Story number 1 for 4 Nov 2002

(Middle East)–We begin today’s newscast near Iraq where saber rattling continues. Amidst demands for weapons inspection, are growing fears that that move could provoke open hostilities in Iraq and its neighbors. Open Doors’ Johan Companjen says they are monitoring the situation closely because of the church there. “I think that whole area is very explosive at the moment, and it’s very clear from all the people that we have traveling there, and ministering there, is that the Christians there are very, very worried. If I may use this opportunity to ask the Christians here, please pray for your brothers and sisters living in that region.” Companjen says, in light of the upcoming International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, Christians need to pray for insight on how best to respond. “By the way, in Iraq, there are some wonderful Christians there. We need to pray for them. If everything worked out, we have one of our colleagues in the country now to find out how we can pray for them. Because they are going through a difficult time, with this imminent war, with this threat, I don’t know what is ‘wisdom’.”