A Swedish Christian writes, ‘Here in Sweden the 'Roma people' from Romania is quite an issue. Hundreds of them beg on the streets in the cities. In many places churches are arranging overnight places for them. We also have an influx of refugees especially from Syria. We receive many, many more than other EU countries. For this reason the party in Sweden similar to your UKIP received 13.9% in the recent general elections and this has caused a political crisis. This party, The Swedish Democrats, were able to vote down the new government, so we will need to have a new election in March.' We enjoy lots of lights and candles in our communities and homes during this very dark time of the year, during Advent and Christmas. We've had wonderful Christmas concerts giving out the message of the Light coming into the world. George Verwer has said: 'Let's not fight the darkness, let's spread the Light!'

A new type of anti-immigration appears to be taking hold in Germany with protests against what’s been called the ‘growing Islamisation’ of the country. In Dresden members of PEGIDA or ‘Patriotic Europeans against the Islamisation of the West’ held a rally against extremism and perceived abuses of Germany’s asylum system. 'Political refugees are very welcome, but look at our asylum seekers’ homes here. There are only men living there. Where are their families? They are criminals who left their families behind in the war,’ said one PEGIDA demonstrator. Critics of PEGIDA who held their own counter demonstration accused the group of drawing support from the far-right Neo-Nazis. PEGIDA says it is not against Muslims in general but wants to preserve the country’s Judeo-Christian culture. Germany is now the second most popular destination for migrants after the US and is struggling to cope with an unprecedented influx of asylum seekers.

Islamic supremacists are becoming increasingly violent in Europe. If we do not stop them effectively, where will it end? ‘Immigrant gangs’ is Danish media's euphemism for Muslim gangs. Islamic extremists use immigrant gangs to enforce religious Sharia laws in residential areas throughout Denmark. There is an unholy alliance is between religious extremists and hardcore criminals in residential areas where especially younger people are  to behave in certain ways and women are to dress in particular ways. Gang members typically support individual extremist imams and mosques with a strict interpretation of Islam. People are more afraid of the extremists when they are backed by gang members. This can be seen for example in Tingbjerg. The consequence is that people do not dare to stand up against the extremists, because they know that they will get beaten up by hardened criminals. National Police Research Centre (NEC), which monitors gang activity at home, confirms that the gangs are flirting with religious environments.

Hundreds of young German Islamists have travelled to Syria to fight with the terrorist group Islamic State. Der Spiegel explored the extremist scene in Germany and the fascination with jihad in order to find answers about what drives people to join the murderous cult. Whenever Ismail Cetinkaya runs into one of those young men who want to leave Hamburg to fight in Syria, he asks: ‘Have you ever slept without heat in the winter? Do you know what it's like to live without electricity and running water? Do you think a Kalashnikov works like the controller for your PlayStation 4?’ He also asks whether the young man is leaving his mother behind. And then he quotes the words of the Prophet Mohammed, and says: ‘Paradise lies at the feet of your mother.’ The implication being that those who leave their weeping mothers behind won't enter paradise.

In the middle of October the petition ‘No Education Policy under Rainbow (Gay) Ideology’ signed by 192,000 supporters was rejected by the petition commission for no good reason and the state parliament (in Stuttgart) confirmed this rejection in the middle of November with its ‘green-red’ majority. However protest action is now gaining further momentum and has entered a new phase. 3000 citizens in Stuttgart took a stand for the protection and strengthening of the family at one of the ‘Demo for everybody’ demonstrations which are now taking place regularly.  Last month significant articles appeared in the media exposing the background to this ‘Pornographisation’ of the school system. The link between today’s sexual education and the thinking of paedophiles was disclosed to a shocked public.  Radical unchristian teaching, to be incorporated into the new Education Policy is now increasingly coming under criticism. Give thanks for growing resistance. (1 Pe.5:8-9

Child soldiers appear to be playing a part on both sides of the conflict in eastern Ukraine. A boy as young as 15 has been shown training pro-Russian separatist recruits in how to handle weapons, while Ukrainian media have told the story of a 17-year-old volunteer sapper. It is a development that particularly worries the UN children's agency, Unicef, which is investigating ‘anecdotal evidence that children have been recruited and may be directly involved in the fighting’. The fighting, which erupted in April, has claimed more than 4,300 lives and left some 10,000 people wounded. ‘Armed groups should not, under any circumstances, recruit or use in hostilities people under the age of 18 years,’ says the agency's Ukraine representative Giovanna Barberis.

Pope Francis has told European leaders to do more to help thousands of migrants risking their lives to get to the continent. Addressing the European Parliament for the first time, the pontiff referred to an estimated 3,200 migrants who have drowned this year trying to get to Europe. ‘There needs to be a united response to the question of migration. We cannot allow the Mediterranean to become a vast cemetery,’ he said. ‘The boats landing daily on the shores of Europe are filled with men and women who need acceptance and assistance,’ he added, calling on European powers to work together to protect immigrants from human traffickers.  The Pope’s address comes just days after 600 migrants were rescued in the Mediterranean between Sicily and North Africa.

Hungarians held rallies across the country on Monday in a protest dubbed ‘public outrage day’. In Budapest more than 10,000 marched accusing Prime Minister Viktor Orban of employing corrupt officials, curbing freedom of speech, failing to manage the economy and changing direction by moving away from the EU and towards Russia. It was the fifth major demonstration in a month. One protester said: ‘Corruption has become widespread in Hungary, and it is impossible to have a normal standard of living.’ Meanwhile Euronews’ reporter asked whether it was only the fault of the current government? A protester responded saying: ‘Over the last decades – as we have heard in the speeches – many bad things happened and the country started to go the wrong way.’ Another protester’s concerns were more about unemployment.

After 70 years of demonic influence of communism and because of the continuous threat coming from the East (Russia) they are desperate for freedom. This coming Sunday, the 16 November, they hold the final election for the President of Romania. There are two candidates: Victor Ponta is the current Prime Minister. He is the representative of the left and extremist parties, the most corrupted person they have ever had as a leader of the government. Johannis Klaus is the Mayor of Sibiu City. He represents the Christian Liberal Alliance. Under his leadership Sibiu was brought up from bankruptcy to one of the most prosperous and civilized city of the country. Mr Johannis is an Evangelical Lutheran believer. He has a personal relationship with God and the Bible is the most important book for him. Mr Johannis has a clear message about the future of the nation. ‘Jesus Christ is Lord of our nation!’

Diabetes is an increasingly serious problem in Europe. Today, at least 32 million Europeans are suffering from the disease. In 2030, that number is expected to have risen to more than 38 million. The EU and tits member states have an opportunity to lower this estimate and reverse this trend. If we act now, we can save lives, improve the quality of life of those affected and save money in the long run. According to the In ternational Diabetes Federation, member states are currently facing and addressing the challenge of diabetes in different ways and at different paces. However, they all have one thing in common. The number of people suffering from the disease is growing. Some countries have been focusing on treating those suffering from the illness, while others have been concentrating on prevention.