It seems like Nigeria is in the news every few weeks. Last week, Boko Haram, the main Islamic extremist group in Nigeria, nearly took over Borno State. President Goodluck Jonathan has officially declared a state of emergency in this state.

Other states, like Yobe, have seen attacks against Christians on an almost daily basis. The crisis in Nigeria does not seem to be improving, leaving many devastated and unsure if their home, church or village will be attacked next.

Despite this devastating situation, God is providing for these believers, who have lost their jobs, homes and even loved ones.

Over the next two months, Open Doors team members will be travelling to some of the most difficult areas of Northern Nigeria like Yobe, Gombe, Kano, Taraba, Bauchi and Plateau to bring emergency relief to Christians affected by Boko Haram activity.

The relief aid consists of:

•    Assistance to 35 Yobe pastors with monthly allowance for 6 months.
•    Assistance to 4 Wukari pastors in the form of food and clothing, rent, replacement of destroyed study materials and school fees for children.
•    Assistance in the form of  food and clothing, rent assistance and school fee support to 74 widows in Bauchi (5),  Gombe (6),  Bokkos (6),  Dajal (5), Wase (21), Kano (31)
•    Medical Assistance to two men affected by random Boko Haram attacks.
•    Financial assistance to 8 families of slain factory workers and one additional person in Kano
•    Helping 30 families to rebuild their homes
•    Helping 20 Kano bomb blast victims to cover medical bills
•    Support to 6 Bichi and Kano churches to rebuild after they were destroyed in violence.

We would never be able to help Christians in areas like Nigeria if it were for our faithful partners around the world. Thank you for your on-going prayers and support!

                        

A group of about six officials - two of them in police uniforms - raided Begjan Shirmedov's home in Dashoguz in the North of Turkmenistan on Sunday 23 September. They arrived during a house meeting of his Baptist congregation, Path of Faith Church, attended by about 15 church members.

On Saturday, several of you joined with us in praying for Syria. Some of you have also joined with us in providing for the needs of displaced Christians in Syria and other nations. One of the ways we were able to help displaced Syrian Christians was by providing bags with food and other needed items. These bags included:

Last week we shared a prayer request on facebook and twitter from a Christian in Pakistan. They had requested prayer for the elections that happened this past weekend. Here is an update from them:

Former Buddhists Kapono* and his family fled their house on Jan. 9, 2013 due to persecution they were facing at the hands of relatives and villagers. The believers were barely two weeks in their faith in Christ when they left their village in Southern Laos.

As I walk down the street by my house, I see cars drive by, mothers walking their children to the nearby park and different shops and restaurants open for business. The palm trees are plentiful, shading my little neighborhood from the warm sun that is almost always shinning.

Mali, a country which had never been listed on the Open Doors World Watch List, was ranked as the 7th most difficult place to be a Christian in the world this year.  Islamic insurgents had taken over two-thirds of the country and had forced many Christians from their homes. Churches, Christian places of business and Christian homes were destroyed, leaving many Christian no choice but to flee for their lives.

Almost a year later, French troops (along with troops from neighboring African nations) entered the country in hopes of ridding the country from the rebel forces. After these troops had entered, many of the cities were given back to the people and the insurgents no longer held control.

At the end of April dozens of French forces started withdrawing from Mali. A few members of the French contingency have been reallocated to the north-eastern town of Gao. France's defense minister said that even though France is downscaling from its deployment high of about 4,000 it intends to keep 1,000 soldiers in Mali by the end of the year.

The circumstances in the North remain volatile. In Timbuktu banks, restaurants and many other businesses have not opened since they were looted and vandalized during the jihadist occupation. Army vehicles patrol the streets and there is a ban on driving after 6pm. The city has been almost emptied of its Tuareg inhabitants. Residents say that only a few Tuareg women remain and all the men have left.

Large weapons caches are believed to be hidden in the desert and suicide bombings are taking place from time to time. Last weekend, for instance, two Malian soldiers were killed and several injured in a suicide bombing in Hamakouladji village, north of Gao.

“No one knows if there will be more suicide bombings. It is possible at any time. All we can do is continue to patrol [Timbuktu] and the area outside it, and to be vigilant,” army officials told media.

Even the capital Bamako in the South, has been affected by the atmosphere of insecurity. In March security forces arrested at least eight people suspected of plotting an attack in the capital for the Islamist militant group Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO). Malian officials said the arrests were the first sign that Islamist rebels have activated cells in Bamako.

Those arrested were all Malian nationals and that they had been living in Bamako's Banankabougou district near a mosque.

“The group was dismantled at the beginning of March, but since it was a very sensitive issue we kept it secret until now,” said the officer, who spoke to media on condition of anonymity.

Please pray for Mali. This withdrawal of French troops will test the ability of Malian soldiers and their counterparts from neighboring nations to maintain peace in the area.

Prayer points

1. Please continue to pray for the safety of the few Christians that were forced to stay behind in the North of Mali when others fled. We have not had any news from them.

2. A while ago it was reported that some refugees who were in Bamako started thinking about returning, but we have since learnt that most of the Christians will probably settle in Bamako for longer than anticipated. Although they felt safe here initially, it seems that they may now be affected by some insecurity. Pray for continued protection.   

The hope a children’s center brings to Christians in Colombia

Sherif is Egyptian, running a bookshop in Benghazi, in the East of Libya. He was arrested on February 10th and has been detained since then. During his detainment he has been physically abused, while there is no official charge against him, nor has he appeared before court.

Uzbekistan ranks as the 16^th most difficult place to be a Christian on the Open Doors World Watch List. Churches live in fear of raids, termination of services, confiscation of literature, and the imposition of heavy fines, which are frequent and increasing. Church members face harassment, detention and arrest for holding private prayer meetings or possessing illegal literature.