- This week on "Christian World News,"

standing in the gap as borderofficials struggle to cope

with the flood of migrantsat the US-Mexico border.

Thousands of children,some of them babies,

are in need of milk, water, and food.

Meet the Catholic nuns whoare stepping up to help.

Plus, stalemate in Israel.

Four elections in less than two years,

and still, no unity government.

Now in a surprise twist,

an Arab party might playthe role of kingmaker.

And a beloved mother and sister

is killed by a hit and run driver.

As the man faces the judge,

the victim's familycomes forward to speak.

You won't believe what happens next.

(dramatic music)

Hello, everyone.

Welcome to this week's editionof "Christian World News."

I'm George Thomas.

Among the thousands of migrants

coming across the UnitedStates-Mexico border

are many young childrentraveling with their parents.

Those who are allowed to stayneed a lot of help to survive.

CBN News is on the border withone Texas Catholic charity

making the difference in their lives.

Abigail Robertson reports.

(logo whooshes)

- The journey to the US isdifficult for any migrant

hoping to come into the country,but it's especially hard

for those under the age of six.

Our CBN News team on theborder saw that firsthand.

Many of the families are incrisis when they reach the US.

- Children. That's what concernsme is the kids, the babies.

They need milk, they needthings, you know, and so,

being able to provide themenough water, enough food,

enough things that a mom will need.

- [Abigail] CBN News SeniorWashington Correspondent

Tara Mergener is on the southern border

and spoke to Sister Norma Pimentel

of Catholic Charities ofthe Rio Grande Valley.

- We take them from the Border Patrol

so we can make sure they're safe

because they're moms andchildren and families

that are exposed to greatdangers and traffickers

and others that want totake advantage of them.

- [Abigail] Families whopass their COVID tests

come in for respite until they figure out

where they're going, while those who don't

recover in a local hotelthat allows COVID cases.

- They will get a chanceto eat, to take a shower,

change clothing, toget what a family needs

that has been traveling for a while.

- [Abigail] Despite reportsof record numbers of people

crossing the border,Pimentel tells CBN News

they've seen higher numbers before.

- Yesterday was 600.

The day before, seven something.

But, you know, we haven'treached those high numbers

that we did in 2019 in theprevious administration.

And so now I'm certain that,

if things go as theyare, moving forward they,

more than likely, we'llsee those numbers again

later in the year.

- [Abigail] Pimentel hopesof Biden administration

addresses why migrantsare fleeing their homes

to begin with.

- It is our responsibility to,

whether laws, policies, responses,

whatever we do, we don'tlose sight of their humanity

because then we lose ourhumanity in the process.

- [Abigail] And she encourages Americans

not to be afraid of thosecoming into the country.

- We, as people of thechurch, are here to show

that we're in solidarity with them.

We're here to be present with them,

to accompany them in theirstruggles, in their pain,

and in their successes.

- [Abigail] Abigail Robertson, CBN News.

- Thank you, Abigail.

For more on what's happeningat the US-Mexico border,

we're joined by Matthew Soerens,

US Director of ChurchMobilization at World Relief.

Matthew, thank you so muchfor coming on the broadcast.

- Thanks for having me.- Give us a picture

of the kinds of circumstancesthese families are living in.

- Yeah, I mean, I think...

Obviously, the circumstancesthat they're living in

in their countries of origin,

which are mostly in Central America,

are often very, very desperate.

And that was true years ago,

but it's been exacerbatedby, of course, the pandemic,

the economic hardship ofa pandemic, and obviously,

in countries wherepeople are not receiving

large checks from theirgovernment to tide them over,

and then from the ongoingdynamics of gang violence as well,

and then to add to add to that,

several Central American countries

have been hit by multiple hurricanes

in the past several months.

So people are really desperate

and that's where we're seeingfamilies a difficult decision

to try to seek safety somewhere else.

- Yeah, what are you guysat World Relief doing

to help these folks inthe midst of this crisis?

- Yeah, you know, our role is really...

Throughout the United States,

we have offices that serve immigrants

of a variety of backgrounds.

And one thing that I think isimportant to understand is,

when families are allowedin to seek asylum,

and not all families are being allowed in,

but many of them are at this point,

especially 'cause Mexico won't take back

families with smallchildren in particular.

Those families usually spenda few days along the border

with facilities like whatSister Norma is running there,

which is amazing and such an example

of Christ-like compassion.

But then those families moveall across the United States,

usually to where they haveextended family members.

So any community that has

a Central American immigrant population

is probably receivingsome of those families.

