(dramatic music)
- [Wendy] This week onChristian World News,
they came from around the world
to share their stories of persecution,
and the president himselfopened up his office.
- [George] Next, as Ebola spreads
in the DRC, Congo, the American doctor
who nearly died from the diseaseis back at work in Africa.
We ride alongside Dr. Rick Sacra,
as he continues hismedical mission of mercy.
(dramatic music)
- And, communion on the moon.
Fifty years ago, two American astronauts
landed on the lunar surface.
One of them took timeto give thanks to God.
(dramatic music)
If I landed on the moon, George,
I would be giving thanks to God too.
- Absolutely.
Welcome, everyone, to this week's edition
of Christian World News.
I'm George Thomas.
- And I'm Wendy Griffith.
Well, victims of religious persecution
are rarely heard, butrecently, dozens of them
met with the presidentof the United States
and President Trump took the time
to hear their stories and offer support.
- Yeah, it really was a remarkable moment.
The president really has madereligious freedom a priority
of his administration, andhis meeting with the victims
is just one demonstrationof that commitment.
CBN Washington reporter,Jenna Browder, has more.
- It was an extraordinary and moving scene
in the oval office as President Trump
listened to people from around the world
who have been persecuted for their faith.
- I'm Esther from Nigeria.
I do three years in the(speaking in foreign language) .
I escaped from Rockwater.
- Nadia's a Nobel Peace Prize winner.
- I'm from Iraq and Icannot see my family there
in the trip because when ISIS attack us,
no one protect us.
After 2003, we start to disappear
from our area, from our homeland.
When ISIS attack us in 2014,they killed six of my brother.
They killed my mom.
- [Jenna] The president even insisting
he had time to hear more stories
despite his schedule.
- I know the presidenthas to get on so I wanna--
- We can take a couple more.- Can ya, okay good.
- My family are being persecuted in Iran.
Iranian people are with you.
The majority of Iranian people--
- Explain what is happening in Iran.
- My parents are pastors,they're Christian pastors.
They've been arrested, all my family,
my father my mother, my brother.
They are free on bail awaiting their trial
and long sentences.
- [Jenna] They've beeninvited, along with thousands
of others to tell their stories
and take part in the Trump administrations
initiative to protect andpromote religious freedom.
- You have over 16countries represented here.
You have approximately 27people, but I was in the room
yesterday with thousands,and we had thousands
that could not get in.
So we thank you President,for being the leader,
the courageous leader to stand up
no only in our nation,but countries all around
for all faith of allpeople that we should have
the practice and the rightto practice our religion.
- [Jenna] Pastor Paula White referring to
the Second Ministerial onInternational Religious Freedom
hosted by the administration this week.
The state department says80% of people world wide
live in a religiouslyrestricted environment.
- All people, fromevery place on the globe
must be permitted topractice their faith openly,
in their homes, intheir places of worship,
in the public square, and believewhat they want to believe.
- [Jenna] In Washington,Jenna Browder, CBN News.
- By the way, at the closingof the Ministerial meeting,
the Secretary of State MikePompeo announced the creation
of an internationalreligious freedom alliance
to make persecution a top priority.
- This is a big deal.
Well one of the goalsof the alliance will be
to hold accountablecountries which deny people
the right to practice their faith.
Eric Philips has details.
- Secretary of State MikePompeo was clearly pleased
with the growth of this year's Ministerial
with hundreds more in attendancecompared to last year.
He says it's proof positivethat religious freedom
is important to billionsof people the world over
and that's he's announcedan important next step.
- We will create the
International Religious Freedom Alliance.
- [Eric] Secretary of StateMike Pompeo said he hopes
the alliance will bring likeminded countries together,
outside of this annual conference.
- It will provide a spacefor the work that we do here
to flourish throughout the year.
- [Eric] Pompeo went througha litany of documented cases
of religious persecution, even pointing
to this very conferenceand those who were denied
the chance to be here like some from Cuba.
- This weekend the Cubangovernment prevented them
from boarding their flights to travel
to Washington DC to expresstheir religious freedom,
such is the thuggish, intolerant nature
of the current regime in Havana.
- [Eric] But he calledChina the worst offender
of religious freedom.
- It is truly the stain of the century.
