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Justin Long’s

Weekly Roundup 499

28 August 2026

My Column

Movements and Money

Occasionally the claim is asserted: there are reports of large breakthroughs in certain parts of the world. But we all know money is tied to mission statistics. When these breakthroughs are not open to third-party validation, we praise God for what may be happening—but we are uncomfortable with the numbers, and ask questions about data reliability, auditing and the like.

Usually this claim has to do with movements. And the problem with the claim is the underlying assumption: that large breakthroughs equate to significant amounts of money flowing in from outside - someone's gotta pay for all that evangelistic work. And where there's large amounts of money and no outside verification, the claim is suspect.

There are many reasons why that assumption has problems. The chief one is this: most movements don't raise all that much money from outside, especially relative to the size of the movement. The bigger the movement, the less money is brought in.

First, movements just don't require the same kind of funding for their activities that Western evangelistic programs require. For the most part, movements exist with unpaid apostolically-gifted believers, unpaid pastors, unpaid evangelists. They increase the amount that people share the Gospel on their own. People meet in homes, as part of the movement DNA and in response to security issues. These aren't places with significant overhead costs. They aren't building buildings.

Special note

I will be on vacation next week, so there will be no Roundup.

Nota Bene

Flash floods in Nepal near the Tibet border (caused by glacier collapse which initially registered as an earthquake) killed 300+, with well over 1,000 missing (incl. 100s of foreign nationals, tourists, etc), and homes and villages washed away. Believer families in the area have been affected. (No one knows how many were killed in Tibet.) BBC, Glacier collapse, not earthquake?, Video Footage, Satellite on how it unfolded

It's not just Christians turning to AI for spiritual guidance. Gurus join chatbot trend as people turn to AI for answers: GitaGPT, "Digital Deepak." "A lot of people don't have anyone to talk to when they are in distress... a lot of gurus want your money and you can't really talk to them openly like you can talk to a chatbot. Sahu said he trusts GitaGPT because it's based on the word of God. 'How could Krishna steer anyone wrong? It's impossible.'" AP

Also

1. How the Taliban run Afghanistan:

a) it is, for once, peaceful--but also very hungry, poor, and repressed. Economist

b) Divorce, smartphones and control: how the Taliban run things. BBC

c) Afghan women speak about what life is really like under the Taliban. Youtube

2. On the continued growth of China's global influence:

a) Chinese firms are wrapping their supply chains around the globe: a rewiring of global manufacturing is under way. Economist

b) China's "New New Trio" is moving beyond containers. AI, robotics, and innovative drugs are how Chinese industries go global. Beijing Scroll

c) China's Belt & Road cuts debt and corruption: a new study of nearly 200 countries. SCMP

d) China is going to the world, and people are coming to work in China. For China's aspiring foreign workers, getting a job is only half the battle: Beijing's rigid visa points system and strict sponsorship rules frustrate young expats, but most are still undeterred in their job search. SCMP

e) Why Chinese culture seems to be everywhere: from mahjong clubs to 'Chinamaxxing' to trinkets and video games, "China and many things Chinese are now regaining favor in the American mainstream." CSM

3. With the power to influence comes the power to repress:

a) One example: the limits of talking bad about China in Europe. "In classes and courtrooms, and on campuses across Europe, scholars are engaged in a quiet struggle to speak freely about a country whose impact can be felt everywhere." Lingua Sinica, China's Long Arm

b) Families of detained Chinese Christians cling to faith in legal limbo. There was press about the release of Zion Church's imprisoned leader--but perhaps forgotten: more than 20 of Zion Church's members were detained last October, and are still detained. The constitution guarantees religious freedom but the CCP regards organized religion with suspicion. Scrutiny of unofficial groups has tightened under Xi Jinping, although enforcement varies. LiCAS

c) A Chinese pastor and six others from the "Jerusalem of China" disappeared in a raid. Christian Post

4. Indonesian interfaith leaders in Lampung province warned against the persecution of people at worship, and urged communities to protect religious freedom as a fundamental human right. LiCAS

