This June, thirty-two pregnant, Cambodian moms were arrested on the grounds of trafficking their unborn children. These women were acting as surrogate mothers for Chinese families and planned was to sell their babies after giving birth.
Women declared that they had been offered up to $10,000 for this service while the average annual income in Cambodia is a mere $1,490. Foreign couples often seek surrogates in developing countries because the service is much cheaper than in developed nations. In the U.S. or Australia it is not uncommon for surrogate mothers to charge around $150,000. In 2016 surrogacy was outlawed in Cambodia and the National Committee for Counter Trafficking (NCCT) has been working to ensure the sale of children is prevented. Due to the fact that surrogacy is now viewed as human trafficking in Cambodia, any involvement in the process results in jail time. These thirty-two women were released from a police hospital this week after promising to raise the children on their own and not sell them to other families. If they do not keep this agreement they will face up to 15 years in prison. The official involved stated that the NCCT asked for these women to be released for the sake of their innocent babies although the mother’s committed a crime. It is not clear whether the mothers are genetically tied to these children or simply carrying another couple’s fertilized embryo. This does not matter to Cambodia’s Secretary of State for the Interior ministry, Chou Gun Eng. She stated, "The woman takes care of them and feeds them for more than nine months before the embryo becomes human, so how can you give the children to someone else?" After China began to release their one-child rule the demand for surrogate mothers had increased. Sadly, a string of scandals resulted. One example was a baby with Down’s syndrome who was abandoned by the Australian couple who paid a Thai mother to carry him. Cambodia is not alone in this movement against commercial surrogacy. India, New Zealand, Canada, Denmark and the UK have taken the same steps in fighting this trade. However, in other nations where it is not regulated, this is still a flourishing industry. Human trafficking is a huge issue today that can be disguised in many forms. There are so many layers that it can be difficult to determine what qualifies as immoral. As advocates for justice it is important to look deeper into issues than what may appear on the surface. The cycle of poverty and manipulation continuously feed this industry and it is not uncommon for the victims to be the ones punished. Please pray for the people around the world who are trapped in any form of human trafficking and pray for wisdom as organizations decide who to prosecute in various situations. #internationalnews #surrogacy #trafficking
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“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4:18 (NIV)
The anointing spoken about in Luke has not disappeared in the modern age. Saint Oscar Romero realized this when he was faced with a life-changing decision, whether to turn a blind eye to the injustice in his country or face death for speaking out. In 1977, when Romero became archbishop in the capital of El Salvador, San Salvador, the nation was saturated with fear and violence. An elite few controlled the resources and political power of this country while most lived in extreme poverty and injustice. Throughout the first years of his new position, Romero attempted to stay out of politics and simply focus preaching the word. However, as his congregation came to him with stories of abuse and his own dear friend was slaughtered for standing up to the oppression, Romero’s eyes were opened. He realized preaching God’s word while doing nothing for his people was complete hypocrisy. “The word of God is like the light of the sun; it illuminates beautiful things but also things which we would rather not see,” Romero said. After this realization, he used his sermons to explicitly speak out against the corruption running rampant throughout the nation. In a time period where most information was strictly filtered by the government, his sermons went on public radio for all to hear. Romero challenged those in power to stop persecuting those around them and take a stand for justice. He specifically spoke to those who were killing commoners at the order of the elite. Romero said, “The peasants you kill are your own brothers and sisters, when a man tells you to kill, remember God’s words ‘Thou shalt not kill’. In the name of God and in the name of this suffering people, I beg you, I beseech you, I order you in the name of God, stop the repression!” As could be expected, it was not long before Romero began receiving death threats for his audacity. Although he knew these threats were legitimate, his conscience would not allow him to back down. He continued to speak out for the poor and oppressed and shared their overlooked testimonies in his sermons. On Mar. 24, 1980, Romero was celebrating mass when he was suddenly shot and killed. Romero was fully aware of the risks he was taking and several days before he had said, “As a Christian, I do not believe in death without resurrection, if they kill me, I will rise again in the people of el Salvador. A bishop may die but the church of God, which is the people, will never die.” Last month, on Oct. 14 Archbishop Oscar Romero became a saint under the authority of Pope Francis. His story inspires many today who dedicate their lives to empowerment and justice. Issues of oppression and violence are just as prevalent here in the United States as in El Salvador, though they manifest in different forms. One way you as an individual can take a stand is following Romero’s example and facing the ugly face of politics. We cannot sit back and expect the issues we are passionate about to simply figure themselves out. It is our duty as Christians to use our freedoms to be a voice for the voiceless. Beyond simply being a voice, we are also called to be the hands and feet of Christ. By the Hand Club for Kids is doing just that in the most impoverished areas of Chicago. In these places, gunshots rattle off as background noise while gangs are viewed as the greatest form of protection. Children live in a constant limbo unsure of what the next moment will hold. This ministry is an after-school program that assists students with academics as well as providing them with love and opportunities beyond what they would deem possible. As Anwar Smith mentioned in chapel, Chicago is not that far away. You can volunteer to help with tutoring, serving meals or just playing with kids. We cannot ignore the vulnerable around us. Look to Romero’s example and that of our savior as you pray and seek out ways to take action in your own community. http://theechonews.com/brees-beat-12/ Sources: http://www.romerotrust.org.uk http://bythehand.org Children who are survivors of sexual abuse face lifelong emotional and physical consequences that can be detrimental to their well-being if not handled carefully. For many years, children in Australia did not receive the help they desperately needed due to a flawed system which protected the perpetrators and ignored the children.