- [Eric] Noting since 2017,the Chinese government
had detained more than one million Muslims
and other minorities.
- In China, the Chinese Communist party
demands control over thelives of the Chinese people
and their souls.
- [Eric] Vice President Mike Pence
greeted the Ministerial onbehalf of the president,
saying the White Houseis taking punitive steps
in the fight for religious freedom.
- Today, I'm announcing the United States
has placed sanctions on two leaders
of Iranian backed militiasfor all they've done.
We will hold them accountable.
- I hope good people everywhere will see
that our movement is just getting started.
- Pompeo also noted that he's aware
that Communist Chinadiscouraged other countries
from coming to this year's Ministerial
and he said to those who camein spite of the pressure,
"We salute you," but to thosewho bowed to the pressure
and did not come, he says, "We took note."
In Washington, Eric Philips, CBN News.
- Thanks Eric.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeois a dedicated Christian
who hopes to see freedomspread across the globe.
Recently he sat down with our David Brody
to share his vision.
- [David] Given his roleas Americas top diplomat,
you never can predict where
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo might be.
- Nice to see you.- Great to see you again.
We met him back home in Washington,
overseeing an importantpriority, his second annual
Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom.
Faith leaders from all over the world
have come to the statedepartment to pursue
better ways to fight worldwidereligious persecution.
- We know we're blessedhere, it's our first freedom
enshrined in the US Constitution,
but that's not the case everywhere.
- [David] That's for sure.
Religious persecution is on the rise,
but the number of refugeesallowed into the United States
to escape is much lower thanin previous administrations.
Just 30,000 refugees willgain asylum this year.
Pompeo says a goal of thisconference is to find solutions
so refugees have a better life at home.
- Our mission set has to tryand create the conditions
inside their own countryso that they can have
that religious freedom,there'll be no need
to leave their country,their friends, their people,
their church, theirsynagogue, their mosque,
all the things that they know and love.
- [David] Religious freedomis an essential human right.
To that end, the Trumpadministration is creating
a new commission on unalienable rights,
to help specificallydefine those freedoms.
Liberal groups areconcerned that it could mean
a rollback of certain rightsfor women, minority groups.
- You know this David,when you start to say
that all thousands of things are rights,
it diminishes these mostfundamental freedoms,
it diminishes these essential rights,
the right to freedom ofworship, the most powerful
things that each create ourdignity as human beings.
And so we're gonna gotake a good look at that,
we're gonna ground itin the founding fathers
understanding, we're gonnaground it in our Constitution.
- Also grounded in the Constitution,
a nation of faith.
For Secretary of State MikePompeo, this Ministerial
on Religious Freedom is personal.
His Christian faith isat the center of his life
and it compels him to act.
This is something thatyou wear on your sleeve
and it's very important to you.
- Look, as a Christian,we have this fundamental
understandings from theBible that talk about
how you treat other human beings.
- [David] David Brody,CBN News, Washington.
- [George] Coming up, Ebolacouldn't take his life
or stop him from going back to Africa.
The missionary doctor who iscontinuing to bless Africa.
- [Pat] People wanna know,
is there a plan and how do you find it?
- [Announcer] CBN presents, The Plan.
Eight keys for understandingGod's will for your life.
- We're going to talk aboutGod's plan for your life.
- Is there a plan for everyone's life?
- [Announcer] In PatRobertson's latest teaching,
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- [Narrator] Remember fora moment what it was like
to be a child.
You believed every story you were told,
you saw a world full ofendless possibilities.
What stories will with world's orphaned
and at risk children believe?
We believe the Bible tells the only story
truly worth believing.
We believe that every childshould have the opportunity
to dream, the chance to take challenges
and turn them into possibilities.
The chance to stand onthe promises of God,
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They have their whole lives ahead of them,
theirs is a world ofendless possibilities.
They are looking for a story to believe.
We will tell them that story.
Will you join us?
(gentle music)
- The Ebola outbreak in theDemocratic Republic of Congo
has been declared aglobal health emergency.
This after the first case ofEbola has hit a major city
in the Congo.
The announcement marksa serious escalation
of the disease across the region,
home to more than two million people.
The outbreak started lastAugust in some remote areas
and so far more than1600 people have died,
making this outbreak thesecond deadliest in history.
