Many Pakistani are living in temporary shelters on any dry ground they can find. (BGR photos.)

Pakistan (MNN) -- As floodwaters have ravaged Pakistan, many ministries have rushed to bring aid to the estimated 17 to 20 million victims. Unfortunately, many ministries seem to be coming up against a mammoth problem: no funding.

"The giving is really lagging behind right now," explains Jeff Palmer, executive director for Baptist Global Response, a close partner of International Mission Board. Although many have given generously--for which BGR is grateful, much more is needed to properly respond to the dire need in Pakistan.

The numbers can be put in perspective when measuring them against the funds given after the Haiti earthquake. It's about a month into the severe Pakistan flooding at this point, and BGR has received somewhere between $50,000 to $60,000. A month after the Haiti quake, at least $2 million had been donated to the ministry for relief work. To further highlight the need, BGR has already poured about $600,000 into Pakistan relief--a number not remotely covered by donor response to the crisis. Within the next month, the ministry estimates a need for another $1 million.

So why the contrast in response to the needs in Pakistan vs. Haiti? Palmer says it could be a number of things. He confirmed that people may be skeptical of the Middle East, but also that they may simply be burnt out from giving. In general, many may not see it as such a big issue as the Haiti catastrophe because less lives have been lost, even if more have been affected. For Americans in particular, Pakistan is just too far removed for many to get emotionally involved.

"Not many Americans travel to Pakistan," notes Palmer. "A lot of Americans travel to Haiti, and a lot of mission organizations have work going on in Haiti. Pakistan...is not as near and dear to the hearts."

Ironically, rather than safe and dry Christians in other countries, Pakistani believers are the ones helping the most. These brave believers have been affected by the floodwaters themselves, undoubtedly lost possessions and perhaps even loved ones. Yet, they are on the frontlines of flood relief, despite the fact that they are coming up against many who are angry to see aid doled out in the name of Christ in a predominantly-Muslim nation.

"The first responders in Pakistan are the Christians that are there--the believers, the local Pakistani. Many of them are putting themselves in harm's way. Because of the predominant culture in the country, they're not looked on very favorably. The first number of projects we've been able to do actually are supporting local believers who are able to go out and minister to their neighbors with food and with water and with blankets."

The lack of emotional attachment from believers elsewhere around the world, however, is an unfortunate blow for Pakistani in need and could hinder the work of believers in the country. Believers there are not only providing necessities for the survival of their fellow countrymen, they're also providing the hope of the Gospel as traumatized Pakistani seek answers.

"An event like this does a couple of things," explains Palmer. "It displaces people, and it makes them ask questions. It also opens up cultural questions as to why these things happen."

Victims need spiritual questions answered, but they will listen only if they have their immediate needs of shelter, food and medicine met. Believers cannot continue to hand relief items out in the name of Christ if there is no funding to provide those things.

If you can help by giving even a small amount to help the tens of millions of people who have lost so much and are looking for hope, please prayerfully consider giving money to BGR or another ministry helping in Pakistan. To give with BGR, visit their Web site at gobgr.org. This may be an opportunity to trust in the Lord as you support the work of our faithful brothers and sisters in Pakistan.

Please continue to pray for the people of Pakistan as well. Pray for the floods to recede and for people to find their ways safely back to their homes. Pray that in the midst of turmoil, many Pakistani who may never have considered Jesus Christ in the past would now turn to Him wholeheartedly and put their trust in Him.

Pray for strength and boldness for believers who are spreading relief and the Good News. Pray for their safety from the Pakistani who oppose their lifesaving work.

Syria (MNN) -- The spiritual climate in Syria is a changing one. While Syria's Christian minority is generally respected, conversions to Christianity from Islam are rare and sometimes met with opposition.

Voice of the Martyrs reports that evangelizing is legal, but visas are not granted for missionary work. And while there is freedom to worship, any activity that could threaten communal harmony is suspect, making it difficult to spread the Gospel.

Despite the challenges, Reach Global in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) began in 2008. The team working in the area is focused on holistic ministry: meeting physical and emotional needs as well as the spiritual needs of an individual.

They have been working together with churches, national partners, and collaborating with like-minded ministry organizations in order to reach the Syrians with the hope of Christ, and there has been success. A church has been planted.

Enter: opposition. This June, the Syrian government closed the doors of that evangelical church. The group is still hoping to meet for worship and Bible study, but they are praying for wisdom and discernment on how to do that and still remain within the law.

Pray for the Syrian government to demonstrate more tolerance for establishing evangelical churches. Pray that Christians will be able to reach out to the Muslim population in Syria. Pray that Syrian converts to Christianity will be a strong witness to their family, friends and neighbors.

Haiti (MNN) -- 1.3 million are said to be living in the temporary camps in Haiti, nine months after a devastating quake leveled the capital, Port-au-Prince.

Although it is making headway in recovery, the United Nations notes that the country is still struggling with reconstruction and rebuilding a government.

However, Haiti has successfully avoided a second-wave disaster of epidemics and social unrest. The people's resiliency has been astounding. There are hundreds of reports of a spiritual revival taking place amidst the squalor of the temporary housing sites. 