And then some of theunaccompanied children as well

will be placed with familiesin those communities.

And where World Relief can come in

is, just like we would withthe refugee being resettled

through the, you know, on an airplane,

we can come alongside those families,

bring local volunteers and churches

to their assistance so that longer-term,

until they wait for their court hearing,

which can take years,actually, in some cases,

they've got the support of a community

to adjust into a new society.

And, you know, again, theseare a lot of small children.

We want to make sure that those families

and children are taken care of well

and experience the love of Jesus.

- Yeah, as you mentioned,churches are stepping in

to help some of theseunaccompanied minors.

You know, immigration, as youknow, is such a huge issue.

The Bible commands usto be kind to strangers,

yet many point out we haveto protect our borders.

Matthew, how do we balancethose very important issues?

- It's a great question, George.

And I think, you know, we are called

to respect the rule of law,

and it's appropriate for our government

to do everything possibleto secure our borders.

But we're also called to compassion,

and we can encourage our government

to be compassionate as well.

The reality is what's happeningis not against the law.

These are families coming forward,

seeking the Border Patrol,

telling them they want to request asylum,

which is a legal process.

The problem is it takesso long to get a decision

on an asylum claim that,because of backlogs,

they could be here for a year or more

before they get that decision.

But many of them will actually qualify

to stay lawfully in the United States.

Some won't and they'll bereturned to their countries.

But in the meantime,the role of the church

is to show that love and compassion.

People are doing COVID testing.

They're doing public, youknow, security screenings

to make sure nobody's athreat to public safety.

But these are families with little kids,

and what they most need is for Americans

and then people in local churches

to show them the love of Christ.

- Yeah, and that isexactly what they are doing

along with the folks at World Relief.

Thank you so much,Matthew with World Relief.

Thanks for coming on the broadcast.

Up next, in Israel,

the votes are counted andstill no clear winner.

Can Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu survive?

A surprising new player mightplay a very decisive role.

We'll tell you about that in a moment.

Stay with us.

(dramatic music)

- Hello, this is Pat Robertson.

As I look back over my 90 years,

I see a life of ongoing excitement

filled with loving God andseeing His power at work.

I've written a book

called "I Have WalkedWith the Living God,"

telling about the wonderfulthings that have happened to me.

It's my hope that it will lead you

to a deeper understanding of God

and inspire you to seta course to serve Him.

- [Announcer] In Pat'sdynamic latest book,

you'll learn how to receivefavor, wisdom, and discernment;

how to overcome obstacles; and live a life

that is exhilarating and full of promise.

- I believe this book willhelp you step into your future,

ready to trust God and receiveHis blessings in your life.

Nothing can compare to a life lived

for God's glory and purpose.

- [Announcer] Call now or go to CBN.com

to receive your copy today.

- [Announcer] As the worldwatches from the outside.

- It's a big diplomatic tug-of-warhere in the Middle East.

- [Announcer] Go inside thestory with "Jerusalem Dateline."

- Israeli archaeologists aretalking about a discovery

that could change the thinkingabout the Temple Mount.

- [Announcer] Join CBN JerusalemBureau Chief Chris Mitchell

and get the biblical perspective

on the events shaping the world.

- What starts in Israel thenends up going to other places.

- [Announcer] Watch "Jerusalem Dateline"

Friday night at 8:30 onthe CBN News Channel.

- [Announcer] Nutrition,

exercise,

essential oils,

weight loss,

and more.

It's "Healthy Living" with Lorie Johnson.

- Talk about what's in this.

- [Announcer] Join CBNHealth Reporter Lorie Johnson

to get the latest information

from today's top health experts.

- This is fantastic.

- [Announcer] Find outwhat you need to know

to live a healthier life.

Watch "Healthy Living"Tuesday night at 8:30

on the CBN News Channel.

- Welcome back to "Christian World News."

The results are in forIsrael's latest election,

but the country still has no clear path

to a stable government.

Now leaders are scramblingto find a solution

to the political crisisand avoid a fifth election.

Emily Jones has that storyand much more from Jerusalem.

(soft dramatic music)

- Welcome to Jerusalem forthis Inside Israel report,

where we show you what'shappening in Israel

and the Middle East.

Israel held its fourth electionin two years this week,

but it seems it wasn't enough

to break through thecountry's political gridlock.

With most votes counted,

neither those who favor PrimeMinister Benjamin Netanyahu

nor those who oppose him have enough seats

to secure a majority in parliament.

The potential kingmaker to emerge

is the Islamist Ra'am Party,

whose leader says he'll join the side

that pledges more supportfor Israeli Arabs.

