Podcasts about syrian

The Rev. Nick Lannon preaches a sermon on 2 Kings 5, in which a Syrian general tries to purchase a healing that he can only have for free. Nothing we can do will earn us God's love...it is only given for free in Jesus Christ.

As the Syrian civil war escalated, the Syrian government began obstructing access to humanitarian relief in rebel held parts of the country. So, in 2014 the UN Security Council took the extraordinary step of allowing the United Nations to deliver humanitarian relief to parts of Syria without the consent of the Syrian government and in violation of Syrian sovereignty. Since then, humanitarian aid has been able to reach besieged parts of Syria through border crossings, mainly from Turkey into Northern Syria. But in recent years divisions at the Security Council, namely Russian objections to this arrangement, have significantly limited this aid operation. There is now just one border crossing in which aid is delivered from Turkey to rebel held parts of Idlib province in northern Syria. And on July 10th, that last border crossing may close.  Today's episode is in two parts. First, you will hear from Vanessa Jackson the UN representative for Care International. She explains the broader diplomatic context in which this last border crossing may be forced shut by Russia. Then, you will hear my conversation with Ismail Alabdullah who is a volunteer in Idlib with the White Helmets, a local humanitarian relief and rescue organization. He discusses at length the humanitarian situation in Idlib and the implications of severing the last cross border lifeline of humanitarian aid. 

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday. Editor David Horovitz and military correspondent Emanuel Fabian join host Amanda Borschel-Dan in today's episode. The IDF said yesterday that it had successfully intercepted three drones flown by the Lebanese Hezbollah terror group that were heading for the Karish gas field off Israel's Mediterranean coast. We're hearing reports that the IDF had advanced information. How did that influence the interception? According to Israeli television, also yesterday morning, the IDF allegedly hit a Syrian town near the port city of Tartus that was apparently the site of Iranian attempts to bring “game changing” air defense systems to Syria. The IDF hasn't acknowledged the strike, but if true, what is different about this operation? The new election date is set for November 1 but there's still some last-minute business that has to be taken care of before the campaigns can really and truly be revved up. Horovitz brings us up to speed. Prime Minister Yair Lapid gave his inaugural address in his new office last night. What were Horovitz's takeaways? Lapid has already moved to Balfour, but not exactly to the residence. Where is he and why? Finally, we speak briefly about our second ToI@10 event this Wednesday night, celebrating a decade of The Times of Israel with an evening of archaeology. Discussed articles include: IDF had advance intel on Hezbollah attempt to launch drones at Karish gas field IDF shoots down 3 Hezbollah drones heading for Karish gas field Syria says Israeli jets conduct rare daytime airstrike on southern coast Alleged Israeli strike in Syria targeted ‘game changing' Iranian air defenses — TV Without naming him, Lapid seeks to portray Netanyahu as Israel's national nemesis Lapid moves into ‘secure' apartment near PM's residence, amid construction work TICKETS for the LIVE EVENT: Hi-tech archaeology reveals secrets of ancient Jerusalem's destructions Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts. IMAGE: Israeli caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid arrives for the first cabinet meeting days after lawmakers dissolved parliament, in Jerusalem, July 3, 2022. (Gil Cohen-Magen/Pool via AP) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Denmark revoked the residency permits of hundreds of Syrians, including many women, ho would now have to return to their homeland. Although refugees of war in the EU are usually protected from deportation, Denmark has broken that consensus. It's intended as deterrence, experts believe.

Facts & Spin for June 30 2022 top stories: Reports say that 300 thousand people were killed in the Syrian civil war and 450 thousand people were killed in the Colombian civil war, three Democrat-backed candidates are defeated in Colorado's Republican primaries, the Supreme Court allows Louisiana to use a Republican-drawn map, and sides with doctors convicted of overprescribing opioids, the G7 pledges to rebuild Ukraine while Russia calls NATO's expansion destabilizing, A Scottish leader calls for voting for independence from England, a prison fire kills at least 51 in Colombia, the NATO summit begins In Madrid, Ernst & Young are fined $100M over cheating on ethics exams and the EU agrees to cut greenhouse emission. Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/