In 2012, the former prime minister began an inquiry which uncovered thousands of testimonies that had been pushed under the rug and ignored by the courts in an attempt to safeguard the institutions and public figures whom these accusations pointed toward. This inquiry lasted five years and finished last December, according to the New York Times. The horrific truth was found that tens of thousands of children had been sexually abused through national institutions such as schools, churches, foster homes and sports clubs. According to BBC News, it was determined that over 15,000 people had reached out to the inquiry describing accusations against more than 4,000 institutions. At the conclusion, over 8,000 testimonies had been collected and it was discovered many of these victims were wrestling with severe issues as a result of their trauma. After many shocking statics and gripping testimonies were unearthed, the prime minister of Australia Scott Morrison was moved to take action. On Monday, he gave a national apology to victims of child abuse. Hundreds of survivors and families gathered to witness as the prime minister’s voice shook with emotion. "Today, we finally acknowledge and confront the lost screams of our children," Morrison said. "We are sorry. Sorry you are not protected. Sorry you are not listened to. We are sorry for refusing to trust the words of children, for not believing you. As we say sorry, we also say we believe you." Although many were grateful that recognition was finally happening, still some were angry at the government’s lack of action. For thousands of victims who have already passed away-many through suicide—these actions were not taken soon enough. “He kept saying ‘sorry, sorry, sorry,’” Paul Auchettl, whose abuse by a Catholic brother started when he was 11, said.. “It’s like he didn’t know what else to say. We need somebody to outline a plan forward. It’s not enough to say sorry.” The Catholic church had been connected to many of these accusations and they agreed to many suggestions from those involved in the inquiry. However, they refuse to change their policy on the confidentiality of the pope. The government took action in forming a compensation plan which allots up to $150,000 to victims of sexual abuse, according to BBC News. All states and territories, and many institutions, have since signed on in agreement with this strategy. On top of this, Morrison committed to establishing a museum in honor of the victims’ testimonies. Still, many survivors have been frustrated with the process of this compensation. Although we can never truly compensate survivors for the trauma they have experienced we can help by sharing their stories and being a voice for those currently facing these horrors. Advocacy can also help prevent future cases such as these from happening. Organizations like Stop the Silence are working to expose and bring an end to child abuse globally. They fight the source and pursue healing for victims through advocacy, community outreach, education and training for service providers and policy makers. You can learn more at http://www.stopcsa.org and take your own steps to fight this globally prevalent issue. #abuse #awareness #children #australia Bree’s Beat-9/25/18
Young Anmar left for school one morning just as she had every other day. To her horror, when she arrived, the building where she had spent every weekday furthering her education was reduced to rubble. Her family quickly fled for their lives from their home in Aleppo, Syria and sought safety in Turkey. Anmar’s parents, Ammar and Fatma, worked hard in Turkey trying to provide for their family with little pay and rough living situations. On top of the already stressful environment, their son with special needs could not receive the proper health care to help him live well. Four long years after this harsh uprooting from home to impoverishment, her family was transitioned to the United States through an organization called World Relief. This organization helped Anmar’s family build connections in the states and they are now contributors to society in more ways than one. Anmar can now attend school without fear of bombings and her brother has the health care he needs. The peace they have now cannot be put into words after such a traumatic upheaval of their lives. The United Nations declared that we are currently in the midst of the “worst refugee crisis since World War II”. This issue is not going away but rather increasing. “Over 65 million people around the world are currently displaced from their homes. Each day, that number grows by 22,000. Families are fleeing for their safety, looking for a new place to rebuild their lives.” (5) The true definition of a “refugee” according to international law is, “someone who leaves their country because of a well-founded fear of persecution for one of these five reasons: race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group.” (5) “Half the world's refugees are children, many travelling alone or in groups in a desperate quest for sanctuary, and often falling into the clutches of people traffickers, the annual UN high commissioner for refugees (UNHCR) global trends report said.” (4) In the midst of this chaos and turmoil you would expect that America, the land of immigrants and freedom, would be leading the charge to protect these vulnerable populations. In the past, the United States has been the hope that many refugees, like Anmar’s family, have clung to as they faced unimaginable terrors. However, recent developments in the government have done exactly to opposite. Forty years ago the Refugee Act declared that the President would be given power to determine an annual refugee ceiling (the limit of how