Even with these divided results,

some say the country won'ttolerate a fifth election.

- I think that likely

we're not going to have a fifth election.

I think there is a lot of cynicism.

We've obviously had a Groundhog Day.

Think it's kinda happening again.

I think the country, andfrankly, the political leaders

want to have a certainamount of stability, frankly,

if we're trying to put together

the country itself wanting to function.

- These next few days willbe critical for Israel.

There's a new embassy inJerusalem, and this time,

it's from the Muslimmajority country of Kosovo.

The move was made after Israelofficially established ties

with the Balkan country last month.

Just days earlier, theCzech Republic also opened

a diplomatic office in the Holy City.

- It is suitable to begin the era of peace

with the recognition of truth,

the historical truth thatthe city of Jerusalem

has, for more than 3,000years, been the beating heart

of the Jewish people and its only capital.

- The United States was the first nation

to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital

and move its embassy there.

That was followed by Guatemala.

Passover is a time whenJews around the world

gather to remember how Godmiraculously brought them

out of slavery in Egypt.

It's also a specialtime when workers remove

the prayer notes visitors typically placed

between the stones of the Western Wall.

These notes, which are considered holy

because they are prayers to God,

are then buried at the Mount of Olives.

COVID lockdowns have kept visitors away

from the holy site this past year,

but officials say they saw an increase

in the amount of prayer notessent to the Western Wall

through its website.

For more stories like this,

you can watch our"Jerusalem Dateline" program

at CBNNews.com.

Back to you.

- Thank you, Emily.

It has 10 years since thestart of the Syrian Civil War.

As many as half a million Syrians

have died in that fighting.

More than 10 million peopleare either internally displaced

or living in other countries as refugees.

Recently, my colleague, Gary Lane,

spoke with Johan Mooij.

He's World Vision'sSyria response director

in Amman, Jordan.

Take a look.

- This war has gone on now for a decade.

Is there any end in sight?

What's the situation on the ground now?

- Well, the situationhasn't changed very much

in the last couple of years.

Unfortunately, I would say.

To some extent,

the conflict has becomebecome more complicated

as more nations are involved,

and more and more people are displaced.

So after the many people

who left the countrya couple of years ago,

the internal displacement still continues

and most people have fled to the north

and the northwest of Syria,

where World Vision is tryingto help as good as we can.

- Well, we've already mentioned

some of the human toll,Johan, but economically,

your partner, Frontier Economics, reports

the cost of this conflictcould exceed $1.7 trillion,

that's in today's money, by2035, and that's unheard of.

What does that mean forSyria and its people?

- Well, it means that Syria,

that was almost like amiddle-income country,

has really gone from bad to worse.

The economy has totally collapsed.

Most people have hardly sufficient to eat.

Besides the economicdisaster for the country,

it is also a generation thatis almost lost for its future.

And yet we hope forbetter times, definitely.

- How about the statusof the Syrian church?

Many Christians have fled,but some still remain there.

When I visited Maaloula andDamascus five years ago,

it seemed like the churchhad been devastated,

but it was still surviving.

Share your observations.

- I was talking to one ofthe bishops the other day

and he is pleading for help.

He sees people trying to escape the war,

and yet he feels thatChristians have a role to play

in the country.

So he's pleading for his people to stay.

- Well, we will continue to pray for them

and also help as we can.

From Amman, Jordan, Johan Mooij,

Syrian Response Director for World Vision.

Thank you for sharingyour time and insights.

- Thank you.

- [George] Up next, a family confronts

the hit and run driverbehind a fatal accident.

What happened next?

The judge said he's neverseen anything like it

in his 20 years on the bench.

That story when we come back.

(dramatic music)

- [Announcer] From Washington DC,

uncompromising stories, interviews,

and analysis from veteran journalists.

David Brody.

- That could be the next stepin this escalating fight.

- [Announcer] Jenna Browder.

- Robert Mueller chosehis words carefully.

- [Announcer] Ben Kennedy.

- He's asking Christiansto get the word out.

- [Announcer] Bringing you thepolitical news that matters.

- Get out and tell the story

of the progress that we'remaking in this country.

- [Announcer] Watch "Faith Nation,"

weeknights at six on the CBN News Channel.

- Orphan's Promise iscommitted to loving and serving

at risk children, to helpingkeep 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 want to run fast, run alone,

but if you want to 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 want to go alone.

We're out to change theworld one child, one family,

one community at a time.

Will you join us?

(uplifting music)

(child giggles)

- [Announcer] He foundeda global ministry,

interviewed world leaders,

was a leading presidential candidate,

and he has walked with the living God.

