News of the World

Sorry it's been so long since I did a post like this! Some weeks I can't find enough stories to make a post, and then the weeks when I could find enough stories, I have been too busy to write one! Anyway, here are some news stories from the countries where Compassion works.

Thailand. There has been a lot of political unrest in Thailand over the past few months. If I understand it correctly, the prime minister (who is a lady, by the way) dissolved the parliament a few weeks ago. There have been a lot of protests, too. Things are getting even more intense, and the military is considering intervening. I always find stories like this interesting....I definitely don't advocate violence as a way of protesting or anything like that, but it's interesting to me to read stories of people actually doing something to change their government, whereas in America it seems we just complain about government on facebook. Or if our party is in charge, we complain about the complainers. But I digress. Be praying for the people of Thailand, that during this time of unrest, the citizens stay safe. Pray that the government officials make decisions that are best for their citizens, in order to improve their lives.

India. A few weeks ago, an Indian diplomat visiting the United States was strip-searched. People in India are now absolutely furious with the United States. They are really offended by what happened (and you know that if the tables were turned, we would be too.) Protesters have pointed out that in Indian tradition, "the guest is god" (which is a traditional saying that emphasizes India's well-known hospitality) and that the way their diplomat was treated was incredibly disrespectful and uncalled for. Whether or not the allegations (possible visa fraud and an accusation of paying a housekeeper less than legal wages) are true or not, the people of India seem to all agree that the way the envoy was treated was uncalled for- and it seems our own Secretary of State "regrets" the way the situation was handled, too.  Right now, in many areas of India, there is a lot of anti-American sentiment. Flags are burned and effigies of the president are paraded in the streets. A recent report indicates that American-run schools, managed by well-intentioned people who really have nothing to do with why everyone is upset, are being targeted. Pray that this dispute will be resolved quickly. The Indian people are our allies and it makes me sad to see so many of them angry with our country. Pray for the safety of Americans  living in India, and any people who may be near the protests. Pray that they stop escalating. Pray that our relationship with this beautiful country will be healed, quickly.

Haiti. Through my writing about Compassion, my buddy A., and poverty in general, I have mentioned several times on my blog that life in Haiti is really difficult. Greedy people are taking advantage of desperate Haitians, promising them safe passage to a new life in the United States, and then Haitians are dying on the dangerous voyage. It has gotten to be a big enough problem that the United States has produced a public service announcement urging Haitians not to risk their lives in this way. The smugglers are putting people on dangerous, overcrowded boats, and sending them to Puerto Rico, which is a US commonwealth. I think it's a good idea to just continually keep Haiti in your prayers- for their government, their economy, the health problems and family problems they face. Pray for the people who are so desperate to get out, that they will be safe. It's all so very sad.

Philippines. As if the people of the Philippines needed any more tragedy. We are all still praying for the recovery of the nation in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan (public polls indicate that America as a whole doesn't "care" much about the typhoon anymore, but I know Compassion sponsors do!) Recently there was a tragedy at an airport in the Philippines. Gunmen disguised as police officers shot and killed a mayor and three others at an airport in Manila. Pray for the families of those who died, and pray for safety of the Filipino people during these difficult times.

Indonesia. Ok, this is probably going to sound weird, but one of the things I pray for in regards to my kids is their safety from the wildlife in their areas. Most people in the US don't have much to worry about in the way of wildlife. Some areas have bears or mountain lions, but 99% of us probably won't ever see one. Yet where our kids live, there are lions, tigers, giant snakes, crocodiles, jaguars, leopards, hippos (which are super dangerous) and a host of other crazy things. One of the most recent stories of dangerous wildlife involved a giant python that apparently just wandered up to a hotel, killed a security guard, and then LEFT. The python is still on the loose! In a very popular tourist area! So while this news story is about Indonesia, I think it's a good idea to pray for the safety of our kids, since many of them live in areas where they have a much greater chance of encountering a dangerous animal than we do.

