Persecution Spotlight: India

DISCLAIMER: This video is intense at times. If you aren't prepared to handle a video that YouTube makes sure you're 18 to watch, don't watch this.



This video was shared with me by my friend Daniela in Florida, and goes hand-in-hand with what I saw at David Platt's Secret Church service last Friday.

In India, Hindu extremists have been violently attacking Muslims for centuries. These two religious groups have been at it since 711 A.D., which is a really long time for those of you keeping score. If you want to see a good example of how that conflict has been playing out, watch the first 30 minutes of Slumdog Millionaire. However, in recent years, the Hindu extremists have turned some of the attention to the growing Christian minority.

Despite "having a freedom of religion" law in their governmental system, the Hindu majority has a tight grip on the nation and is giving more and more pressure on Christian groups.

Christian brothers and sisters, this goes right along with what I discussed in my latest post, which can be found below. The passion that the early church had for Christ isn't dead; it's alive in India. It's alive in places where the church is being beaten, burned, tourtured and killed. It's alive, and we need to do three things:

A) Learn from them. They are passionate about Christ, to the point of death. Would you be willing to die for Christ? Would we be Christians if it were illegal to be so? These are questions that need to be asked of ourselves (myself included).

B) Be thankful for what we have. In the Western world, we have carpeted churches, Christian bookstores, and worship CDs all over the place. These Christians are lucky to keep their lives, and maybe a Bible (or even part of one). We need to thank God daily for the blessings we have.

C) Pray for them. This is the biggest one. We need to pray for their effectiveness in spreading the Gospel. We need to pray for them to have strength. We need to pray for them to build each other up. We need to pray that they continue living for Christ, and that they never bend to the adversary that is Satan.

For more information on persecution in India, please go to: http://www.persecution.net/india.htm

Country of the Day: Ecuador

Ecuador is a South American nation, bordered by Peru and once-featured Colombia. The nation is quite mountainous, as the Andes Mountains run through it. The world's tallest active volcano is in Ecuador, and the nation is also home to one of the largest mountains in the world.

14,790,608. That's the number of people in Ecuador. Of that 15 million, 7.6% are unemployed and 35.1% are below the poverty line. Disease is an issue here, as the usual culprits are in Ecuador, too: malaria, dengue fever, typhoid fever, and hepatitis A.

I feel like I'm repeating myself, as the stats from the Dominican Republic (yesterday) seem to ring true here, as well. Spiritually speaking, 95% of Ecuador is Roman Catholic, and 5% are "other." Sounds good to me!

God, we pray for Ecuador today. They are overwhelmingly Catholic, and we pray that they live what they claim to believe. We pray that a revival happens in this nation, and that the lost of Ecuador would be drawn to you. We pray for their physical needs, and that their needs would be provided for. In Jesus's name, amen.

Country of the Day: Dominican Republic

Today's country is the Dominican Republic. It's on an island in the Caribbean, sharing the island of Hispanola with their news-making neighbor, Haiti. The DR is a nation of 9,823,821 people. Out of this almost 10 million, 42.2% are below the poverty line. 14.2% are unemployed.

Now, yesterday, I discovered something. In my ignorance, I had not realized something: I didn't really know what the "poverty line" is. I just didn't know. So I have reasearched. The poverty line varies a lot from country to country, as everybody has different amounts that it requires to live "nicely" and thus, there is no standard. The UN uses $1.25 USD as the standard line, but of course, this is inaccurate. In some countries, US money is worth tons. The lesson here is: if they are below the poverty line, then they are struggling to get by, and that's as much detail as we can have. I just thought I'd clear that up.

The D. Republic has a high risk of disease, with HIV/AIDS, typhoid fever, hepatitis A, malaria, and dengue fever being common issues. However, their life expectancy is still in the 70's, which is pretty good.

Spiritually, 95% of the country is Roman Catholic, with another 5% being other religions. This 5% may include Protestant Christians. Needless to say, they have a lot of people professing to know Christ.

