(swooshing)

(uplifting music)

- This week on "Christian World News,"

surveillance state, the nation that

is watching everyone all the time.

How is it effecting the church?

Plus, it's one of the fastestgrowing churches in the world

in one of the mostoppressive Islamic regimes.

Why are so many risking their freedoms

to follow Jesus Christ?

And the volcanoes spouting ashand lava in the Philippines.

Tens of thousands forced to evacuate.

We will go inside the restricted zone

to show you the devastation

and the relief teams swinging into action.

(uplifting music)

Hello, everyone, thankyou so much for this week,

joining us for this week's edition

of "Christian WorldNews," I am George Thomas.

A rising tide of globalpersecution against Christians.

Every year, the watchdog group Opens Doors

tracks believers, attacks unbelievers

and releases a list of nations

that tell us where it is mostdangerous to follow Jesus.

First, some numbers onpersecution worldwide:

about 260 millionChristians live in countries

where persecution is extreme or very high.

And 2,983 Christians were killedfor their faith last year,

that is an average of eight everyday.

3,711 Christians were eitherdetained without trial

or arrested, sentenced, and imprisoned.

9,488 churches or Christianbuildings attacked.

The number one persecutorof Christians in the world

continues to be the communistdictatorship of North Korea.

Open Doors CEO David Curry told us why.

- North Korea is acountry of great concern:

number one, for 18 years in a row,

total control of the government.

There are 60,000 Christians in labor camps

for owning a Bible andmany of them die there.

- The Open Doors report alsoundefined disturbing trends

in persecution, including the growth

of the surveillance state.

Curry explains that Chinais the chief offender.

And it is not, by theway, using surveillance

against its own people,

it is helping other repressivenations do the same.

- Well, what's so scary aboutthe persecution of Christians

in China is that China isbuilding, what I think,

is a blueprint, a roadmap of persecution

for other regimes around the world

and they're doing it with surveillance,

with a social score thatmeasures Christian behavior:

attending church, takingyour kids to Sunday school,

as a negative thing.

And they're taking thatsocial score and melding

it with surveillance,not just on the street

to protect the citizens,but an invasive surveillance

inside the churches.

And they're shutting down house churches

that won't comply and othersas well, arresting pastors.

- By the way, China jumped from number 43

on the World Watch List allthe way to 23 this year.

David Curry recently visited China

to investigate the level ofsurveillance and persecution

and to hear firsthandfrom Chinese Christians.

Open Doors recently releasedthis video, take a look.

- I'm being watched.

China has the sophistication in technology

to monitor its populationlike no country before it.

It feels like these eyesare always accusing:

where are you going?

What are you doing?

What are you saying?

And who do you worship?

In China, what's happened over

the last five years seems unthinkable.

Pastors can be arrested

if they don't allow surveillance cameras

in their sanctuaries.

Authorities can shut downchurches at any time,

the pressure is growing.

- If you are a Christian, it's okay.

But if you attend your Sundayservice in other location,

which is not registered or unapproved,

then your meeting is illegal.

- [Woman] The increasingreligious restriction

in recent years,

it really test the church in China.

I still remember like five years ago,

we heard about China government,

they started pulling downof crosses from the rooftop

of the church buildings.

- The persecution here in China

is not what it once was 30 years ago,

it's not pastors beingheld in prison for decades

or being beaten and draggedout of their churches,

it's a very sophisticatedand subtle persecution.

A squeeze on the freedomof the church in china.

- I know a friend, he's a young pastor,

shepherding a church.

And over the past, maybe, five years,

this church was growing.

And just earlier this year, he told me

if we disagree to registerunder the government,

then my church will be outlawed.

The government officials will come today,

so please keep praying for us.

And then, at the end of the day,

this friend told me,"We have been outlawed."

- [David] Despite the pressure,despite the surveillance,

God is still doing incredible things.

- I know a church in thecentral part of China,

several years ago, thechurch were warned to move

the cross from the church.

So, they said we shouldn'tfight with the authorities,

but we kneel down and pray

God will do his work.

And I can tell you, nowadays, the cross

is still on top of the church.

- [David] And Christiansin China are trusting God

through the pressure, prayingthat God will use persecution

to purify his people.

- The response of people,most of the people

is really encourageme, because you can see

what you really believe,in God or something else.

- Does prayer encouragethe Chinese church?