News of the World

This week's prayer update will focus on one area of the world- the Philippines. My heart is just so heavy for these people right now. Spreading the word about what is going on over there is the best way to get people to pitch in and help, I think. So here are some specific things you can pray for:

• Pray for the babies. Babies don't stop being born just because a storm is going on. I have never given birth, but I know that hospitals are involved, and electricity, and you need clean water and medical supplies and doctors and a hospital bed. So what happens when none of those things are available? Pray for the babies that have been born since the typhoon, and the parents that are doing their best to keep them alive. 
• Pray for the doctors. I have always been interested in medicine, but I never pursued it as a profession because I don't think I could handle the stress. If being a doctor and working in a hospital is stressful everyday, can you even imagine what it's like right now in the Philippines? Doctors are really struggling with the conditions they're working in right now, and the horribly sad fact is that they can't save everyone. Pray for peace for the doctors during this difficult time. Pray that they'll be able to help as many people as possible. Pray that they won't get overworked, because that will end up hurting them in the long run, and patient care may suffer if they are pushed beyond exhaustion. 
• Pray for the water supplies. People can't survive without water. It's a simple fact. Waterborne diseases are going to be a major issue in the coming weeks. There are also hygiene and sanitation issues, on top of regular old thirst. Pray that aid workers and the government will be able to help the people of the Philippines get clean water as soon as possible. 
• Pray for the people in less populated areas. Though the storm hit some major cities harder than some other areas, the Philippines is still made up of thousands of islands, and many people were affected and displaced by the typhoon. This article tells about one "overlooked" island that has only received a pickup truck full of supplies- a few boxes of food and a half a pallet of water. Pray for the people living in these remote areas, that they will stay safe and healthy. And pray for the relief organizations, too, that they will remember these people and be able to reach them. 
• Pray for the local governments. The government officials are overwhelmed. There is simply too much to do and not enough people to do it. Some regions are faced with a choice: distribute food, or clear bodies off the street. Not clearing the bodies creates a health hazard, it's incredibly sad, and it probably feels a little disrespectful to the people who have died. But the food needs to be delivered, too. The people of the Philippines are faced with some incredibly hard choices right now. Pray for the government officials and volunteers, that they won't be so overwhelmed. 
• Pray for supplies. Many people around the world are willing to help the people affected by typhoon Haiyan, but it's difficult right now because roads and airports have been smashed to pieces. So people aren't able to get food and water in some areas, medical supplies are running out, and volunteers aren't able to get in to provide aid. Pray that supplies (and volunteers) will be able to safely make it to these people in dire need. Pray for "loaves and fishes" miracles for the food, water, and medical supplies. Pray that there is more than enough to meet the needs of the people. 
• Pray for the families. As of this morning, the official death toll is up to 3,633, with thousands more missing, and even more people injured. Pray for the grieving friends and families. I feel so very sad for them. Pray for comfort and peace for them, and pray that they will be able to cope with their grief while their world is in chaos. 

News of the World

Here's your weekly update on what's happening around the world!

