Missions Box

Photo by Ben Bowes   In March, there was flooding in Colombia which devastated Mocoa, a capital city of one of the states in Colombia. Per ABC News, “Colombian authorities scrambled to deliver aid and return basic services like electricity and water to the wreckage of Mocoa, a city of 40,000 people devastated by floodwaters…

  Image by Kareem mamduh Ismail The Coptic Church in Egypt is in trouble. ISIS has vowed to eradicate the Church in Egypt. Per Fox News, “ISIS recently released a video in which they call for ‘fellow jihadists’ to murder the Coptic Christians of Al Arish which they refer to as their ‘favorite prey.’” ISIS…

  By DXR In early April, there was a series of storms in Alabama that was severe. Governor Brentley called a state of emergency. Per WVTM 13, “Governor Robert Bentley on Tuesday declared a statewide State of Emergency in anticipation of severe weather moving through Alabama on Wednesday.” For those schools that were open (not…

Photo by Dr. Lyle Conrad In Nigeria, an outbreak of Meningitis has killed dozens of people. CNN reports, “A meningitis outbreak has killed 489 people in Nigeria this year, the World Health Organization said Thursday. The country’s Center for Disease Control reported 4,637 suspected cases.” The problem is that there is a shortage of vaccines…

Adama Barrow, the newly elected President last December who had to flee to Senegal, because the former President wouldn’t step down finally returned in January. Per CNN, “President Adama Barrow, who defeated longtime President Yahya Jammeh in a December election but waited in neighboring Senegal because Jammeh refused to surrender power on time last week,…

Photo by Sardaka When former-President Obama was in the White House, he promised the Australian Prime Minister that America would take in 1,250 refugees every year. The Federalist explains, “We entered the picture, nonetheless, in 2016. The Obama administration struck a deal with Turnbull’s government to take the refugees into our country.” Prime Minister Turnbull…

Photo by Goldmund100 In January, there was an avalanche in Central Italy. It hit a hotel nestled at the foot of the Gren Sasso mountains. It came because of strong earthquakes in the region. Per CNN, “The four-star spa hotel at the foot of the Gran Sasso mountain, about 135 kilometers (85 miles) northeast of…

  Mätes II In February, Romania was planning on passing a corruption bill, which would make it legal for government officials to do corrupt things if it did not go over a certain amount. Per CNN, “The original decree, which would have taken effect in about a week, decriminalized corruption that causes damage worth less…

Photo by הסוכנות היהודית Pikiwiki Israel In January, right before President Trump was sworn into office, a group of international leaders met to discuss the Two-State Solution, or the giving the West Bank in Israel to the Palestinians. Per Al Jazeera, “The [UN] resolution condemns all Israeli settlement activity as illegal and calls upon member…

By Nadavspi In-between the beginning of 2016 and the end, a land a little smaller than the state of Florida was recaptured by Iraqi and Syrian forces. Per Newsweek, “This means ISIS lost control of almost 18,000 square kilometers (6,900 square miles) over the last 12 months, bringing the totality of the landmass it holds…

  Myararat83 An American Pastor who worked in Turkey for 20 years was detained for supposed ties to a terrorist group. Per Fox News, “Mr. Brunson is a pastor of a small church on the west coast of Turkey. After living peacefully in Izmir for more than 20 years, he was imprisoned based on unsubstantiated…

Al Jazeera English Unity State, in South Sudan, which has a population of 100,000, has been declared by the United Nations to be famine proportions. There has not been a famine in South Sudan for six years. Per the Guardian, “A further 1 million people were classified as being on the brink of famine, according…

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Orders to evacuate the San Francisco area came on February 20 due to rising water and floods. According to Fox News, “Evacuations were ordered in Central California on Monday and flash-flood warnings were issued elsewhere as downpours swelled creeks and rivers to troubling levels in the already soggy region.” It…

Foudeelau China used to be on a one-child policy until 2016, when they realized the population was decreasing, due to the fact most of the population was elderly. Per CNN, “But the low birth rate created a number of serious demographic challenges. Today, China faces a rapidly aging population and a shortage of working-age residents,…

  By Gilbert Bochenek   On January 30, a man walked into a mosque in Quebec, Canada and started shooting. Three people were killed in the attack. There were also 19 others who were injured. According to CBC, “Alexandre Bissonnette, 27, has been charged with six counts of first-degree murder and five counts of attempted…

Mr. Robert E. Day On January 16, 4 tornadoes hit the Dallas, Texas suburbs. NBCDFW reports, “The four confirmed tornadoes — including two EF-1 tornadoes, an EF-0 and one other that is yet to be rated — were spawned from a single long-track super cell thunderstorm that moved across Coryell, Bosque, Hill and Tarrant counties, according…

In December of 2016 and January 2017, southern Thailand was hit by heavy flooding. According to Fox News, “Flooding in southern Thailand has killed at least five people, disrupted transportation and spoiled tourists’ holidays at one of the country’s most popular resort islands.” The rain was due to a low pressure system circulating over southern…