The person with aconfirmed case is a pastor
who has been taken to a treatment center.
There is an experimentalvaccine, but it has not
been universally acceptedby people in that region.
And five years ago,missionary doctor Rick Sacra
made headlines after contractingthe deadly Ebola virus
while serving in Libera.
And George, you havespent some time with him.
- Absolutely, in fact today he continues
to serve in the West African nation where
he is showing compassion, care, and love
in the name of Christ.
I got the chance to seehis heroic work up close,
take a look.
Rick Sacra loves this country so much
that he speaks Englishwith a Liberian accent.
It's not always easy to understand it.
Even for this reporterwho grew up in Africa.
Do me a favor, if you can notspeak in Liberian English.
Okay, so if you can talkin just regular English,
that you learned in high school.
- My man, I forgetting how.
- [George] I can see that.
Sacra and his wife, Debbie, first traveled
to the West Africannation some 30 years ago.
What drew the couplehere from Massachusetts?
- Well, I think it's thecalling and conviction
of the Lord in my life.
He just has put a lovefor Liberia in my heart.
Thankfully he's given thatsame love and commitment
to my wife.
(gentle music)
- [George] Sacra is a missionary doctor
at ELWA Hospital outsideLiberia's capital, Monrovia.
ELWA stands for EternalLove Winning Africa,
founded by American missionaries in 1965.
- You put your finger right here.
- [George] The hospital'smission is sharing
the love of Jesus by caring for the sick.
- Oh he's pulling me a little bit.
I feel ELWA is all about
providing care, compassionatecare in the name of Christ.
- [George] ELWA has been theSacra's home away from home now
for 24 years.
- As crazy as it says,Christ love compels us
and I think that thatjust characterizes the way
that we feel, that Christ love compels us
to go where we're needed.
- Since arriving hereon the shores of Liberia
back in 1995, Doctor Sacrahas had one driving passion,
and that is to train the next generation
of Liberian doctors.
His dream came true, bythe way, about a year
and a half ago when he launched
the first family medicine program.
It's the only one of its kind here
and gives the 56 yearold doctor an opportunity
to put his training touse as a family physician.
- It's been my desire for many years
to be able to pour my life and my skills
and my experiences into local doctors
who will be able to pick upwhere I'm gonna leave off.
All right, this is theman on the motorcycle
is Jeremiah Culley, and he's leading us.
We are gonna follow him.
We are going to his home,(speaking in foreign language)
where he came from.
- [George] For Sacra it's also about
using medicine for ministry.
- [Rick] Oh yeah!
Come on big daddy.
You can do it!
- [George] CBN News joineda team from the hospital
on a medical outreachto the Liberian forest.
- [Rick] Getting to take youon this medical outreach trip
into a rural area and see,you know, bring a pastor
with us, and who can shareChrist in the vernacular,
in concert with whatwe are doing medically,
it's just exciting.
- [George] Our two hourjourney through the bush
brought us to this remote village.
- This was not here the last time I was.
- [George] After time of worship, prayer,
and a short sermon by the village pastor,
Sacra and team spend the nine hours
tending to more than 300 villagers.
- Folks here don't haveaccess to medical facilities.
They have to walk several hoursto get to a medical center.
- Jartu Holdero and her baby had to walk
three hours to today's outreach.
She, like so many thatCBN News spoke with,
was grateful for the team's visit
- I'm so thankful toGod that I could come to
have my daughter seen by the doctors.
It was a difficult journey, but worth it.
- Probably in that operating room.
- [George] The Sacra's also pay a price.
They have lived through two civil wars
and the 2014 deadly Ebolaoutbreak in West Africa
almost cost Rick his life.
He got infected withthe virus while caring
for a pregnant woman at ELWA Hospital
and had to be airlifted from Liberia
to a treatment center in Omaha.
- An American doctor who became infected
with the Ebola virus in West Africa
is in stable condition tonightat a Nebraska hospital.
- [George] Thankfully hesurvived and returned to Liberia
several months laterto continue his calling
of loving the stranger.
- And as I always joked with people,
hey I'm immune now, Ican't get Ebola again.
So I might as well go and help.
- [George] In late January,Doctor Sacra received
the prestigious $500,000 L'Chaim Prize
for his work in Liberia.
