’s Brigada Today. One reader wrote,
I thought you would appreciate the definition a friend(Kent Staples) developed a few years ago for the word LUCK.

L = laboring
U = under
C = correct
K = knowledge

Of course the knowledge part is further definable as the knowledge of Jesus Christ and as having the mind of Christ. So as you almost said, there’s no such thing, as luck.
Blessings,
Fred Higgins, Jacksonville, FL.

Thanks Fred! And thanks to the missionary from the Philippines who wrote that he had helped lead some 1,300 people to receive Christ this past month. His conclusion, It didn’t happen by accident. Thanks for your encouraging word. Thanks again to those who labor day in, day out, sometimes with very little thanks, sometimes with very little fruit. Just remember … the game’s not over ’til the ref says so. :-)

And for those who wondered (or wrote)… Yes, we did end up winning the game… but I barely noticed! :-) I was having too much fun learning to play! :-)

————————————–

NEW PEOPLE GROUP RESOURCE ON THE WEB
Thanks to John Hanna for his tireless work with Caleb Project, people specific advocates, and those researching the least reached! He’s recently acquired an entire collection of some 2 zillion people profiles called the “Nance Collection.” (Actually I think there are only 1,573, but I got the entire list and it seemed to me there were 2 zillion! :-) John writes, These profiles were collected as a labor of love by Robert Nance over the past 10 years. While some of the data is not as up to date as might be wished, they are an excellent starting point for any people-group prayer project or research. The profiles are indexed by people group and country. Within a few days, the full text should also be searchable by popular Internet search engines like AltaVista. In other words, by setting your browser to http://www.altavista.digital.com you should be able to just type in the name of the people group you want to reach and Alta Vista’s search engines will direct you immediately to the proper profile in Caleb Project’s stack.

Now here’s the challenge! Will the folks at AD2000 & Beyond be able to dream up a way to link all 1573 profiles as hot links to their JP2000 list (accessed at http://www.ad2000.org/peoples/peoplex.htm) so it’ll appear as a jump-link on the bottom of the AD2000 & Beyond profiles??? Give ’em about 30 days and I’d lay down next month’s house payment that it’ll be done! :-) Something about these people who live in Colorado makes them motivated to help us pray and learn about the least evangelized! :-) Must be the mountain air or somethin’. By the way, don’t miss the note below. More Colorado. Makes me tired just thinking about it! When I grow up, I should move to Colorado.

————————————–

THE EMMAUS WEB
Emmaus Road, International is an educational resource ministry to assist your church, mission agency or college ignite, develop and expand your involvement in cross-cultural outreach. Resources are offered include publications, seminars, ACTS Training Tapes, ACTS Training Courses and ACTS Ministry Trips. See their web site at http://www.eri.org

————————————–

GLOBAL GLIMPSE FROM PAKISTAN
An innovative radio program is presenting unprecedented evangelistic opportunities in Pakistan. FEBA Radio is broadcasting a program called Along with Life and it’s generating 400 to 500 letters a month from the mostly Muslim country. Nagina Victor, who develops counseling and relationships with these people, says it’s harvest time in Pakistan. Of the 122-million people in Pakistan, less than two-percent are reportedly Christians.
(Source: MISSION NETWORK NEWS, Week 18, STORY # 5, Tuesday, April 30, 1996,
FAX: 616-942-7078, Voice: 800-284-9361, E-mail: mnn@cornerstone.edu
1159 East Beltline NE, Grand Rapids MI 49505, http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn)
Global Glimpse is compiled each week by John Hanna, Caleb Project, and yes, they’re in Colorado too. :-)

————————————–

SPECIAL PRAYER REQUEST FOR PRISONERS
May 9-11 will be historic for prisoners in the Taejon prison in Taejon, Korea, writes Norm Weaver 102774.1772@CompuServe.COM, of MSA in Knoxville, TN. As a result of prayer and fasting on the part of over 50 prisoners, the warden has requested a revival campaign to be conducted May 9-11. Sang Ho Kim, and Duk Hae Kwak, two nephews of C. Y. Kim, are in prison because of a frame-up by a former employee of Han Sung Seminary in Taejon, South Korea. Sang Ho, also the minister of Torch Christian Church in Taejon, will lead the revival. Special concessions are being made for this historic event. Members from the Torch Christian Church will be able to attend the services and an unheard of diet of fresh meat and vegetables will be served the prisoners during the meetings. Taejon prison is the largest in South Korea with over 3,500 prisoners, many of them foreigners. Prayer is urgently requested for this significant event! Norm continues, The Unification Church (moonies), will attempt to stop this! Pray that God will triumph and His truth will be declared! Pray for the safety of Sang Ho, Duk Hae, and C. Y. and that God will use them to His glory!
Norm, we’ll count on an update once you’ve heard back, okay? Thanks! And thanks again for being willing to kick off our orders for that global map!

————————————–

AND FROM THE ‘OOPS’ DEPARTMENT
This just in… About 2 weeks ago Brigada Today ran a 2 line “splash” about my first book, STORYTELLER’S BIBLE STUDY FOR INTERNATIONALS. Although your message generated a good deal of interest, there were two problems with your message the way it was worded:

1. You only wrote that what I had was a storyteller’s Bible. That was not a big problem, since I simply clarified the misunderstanding to everyone who wrote me. But the second problem is more difficult.
2. You wrote that my name was Bill TAYLOR, not Bill PERRY (which is my real name!). I don’t know who Bill Taylor is, but now I’m getting mail for him!

Will you please somehow clear up the confusion in the next Brigada Today, or the closest available issue?
Thanks!
— Bill Perry

Bill Perry lives at 72624.2215@CompuServe.COM. Bill Taylor is someone totally different! :-) Reminds me of some kind of good news/bad news joke from a stand-up comedian! :-)
Sorry to buffalo both Bills!

——————-

TO SUBSCRIBE TO BRIGADA TODAY, send email to hub@xc.orgwith only the following message:
subscribe brigada

TO UNSUBSCRIBE (Can’t you at least wait ’til we hit 2500??? :-) ) send email to hub@xc.orgwith this line in the text:
unsubscribe brigada
——————-

BRIGADA TODAY IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE FOLLOWING TEAM OF REGULAR VOLUNTEERS:

Global Glimpses: John Hanna, Caleb Project, jhanna@cproject.com
ADVANCE: Mark A. Kelley, Kainos Press, 70420.1057@compuserve.com
Web Wizard: Bob Mayhew, Brigada Volunteer, Mayhew@xc.org
Web Art: Patti Mayhew, pmayhew@discover.net
Technical Development: Jonathan Marsden, MAFxc jonathan@xc.org
Brigada Customer Service Manager: Revis Ann Massey, RevisAnnMassey@xc.org
Brigada Coordinator: Doug Lucas, Team Expansion & Brigada, DLucas@TeamExpansion.org
and many other occasional contributors too numerous to mention! But thanks for working together! That’s the dream of Brigada!