Latest news with #missionaries
South China Morning Post
5 days ago
- Lifestyle
- South China Morning Post
Interwar Hongkongers' summer destination of choice? Indonesia
Since the colony's earliest years, the summer months of dankly humid weeks of near-constant rain, followed by a few baking-hot, magnificently clear days, punctuated by passing typhoons, have been the season to escape. But before air services expanded everyone's travel horizons, where lay within reasonable reach by sea, offering pleasant, modern resort localities with warm daytime weather, fresh mornings and cool afternoons? Regional options were limited. In mainland China, modest hill stations, mostly established by missionaries, were scattered across the interior but none were readily accessible from Hong Kong. Farther afield, yet close enough for relatively short visits, Japan, and Japanese-ruled Taiwan, offered several attractive mountain resorts. Established from the early 20th century and accessible by road and rail from major cities, places such as Nikko became popular destinations for a while. By the early 1930s, however, as Japan descended into fascist rule, foreigners found themselves subject to official surveillance, which diminished that country's pull. So where else as erstwhile peaceful, interesting and accessible also offered a range of cooler-climate options? The Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia), and more specifically, the island of Java , was the premier interwar summer destination of choice for those Hongkongers able to afford leisure travel. An early 20th-century advertisement for steamship connections to Java. Photo: Handout Dramatically beautiful, cool-weather mountain resorts had been a noted feature on Java from the early 19th century. Linked by modern railways and excellent road networks to international ports at Surabaya and Batavia (present-day Jakarta), modern Dutch-built highland cities including Bandung, in West Java, and Malang, in East Java, offered convenient access to smaller hill towns found at higher altitudes nearby, such as Garut, Sukabumi, Lawang and Tretes.
Associated Press
6 days ago
- General
- Associated Press
AP PHOTOS: On remote Nagasaki islands, a rare version of Christianity heads toward extinction
IKITSUKI, Japan (AP) — On the rural islands of Nagasaki, a handful of believers practice a version of Christianity that has direct links to a time of samurai, shoguns, and martyred missionaries and believers. On Ikitsuki and other remote sections of Nagasaki prefecture, Hidden Christians pray to what they call the Closet God — scroll paintings of Mary and Jesus disguised as a Buddhist Bodhisattva, hidden in special closets. They chant in a Latin that has not been widely used for centuries. Now, though, the Hidden Christians are disappearing. Almost all are elderly, and as the young move away to cities or turn their backs on the faith, those remaining are desperate to preserve evidence of this unique offshoot of Christianity — and convey to the world what its loss will mean. ______ This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
Washington Post
7 days ago
- General
- Washington Post
Takeaways from AP's reporting on looming extinction of rare version of Christianity in rural Japan
IKITSUKI, Japan — On the rural islands of Nagasaki a handful of believers practice a version of Christianity that has direct links to a time of samurai, shoguns and martyred missionaries and believers. After emerging from hiding in 1865, following centuries of violent persecution by Japan's insular warlord rulers, many of the formerly underground Christians converted to mainstream Catholicism.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Man, reportedly under the influence, assaults missionary group member
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) – A man was arrested Friday afternoon after he was reportedly intoxicated while being visited by a group of missionaries before he assaulted one of the members. The initial incident occurred around 1:25 p.m. The Grand Junction Regional Communication Center received a report of a man who threatened to kill his roommate at their home in the 2100 block of North 26th Street, according to the Grand Junction Police Department. While the missionaries were visiting with the suspect at his home, the man allegedly assaulted one of the members in the kitchen. The group immediately left the house before his roommate arrived not long after. The suspect reportedly tried to stab his roommate with a knife but he was able to restrain the man before law enforcement arrived. GJPD then took the suspect, Joel Ballantyne, 33, into custody. He was transported to the Mesa County Detention Facility and booked on attempted first-degree assault, felony menacing, attempted second-degree assault on a peace officer, menacing, harassment and restraining order violation. The police department said it believes this was an isolated incident and there's no ongoing threat to the community. The investigation is ongoing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
One year later: Parents reflect on life, death of daughter and son-in-law killed in Haiti
NEOSHO, Mo. — One year ago, gang members took the lives of Davy and Natalie Lloyd — a local missionary couple serving in Haiti. 'I wasn't expecting today to hit as hard as it did,' said Naomi Baker. For Ben and Naomi Baker, the one-year anniversary of their daughter and son-in-law's deaths, has been filled with emotion. 'It's hard to believe it's been a year,' said Ben Baker. 'My heart woke up with that lost feeling, and I was jarred awake with it just that today's one year, but it feels like the day after,' said Naomi Baker. On May 23, 2024, Davy and Natalie Lloyd — missionaries working in Haiti — were murdered during violent gang riots that crippled the country. 'Just thinking back over the year, how we have tried to get through this, as a family, and really it comes down to just the prayers of so many people,' said Ben Baker. Since that day, Natalie's parents say they've received a tremendous outpouring of support. 'I mean, I can't say enough about the people in our life. The Joplin and Neosho community, the state of Missouri, just so many people. Our home church and our pastor. Everyone everyone's been so kind to us,' said Naomi Baker. They say the legacy Davy and Natalie left behind helps keep them strong. 'There's no doubt that future generations will know who Davy and Natalie Lloyd were,' said Ben Baker. In honor of the couple, construction is underway on the Davy and Natalie Lloyd Academic Center on the campus of Neosho's Ozark Bible Institute. As for Ben and Naomi, the tragic loss has given them a new purpose. 'I don't believe that our connection in Haiti ended with Davy and Natalie. I don't believe that. We're committed to doing whatever we can to help the innocent people of Haiti,' said Naomi Baker. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
