Tearfund joins African churches in praying for Burundi
Rampant violence, widespread fear and growing humanitarian need.
Three reasons why Tearfund joined 200 African churches in praying for beleaguered
Burundi throughout this week.
Five months of political crisis following a disputed presidential election have left tens of
thousands facing hunger, homelessness and danger. More than 220,000 Burundians are
now refugees.
We’re supporting local church-based partners as they provide practical agricultural help
so vulnerable Burundians can keep feeding themselves. Our partners are also trying to
promote peace.
But offering help is increasingly difficult as our partners face threats too. And the danger
is very real. Last Friday, 87 people were killed in street clashes.
Although many NGOs have been forced to close, Tearfund is still able to help partners
deliver aid, but staff and partners are working in extremely insecure and dangerous
conditions.
Having your prayer support is vital.
Janet (not her real name), who works for Tearfund in Burundi, said, ‘We’ve seen God’s
blessing through the physical protection of everyone of us as we continue our daily work.
He’s also enabled our partners to reach out to people in need.
‘Also, we are blessed to have people who pray for us during this period of crisis.’
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Please pray for the return of peace and security in Burundi and for political
leaders to find common ground for sustainable leadership.
Pray for our staff and partners to see God’s continuing protection and provision
during this time.
Pray for the church to remain a source of salt and light and for unity among its
leaders and members.
Border blockade hurts Nepalis
A two–month partial blockade of the Nepal–India border is having a serious impact on
earthquake-recovery efforts and the work of Tearfund partners.
18 December 2015
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Nepal is ranked 145 out of 187 countries on the Human Development Index and a
quarter of its 28 million people live below the poverty line.
The Himalayan nation is heavily dependent on importing fuel and most of its commodities
from India, so the action is hurting ordinary Nepalis.
To make matters worse, there’s been a four-month-long dispute between the Nepalese
government and protesters in the south, which has claimed at least 55 lives and left
thousands injured.
As a result, fuel and materials needed for earthquake repairs and reconstruction, as well
as long-term development work, are being held up.
While the parties involved are engaged in talks, with no end in sight to the blockade and
protests, Tearfund staff and partners in Nepal are encouraging supporters to pray.
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Please pray for the underlying causes of the Nepal–India border blockade to be
addressed and resolved, so our partners can continue their vital earthquake relief
work.
Pray for a swift and peaceful conclusion to the dispute between the Nepalese
government and protesters.
Giving thanks for a moment of history
Thank you for your prayers for the Paris climate change talks, which reached an historic
conclusion last weekend.
For the first time, nearly 200 countries have signed up to reduce their greenhouse gas
emissions. They’ve set a new aim of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius,
which is very good news.
Paul Cook, Tearfund’s Advocacy Director, welcomed the agreement as a good step
forward but warned against complacency: ‘This doesn’t give us everything we need –
nations will need to go further in reducing their emissions over the next few years to
ensure the global temperature does not rise by more than 1.5 degrees to avoid the worst
impacts of climate change.
‘What has been exciting is to see the growing movement these talks have fostered.
People from all walks of life, including the church, have raised their voices for climate
action in Paris.
‘We will not stop this momentum, but continue to hold governments to account, to help
people across the world who are seeing the devastating daily impact of climate change.’
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Give thanks that the Paris agreement is a good step towards a fairer and more
sustainable world, and signals a commitment to shift to 100 per cent clean
energy.
Pray for developed countries to honour pledges to provide US$100 billion by 2025
to help developing countries adapt to climate change and transition to clean
energy.
Give thanks for the coming together of ordinary Christians, churches, business
leaders, scientists, politicians and local authorities to speak out for climate justice.
For more detail on the Paris agreement, read this article
18 December 2015
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