A SHORT BIOGRAPHY OF FANNY.J.CROSBY ,BLIND HYMN WRITER AND POETESS

Frances Jane Van Alstyne, poet and hymn-writer, known by her pen name Fanny J. Crosby, was born at South East, Putnam County, New York, March 24,1820. When six weeks old she lost her sight, through the negligence of the attending physician, but in spite of this severe affliction has always been noted for her cheerful and happy disposition.
She was educated in the New York City Institution for the Blind, which she entered in 1835, and proving herself one of the brightest of its favored pupils, completed the course of instruction in 1842. In 1847 she was appointed teacher of English grammar, rhetoric, Roman and Greek history, in this institution, filling the position acceptably until 1858. In 1851 she joined the Methodist Episcopal church, of which she has ever since been a devoted member.
When still very young she manifested poetic talent, composing creditable verses at the remarkably early age of eight years. She is described as an impressionable child, keenly appreciative of the beauties of nature, and left so greatly to her own thoughts, her intellect matured rapidly.
Her first volume of verse appeared in 1844, under the title "A Blind Girl and Other Poems." In 1849 came "Monterey and Other Poems," and in 1858 "A Wreath of Columbia's Flowers." From 1853 to 1858 she wrote a number of songs, which were set to music by George F. Root, some of them becoming exceedingly popular, such as "Rosalie the Prairie Flower," "Hazel Dell," "There's Music in the Air," etc.
Her first Sunday-school hymn was written in 1864, at the request of William B. Bradbury, the father of popular Sunday-school music in America, and was published by him in his " Golden Censer." During the succeeding thirty-two years she has been pouring forth from the riches of her heart and intellect, hymns, songs, and poems until they now number over 5,000, many of which have been published by The Biglow & Main Co., of New York City.
Her hymns are characterized by simplicity, directness and intense earnestness. Among the most popular are "Safe in the Arms of Jesus," "Pass Me Not, O Gentle Saviour," "Rescue the Perishing," "Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross," "The Bright Forever," "Close to Thee," "Saviour, More Than Life to Me," and "I Am Thine, O Lord."
Fanny Crosby never writes out her poems, but completes each one in her mind and dictates it to an amanuensis. It is said that she can thus compose a dozen or more hymns before finally committing them to paper.
Through the publication of the famous "Gospel Hymns," and innumerable Sunday-school hymn-books in this country, and Mr. Sankey's "Sacred Songs and Solos" in England, her hymns have attained a wider circulation, and are at this time more extensively sung throughout the world than those of any other living hymn-writer. Many of her latest and best productions have appeared by her own request under various noms de plume.
In 1858 Miss Crosby was married to Prof. Alexander Van Alstyne, a talented teacher of music in New York, and, like herself, totally blind. She has, however, continued to write under her maiden name, which has become justly noted.
Possessed of a strong and hopeful Christian faith, a faculty for hard and persistent work, and a kindly interest in all about her, she is, even in old age, one of the brightest mortals, and the life of every circle into which she comes. Her residence is in Brooklyn. New York. [Note: Information up to 1897; Fanny Crosby died in 1915.]