5. Efforts around the Iran-US war and the Strait continue:

a) The Strait has been de-mined by the US Navy in a low-key months-long operation. Axios

b) the US says it is choosing economic sanctions over strikes in Iran for the immediate future. Will that work? While the US has blocked Iranian ships from leaving the Strait, it has facilitated more than 500 others ships to transit using the southern channel--but it's a low daily rate. Axios

c) a military junta is consolidating power in Iran: that's bad news for Iranians and a possible peace treaty with America. (And the morality police are back, too.) Economist

6. Nigeria's 2027 presidential election campaign has begun: incumbent President Tinubu against a divided opposition, but 80% of Nigerians believe the country is "heading in the wrong direction," with 45% saying "economic hardship and insecurity are the top concern." Many people are closely watching this election. DW

7. Gaza is still locked away:

a) The reported US peace plan "makes all reconstruction wait on total disarmament." They could be waiting a long time. Haaretz

b) Only 3% of the Gaza Strip's cropland remains both accessible and undamaged, says a new FAO geospatial assessment. (I have heard elsewhere of novel ways for farming being used, but haven't seen public articles?) FAO

c) Prices soar as Gaza smuggling booms. Officials, soldiers and middlemen are accused of cashing in. Smuggling rings pull in millions of dollars, and has become vital to Gaza's economy "as most of the population lost their source of living." AP

8. Singapore is, like many, trying to turn its fertility rate around:

a) "No bandwidth left for the family": why many Singaporeans want to be child-free. "Unless Singapore changes its work culture, no amount of money can change our minds." SCMP

b) Government unveils sweeping family support as births tumble: $70,000 per child between birth and age 17, childcare subsidies, more. Bloomberg

9. Mixed messages on the safety of Somalia's capital:

a) The security of Somalia's capital is improving, and no longer deserves its deadly reputation. There are many reasons offered for why. But most notably, although the capital is safer, "Mogadishu's hinterland remains under al-Shabab's control." Economist

b) Somali households pay the price of trade disruption from the Gulf War fallout: "We're just trying to make enough money these days to make it through the night." New Hum

10. South Korea seeks a formal end to the war with North Korea; US scales back exercises with the South, and Trump calls North Korea "unthreatening and respectful," to the alarm of some. Economist, South Korea contemplates fading US support

11. US has paused all immigrant visa applications, and is set to revoke 200,000 business & tourist visas for foreigners who have applied for or who are currently seeking asylum status in the US: B1 & B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026. Pause, Revoke

Short Links

A Christian world deep in rural China: Lisu on Myanmar. Youtube

China's ethnic unity law is already harming Uyghurs. Japan Times

Gold mining (galamsey) in Ghana supports a sprawling illicit economy worth $11 billion, attracting Chinese operators, capital, equipment. ADF

Russia targets coastal West Africa as it loses ground in the Sahel. ADF

Mexican cartels send meth makers to Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa. ADF

Ethiopia, Tigray in sustained fighting: first time since 2022. Critical Threats

Armed gangs now control about 90% of Haiti. IRC

Israel's Christians rely on faith, allies as they fear rising harassment. AP

India's Jammu & Kashmir far from normal after revocation of special status. AsiaSentinel

People in both India & Pakistan believe the other nation is the greatest geopolitical threat. Pew

Iraq's ghost villages: Islamic State drove people away--now a new enemy (drought, neglect) is preventing their return. Guardian

7.7-mag earthquake in Indonesia, of Flores Island. MNN

American missionary abducted in Niger freed after nearly 10 months. Libya's Haftar played a key role in his release, allegedly. Long War Journal, CT, Haftar

JNIM and the Islamic State have escalated their conflict in the Liptako-Gourma area that spans Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. Africa Insight

Peace advances: Syria's Kurdish-led SDF has merged with the army. AP

Syria's recovery is held up by unexploded ordnance and landmines. WPR

In Tunisia, a 55C heatwave, power cuts, jailed dissidents have prompted people to the streets in hundreds of protests. Africa Confidential

Close ties: Myanmar buys a billion dollars worth of military gear from Russia. Irrawaddy

In Texas: "I won't rest until every Muslim is gone." NYT

Ideas & Reports

World Migration Report 2026. Link

From hunger to harvests: land restoration is transforming the Sahel. WFP

The economics of Nigeria's kidnap industry, 2026. SBM Intel

I'm a few chapters into Korean Messiah. It has fascinating details about the Student Volunteer Movement and the work of Samuel Moffett in Pyongyang.

