Bosnia: ghost of nationalism returns
10 Feb 2022
Bosnia's political class has failed to short-circuit its dysfunctional governance. Serb strongman Milorad Dodik is raising ghosts of the past. UK ambassador Matt Field’s recent blog condemned deep-seated corruption, ‘consequence-free’ politics and the way powerful individuals could steal public money, block reform, praise war criminals, manipulate elections, and deny justice. Relations between Bosnia and Serbia turned critical last July when the outgoing high representative, an Austrian with roots in former Yugoslavia, banned the denial of genocide. A foreigner passing laws outraged the Bosnian Serb leader. He ramped up separatist rhetoric and stopped cooperating with the national institutions of which he is part. Christian Schmidt, the high representative, said Bosnia is gripped by the ‘greatest existential crisis of the post-war period’, and Dodik’s threat to turn his armed police into a revived Bosnian Serb army risked a return to war.
Syria: blizzards overwhelm displaced in Syria
10 Feb 2022
Heavy snowstorms have blasted northwest Syria since 18 January. On the 23rd a child froze to death in a refugee camp. By 5 February thousands of displaced residents in 72 camps had frozen water systems and collapsed shelters from blankets of snow, and there are no medical services. Pray for medical supplies, thermal blankets, tarpaulin sheeting, etc. to reach the camps on treacherously slippery, frozen roadways. On 9 February teams began building dirt mounds around the camps to prevent flooding now that it is raining and the snow melting. Nearly 3 million displaced people are living in tents and temporary shelters. Heavy rainfall damaged over 190 displacement sites, destroying and damaging over 10,000 tents. Pray for the freezing families, particularly the children and elderly. Pray for aid agencies distributing food, heaters and clothing while facing severe weather conditions.
Canada: truckers’ protests cause chaos
10 Feb 2022
A movement which started in January as a loosely organised convoy of truckers has now raised millions of dollars and is causing chaos.Trucker convoy demonstrations are spreading across Canada by protesters opposed to vaccine mandates and other pandemic restrictions. After days of chaotic disruption by trucks blocking streets and blowing their horns day and night, Ottawa’s mayor declared a state of emergency because the situation is out of control. Increasing resident frustration has brought confrontations, some physical. Some protesters drive vehicles on pavements and stunt drive and there are allegations of mischief, theft, property damage and hate crimes in many provinces. The protesters said they don’t want physical confrontation with the authorities, but are willing to be arrested for their beliefs. Supporters have donated portable toilets, tents, fully equipped kitchens, tables with toiletries, and portable generators. Truckers slept in their cabs while others used home rentals. On 9 February four provinces reduced coronavirus restrictions to bring the protests to heel. Protesters’ demands now include removing the PM.
Africa: more military takeovers
10 Feb 2022
Africa has experienced more coups than any other continent. Military coups were a regular occurrence in Africa in the decades that followed independence, and there is concern they are starting to become more frequent again. 2022 has already seen two - a takeover by the army in Burkina Faso and a failed coup attempt in Guinea Bissau. US researchers identified over 200 attempts in Africa since the 1950s; half lasted more than seven days. Burkina Faso has had eight takeovers and one failed coup. Pray for a healthy balance of power between the executive, legislative, military, and judicial realms in these troubled nations, and for the many nations experiencing the aftermath of colonial control and without a history of ‘government of the people by the people’. May God give wisdom to the presidents and leaders of African nations as they try to maintain peace and order.
China: Christian persecution
10 Feb 2022
Gao Zhisheng is a Christian human rights attorney in China who has dedicated his career toward those being persecuted by the government. While not always a Christian, Gao was a former member of the People’s Liberation Army and later of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). However, he tossed that identity aside and took up the fight for victims of persecution as China looked to rebrand its cruel identity. This made him a clear target for the CCP throughout his career, leading to many cycles of being abducted, tortured, and released. Today, his whereabouts are unknown to anyone but his most recent captors, who made Gao disappear in 2017. As Beijing cheers for the athletes fighting for glory, let us pray for those like Gao who have the courage to challenge the regime and fight for Beijing’s victims. Pray for an end to the ongoing human rights disaster in China.
Cuba: communism’s atheistic ideology
10 Feb 2022
Despite 2018’s change in leadership, Cuban churches face unrelenting pressure from a government that views churches as a threat to the revolution that began in the 1950s. Cubans are poor, and the government seeks to control every aspect of their lives. In April 2021, Miguel Diaz-Canel was announced as first secretary of the Communist Party, the first leader since the revolution who is not a Castro. Three months later Cubans protested over deteriorating living conditions and called for an end to dictatorship. Most Cubans are atheists and many engage in superstitious and spiritist practices, including Afro-Cuban Santeria. 11% are evangelical Christians. The government persecutes them and seizes churches. Believers meet in illegal house churches which are growing through active evangelism. Many Cubans have never owned a Bible. Many are closely watched and effectively under house arrest. Many are denied jobs. Pray for those distributing Bibles and supporting discipleship and evangelism.
Libya: dangers of being a Christian
10 Feb 2022
Libya is overwhelming Muslim: only 0.5% of the population is Christian. It is effectively a lawless land where to be a Christian is to live a secret life of faith. Those who leave Islam to follow Jesus face immense pressure to renounce their faith. Their community ostracises them, and they can be left homeless, jobless and alone. Telling others about Jesus can lead to arrest and even violent punishment. Believers are further exposed to danger since Libya has no central government, so laws are not enforced uniformly. Targeted kidnappings and executions are always a possibility for believers. Women generally live secluded lives under strict family control, making it extremely difficult for women who convert from Islam to Christianity. If discovered, they can face house arrest, sexual assault, forced marriage and even so-called ‘honour-killing’. A Libyan man becoming a Christian can lose his job (men are the family providers), be mentally abused and excommunicated from the family.
Global: the Buddhist world
10 Feb 2022
There are about 400 million Buddhists in the world today. God loves each and every one of them. His heart’s desire is that they would be reconciled to Him through Jesus. Buddhism is the dominant religion in over a dozen Asian countries including mainland China and Japan, while large Buddhist populations live in North Korea, Nepal, India and South Korea. Buddhism revolves primarily around suffering. Its founder was born nearly 600 years before Christ. In its 2,500-year history, Buddhism has been one of the great religions of the world. The main expansion occurred during its first two millennia, and Buddhism has made no significant geographical expansion in the last five centuries. Revitalisation and missionary movements of Buddhism are currently on the increase. See