many refugees can enter the United States). In the past this limit has reached up to a hundreds of thousands. The Trump administration announced last Monday that he intends to set the cap at 30,000 individuals. This is the lowest ceiling ever set since the Act was put in place decades ago. Normally once a ceiling is set that becomes the administration’s goal of how many refugees to bring in. This past year the ceiling was set at 45,000 yet only 21,000 refugees have been admitted. The cap reflects “our commitment to protect the most vulnerable around the world while prioritizing the safety and well-being of the American people, as President Trump has directed,” Pompeo (secretary of state) said. (1) World Relief staffer Matthew Soerens greatly disagrees with this stance. He supports the idea that we must prioritize the safety of American citizens. However, no refugee brought into the U.S. has ever taken the life of an American citizen and logistically the fear of them is truly an irrational one. They are seeking the best life for their families and desire to contribute to the community the move into. What many do not realize is the truth that a large portion of these refugees seeking asylum are Christians being persecuted for their faith. Our brothers and sisters are being forced to stay in locations where genocide and violent religious prejudice daily threatens their very lives. Soerens feels that the vetting staff at our borders has done a great job over the years protecting our nation with our current system and is sufficient without cutting the amount of refugees admitted into the country. Cutting back on the influx of refugees not only hurts those trying to enter but it also hurts ministries and organizations whose mission is to welcome the foreigner and help them adapt. Nonprofits like World Relief have been forced to lay off staff and close down certain programs due to a lack of refugees being allowed in. This refugee issue is not about politics, it is about people and our responsibility as Christians to “love the foreigner among us”. As citizens we have a voice in the matter while many of these families have none. Simply calling your senators and representatives helps inform our government that we value the lives of our persecuted brothers and sisters. You can help make a change by simply sharing that you are not okay with such a low refugee ceiling or the treatment of families at our border. Your voice may be one but when paired with others it is flood that breaks down walls. GAZA, Israel—Now labeled as the deadliest day since the Gaza war in 2014, on May 14 over fifty Palestinians were killed and at least 2,400 injured.
The victims were protestors who had been expressing their anger for several weeks. However, the violence escalated dramatically on that day when the US embassy was officially opened in Jerusalem. Over 40,000 Palestinians have been actively participating in violent riots because they see the new embassy as a clear message from the American government. They believe this step is showing that the US is in full support of Jerusalem being Israel’s capital while the protestors believe they are entitled to power over the eastern side. Among other acts of violence, the Palestinians threw rocks and explosive devices at the security fence where Israeli military personal declared their use of weapons were a means of self-defense. Several protestors were detained and the health ministry on the Palestinian side claims children were among the victims who were killed. The Prime Minister of Israel said, “Every nation has the right to defend its borders. Hamas clearly says its intentions are to destroy Israel and sends thousands to break through the border for that end.” Although some countries agree that Israel possesses the right to defend itself, others are not happy with how the situation has been handled. One of those in opposition is the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra-ad al-Hussein. He spoke strongly against the, “shocking killing of dozens, injury of hundreds by Israeli live fire.” Ivanka Trump and her husband attended the opening ceremony and emphasized that Trump keeps his promises. She was referring to December when the President stated the opening of the embassy “recognizes the reality that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and the seat of its government.” From the Israeli side Prime Minister Netanyahu said, "What a glorious day. Remember this moment. This is history. President Trump, by recognizing history, you have made history. All of us are deeply grateful." Some of the most sacred religious locations for Muslims as well as Jews and Christians are all located in Jerusalem. Therefore, the controversy over power in this city is a deep-rooted and passionate one. "In the long run, we're convinced that this decision creates an opportunity and a platform to proceed with a peace process on the basis of realities rather than fantasies," said David Friedman, the US ambassador to Israel "We're fairly optimistic that this decision will ultimately create greater stability rather than less." However, until this peace is achieved, conflict and death still occur in the smoke and shouts consuming the border of Gaza. Pray for civil arrangements to be made in order to prevent further loss of life on either side. Overall, through this area overrun with bitterness and fear, pray the hope of Christ’s love and forgiveness would spread like fire and transform these nations. Often, people hear of past genocides and wonder why no one took any action against them. However, they don’t realize the merciless slaughter of a people group called the Rohingya is happening today in the country of Myanmar (Burma).