It's a picture of beauty from ashes, and Baptist Haiti Mission is in the middle of it, sharing the hope of Christ.  

Baptist Haiti Mission is involved with the rebuilding of homes for the surrounding communities, as well as continued food distribution to various schools in the mountain region around Fermathe.

BHM teams were able to provide food for schools to use through the end of the school year. At that time, they provided supplies for the schools to distribute to the children for their families.  

One such school is Qui-Croit, located in the mountain above the Baptist Haiti Mission. The primary school at Qui-Croit has about 422 students, from kindergarten to 6th grade.  

This particular delivery takes place up a steep, narrow mountain road that needs repair. The BHM team arrived to provide 30 sacks of rice, 9 sacks of beans, 5 cartons of oil, and one sack of salt to the school for the families. The help, accompanied by the attitude of the staff and the reputation they stand behind as Christians, opens many doors for them to share the hope of the Gospel with the recipients.

BHM is very thankful to have the opportunity to deliver food to these communities and to help the people of Haiti in this way. You can continue to help. Click here.

SAT-7's viewer response has doubled in the first six months of this year, compared to the same amount of time last year. Calls, text messages and Web hits are all up. (SAT-7 photo)

International (MNN) -- In recent months, SAT-7, Christian satellite television to the Middle East and North Africa, has seen tremendous growth.

"[In] the first six months of 2010, compared to the first six months of 2009, many of our response mechanism have at least doubled," said David Harder, SAT-7's Communications Manager. Responses are up for calls, text messages, and Web site hits.

Harder attributes the growth partially to the expansion of their programming to a second, more popular satellite system last October.

However, he believes that's not the only reason for an increase in responses. With so much recent upheaval throughout the Middle East and North Africa, flooding in Pakistan, suicide bombings in Somalia, the Iranian government's continued tyranny and economic instability wherever you turn, people are looking for answers and turning to God: "When there is great pressure, people are pressed, and they are interested in spiritual things, whereas perhaps before, when their life was relatively easier, they weren't considering those things. So you see more responses when life is tough. In a way, it's unfortunate, but it's fortunate because God can use those times to really reach out and touch people's lives."

Recently, a SAT-7 PARS counselor heard from a viewer who was overwhelmed by the mounting pressures in his life and who had lost the will to live. He sent a text message saying, "This world is nothing. I'm going to kill myself."

Troubled and afraid a text message reply would not be enough to help this viewer, the counselor said: "I prayed and then sent this message back to him: 'If you do that, you are only scared and just running from your problems. Life is a challenge. God is the only one who can help you. I'm a Christian, and I have lots of problems, but God helps me to have victory. If you kill yourself, it's not a brave thing. What will you solve?"

After a delay in responding, the viewer finally wrote back: "You have changed my mind."

Not all of SAT-7's viewer contact is this frightening. In fact, as their responses have doubled, they have also seen an increased number of people calling in to begin a relationship with Jesus Christ or to request a Bible or other Christian resources.

With an increase of responses and ministry expansion comes an increased need for wisdom among SAT-7's counselors, show creators, and the rest of the staff.

Pray that SAT-7 will continue to grow and the God will grant each member of their team wisdom and strength in every situation they face.

Help SAT-7 continue to expand and grow by clicking here.

USA (MNN) -- Have you ever felt out of your element when face-to-face with a different culture? Are people at your church nervous to go on mission trips because they feel that way? Are there cross-cultural issues within your own church body? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions (and even if you didn't), Cornerstone University has a conference for you!

David Livermore with Grand Rapids Theological Seminary has written two books entirely devoted to this topic of cultural intelligence. Livermore will be conducting the Cornerstone's Cultural Intelligence Conference, which will also include speakers from overseas and a special ‘CQ' assessment.

"We have a lot of people coming who are already pretty up-to-speed on their own understanding of how to interact with different cultures, but they're trying to think through ‘How do I help somebody on my short-term team do this well without having had a lot of experience doing it?'" explains Livermore, who says the church can be the place where cultural intelligence is most important.

"The church often tends to be the place where they're dealing with a whole myriad of cross-cultural issues. They may be trying to deal with a growing multicultural community in their own neighborhood, or engaged in international partnerships overseas, sending their teams overseas on short-term trips," says Livermore.

The CQ assessment will help participants learn their strengths and weaknesses when it comes to different cultures within their church body or in an overseas setting. Livermore says the test will even help in one other unique way: "This particular approach to cultural effectiveness even looks at how you help different generations get along together."

The CQ Conference will undoubtedly put you in a better position for spreading the Gospel. Knowing how to navigate through various cultures and being able to teach other believers how to do so are invaluable skills to have in order to create boundless ministry. Increasing cultural intelligence will help you and your church know how to best reach out to the nations, as Jesus has commanded.

The CQ Conference will be in the seminary building on the Cornerstone University campus in Grand Rapids, Michigan on September 13. The $159 entrance fee covers a day of invaluable learning and the CQ test assessment, which is not being offered at any other Christian conference right now. If you'd like to register for this one-day event, click here. To learn more first, head to cornerstone.edu/cqconference.