Curator Ekow Eshun on creating In The Black Fantastic: the UK's first major exhibition dedicated to the work of Black artists who use fantastical elements to address racial injustice and explore alternative realities. With works from 11 contemporary artists from the African diaspora, it delves into myth, science fiction, traditions, and the legacy of Afrofuturism to address colonialism, racial politics and identity. Encompassing painting, photography, video, sculpture and mixed-media installations, the exhibition features artists including Nick Cave, Hew Locke, Chris Ofili and Lina Iris Viktor. Dubbed the Queen of the Qanun, Maya Youssef is a composer and virtuoso of the Syrian instrument. The qanun is typically played by men, but Maya broke the mould as a young musician growing up in Damascus. Her new album ‘Finding Home' deals with emotions dealing with the loss of her homeland as well as being inspired by coping with lockdowns, and weaves a musical tapestry of traditional Syrian music with Western classical and jazz. Maya performs live in the studio. The artist Colin Davidson is best known for his portraits of high profile figures including Bill Clinton, Brad Pitt and the Queen. A new exhibition of his work spans his whole career, including some works painted while he was still at school. Kathy Clugston joins Colin Davidson on a walk around the exhibition to hear about his process when capturing famous faces and why he never imagined he'd be a portrait painter. Presenter: Elle Osili-Wood Producer: Kirsty McQuire Image: Lina Iris Viktor, Eleventh, 2018. Pure 24 karat gold, acrylic, ink, copolymer resin, print on matte canvas. © 2018. Courtesy the Artist. From In The Black Fantastic at London's Hayward Gallery.

Welcome back to Episode TWO of The Journey - a 6-part podcast series following migration routes from Africa, The Middle East and Ukraine, to northern Europe.People often ask me ‘Why don't refugees stay in the first safe country they land in? It's a comment I see a lot on social media and one I feel there is a lot of judgment and misinformation around. This episode is designed to answer exactly that. I'd like everyone who genuinely wonders about this question, to be able to listen to this and fully understand why a person's journey can go on to span many countries.We'll be hearing from six incredible women... both refugees and people working in the humanitarian space in countries like Turkey and Lebanon, that border Syria and other conflict zones….Our first stop in Turkey, the country which hosts the most refugees in the world. Here we visit Anne O'Rorke, an retired entrepreneur who left her home in Ireland to set up a community centre for Syrians in Turkey called Tiafi.Next up we head to Beirut where we hear from Dalal, who works for UNHCR, and my lovely friend Dara from Syrian eyes.The final stop is Egypt where you will hear from another four incredible women from Eritrea, South Sudan, Egypt and America about what life looks like for refugees here.It's a big and important episode. Remember to let me know your thoughts!To find out more about the organisations featured in this episode:https://tiafi.org/ https://www.syrianeyes.org/https://stars-egypt.org/To support this podcast:https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/thewwtjourneyTo buy our merch:https://theworldwidetribeshop.com/–Many of the people we spoke to along this journey are being supported by projects funded by Comic Relief. Thanks to donations from the UK public, Comic Relief's Across Borders programme has invested over £7 million in organisations supporting refugees and people seeking asylum along these routes. Find out more about Comic Relief's work and how to support it at comicrelief.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Here's a question that is sure to cause debate. -Does God still heal-- I believe He does. Perhaps you'll agree with me as we look at the story of Naaman, a Syrian commander during the time of Elisha.

