From north to south, east to west, Africa faces enormous challenges and presents equally enormous opportunities. In recent years leaders from the South Sea Islands have followed a vision to see the ‘Welcoming of the King of Glory’ into each continent; last year they came to Europe and combined their visit with the European Trumpet Call in Romania. This year brothers and sisters from several countries, together with representatives of the Khoi, the indigenous people of South Africa, went to the most southerly tip of Africa, Cape Agulhas, for Trumpet Call South Africa. They stood on the shore where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic Ocean. The roar of the wind and seas added to the stones on the prayer altar built there over the years as they declared the Sovereignty of Christ, laid a red carpet on the beach, broke bread and in worship and praise welcomed the King.

This Sunday is a special opportunity to focus prayer on regions of the world that are home to the majority of the world’s Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists; the majority of the world’s least-reached people groups; the poorest of the poor; 45 of the 50 nations where Christians are most persecuted. This happens every year on the first Sunday of October. People are invited to celebrate and pray in their homes, in small groups, large groups, at Church and anywhere where Christians gather to seek the Lord, because the 10/40 Window is the ‘final frontier’ of world missions in order to finish the task given to the Church. Pray for powerful intercession this weekend to inspire more people to continue praying beyond October using nation profiles and prayer points. Pray for more Christians to learn about how to get involved in reaching the people of the 10/40 Window.

Satanists from the Satanic Temple (TST) intend to open ‘After-School With Satan’ clubs. The Washington Post and other press outlets reported TST chapters petitioning nine school districts to allow them to preach Satanism in elementary school facilities after school by forming after-school Satan Clubs. They want to plant seeds of Satanism in children, to influence them to accept Satan and evil from an early age. The Satanists are focusing only on children aged 5-12. Satanism is held to be a religion by some US courts. Satanists are using wrong legality to attack the country’s most impressionable citizens, young children. Local residents are being asked to urge these nine school districts to do everything in their power to oppose and resist the satanic onslaught. In August the Tucson Arizona Area School District successfully rejected TST’s application for an After-School Satan Club; other school districts could also pass similar policies to reject the applications.

Both International Business Times and Russia Today have joined The Sun and Daily Mirror in reporting that British special forces are secretly training ‘New Syrian Army’ (NSA) rebels in Jordan. IB Times says the aim of the Marine commandos and SAS is to equip and empower the US-backed NSA to fight IS. Those who join the NSA are supposed to sign a pledge only to fight IS and not the Syrian Army. But the media are saying, ‘Don’t let us be surprised if they turn their fire on Syrian regular forces.’ Recently, US-led aircraft attacked a Syrian army unit, resulting in 62 deaths. According to the Independent, the Ministry of Defence confirmed British jets were involved in killing 62 sons, husbands and fathers. Previous attempts by the US to train Syrian rebels met with disaster. The Pentagon spent $500 million training just five men in 2015 and rebels handed vehicles and ammunition over to extremists. The programme was shut down.