PASTOR ROB SMITH TO LAUNCH FERRIES ON LAKE VICTORIA , AFRICA'S LARGEST LAKE

Evangelical Christians have been plowing money into Africa for decades, even before megachurch pastor Rick Warren made it fashionable with his development program in Rwanda.
One of the more unusual ideas that's come across my desk belongs to a South Africa-born Seattle resident who believes that Africa needs capital investment, not another handout.
So Rob Smith, the son of a Nazarene pastor, has begun EarthWise Ventures, which seeks to build a fleet of ferries on Lake Victoria, Africa's largest lake. Thirty percent of the Ugandan economy once depended on a water-transport service built by the British during colonial days but which Africans failed to keep up once the British left.
There are two untrustworthy ferries operated by the Tanzanian and Ugandan governments that have very limited service, but most of the 1,600 people who journey between the two countries instead choose a two-day grueling bus trip. EarthWise's ferries will move between Kampala, Uganda, and Mwanza, Tanzania.
Mr. Smith is the founder of the Agathos Foundation, which has been feeding and housing African orphans and widows devastated by AIDS since 2002. In 2006, he encountered a Ugandan, Calvin Echodu, who runs a similar Christian nonprofit helping former child soldiers and sex slaves in the northern part of his country.
After Mr. Echodu told Mr. Smith of the need for a ferry system to help his native land, the South African realized here was a solution that would help orphans and widows by building up the local economy.
Plus, the Seattle area relies on an extensive ferry system that connects the Olympic Peninsula and various islands in Puget Sound with each other, so it was not hard to grasp the benefits a similar system would be to Africans.
He has raised $800,000 of the $1.2 million he needs for a 65-foot wood-and-fiberglas catamaran, the first in a series of 10 boats, that will hold 200 passengers and revitalize the economies of the three countries, including Kenya, that border the lake. He needs to raise the rest by mid-September, which is when the first ferry will be sent overseas.
The 30-ton catamaran will run on biofuels, specifically the jatropha plant, that can easily be grown by local farmers. It is being built at a plant in Everett, Wash., then will be disassembled, shipped to Africa in 40-foot containers, then reassembled there. A crew of 40 in Uganda will assemble and operate the ferry, which it is hoped will start operating by December.
It can go up to 32 knots per hour, making the run across the lake in an easy six to 10 hours.
Mr. Smith is no head-in-the-clouds kind of guy. He hopes to run EarthWise as a for-profit venture and expects a return of at least 7 percent to investors a year after the ferry is up and running.
All the key players are Christian, but they don't have to be.
"We're doing this because of our sense of calling to Africa," he says, "which is primarily to reach out to the poor and the needy."
All ferries will be constructed to U.S. Coast Guard standards and tickets will cost about $25, the same as the bus fare.
"It will have such a big footprint," he says. "It will help the indigenous farmers in Tanzania, the local economy and our orphan farms in Uganda, which will also benefit from our purchase of our fuel."

To mark the first anniversary of the violent attacks on Christians by Hindu fundamentalists, Christians on Monday organized Inter Religious Harmony and Candle Light Homage in South Indian city of Madurai in Tamil Nadu State.
Christian Today India reported that around 800 human rights activists, secular thinkers, lay persons, pastors, priests and sisters participated in the event organized by the Ecumenical Christian Forum for Human Rights held at Arasaradi in Madurai city.
The forum has demanded full justice for the victims. The eight point demands made by the forum include providing education to displaced children and job opportunity to the affected women and youth.
It said, the government must “provide further compensation for those who have been affected by the violence, including covering the loss of crops, livestock and employment, and assess required levels of compensation on a case-by-case basis through certified independent evaluators.”
They also called on the federal government to bring in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate the death of Hindu priest Lakhmanananda Saraswati Swami, whose death led to the subsequent anti-Christian violence from August 2008 onwards.
Following the swami’s death, Hindu mobs attacked Christians, burning their homes, shops, churches and orphanages. More than 30,000 Christians from Orissa were forced to take shelter in refugee camps for many months.
About 4,500 Christian homes were burned and 180 churches destroyed. At least 60 Christians were killed, according to the Orissa government’s report, but church leaders in Orissa report higher figures and have accused the government of intentionally undercounting the number of deaths.
The two Fast Tract Courts - I and II set up in the district is now examining 827 cases registered during the riots in which 10,000 people were named. Chargesheet has already been filed in 437 cases and investigation was on in other 354 cases, including the nun’s rape.
So far 6 persons have been convicted in the riots case. Five persons were sentenced to six years rigorous imprisonment on 27 July and one person was earlier sentenced to four years imprisonment on on 29 June.
Rev. Dr. M. Gnanavaram, Principal of Tamilnadu Theological Seminary who presided over the event explained the demands and emphasized the urgency of actions to solve the issue of religious fundamentalism.
The historical background of the riots was spelt out by Father Jebamalai Raja and clearly gave the picture of the present condition of the victims in Kandhamal. He said actions must be done to bring justice to the victims immediately by the State and Central Governments.
Rev. Wilson Mohanraj invoked the Spirit and prayed for the suffering people of Kandhamal.
Last week, Open Doors, a persecution watchdog reported that more than 4,000 Kandhamal Christians are reportedly still stuck in squalid refugee camps, too scared to return to their villages and have called for Christians to pray for the “brothers and sisters remain homeless”.
There are an estimated 25 million Christians (about 2.3 percent of the population) in India. The majority of India’s population is Hindu.