His hospital is also one of the recipients
of a $2 million matching grant given by
African Mission Healthcare and CBN
that will help improveELWA's infrastructure,
train additional medical experts,
and expand compassionatecare to the Liberian people.
Resources that Sacrasays will go along way
to saving lives bothphysically and spiritually.
(gentle music)
- Wow, modern day heroes.
- They really are, I mean, you go to,
there's no water, there'son running electricity.
Such difficult places.
They leave the comforts of America,
he got Ebola, survived, months later,
and he's back.
I mean, these are just sacrificial love.
Amazing people.- That was a scary time.
And you had to go into quarantine.
- I did.- Because you were--
- 30 days.- 30 days?
Thank God you didn't have it.
- Thank god.- We were all
very happy about that.
Good story.
Up next, on the surface of the moon,
a man stops to remember thecreator of the universe.
That remarkable story when we come back.
- [Narrator] It's about the competition.
- I kind of put that pressure on myself
and I think people had expectations.
- [Narrator] It's about overcoming.
- We use this phrase allthe time, keep chopping.
Keep practicing hard.
- [Narrator] It's aboutgoing the distance.
- You know, I think as a father,
it's my job to lead, just be the best
husband and father I can be.
- [Narrator] Watch Going theDistance with Shawn Brown,
Saturday night at 7:30on the CBN News Channel.
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See you soon, it's thenew Superbook Bible app.
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- How can you find God'splan for your life?
- [Announcer] CBN presents The Plan.
Eight keys to understandingGod's will for your life.
In Pat Robertson's latestteaching, you'll discover
the steps to take in following God's plan.
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how to get rid of spiritualblindness, and see God work.
- God said I've got a plan togive you a future and a hope.
- [Announcer] Get The Plan.
Call 1-800-700-7000 or visit cbn.com.
- Welcome back to CBN News.
Joni Eareckson Tada hasannounced that she is
clear of cancer, thanking her supporters
for their ongoing prayers.
The 69 year old quadriplegicauthor, speaker,
and founder of Joni and Friends received
the good news from herdoctor after a pet scan.
She said, "Give the aggressivenature of that reoccurring
"cancer, this news is quite miraculous."
She was diagnosed withstage three breast cancer
eight years ago and underwent a mastectomy
and chemotherapy treatment.
You can find out what she says about
her battle with cancer on cbnnews.com.
- Great news.
Well 50 years ago thismonth, on July 20, 1969,
astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin
walked on the surface of the moon.
Though conquering spacecertainly marked a triumph
for science, God kept showing up
in man's quest for the moon.
CBN's Paul Strand bringsus that often untold part
of the story.
- [Paul] Getting toand landing on the moon
may have been one of man kind'sgreatest accomplishments.
But the astronauts who reached it
didn't leave God out of the picture.
Historian William Federer points to
the Apollo 11 moon walkers.
- Before they get out of the lunar module,
they have a moment of silence
and Buzz Aldrin celebrates communion.
He pours the grape juice in 1/6 gravity
and it does a slow little circle
and he reads John 15, I am thebind, you are the branches,
and he takes bread thatwas partly consumed
at the communion servicebefore he launched.
He saved a piece of the breadand he celebrated communion.
So the first items that were consumed
on the moon was communion.
- [Paul] The world didn't hear it because
a famous atheist had given NASA grief
over Apollo 8 astronautspublicly reading from the Bible.
- [William] Madalyn MurrayO'Hair had threatened to sue
because Apollo 8 had mentioned God.
They read from the book of Genesis.
- [Astronaut] In thebeginning, God created
the heaven and the Earth.
- [Paul] As Apollo 11headed back to Earth,
Buzz Aldrin said thisto a listening world.
- "Reflecting on the eventsof the past several days
"a verse from Psalms comes to mind.
"When I consider the heavensthe work of thy fingers
"and the moon and the stars,which thou hast ordained,
"what is man that thouart mindful of him."
- [Paul] Nine monthslater when an accident
onboard Apollo 13 might havedoomed its three astronauts
to die in space, much ofthe planet turned to God.
- President Nixon calls the nation to pray
and they have prayer onthe Chicago Board of Trade
and the Vatican and the WailingWall all around the world.
- Lord, your astronautswill come back safe.
- [Astronaut] Apollo,that's a recovery, over.
