Over the past two months we have been reporting on the outbreak of foot and mouth disease among North Korean livestock. This is a very serious disease that can devastate the nations supply of pigs, cattle, goats and other cloven-hoofed animals. The latest reports are that it continues in the North but there is no clear knowledge of the extent. Soon after the first cases occurred, South Korea offered help in eradication and prevention but the North has not responded. South Korea sustained a devastating outbreak several years ago and works very hard to prevent more.
In addition to the threat to the meat supply there is growing concern over the food supply in general.
Except for those who have the special privilege of living in Pyongyang, people throughout the country are struggling. The provision of rice and other staples through the Public Distribution System has ceased. Last year, many people received rations from the special stores set aside for the military--which were often moldy and full of bugs--but even that is not being provided this year resulting in a great deal of dissatisfaction. At the same time, Choco-pies and Ramen noodles provided through South Korean companies at the Kaesong Industrial Park are the basis for a whole separate economy. Meanwhile, the government's efforts to assure agricultural bounty through the use of the military continues to backfire breeding corruption and hardship and the rise of a new class conflict. Additionally, soldiers being detailed to important construction projects are taking the food they need from the general populace.
Of course, food is not the only problem the people face as efforts to stem defection increase. More families face internal exile because of family members who have crossed illegally into China while those who do so legally are under pressure to report on any defectors that they hear about. North Korea is also sending teams of security agents into China to search out and arrest North Koreans who have escaped into the country.
An interesting development on the political front is the apparent removal from power of Kim Jong Un's aunt, Kim Kyung-Hui, wife of executed former number-two-man, Jang Son Thaek by eliminating her from all records. A video that had included her has just been re-released with her edited out of it.
Kim Jong Un has been quite active lately in carrying out inspections around the country. May 5th is Children's Day in South Korea and May 8th is Parents' Day. As we think about these holidays, it is good to think about the children and families of North Korea as well as the idolization of the leader as a father for all the people.
And, we continue to pray for Ken Bae's release.
Ben Torrey,
Director
The Fourth River Project, Inc.
One of our IPC Leader writes: "Thanks for praying. Our whole team just came back safely from mainland China. We have an extraordinary powerful time there, 500 key leaders, from 24 provinces, all doing children's ministries have been with us. Breakthroughs after breakthroughs these few days, with quite a lot of both tears and laughter, fall exactly during this strategic kairos timing of the 4/14, Palm Sunday, Passover week entering into this time of the unleavened bread. Heaven on earth!
What the Father has been doing right now in China is really so far and deep beyond our expectations. Now the China Children in Prayer Wall has amazingly launched out and nine regional Cip networks, representing the nine big regions of our whole nation has been established at the same time together last night! All glory to Father God the Almighty."
Praise the Lord and please pray for the 500 ministry leaders that took part and for the nine regional networks to grow strongly and continue in unity to raise up a whole generation of children and youth in this strategic nation.
Thank you so much for your prayer that God did a miracle in Nepal- more than 2200 children, youth and parents were gathered and worshiped Lord together. Almost all valley leaders joined and leaders prayed for formal opening for Children and youth prayer day by candlelight. This became historical for Nepal.
Thank you so much for your prayer and support, people gathered unexpectedly.
All the glory to God!
Govinda Budhathoki
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The Billion Souls Revival Prayer Call 2015 is a period of 40 days o f prayer, fasting and repentance beginning on International Day of Repentance (Yom Kippur) Tuesday sundown 22 September, 2015 and continues to sundown Sunday 1 November, 2015.
Five Point Prayer Plan
1. Pray for a worldwide outpouring of the Holy Spirit for renewal for the church and revival and transformation for the nations of the world. Acts 2:1-47
2. Pray for a revival of a new evangelisation so that a billion people from outside the church will find faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. John 3:16
3. Pray for a revival of Sexual Purity and renewal of marriage and family to help the children of the world. 1 Thessalonians 4: 3-7
4. Pray for a revival of the sanctity of life and a turning of the tide of abortion in the nations of the world. Proverbs 24:11-12
5. Pray for a multiplication of prayer, praise and worship to God across the world as never before, to bring great glory to God. Psalm 107:21-22
Strategy
Initially we want to canvass the idea with international prayer leaders and key church leaders and finalise a five point prayer plan that will be acceptable to a broad range of believers within the various denominations, church communities, prayer ministries and nations...The previous Billion Souls Revival Prayer Call in 2013 received wide support from international and national prayer leaders. We are confident, based on past experience, that this level of support would be multiplied greatly.
The real challenge lies in gaining support from world leaders in the Catholic, Protestant, Pentecostal, Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox traditions...It is important to embrace as many cultures and denominations as possible for this call to prayer. For the Billion Souls Revival Prayer Call 2015 to work we must look for what will unite us, as opposed to what will divide us, as the key to the success of this prayer project is unity. Our call to prayer needs to be short and simple and to the point as well as being Biblical.