Africa's Hustle Republics. Link

Silicon Valley is remaking American charity. Economist

What happened to al-Qaeda? 25 years after 9/11, analysts can't decide if it's all but defunct or more threatening than ever. Atlantic

Toward 2033: Operating Environments

Somalia's national airline to resume service after 35 years. Bloomberg

Turkish Airlines is headed to Asia, especially China. Nikkei

Almost half the minors recruited by armed groups in 2025 were approached via social media. MercoPress

Ted Esler: The average age of the new Western missionary recruit is mid-30s. Here's 10 reasons why, and some implications. Substack

How a road could change West Africa's future: very well done interactive app/story. NPR

Beyond 2033

Bill Gates says the world isn't ready for the coming AI upheaval (this isn't even about superintelligence: just job losses, AI-enabled harm by bad actors, damage to human relationships). Quartz

More Terminators: entirely AI-guided drone killed 3 Ukrainians. NYT

AI Jobapocalypse? China's short-drama boom was built on speed (and is a global influencer). Then AI got faster. Sixth Tone

Building large numbers of robots require NdFeB magnets more than AI, and China has most of the metal. Link

Could AIs become conscious? ("Even if they don't, they might be treated as such--to humanity's great cost.") Economist

China will struggle to make money from humanoid robots: it is ahead of its rivals and training up thousands (expects to sell 50,000 this year), but profits are a long way off. Economist

Fears of AI-induced armageddon are overdone: applying basic security principles would go a long way to fixing problems identified by Anthropic, OpenAI. Economist

SpaceX to spend $100 billion to build the world's biggest spaceport, supporting 30 launches per day. Economist

Batteries are getting better: they are quietly driving down evening electricity prices across the US (and probably elsewhere?). Quartz

Rabbit Trails

Latin America's fading demographic tailwind. Americas Quarterly

Many Americans are moving away from congregations, but not necessarily from religion. Movies, plays, art and social media fill the gap. My read: if faith = knowledge and belief, then community is unnecessary: one can learn and believe on one's own. Conversation

Most Westerners know Buddhism through meditation, but everyday Buddhist life looks quite different in Thai (and all Asian) Buddhist temples. Conversation

Religious families (in America, at least) don't actually have more kids (or, why the Duggars are outliers even amongst outliers). Ryan Burge

What would you do with a billion dollars? Kevin Kelly's point: the answers people make to the question often reveal their dreams, not things that actually require a billion dollars. Substack

Quotable

"Money cannot create movements."
— Travis Kolder

"The great cities of the world will never be reached by a flood of foreign missionaries or by a tide of missionary dollars; they must be reached by a trained, Spirit-filled, national church encouraged in its earliest stages to be itself a missionary church."
— J.P. Hogan

"St Paul certainly did not seek to establish in his converts a dependence upon himself... he sought to establish them upon a foundation from which no external help could be essential to their continuance and growth."
— Roland Allen, Missionary Methods: St. Paul's or Ours?

"You can kill us, but you cannot hurt us."
— Justin Martyr

"Missionaries are very human folks, just doing what they are asked. Simply a bunch of nobodies trying to exalt Somebody."
— Jim Elliot

"Missionary life is simply a chance to die, to die daily, to die to self."
— Amy Carmichael

"The temptation for those who suffer is to assume that because we can't think of any good purposes God may have for our suffering, there can't be any."
— Tim Keller

"There's nothing wrong with using the mind and trusting God, there's everything wrong with trusting the mind and using God."
— John Lennox

"There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing but only by God, made known through Jesus Christ."
— Blaise Pascal, widely attributed

"Everything that moves will be autonomous."
— Jensen Huang

"A small light will do a great deal when it's in a very dark place."
— D. L. Moody

"The resurrection means the worst thing is not the last thing."
— Frederick Buechner