In Depth:  Morning Star

The Morning Star team’s prayers were answered regarding its desperate financial situation.

Before Christmas, there seemed little possibility of meeting the everyday needs of the organisation. Christmas functions had to be cancelled, vehicle and washing-machine repairs couldn’t be undertaken. They were uncertain that they would be able to provide the children who attend school with assistance for stationery and uniforms.

A Christian charity working with children with HIV in South Africa is suffering an acute short-age of funds, it was reported in December.

Morning Star Children’s Centre has been caring for children of all ages for more than 20 years in Welcome, a poor area of the Free State. It has seen a loss of funds due to an account change which saw donors lost due to their being untraceable, or people reviewing their giving.

On 14 June, a month after a crowd of Hindus from Hunter village, Palamu district in Jharkhand state, summoned 25 Christians, tied up six of them and beat them with sticks, some of the assailants came across one of the Christians and asked if he was still worshipping Christ.

When Gunni Bhuiya told them he still believed in and worshipped Christ, the Hindu extremists manhandled him and threatened to kill him. ‘They told Bhuiya that, as the Christians are still worshipping Christ even after they had received severe beatings, they were now going to kill them’, area pastor Sanjay Kumar Ravi said.