We are not expecting everyone who participates in the Billion Souls Revival Prayer Call to conduct a full fast for 40 days but people may miss one meal per day, or fast one day per week or a Daniel Fast (Vegan) for the 40 day period. What we are expecting is that everyone who participates will pray through the 5 Point Prayer Plan each day and engage in some level of fasting as decided by that individual. It is our goal also that individual churches could either have daily or weekly prayer meetings to take part in this 40 day period of prayer and fasting. We greatly value your input, thoughts and prayers at this time.
For more information or to give suggestions, please contact Warwick Marsh at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The True Freedom Fast is a global call to 40 days of fasting and prayer for the LGBT ( homosexual & lesbian) community to encounter the Father's love and saving grace during the 10 day World Pride festival in Toronto (June 20-29). Toronto is known internationally as where a great revelation of the Father's love has been poured out, in fact, it's clear that this is a major part of Toronto's "redemptive gift" to the nations. According to the UN, Toronto is also the most multicultural city on the planet, so we are asking the Lord that as the LGBT community gathers from the nations, this healing, transforming, saving love will be released in power.
The call is coming from a wide range of prayer ministries and churches from across Canada, including those that are sponsoring this fast. We are uniting in faith, believing the prophetic promise that there will be a great move of God among the LGBT community, (which becomes like a second Jesus Movement), with 100,000 souls receiving Christ. We believe this promise is waiting to be apprehended through wholehearted prayer.
Would you join us?
Fasting can be for one meal or for the whole 40 days. We invite you to register on the website to let us know you are fasting, which will enroll you in a weekly email to give you strategic prayer points and information about conference-call prayer meetings you can also join.
Click here to register: www.tffast.com
1. Nah El - Conference, May 8-11 in Strasbourg:
For details please look at www.nah-el-conference.fr or contact by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The conference has three focus points:
(1) winning whole nations for the Lord Jesus Christ
(2) the challenge of human trafficking and sex slavery in Europe
(3) blessing the Jews
2. March for Jesus Strasbourg, May 24: Contact by email at "contactmarchpourjesus.org"
The Lord changed the focus of MfJ from purely Strasbourg first to the German-French friendship and then began to add the European dimension. So in 2012 at the end of the march we assembled in the auditorium of the Council of Europe and last year we prayed on the venue of the EU-Parliament.
This year, one day before the European elections, we will pray on the venue of the EU-Parliament again. And as to the future we believe that the Lord wants strong representation of His people from all European nations to have supernatural impact and also demonstrate to the public and political world that the Christians are alive and to be heard.
Berthold Becker
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The January ceasefire agreement between warring factions has been a dismal failure. Violence of the last four months has affected every aspect of the world's youngest nation. It has:
- Displaced more than one million people
- Prevented farmers from planting crops
- Devastated the oil production, a major portion of the government's revenue
- Disrupted education
- Created emotional and psychological trauma, especially for women and children.
Looming large now is the threat of starvation. A UN aid worker, Toby Lanzar warns that South Sudan is now on a par with Syria as 1/3 of the population is at severe risk of starvation. "If we miss the planting season, there will be a catastrophic decline in food security," he reports. Crops must be planted before the end of May.
Caught in the middle of the violence are the children. UNICEF spokeswoman Doune Porter says, "To be able to introduce some kind of normality, some kind of routine by going to school is very important." More than 170 temporary school spaces have been set up.
The battle is a spiritual one. As Christians we must enter the spiritual battle and pray on behalf of those suffering who are precious to God.
Let's Pray:
- The displaced children to have safe and stable living conditions and continuity of education (The Bible, Matthew 19:14).
- Farmer to be protected from harm and upheaval as they plant crops before the end of May (The Bible, Jeremiah 5:24).
- Political figures and parties to recognize that their differences are devastating the country. Pray that they will confess their sins and repent of their hunger for power. (The Bible, 2 Chronicles 7:14).
Afghans went to the polls last month and voted in record numbers in a reasonably peaceful atmosphere for which we give thanks to the Lord. The prayer movement there was also energized by a recent prayer initiative that was jointly led by a local humanitarian organization and the IPC. Thank God also that a planned attack by the Taliban against the whole international Christian community while we were praying was foiled, and the five suicide attackers either blew themselves up or were killed in a fire fight with security guards and the Afghan special forces.
Unfortunately, one week ago, there was an attack on the hospital run by the Christian organization CURE in Kabul.. Three Christian doctors from the USA were killed and one of their wives was injured and is in critical condition. The attacker was a security guard at the hospital and it is not clear yet whether he was officially from the police or a Taliban. We mourn for the loss of our brothers and pray for the sister who was wounded as well as for the Christian community and NGOs that are working in the country.
International organizations have been warned of possible further attacks on foreign NGOs. Please pray for the relatives of those that have been killed and our sister that was injured to be restored again. Also the Christian Foreign Community in Kabul city has been hit quite badly and they need prayer, especially the staff of the CURE hospital.
Continue also to pray for the overthrow and dissolution of the Taliban as a political and military movement and for the runoff election to determine the new president of the nation. May he be the man of God's choosing and favor for this time!