• Philippines- The biggest news story on the planet this week has been the typhoon hammering southeast Asia. This storm, thought to be the largest in human history, has seriously been flogging the Philippines. There have been over 130 confirmed deaths so far, and officials are speculating that that number may rise to over 1,200. Compassion sponsors who have kids in the Philippines have been receiving messages over the past few days urging them to pray for the kids and families there. I personally haven't heard any updates on specific areas affected, but you can check in with Compassion's website, as I have been doing frequently. Pray for the safety of the people there- it would be amazing if the death toll is smaller than the Red Cross and other groups are estimating. Pray for the rebuilding and recovery. Pray for the families who have been evacuated, that their displacement will end soon. Pray for the government there and the organizations that are going to help with rebuilding efforts. And pray for the other countries that will be affected by the storm. 
• Tanzania- Albinism isn't something we often encounter. Sometimes we'll see a movie featuring an albino character- but have you ever thought about the fact that albinism occurs all around the world- not just in white Americans and Europeans? In Tanzania, albinism is looked on with disgust and superstition. Some people believe that taking a body part from an albino person- a finger or an arm- and brewing it into a potion will make a person rich. I think other people are just freaked out about it. Parents with albino children are terrified because armed people will show up in the middle of the night to try to take their kids. The violence in these rural areas of the country has resulted in 71 deaths in Tanzania alone (attacks occur in other parts of Africa, but Tanzania seems to really be struggling with it.) Pray for the people of Tanzania. Pray that the people in these areas will open their eyes and realize that hurting people is wrong, that magic potions don't exist, and that looking different isn't really a big deal. Pray for protection for the people whose lives are endangered by these beliefs, and pray for the families of those who have been lost. 
• Mexico- If someone asked you what nation has the highest obesity rate, you'd probably guess the United States. Yet Mexico recently surpassed the US in this area. The average Mexican citizen consumes 40% more soda than the average resident of the United States- and we already drink a lot of soda! The Mexican government is considering a lot of different ways to deal with this problem, one of which is a proposed tax on high calorie foods. One part of the debate regarding obesity that we have in the US is the affordability of high-calorie foods. Fresh vegetables by themselves can be kind of cheap, but when most families have parents that are working a collective 80+ hours a week to make ends meet, a lot of people aren't inclined to make a home-cooked meal. I think that some of these ideas may apply to Mexico, as well. They have a struggling economy and folks just want their families to eat. If sugary cereal is cheaper and faster than all the ingredients to cook a healthy breakfast, then obviously most people are going to go for the cereal. Pray for the health of the people of Mexico, especially the kids. Pray for wisdom for the government officials, that they will make good choices while trying to find ways to help their people get healthy. Our public school system is definitely far from perfect, but we have a lot more resources available to us, and those resources can be used to provide healthy lunches and other programs to help our kids. 

News of the World

Here's another round-up of news stories from the countries where Compassion works!

• Kenya- Last week I mentioned the unrest in Kenya that started after a teenage girl was brutally beaten and raped- the perpetrators were required to mow the grass at the police station, then released. The story has gained a lot of media attention in the last week, and it can be found on the home pages for a lot of news outlets (CNN, HuffPo, NBC, etc.) Continue praying for girls around the world, that they will be protected from these stupid and sad acts of violence. And as the case gains international attention- and no action is taken by local law enforcement- pray that no one gets hurt as Kenyans protest this gross miscarriage of justice. Pray that calm attitudes and cool heads prevail, and that justice will be served. 
• Honduras- Countries around the world suffer from the corruption of law enforcement. It even happens in the United States sometimes. Here is a pretty scary story out of Honduras. This police chief, who is active in the war on drugs (which we like) but has a pretty bloody and questionable past (so we keep him at arm's length), is greatly feared by almost everyone who lives in his jurisdiction. He and his officers have been accused of basically killing people to prevent more crime. It's scary stuff. I had no idea Honduras was so violent, but the article describes nights filled with gunfire, and residents waking to find bodies in the streets- left there by the "bad guys" (drug lords and gangs) AND the "good guys"- law enforcement. In the United States, we're not used to this kind of free-for-all law enforcement. We're used to warrants and Miranda rights and trials. The citizens of Honduras- guilty or not- run a really high risk of not having those privileges if they mess up. And we all know that a lot of these problems- gangs and drugs- arise because of extreme poverty. It's all so sad. Pray for the people of Honduras, that they'll stay safe. Pray for wise decision-making by political leaders and law enforcement. Pray for justice to be served. I feel like I'm saying that a lot lately, but justice is something I feel like our world is severely lacking. 
• Indonesia- This one breaks my heart. I mean, they all do, but I haven't heart of many sex trafficking stories out of Indonesia, and this one's particularly sad. Sometimes we hear of kids being sold into prostitution by older family members because they need the money. Well, in Indonesia, a growing problem is children being sold into prostitution by other children. Fifteen year olds are running escort services and are making more money than their other family members put together. And what is their incentive to stop? They've grown up poor. They want a different life. They see this as a way out. A life-changer. Children being exploited by children. Pray for the kids who are being abused. Pray for the kids who are arranging these events, that they will be afforded other opportunities (like education and careers that don't involve taking advantage of others.) Pray for the morality of this nation, and all others, because we all know that Indonesia is not the only country where there are people who want to take advantage of kids in this way. Pray for organizations like Compassion who are working to protect these kids and lift families out of poverty. How do you even deal with that? What if you had to see this kind of thing every day? How does it not just crush your entire worldview, your faith in humanity? I'm sure it's hard to deal with. It's all just so heartbreaking.