Father, we pray for the lost of the Dominican Republic. They need you, God. Also, we pray for the Christians there, that they be engulfed in your love and be compelled to share it with all. We pray for the physical needs of DR and that you provide for the people of this nation. Thank you God. In your Son's name, amen.

Country of Day: Dominica

Hello friends. It's been awhile, and I have been quite busy! So the new new new plan for country posts is... I'll do it when I can. I hate that I won't be able to write on every country I pray for (I am continuing to pray for a different nation every day). Thus, when I post, I'll start by saying who isn't getting a profile, then continue to the day's country. If only I had more time!

Thursday: Cyprus
Friday: Czech Republic
Saturday: Denmark
Sunday: Djibouti

Today, we are looking at Dominica (not the same as the Dominican Republic, which is tomorrow). Dominica is a tiny island next to Puerto Rico in the eastern part of the Caribbean.

As it is a very small island, it has a very small population: 72,813. This is less than half of my hometown (Lexington, Kentucky). There are no reported health concerns, which isn't shocking. I mean, most island nations avoid health concerns, as far as I have observed on my posts. The nation relies heavily on tourism and bananas, both of which have struggled a bit from the sagging global economy. However, there is still just 30% of the population below the poverty line, which is high, except in comparison to some other countries we have looked at. Their unemployment rate is at 23%.

Spiritually, and predictably, 89.7% of Dominica is considered Christian. Most Caribbean islands that Spain colonized look the same. This is promising; the 6.1% of non-religious people is not. The 1.2% Jehovah's Witnesses, the 1.3% Rastafarians, the 1.6% unspecified are not.

Father, we thank you for the beautiful landscape you gave the people of Dominica. We thank you for their health and semi-stable economy. We ask for movement. A movement that is guided by You and Your Spirit that starts in Dominica, reaches everyone there, and then explodes through the Earth. We pray for the lost of Dominica, that they open their eyes and ears and hearts to You, and accept the gift of eternal life they are ring offered. In Your Name, amen.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone! :)

Country of the Day: Cuba

Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. Most Americans are aware of Cuba's location because, well, it's right off the Floridian coast. Cuba is known to be a Communist nation, with a history of disagreement towards the US. The United States put an embargo on Cuba in 1961, which is still in place. Therefore, without the ability to trade with its powerful neighbor and with the collapse of the Soviet Union (which had supported Cuba for years), Cuba's economy has suffered greatly. No one, as far as I could see, has any consistent information on the amount of poverty in Cuba. Some reports say Cuba has almost no poverty; others say there are tons of suffering people. If I was the betting type, I'd be willing to say that Cubans are probably fairly poor. The rest of their economy is in trouble, and if the economy is down, logic says the people are without money, too.

Overall, the population of Cuba is 11,477,459. The nation is relatively HIV/AIDS free, but does have an "intermediate" risk of disease, including hepatitis A and dengue fever.

As with China, Cuba's Communist government makes religion tricky to figure out. Prior to the Cuban Revolution and the Communist takeover, 85% of Cuba was Roman Catholic, with other branches of Christianity filling in most of the rest of the population. The revolution was over 45-50 years ago, though. Now, much of the population claims to have no religious beliefs. This is in direct result of a life of Communist teaching. The past decade or so, much like what we found in China, has featured an increase of religious tolerance. Pope John Paul II visited Cuba in 1998, and since then the Church has suffered less. Protestantism, particularly the Baptists, Methodists and Presbyterians, have increased in number in the past few years. Still, some other religions stay strong, too, as Jehovah's Witnesses and the African religion Santeria have faithful and growing followings.

Father, we pray for the people of Cuba. They have been raised in a nation of atheistic values and don't know you. We pray that the believers of Cuba are able to spread the news of your Word to everyone on that island, and that your love penetrates the souls of Cuba. We pray for the Cuban government, that they are able to loosen their grip and learn to follow you, not reject you. We pray for the economic and physical health of Cuba, and we pray that you help heal both. In your Son's name, amen.