In Pat Robertson's latest book,

discover the principles thatguided this extraordinary life

and how they can shape your future.

When you become a CBN partner,

we'll send you your copy ofthe highly acclaimed book,

"I Have Walked With the Living God."

Call now.

- Welcome back to the broadcast.

In 2015, Susan Cummings was on her way

to a charity bike race whenshe was struck and killed

by a hit and run driver,

leaving family members todeal, as you can imagine,

with the unbearable pain.

But after the driver turned himself in,

he asked to meet with the family.

So what exactly happenedbehind those closed doors?

Take a look.

- She had come over for mydaughter's birthday party.

Before she left, I told her I loved her

and she said, "You shouldcome see me more often."

- [Narrator] Susan Cummingswas a loving mother

to her children, a cherished sister,

and an important member of her community.

- She had a heart to serve.

She was a nurse.

She loved to help people.

She made it a point tobe at graduation parties

and birthday parties, evenin her superhero costume,

I like to call it, which was her scrubs.

- In the early morninghours of August 16, 2015,

Susan rode in a charity bike ride

to raise money for water wells in Kenya.

Her son, Kenny, learned

there'd been an accidentinvolving his mom.

- I was actually preparingfor a business trip.

I was gonna get up earlyand head to the airport

when I got a call.

And so I answered the phone

and it was my mom's best friend, Nancy.

She goes, "Kenny, your momhas been in a car accident."

I go, "Is she okay?"

And she goes, "No, she's, she died.

She's dead and I'm so sorry."

I couldn't believe it.

I was in total shock.

- [Tom] When you get words like that,

it's just like a punch in the gut.

- When it set in on what had happened,

the details of what had happened,

that she was actually struck

and killed by a hit andrun driver, I was furious,

that someone would takenot only a human life,

who would take my mother fromme and leave her there to die

as if she was worthless.

- [Narrator] Soon after, aman named Ronnie Jo Claflin

turned himself in.

- When Ronnie ultimately came forward,

I was relieved to finally have a scapegoat

for all the anger and frustrationthat I was dealing with

and hurt, to be able to put it on someone,

to be able to finally look at that person

and really judge them forwhat they had done in my mind

- [Narrator] Tom, a pastor,says he knew almost immediately

he would have to forgivehis sister's killer.

- The reason I was ableto choose to forgive

is, when I was 16, I was jumpedby five or six black guys

that stopped me and brokemy nose and stole my bike

and just left me there basically for dead.

And in that moment, Ihad a feeling of racism

that injured my heart.

And it wasn't until I saw,I believe it was Rodney King

getting beat down on national television,

that the Holy Spirit spoke to me

and said, "It's not thecolor of a man's skin,

but the spirit that drives him."

And so in that moment,before the television,

I just said, "God, I'm sorry.

Forgive me."

- [Narrator] The familywould eventually learn

that Ronnie had been using inhalants

the day of the accident.

Ronnie's trial and sentencingwas almost a year later.

It would be the family's first interaction

with the man who had killed Susan.

Then, shortly before the trial,something unusual happened.

- Ronnie had chose to plead guilty

and wanted to meet withus behind closed doors,

which, by the way, never happens.

A lot of emotions werein the room that day.

But before we began thatmeeting with Ronnie,

before he entered the room, we prayed,

and so we invited the Holy Spirit there.

And then Ronnie and theprosecuting attorney

and the defense attorneywalked in through the door

and Ronnie was alreadytearful, already remorseful.

And there was a lot of crying in the room

and, as you can imagine, wewere finally seeing this man

for the first time.

I asked Ronnie, I said, "Ronnie,

are you sorry for what you did?"

And of course at that moment,

Ronnie said, "I do, I'm sorry."

But each of my family members,

including Susan's boyfriend, Roddy,

all said, "I forgive you."

- [Narrator] At the trial,

most of the family members were there

and shared their forgiveness publicly.

- We all prepared a statement of mercy.

We all read through andconfirmed to the court

and to the judge thatwe had forgiven Ronnie

and that we sought mercyfor him on his behalf.

- Grace showed up in that courtroom.

Even the judge said, "In all my 20 years,

I have never seen thishappen in my courtroom."

- [Narrator] In 2016,contributions poured in

for the Kenyan water well project

that Susan had given her life for.

- I was invited to go to Kenya

to dedicate a water well in Susan's honor.

It was so overwhelming to go to a place

on the other side of the globe

and here's my sisterbeing herald as a hero.

I just can't begin to put into words

what I was experiencing.