SOUTH KOREA MULLS RESTRICTING MISSIONARY WORK IN MIDEAST

SEOUL — South Korea is considering restricting the operations of its Christian missionaries in the Middle East after dozens were expelled for their activities, officials said Thursday.
Missionaries could run the risk of terror attacks and ordinary Korean tourists or businessmen might also be targeted, they said.
"Dozens of our citizens were expelled from Iran, Jordan, Yemen and other Islamic countries in the Middle East last month," a foreign ministry official told AFP, asking not to be identified.
He gave no exact figure. Chosun Ilbo newspaper, quoting a government source, said more than 80 were expelled in the past two months.
"The government is considering taking various and prudent steps for the safety of citizens overseas," the ministry official said without elaborating.
The Korea Herald, without giving a source, said Jordan had recently warned Seoul of possible terror attacks against South Korean missionaries.
In 2007 Afghanistan's Taliban kidnapped 23 South Korean Christian aid workers, two of whom were later killed. The remainder were set free after an undisclosed deal between the Seoul government and their captors.
In March four South Korean visitors to Yemen were killed in a suicide bombing at a historic tourist site. A statement purportedly from Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility.
In June a female volunteer was murdered after being kidnapped in Yemen.
It was unclear if the Yemen victims had links to missionary groups.
South Korea was also targeted after sending non-combat troops to Iraq.
In 2004 a militant group believed linked to Al-Qaeda beheaded a South Korean hostage after unsuccessfully demanding the Seoul government pull out troops.
Under South Korean law the government can restrict citizens' overseas travel if they are subject to a criminal investigation or it is feared they could damage national interests or public safety.
It can refuse to issue or renew passports for up to three years for those who have tarnished the nation's reputation abroad.
Christian and civic groups have maintained that any restrictions would violate constitutional rights to free travel and religious freedom.
South Korea has some 13.7 million Christians (8.6 million Protestants and 5.1 million Catholics) and about 10 million Buddhists, according to the National Statistical Office.
Some Protestant groups are noted for aggressive proselytising.

JESUS'S ' HEAD ' TAKEN FROM CHURCH'S STATUE IN WAUWATOSA

In recent months, Wauwatosa has seen cemetery headstones, city stop signs and the Hoyt Park pool house damaged. But this time, vandals have struck a new target: The statue at the entrance to St. Joseph Congregation now features a headless baby Jesus.
"Somewhere someone is using (the head) for a trophy," church Business Administrator Deb Labermeier said. "The officer and I and the custodians looked everywhere on the property for it, and it's gone."
The statue of Joseph holding his infant son was given to the church by the Christian Women's Society more than 10 years ago. The marble statue is one of several on the church grounds at 12130 W. Center St.
"It's not essential to what we do, we can function without it," Labermeier said. "But our members take this personally. They take pride in the property. This is so senseless."
The church has insurance, which will pay for the majority of the estimated $5,000 cost to replace the statue. But the parish will be responsible for paying the $1,000 deductible.
Labermeier said she was "surprised and disappointed" by the decapitation, which occurred between Aug. 9 and 11, because the church has rarely had problems with crime.