Nazeri Zubair’s travelling companion crushed a pill, dissolved it in water, and fed it to her two-year-old daughter to make the baby sleep for over a day. It was a requirement of the smugglers who were guiding the group from Serbia across Croatia’s border then into Slovenia; opening up possibilities of travelling without passport checks within 26 countries on Europe’s mainland. Over 90% of undocumented immigrants who enter the EU illegally use people smugglers at one stage of their journey, according to Europol. Nazeri came into contact with dozens of smugglers while traversing 12 countries. Finding them was as easy as finding a regular travel agent, through recommendations or at notorious hot spots such as Victoria Square in Athens. One led him through a minefield, and another across treacherous Mediterranean waters. Nazeri said children aged under 4 were systematically spoon-fed sedatives to keep them quiet. Smugglers refuse to take young families who won't administer drugs.

On 15 July the Christian Association of Nigeria reported that in the previous week 238 Christians were killed and more churches desecrated by Muslims. This puts the total number of Christians killed as 6,000+ since January. This is genocide. A joint communiqué from the Christian Association, representing different denominations, said, ‘There is no doubt that the sole purpose of these attacks is ethnic cleansing, land seizure and the forced expulsion of Christian natives from their land and ancestral heritage.’ The statement condemned recent attacks, where 2,000+ people had been brutally murdered and churches destroyed without any security intervention despite the various calls for help that were made. Taking into account that Christians constitute more than 50% of the Nigerian population, it is obvious that the objective of the Islamists is to create serious conflicts that, if not controlled, can lead to another civil war. Also, floods are killing many and ruining crops, raising fears of food shortages. See https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/07/nigeria-floods-worsen-food-shortages-180715120551293.html

Twelve boys and their coach were rescued from a flooded, dark cave, and we thank God that they were brought out into the light. BUT the people of Thailand remain in spiritual darkness. It is deep and seemingly impenetrable. They know no way of escape. 99% are unreached by the Gospel. Buddhism, folk animism, and occultism hold them captive. Roughly 1 million children are child labourers, while a further 40,000 minors are sold into the sex trade. The HIV/AIDS infection rate is Asia's highest. It wasn't the prayers of the Buddhist monks that delivered these boys from the cave. And we know that it is only Jesus who can rescue the Thai people out of darkness into His marvellous light. Pray for the Holy Spirit to break the hold of Buddhism, spiritism, and the occult. Pray for moral conviction to fall on those who oppress others for profit via the sex trade. Pray for explosive church growth to reach all 80,000 villages.

The Israel Defence Force (IDF) launched military exercises on 15 July, including one simulating conquering Gaza city. The IDF stressed that this exercise was part of its annual training programme and not connected to major exchanges of fire with Hamas two days earlier when 200 rockets and mortar shells were fired at Israel, threatening the lives of tens of thousands. Their defence system intercepted 20 rockets. Several Israelis were injured and many buildings were damaged, including a synagogue. While relative peace has returned, Israelis fear that soon civilians will again have to run for shelter from Hamas rockets. On 16 June 22 people, including 9 Iranians, were killed in an IDF attack on a Syrian base. On 18 July Gaza’s self-described ‘airborne firebomb squad’ accused Israel of spreading lies about a deal reached between Egypt and Hamas to phase out the launching of bomb-laden kites and balloons against Israel. See https://worldisraelnews.com/rebel-terror-group-in-gaza-rejects-egyptian-hamas-deal-to-stop-fire-kites/

In a population of 430,000 only 5.2% are Christian; everyone else is a Sunni Muslim. Churches in Malaysian territories bordering Brunei have been bold in their evangelism directed at Bruneians who come across the border for work or leisure. Some have reported numerous conversations with Bruneians who seem hungry and seeking for spiritual truth. Pray that these conversations will linger in their minds, and that the Holy Spirit will bring revelation and understanding of spiritual truths. May He make many inquisitive to know more about Jesus. There are many agencies and churches looking for additional staff to help them in their mission and calling in Brunei, where Muslim leaders have influence over the Sultan - the ultimate protector and defender of Islam. This results in Christian marginalisation. Neighbours of Christians only need to report them to authorities to hinder the practice of Christianity. See also https://windowreporter.com/prayer-points-day?day=20

