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WORLD NEWS

Venezuela

Things in Venezuela are chaotic.

Nicolás Maduro is doubling down, maintaining that he won July’s presidential election despite a loooong list of countries—including the U.S.—claiming opposition candidate Edmundo González should be taking office. To prove his victory, team González has published tallies from ~80% of voting machines; the Maduro-run electoral council says it can’t release the “official” tally due to an election-night cyber attack.

Monday, Maduro’s government issued an arrest warrant for González, accusing him of usurpation, fraud, and conspiracy. 

Yesterday, the U.S., E.U., and nine Latin American countries condemned the warrant, urging Maduro to respect “the will of the Venezuelan people.” The U.S. went further, seizing Maduro’s presidential plane in the Dominican Republic, claiming its purchase violated U.S. sanctions. Venezuela denounced the plane-napping as an act of “piracy.”
 
(We’re also covering this story Thursday in Decaf. Decaf is The Pour Over for Families. Sign up—for free—here.)
 
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Verse to consider when the chaos is overwhelming, and the future is uncertain… “The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need. He lets me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters. He renews my life; he leads me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me.”
Psalm 23:1-4 (CSB) (read full passage)

WORLD NEWS

Mourning in Israel

Israelis are divided over how to end the war with Hamas.

The recovery of six recently slain hostages reignited protests in Israel, with crowds Sunday swelling to their largest since the war began. Demonstrators want Israel to make more concessions to get the remaining 95 hostages home—a stance President Biden agrees with. 

Not everyone thinks compromise is the solution. Worker strikes on Monday saw muted participation, and Israeli PM Netanyahu is firmly refusing to concede to Hamas. Monday night, Netanyahu said that making concessions—like relinquishing control of Gaza’s Egyptian border, a sticking point in negotiations—would encourage Hamas to “kill more hostages.”

Meanwhile, in Iraq, the U.S. teamed up with Iraqi forces Saturday in a raid against ISIS operatives that killed at least 15 militants (including “key ISIS leaders”) and wounded seven American service members.
 
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CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
War is a heavy burden that highlights our world’s need for restoration. Jesus came to bear that burden of sin, lighten our load, and restore our world. Pray that the Middle East would experience that restoration and glorify the Messiah Jesus. 

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” 
Matthew 11:28–30 (CSB) (read full passage)

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WORLD NEWS

Arrivals

Bloodshed continues in the war in Ukraine.

In one of the deadliest Russian attacks since the war began, two ballistic missiles struck a military training facility and a nearby hospital in Poltava, Ukraine (200 miles southeast of Kyiv), yesterday, killing at least 50 and injuring 200 more. 

President Zelenskyy renewed his pleas for additional help from the U.S. and European allies, saying that every day more munitions don’t arrive “means more lost lives.”

The attack occurred the same day President Putin received a red-carpet welcome from Mongolia, whose leaders ignored an international warrant for Putin’s arrest over alleged war crimes. While it has built a good relationship with Western countries, Mongolia remains economically dependent upon its two powerful neighbors: Russia to the north and China to the south.

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CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
War and the evil it exposes are a terrible reminder that the world is not as it should be. Seek peace where you are and trust that the Lord will end all war in his perfect timing.

“If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone… Do not avenge yourselves… because it is written: ‘Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay,’ says the Lord... Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.”
Romans 12:18–21 (CSB) (read full passage)

Around 10,000 hotel workers took early checkouts (from work) this week. Employees at major hotel chains––including Hilton, Marriott, and Hyatt––went on strike in eight cities, demanding higher pay and a return to pre-pandemic staffing levels. They say cuts made during the pandemic were never reversed, even after customers returned. 
 

An attempted jailbreak at Congo’s largest (and notoriously overcrowded) prison left 129 dead on Monday. The majority of deaths were caused by a stampede; authorities also reported that multiple female inmates were sexually abused, and part of the prison was burned during the chaos. The prison houses over 12,000 inmates despite an official capacity of 1,500. 
 

Disney-owned channels, including ESPN and ABC, went dark for millions of DirecTV customers on Sunday amid tense contract negotiations (Disney wants more money for its content… DirecTV wants to pay less). The U.S. Open was in full swing when coverage cut out, and would-be watchers of the USC-LSU game enjoyed 3 hours of an error message instead of football.
 

A “covert” white Beluga whale, accused of spying on behalf of Russia, has died off the Norwegian coast. The agent—jokingly named Hvaldimir, a combination of the Norwegian word for whale “hval” and Russian President “Vladimir” Putin—made international headlines in 2019 after being discovered harnessed with a camera labeled “Equipment, St. Petersburg.” He became a beloved celebrity whose passing is mourned. 
 

Goodbye, lava lamps and pizza-box end tables; hello, designer dorm rooms. It’s back-to-school season, and the National Retail Federal reported that students spent an average $1,365—almost double what dorm dwellers spent 10 years ago—to decorate their rooms. To be fair, some kids are drawing up the average with a viral new trend: paying $10k+ for dorm designers.

WHIPPED CREAM ON TOP

Got your tail…!

What We’re Becoming
Groundbreakers*

Abdul: “Can you ensure this will not be leaked…?” *Nervously building up the courage to hit send* “I have accepted Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior.”

Nasir: “Praise God! You can join us in a Zoom meeting for a Bible study.”

This is part of a real conversation enabled by ICM, a ministry that is using technology to support believers where in-person discipleship is often not possible. Their monthly giving program, Groundbreakers, provides a secure place for believers like Abdul to worship and be discipled.

Many regions remain hostile to Christianity, but Groundbreakers supports Christians there anyway. We’ll match the first $1,000 given by new Groundbreakers today.

What We’re Reading
My Hair Can*

From cool curls to crisp fades, from long locs to beaded braids… this rhyming picture book highlights every child’s God-given uniqueness and innate worth by celebrating their hair. 

This book is full of joy and color (see the illustrations), encouraging each one-of-a-kind child to see God’s glory in themselves while challenging them to value others’ differences. It’s the perfect read-aloud book for children ages 4-7. 

And for some added fun, it’s the debut book of former NFL Pro Bowl running back Matt Forté!

Learn more about the book (and your hair).