No end in sight to Ukraine war; Keys for Kids addresses trauma (May 23, 2025, Mission Network News)
“What we’re hearing on the ground is that kids, teens, and families are all in crisis trauma right now. They don’t know what the next day will bring.” One in five children has lost a close relative or friend since the war began three years ago. “The spiritual need is amazingly high right now. There are so many kids looking for some hope.”
Tunisia Church Tries to Hold Steady (April 23, 2025, Christianity Today) (Subscription required)
Some Tunisians view Christianity as a foreign force, counter to the Tunisian way of life. That’s ironic, because Christians lived in what is now Tunisia within decades after the first Easter, although the gospel’s exact journey has not been confirmed.
Stalemate over election: Resolving or deepening? (May 25, 2025, The Business Standard)
Amidst rising tensions between the interim government and various political parties that led to Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus considering resignation, Yunus sat down with representatives from three major political parties — BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizens' Party (NCP) — to discuss the path forward.
Seeking asylum: Is Tunisia a 'safe country of origin?' (April 23, 2025, Deutsche Welle)
The EU wants to speed up processing asylum applications by creating a list of "safe countries of origin." Tunisia is on the list — despite a politically-motivated mass trial of the political opposition.
JMSDF Strengthens Foothold in Nansei Islands as Taiwan Crisis Looms (May 20, 2025, Japan Forward)
With tensions over a potential Taiwan contingency on the rise, Ishigaki Port has effectively become a forward operating base for both Japanese and American naval forces. Their presence serves as a tangible demonstration of strengthened deterrence.
Algeria’s Golden Opportunity (May 22, 2025, The Republic)
Africa’s largest country, Algeria, has a sizeable record of global mediation, spanning the Iran-Iraq conflict in 1975 to the Ethiopia-Eritrea conflict in 2000. Algeria’s evolving diplomacy raises questions on how it balances its revolutionary roots with pragmatic politics.
Why Singapore’s Gen Z voters are less satisfied with the election results (May 15, 2025, South China Morning Post) (Subscription required)
A recent survey after Singapore’s 14th general election has found that while most voters in the city state are satisfied with its outcome, less than half of Gen Z voters expressed approval of the ruling People’s Action Party’s (PAP) resounding victory. About 47 per cent of Gen Z voters, born between 1997 and 2004, approve of the poll results, lower than the other age groups, survey shows.
How Kazakhstan’s Youth Are Blending Tradition with Modernity (May 20, 2025, The Astana Times)
While youth around the world live in an era increasingly dominated by global trends and digital influences, the youth of Kazakhstan are redefining what it means to be Kazakh. This growing wave of cultural expression among young Kazakhs is not just about nostalgia — it is about identity.
Vietnam’s diaspora is shaping the country their parents fled (May 22, 2025, The Economist)
Vietnamese emigrants and their children are coming back, bringing with them not just wealth but also the skills and education they have picked up abroad. Hundreds of thousands of overseas Vietnamese, who are known as “Viet Kieu”, visit their homeland every year. Official data on how many stay permanently are scarce, but many do.
Only 900 speakers of the Sanna language remain. Now Cyprus' Maronites are mounting a comeback (May 24, 2025, The Canadian Press News - The Associated Press)
The tongue, an offshoot of Syrian Arabic that has absorbed some Greek, has been passed from generation to generation in this windswept community in Cyprus. Until less than two decades ago, there was no written script, or even an alphabet, since parents transmitted it to children in conversation. Only a handful of people are trained to teach it. Sanna is at risk of disappearing.
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Joann Pittman
Joann Pittman is Vice President of Partnership and China Engagement and editor of ZGBriefs. Prior to joining ChinaSource, Joann spent 28 years working in China, as an English teacher, language student, program director, and cross-cultural trainer for organizations and businesses engaged in China. She has also taught Chinese at the University …View Full Bio
Blessing Asia
In October-2022 more than 500 Christian leaders from across Asia gathered in Thailand for the Asia 2022 Congress, sponsored by the Lausanne Movement and various partnering organizations. I had the opportunity to participate in the Congress virtually and was mightily blessed. From Bible exposition to K-pop worship, and through seminars and workshops, the participants were encouraged by the stories of what God is doing in countries all over Asia. Clearly, God is on the move.
A beautiful vision was portrayed in a video of the popular worship song The Blessing, featuring singers from all over Asia. Here it is:
Many of the sessions have already been posted on their website and to their YouTube channel.
One that I found particularly helpful considering all that is going on in China was a presentation titled Church and State Relationship in Asia Today. You can see the video here.
I encourage you to spend some time on their website; there are fantastic resources for understanding God’s work in Asia today.
Original link: https://www.chinasource.org/resource-library/blog-entries/blessing-asia/
Image credit: Andrea Brucker, via Unsplash
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