‘I am sure that in the Arabian peninsula there are easily ten million Christians’, says Bill Schwartz, OBE, Anglican Archdeacon in the Gulf and Chaplain of Qatar. Most notable is how the region’s religious mix has shifted in a totally unprecedented way, as foreign workers have flooded in to benefit from the explosion of jobs. Today, at least 50% of migrants and expatriates ‘have some kind of Christian tradition’. In Qatar, where foreign workers outnumber locals by ten to one, there are now more Catholics than Muslims. New church buildings are being built, including one in Abu Dhabi to accommodate 5,000 people at a time. There is opportunity for Christian witness in societies that have been culturally isolated for thousands of years. Schwartz says, ‘I have more opportunities to talk about faith in the Gulf than I ever do in the US, because religion is so important here.’

We recently had ‘African Anti-Corruption Day’ ,which recognised the progress made in the fight against corruption and the significant work still left to do. To highlight this point, the African Union (AU) designated 2018 as the year for ‘winning the fight against corruption’. The AU signed several treaties aimed at ensuring democracy, rule of law and good governance. But much more needs to be done. Corruption hampers development and the ability to bring people out of poverty. The continent ranks lowest amongst global regions in corruption perceptions, and the impact cannot be underestimated. 43% of Africans are living in poverty while over 50 billion US dollars’ worth of stolen assets flow out of Africa annually, money that could be invested in jobs and social services, where additional resources are needed most. Transparency International wrote an open letter to the AU highlighting seven areas where it could focus its efforts.

Across the US there is growth in organisations portraying Islam as a threat, in what has become known as the Islamophobia industry. It has more than tripled in two years. An Al-Jazeera investigation revealed the tactics they use to instigate a fear of Islam, including manipulating social media to create a false narrative that Muslims are trying to take over the country. Anti-Muslim messages proliferate in social media with bought-in followers, fake accounts, and robotic amplifiers. The investigation also shows how the organisations suppress the rise of a Muslim political voice in America, and uncovers how ‘dark money’ is fuelling them - tens of millions of dollars funnelled through anonymous donor funds. The report unveiled the donors of the dark money; a strategy of infiltrating US university courses and monitoring mosques; a filmed training session by an ex-FBI Agent teaching ‘theories’ about Muslims; and connections between key members of the Trump administration and the Islamophobia industry.

The rescue saw miracles from beginning to end. First of all, divers travelled underwater trailing a rope for their return route. The rope was too short, and when the divers raised their heads above the water surface they stared directly at the boys stranded on a ledge above. Had they gone any further, they would have missed them. Then, just hours after the last boys and their young coach had been rescued, the pumps failed and the water levels rapidly increased. Give thanks also for the devotion of the coach as he sought to keep the boys calm by meditation. Pray now for the recovery of the survivors, that they will not have flashbacks, nightmares or any fears of confined space, but rather that they will experience post-traumatic growth. PTG happens when a traumatic experience changes lives positively. If so, they will have positive futures as they grow into confident young men with a higher psychological level of functioning. Pray also for the family of the diver who died in the rescue.

A London-based nurse has been convicted of trafficking five Nigerian women into Germany to work as prostitutes after subjecting them to ‘voodoo’ rituals. Josephine Lyamu forced them to swear oaths to hand over money to her during ‘juju’ ceremonies. Praise God for the successful prosecution. The women had been psychologically manipulated and financially exploited, as well as sexually abused. This is the first conviction under the Modern Slavery Act, passed in 2015. See also the IJM prayer requests in the ‘World’ section.