- I think so, because the prayer

is so crucial and important.

- [David] We have a responsibilityto help our brothers

and sisters know they aren't alone.

China may be number 23 onthe 2020 World Watch List,

but the believers thereare part of our church,

part of our family.

- That story from Open Doors, terrific.

The spread of violent Muslim extremism

is another trend behindthe growing persecution

of the church.

Open Doors lists Afghanistan,Somalia and Libya

as numbers two, three and four

as the most dangerouscountries to be Christian.

You can't look at the WorldWatch List without understanding

the trend of Islamic extremism.

You have failed states,essentially Somalia and Libya,

where these tribal factionsand extremist groups

are able to do what they wanna do.

If you're in Somalia and you're suspected

of being a Christian, let alone,actually being a Christian,

you will be executed in short order.

You're not given atrial, nothing like that.

So, these are very dangerous places.

- One European leader is taking action

to try and roll back this advancing evil.

French President Emmanuel Macron

hosting several African leadersin his country this week.

The goal, to boost the fightagainst Islamic extremism

on the continent.

The presidents of Mali,Burkina Faso, Chad,

Niger, and Mauritania arrived in Paris

as radical Muslims arekilling thousands of people,

including Christians in Africa.

The Somalia-based terror group Al-Shabaab

reportedly killed 25 Christian in Kenya

in the past five weeks.

According to InternationalChristian Concern,

three Christian teachersare among the victims.

ISIS is also making inroadsacross the continent.

President Macron isurging the United States

to redouble efforts in fighting scourge

of radical Islam in Africa.

(speaking in foreign language)

- [Translator] If theAmericans were to decide

to withdraw from Africa, itwould be bad news for us.

I confirm it.

I hope I can convince President Trump

that the fight against terrorism

in which he is deeply engaged

is also at stake in this region.

- Macron believes ISIS is

the most dangerous terrorgroup in Africa at the moment.

One nation that is in the top 10 of

the world's worstpersecutors of Christians

is experiencing a shaking.

The Islamic Republicof Iran is number nine.

A failing economy, an ongoingconfrontation with the US

and the recent shootoutof a Ukrainian jetliner

has people protesting in the streets.

It may surprise you to learn that Iran

is one of the fastest growingchurches in the world.

As my colleague Chris Mitchell reports,

millions are turning awayfrom the Iranian regime

and shear Islam to follow Jesus Christ.

(crowd protesting)

- [Chris] The image Iranpresents to the world

is large demonstrations with shouts

of death to America and death to Israel.

Those who have seen Iranfrom the inside however,

paint a very different picture.

- You can't believe the images on TV.

Because, for example,

all the protests thatyou see in the streets,

those are mostly contrived.

There are young students in the streets

and they told us if wedon't go to the streets,

we won't get our grades, so we're forced

to go and protest.

- [Chris] We've hidden the identity

of this Iranian church worker.

He says there are two Irans:

the one you see on the news and

the other hidden from the world.

- Yes, I would say there'sa 10% Iran and a 90% Iran.

10% control the country ina more oppressive manner,

hard-line, religious manner,

and then the majority of the people,

90% of the people love America.

They don't hate Americans.

I think that's the messagethat Americans need to hear.

They tell us all the time,we don't hate Americans,

we love America.

- [Chris] He wants Americans to know

that 40 years afterIran's Islamic Revolution,

there's another spiritualrevolution underway.

- Awaken to the truth that we live

in a time that's very special.

More people have come to faith in Iran

in the last 40 years thanthe previous 1,400 years.

And so, there's a once,not only in a lifetime,

but in history where we have a moment

where Iranians are coming tofaith at such a rapid rate.

(singing in foreign language)

- [Chris] Frontiers Alliance International

is producing a documentary

called "Sheep Among Wolves"

to introduce the Iranian church

to Christians worldwide.

- What's taking place

in Iran right now is spectacular.

It's the fastest growingchurch in the world

that owns no buildings, has no 501(c)(3)s,

that owns no property,that has no bank accounts,

that has no centralized leadership,

that has no denominational leanings,

and yet it's multiplying like crazy.

What the Lord is doingthere is staggering.

- [Chris] And that resultsin intense persecution

that Thomas says leads Iranian believers

to seek prayer, but notin a way you may think.

- Typically the way we pray is

we expect that they want us to pray

for the persecution to end.

