Thailand, Burma
An estimated 120,000 Burmese refugees
live in camps along Thailand’s border with Burma. Many fled persecution,
violence, or poverty in Burma for life in one of 10 refugee camps in Thailand.
And many have lived in these camps for more than two decades. Children have limited
access to education in the camps and adults aren’t legally allowed to work. The
Thai government considers this refugee population a burden and is taking steps
to send them back to Burma. News of the repatriation is causing anxiety within
the refugee population as they fear what will happen when they’re sent back to
conflict zones within Burma. Refugees are also afraid they won’t be able to
find work in their former communities. Nongovernmental organizations working
with refugees are concerned by the lack of infrastructure in Burma and fear
this repatriation would create chaos at a tense time for both Thailand and
Burma. http://tinyurl.com/nzwq9xu
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Please keep the
ethnic hill tribe children living in these refugee camps close in prayer. Pray
God will comfort them during this season of uncertainty. Pray God will provide
for their deepest and most immediate needs.
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Please pray for
the parents and caregivers of children in the camps. Pray God will also comfort
and guide them during this stressful time. Pray they will know God’s peace that
surpasses all understanding as they care for their children in the midst of
this upheaval.
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Pray the Thai
government will treat these refugees with fairness and compassion. Pray the
Burmese government will also respond to the needs of this marginalized people
group with fair-mindedness. Please pray God will prepare the hearts of all
those in both governments who will interact and work with these refugees.
Nigeria
Boko Haram, an Islamic
extremist group, has increased attacks on predominately Christian communities
in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno state. The group is intent on overthrowing the
Nigerian government in order to establish an Islamic Sharia state. Boko Haram (which
means “Western education is forbidden”) targets civilians and has killed more
than 2,000 people this year. It also kidnaps girls and women to use as porters,
cooks, sex slaves, and possibly, suicide bombers. A recent assault on Damboa displaced
more than 15,000 people. http://tinyurl.com/lj8pbqs http://tinyurl.com/pczlp5w
In April 2014, an estimated
234 girls were abducted from a government school in Chibok by Boko Haram. Authorities
believe the girls are being held in the Sambisa Forest, a wildlife preserve
with thick jungle that’s infested with poisonous snakes and malarial
mosquitoes. Since the girls’ kidnapping, 11 of their parents have died. Seven
of the girls’ fathers were killed in a Boko Haram attack. Four more parents
died of trauma-related illnesses. Thankfully, an estimated 63 girls and women
were able to escape from Boko Haram in early July. http://tinyurl.com/o844s95 http://tinyurl.com/mlywkfr
The Nigerian government has
started a program based on the teachings at an Islamic School in Kaduna in
which the violent ideology of Boko Haram is condemned—that what Boko Haram is
doing is a total misunderstanding of Islam. The school teaches its students tolerance
and correct interpretations of the Koran. They challenge Boko Haram’s claim
that Western teaching is not Islamic and encourage students, male and female,
to pursue secular courses. The government’s new program will incorporate these
themes as well as include an economic facet that will address Borno state’s issue
of chronic poverty. http://tinyurl.com/pd3q3y3
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Please continue
to pray for the school girls and other victims still held by Boko Haram. Pray
for their safety and that they might be rescued soon. Pray for those who have
become ill. Please pray God will encourage and sustain all of Boko Haram’s
kidnapping victims.
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Give thanks to
God for the escape of some of the girls and women previously kidnapped by Boko
Haram. Thanks be to God they’re receiving therapy and counseling for the trauma
they endured. Pray for their continued recovery from this terrifying experience.
Pray they will know God’s peace and comfort during this healing journey.
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Please pray for the
parents and families of those still under Boko Haram’s control. Pray for loved
ones grieving the tragic deaths of the fathers and mothers of the Chibok school
girls.
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Pray for families
that have been displaced by Boko Haram’s violent attacks. Pray for those who
have lost everything because of Boko Haram’s assaults on their villages. Pray
God will provide children and families with the resources needed to survive.
Pray for families in neighboring villages who are taking in displaced families.
Please pray God will also provide for their immediate needs.
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Pray the new government
program will be successful in stopping radicalized Islamic movements like Boko
Haram. Pray Nigeria’s government will protect all its citizens in the north and
truly address the underlying issues of poverty and ignorance that contribute to
radical Islamic ideology.
