Project Hannah April 2013

Praying—Increasing Awareness—Reaching Out Through Women of Hope Radio Programs

VIOLENCE IN SOUTH AFRICA

In early February, a young girl was gang-raped and mu�lated in a small town outside of Cape Town.

And the recent convic�on of Oscar Pistorius, Olympic and Paralympic athlete—charged with

murdering his girlfriend—brought shock waves to South Africa and to the world. These are just two

examples, but both highlight the severe, and o+en brutal, violence against women in South Africa.

Both tragedies are bringing a-en�on to this devasta�ng reality.

It is es�mated that every 17 seconds a woman is raped in South Africa and that over 40% of South

African women will be raped in their life�me, with only 1 in 9 rapes reported (h-p://www.sa-

people.com/2011/03/28/south-african-rape-sta�s�cs/). According to rape.co.za (Rape Sta�s�cs -

South Africa & Worldwide 2011), women born in South Africa have more chance of being raped than

of learning how to read.

RAPE AND VIOLENCE IN INDIA

This past February, three li-le girls, sisters aged 6 to 11, were raped, murdered and their bodies

dumped into a well in a rural village in western India. It is believed that the girls, whose mother is a

poor, widowed domes�c servant, were hungry and were lured by their a-acker with food. This

horrific news story comes only two months a+er the brutal gang-rape of a young Delhi student, which

triggered outrage against not only violence towards women but the discrimina�on many live with

their en�re lives.

THE WORK OF PRAYER

You have o+en heard that prayer is hard work. No doubt you know this to be true from your own

personal experience. And it is o+en in �mes of spiritual ba-le that we feel this most keenly.

I recently read that when we became Chris�ans, we le+ civilian life and entered the ba-lefield. While

we know that Christ has the ul�mate victory, here on earth Satan works diligently to delay His final

defeat as long as possible by engaging in a ruthless ba-le. Some�mes it is easy to forget that there is

a ba-le raging; yet, there are indica�ons of its existence all around us. As part of Project Hannah, you

are acutely aware that women suffer greatly in this ba-le. This newsle-er briefly looks at some

current issues—against women directly and situa�ons impac�ng their lives—that underscore the

ba-le in which we find ourselves.

Celebra�ng the resurrec�on of Christ is a wonderful �me to reflect on

the great gi+ we’ve been given, and to renew our passion for prayer on

behalf of those who are suffering, those who don’t know the love and

hope Jesus offers. Let’s make our requests known to our Lord, believing

through faith that He is Sovereign, that He will equip us in ba-le and

that He does reign! Please con�nue to join us in this hard work of

prayer. Because He lives, we are victorious!

Praying with you,

Colleen Shoemaker � Canadian Coordinator for Project Hannah

TWR Canada � Box 25324 � London, Ontario � N6C 6B1 � 1.888.672.6510 � hannah@twrcanada.org

INTRODUCE YOUR FRIENDS TO PROJECT HANNAH

As you know, by praying and partnering together we are making a difference in this ba-le. Why not

introduce Project Hannah to your friends?

We are offering a new booklet, designed to provide an overview to Project

Hannah and the role TWR Canada plays. It is a great tool to share the ministry

with others.

Please call or email if you would like to receive copies to share with your

friends, Bible Study group members, or prayer partners. We’d love to send

them to you.

FLOODING IN MOZAMBIQUE

Mozambique experienced serious floods as a result of a solid week of heavy rain earlier this year. The

floods destroyed exis�ng infrastructure such as roads and buildings; many crops are destroyed, and

over 150,000 people lost their homes. With flooding of this nature, serious health issues become a

factor, and cholera has already reportedly killed 98 people.

Our Project Hannah Coordinator, Esperanca, writes: “People who

are in the government evacua�on loca�on are not safe. People are

cooking, washing clothes and taking baths nearby. However, they

do not have water except what is brought in by car. There is lack of

proper hygiene, and the people are vulnerable to sickness.

“Please pray for us. God is great, and He will help us to find something to

give to them. In Xai-Xai, they asked us for food because their livelihood was

destroyed by the water. The government gives food to those who lost their

houses. Those whose homes were not destroyed are not given food. We

need your prayers for wisdom in how to help them overcome this poverty.

We thank you all, because your prayers give us strength.”

Pray for the Project Hannah teams in Mozambique to mobilize the church

of Mozambique and Chris�an organiza�ons to provide basic needs to the

vic�ms. As well, pray for Esperanca who is coordina�ng the work to make

sure the vic�ms receive proper a-en�on, and for Salvador, Director for

TWR Mozambique, as he mobilizes teams of pastors and medical doctors

to speak on the radio to educate and comfort people during this suffering.

POLITICAL UNREST IN MALI CONTINUES

Mali has experienced more than a year of occupa�on. During this �me, many women have lost their

husbands, many children have become orphans, and countless women have been raped. The terror and

suffering are beyond our understanding.

One Project Hannah contact writes, “Pray for all those women who have been raped and humiliated.

Many of these women [can] no longer raise her head because of the heavy wounds of the heart, and

[pray for] their husbands who helplessly witnessed the crimes commi-ed against their wives and even

their children.”