THIS WEEK AND CHRISTIAN

WORLD NEWS, AS ISRAEL

REMEMBERS THE HOLOCAUST,

CHRISTIANS MAKE A PLEDGE TO

THE JEWISH PEOPLE.

YOU WON'T BE LEFT ALONE

AGAIN.

PLUS, AMERICA'S NATIONAL DAY

OF PRAYER.

IN THE NATION'S CAPITAL,

POLITICIANS AND SPIRITUAL

LEADERS CALL UPON GOD, WHILE

MILLIONS ACROSS THE NATION

TAKE PART IN THEIR

COMMUNITIES AND CHURCHES.

AND MORE THAN 1,000 MEMBERS

OF THIS CHURCH HAVE BEEN

KILLED IN THE LAST FIVE

YEARS, BUT THE PASTOR, AN

ANGLICAN FROM GREAT BRITAIN,

REFUSES TO QUIT SERVING HIS

COMMUNITY.

OUR VISIT WITH THE VICOR OF

BAGHDAD.

AND HELLO, EVERYONE.

WELCOME TO THIS WEEK'S

EDITION OF CHRISTIAN WORLD

NEWS.

I'M GEORGE THOMAS.

MY COLLEAGUE, WENDY

GRIFFITH, IS ON ASSIGNMENT.

EVERY YEAR ALL OF ISRAEL

PAUSES TO REMEMBER THE SIX

MILLION JEWS KILLED IN THE

HOLOCAUST, BUT THE DAY IS

NOT JUST ABOUT HONORING THE

DEAD.

YOU SEE, IT IS ALSO ABOUT

REMINDING THE WORLD OF THAT

HORRIFIC EVENT AND DECLARING

THAT ISRAEL WILL NEVER LET

IT HAPPEN AGAIN.

WELL, IN RECENT YEARS THE

JEWISH PEOPLE HAVE FOUND A

VERY STRONG ALLY IN THE

WORLD'S CHRISTIAN

COMMUNITY.

SCOTT ROSS HAS MORE FROM

JERUSALEM.

Reporter: WALK DOWN ANY

STREET IN ISRAEL, AND

CHANCES ARE YOU'LL MEET A

HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR.

I WAS IN THE WAR.

Reporter: YOU WERE IN

THE WAR?

I WAS IN GERMANY.

AND MY MOTHER COME BACK, AND

MY FATHER NO COME BACK.

I CAME IN 1945 AS A

SURVIVOR OF THE HOLOCAUST.

Reporter: WHAT ABOUT

YOUR PARENTS?

ONLY MY MOTHER SURVIVED.

Reporter: SOME ESTIMATE

125,000 PEOPLE SURVIVED THE

CAMPS, AND THOUSANDS OF

OTHERS WERE IN OTHER

PLACES.

85-YEAR-OLD ASHER UDE IS ONE

OF THEM.

HE OFTEN TALKS TO GROUPS AT

YAD BASHIM AND TELLS HEM HOW

THEM HOW HE SURVIVED.

Reporter: DO YOU THINK

IT IS A MIRACLE YOU

SURVIVED?

A MIRACLE.

Reporter: BECAUSE MANY

OF THE PEOPLE IN THE CAMPS,

ONE OF THEIR CRIES WAS,

WHERE IS GOD?

DID YOU ASK THAT QUESTION?

THROUGH THE WAR, I DIDN'T

ASK QUESTIONS.

I WAS BUSY EVERY SECOND,

EVERY MINUTE, EVERY DAY TO

FIGHT TO STAY ALIVE.

TODAY, IF YOU ASK ME, ASHER,

HOW DID YOU SURVIVE?

I SAID I DIDN'T RUN AWAY.

I DIDN'T FIGHT.

I'M NOT RELIGIOUS, BUT I

BELIEVE IN GOD.

Reporter: IT IS

IMPORTANT TO COMMEMORATE THE

PAST AND ALSO TO EDUCATE

THIS GENERATION TO PREVENT A

SIMILAR TRAGEDY IN THE

FUTURE.