Country of the Day: Croatia

Croatia is a smaller country in Eastern Europe, next to Slovenia and Hungary (across a small amount of water from the eastern shore of Italy's boot). They have a population of 4,486,881 and only 17% are below the poverty line (almost identical to the unemployment rate). They have a mild risk of disease, largely because avian (bird) flu has appeared there. Overall, they seem to be a fairly healthy country with a growing tourism industry.

Spiritually, 92.6% of Croatia claims to know Christ, with Catholicism leading the way, numbers wise. The rest of the country is either Muslim (1.3%), unspecified (0.9%), or not religious (5.2%).

God, we pray for the nation of Croatia today. We pray for the Christians of Croatia, that you, as David Crowder sings, "shake the ground with the sound of revival". What a beautiful thought: the ground of Croatia literally shaking from the praise of your name. We pray for the lost of Croatia, that the love and truth of Christ comes to them and that they are willing to accept the grace you have extended to them. God, we pray for the economy of Croatia and that you help it grow, and we pray that you rid their nation of disease. We love you. In Christ's name, amen.

Country of the Day: Cote D'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)

Cote D'Ivoire (which I will refer to as Ivory Coast from now on) is a West African nation that borders fmr. "Country of the Day" Burkina Faso, among others. Just over 49% of their population is literate; 42% is below the poverty line. Disease has wrecked Ivory Coast, as they rank within the top-20 of every HIV/AIDS category that the CIA World Factbook offers. Avian (bird) flu, hepatitis, malaria, yellow fever, and typhoid fever have all taken a toll on the people there.

The country is also a spiritual mess, with only 32.8% of the nation being Christian. Muslims make up 38.6 of the Ivory Coast's population. 11.9% are into indigenous practices; another 16.7% are without a religion.

God, we pray for Ivory Coast. They are a dark nation in need of you, God. Help these people. We pray that the Christians there are filled the the brim with your Spirit, and that they overflow with the good news. We pray for their physical worries and that they are able to be resolved. In Christ's name, amen.

As Expected...

I was afraid this would happen. I over committed, guys, and failed. You see, I just am not a morning person. In order to blog and have a quiet time before I have to go to class, I have to get up around five, and that just hasn't happened. So, here's what's going to happen:

1) The "Thoughts from the Retro Bible" are now extinct. I know, it was very short-lived. However, they required time and effort that I do not have, especially in the morning. Besides, I felt kind of lame ripping off things from someone else....

2) The "Country of the Day" posts will continue. Now that school has started, I know that I have a window in my schedule of classes between 11a-12p that I will now be able to consistently do a country post during. These countries were my countries the past few days that did not get covered, and therefore we will be covering them for a few days instead of moving forward and skipping them in blog form:

Cote D'Ivoire
Croatia
Cuba
Cyprus

Today's would be the Czech Republic, but the Czechs will be scooted back so Ivory Coast can be covered today.

3) I will hopefully be able to do some deeper posts soon, including a blog version of the testimony/mini-sermon I spoke at church on Sunday. Stay tuned for those.

Thanks for everyone that reads this, and I hope you email me so we can talk! :)

Country of the Day: Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a Central American nation. Therefore it is a lot warmer than Kentucky, where I am located...

Jokes aside, let's look at Costa Rica a but deeper. They have a population of 4,516,220, which is a bit low for a country their size (Costa Rica is about the same size as West Virginia). They have a moderate disease problem, but there really isn't one disease that causes problem, aside from some dengue fever. This differs from most countries we have looked at, which often have had multiple disease issues. HIV/AIDS has not impacted Costa Rica very much.

They are a fairly well off country, economically, as they have multiple exports and only 16% is below the poverty line.

Spiritually, Costa Rica looks a lot like most of South and Central America: predominantly Catholic and mostly Christian. 90.7% of Costa Rica is officially reported as "Christian." As we saw with Colombia, stats aren't everything; however, I was unable to find any problems in Costa Rica. Awesome!

God, first we pray for the lost of Costa Rica; they are in the dark and need you, Father. We pray that the followers of you in Costa Rica are filled with the Spirit, and able to effectively spread your Word to the masses. We pray that Costa Rica keeps improving their health, and that they do not struggle economically. We pray that the nation can be a force for you. In Christ's name, amen.

