May I be among the first to thank you for sacrificial giving through this past year's Lottie Moon Christmas Offering? In case you haven't heard what your giving has done, try this page.

In catching up on vacation e-mail, I saw this: OREGON--FIRST-PERSON (Kelly Boggs): Is the Islamic call to prayer a liberty issue?  (full text below) So when's it coming to your town?

On our flight across the Mediterranean I saw this movie for a miniature edition of the Old City and thought you might enjoy it.

Finally, thanks to Bill B for sharing this:

My Come Pewter Has Spell Czech

Eye halve a spelling chequer. It came with my pea sea.

It plane lea marques four my revue miss steaks eye kin not sea.

Eye strike a key and type a word and weight four it to say

weather eye am wrong or write. It shows me strait a weigh.

As soon as a mist ache is made, it nose bee four two long

and eye can put the error write. It's sell dumb wrong.

Eye halve run this pome threw it and I'm shore yore glad too no

Its letter perfect in it's weigh, my checquer tolled me sew.

After ewe halve red this, it wood bee oh kay four ewe to

four ward it too others, all sew. Thanks fore yore thyme!

Matthew 24:14

* Be sure to sign up for the Wednesday Weekly.

+ A co-worker and I could very well have been at the visa place by the time you received this, so you prayed for that visa one more time... had our passports not been so close to expiration I believe we would have received the visa as you prayed (sigh). It's always something, but at least there seems to be real progress in the making.

+ You prayed with me that another opportunity to receive an estimate for the Prayer Garden would come about last week... another co-worker and I have made arrangements for this to happen, so thank you for praying!

+ That rescheduled follow up visit concerning my blood test was on Thursday, so you joined me in asking God to be able to accept whatever came about... Join me in giving thanks for a great follow up medical report! My first blood test was 2-March and the last one was seven weeks later on 19-April after taking daily doses of folic acid (5mg) and 10mg of Simvastatin. Here are the 'before-and-after' numbers:

glucose, 98-65

cholesterol, 207-135

triglycerides, 97-89

HDL, 35-31

LDL, 152-86

homocystine, 70.7-19.9 (*This was the biggie since 'normal' is in the 5-12 range.)

+ Last Friday Jasmine was a month away from being 5, and I could have used ongoing prayer to cherish these fleeting days... thanks to your intercession I am reminded not to let any "little victory pass away without applause." Today at her monthly visit to burger King she wanted to sit away from us and, wow, was I proud of her growing independence. She asked, "Can you still see me?" reiterating the safety feature we've instilled in her: if you can see your Daddy's eyes, you're safe : -)

+ I could have used focused intercession on taking care of the end of the month financial report. Most of us in the US recently went through tax time, and I get to feel that around the end/beginning of each month... wow, did I sense your intercession today, and am I ever grateful! Thank you for making a difference in my life today : -)

+ Another follow-up dental visit was due last week so, once again, you prayed for our endurance and an open opportunity to share the Good News with our dentist... endurance was given as was an open opportunity; however, I found myself caught off guard and can only trust Him for another chance under different circumstances.

+ I met with "John" last week and presented him with his requested copy of John's Gospel account. You prayed that the door would remain open for a follow up visit that, prayerfully, will contain the question of Acts 16:31... postponed until Wednesday, May 5 - see below!

<T H I S  W E E K><

<>< Shirin will be attending a local Bible study in the Old City and asks you to join her in praying that those attending will learn what God says about fortune telling, curses, and other occult like activities. There will be four future meetings set aside for this subject. We hope that the attendees will bring their friends in order to reach more women with the gospel.

<>< Pray with me over the next estimates we're expecting for the work in the Prayer Garden that we'll be the best stewards of what God will give.

<>< As I give "John" his copy of that gospel account, ask God to speak to his heart.

<>< A get together is planned this weekend with a good friend who needs to make a positive decision to follow Jesus. Pray with us that such would occur!

>< Pray for the people of China. >

CALENDAR UPDATES

<If you're not receiving our bimonthly snail-mail newsletter, let us know so we can send it to you!><

28, Jasmine’s ongoing safety

* Those of you with children know how this is such an ongoing concern, and I'm delighted to share that Jasmine is 'safe and secure from all alarms.'

29, no attacks at all

* There are a few hours left in the day and, prayerfully, we won't hear the shelling in Bethlehem.

30, Jasmine is one month from being 5 yrs!