AND THAT'S WHAT YAD BASHIM,

ISRAEL'S MAIN HOLOCAUST

MEMORIAL IN JERUSALEM IS ALL

ABOUT.

IT COMES FROM THE BOOK OF

ISAIAH.

AND WHERE THERE IS A PROMISE

OF GOD, AND IN THE CONTEXT

IN THE HEBREW, IT MEANS IN

THE ETERNAL MEMORIAL.

Reporter: I ASKED HIM

ABOUT THE HOLOCAUST AND

ANTI-SEMITISM THEN AND NOW.

FIRST OF ALL,

ANTI-SEMITISM, WHICH IS AT

THE HEART OF THE HOLOCAUST

BECAUSE THE NAZIS HAVE A

HATEFUL IDEOLOGY THAT IS

RAC RACIST AND

ANTI-SEMITIC, AND THEIR ARCH

ENEMY IS THE JEW, AND THAT'S

PART OF AN UNFOLDING

ANTI-SEMITISM THAT HAS BEEN

WITH US FOR ABOUT 2,000

YEARS.

Reporter: HE SAID HE

DIDN'T THINK A HOLOCAUST

WOULD HAPPEN TODAY IN THE

SAME WAY, BUT JEWISH PEOPLE

MUST BE ON GUARD BECAUSE

SOME ANTI-SEMITISM IS

GENOCIDAL.

DO YOU SEE THERE IS A

CORRELATION BETWEEN ISLAMIC

TERRORISM AND THIS JEW

HATRED THAT OCCURS TODAY,

NOW?

THE RADICAL ISLAM IS

FUNDAMENTALLY VERY

ANTI-SEMITIC.

THAT DOESN'T MEAN, OF

COURSE, THAT ALL ISLAM IS

THAT WAY.

BUT THAT KIND OF ISLAM TALKS

IN GENOCIDAL TERMS.

IF YOU LISTEN TO SOME

LEADERS, THAT IS WHAT THEY

SAY.

Reporter: NOWADAYS, HE

SEES AN IMPROVEMENT IN

JEWISH-CHRISTIAN RELATIONS,

AND EVEN DURING THE

HOLOCAUST, SOME CHRISTIANS

AND OTHERS, LIKE OSCAR SHINDpp

CLESCHINDLER AND OTHERS

WERE WORKING TO SAVE THE

JEWS.

THE RIGHTEOUS AMONG THExx

NATION WERE PEOPLE WHO WERE

NON-JEWS, AND THEY WERE

WILLING TO RISK THEIR LIVES

TO HELP A JEWISH PERSON, BY

HIDING THEM OR GIVING THEM

FOOD.

AND WE HAVE TREES PLANTED

FOR THESE PEOPLE.

SO HERE, FOR EXAMPLE, WE

HAVE THE TREE OF THE TENBALM

FAMILY FROM HOLLAND.

Reporter: CORY TENBALM

AND FATHER, CASPER, AND

SISTER ELIZABETH.

CORY'S TREE ACTUALLY DIED

WHEN CORY DIED, AND THEY HAD

TO PLANT A NEW TREE.

Reporter: THE TREE DIED

WHEN SHE DIED?

THAT'S RIGHT.

AND THIS IS GOING TO BE A

BIG TREE ONE DAY, BUT IT IS

FOR THE NEXT GENERATION.

AND SO WERE THE GOOD DEEDS

OF THESE PEOPLE.

THETHEY MAY HAVE SAVED ONE

PERSON, BUT THAT PERSON WENT

ON TO HAVE A FAMILY.

IT MEANS THEY SAVED THE NEXT

GENERATION.

Reporter: UP TO A

MILLION PEOPLE VISIT HERE

EACH YEAR.

ROSHAN SAYS MANY OF THOSE

PERSONS ARE CHRISTIANS.

IN 2006, THEY DECIDED TO

ESTABLISH AN OUTREACH

PROGRAM, TOWARDS THE

CHRISTIAN WORLD.