And they say, "No, no, don't do that.

"Persecution is growing the church."

When the persecutionstops, the growth stops.

What we want is for thegospel to spread far

and wide and deep in Iran.

- [Chris] With Iran andthe US on the brink of war,

Thomas says it's important to see

what's happening behind the Iranian veil.

- When Muslims from Iran come in contact

with a man from Nazareth,something beautiful happens.

And when they realizethat they've been bought

and saved and purchased with Jewish blood,

prophesied by Jewishprofits and a Jewish Bible,

something crazy happens.

Something beautiful happens and that's

what we're seeing take place in Iran.

- [Chris] Thomas believesone day the world may wake up

to find Iran's churchgrowth in the 21st century,

rivaling that of China andKorea in the last century.

Chris Mitchell, CBN News.

(swooshing)

- [George] Up next, lava, smoke and ash.

This belonging, billowing,sorry, volcano forcing tens

of thousands from their homes.

Can they ever go back?

And how will they survive in the meantime?

That story when we come back.

(uplifting music)

(upbeat music)

- [Advertiser] It's about the competition.

- I kinda put that pressure on myself

and I think people had expectations.

- [Advertise] It's about overcoming.

- We use this phrase allthe time, "Keep chopping,"

keep practicing hard.

- [Advertiser] It'sabout going the distance.

- I think as a father,it's my job to lead,

just be the best husbandand father I can be.

- [Advertiser] Watch "GoingThe Distance With Shawn Brown,"

Saturday night at 07:30on the CBN News Channel.

(upbeat music)

- Orphan's Promise is committed to loving

and serving at-risk children.

To helping keep families together

and to creating opportunities for strong

and sustainable communitiesaround the world.

We're 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,

"If 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're out to change the world, one child,

one family, one community at a time.

Will you join us?

(uplifting music)

(swooshing)(bells jingling)

(child laughing)

- [Advertiser] Improve personal finances,

maintain a lasting marriage

and achieve success in all you do

with Pat Robertson's dynamic new book,

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- A smoldering volcano in the Philippines

threatens more eruptions.

Already tens of thousandsof people have evacuated,

most with only the clothes on their backs.

What will they do now?

Lucille Talusan is on thescene to bring us this update.

- [Lucille] Era Frondozacried in frustration

with a series sorrowfulevents that have come

to their life.

She and her husbandare still grieving over

the death of their two children.

Era had a stillbirth on her eighth month

of pregnancy in October.

The next day their five year old son

was killed in a motorcycle accident.

- [Translator] We are questioning God

why he allowed this to happen.

First, we lost our children

and now the volcano erupts.

We fear that everything isbeing taken away from us.

- Era and her husband are staying

in a school that is now beingused as a temporary shelter.

Evacuation centers arecrammed with more people

after tens of thousands fleethe danger zone amid fears

of imminent explosive eruption.

This is one of the mostpopular restaurants here

in Tagaytay City and it's closed.

Actually, all theestablishments here are closed.

And there has not beenany electric power supply

since the volcano started erupting.

They gave us access to have

a better view of the Taal volcano.

As you see, there is smokecoming out of the crater.

And for your information,there are 47 craters

in this volcano.

There are a lot of communitiessurrounding the volcano

and all these residentshave already been evacuated.

Operation Blessing hasbeen daily giving aid

to the evacuees in thedifferent evacuation centers.

Distributing mats, blankets,much needed hygiene kits

and other basic necessities.

Aside from the relief goods,church partners grabbed

the opportunity to pray for the evacuees.

On that day, Operation Blessingvolunteer pastors shared

the good news of God's eternallove to Era and her husband.

Era said the prayers comforted them

- [Translator] It's like theburden was taken out from me.

I always prayed that we willmeet people who can council us.

Thank you very much Operation Blessing.

It's back to zero for us,

but you have reminded us thatwe can go on with our life

and overcome when we hold on to God.

- [Lucille] Lucille Talusan,

CBN News, Batangas, Philippines.

(swooshing)

- [George] Coming up, witnessa celebration for the ages,

as one village gets freshwater and a better way of life.

(upbeat music)

- [Advertiser] It's about the competition.

- I kinda put that pressure on myself

and I think people had expectations.

- [Advertiser] It's about overcoming.

- We use this phrase allthe time, "Keep chopping,

"keep practicing hard."

