Responding to Headline News

Posted on 13 December 2009.

As a new year begins, we want to take the opportunity to provide updates on some of the stories that we have featured in previous prayer letters. How has the Lord been answering our prayers? And how can we continue to pray into these challenging situations?

Remember the ‘Boot Camps' article in October 2009? We shared how one young boy had died after a severe beating at a camp for internet addicts and another was facing serious health problems. Amongst other things, we asked you to pray "that the Chinese authorities' concern about these boot camps might translate into action to regulate them and to prevent severe beatings like those mentioned in the text from occurring." Praise God that China's Ministry of Health has now moved to ban the use of physical punishment to treat teenagers addicted to the web. "When intervening to prevent improper use of the internet we should... strictly prohibit restriction of personal freedom and physical punishments," according to draft guidelines issued towards the end of last year. "The goal of intervention... is to urge the target people to use the internet in a healthy way," the Ministry of Health has stated. (BBC)

Towards the end of 2008, China's milk scandal was headline news. Hundreds of tonnes of milk powder were discovered to contain the toxic chemical melamine and thousands of children were reported to have kidney stones as a result of drinking the contaminated milk. At least six children died. A year later, twenty-one people have been found guilty and sentenced for their involvement in the provision of the milk. The government ordered 22 firms implicated in the tainted milk to pay a total of 1.1 billion yuan (US$161 million) to the hundreds of thousands of families involved. Sanlu, one of the main dairy firms involved, went bankrupt and closed down.

Give thanks to the Lord that He hears and responds to our prayers.

Give thanks for the new guidelines seeking to prevent severe beatings taking place in China's boot camps. Pray that the guidelines might be implemented and prove effective in protecting young people struggling with internet addiction and other issues.

Give thanks that some of those involved in the contaminated milk scandal have been brought to justice and that parents have received some compensation. Continue to pray for parents whose children are facing long-term health problems and particularly remember those who lost their children at that time. Pray against any further food scandals that could cause harm to either children or adults in China.