Posted on 09/04/2004 12:53:36 PM PDT by KriegerGeist
RUSSIAN CHRISTIAN CHILDREN HELD HOSTAGE
By Michael Ireland Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service September 1, 2004
BESLAN, RUSSIA (ANS) -- Russian Ministries of Wheaton, Illinois, has issued an urgent call to prayer regarding the siege of School #1 today in Beslan, Russia, by Chechen rebels. Approximately 20 rebels are holding 400 people hostage including teachers, children, and some parents.
Hostage children include those of two evangelical workers trained by Russian Ministries and many other children who recently returned from a Russian Ministries' summer camp.
All of the hostages are being held in the gymnasium, with children placed in the windows as human shields. At least eight people have already been killed including a parent of one of the schoolchildren, a girl, and two policeman. Attackers are threatening to blow up the building if police attempt to storm the school.
Russian Ministries sponsors three Evangelism and Church-Planting Centers in this volatile region. At least two local evangelical pastors, brothers Taymuraz Totiev, with five children in the school, and Sergey Totiev, with three children in the school, are urging all Christians of the world to pray with them for the hostage children and their families at this time.
Russian Ministries' director, Genady Terkun, reporting from outside the school grounds, said that many of the children were very excited about the beginning of school and happy because they had just returned from summer camps supported by Russian Ministies where they learned about Jesus.
The seizure of the school took place shortly after celebratory activities launching the beginning of a new schoolyear. Terkun joins the Totiev family in urging all Christians of the world to pray for the physical safety and spiritual strength of all the hostages and the families of 50 other Christian children trapped in the school.
This siege on School #1 in Beslan marks the latest in a series of violent attacks this year in Russia attributed to Chechen terrorists.
On February 6, an explosion ripped through a subway car in Moscow killing 41 people. On May 9, a bomb exploded in a stadium in the Chechen capital of Grozny during a Victory Day ceremony, killing Chechen President Akhmad Kadyrov and 24 other people. On August 24, two airplanes crashed within minutes of each other after taking off from the same airport. Ninety people were killed. On August 31, a car bomb went off outside of a Moscow subway stop killing at least 10 people.
************************************************************************************************************ Christian children held hostage in Russia, ministry abounds
Posted on September 3rd: 2004 | GospelCom.com
Russia (MNN) -- Christians are on the ground in Beslan, Russia consoling families involved in the hostage situation. Sergey Rakhuba is with Russian Ministries which has outreach in this region bordering Chechnya.
Rakhuba's been talking with Petr Lumichkin, a pastor who's ministering to the families. "Petr says that all Christians (came) to that area to encourage those ones who need encouragement. They're providing comfort and talking to people."
Sergey and Taymuraz Totiev are brothers who are leading Russian Ministries program in Beslan. Their eight children and 50 other children who were part of the local church were taken hostage together. Rakhuba says while the Totiev's are extremely emotional, God is using them. "The Totiev family, they have all their children, seven to 14 years old, they're all in that school. And, Sergey himself, very much devastated of course, he says 'I don't know why God allowed it to happen', but then he's talking to people that are around him, like him, fathers and mothers. He is sharing his faith."
Rakhuba says many of the families involved have many questions. "Some people blame even God, saying 'why couldn't God protect the little ones?' This is an opportunity to tell them about God and the hope in Him and to communicate the Gospel to them."
A member of the Gospel Communications Network.
Report problems to: mnn@gospelcom.net
©2003 Mission Network News. All Rights Reserved.
Persecution.org:
Link to additional Information
Explosions Rock Besieged Russian School; Christian Children and Missionaries Among Hostages
Link to Additional Information
Analysis: Who Are The Hostage Takers In North Ossetia?
Link to Additional Information
BTTT
BUMP
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.