At the beginning of December, around 650,000 Rohingya had fled their country trying to escape the murder, rape and other attacks that began in late August. However, this injustice started much earlier. When Nurul Amin was only ten years old he was forced to flee his country of Myanmar and become a refugee in Bangladesh. He and his family were running from the forced labor, rape and religious persecution Rohingyas were facing in their homeland. They returned to their home when told they would once again be granted citizenship. Myanmar’s government continuously promised to grant Rohingyas citizenship when pressed by outside authorities However, this vow has remained unkept year after year. Instead they offered national verification cards which classified Rohingyas as illegal immigrants in their own country. On top of everything, Rohingyas were required to pay for rights to marriage, burial, travel and property. A cap value was placed on how much a Rohingya could own. Many like Syed Alam, 20, desire to return to their homeland without being labeled as illegal immigrants. Abdul Kader addressed his frustration that Rohingya could not even own livestock without first obtaining permission from the military. "They [army] visit once a month. If they find any increase in number of domestic animals, the Rohingya have to pay for that. Even if anyone wants to marry, they have to pay. Relatives also have to pay the military to bury their dead,” he claimed. As time went on, the violence dramatically increased. In 2012 and 2016 the military intensified their control and ethnic controversies arose all across the country. The combination of these along with already unideal living situations resulted in worsened conflict and Rohingyas being forced to live in refugee camps. “I could not stay anymore when my house was burnt like those of many others. We fled to Bangladesh to save our lives,” Nurul, father of five children, said. After a mass exodus of 700,000 Rohingyas fleeing for their lives last August, the refugee camp in Kutupalong became the largest in the world. Currently over 1.1 million Rohingyas reside in Bangladesh. Other ethnic conflicts have resulted in over 4,000 people being driven from their homes since the beginning of April. Many civilians are fleeing to the border with China and aid organizations are pushing China to let them in. "Our biggest concern is for the safety of civilians - including pregnant women, the elderly, small children and people with disabilities," Mark Cutts, the head of the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told AFP news agency. Pray for the people of Myanmar as conflict and injustice leave thousands in destitution. They need to unite and work together in order for peace to once again reign in their land. On top of this, deeply rooted ethnic discrimination must be dissolved to prevent a horrific genocide from destroying the Rohingya. By Bree Bailey
Raging conflict and continuous earthquakes have left hundreds of thousands in desperation. On Feb. 26, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake shook Papua New Guinea (PNG) to the core. Since that day, over 200 more aftershock tremors have occurred. This constant state of insecurity has heightened the already dire circumstances locals are facing. Not only are the physical foundations crumbling, but the political ones as well. Currently, tribes within the nation are at war, catching thousands in the crossfire. “It is children who are witness to this and sometimes even become involved in it, either as victims in some cases – when they’re shot or they’re slashed – or sometimes the men put the weapons in the hands of children,” said Karen Allen, UNICEF representative to PNG. Some children as young as 10 are expected to join the conflict and are trained to kill. These disorienting experiences are leaving children without a home, family or food, causing immense psychological trauma. “Psychological damage among children should not be overlooked,” Allen said. “It can have a negative impact on brain development, mental health and overall wellbeing in the long run.” Currently, over 270,000 locals are in desperate need of aid, and around 20 percent of those require psychological help. On top of this, for many, the last remains of homes and hopes for growing food crumbled before their eyes. Those who were already vulnerable to vicious attacks and abuse now have double the previous risk after the earthquake broke their land. “If things from the earthquake get worse(,) and the fighting doesn’t stop(,) there will be a famine here,” said Agnes Havalu, the president of the Hoiebia United Church women’s committee. As if starvation and war weren’t bad enough, rape — which was previously a taboo in the country — has now become a common aspect of tribal conflicts. “I was raped and severely beaten on my face,” said Mary, a local in PNG. “More than 24 men raped me so I could hardly walk.” Various aid organizations are trying to step in and help these people, but the constant conflict makes entry extremely difficult and dangerous. The Australian government has stepped in to establish “safe spaces” for women and children running from the atrocities. Counseling and health care services are also provided in these areas. The PNG country director for U.N. Women, Susan Ferguson, stated that it is vital for the tribes to establish long-term peace-building initiatives in order to end the conflict. Pray for opportunities for aid organizations to help these hopeless people and incorporate peacemaking initiatives from within. http://theechonews.com/brees-beat-7/ By Bree Bailey