Reporter: IS THE

CHRISTIAN CHURCH AWARE OF

THE DEGREE OF THE ATROCITIES

THAT OCCURRED IN THE

HOLOCAUST?

I FEEL THAT ON ONE HAND

THERE ARE SOME CHRISTIANS

AND SOME CHRISTIAN LEADERS

WHO HAVE REALLY STUDIED THAT

PERIOD, AND THEY REALLY WANT

TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, WHY

THE CHRISTIAN WORLD WAS

UNABLE TO SEE THE JEWS AS

THEIR NEIGHBORS.

Reporter: WHERE WAS THE

CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN 1933?

I THINK IF WE LOOK AT

CHRISTIAN LEADERS, WE SEE

THEY WERE UNABLE TO

RECOGNIZE EVIL.

I THINK IT WAS THAT VIRTUAL

BLINDNESS THAT MADE THEM

UNABLE TO SENSE -- YOU COULD

SAY THERE WERE TWO RELIGIONS

IN GERMANY AT THE TIME,

NAZIISM AND CHRISTIANITY.

Reporter: WHAT GIVES

YOU A LOVE FOR JEWS?

I LOVE THE BIBLE.

BUT I ALSO FEEL THAT WHEN

YOU LOOK AT ISRAEL HERE IN

THE SEA OF HOSTILE

COUNTRIES, YOU CAN CLEARLY

SEE WHAT LIGHT IT PRESENTS,

WHAT ISRAEL BRINGS TO THE

WORLD, AND HOW GOD

MIRACULOUSLY BROUGHT THIS

NATION BACK TO THEIR ANCIENT

HOMELAND.

I THINK WE, AS CHRISTIANS,

WE DON'T HAVE A CHOICE.

THE BIBLE IS VERY CLEAR.

Reporter: PART OF HER

WORK IS A CHRISTIAN

LEADERSHIP SEMINAR TO

EDUCATE LEADERS FROM AROUND

THE WORLD.

ARE YOU HOPEFUL FOR ISRAEL

AND THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH?

GOD IS SO CLEAR THAT HE

IS ISRAEL'S FUTURE AND HE IS

OUR FUTURE.

SO WE HAVE EVERY REASON TO

BE HOPEFUL.

AND WHATEVER WE WILL HAVE TO

GO THROUGH, HIS IS GOING TO

GIVE US THE STRENGTH.

George: AN EXCELLENT

REPORT BY SCOTT ROSS.

ANTI-SEMITISM, BY THE WAY IS

ON THE RISE IN EUROPE, AMID

A POPULARITY OF EXTREMIST

POLITICAL PARTIES.

THOSE ARE THE FINDINGS

RELEASED BY A GROUP AT TEL

AVIV UNIVERSITY.

THEY LISTED 354 VIOLENT

ATTACKS ON PEOPLE AND JEWISH

INSTITUTIONS.

FRANCE, BY THE WAY, HAD THE

HIGHEST NUMBER OF

INCIDENTS.

THE REPORT WARNS OF

INCREASING POPULARITY OF

FAR-RIGHT PARTIES,

ESPECIALLY IN FRANCE,

HUNGARY, AND GREECE, WHERE

THEY EXPECTED TO MAKE BIG

GAINS IN ELECTIONS LATER

THIS MONTH.

A U.S. GOVERNMENT BODY

DEDICATED TO PROTECTING

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IS

HIGHLIGHTING SOME OF THE

WORST OFFENDERS.

THE U.S. COMMISSION ON

INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS

FREEDOM WARNS THAT RELIGIOUS

MINORITIES ARE INCREASINGLY

UNDER ATTACK IN THE NATIONS

OF EGYPT, IRAQ, PAKISTAN,

SYRIA, VIETNAM, AND

TURKMENISTAN.

RECENTLY I SPOKE WITH A VICE

CHAIR ABOUT THOSE

COUNTRIES.