News of the World

Here's your weekly update on what's going on in some of the countries where Compassion works!

Colombia- This is a news story about one specific family, but it brings to light two issues: what happens when families are faced with such abject poverty that it leads to desperation, and the kind of trafficking and exploitation kids around the world face every day. A Colombian woman was arrested this week after it was found out that she sold the virginity of her daughters- 12 of them- for about $200 a piece, to make ends meet. Girls are trafficked and abused all around the world, and I think that often it can be traced right back to poverty- girls being sold because their family needs the money, kids born into brothels and raised to grow up to be prostitutes because their moms can't buy food any other way. It's so sad. Pray for this family, but really, this could happen anywhere. It does happen everywhere.

India- Recent rains in eastern India have caused quite a bit of flooding, which has killed 16 people so far. My mother in law is currently in eastern India and told me yesterday in an email that it has been raining a lot there- she is safe, though. Pray for the people affected by this flooding, that they will be able to rebuild quickly and will be able to avoid some of the problems that come with flooding, which includes the rapid spread of disease. Pray for the Compassion centers in the area as they work to meet the needs of the people there, both physical and spiritual.

Dominican Republic- For a while now, the Domican Republic has been struggling with the influx of people from Haiti. Both countries share the same island, but economically, the DR is having an easier time of things than Haiti. Therefore, a lot of people from Haiti try to find work in the DR or even move there. This has led the Dominican government to crack down on immigration in recent years, just trying to keep things steady and regulated. It's understandable. Anyway, at the moment, many Dominicans of Haitian descent are about to be stripped of their citizenship, because when they were born, their parents were in the country illegally. They will lose their citizenship even if they have never been to Haiti or left the DR. It's causing a lot of political unrest in the region. Pray for the governments of both Haiti and the Dominican Republic, that they won't become hostile. Pray for the people who are facing losing their citizenship and identity. Pray for both nations, that their economies will improve, because they are really struggling.

Kenya- Again, this is another story that happened in one country but illuminates issues in all countries. In this case, we're talking about violence against women, gender inequality, and the mishandling of justice. A few weeks ago, a 16 year old girl was raped while she was on her way home from a relative's funeral. The attack was more violent than just sexual assault, however- she has been left permanently disabled as a result of the violence. There are fundraisers to raise money for her medical bills. The girl, who has been nicknamed Liz, was able to identify some of her attackers. Neighbors took the attackers to the police station. The police's response? Have the attackers mow the grass around the station, then set them free. Obviously people are outraged. Pray that justice will be served against the people who attacked this girl. Pray that girls around the world would stop being attacked like this, and pray that governments would realize it's in the best interest of everyone to protect ALL their citizens and give fair punishments for crimes.

News of the World

Here are some news updates from around the world- specifically the countries where Compassion works. I hope they will be informative and helpful to you, so you can known what to pray for in your child's country!

• Philippines- as you may know by now, shortly after I wrote my last post about prayer requests, a massive earthquake hit the Philippines recently. The 7.2 magnitude earthquake has affected over 3 million people. Almost 150 have been declared dead so far, and as of Wednesday, 23 were still missing. Many buildings have been destroyed, including a large number of churches. Pray for the country, that they will recover relatively quickly from this disaster. Pray for the families displaced by the quake, and for the people who lost loved ones. The most damage and deaths occurred on Bohol island. 
• Mexico- the people of Mexico's coasts have been dealing with a lot of bad weather lately, due to hurricanes and tropical storms. It's sad- earlier in the week I saw headlines on an American news site that basically said "we don't want to jinx ourselves, but there really wasn't a hurricane season this year!" But just a few weeks ago, hurricanes Ingrid and Manuel killed more than 100 people. Pray for the citizens of Mexico as they brace for more bad weather. Pray for few casualties and a quick response from government and aid organizations. Pray for the safety of the people who live near the coasts. 

