USA: 10,849 lightning strikes, 367 fires
20 Aug 2020
Californian firefighters are battling hundreds of wildfires across California amid the hottest temperatures ever recorded (130 °F, 54.4°C in Death Valley). The fires have burned 649,054 acres in 14 states. More than 16,700 wildland firefighters and support personnel are assigned to fight the fires (see). In 72 hours, 10,849 lightning strikes hit California, starting 367 new fires. Rescue and firefighting resources are depleted as new fires continue to ignite. The deputy fire chief said this was not a normal situation; ‘We are doing as much as we can with the resources that we have’. Mandatory evacuations have been ordered, whole communities destroyed, and thousands more homes are threatened. Pray for firefighters and emergency teams to be protected; for co-ordinated relief accommodation for the homeless; comfort for those who have lost everything and healing for the injured. May God bring rain and cool weather into the region.
Cameroon: Bible translator killed
20 Aug 2020
Bible translator and literacy teacher Pastor Christopher Tanjoh was killed on 7 August following an attack in his village. Last year two other Bible translators in Cameroon died in similar incidents. He bled to death after being shot in the leg, leaving behind a wife and seven children. Wycliffe’s executive director said, ‘This tragic news reminds us how much the gospel message is urgently needed in Cameroon. Until people are transformed by Jesus, there will be no lasting peace. We continue to work with local partners to translate the Bible so that every Cameroonian can read the Bible in the language that speaks to them best.’
Israel: more Gaza balloons
20 Aug 2020
Palestinians have resumed launching incendiary and explosive balloons towards Israel. Israel has responded by bombing Hamas military sites in the Gaza Strip, closed the Kerem Shalom commercial crossing, stopped all fuel imports into Gaza, and reduced the fishing zone off the Gaza Strip from 15 to 8 nautical miles. Pray for the safety of innocent Palestinians living in the vicinity of Hamas military bases, underground infrastructures, and observation posts that are being targeted. Hamas said the latest Israeli actions amount to ‘a dangerous act of aggression and an uncalculated step for which the occupation will not be able to bear the consequences.’ Many believe fire balloon tactics are a way to force Israel to implement truce understandings reached through Egyptian, Qatari and UN mediation in 2018.
In the frantic race for a Covid-19 vaccine, one issue in clinical trials is the lack of diversity. Experts are saying that the long history of abusive research practices has left many people of colour distrustful of the medical establishment, making it difficult to recruit them for clinical trials. Since black people are dying of Covid-19 at almost 2.5 times the rate of whites, recruiting a balanced cohort is essential. Pray for extra community outreach, childcare and transportation to testing and trial stations.
Steve Bannon, Donald Trump’s former chief strategist, has been arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit fraud related to We Build the Wall, a fundraising campaign to support the building of a border wall between the US and Mexico. Federal prosecutors allege that Bannon and three others ‘orchestrated a scheme to defraud hundreds of thousands of donors’ in connection with the online crowdfunding campaign that raised more than £19m. Bannon promised that 100% of the money donated would be used for the project, but the defendants allegedly used hundreds of thousands of dollars in a manner inconsistent with the organisation's public representations. The trio faked invoices and sham ‘vendor’ arrangements in a bid to hide what was really happening.
Thank God no one died
13 Aug 2020
In Beirut Said Deeb is a pastor working at a centre which runs children’s clubs and provides food to refugees. He doesn't know why he did it, but on the day of the explosion he told everyone to go home and get some rest because he was worried about coronavirus. There are normally 34 people and 240 children at the centre each day. He said, ‘I thank God no one was here; if there had been here they would be dead because the windows flew from the side, from one wall to another wall, and took everything in between - the curtains, the air conditioning, the tables, the computers, the televisions.’
Hope in uncertain times
13 Aug 2020
Click this link to watch a 30-second video in which Stephen Elphick from HOPE explains how a woman became a Christian when she visited their HOPE space in Bedford town.
Transformation prayers
13 Aug 2020
King Alfred the Great wrote, ‘There is only one way to build my kingdom, and that is on the sure and certain foundation of faith in Jesus Christ crucified.’ We thank God for the heritage of faith that lies within the foundations of this nation. We can pray for new movements of His people to be born, movements filled with those who have encountered Jesus, been impacted by His radical love, and are running with deep-seated obedience to His Spirit. May all who are activated by the Spirit of God, to lead or to follow, step beyond fear and doubt and take hold of all that He has put within their grasp. We can pray for all God’s people, old and young, to be equipped and empowered for the season ahead. May His presence rest on them in great measure. (These prayers are based on Transforming Declarations by Suzanne Ferrett of Passion for the Nation)