The Myanmar military is cracking down on Myanmar’s minorities, particularly the Rohingya. Many of them flee into Bangladesh. CNN reports, “Authorities in neighboring Bangladesh said dozens of people have attempted to flee across the border in recent days.” Those in Myanmar think that the Rohingya are Bangladesh citizens and as such are there illegally, even…

By Agência Brasil Fotografias The Rio refugee team was the first of its kind in the Olympics. Never before had there been a team of refugees in Olympic history. UNCHR reports, “Hailing the first-ever refugee team as “true Olympians”, UNHCR Deputy High Commissioner Kelly T. Clements has praised its 10 members of for helping to…

http://www.ccfhr.noaa.gov/news/ophelia In October of 2016, Hurricane Matthew hit the shore of North Carolina. According to CNN, “The storm’s US death toll climbed to 21 on Monday, with North Carolina reporting 11 deaths, Florida reporting four, and three each in South Carolina and Georgia.” Those in the Southeast were ordered to evacuate. Fox News explains, “An…

In Latin America, there has been an increase in the number of women asking for abortions due to the spread of the Zika Virus. In most Latin American countries, abortion is illegal. CNN reports, “In Latin American countries, where abortion is highly restricted if not downright illegal, pregnant women are seeking abortions at significantly higher…

Fanny Schertzer On January 22, 2017, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake hit Papua New Guinea. It is initially believed to be no deaths. According to CNN, “The predominant structure of homes in the area meant they were vulnerable to earthquakes, it said, and fatalities were possible.” There was a Tsunami warning put into effect for several…

By Berthold Werner In early January, 4 Israeli soldiers were killed by a Palestinian, who took over a truck and attacked all those who were nearby. It is believed he supported the terrorist attacks of ISIS. CNN reports, “The driver who plowed a truck into a group of soldiers in Jerusalem, killing four people and…

By English: Foreign and Commonwealth Office The Rohingya are treated badly by the government of Myanmar, mainly the military. Many Rohingya have escaped into Muslim countries. According to CNN, “The Myanmar government has forcibly segregated Rohingya from the rest of the population in Rakhine state since 1982 when the government stripped them of their citizenship.”…

By Adelano Lázaro In late October, Marcello Crivella was elected to be mayor in Rio de Janeiro. Crivella is a devoted Evangelical. According to CNN, “Rio de Janeiro, the city of sunshine and samba, elected a former evangelical bishop mayor in a municipal election that signals Brazil’s politics are shifting right after 13 years of…

By Qypchak In late August of 2016, Russia attacked Ukraine while it was celebrating its Independence from the former USSR. CNN reports, “On the day of his country’s 25th anniversary of independence from the Soviet Union, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is warning that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants ‘the whole Ukraine’ to be part of…

  By Athanasius 77 In December, just a few weeks before Christmas, a Coptic Church in Cairo was bombed. At first, the authorities had no idea who was responsible for the attacks. According to Fox News, “The Islamic State [ISIS] claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing that killed 25 people. They also alleged that the…

By Kotoviski – Own work, CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1620427 In November, Fidel Castro, the leader and dictator of Cuba died of an ailment. According to The Slatest, “One of the world’s most divisive and authoritarian leaders who allegedly survived more than 600 assassination attempts and played a key role in the history of the 20th…

  The Zika-related malady of microcephaly that has plagued Brazil and much of the Americas is now in Thailand where two babies recently born there have the birth defect, marking Asia’s first reports of the condition. While not all pregnant women infected with Zika deliver microcephalic babies, researchers say Zika is one of the leading…

By terremocentroitalia terremocentroitalia from Italia In late October of 2016, an earthquake hit Norcia, Italy (a town in the central part of Italy). A 6.6 earthquake was recorded. CNN reports, “A powerful 6.6-magnitude earthquake rocked central Italy on Sunday morning, injuring at least 20 people, in the strongest tremor to hit the country in more…

Opponents of President Nicola Maduro’s United Socialist Party of Venezuela held mass demonstrations recently, demanding a recall election of the beleaguered president as the nation wallows in an economic crisis. Widespread shortages of common goods and medicines has led to increased crime, rolling blackouts and massive inflation. Economists predict 700 percent inflation this year and…

In a national vote, Colombians rejected a peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia—People’s Army, also known as FARC, which was intended to end 52 years of guerrilla warfare. The referendum’s failure to pass follows four years of negotiations between President Juan Manuel Santos and FARC, which Cuba hosted and facilitated. Colombians rejected…

On January 11, there was an abortion ban headed by the Russian Orthodox Church. According to LifeSite, “The Russian Orthodox Church diocese in the city of Yaroslavl declared 11 January a ‘day of silence without abortions’, and said it had the support of the region’s health department. Abortion is legal in Russia and the cost…