Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.
In today's edition:
- Health Crisis Looms over Flood-Wracked South Asia
- Former Missionary Missing in Minneapolis Bridge Collapse
- IRD Wonders: Where is Outrage over Fate of S. Korean Christian Hostages?
- Pentecostals Launch Major Thrust to Reach 1 Million Teens
Health Crisis Looms over Flood-Wracked South Asia
The Christian Post reports that South Asia's ruinous floods, which have affected millions and forced many to become homeless, are becoming a greater health concern as the threat of waterborne illness continues to rise. "We are really worried about the outbreak of an epidemic in [the east Indian state of] Assam now," said Tarun Gogoi, chief minister of Assam. The U.N. Children's Fund warned that children are especially vulnerable to the "looming health crisis." "Entire villages are days away from a health crisis if people are not reached in the coming days," Marzio Babille, UNICEF's health chief in India, said in the statement. "Children, who make up 40 percent of South Asia’s population, are particularly susceptible."
Former Missionary Missing in Minneapolis Bridge Collapse
One of the people confirmed missing in the Aug. 1 bridge collapse in Minneapolis is Peter Hausmann, a former missionary who met his wife, Helen, in Kenya, according to ASSIST News Service. Hausmann, 47, is reported to have called home while sitting in traffic when the line went dead. Sheriff’s officials in Hennepin County confirmed that his car was recovered from under the debris of the crumpled bridge Monday morning, but divers did not find any evidence of a body. Officials say those who fell into the river may have been washed downstream or are trapped in the rubble. Family members said Hausmann should have been celebrating because he had just learned that the Kenyan government had ordered a new investigation into the shooting death of his friend, Rev. John Kaiser, in 2000. Kaiser was a 67-year-old Catholic priest from Minnesota who had been in Kenya for 35 years. Hausmann, a native of Bonesteel, South Dakota, also served as a missionary in Kenya. His brother, Rev. Leo Hausmann, is a priest at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Wall, South Dakota.
IRD Wonders: Where is Outrage over Fate of S. Korean Christian Hostages?
OneNewsNow.com reports that an official with the Institute on Religion and Democracy wonders where the outrage is over the recent murder of two South Korean missionaries at the hands of Taliban terrorists. Faith McDonnell, the IRD's director of religious liberty programs, says the persecution of Christians does not to seem matter to national media. McDonnell is disturbed by the lack of information being broadcast, while Paris Hilton and Lindsey Lohan receive wall-to-wall coverage. Additionally, she says, this situation shows the true face of radical Islam as attacking Christianity and the West. But with little exposure, that insight remains hidden.
Pentecostals Launch Major Thrust to Reach 1 Million Teens
According to The Christian Post, thousands of Pentecostal American youth are "Experiencing the Dream" at a National Youth Convention at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. Students have united this week for the youth event of the Assemblies of God to launch a major campus evangelism initiative called Dreaming 2015. "Indy '07 is our launching pad for the greatest student evangelism thrust of our lifetime," said Jay Mooney, national Youth Ministries director. "The vision is to reach 1 million American teenagers and have them grafted into a local church by the end of 2015." It's not a new program, Mooney explained, but the "call of the spirit" and a vision for a multitude of underdogs to become champions for Jesus Christ.
