Thursday,
July 7, 2005
SOMBER MOOD AT GLENEAGLES
G8 SUMMIT
AS LONDON IS ROCKED BY TERRORIST ATTACKS
By Peter
Wooding at the G8 Summit
GLENEAGLES, SCOTLAND (ANS) -- It
was a very different mood here at the G8 Summit media centre in
Gleneagles, Scotland today, as journalists gathered around large
television screens to witness the tragic events taking place in London
following a number of bombings on public transport. As we watched these
terrible scenes, Keith Ewing with Christian charity Tearfund told me:
"I feel like the wind has been knocked out of me."
Yesterday UK journalists were celebrating as they watched TV screens
for the announcement that London had won their 2012 Olympic bid, but
today the mood was very different as press conferences on Climate
change were postponed and Tony Blair was helicoptered down to London
while the G8 leaders continued their meetings.
Earlier today I traveled to the nearby small town of Auchterarder where
violent protests took place yesterday, and where the police presence
outnumbers the town's population of 3,000. I went to report on how the
local churches are making the most of this opportunity to highlight the
Make Poverty History campaign and be a Christian witness to the
numerous visitors and protestors in the town.
The churches have come together to welcome visitors with a Global Cafe
that's been decked out like a typical African village with a water
pump, a chicken coup and even an African hut outside. Bottles of water
are being sold to raise money for water pumps in Africa and inside
Fairtrade products are being sold. Organizers of the Global Cafe
explained that the protestors were taken aback by the welcome they'd
received from the local Christians in contrast to how they felt they'd
been treated by others.
Inside the Auchterarder parish church Christians are holding a 24 hour
a day prayer vigil through the G8 summit. On a large video screen is
beamed the names of the G8 leaders as intercessors are directed to pray
for them.
The Salvation Army has been providing a soup kitchen for visitors and a
YMCA bus has been giving out free teas and coffees while sharing the
Gospel message with protestors. I even saw several police officers
board the bus out of curiosity.
Tonight I reported live on one of UCB's affiliate radio stations in the
U.S. KDOV, and urged listeners to pray for our nation and the G8 summit
at this very difficult time and I ask all of you to pray for us for
God's peace to reign.
 Peter Wooding is senior news
editor for the UK-based Christian radio network UCB Europe. He has
traveled extensively reporting from places such as Croatia, Dubai, St
Petersburg, Russia, South Korea, Zambia and Israel. He is also the
director of ASSIST Europe, and will be leading his first mission trip
with the ministry this summer to Beslan in Russia. Previously Peter
served as a missionary for five years with Youth With A Mission, where
he met his wife who's from North Wales where they now live with their
three daughters. (Pictured:
Peter Wooding being interview for Korean TV).
ASSIST News Service (ANS) www.assistnews.net
-- E-mail: danjuma1@aol.com
|