Oct. 4 - "Muslim Youth Torch Church, Riot in Kenya after Imam Killed," - http://www.presidentialprayerteam.com/Prayerwatch?pw=2169 - "Young Muslims set fire to a church, burned tires and clashed with police in Kenya’s main port city of Mombasa on Friday, after the killing of an Islamic cleric his followers blamed on security forces..."
As the Lord leads, please pray: 1) About ongoing radicalization of youth across sub-Saharan Africa by factions of Al Qaeda. 2) For Christians of Kenya as they become targets of Islamist terrorism.
9/30 UPDATE: President Obama Calls for Pastor Saeed's Release," - CBNNews.com; September 30, 2013; http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/September/President-Obama-Calls-for-Pastor-Saeeds-Release/ - "President Obama asked Iran's President Hassan Rouhani to have American Pastor Saeed Abedini released from prison, according to the American Center for Law and Justice. Mr. Obama talked by phone with the new Iranian president Friday afternoon, marking the first conversation between leaders of the two nations in more than three decades. ... This is the first time President Obama has addressed Abedini's plight despite publicity campaigns for him to do so." [For more info on Pastor Saeed, see below]
NEWS FLASH: "Syrian Rebels Execute Christian Villagers," - CBNNews.com, September 12, 2013; http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/September/Syrian-Rebels-Execute-Christian-Villagers/ - Syrian rebel fighters apparently executed three Christians fleeing the fighting in Maaloula this week, Britain's Sky News reported. Hundreds of Christians held a funeral in Damascus for the men, who were cousins. Sky News reports the men were trying to escape the Christian town of Maaloula, which has been under attack by rebel troops. The men reportedly were killed by forces with the al Qaeda linked Jabha al-Nour. Mourners say two of the victims had their throats cut and another was shot. Most of the mourners are also refugees from Maaloula, one of the oldest Christian communities in the world. [PRAY for the Christians throughout Syria who face greater persecution should rebels, particularly Islamists along the line of the Muslim Brotherhood, end up in charge of the country.]
URGENT PRAYER REQUEST: "Syrian Christians Brace for Strike, Ask for Prayer," - by Gary Lane, August 31, http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/August/Syrian-Christians-Brace-for-Strike-Ask-for-Prayer/"As Syrians brace themselves for a possible U.S. military attack, many of the county's Christians are praying for divine intervention. They say military action against the Assad regime will only bring them greater hardship and suffering and they're asking Christians worldwide to pray that God intervenes to bring peace to their nation. They believe the collective prayers of Christians around the world could reverse an escalating conflict..."
[EGYPT - Continue to pray for the tense situation in Egypt and especially for the Christian believers who are being targeted with violence by Muslim Brotherhood members.]
URGENT PRAYER REQUEST- Update on Kenneth Bae: "US Ready to Bargain with N. Korea for Bae's Release,"- CBNNews.com, Aug 14, 2013 http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/August/S-Ready-to-Bargain-with-N-Korea-for-Baes-Release/ - The United States is willing to engage North Korea to secure the release of imprisoned American Christian Kenneth Bae. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said the United States is "willing to consider a number of different options" to bring him home.In a video recently released by a North Korean newspaper, Bae requested the United States send a high-ranking official to North Korea to seek his pardon. It is unclear if he spoke of his own volition in the video. Bae, 45, was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for sharing his faith. He suffers health problems such as diabetes and is currently hospitalized.[PRAY for 1) God's healing of and presence with Pastor Bae, 2) His earliest release by the North Korean government, and 3) God's comfort for his family and friends.]