Countries of the Day, Part Two: Comoros

Note: Colombia was the "Country of the Day" for January 10. However, while I personally prayed for Colombia, my desire was for the blog to be devoted to Anthony Horsman and God only. Therefore, I have combined two countries today, in order to stay with a country every day.

Thank you for bearing with me today as I am now posting my second "Country of the Day" post, and have a "Retro Bible" post to write in a bit. The plan is for these posts, beginning tomorrow, to be written in the morning, and therefore you will be able to ponder them throughout the day. Whether I actually am able to get up early enough to read, pray, and post will be determined.

Comoros is a small group of islands off the coast of southeastern Africa, near Madagascar. The nation has been unstable since 1975, when they became independent from France, having multiple power struggles since. As I said, it is a small group of islands, and therefore it's population reflects this: 773,407. This bears a strong contrast to Colombia, huh? As with the other island groups we have looked at, Comoros appears to be fairly healthy. They even seem to have missed out on the HIV/AIDS epidemic that is killing mainland Africa just a few miles west. They are fairly poor, however, with 60% of the population below the poverty line.

The sad news, as seems to be a consistent theme as we look at these countries, is that this nation doesn't know Christ. Reports from CIA World Factbook say that 98% of Comoros is Sunni Muslim, which isn't surprising, per say, but all the same sad. 2% are Roman Catholic, but that doesn't change that this is heartbreaking. 2% says that, out of nearly a million people in Comoros, only around 15,500 people know Christ. This is a shame, and I bet most of you have never even heard of this nation!

As we continue to crawl through the nations of the world, I hope you realize how urgently American Christians, as well as Christians all over the world, must get their act together and reach out to these people. Every one of the lost people in Comoros, Columbia, China, and every other country I've profiled, and every country in the world is going to Hell if they do not know Christ. There are literally billions of people in this world that do not know Christ and are headed for an eternity of suffering. Church, what are you doing to reach them? There is no time to waste!

God, You are great. We thank you for Your grace, and stand amazed in your presence. And God, we pray first for the people of Comoros. Many of them do not know you, God. They are bowing and praying and fasting for Allah, who is a false God! He, despite what people like to say, is not you! Yet, we as Christians call ourselves followers of You and still sit on our comfy seats in our homes and keep Your Word and Your light hidden. God, we pray that you not only the Christians of Comoros, but that all who call themselves followers of you would bow their knees to You and submit to Your Will. We have been called to tell the nations of Your Name, yet we don't even tell our own. God, strengthen us. Help us do Your work. In Your Son's Name, Amen.

Countries of the Day, Part One: Colombia

Note: Colombia was the "Country of the Day" for January 10. However, while I personally prayed for Colombia, my desire was for the blog to be devoted to Anthony Horsman and God only. Therefore, I have combined two countries today, in order to stay with a country every day.

Colombia is located in the northwest part of South America, bordered by countries like Venezuela and Panama. It is a very troubled country politically, as warring factions have been tearing the country apart for decades. The illegal drug trade, particularly that of cocaine, is strong in Colombia. There are 44,205,293 people in Colombia, which makes it a top-30 nation, population wise. Bacterial diarrhea, dengue fever, malaria, yellow fever, leptospirosis and HIV/AIDS are the more prevalent diseases in the nation, and 46.8% of the population is below the poverty line.

Spiritually, 90% of the nation is Roman Catholic, with some reports saying that up to 97% of the nation are Christ followers. This is misleading. According to Christianity Today magazine,

"Over the past three years, more than 200 churches have been forcibly closed and 35 pastors assassinated in the South American country..."

There is a difference between Colombia and China, which we profiled on Sunday. In China, it is the government that is limiting the Gospel. In Columbia, we find that it is a lack of government that limits the truth of Christ. In the cities, where government is still in control, we find Bibles and the truth of Christ abound. It is the rural areas where the problems begin. Parts of Colombia as big as Texas are rural areas of jungle and mountains. It is in the jungles where the guerrilla terrorists and drug traders rule, and it is in the jungles where the Gospel finds resistance. For obvious reasons, a Jesus-loving culture is a counterproductie culture for war and drugs. This is where Bibles Unbound steps in.