TELL US WHY PROTECTING

INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS

FREEDOM IS SO IMPORTANT TO

YOU GUYS.

WELL, RELIGIOUS FREEDOM,

FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE AND

BELIEF, REALLY ARE AT THE

FOUNDATION OF THIS COUNTRY.

SOME WOULD SUGGEST THAT A

GREAT DEAL OF THE MOTIVATION

FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE

UNITED STATES WAS CREATED BY

PEOPLE SEEKING RELIGIOUS

FREEDOM.

SO IT REPRESENTS OUR VALUES

IN THE MOST PROFOUND SENSE.

BUT THE SECOND VERY

IMPORTANT REASON IS THAT

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IS REALLY

IMPLICATED IN OUR OWN

NATIONAL SECURITY.

AS WE LOOK AROUND THE WORLD,

THOSE COUNTRIES WHICH DO A

BAD, OR A TERRIBLE JOB, OF

PROTECTING RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

CORRELATE WITH THOSE

COUNTRIES FROM WHICH MANY OF

OUR GREATEST NATIONAL

SECURITY THREATS COME.

George: YOU GUYS ADDED

EGYPT TO THE LIST.

WHY WAS THAT IMPORTANT?

MINORITY COMMUNITIES ARE

UNDER A VERY GRAVE THREAT.

THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF

VIOLENCE DIRECTED AT THE

COPTIC CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY.

AND THERE CONTINUES TO BE

ARRESTS AND PROSECUTIONS FOR

BLASPHEMY AND OTHER SUCH

MATTERS.

AND A FAILURE ON THE PART OF

THE GOVERNMENT TO PROTECT

THE RIGHTS OF RELIGIOUS

MINORITIES IN EGYPT.

George: AND YOU'VE ALSO

RECOMMENDED THAT THE AFRICAN

NATION OF NIGERIA BE ADDED

TO THAT LIST.

WHAT CAN THE U.S. DO TO HELP

CURB THE TERRIBLE VIOLENCE

HAPPENING THERE, MOST

PERPETRATED BY BOKO HARAM.

IT IS AN UNUSUAL

SITUATION IN THAT THE

COUNTRY IS ROUGHLY HALF

MUSLIM AND HALF CHRISTIANS.

THERE IS A GREAT RISK THAT

THE PROBLEMS FACING NIGERIA,

WHICH ARE WIDE-RANGING, WILL

END UP PRESENTING ALONG

SECTARIAN LINES, WHICH WOULD

BE A REAL TRAGEDY FOR THAT

COUNTRY.

AND, OF COURSE, THE

GOVERNMENT NEEDS HELP

BATTLING BOKO HARAM.

George: BACK TO THE

MIDDLE EAST, ONE OTHER

COUNTRY THAT IS IN THE

SPOTLIGHT AND HAS BEEN FOR

THE LAST THREE YEARS IS

SYRIA.

IT IS NOW IN THE

THREE-YEAR-OLD CIVIL WAR.

WHAT CAN BE DONE TO STOP THE

ATROCITIES AGAINST

CHRISTIANS AND MINORITY

MUSLIMS?

THERE ARE ABUSES RELATIVE

TO FREEDOM OF RELIGION AND

CONSCIENCE AND BELIEFS,

FRANKLY, THAT ARE BEING

PERPETRATED ON ALL SIDES.

SO IT IS NOT A CLEAR

SITUATION OF WHERE THE THE

RESPONSIBILITY LIES IN TERMS

OF THE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

STRUGGLES THAT ARE GOING ON

THERE.

George: YOU GUYS ARE

DOING FANTASTIC WORK, A

VERY, VERY IMPORTANT ROLE

FOR PEOPLE OF FAITH AROUND

THE WORLD.

DR. KATRINA LANDROS SWEAT,

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

COME BACK AGAIN, PLEASE.

THANK YOU.

IT HAS BEEN MY PLEASURE.

George: COMING UP,

AMERICA PAUSES TO PRAY.