Some believe North and South Korea may finally be easing tensions after 65 long years of conflict, while others see recent actions as merely surface level. At the opening ceremonies for the 2018 Olympics, North Korea and South Korea were seen entering as one unified team. Many believe that the games have allowed North and South Korea to finally begin mending their relationship. There has been discussion recently of both Koreas hosting the 2021 Asian Winter Games together, but that decision will not be made until later this year. “We are considering the idea of South and North Korea jointly hosting the Asian Winter Games as one way to increase the usage of the facilities after the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics and of continuing inter-Korean harmony and exchange,” Choi Moon-soon, Gangwon Province Governor, said at a press conference. The defense ministry in South Korea restated that they still plan to carry out military exercises with the United States once the Olympics have finished. Sources from North Korea warned, “(R)acket for resuming the war exercises is a wild act of ruthlessly trampling even a small sprout of peace that has been now seen on the Korean peninsula.” The South Korean President, Moon Jae-in was invited to meet in person with Kim Jong-un but has not communicated when this might take place. On Feb. 15, a poll was taken, and 61.5 percent of South Korea’s population voted in favor of Moon having face-to-face talks with Kim in order to mend relations. However, over 30 percent stated that additional pressure is vital in order to cause North Korea to improve its behavior. Currently, the fear for those in favor of communication with North Korea is Trump’s involvement. “There have been lots of reports of Washington planning a ‘bloody nose’ attack on a missile site or a nuclear facility in the North, and that makes people very worried because Pyongyang can be expected to retaliate(,) and it is likely to target South Korea,” said Ahn Yin-hay, a professor of international relations at Korea University in Seoul. She claims that South Koreans believe talking to North Korea is a safer approach for their nation. However, this is not the only perspective locals possess. Joo Yeon Lee, a South Korean international student at Taylor, expresses a different opinion. She explained that South Korea is made up of two separate parties. The one currently in power favors communication with North Korea in order to mend relations and help those in that country. The other believes that North Korea needs help but that sending money and unifying North and South is not the best way to assist them. In the second party’s perspective, North Korea does not use the money they are given to actually help their people, and uniting the countries could pose a serious threat to the South Korea’s liberal democracy. They believe that support from the U.S. is important to protect them from North Korea’s nuclear weapons, especially when China is more closely tied to North Korea. Yeon Lee personally does not believe that the Olympics had any real effect on North and South Korea’s relations. “To summarize my opinion, the Olympics was not helpful to make North Korea and South Korea get closer. . . . It is a very complex problem that is too hard to fix through the Olympics,” Lee said. According to Lee, most of the college students in South Korea support the current president as a result of media and propaganda spread across the country. She is worried that everyone will become so consumed with seeking peace that they will sacrifice their freedoms to achieve it. http://theechonews.com/some-fun-and-games-and-war/ By Bree Bailey
Frostbite covers three-year-old Sarah, leaving a large black scab across her non-smiling face. All she has known her whole life is the war raging in her home country of Syria for the past seven years. As she lays in the hospital with various tubes attached to her tiny body, and after waking up from a comatose state, you would be shocked to discover she was the lucky one from her group. Last month, 70 Syrian refugees set out to escape their war-torn homeland. Islamic groups had entered even the most rural villages, bringing with them bullets and explosions. Desperate and fearing for their lives, villagers trusted several smugglers who promised an easy passage to Lebanon for a decent price. Due to the fact that most countries have closed their borders to Syrian refugees, the treacherous mountain