'Shocking' Report Out on Christians Killed for Faith

The Vatican representative to the United Nations says 100,000 Christians around the world are killed every year for their faith.

In an address to UN Human Rights Council this week, Archbishop Silvano Tomasi said, "Credible research has reached the shocking conclusion that an estimate of more than 100,000 Christians are violently killed because of some relation to their faith every year."

"Other Christians and other believers are subjected to forced displacement, to the destruction of their places of worship, to rape and to the abduction of their leaders," he said.

Silvano said many of these attacks take place in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

Iraqi Christians Face Tough Times Amidst Violence

The nation of Iraq is awash in violence. More than 500 people have been killed there in just the last month.

The attacks are mostly Muslim against Muslim, but it also affects Christians.

Greg Musselman, with Voice of the Martyrs Canada, is just back from Baghdad. He told CBN's George Thomas that many Iraqi Christians are staying despite the violence in hopes of influencing their nation with the Gospel.

He also reports many Iraqis are having visions and dreams of Christ.

Pastor Youssef Shares Gospel in Muslim Indonesia

Indonesia is home to more than 200 million Muslims -- that's nearly 13 percent of the global Muslim population. So when the preparations began for a visit to Jakarta by Atlanta Pastor Michael Youssef, it wasn't an everyday occurrence.

For three days, with music and prayer, Youssef brought a message of God's love to Indonesians in the city of Jakarta.

Hundreds of thousands arrived, some facing persecution.

Pastor Youssef says he was amazed by "the hundreds of people that responded to the Gospel message by coming forward -- dangerous as it was for some of them -- and yet they were fearless."

"The love of Christ captured so many of them that hundreds were coming in every one of those three nights," Youssef said.

One Indonesian pastor brought 300 people to the gathering even though he was threatened with death by extremists.

"And the man, with joy of the Lord, said, 'What can they do to me?'" Youssef recalled. "And so night after night he would bring folks in to hear the Gospel message, some of them for the first time."

Organizers say a thousand people came to Christ during the meetings, and the hope is that millions more in the Muslim world will hear the good news on television and the Internet.

Sudan's 'Lost Boy' Finds God, Changes Nation

MOIS BRIDGE, Kenya -- Two years ago, South Sudan became a new nation, having won its independence from Sudan. Since then, thousands of former revolutionary soldiers have immigrated to the United States. But one soldier, John Garang, stayed to build a new nation.

During a recent visit to his homeland, Garang pointed out a memorial dedicated to his uncle of the same name and that of the current Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. He told CBN News Correspondent Russ Jones that they represented men who spearheaded the revolution which led to South Sudan's independence.

"So we put them here because they are heroes. We don't worship them, but we like to see them. They give us freedom." Garang explained. 

As one of the "lost boys of Sudan," as they are often called, Garang hasn't always enjoyed a regular meal or a roof over his head. Like thousands of African males in southern Sudan, Garang was separated from his family as a young boy in the 1980s to fight for his nation's freedom from extremist Muslims.

Garang's mother still lives in a small village where mud huts are common. 

"That is what we were fighting for - to be united with our people," he said. "This is joy. As I showed you before - we cannot worship them, but we need to thank God for how far they deliver us."

'Lost Boy' Takes Up New Fight

But 13 years into his military service under the command of his uncle, God delivered Garang from the ravages of the revolution. Garang heard the Gospel message for the first time. Leaving the battlefield, the "lost boy" of Sudan enlisted in a new army, taking on a new a fight. That decision led him to Kenya. 

It was in Room #4 of his dorm at the Bungoma Bible School that Garang absorbed all the Bible knowledge he could and received a calling to build leaders using biblical principles.

"God (was) in this room," he recalled. "When I was here I saw a great vision and what God is doing. This place is powerful. It is where I gave my life to God's plan."

Soon after graduation Garang and his new bride Tabitha, a fellow student at the Bible school, would chose to begin a fresh work in Kenya. Conditions were so poor that life was unsuitable.

Due to decades of civil war, many Sudanese are uneducated. In most outlying rural areas villagers live in primitive mud huts surviving off the land.

But thanks to donations from generous supporters in the United States, Garang was able to acquire land in Mois Bridge, Kenya, where he and his wife opened Children Are Ministries. It is an orphanage, training facility and church. 

Changing a Nation

Will Guest of Oxford, Miss., has watched the ministry grow from just an idea to a ministry that he believes can equip leaders to change the nation of South Sudan.

"We can hide beneath our material possessions, but there is a real world out here struggling," Guest said. "These Sudanese people have been through war their entire life. Why not want to step out in faith and help people throughout the world. I really believe this little plot of land here can change the whole country of South Sudan."

"It's in the these hallways of higher education in Eldoret, Kenya that Sudanese students have come from far, far away from home so they can learn new skills to go back home to South Sudan to build a bigger, stronger nation," he added.

