Relief

Indianapolis Colts offensive linebacker Seth Olsen recently returned from his first trip to Uganda, where he saw how God is using his people to provide physical and spiritual water to villagers.

Olsen just returned from a 10-day trip to the Alyet Village in northern Uganda, where he witnessed first-hand how his donation to Lifewater International is helping to prevent a wide range of problems, from diseases to kidnapping.

The 6-foot, 4-inch, 305-pound football player is a benefactor of Lifewater International, a non-profit Christian organization that helps improve water, sanitation and hygiene for people in some of the poorest regions in the world. more >>

In an attempt to crack down on fraudulent adoptions in Ethiopia, the U.S. Embassy apparently became overzealous. This past fall, adoptive parents of Ethiopian children believe that officials there had badgered witnesses and falsified information in the case files used to obtain visas for their adopted children.

Concerns about adoptions in Ethiopia increased in the spring of 2010 after several pieces of investigative journalism, including a Dutch documentary and CBS News report, found cases of child trafficking.

Ethiopian parents were being misled into giving up their children. They were promised money, or led to believe that their child was going to the United States to receive an education and would return to them, according to these reports. more >>

Christian ministry leader "Mama Maggie" Gobran has been nominated for the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize by several members of the United States Congress for her selfless work offering aid and assistance to the impoverished people of Cairo's garbage slums.

Congressmen Frank Wolf, Bill Huizenga, Joseph Pitts, Robert Aderholt, and John Carter all signed a letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee Council urging council members to consider "Mama Maggie" for the prestigious award. The deadline for nominations closed on Wednesday of last week.

"Ms. Gobran is a woman of the utmost integrity and her tireless work has served thousands of Egyptians, including countless children. She has given a voice to the poor," the letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee read. more >>

Imagine if a little cube could help save the lives of one million children every year.

E3 Resources, an organization that provides tools for missions and evangelism, has staff in Africa this week working with more than 50 leaders from Kenya and surrounding regions talking about the life-saving possibilities of the MalariaCube.

The cube is a simple tool that is covered with pictures to help raise awareness on the effects of malaria. It can be bent different ways to reveal a variety of pictures, and educate viewers on the causes, prevention, and treatments for the disease. more >>

Humanitarian efforts in Somalia have ceased, as al-Shabaab rebels have announced a ban on International Red Cross (ICRC) workers from providing aid.

The drought that has taken over Somalia is quickly getting worse, and the ICRC ban will deeply concern aid workers and organizations in the region. Al-Shabaab claims that the ICRC has "repeatedly betrayed the trust conferred on it by the local population and, in recent weeks, falsely accused the Mujahideen [al-Shabaab fighters] of hindering food distribution."

A statement from al-Shabaab said, "A thorough inspection of ICRC warehouses and food depots throughout the Islamic Administrations governed by the Mujahideen has revealed that up to 70 percent of the food stored for distribution by the organization was deemed unfit for human consumption." more >>

Correction appended

International evangelist Luis Palau joined the Capital Christian Center in Sacramento, Calif., Sunday to announce the start of his "Season of Service" campaign that seeks to inspire the city's residents to log in three million community service hours this year.

The campaign was promoted ahead of the annual "March for The Dream" in honor of Martin Luther King Jr., which starts Monday morning in Sacramento, KCRA 3 reported. The event is described as the "largest multi-cultural march in the region," and reportedly drew 20,000 people during the 2011 event. more >>