- [Advertiser] It'sabout going the distance.

- I think as a father,it's my job to lead.

Just be the best husbandand father I can be.

- [Advertiser] Watch "GoingThe Distance With Shawn Brown,"

Saturday night at 07:30on the CBN News Channel.

(upbeat music)

- Orphan's Promise is committed to loving

and serving at-risk children,

to helping keep families together

and to creating opportunities for strong

and sustainable communitiesaround the world.

We're 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,

"If 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're out to change theworld, one child, one family,

one community at a time.

Will you join us?

(uplifting music)

(swooshing)(bells jingling)

(child laughing)

- [Advertiser] Improve personal finances,

maintain a lasting marriage

and achieve success in all you do

with Pat Robertson's dynamic new book,

"Ten Laws for Success:Keys to Win in Work,

"Family, and Finance."

These supernatural laws of the universe

will help you to overcomelife's challenges

and to accomplish your goals.

Transform yourself

and revolutionize your life now

with Pat Robertson's"Ten Laws for Success."

Call now or visit CBN.com.

- And, welcome back to the broadcast.

Nearly a billion people around

the world live withoutclean drinking water.

40% of them live in Sub-Saharan Africa

where people walk hours forjust a few cups of water.

Not too long ago, I meta woman in the desert

of Eastern Kenya, get this,

who has walked tens of thousands of miles

for life's most basic need.

Take a look.

(gentle music)

(water pouring)(children chattering)

The next time you turn on your tap,

think of Kanze Kahindi.

- [Translator] I would be a lot healthier

than I am today if I didn'thave to travel so far for water.

(gentle music)

- [George] Kanze livesin Sub-Saharan Africa

where an estimated 319million people have no access

to safe drinking water.

Twice a day, she leaves her small hut made

of sticks and stones,

here in rural Eastern Kenya,

and walks to the nearestplace she can find water.

- [Translator] My back hurtsand I'm always in pain.

- [George] For many of us,water is just a tap away.

For Kanze, getting accessto life's most basic need

(water pouring)

is anything but easy.

- [Translator] I've been fetching water

since I was seven years old.

(gentle music)(speaking in foreign language)

- I joined her and others

as they made their daily trackto the only source of water.

This muddy pond pollutedby animal and human waste.

Kanze fetches water fromthis pond morning and evening

and she walks 13 miles each day,

which translates to roughlyabout 47,000 miles every year.

And guess what?

She has been doing thisfor the last 40 years.

Which means she logged closeto 'bout 190,000 miles.

Hard to believe really,but Kanze is not alone.

A staggering one billionpeople around the world

don't have access to clean running water.

In fact, in Africa alone, where the burden

of fetching water oftenfalls to women and children,

nearly 40 billion hours a yearis spent collecting water.

- [Dudu] Number four, we have what?

The last one?

- [Children] Molars.

- We have the?

- Molars.- The molars.

- [George] Dudu Mwero teaches math

at a rural primary school.

He says time spent gathering water

is time children couldbe learning to read,

write, earn an income, ortake care of their family.

What percentage of your childrengo everyday to fetch water?

- 70%.

- [George] And the water they've spent all

that time collecting isn't even clean.

Some 2,000 children die each day

from water-related diseases.

Like Kanze, Hannah Nyalegrew up collecting water

for her family's survivaland often got sick.

Now, she's with the Christianorganization World Vision

trying to improve water conditions

in one of the poorest counties in Kenya.

- I'm so passionate toimprove the situation here,

because is it anexperience I went through.

I used to walk six kilometers to get water

as early as five years old.

(metal screeching)

- [George] Since 2008, World Vision

has drilled borehole wellsand installed hundreds

of miles of pipeline to transport water

to tens of thousands of familiesacross this desert region.

- When we came here it was at 18%,

but currently the access to clean water

has improved to 62%, which is

a big relief to this community.

- [George] Soon,

(water crashing)(crowd cheering)

Kanze Kahindi's village

(crowd cheering)

will have access to cleanwater for the first time.

- This is a great day for them

and that's why you'll seethem celebrating behind there.

- [George] World Vision is installing

a new solar-powered borehole well

(crowd chanting)

that will bring waterto countless families.

- We are saving thousands of life.

We are also transforming thelives of many many children,

because many of them wouldbe able to go to school now.