- [Man] Once splashed down at this time,
the chutes are in the water.
- The exploration of spacehas been hazardous adventure.
The voyage of Apollo 13dramatized its risks.
- [Paul] With the crewalive and back on Earth,
man kind thanked God.
- [William] PresidentNixon has a national day
of thanksgiving to celebrate this.
- [Paul] One of the last Apollo flights
featured mission control's Charles Duke
getting to walk on the moon.
He spoke of it later.
- I used to think that, I'm paraphrasing,
going to the moon would bethe greatest achievement.
He says, "But my walk withJesus is more memorable
"because it's an every day affair."
So just a fascinating faiththat Charles Duke had,
plus all of the astronauts.
Jim Erwin became Apollo 15became an evangelical ministry,
and Apollo 14 left a microfilm copy
of the King James Bible on the moon.
- It's interesting how many of those men
who flew far into the heavens couldn't get
the God of heaven out of their thoughts.
Paul Strand, CBN News, Washington.
- Wow, you said it well Paul.
Well for more stories just like this one,
you can go to our website at cbnnews.com.
- [Narrator] As the worldwatches from the outside.
- It's a big diplomatic tug ofwar here in the Middle East.
- [Narrator] Go inside thestory with Jerusalem Dateline.
- Israeli archeologists aretalking about a discovery
that could change the thinkingabout the temple mount.
- [Narrator] Join CBN Jerusalembureau chief Chris Mitchell
and get the biblicalperspective on the events
shaping the world.
- What starts in Israel then ends up going
to other places.
- [Narrator] Watch Jerusalem Dateline,
Friday night at 9:30 onthe CBN News Channel.
- Orphans Promise is committedto loving and serving
at risk children, to helpingkeep families together
and to creating opportunities for strong
and sustainable communitiesaround the world.
We are working in over 60countries around the world
and with your help we can do even more.
There's an old Africanproverb I love that says
I you wanna run fast, run alone.
But if you wanna run far, run together.
At Orphan's Promise we want to run far
so we can touch thelives of as many orphaned
and vulnerable children as possible,
but we don't wanna go alone.
We are out to change the world, one child,
one family, one community at a time.
Will you join us?
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- Meet the pastors whoare preaching the gospel
in a fresh, fearless way.
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I'm Roberto TorresCedillo, join me each week
for Next Gen Voices.
(upbeat music)
And watch God transform a generation.
(upbeat music)
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- Welcome back to Christian World News.
Armenian children are learning about Jesus
at a summer camp in eastern Europe.
It's all thanks to the Christiancharity, Mercy Projects.
- Many of these youngArmenians come from difficult
backgrounds, and carryspiritual and emotional baggage.
Peter Wooding of the Global News Alliance
shows us how the gospel istransforming their lives.
- [Peter] Over the pastdecade, hundreds of Armenia's
neediest children havebeen impacted by coming
to Mercy Projects lifechanging Bible summer camps
on the coast of Georgia.
Some from the most difficult circumstances
even come back to serveas camp counselors.
Gall continues to deal with the trauma
of losing his mother as a child
and because his father is an alcoholic,
he may eventually have to be taken
into care in an orphanage.
- He was special to me because it seemed
he seemed so happy in camp.
He sang every time he was doing a project,
he was either humming or singing.
And so I inquired abouthim and found that actually
his home situation is not a good one.
But when he was able to come to camp,
he had a whole new experienceand whole new opportunity.
- [Peter] Gall hopes thegift that God has given him
to sing will someday helphim to fulfill his dream
to do this professionally.
So many of the otheryoung people from Armenia
being helped to fulfill their potential,
particularly thanks tothe daily Bible teaching
they receive at camp.
So what have they been learning about God?
- God love me and God help me.
- I learned the storiesand that God loves me.
- [Paul] And as this nextgeneration of Armenian youth
grows closer to God throughMercy Projects camps,
there's hope that growingfaith will enable them
to impact their own country for Christ.
Peter Wooding reporting forthe Global News Alliance.
- Thank you Peter, appreciate it.
- I love they're learning the basics.
God loves me, God helps me, amen.
- Well folks, that's it for this edition
of Christian World News.
- Until next week from all of us here,
goodbye, and as always God bless you.
(intense music)