IN GATHERINGS ACROSS THE

COUNTRY, MILLIONS ASK GOD TO

RENEW THEIR NATION.

George: AND WELCOME

BACK TO THE BROADCAST.

CHRISTIANS ACROSS AMERICA

GATHERED TO PRAY AND SEEK

GOD'S BLESSINGS DURING THE

NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER.

THE 63rd ANNUAL EVENT TOOK

PLACE IN HOMES, CHURCHES,

AND IN THE NATION'S

CAPITAL.

THIS YEAR'S THEME, "ONE

VOICE UNITED IN PRAYER."

AT THIS RALLY IN WASHINGTON,

THEY PRAYED FOR THE

PRESIDENT AND MEMBERS OF

CONGRESS, AND ANN LOTS, THE

DAUGHTER OF BILLY GRAHAM,

SAID THAT THE NATURAL

DISASTERS AND SOCIAL

ECONOMIC PROBLEMS ARE

WARNINGS THAT, QUOTE,"GOD'S

JUDGMENT IS COMING."

IT WILL NOT BE POLITICAL

OR ECONOMIC OR EDUCATION.

THE ANSWER IS TO FALL ON OUR

FACE BEFORE GOD AND CRY OUT

TO HIM IN HUMBLE REPENTANCE

OF SIN.

AMEN.

[APPLAUSE]

JUST BECAUSE THE NATIONAL

DAY OF PRAYER IS ENDING

DOESN'T MEAN WE STOP

PRAYING.

THIS IS THE BEGINNING.

NOW IT IS UP TO YOU.

IT'S UP TO YOU TO CRY OUT TO

GOD.

[APPLAUSE]

George: WASHINGTON

WASN'T THE ONLY PLACE THAT

PEOPLE GATHERED TO PRAY.

MORE THAN 40,000 NATIONAL

DAY OF PRAYER EVENTS WERE

HELD, WITH MILLIONS OF

PEOPLE PARTICIPATING ACROSS

THE UNITED STATES.

LORI JOHNSON TAKES US TO ONE

EVENT IN HAMPTON, VIRGINIA.

*

Reporter: BELIEVERS

ACROSS AMERICA JOINED

TOGETHER ON A DAY SET ASIDE

TO LIFT THEIR VOICES TO GOD

IN PRAISE AND PETITION.

LORD, GIVE US THE

STRENGTH AND THE COURAGE TO

TAKE A STAND AGAINST THOSE

WHO RESIST YOUR KINGDOM'S

ROOTS.

LET THIS GREAT NATION

CONTINUE TO BE A SHINING

LIGHT TO THE NATIONS, NOT

BRINGING DIVISION, BUT TO

WALK IN THE FRUIT OF THE

SPIRIT.

HELP US WALK IN LOVE AS A

UNITED PEOPLE.

Reporter: MORE THAN

40,000 PRAYER GATHERINGS ARE

TAKING PLACE FROM COAST TO

COAST, IN PLACES LIKE

CHURCHES AND GOVERNMENT

BUILDINGS.

THE THIS ONE IS SO BIG THE

ORGANIZERS RENTED A

CONVENTION CENTER.

PASTORS CHRIS HALERAN AND

NEVRIT YARBO BROUGHT

TOGETHER CHRISTIANS FROM

DIFFERENT DENOMINATIONS ON

VIRGINIA'S PENINSULA.

I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT

THAT THE BODY OF CHRIST

WORKS TOGETHER.

I THINK THAT'S WHAT GOD

INTENDED.

I THINK THAT'S WHAT JESUS

WANTED.

Reporter: THEY ASKED

GOD TO LEAD PEOPLE TO

REPENTANCE, AS AN INDIVIDUAL

AND AS A NATION.

WE'RE IN DESPERATE NEED

OF THE AWAKENING OF THE

SPIRIT OF GOD.

A GENUINE REVIVAL THAT WILL

AWAKEN THE CHURCH AND REALLY

SHAKE OUR CULTURE AS WELL.