That's all I have for now- the websites I check for international news haven't been posting much lately about Compassion countries. Check back next weekend for more News of the World!

News of the World

I'm thinking of doing a semi-regular feature on here sharing some prayer requests. When you become a sponsor, or you adopt from another country, or someone you love is staying overseas, you become acutely aware of what's going on around the world. Suddenly the rest of the world's problems weigh more heavily on your heart. I thought I'd try to compile some news stories from around the world and share them here, so we can pray together for these people we care about.

India- A huge, destructive cyclone is about to hit India. Almost half a million people have been evacuated. You have to wonder how many more people need to be evacuated but can't go, for a variety of reasons. Please pray for the people in the path of this massive storm, that they will stay safe, that the after-affects of a storm like this (such as food and water issues) will be minimal, and that the government and non-profit aid organizations will be able to help quickly and efficiently.

Kenya- The country continues to deal with the aftermath of the devastating terror attack on an upscale mall in Nairobi a few weeks go. Suspects are still being identified, and according to some sources, some people are still missing. Part of the mall ended up collapsing, and there could still be people in the rubble. Pray for Kenya as they deal with this tragedy- they're normally a pretty peaceful country (and the ones behind this attack were not Kenyans.) Pray for the leaders of the nation, that they will make wise decisions about how to deal with this fringe group. Pray for the families who have lost loved ones in the incident. And pray for peace, too.

Haiti- I think we all know there's a long list of ways we can pray for Haiti. Here's a really specific one, though. Haiti recently had an outbreak of cholera. I remember my friend Ashley telling us another adopting couple they knew lost their son to the disease. The thing is, cholera outbreaks aren't really supposed to be happening in Haiti. At least, not where the outbreak was. It has come to light that it looks like some UN workers brought the disease to the country, and thousands ended up dying. Haiti has enough to deal with. They don't need another deadly disease outbreak on top of everything else. Well, from a lot of the articles I've read, the UN appears to accept responsibility for the outbreak, but they aren't going to do anything about it. Kind of like how members of the US military can't actually sue the military- it's a sort of immunity thing. The survivors and family members of the almost 700,000 people who contracted cholera in this outbreak are trying to sue the UN for financial compensation- and to be candid, I believe they deserve it. Just as the Native Americans would have deserved financial compensation when the Europeans brought over smallpox and syphilis and everything else. But I digress. Pray that a just agreement will be reached. Pray that, if they are indeed responsible, the UN does something to make it right. And pray for the families who are still grieving their loved ones. Pray for those who were left weakened or disabled from the disease. Their lives are forever changed by something that wasn't even their fault.

Peru- A truck traveling through the Andes mountains in Peru plunged down a ravine and at least fifty people are dead. Pray for the families of those who died in this terrible tragedy.

Mexico- An indigenous woman recently gave birth on the lawn outside a medical center after she was denied care. Not only was she turned away after coming into the building, but the nurses continued to refuse help (and refuse to ask doctors for help) even though this lady basically had a baby hanging out of her. Beyond praying for this new mama and the health of her baby, there are two prayer requests here, and they both reach beyond Mexico. One, indigenous people are frequently the victims of prejudice in the Americas. It's sad but true. People of indigenous heritage are more likely to live in poverty, more likely to lack an education, and more likely to be treated unfairly. Pray about the inequality that they face on a daily basis. Pray for the kids who are members of these tribes and hold this heritage, that they will grow up knowing they are beautiful and loved no matter what their background is. Pray that the next generation will be different than the last. Also, pray for the maternal care available to women in Mexico and around the world. These women face many hardships when their maternal care is compromised- premature or stillborn babies, underweight children, and other problems plague those women who don't have the same sort of medical care that we do here in the United States. Say what you will about healthcare in our country- no matter what's going on with it, your chances of dying in childbirth here are pretty slim. Not everyone can claim those statistics.