Detention centres were set up on Christmas Island, Manus Island and Nauru Island for processing asylum seekers from Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, China and Vietnam. A recent report revealed that suicide attempts and hunger strikes were common, and children were vulnerable to mental health episodes and growing more depressed the longer they were held. (Source: International Health and Medical Services). Children suffer especially acutely, from bed wetting, nightmares, ongoing effects of trauma and torture in previous countries, as well as ‘situational crisis’ from their current detention. On 15 October there was a renewed call for a guardian for children in immigration detention by two of the country's top welfare and overseas aid groups, saying the Australian Immigration Minister, Peter Dutton, has failed in his duty of care. Earlier this week, thousands of doctors at Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital refused to discharge asylum-seeking children back into the care of immigration detention centre operators. See also: http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/sep/17/extended-detention-worsening-depression-on-nauru-and-manus-island

This coming weekend more than 160 leaders of prayer ministries and networks across the USA will gather in Colorado Springs for a prayer initiative on national security, ‘Seeking God’s Face for the Deliverance and Destiny of America’. It will be a time of all-out intercession for the nation that seems to have lost its course in so many ways due to increasing social wickedness coupled with weak and corrupt government leadership. It is time to pray! One prayer leader wrote to say he sensed that it would be a ‘battle for the soul of America’. This initiative is preceded by the National Day of Prayer Leadership Summit, at the same place.  Many of their co-ordinators and other intercessors from around the country will gather. The two events are in tandem and the intercessors’ prayer is that the Lord will bring greater unity to the prayer movement by all of them being in His presence together.

A Canadian intercessor writes, ‘On Monday, 19 October, Canada has a Federal Election which will determine who rules in Canada over the next five years. The three main parties are equally split and could result in a minority government or a coalition. The current PM is unpopular in the media. The Conservatives under Harper are the only party of substance that is not in favour of abortion, doctor-assisted suicide and the legalisation of marijuana. The Liberal leader will not permit a liberal candidate to be pro-life. Canada has been very supportive of Israel through Harper which  would change drastically with any other party. At the moment the most likely result would be a minority government, not the most effective as they can be voted down at any moment by the majority. But let God arise!! Please pray for God’s mercy on Canada. Thank you for your fellowship in prayer.’

Muslim extremists in Aceh province fulfilled a threat against Christians and burned down an Indonesian Christian church. Their pastor and congregation are greatly affected and asking people to support persecuted Christians there and to pray for this church.’ The arson followed a social media campaign by Muslim extremists and radical imams. The most dangerous time in the week for Christians is Friday afternoon after the mosque is vacated after prayers and extremists who have listened to messages preaching hate towards Christians, Jews and others come out fired up. Last month hundreds of extremists marched to the police and legislative offices demanding the closure of all churches. Every church member is guarding their own church right now. We are asked to pray that there won’t be more church demolitions.’