South Asia prosecutor secures 100 convictions
Praise God for a local public prosecutor who has just secured her 100th conviction against perpetrators of child abuse. IJM has been honoured to work closely with this courageous woman over the last five years. It is grateful to God for leaders like her, who are stepping up to protect children every day, and are very encouraged by her enduring compassion and pursuit of justice. Please continue to pray for this prosecutor's success and safety.
Colombia: churches’ trauma healing groups
Colombia is home to two million Venezuelan refugees who fled economic and political crises and now face adapting to and integrating into a foreign culture. But instead of finding support, they often find themselves isolated and discriminated against. Churches across Colombia have been reaching out to these refugees, letting them know they are not alone. Tearfund and local partners have been equipping churches to set up trauma healing groups, which have supported hundreds of women. It was at her local church’s healing group that Julia finally found acceptance, community, and healing. ‘It is the first support that I found here in Colombia for migrants like us. When I arrived at the church I found the peace that I previously did not have. I saw that it was like my family. I arrive and they hug me, I leave and they hug me. It really has made me think about changing my life.’
Seeds of prayer: the Good Shepherd
At the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in September, the Bible Society's 'Psalm 23’ garden attracted much attention (bit.ly/bspsalm23). Many were touched by the garden, by the psalm that inspired it, and by the Good Shepherd himself. One visitor said, ‘I suffer from paranoid schizophrenia, I saw the garden and wanted to pray there. I’ve got a deep faith in God now, it's helping with the anxiety and voices’ (bit.ly/bs23josh). Others are now creating Psalm 23 gardens in their localities. As individuals, schools and communities read the psalm and plan their own gardens, pray that they will hear the Lord speaking and come to know Him as their Shepherd and dwell with Him for ever. We can thank God that nature and gardens are attracting many different spiritualities and therapies, though some will need sifting to align with the truth.
Tory donations disclosures
Mohamed Amersi, who partially funded Boris Johnson’s campaign to become prime minister, also advised the telecoms firm Telia, which in 2010 made a controversial $220m payment to a secretive offshore company. Oil executive Victor Fedotov, who gave £900,000 to 34 Tory MPs, made $4bn from allegedly corrupt Russian pipeline deals, and is currently seeking government approval for a controversial energy link between the UK and France. Lubov Chernukhin has given over £1.8m to the Conservatives since 2012. The secret offshore wealth she shares with her husband, a former Russian minister, includes a London house worth £38m and a £10m Oxfordshire mansion. Mrs Chernukhin's lawyers say she is a British citizen and is entitled to do as she wishes with her money. High-profile foreign politicians and UK political donors have over 1,500 UK properties, bought secretly using offshore firms worth £4bn. See also
