Nigeria
An Islamic group called Boko
Haram (which means “Western education is sinful”) has employed extreme violence
in its campaign to establish an Islamic Sharia state in northeast Nigeria. They
generally target Christians, but a large proportion of their victims have been
Muslim. The extremist group continues its campaign of terror in the remote
villages of Borno in northeast Nigeria with near daily raids, murders, and
abductions. They have looted villages and burned homes and churches to the
ground in their raids. Boko Haram has also attacked police and UN headquarters
in the capital, and set off bombs in the central city of Jos. http://tinyurl.com/porhwky
http://tinyurl.com/kstelek http://tinyurl.com/q4c6zjt
In April, the group kidnapped
276 girls from a secondary school in Chibok. Boko Haram demands the release of
its imprisoned militants in exchange for the girls, but the Nigerian government
refuses to negotiate with them. More than 560 civilians have been killed by
Boko Haram since the school girls’ abduction in April and more than 100 women
and children have been taken from their villages. Thousands of people have fled
the violence in the region and an estimated three million people are affected
by it. http://tinyurl.com/pnocrjw http://tinyurl.com/osl8ll7 http://tinyurl.com/lzo4xcj
·
Pray for children
and families who’ve been affected by Boko Haram’s violent campaign. Pray for
those who have had loved ones killed or injured in attacks by this militant
group. Pray for children and families who have lost their homes. Pray God will
provide for their immediate and deepest needs.
·
Continue to pray
for the safe release of the school girls, as well as the women and children
kidnapped by Boko Haram. Pray for those who’ve been forced to convert from
Christianity to Islam. Pray for God’s comfort and peace during this frightening
time. Pray for the loved ones of these kidnap victims.
·
Please pray for
peace in Nigeria’s troubled northeast region. Pray for Nigeria’s government and
military leaders during this challenging season. Pray for wisdom and courage to
do the right thing for their fellow Nigerians, especially the children of this
fractured country.
·
Pray for Boko
Haram’s leaders—that God would change the hearts of those who use violence to
achieve goals.
United States, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador
The number of unaccompanied
children coming to the United States from Central America continues to grow.
Since last October, an estimated 52,000 unaccompanied migrant children have
been detained after crossing into the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas from Mexico.
Most of them are fleeing drug cartel or gang violence in Guatemala, Honduras,
or El Salvador. The average age of children crossing is 14, but arrests of unaccompanied
children under age 2 have been reported. This flood of migrant children has
strained detention centers in Texas and forced authorities to find alternative housing
for those who’ve come to the U.S. without parents or guardians. http://tinyurl.com/qdmkv6s
This massive influx of
children is thought to be caused by a misconception among migrants that traveling
with children will allow them to enter the U.S. and that minor children won’t
be deported. Coyotes (human smugglers) perpetuate this mistaken belief in order
to profit from it. Unaccompanied children are held in detention facilities
until they can be placed with a parent or guardian in the U.S. They are
required to reappear for a deportation hearing. http://tinyurl.com/mn4vrrc
·
Please continue
to keep in prayer unaccompanied children who are migrating or have migrated to
the U.S. Pray for those who have experienced violence at home, only to go
through it again during their journey north. Pray for children who have been
apprehended and are now in shelters. Pray for those who are frightened and
feeling alone.
·
Pray for children
and young people who have endured great abuse and hardship during their trips
north. Pray for those who have been attacked, robbed, chased, sexually
assaulted, or kidnapped and trafficked by drug cartels. Pray for those who endure
hunger, thirst, illness, or exposure to extreme heat or cold. Pray for those
who have witnessed brutal or traumatizing events during their long journey
north.
·
Please keep in
prayer law enforcement officers and those who process or work with unaccompanied
migrant children along the U.S./Mexico border. Pray God will grant them wisdom
and compassion while working with traumatized children.
·
Pray for parents
who make difficult life and death decisions about their children…whether to
keep their children home where they’re vulnerable to extreme violence from drug
cartels and gangs or send them north on a treacherous journey where they’re
vulnerable to being trafficked.
·
Please pray for
the leaders and people of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Pray God will
bring healing to their nations. Pray for an end to poverty, gang violence, and the
desperation that causes parents to send their children over a thousand miles
away so they won’t be killed.