This is the first cause I will highlight here on my blog, and not the last. I came to know about Bibles Unbound through the Passion conference I attended last week. At the Passion conference, they always set a huge area in a convention center called "Do Something Now." In the "Do Something Now" area, they highlight multiple causes that the people at Passion have felt led to share with 20,000 college-age kids, in hopes that we would jump on board.


One such cause was Bibles Unbound, an organization that focuses on bringing the Bible into countries hostile to Jesus, such as: Nepal, India, and Sri Lanka. Sometimes, they must perform covert missions in order to get the Bible into some countries, and Colombia is one such country. So, what they've done is print up Bibles in Spanish. The hope is that everyone that doesn't have a Bible can get one.


Passion challenged the people there to raise $20,000 for Bibles Unbound, which would allow them to send 20,000 Bibles into Colombia. Some of these Bibles would even have to be dropped from helicopters! The students and volunteers at Passion responded to the need for Christ to reach Colombias outskirts, and together raised an astonishing $31,554 for the same amount of New Testaments to be taken into Colombia! Praise God!

God, praise You for the good you do in this world! I know that sometimes we focus on the negative of the world, and forget that it is You that keeps us breathing, blinking, and heart-beating. Thank You so much for compelling the people at Passion 2011 to donate that much money for the people of Colombia, but we know that Your job isn't finished. We pray that the people of Colombia continue to be able to get the Bible and delve deeper into Your Word. We pray for a revolution, not politically, but spiritually, in Colombia. We pray for the Christians there, that they remain steadfast and faithful to Christ. We ask that you bring healing to a nation that is very wounded and sick, not just spiritually, but also physically. Thank you God. In Jesus's name, Amen.

If you are interested in learning more about Colombia, here's some links:

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/co.html

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2010/april/24.17.html

http://www.biblesunbound.com/qry/mc_home.taf

Country of the Day: China

China, as many of you know, is a country in East Asia, near Mongolia and Japan, among others. It's population of 1,330,141,295 ranks it as the largest nation, by way of population, in the world. It is also the fourth largest country, by way of land mass. China possesses one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

They do have a bit of an issue with disease: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, typhoid fever, Japanese encephalitis, dengue fever, hantaviral hemorrhagic fever, and H5N1 avian influenza are all currently issues. However, their healthcare is growing, and these diseases are more of the result of having over a billion people in one country than anything.

China's biggest problem, though, is its Communist government, and their stance on Christianity. As a Communist nation, they, by default, have an atheistic philosophy towards religion. Due to pressure from other nations, and in order to advance it's trading abilities, the Chinese government has established a state-approved church.

This state-approved church can only teach certain things from the New Testament, and therefore doesn't teach the full truth of Christ. That's why there are still underground churches in China: people need to know the whole truth of the Gospel, not just a part that the Chinese government allows.

This restriction of the faith is why only between 4-6% of the country is religious at all, with the most gracious numbers saying that 4% of China is Christian. That leaves a minimum of 1,276,935,643 lost people in China. Allow me to spell it out: one billion, two-hundred and seventy-six million, nine hundred and thirty-five thousand, six hundred and forty-three lost souls in China alone . If you are a believer reading this and that doesn't break your heart... I'm not sure what can.

Father, I struggle even to come up with words to describe the pain on my heart when I see that number of people up there that are lost. Over one billion. Lord, my mind cannot even comprehend that amount, its just so enormous. God, we just pray, beg, for your light to be brought to the leaders of China, and to the rest of the people of China. They are an atheist nation, God. So many lost people. So many souls. Please, God, please. Please protect the underground churches, and help them spread your Word throughout that country. Please, we beg. In Christ's name, amen.

Country of the Day: Chile

Chile is a South American country, located on the extreme western coast of the continent. It is fairly wealthy, peaceful, literate, and relatively free of disease. Sounds good to me!