Vigils Mark One Year Imprisonment of Pastor Saeed - CBNNews.com, Thursday, September 26, 2013 - Today marks one-year that American pastor Saeed Abedini has been held in an Iranian prison. He is serving an eight-year sentence because of his Christian faith. It has been a year of torment as he has suffered beatings, physical pain from untreated medical conditions, and separation from his wife and two children... The suffering has not dampened his passion for Jesus. Pastor Abedini has led more than 30 prisoners to Christ during his time in prison. This afternoon, thousands of Americans from coast to coast will pray for his release. Events will be held in 40 states at capitols, city halls, parks and churches. Thousands more will join from 15 nations around the world
URGENT PRAYER REQUEST: "Syrian Christians Brace for Strike, Ask for Prayer," - by Gary Lane, August 31, http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/August/Syrian-Christians-Brace-for-Strike-Ask-for-Prayer/"As Syrians brace themselves for a possible U.S. military attack, many of the county's Christians are praying for divine intervention. They say military action against the Assad regime will only bring them greater hardship and suffering and they're asking Christians worldwide to pray that God intervenes to bring peace to their nation. They believe the collective prayers of Christians around the world could reverse an escalating conflict..."
PRAY: - For comfort and peace for Saeed’s wife and children here in the U.S.
- For a strong witness and testimony from Pastor Abedini in the prison where God has placed him
- For Christians around the world who are being persecuted for their faith in Christ
- BOLDly (Beside Our Leaders Daily) for leadership from the White House and State Department in defending the freedoms of Abedini and other Americans
- GO TO SaveSaeed.org to sign a petition over 600,000 others asking for his immediate release.
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"Government Shutdown Highlights Need for Head Start Reform," - by Lindsey Burke, October 2, 2013 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anne Chadwick Williams/ZUMA Press/Newscom [1]
Due to the government shutdown, roughly two dozen federally funded Head Start day care centers will temporarily close their doors [last] week. For those low-income parents in affected areas expecting to send their toddlers to Head Start this week, the closures will no doubt create some headaches. But all of this might have been avoided if policymakers had been willing in previous years to undertake the reforms the program so desperately needs:
Head Start is ineffective. The Department of Health and Human Services, which administers Head Start, revealed in December 2012 that the nearly $8 billion Head Start program has little to no impact [2] on the cognitive, social-emotional, health, or parenting skills of participants.
Head Start is expensive. Since 1965, taxpayers have spent more than $180 billion on Head Start.
Head Start centers have engaged in fraudulent activity. In 2010, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found [3] several Head Start centers in several states actively counseling families to underreport their income in order to appear eligible for services.
Providing day care is far beyond the purview of the federal government. Providing day care is just not something the federal government was designed to do or should be doing. The diverse delivery system of private preschool options is a better means of meeting the needs of American families, and it includes low-cost providers such as church-based and home-based care. Moreover, most states offer taxpayer-funded public preschool programs. While states should exercise caution when creating state preschool programs, Americans should find the concept of day care financed by the federal government particularly objectionable.
Public preschool at any level of government increases costs for taxpayers by encouraging more participation in public programs, undermining private providers, and thereby reducing American families’ preschool choices. But the problems plaguing Head Start are particularly acute.
After nearly 50 years of operation, the federal Head Start program has failed to improve the educational outcomes and kindergarten readiness of participating children. Head Start should be eliminated [4] or, at the very least, reformed to allow states the flexibility to make their Head Start funds portable, allowing families to use their dollars to send their children to private preschools of their choice.
The federal government shutdown is just one more reason policymakers shouldn’t make low-income parents dependent on distant government programs such as Head Start, which is subject to ongoing political fights in Washington. There’s a better way to meet the early education needs of children from low-income families.
[bold and italics emphasis mine]
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Article printed from The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation: http://blog.heritage.org; URL to article: http://blog.heritage.org/2013/10/02/government-shutdown-highlights-need-for-head-start-reform/
URLs in this post:
[1] Image: http://blog.heritage.org/wp-content/uploads/HeadStart131002.jpg
[2] little to no impact: http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2013/01/head-start-impact-evaluation-report-finally-released
[3] found: http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2010/05/head-start-program-fraudulent-and-ineffective
[4] Head Start should be eliminated: http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2013/03/universal-preschools-empty-promises
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