And we were hearing themsinging joys about my sister.

- [Narrator] Tom says he hopes

the grace their family showed to Ronnie

will help others see thepower of forgiveness.

- Jesus tells us to forgive.

He said, "If you forgive,then I'll forgive.

If you don't forgive,then I won't forgive."

It's so powerful to think that Jesus,

while hanging on the cross,and he looked down at them

and said, "Father, forgive them

for they know not what they do."

We think we're holdingour offender in prison,

but it's actually us.

We're holding ourselves hostage.

But when we say, "I choose, Ichoose, I choose to forgive."

And we choose to forgive,

we again faith it until we make it.

We begin to say, "I forgive,"

until that feeling becomes a reality.

- A beautiful story offorgiveness as we enter Holy Week.

Stay with us.

We'll be back right after this.

(rhythmic music)

- Heavenly Father, we do thank you

for the work of your Spirit, Lord God,

with this movement of getting the Bible,

- Yes.

- Lord, into public schools.

- [Announcer] Watch "The Prayer Link"

Tuesday morning at 7:30on the CBN News Channel.

- [Efrem] I'm Efrem Grahamand this is "Studio 5."

Cruise with me as I discoverthe good things happening

in the world of music, sports,television, and movies.

- The fact that Ryan Coogler

was gonna be directing the film,

I knew that somethingspecial was gonna happen.

- [Efrem] We'll chat withartists at the forefront

of entertainment andexplore the connection

between popular culture and faith.

- I asked my pastor, I said,

"Well does that mean I'msupposed to be a preacher?"

He says, "Well no, youalready have a pulpit."

- [Announcer] Wednesday night at 8:30

on the CBN News Channel.

- [Announcer] From Marinelieutenant in the Korean War

to building a global ministry,

Pat Robertson revealshow God has directed him

every step of the way.

In his latest book, "I HaveWalked With the Living God,"

Pat Robertson shares hispersonal journey of faith

and how an ordinary lifecan become extraordinary

when surrendered to God.

In this highly acclaimed book,

you'll learn the keys toreceiving daily favor,

wisdom, and blessing;how to overcome setbacks

and lean on God; how you canhear from God in your own life.

Plus, enjoy fascinating untold stories

from Pat's experiences in business

and the political spotlight.

Discover how life withGod can be exhilarating

and full of promise.

Get your copy of "I HaveWalked With the Living God"

when you become a CBN partner.

Call 1-800-700-7000 or go to CBN.com.

(dramatic music)

- Welcome back.

10-year-old Lina had questions about God

so she went to a Sunday school

where she saw a "Superbook" episode

showing Moses parting the Red Sea.

Lina became a strong believer,

and when COVID-19 hit Cambodia,

she prayed for God to help her family.

That's when another CBNministry came alongside to help.

Take a look.

- [Narrator] 10-year-oldLina and her brother

are being raised by their grandmother.

Lina's mom works far fromhome to support them.

Until recently, they wereall practicing Buddhists.

(speaking in foreign language)

- [Interpreter] I worshipedthe idols with my grandma.

I burned incense and prayedto my ancestor who died.

- [Narrator] But even as shetook part in the ceremonies,

Lina had questions.

- [Interpreter] I always wondered,

"If God is real, why can't I see Him?

Where does He live?"

- [Narrator] One day beforethe COVID-19 pandemic,

Lina and her brother were invited

to watch CBN's "Superbook."

- [Interpreter] The storythat really touched my heart

was the story about Moses.

With help from God, he separatedthe sea into two parts.

It was an amazing story

so I started to believe that God is good

and helps people when they ask.

- [Narrator] After watching the story,

Lina prayed with the teacherto become a Christian.

- [Interpreter] Everymorning, I pray for my brother

and our friends to receivethe good news about Jesus.

- [Narrator] As the COVIDpandemic worsened in Cambodia,

the economic downturn madeit hard for Lina's grandma

to provide food for the grandkids,

so Lina prayed and askedJesus to help them.

- [Interpreter] That'swhen Orphan's Promise

come with food packs and rice for us.

Now, I know for surethat God heard my prayer.

- [Narrator] This isLina's grandmother, Ree.

- [Interpreter] Thank God thatyou helped my grandchildren.

Now, because of Lina,I believe in Jesus too.

- [Interpreter] Thanks toyou, God used "Superbook"

to bring the good news to us. (giggles)

- Orphan's Promise and "Superbook"

doing great work around the world.

Folks, that is it for this week's edition

of "Christian World News."

Until next week, from all of us here,

goodbye, and God bless you.

(dramatic music)