(gentle beat music)

- [George] Fatima Rumba hasexperienced the transformation

that comes from havingaccess to clean water.

She used to spend four hoursa day walking for water.

Until World Vision drilleda well in her community.

Now, a trip to the taptakes only a few minutes.

The rest of her time is spent tending

to a small vegetable gardenthat feeds her family

and nearby communities.

- [Translator] You take water for granted,

but for us here, it is gold.

Our children are clean, they are healthy

and they can go to school.

- Mind you, fetching water

isn't just time consuming,it's physically demanding.

(gentle music)

Kanze Kahindi uses a jerry can,

a bright yellow plasticcontainer, to carry the water.

(gentle music)(wind gushing)

Okay, don't do this on TV okay?

But I'm going to, oh, my gosh, why me?

And filled to the brim,it holds five gallons

and weighs 40 pounds.

Imagine carrying fivegallons of water every day.

And here in Africa, a womantravels about 15 miles

on average per day.

Experts say there's awater crisis that threatens

the future for hundredsof millions of people.

Yet, aid groups likeWorld Vision and others

are working tirelessly to bring clean,

safe drinking water much closerto the people who need it.

In the hopes that ultimately

that access will meaneducation, income and health,

especially for women andchildren here in Africa

and around the world.

(water pouring)

Fantastic, World Vision doing

some fantastic work around the world.

We'll be back right after this.

- [Advertiser] From Washington, D.C.,

uncompromising stories, interviews

and analysis from veteran journalists:

David Brody.

- Escalating fight.

- [Advertiser] Jenna Browder.

- Chose his words carefully.

- [Advertiser] Ben Kennedy.

- Plan to join him.

- [Advertiser] And Amber Strong.

- For impeachment, growsa little bit louder.

- [Advertiser] Bringing you thepolitical news that matters.

- We get out and tell the story

of the progress that we'remaking in this country.

- [Advertiser] Watch "Faith Nation,"

weeknights at 06:00 onthe CBN News Channel.

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- [Announcer] "On the Homefront."

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- Thanks for joining forCBN's "On the Homefront"

where we highlight what the men

and women of America's militarydo to defend our country.

CBN honors the men andwomen in our military

with an initiative called"Helping the Homefront."

it partners with churchesacross the country

to meet the needs oftheir military families,

from repairing homes towiping out medical bills

for wounded veterans.

- [Announcer] "On the Homefront,"Tuesday morning at 10:30.

- [Advertiser] He founded one of

the world's largest television ministries,

established a leading university

and became a New YorkTimes best-selling author.

Now, Pat Robertson wants to share

with you significant insightslearned from a lifetime

in the word of God.

In his latest book, "Ten Laws for Success:

"Keys to Win in Work, Family and Finance."

Call now or go to CBN.com.

(lively music)

- Meet the pastors whoare preaching the gospel

in a fresh, fearless way.

(lively music)

I'm Roberto Torres-Cedillo.

Join me each week for "Next Gen Voices."

(lively music)

And watch God transform a generation.

(lively music)

- And, welcome back to the broadcast.

C.J. lives in Cape Town, South Africa.

He was bullied at school,then he watched "Superbook"

and learned to love andpray for his enemies.

See what happens next.

- [Reporter] C.J. dreaded going to school,

not because he didn't like learning,

but because he didn't have any friends.

- [Translator] They'd make me fun at me

for every single little thing

and I would feel really, really sad.

- [Reporter] When I metC.J. and his family,

we talked about theeffect that had on them.

- [Translator] It makes me feel helpless

and I had to look at a differentway of dealing with it.

- [Reporter] C.J. and his siblings

often watch "Superbook" episodes at home.

With the help of"Superbook" and his parents,

C.J. had a change of heart.

- [Translator] I realizedthat I should love my enemies.

I pray for the ones that were bullying me

and I would bless them.

- [Translator] We just praisedGod for the turnaround.

It was a terrible time.

We couldn't fight the battle on our own.

"Superbook" helped makethe thing real for them.

And not just a mom anddad giving the Bible,

but they would understandit for themselves.

- [Translator] Now, theyare no longer my enemies,

they are my friends.

Now, when I pray, I thankthe Lord for my friends.

I am "Superbook's" biggest fan.

(gentle music)

- That's fantastic, well, folks,

thank you so much forjoining us this week.

From all of us here,until next time, goodbye

and God bless you.

(uplifting music)