•  Spring rain is definitely going to be coming back for the next season, and I've gotten some information about other people from friends that definitely need to be interviewed, so I'm really excited about that. But before that, I wanted to leave you all with a circle of empowerment, I felt very called. I called in my own circle of empowerment while I was swimming, and I felt really called to do that for all of you. We're in such fast-changing times and there is so much being offered to us that is really negative and scary, and I just want to remind myself daily and remind all of you, we do not have to accept what's being presented to us, we are all powerful creators, we all have the ability to create what we desire. And what we're seeing in our outer realms is all about what we are focusing on in our inner realms. Heal into Happy is all about us really discovering the YOUniverse, that is within all of us. Exploring it, developing it, having fun with it, getting to know it, and in doing so, we become so powerful and we're all huge energetic balls of light playing here on this mystery school earth plane. (2:45)•   So let's do that together. First, let's just take a big deep breath together, breathe in through your nose, hold it all the way down in your belly, and then breathe out, really getting present in this now moment, call in a circle of empowerment together. As we call in a circle of empowerment, I love to use my imagination, it's really nice to have our eyes closed and we're in the middle of this beautiful circle that is so empowering, and it's really calling all of the parts of ourselves back home. So now we're in this beautiful circle, and from the north, we call in white buffalo woman, she has a thousand thunder beings coming to protect us, and she brings in her beautiful white Buffalos and they're all stamping around us now, and all of the earth that's all around us now is being consecrated with God's love, abundance, and it's becoming so... Activating, so as we're calling in the circle of empowerment together, magnificent things are happening to the crystalline grid of the earth plane that we are now an happening. They're so thankful to see white buffalo woman, and she puts her hand to our heart and she congratulates us for going on this mission, this mission of love, this mission to help bring everyone home to who they truly are, this mission of global awakening, this mission of going into the Golden Age together hand-in hand, walking one another home. She sees us as brave warriors that are doing so much good, and we will all be celebrated when we transition from being humans into who we truly are. We have so many people and mentors and allies and guides loving us and celebrating that we've chosen to come here. We are never alone. (4:51)•    From the north east, comes beautiful winged Isis, she of a thousand names. She's coming to help us walk the beauty way, she's coming to show us what's possible with having angel wings in this lifetime. She's so powerful and so loving, and she's offering us so much love. I see her beautiful Angel wings. So big, so white, so sparkly, she's a beautiful pillar of light for us. From the east, comes Hathor, she of a thousand voices, she's coming in to help us activate, she's coming in to help us become brave enough to speak and to share what's on our heart, and to be all that we came here to be by helping others, by activating others, by our voice alone, that is such a powerful thing to just speak authentically about how we're feeling. She comes in with her Syrian Star Nation, and the Syrian lions, there's so much blue and white that I see at her pillar of light. Now, from the south east comes green Tara. She of a thousand stars coming to empower us, her beautiful calling in is,  Om Tare Tuttare Ture Soha, Om Tare Tuttare Ture Soha, Om Tare Tuttare Ture Soha. She's with us in such a big way. Today, I opened up the SOFIA code to her chapter, and I have her beautiful alter card right by me, she is offering us so much love and so much excitement of us feeling into how empowered by Dr. It's just to ask to remember, I highly recommend getting the Sophia code and reading through it, it's so empowering, it's so activating, and it's all about us remembering who we truly are. (7:04)• And now from the south comes Mother Mary, she of a thousand roses coming to bless us, coming to walk with us, she loves to be with us when we're earthing at the beach or on grass, anywhere where we're connecting with earth, she's always loving us. And she's healing any traumas that we have around mother wounds. I was just with her in the pool, and I felt her helping me heal some parts of my wounds, of my relationship with my mother. And I was just offering my mother so much love and just remembering that she was always doing the best that she ever could, and in every now moment, we're always doing the best that we possibly can. Just remembering that and feeling into it. Now, beautiful Mary Magdalene comes in from the southwest, she of a thousand angels, she's coming in to anoint us with infinite love. She's coming in to help us anchor in Christ consciousness. She comes in with her beloved Geshua, St. Germain, St. Joan of Arch, and all of the Archangels. Such a powerful pillar of light with so much protection, so much love and so much celebration, as we start to really innerstand who we truly are. From the West comes Quan Yin, she of 1000 waters coming to enlighten us, and she comes in with Babaji. Just take a moment to breathe in to all of this love that is surrounding us. How close is your circle? Do you feel that you need to have them very close by, or do you feel that they can be out a little bit further? Visualize each of the pillars, what color are they? Each of the pillars are showing up for you. Really feel into allowing your imagination to flow. Our imagination is a gift from God, and it is so powerful, and it's how we co-create with God. We can really bring a lot through from our imagination, and so as we call in circles of empowerment, it's really important that we visualize and celebrate the things that we can see as we're calling in our circle of empowerment. (10:21)•  Now from the Northwest comes the serafines of the highest high, keycode 777. They are bringing in their violet flames and they're helping burn away anything that no longer serves us. They're also choosing to take us up, up, up, on a dragon ride, we're all soaring through the sky and we're holding on. It feels so fun to be up that high, and it feels so natural to be so loved and so held and so protected. Now we come back down and we're back in the middle of our circle and Sophia, Mother, Father, God or whatever version of what feels good for you for source, is coming in on her white pearlescent dragon, coming in with Ramana and Aurora. Now we're surrounded by so much love, and now we're in the middle of our powerful circle, and we're anchoring in all of this love. Imagine a cord going from you into the crystalline grid of Sophia Gaia so that all of this love can be anchored into our Earth plane. If you feel compelled, if this whole experience makes me want to open up my angel wings and they're unfurling, it feels so good to let them be here. Now we're in the middle of the circle, we're feeling so loved and so activated, and now we can pray for the collective consciousness of all of humanity to have a seat of awareness placed in their heart where they feel this loved and protected to. And all of this experience from us sharing this moment together is going up into the organic collective consciousness right now, where everyone is benefiting from us, creating the circle of empowerment, from us feeling so loved and so cared for and so nourished, everyone is getting to have this as well. (12:06) WAYS TO CONNECT:Visit my website: healintohappiness.comFollow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Heal-Into-HappyTwitter: @healintohappy 

