(South Sudan flag courtesy Wikipedia)

South Sudan (MNN/BGR) — The ceasefire in South Sudan failed before it ever got started, and efforts to resuscitate it are not going well.

Fresh fighting erupted six days ago as peace talks re-opened in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 24 hours later, talks sputtered to a halt with rival leaders blaming each other for the violence.

Aside from the obvious, the impact of delayed peace is seen on the ground in the refugee camps. Oxfam estimates that 2.5 million people are at risk of severe hunger within the next three weeks. Humanitarian aid can’t keep up with the growing demand. Even if a ceasefire happened tomorrow, a food crisis would still emerge because farmers can’t get back to their fields.

Tens of thousands are displaced into about 30 refugee camps located in extremely inhospitable areas of Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda. The makeshift camps lack basic access to clean water, and food supplies are low.

So here’s a question for you: did you know this was happening? Jeff Palmer with Baptist Global Response says this man-made disaster is similar to Syria in theory, but without the attention. “There’s been fighting in the area for years (some of the things that lead up to it becoming a new country). Then, when it becomes something that becomes more of an internal conflict, or among people groups (tribes), and there are bigger things on the scene like Syria, or Ebola, or those kinds of things, eyes get turned away from a crisis like South Sudan.”

(Image courtesy BGR)

How does a moving flow of millions of people fleeing a civil war get missed? It’s not the kind of crisis that hits the heart string, Palmer theorizes. He says natural disasters like the Haiti earthquake or the military response to ISIS, or things like Boko Haram mass kidnappings and executions are more interesting than a war that looks like part of the landscape.

Instead, “You’re still looking at a country with 50% of the population not having adequate access to clean drinking water. So, you put the newness of the country, you put the pre-existing poverty, you put the armed conflict, and you put the tribal splits that are going on, and it’s a recipe for disaster.” Since 2011, there’s only been fighting over natural resources, which devolved into fighting between Dinka and Nuer, Christian and Muslim, and more.

A BGR partner team conducted an assessment trip in an area that has been overlooked, and they found partners to coordinate a response project, which quickly turned into more. “We’ve got some water projects, especially along the outside border areas; but inside South Sudan, we’re working with some communities, with school lunch programs, nutrition, where there is a little bit of stability, trying to get kids back to school and getting them fed.”

(Image courtesy BGR)

The earlier question (Did you know this was happening?) has a follow-up: Why should you care? Palmer offers these thoughts: “I would say that the Spirit and the love of Christ in our hearts should move us towards compassion for those who are suffering, both for our brothers [and] sisters who are suffering, as well as for others who have never heard the Name.”

Palmer says through their local partners, followers of Christ have a chance to be part of the solution. That involves not only meeting the immediate survival needs of food, shelter, and water, but also, providing hope to cling to (click here to help).  “We do it in a way to show the love of Christ, both to the believers who are struggling in this area as well as unbelievers.”

(Photo courtesy of Baptist Global Response)

Africa (MNN/BGR) — In Sub-Saharan Africa, there are about 23 million people living and dying with HIV/AIDS, but “buckets of love” are providing help for many.

At Main Street Baptist Church on November 3, 2014, students from University of the Cumberlands packed 5-gallon buckets with medical and hygiene supplies. The project was part of an emphasis by Baptist Global Response, to show love and offer hope to individuals who are struggling with the disease.

After working with partner organizations, BGR has determined what items would be best in the Hospice Kits. The average retail cost for one complete kit is around $85.

UC’s Bucket Project effort was made possible by money that was collected from students and staff who represent 28 different departments at UC as well as donations from alumni.

“In addition to the money that was contributed, a big factor in this effort was also the involvement of some alumni who helped in unique ways” stated Rick Fleenor, Assistant to the President for Church Relations. UC alums Barry and Drew Mahan donated 100 boxes of vinyl gloves to be included in the kits. Barry is the owner of Southeastern Medical Supply, Corbin, KY and Drew serves as pastor at Forward Community Church, Corbin, KY.

“Our local Walmart store was also a great partner in the effort,” said Fleenor. Store Manager Steve Centers and Assistant Manager Will Bentley, both UC alumni, helped place orders for the items needed and provided special pricing to help make the money raised go as far as possible. As a result of their assistance, the final cost of each individual bucket was only $52.

About 40 UC students and staff members processed 3,000 items that were packed into the buckets. Each bucket contained 30 items. After they were assembled, the buckets were taken to Bowling Green, Kentucky, for the annual meeting of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, as part of a challenge to churches across the state to provide 800 buckets. From there, the buckets were delivered by truck to Houston, Texas, and then shipped on to Sub-Saharan Africa.

BGR has found this project may be one of the most effective ways to open doors to share the Word of God. Missionaries and other believers deliver the buckets and share the Gospel with patients.

Pray for HIV/AIDS patients to find eternal hope in Christ.

(Photo courtesy Baptist Global Response)

Gaza (MNN/BGR) — A 72-hour ceasefire ended after less than three hours in the Israel-Gaza conflict. This could be a headline from the weekend, or it could be the headline from five years ago, which begs the question: has nothing changed?

In 2009, a Christian worker recorded an interview with the Baptist Press about the conflict in Gaza and how it affects people on both sides. Politics and alliances may have changed, but the impact feels the same. Five years later, this recorded statement, “Terrorism is the enemy, not the people,” is haunting because nothing seems to have improved despite massive global diplomatic efforts.

Believers in both Israel and Gaza prayed that love would win out and all people would see “the Great Light that shines in the darkness,” the worker said in the 2009 interview. That holds true today, too.

Jeff Palmer, executive director for Baptist Global Response, says, “It’s just a bad situation, anyway you look at it, because there are so many innocent folks suffering on both sides. Pray for peace, that there could be some healing and restoration and access to those who are suffering–who, at this time, are very open to help, and they’re very open to the message of hope that we have to bring them.”

(Photo courtesy International Mission Board)

The long history of conflict between Gaza and Israel has been marked in recent years by militants in Gaza firing hundreds of rockets into Israeli populations, triggering severe retaliation by Israel. The situation is unpredictable, but despite the violence, Southern Baptist representatives continue ministering where they are with a surprising calm. Palmer says, “Usually in a war area, in a crisis area, you have refugees. But here, they don’t have anywhere to go. They’re kind of stuck in this small strip of land, and they are where they are. It’s affecting lots of people.”

In Gaza with the current fighting, it’s dangerous to be in the street, and there’s little movement outside. Grocery stores are empty. There’s no electricity. BGR partners are anxious to feed 1000 families in the Gaza Strip, he adds. “We’ve approved some materials and funds to be released to help. Like many organizations, we’re really having trouble right now even getting to those areas to help the needy people.”

BGR still plans to help with a food distribution program in Gaza once the hostilities end. Palmer explains, “It empowers local believers to show compassion and to be able to have relationship and have a reason to have a relationship with folks who are their neighbors who are suffering, and share the Gospel.”

(Photo courtesy International Mission Board/Baptist Press)

Palmer adds, “Pray for wisdom and knowledge for our BGR partners who are looking at how to get the materials and supplies into the hands of our national partners to be able to help.”

Pray for Israelis, Palestinians, Hamas, terrorists, the innocent and the guilty, everyone involved in the violence and bloodshed taking place in the Middle East.