range between Syria and Lebanon is one of the last hopes for escape. Sadly, smugglers did not communicate the extent and danger which accompanied a trip over these mountains. Shihab al-Abed was a part of this group who trusted the smugglers, mantra and fled with his mother, wife, sister, three daughters, son, three grandchildren, sister-in-law and two nieces. At the beginning of the journey, rain began falling, which quickly transitioned to snow. The guides moved quickly, causing the elderly and children to fall behind. Shihab’s 13-year-old daughter kicked off her plastic sandals in desperation to keep up. The cold began to set in, and the surrounding whiteness caused the group to split up and become lost. The next morning, 15 people were found dead. Shihab searched for his family and discovered his wife, mother, sister and grandson all dead with the rest of his group unaccounted for. Currently, around 1 million Syrian refugees have escaped to Lebanon. This has put a strain on the small nation’s economy and caused tension in many areas. Lebanese officials have allowed Syrians to enter but refuse to let organizations set up quality refugee camps, for fear they will become permanent. Due to this, these desperate people live in makeshift tents in dirty areas where sickness spreads like wildfire. They are not welcome, and over 70 percent of the refugees live in extreme poverty. Many ask why they will not simply return to their homes. In response to this, Abu Musa, a man in his forties originally from Hama in central Syria, exclaims, “Of course, I’d like to go back to Syria! But Syria isn’t safe. They’re fighting in my town. My house has been destroyed.” Young Sarah had been found on the same mountain with Shihab, comatose and covered in frostbite. The doctors did not believe she would survive, and no one knew who she belonged to. Four days later, she was conscious and asked for her mother. No one had the heart to explain her mother had died. The next day, her estranged father showed up at the hospital after seeing photos of his dead wife posted all over Facebook. He had not seen Sarah in two and a half years due to the fact that he had been working in Lebanon and sending money back home. Syrian refugees often can be viewed as a number or a threat. However, these people have stories and struggles which they are facing right now. They need our prayers for peace in their homeland, that they might return and safety in their present turmoil. http://theechonews.com/brees-beat-6/ By Bree Bailey |
The Indonesian island of Bali is a well known vacation getaway. However, this week, rather than maps for tourists, they are distributing masks for locals. Ash filled the air as Mt. Agung erupted on Saturday. Authorities issued the highest-level warning possible for everyone within the 7.5-mile radius and instructed all in that area to evacuate immediately. Nearly 40,000 locals have already evacuated but over 60,000 still remain in their homes. “Not all villagers in the dangerous radius are willing to evacuate. Until now there are still many people who remain in their houses,” a disaster agency said in a statement. Many of these people believe they are safe or are unwilling to abandon their livestock, which is their livelihood. However, a 73-year-old local named Nengah Wati remembers the damage that this volcano is capable of. The last time it erupted was in 1963. She was a young woman but still gets emotional at the mere thought of that experience. Not only is this disaster affecting local villagers, but around 59,000 travelers have been stranded due to 445flights being canceled. The Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali has been closed since Monday. Derek Du Chesne is a 30-year-old actor who was struggling to get home to America. “The last two days we couldn’t get out of here,” Chesne said. “Traffic gridlocked, buses lining the streets for evacuation. We couldn’t get through to any of the airlines via phone, been on hold for an hour now, scary stuff.” This eruption is not even close to being over. On Monday, a geologist named Mark Tingay stated, “The volcanic eruption has now moved on to the next, more severe, magmatic eruption phase, where highly viscous lava can trap gasses under pressure, potentially leading to an explosion.” On top of the danger for a more severe eruption, due to the coming rainy season, lava floods are also a lethal threat. Because of this, locals are advised to stay clear of rivers as well. With all that is going on, the worst part for those living close by is the waiting. Putu Sulsami lives 3 miles from the volcano and states, “If it has to erupt, let it erupt now rather than leaving us in uncertainty. I’ll just accept it if our house is destroyed.” Pray for protection for those living in Bali as the last eruption resulted in more than 1,700 casualties. Those who lose property will need assistance to get back on their feet and begin to rebuild their lives. http://theechonews.com/brees-beat-5/ |
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