Reporter: THE FAITHFUL

PRAYED FOR HEALING IN

FAMILIES, SCHOOLS, AND

FINANCES.

I HAVE A LONG PRAYER LIST

OF MANY NEEDS, BUT, OF

COURSE, THE MOST IMPORTANT

IS THE SALVATION OF SOULS.

Reporter: A PRAYER THAT

MANY CHRISTIANS SHARED

NATIONWIDE THURSDAY,

TRUSTING IN THE POWER OF GOD

TO TRANSFORM A NATION.

LORI JOHNSON, CBN NEWS,

HAMPTON, VIRGINIA.

George: AND IN THE DAYS

LEADING UP TO THE NATIONAL

DAY OF PRAYER, PARTICIPANTS

READ THE ENTIRE BIBLE OUT

LOUD ON THE STEPS OF THE

UNITED STATES CAPITAL.

HERE IS A GLIMPSE OF THAT

90-HOUR EVENT.

GOD, STRENGTHEN ME JUST

ONCE MORE AND LET ME, WITH

ONE BLOW, GET REVENGE ON THE

PHILISTINES FOR MY TWO

EYES.

WE ARE HERE AT THE 25th

ANNUAL BIBLE-READING

MARATHON HELD AT THE U.S.

CAPITAL, WHERE VOLUNTEERS

AROUND THE COUNTRY AND THIS

AREA READ THE ENTIRE BIBLE

FOR A PERIOD OF FIVE DAYS.

THEN THEY TOOK WHAT MICAH

HAD MADE AND WENT ON TO

LEASH AGAINST THE PEOPLE AT

PEACE AND SECURE.

WE HAVE ALMOST 100 BIBLES

IN DIFFERENT TRANSLATIONS

BESIDES ENGLISH BECAUSE

THERE ARE CHRISTIANS

LITERALLY FROM AROUND THE

WORLD.

THEY COME TO VISIT THE U.S.

CAPITAL.

THEY COME BY AND SOMETIMES

CAN'T SPEAK IN ENGLISH, AND

THEY POINT TO THE BIBLE,

POINT TO THEIR HEART, AND

POINT UPWARDS TO GOD.

AND WE ALLOW THEM TO READ IN

THEIR OWN LANGUAGE.

THEY'RE READING THE BIBLE

HERE, AT THE U.S. CAPITAL,

AND THAT SPEAKS A LOT ABOUT

OUR COUNTRY.

AND THE REALITY OF WHAT WE

CAN DO IN THIS SPECIFIC

LOCATION.

IT IS AMAZING.

I KNOW IN SOME OTHER PLACES

YOU MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO DO

IT.

DOING IT HERE JUST REFLECTS

THE REALITY THAT WE STILL

LIVE IN A GREAT COUNTRY.

George: FANTASTIC.

2014 MARKED THE 25th YEAR

THE BIBLE HAS BEEN READ

ALOUD AT THE UNITED STATES

CAPITAL.

UP NEXT, THE CHURCH IN IRAQ

UNDER FIRE.

HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF

CHRISTIANS HAVE FLED THE

COUNTRY.

SEE WHAT HAPPENED WHEN ONE

MAN CHOSE TO STAY.

WILL RECEIVE THE WILLIAM

WILBUR FORCE AWARD.

THE HONOR IS GIVEN BY THE

CENTER FOR CHRISTIAN WORLD

VIEW.

HE LEADS A CHURCH IN

BAGHDAD, TORN BY SECTARIAN

VIOLENCE.

DESPITE A PHYSICAL HANDICAP,

AND THE FACT THAT 1,000

MEMBERS OF HIS CHURCH HAVE

BEEN KILLED, HE STILL WORKS

TIRELESSLY TO ADMINISTER TO

HIS COMMUNITY.

THE VICOR OF BAGHDAD AND HIS

CHURCH CONTINUE SERVING

THEIR COMMUNITY.

GREG MUSSELMAN, A VOICE OF

THE MARTYRS, BRINGS THIS

REPORT FROM BAGHDAD.

