Story number 2 for 30 Jan 2002

(Colombia)–We turn elsewhere to Colombia where there’s word that the guerrilla rebels have been targeting pastors for assassinations. That issue will be on the table during peace talks this week in Havana, Cuba. The government and rebels are looking for an accord that would include the protection of civilians. Book of Hope’s Rob Hoskins. “The teen assassin is the latest ‘secret weapon’ of the drug trade and the rebel groups in Colombia. In Medellin, over five thousand teenagers have already committed murder for hire there.” Hoskins says their work has been directly impacted by this problem. He tells the story of ‘Alex’, whose goal in life was to assassinate a local pastor. However, God intervened six months ago. “One of the Books of Hope that we pass out in the schools reached Alex. Alex read the Book; he was so intrigued by it, he couldn’t put it down. The story goes on: Alex found Christ; he was saved. The pastor’s life was saved, and Alex now leads worship for that local church.”