On 3 April the World Food Programme (WFP) began deploying two Sherps, all-terrain amphibious vehicles with a capacity of 1,000 kilos of cargo, in Mozambique, delivering food aid to areas unreachable by other means. It said that by 8 April it had reached 717,000 people with aid assistance, out of the 1.8 million Mozambicans affected by Cyclone Idai. The WFP intends to assist 1.7 million who need emergency food assistance. Many have lost everything: homes, belongings, crops and livelihoods. Needs assessments will determine who to prioritise. The BBC World Service radio reported on 22 April that aid is also now being delivered to inaccessible places by drones. Please continue to pray for the thousands of desperate families in remote locations, still existing solely on the provision of aid from abroad.

Heavy fighting and airstrikes continue in the Libyan capital Tripoli. Three weeks ago, eastern commander General Khalifa Haftar launched an offensive to seize it from the UN-recognised government of prime minister Fayez al-Sarraj. Over 200 people have been killed since fighting began, and the situation remains volatile for people living there. A resident told the BBC World Service, ‘We fear for our children, all they hear is loud explosions. Children are asking questions. Why is the school closed? Why are there no exams to sit? Some say they are not scared, and others are very frightened. Local authorities tell us when to stay at home if there is going to be trouble. We try to live a normal life, but some people cannot leave their houses, some cannot flee because the roads are closed, others have fled. Many have died or are injured when going out shopping. Bombing comes at any time, but mostly at night.’

Nationwide power cuts in Venezuela started on 7 March. The government of Nicolás Maduro blames US-backed saboteurs and snipers for the lack of water and electricity. Experts blame poor maintenance and a bush fire in the power grid. Russia backs Maduro’s version of events, claiming Washington is employing ‘techniques’ to remove him, including a man-made shutdown of energy facilities they called ‘Operation Blackout’. These allegations contradict the widespread consensus that Hugo Chávez’s authoritarian heir is responsible for an unprecedented electricity crisis that has deprived millions of citizens of light and water. Men are chopping down trees to take home to light fires for heat and light. When water stops flowing, people go to rivers and streams and collect muddy water to boil and reuse. There is dehydration, diarrhoea and a danger of more serious diseases. Opposition leader Juan Guaidó is calling people to take to the streets on 1 May for an enormous march to keep the pressure on the president to go. See

Easter traditions vary in different parts of the world. For instance in Germany, Easter is called Ostern and Good Friday, Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday are all public holidays. In the USA Easter is about eggs, bunnies and new clothes; it has ceased to be a religious celebration. French Easter starts with a sombre note on Good Friday - mourning Christ’s crucifixion. Church bells are not rung for three days, then on Easter morning children rush outside to watch the bells ‘fly back from Rome’. A Greek Easter, their main religious festival, is full of Orthodox fervour. Russia’s merger of Eastern Orthodox Christianity and Western Christianity means the date of the festival is different for each group. Whether in high-spirited Romanian celebrations or in traditional Polish style, we all celebrate: ‘Christ is risen, Hallelujah!'

A movement of prayer tents has been spreading throughout the USA, as believers are motivated to get outside the walls of the church and into the streets to promote the truth about Jesus Christ. There is no pretence or preaching, no law or Christian jargon, no offerings are taken. Juan and Patty Tirado joined this movement after watching Todd White ‘let Jesus be Jesus’ in communities. They started prayer tents in parks and other local venues. Soon testimonies began pouring in. For instance a lady whose granddaughter was a captive in an unknown location asked for intercession. She came back to the Tirados to report that the very same night, the perpetrator was airlifted to a hospital and her granddaughter was able to escape. Police found her and took her to safety.

J John writes, ‘As I thought about black holes in this run-up to Easter, I found myself contrasting the idea of the black hole with the cross. There are comparisons - the black hole looks inward while the cross points out, takes in while the cross gives out, brings destruction while the cross brings life. Those opposing images could be principles that govern our lives. Do we take in or do we give out? Is our priority our own well-being or that of others? Do we focus on the fulfilment of our own desires or the concerns of those about us? Each of us must choose what principle we live under; to decide whether the geometry of our lives is the shape of the cross or the monstrous and ever hungry circle of the black hole. These two opposing principles are important when it comes to Christian involvement in society. We can choose to look inwards or outwards. Jesus constantly encouraged his followers to be salt and light.’

Anglican and Catholic leaders have made a joint submission to the Foreign Office’s independent review, requesting support for persecuted Christians. In a letter accompanying the submission the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, said that in many places ‘our Christian sisters and brothers face persecution of an intensity and extent unprecedented in many centuries.’ However, these threats to freedom of religion or belief are not restricted to Christians alone, but are widely experienced by followers of other faiths. ‘We ask the Government to take note of the practical recommendations offered in this submission and to take meaningful action not only in protecting Christians facing persecution but also in promoting freedom of religion and belief more widely,’ they said.

16-year-old climate change warrior Greta Thunberg has spoken to the Pope, parliaments and MEPs about species extinction, deforestation and ocean pollution. She is not alone in her action against global warming. For two decades David Attenborough has warned of the dangers. He now says that scientific evidence proves that if we do not take dramatic action within the next decade, we face irreversible damage to the natural world and the collapse of our societies. Since 15 April, Extinction Rebellion protesters have been disrupting cities globally in 18 countries, calling on governments to introduce stricter climate change measures. They said, ‘Prosecution for criminal damage allows us to take this strategy into the courts, providing an opportunity to tell them that, without an urgent and radical change, the consequences for humanity and life on earth are likely to be catastrophic.’ See

Government funding has not kept pace with the soaring demands of children with special educational needs (SEN). Councils, schools and colleges should work together to support SEN children, but the number of such children has risen by 33% since 2015, whereas central government funding for their support increased by only 7%. On 27 March 2019 councils were told, ‘Special educational needs support is an approach that all schools and colleges must adopt when it is clear that a child or young person needs additional support to learn and achieve.’ Local council elections are on 2 May. May God raise up men and women in the 248 local council elections who have a desire to meet the needs of the vulnerable in our schools and colleges and know how to apply for adequate funding. See

Some say Labour could capitalise on the Brexit delay and sweep into power, with Leave-supporting voters turning their backs on the Conservatives over the Brexit interruption. Labour would then become the largest party in the Commons, with a substantial majority. Surveys taken between 2 and 11 April put support for Conservatives at its lowest for five years. A week later backbenchers have urged Corbyn to shift his stance and commit to a Brexit vote, or he might let Nigel Farage snatch a shock European election victory with his new Brexit Party. Meanwhile he has been criticised for Labour's handling of anti-Semitism. Media reports of internal documents showed that the party had failed to take disciplinary action in hundreds of anti-Semitism cases. The Jewish Labour Movement passed a no-confidence vote in him. See