ST. GEORGE'S CHURCH LED

BY CANON ANDREW WHITE, HAS

HAD MORE THAN A THOUSAND

PEOPLE KILLED I FROM THEIR

CHURCH IN THE PAST FIVE

YEARS.

THE VICOR OF BAGHDAD, WHO

WAS DIAGNOSED WITH MULTIPLE

SCLEROSIS 15 YEARS AGO,

WHICH AFFECTS HIS SPEECH AND

MOBILITY, SAYS HE HAS NO

INTENTION OF LEAVING

BAGHDAD, DESPITE OF THE

DANGERS FACING CHRISTIANS.

AND THE ATTACKS AND THE

OPPOSITION ISN'T AVERT AND

ALWAYS OBVIOUS, BUT IT IS

ALWAYS THERE.

JUST UNDER THE SURFACE.

THIT'S AT EVERY LEVEL IN

SOCIETY.

CHRISTIANS ARE CHRISTIANS.

THEY'RE A MINORITY.

THEY'RE TO BE SIDELINED, AND

THEY ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE

CONSIDERED A GREAT RISK

BECAUSE THEY DO NOT FOLLOW

THE WAY OF THE MAJORITY OF

PEOPLE HERE WHO FOLLOW

EITHER SHIIA OR SUNNI

ISLAM.

Reporter: I'M HERE IN

THE WAR-TORN CITY OF

BAGHDAD.

CHRISTIANITY GOES ALL THE

WAY BACK TO THE FIRST

CENTURY IN THIS PART OF THE

WORLD.

IN THE MID-1990s, THERE

WERE MORE THAN 1.2 MILLION

CHRISTIANS HERE.

BUT WITH WAR AND TERRORISM

AND DIRECT ATTACK AGAINST

CHRISTIANS, A MILLION

CHRISTIANS OR MORE HAVE LEFT

THE COUNTRY SINCE THAT TIME,

DECIMATING THE CHURCH.

AND WHERE HAVE THE THEY

GONE?

THEY'VE GONE TO SWEDEN,

DETROIT, CHICAGO, AND

CANADA.

AND WE WANT THEM HERE.

Reporter: ANDREW WHITE

ENCOURAGES THE CHRISTIANS TO

STAY IN IRAQ.

AND I SAY TO THEM, I'M

NOT GOING TO LEAVE YOU.

PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME.

Reporter: BUT IT IS

EASY TO UNDERSTAND WHY

CHRISTIANS STILL IN THE

COUNTRY WANT TO LEAVE.

REBECCA AND OLI HAD BEEN

MARRIED FOR OVER TWO

DECADES, AND WERE RAISING

THEIR THREE CHILDREN IN

MUSUL, LOCATED ON THE WEST

BANK OF THE TIGRES RIVER.

OLI GREW UP IN AN ORTHODOX

FAMILY, BUT JOINED AN

EVANGELICAL CHURCH GROUP IN

2009.

IT WAS DURING THAT TIME HE

BECAME MORE PASSIONATE ABOUT

HIS FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST.

THERE WAS A BIG

DIFFERENCE.

IT WAS LIKE A BOMB.

HE BECAME LIKE A BOMB.

HE PRAYED EVERY DAY FOR

THREE HOURS, FROM MIDNIGHT

UNTIL 3:00.

HE WOULD COME AND WAKE ME

AND SAY, LET'S PRAY

TOGETHER.

HE ASKED THAT WE BE FILLED

WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT.

HE FELT GOD HAD PUT THE

HEALING GIFT IN HIS HANDS.

HE PRAYED FOR SICK PEOPLE.

Reporter: AS A RESULT,

OLI HAD AN INSATIABLE DESIRE

TO LEAD MUSLIMS TO JESUS,

EVEN GOING TO THE MOSQUES TO

TELL THEM ABOUT THE GOSPEL.