Spiritually, Chile is overwhelmingly "Christian," with a strong 86.1% of the population claiming to have a relationship with Christ.

Of course, there is no way to know how many of these are "cultural Christians:" people who claim to bs a Christian because if the way everyone else is, not off of a true belief in Christ. Without belief in Jesus, you cannot be saved. However, I am not here to call the belief of Chile into question; instead, let's rejoice in their belief!

Not everyone in Chile believes, sadly. 8.3% of the population is without any religious belief at all, 4.6% have some other belief, and 1.1% are Jehovah's Witnesses. That's still a lot of lost people.

Father, we pray first for the lost of Chile. We pray that they be convicted if their sin, and turn away from things of the world to focus on things of Your glory. We pray that the believers in Chile are set ablaze by the Spirit, and that, as David Crowder sings, You "come shake the ground with the sound of revival." We pray that a revolution begins in Your name, and if it begins in Chile, then that is fine with us. In Your name we pray, amen.

Country of the Day: Chad

Chad is an North African nation, located in the middle of the Sahara Desert. They are an extremely poor people, as a staggering 80% of the population of 10,543,464. This is heartbreaking. Chad is also in the top 30 nations on HIV/AIDS prevalence among adults, amount of adults living with the disease, and deaths caused by HIV/AIDS. They are also plagued by hepatitis A, typhoid fever, malaria, schistosomiasis, and menigococcal meningitis. Only 25% of the nation is considered "literate:" that being, someone over age 15 that can read and write in a local language.

Even more sad is the amount of lost people in Chad: 53.1% of the population is of the Muslim faith. 7.3% are animist. 3.1% are atheist. 2.2% are other religions. Only 34.3% of the country is Christian. That's just a whole lot of lost people.

Father, we pray first for the spiritual needs of Chad. There is a heartbreaking amount of problems in this nation, and a lack of Jesus is at the forefront. Between the disease, poverty and lacking education, they are already having a rough go. Add on a lack of a Savior, and you have a sad, sad nation of people. We pray for the Christians in Chad; help them remain strong and true to the Word. Please fill them with the Spirit and help them share the love and news of Christ to the rest of their country. In Jesus's name, Amen.


For more information on Chad, go to https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cd.html

The "Thought from the Retro Bible" posts will return in the morning.

Territory of the Day: Cayman Islands

The Cayman Islands are a British territory, and therefore we do not have a "country" of the day. I skipped them, and went on to the Central African Republic, and then realized: I couldn't skip a group of people just because their political label is "territory" instead of "country." After all, we are called to pray for the whole world, not just the ones that are official nations.

This group of islands is located in the Caribbean sea, nearest to Cuba and Jamaica. The group of islands has a total population of 50, 209. Out of this number, just under 75% are Christians. While this is a ridiculously high number, it is also coming out of a small total population. The islands are relatively lacking in disease and sickness, as CIA World Fact book doesn't even report anything worth note. As far as money needs, the Cayman Islands are pretty well off: they enjoy some of the highest outputs per capita and one of the highest standards of living in the world (World Fact Book).

Let's pray for this well-off group of people to be focused on God, not on physical worries and desires. Pray that they come to a realization of the greatness of God, and that they are led to take the Gospel to the remaining 25% of their territory that doesn't know Jesus.

For more information, go to https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cj.html

Country of the Day: Cape Verde

Today's country is Cape Verde. Cape Verde is a group of small islands off the western coast of Africa. This island nation has avoided the disease of the mainland of Africa, as they have a low number of HIV/AIDS deaths, as well as a low number of other health concerns. 30% is below the poverty line, so we haven't found a Utopian group of islands, but it does seem to be in better shape physically than mainland West Africa.

Religiously, they are a bit of a mess. The predominate religion in Cape Verde is Roman Catholicism, which wouldn't be bad, if they didn't have that combined with their indigenous beliefs. This mix-and-match Christianity has appeared in the United States, as well, and is very dangerous to one's faith. If we are to come to a full understanding of the Gospel, it can only be through the reading of God's Word and prayer. No other belief system can be fused with it.