* She grew a quarter of an inch (5mm) this month and is a healthy 44 lbs (20kg).

1, Focus on Him!

* As I worked on the monthly report, Jasmine thoroughly enjoyed watching a New Testament DVD (thanks again, DM and SCCC!)

2-4, Pray with us that a friend of Scott’s find Jesus by his 40th birthday on Wednesday.

* I haven't heard of this happening yet, but I am ever so grateful for such abundant intercession!

FIRST-PERSON: Is the Islamic call to prayer a liberty issue?

By Kelly Boggs

McMINVILLE, Ore. (BP)--Imagine you are nestled comfortably in your bed. It is officially morning but still dark outside. Suddenly a loudspeaker blaring an announcement accompanied by music invades your peace. The audible intrusion continues for almost two minutes. Now imagine this scenario occurring 365-days a year. The aforementioned is soon to be reality in the community of Hamtramck, Michigan.

The City Council of the Detroit suburb voted unanimously April 20 to allow the Bangladeshi al-Islah mosque to broadcast a call to prayer to its Muslim members via loudspeaker. The announcement will take place five times a day. Mosque leaders have agreed to refrain from airing the call before 6 a.m. and after 10 p.m.

Some said the call to prayer is the equivalent of church bells. Opponents argued that church bells have no religious significance. Both sides missed the point. Anything broadcast for two minutes over a loudspeaker before 9 a.m. is intrusive, regardless of content.

I consider myself a fairly serious practitioner of Christianity. That being said, if a local church -- say MY church -- wanted to start ringing bells at 6:30 a.m., I would protest. Even if they wanted to broadcast a lovely verse or two of "Amazing Grace," I would ask that it be aired at a time that would not disturb most residents. Jesus said to love your neighbor as yourself. Since I would not want my neighbor cranking up a stereo (or anything for that matter) at dawn's early light, I should refrain from the same.

Many communities have noise ordinances restricting not only decibel levels, but also the time of day when loud activity can be conducted. If Hamtramck does not yet have such an ordinance, I wonder how long it will be before it does? And will such a law be viewed as an infringement on the mosque's right to practice its religion?

Beyond the noise issue, I do have to take issue with the argument that the Muslim call to prayer is the same as church bells. Followers of Islam are expected to pray five times a day while facing Mecca. The call to prayer is a signal for members of a mosque to call on Allah.

The call to prayer is recited in Arabic. According to Ergun and Emir Caner, authors of "Unveiling Islam," the call is as follows:

God is great.

God is great.

God is great.

God is great.

I testify that there is none worthy of worship except God.

I testify that there is none worthy of worship except God.

I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God.

I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God.

Come to prayer!

Come to prayer!

Come to success!

Come to success!

God is great!

God is great!

There is none worthy of worship except God.

Most church bells indicate the time. Some play a portion of a hymn unaccompanied by lyrics. I have yet to encounter a church that broadcasts anything close to a message like the Muslim call to prayer.

If a Christian church wants to begin broadcasting a statement of faith five times a day will the Hamtramck City Council approve? What if a Baptist church wants to air a verse of scripture like John 17:3 which states, "This is eternal life that they might come to know Thee, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent," will it be accommodated?

While prayer five times a day is required of Muslims, I have found nowhere that a public call is mandated. The British Broadcasting Company once carried a report about a mobile phone company in the United Arab Emirates that offered Muslims the option of receiving the call to prayer via their cell phones.

An electronic organizer regulates my schedule. If I were Muslim, I could easily program my personal digital assistant to "call" me to prayer via an alarm.

It is my understanding that there are other communities with significant Muslim populations that also allow the call to prayer to be broadcast. The American Civil Liberties Union and Americans United for Separation of Church and State seem to be missing in action on "the call to prayer" issue. Usually when there is a situation that even hints at a state accommodation of Christianity, the two groups are Johnny-on-the-spot to insist the public display or practice be stopped.

If the public display of the Ten Commandments, the mentioning of Jesus' name in a student-initiated prayer, and the recitation of "under God" in the pledge are viewed by "civil liberties" groups as an establishment of religion, then why is a Muslim call to prayer broadcast five times a day, 365 days a year, over a loud speaker not viewed in the same light?

Can you say "hypocrisy?" Say it louder. Say it five times a day. Say it over a loudspeaker at 6:30 in the morning; the ACLU and AU don't seem to be able to hear.

--30--