IN THIS PHOTO, TAKEN IN

2011, HE WAS PRAYINGORY

MOSUL, WHERE CHRISTIANS ARE

OFTEN SINGLED OUT FOR

ATTACKS BY MILITANT

MUSLIMS.

BETWEEN JANUARY AND MARCH OF

2012, OLI LED SEVEN MUSLIMS

TO CHRIST, AND BROUGHT HIS

FIRST CONVERT FROM ISLAM

HOME WITH HIM TO WASH HIS

FEET.

OLI'S BOLDNESS ALSO DREW THE

ATTENTION OF ISLAMISTS WHO

WANTED TO SILENCE HIM.

SHE BELIEVES HER HUSBAND WAS

WARNED MANY TIMES TO STOP

TELLING MUSLIMS ABOUT

CHRIST.

OLI WAS KIDNAPPED ON MARCH

19th, 2012, AND WAS

TORTURED FOR THREE DAYS

BEFORE BEING SHOT NINE

TIMES.

REBECCA'S PASTOR WARNED HER

NOT TO OPEN THE CASKET TO

SEE HER HUSBAND'S

BULLET-RIDDLED BODY, BUT SHE

DID ANYWAY.

HE TOLD ME THAT THEY SHOT

HIM FIVE TIMES IN THE HEAD.

I SAID, NO, I WANT TO SEE

HIM.

SO THEY OPENED THE CASKET.

WHEN I SAW HIM, I SAW A BIG

SMILE ON HIS FACE.

AFTER THAT, THEY CLOSED IT.

AND WE GOT READY TO TAKE HIM

TO HIS VILLAGE.

WHEN THEY TOOK HIM TO THE

CHURCH, A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE

SAYING BAD THINGS ABOUT

THOSE WHO KILLED HIM.

BUT I DIDN'T ACCEPT THAT

INTO MY HEART.

I WAS PRAYING FOR THOSE

PEOPLE WHO KILLED HIM.

I AM PROUD OF HIM BECAUSE HE

DIED FOR JESUS.

George: AND YOU CAN SEE

MORE OF GREG'S REPORTING

FROM IRAQ AND OTHER PLACES

IN THE WORLD AT THE V.O.M.

CANADA PAGE.

YOU CAN FIND THE LINK AT

CBNNEWS.COM.

WE'LL BE BACK RIGHT AFTER

THIS.

George: TORNADOES SWEPT

THROUGH THE AMERICAN SOUTH

THIS WEEK, KILLING AT LEAST

35 PEOPLE.

CBN'S "OPERATION BLESSING"

IS ON THE GROUND IN TUPELO,

MISSISSIPPI, WHICH TOOK A

DIRECT HIT.

"OPERATION BLESSING" HAS SET

UP A MOBILE COMMAND POST AT

A LOCAL CHURCH.

TEAMS ARE HELPING RESIDENTS

WITH DEBRIS REMOVAL AND

MINISTERING TO SPIRITUAL

NEEDS.

ANGELA'S HOME WAS DESTROYED

IN THE STORM.

SHE SAYS I IT WAS A MIRACLE

SHE AND HER THREE CHILDREN

WOULD NOT OM A HOME AT THE

TIME, AND SHE IS GRATEFUL

FOR "OPERATION BLESSING'S"

HELP.

THERE IS A TUB BEHIND

YOU, AND THAT'S THE TUB FOR

NINE YEARS WE ALWAYS TOOK

SHELTER IN DURING A TORNADO

WARNING.

HAD WE BEEN HERE, THAT'S THE

TUB WE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN.

SO GOD MOVES IN MYSTERIOUS

WAYS, AND I THINK HE WAS

WITH US DURING THIS.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE WOULD

DO WITHOUT PEOPLE LIKE YOU

GUYS COMING IN AND

ASSISTING.

George: DEVASTATING AND

INCREDIBLE.

WE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR THE

VICTIMS OF THOSE STORMS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR

JOINING US THIS WEEK.

UNTIL NEXT WEEK, GOOD-BYE

AND GOD BLESS YOU.