Let's pray for the lost of Cape Verde, and that they come to know Christ and His love. Let's also pray for the Christians of Cape Verde, and that they would come to desire a fuller understanding of Christ: uncut, direct, and without the fillers of another religion. Let's pray that they are set on fire for Christ, and that a revolution begins there.

Country of the Day: Canada

Today's country is a more familiar one for my American readers: Canada. Canada is vastly different from the African and Asian countries I've profiled the last few days.

Canada is around 70% Christian, in a nation of 33,759,742. That's a lot of believers! However, we cannot overlook the non-Christians of Canada. Around 2% are Muslim, but the big thing is the amount of non-religious people. This is the first time we have seen this in a Country of the Day nation. About 16% of Canada is not religious, and this is a lot of people.

Join with me in prayer for the lost people of Canada, as those are the people that need our prayers most of all. But let's not forget the 70% of Canada that professes to know Jesus. Let's pray that Canada's Christians join together, feel a desire to spread the Word, and express the love of Christ.

For more info on Canada, go to

Country of the Day: Cameroon

Cameroon is a West African nation, not far from Burkina Faso, where we were the other day. They are wrecked by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, as they rank 14th in deaths from the horrible virus. They have other health concerns, as well as a lack of money, as 48% of the nation falls below the poverty line.

As far as their spiritual health, they are better than some. 40% of the nation claim to be Christian, which is a lot of people. However, in a nation of 19,294,149 people, 60% being not saved means a lot of people headed to Hell if something doesn't change. 40% practice indigenous belief systems, and 20% are Muslim.

Let's pray for the physical healing of Cameroon, and that the HIV/AIDS epidemic can be stopped. Also, let's pray for the lost souls of Cameroon, and that their eyes be opened to the hope of Jesus Christ. Pray that the needs of the people are met, and that the Christians be set on fire for Christ.

For more information on Cameroon, go to https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cm.html

Country of the Day: Cambodia

Cambodia is an East Asian nation, located next to Thailand and Vietnam. It is not in a horrific state economically, but there are still 31% of the people living below the poverty line. This is another country ravaged by disease, as they are recent victims of the feared avian (bird) flu. Also, they suffer from high amounts of bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, typhoid fever, dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, and malaria.

The biggest concern for Cambodia, however, is their lack of the Gospel. Over 96% of their population of 14,453,680 are Buddhist, with another 2.1% being Muslim. Do the math, and that's a quick 14,236,874 people without the Gospel. To put it in perspective, that second number is larger than the population of both New York, New York and Los Angeles, California...combined. That's a staggering amount of lost people. As a side note, CIA World Factbook states that there is another 1.5% of other religions/unspecified religions. So, out of that 1.5%, there are probably a small number of Christians.

Let's pray first, for the Christians in Cambodia. We have no idea how many there may be. Let's just pray that they stay true to the Word, as they have a lot of negative influence around them. Also, let's pray for the entire nation of Cambodia: for medical help, physical healing, economic healing, and most of all, spiritual healing.

For more information on Cambodia, go to https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cb.html

Country of the Day: Burundi

Good news- after yesterday's post about Burkina Faso, I received a page view from, you guessed it, Burkina Faso. This is great! Hopefully, that person either read about the Truth of Christ on here, or was encouraged by reading that we are praying for movement in their country.

Today's country is another one you probably haven't heard of: Burundi. Burundi is an East African nation with a population of 9,863,117.

Of this almost 10 million people, 67% are actually Christian. Largely Roman Catholic, this is a surprisingly high number for an African nation. 23% have indigenous beliefs, and another 10% are Muslim.

Burundi is a country riddled with disease and very poor. HIV/AIDS is killing many there, as are malaria, rabies, bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever. 68% of the country is below the poverty line, and the life expectancy is only in the 50's.

Let's all pray that the Christians of Burundi remain strong, and are set afire to spread the Word throughout the country to the rest of its peoples. Also, let us pray for healing, medical care, and resources for Burundi. I've never heard of Burundi, much less anyone reaching it. Let's hope this changes.

For more information on Burundi, go to https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/by.html