Students like John Ghai from Bor, South Sudan, are direct descendants of the vision God gave to Garang in Room #4. Ghai is studying at Mount Kenya University in Eldoret to be a teacher.

By the time he completes his education he will have spent seven years in Kenya, away from his family in South Sudan. "After going back to my country I can assist my people," Ghai said.

"As you know my country is so bad - I will use all my means to bring my country up," he vowed. "If we can use all aspects of life - political and economic - to build our country - we shall be proud of it."

But even with a strong faith Garang admits it's a daunting task as he carries the weight of a nation on his back.

"I am fighting a different battle, but the Word of God says my burden is easy. Sometimes I cry… I kneel down and pray. Tomorrow I wake up and see the children… God gives me wisdom… it is a burden, but God is on our side," he said.

Meet 3 year old Nigerian photographer - Fuji Remet

I'm sharing this post for two reasons: One, to introduce Fuji to Nigerians so we can celebrate him and two, to discuss if it's OK for a 3 year old to already have a career. He has an exhibition coming up so yes, he has a career! CNN profiled the young budding photographer on Inside Africa yesterday and below is what they wrote about Lil Fuji... 

While most children his age in Nigeria - and the rest of the world - are more concerned with their toys than a career, Onafujiri "Fuji" Remet has already embarked on his mission to become a professional photographer.

Proud dad Pius Kugbere Remet sent in these images of his talented young son posing with family and at work in Lagos.

Himself an artist and graphic designer, he says Fuji's inspiration came from the work of his creative family.

Little Fuji even has an exhibition coming up in Lagos on June 8. Not bad for a three-year-old.

  

Little Fuji at work

 

Above are some of the photographs the 3 year old shot. Amazing really, but let's share our opinion on the issue I brought up. Should a three year old be more concerned about his toys or a career? You know what they say; catch them young, but how young is too young?

Photos: Footballer John Utaka weds in France

The Super Eagles striker got married this weekend in France. Kanu Nwankwo and his wife pictured with the newly married couple in the right photo.

Scientist Fired for Believing Jesus Heals

LEUVEN, Belgium --  People can believe a lot of crazy stuff nowadays and not be fired from their jobs, but a senior research associate at the Catholic University of Leuven learned that you better not believe that God can heal.

The university is the oldest and largest in Belgium. It was founded in the 1400s under the approval of the Vatican. But as modern Europe has secularized, so has the University, and even here, faith has come under fire.

Fernando Pauwels worked at the University's Research Institute for Work and Society for 11 years without a negative review when he was suddenly fired.

He said, "If you would have asked me, 'Do you get a new contract?,' I would say, 'Yes, of course.' 'Do you have problems with your colleagues?' I would say 'No, everything is fine.' So there were no issues there. A week later I'm out, and I'm like, 'What happened?'"

What happened was the Catholic University's great displeasure with Fernando's ministry website, Powerthroughlove.be that included testimonies of people healed through the power of God.

Pauwels said, "The University saw some of these movie clips of people being healed and giving their testimonies, and called them 'unscientific.'"

The university, which declined our interview request, told CBN News in a statement that "when a researcher working on matters of a scientific or medical nature allows religion to take the place of science, he compromises the scientific reputation of the university and breaks the bonds of trust with the university."

Pauwels says, "If I'm fired because of believing something unscientific like that, that Jesus Christ still heals, I'm fine with that. But it's still wrong."

Ward Kennes of the Christian Democratic Party, who serves in the Flemish parliament told CBN News, "I was very much surprised that a Catholic university, which is also a university where I have studied myself, was behaving like this."

Rik Torfs, a faculty member at the university, is a national media figure who wrote about the case for the Flemish newspaper, The Standard (***italics***). He said, "Freedom of religion means people can believe anything they like or anything they feel attracted to."

Torfs was recently elected faculty dean at the university, and had told CBN News that, if elected, he would re-hire Fernando Pauwels.

Pauwels, who has a heart for the persecuted church, especially in Pakistan, told us he feels privileged to have suffered for Christ, but he also wants those Christians who come after him to be protected from discrimination.

"One day I will stand before the Lord and He will say 'Well done.' That's all that counts. That's all that matters," he said.

Today marks one year of Dana Air crash

Today is exactly one year we lost 153 passengers on board the ill fated Dana airplane. There's a one year memorial service in honour of the victims going on right now at the Iju/Ishaga memorial Arcade. Families of the victims, Lagos State government officials, including governor Babatunde Fashola and his wife are at the memorial service. You can read the live updates on Telegraphng.com

Photos:Comedian Elenu weds Sweetheart Chinwe

Seems like the Wedding season for a lot of Nigerian Entertainers..Comedian Elenu (real names Akinlami Babatunde Julius) wedded his sweetheart Chinwe Anyanwu the traditional way this saturday. You may remember seeing photos of his beautiful proposal to her in front of friends at Federal Palace Hotel in October last year. The waiter served her plate which surprisingly had a ring in it and read ‘Will you marry me? Read it HERE Congrats to them both.