Through his art, Mohamad Hafez confronts preconceived notions of refugees and the "baggage" they may carry. He was recently the subject of an Oscars-shortlisted documentary, an intimate portrait of how Hafez's acclaimed UNPACKEDseries was informed by his own experience leaving Syria. This hour, we visit Hafez at his studio, just above the location of his latest venture, Pistachio Cafe. Hear about why he opened this coffee shop and "cultural salon" in the heart of New Haven's Westville neighborhood. Plus, hear how he has adapted his artwork into workshops with Connecticut schools; and preview an upcoming partnership with the Yale Peabody Museum. "How do you tell these stories artistically? How do you tell that my family or the Syrian family or Iraqi family is worthy of attention?" Hafez says he is "energized to make artwork that brings people together, that teaches them ever-so-gently about that other that they fear, about that other refugee that they think is uncivilized. There's nothing better than sharing humanity, sharing stories, sharing anecdotes about our lives. Because, you know, that's the human connection amongst all of us. GUESTS: Mohamad Hafez:Artist; Architect; Owner, Pistachio Cafe Cat Pastor contributed to this show which originally aired March 24.Where We Live is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts,Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Old Testament: 2 Kings 5–6 2 Kings 5–6 (Listen) Naaman Healed of Leprosy 5 Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper.1 2 Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little girl from the land of Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman's wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” 4 So Naaman went in and told his lord, “Thus and so spoke the girl from the land of Israel.” 5 And the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So he went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels2 of gold, and ten changes of clothing. 6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, “When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Naaman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy.” 7 And when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me.” 8 But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha's house. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.” 11 But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. 12 Are not Abana3 and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. 13 But his servants came near and said to him, “My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, ‘Wash, and be clean'?” 14 So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. Gehazi's Greed and Punishment 15 Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and he came and stood before him. And he said, “Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel; so accept now a present from your servant.” 16 But he said, “As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will receive none.” And he urged him to take it, but he refused. 17 Then Naaman said, “If not, please let there be given to your servant two mule loads of earth, for from now on your servant will not offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any god but the LORD. 18 In this matter may the LORD pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, leaning on my arm, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon your servant in this matter.” 19 He said to him, “Go in peace.” But when Naaman had gone from him a short distance, 20 Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “See, my master has spared this Naaman the Syrian, in not accepting from his hand what he brought. As the LORD lives, I will run after him and get something from him.” 21 So Gehazi followed Naaman. And when Naaman saw someone running after him, he got down from the chariot to meet him and said, “Is all well?” 22 And he said, “All is well. My master has sent me to say, ‘There have just now come to me from the hill country of Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of clothing.'” 23 And Naaman said, “Be pleased to accept two talents.” And he urged him and tied up two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of clothing, and laid them on two of his servants. And they carried them before Gehazi. 24 And when he came to the hill, he took them from their hand and put them in the house, and he sent the men away, and they departed. 25 He went in and stood before his master, and Elisha said to him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?” And he said, “Your servant went nowhere.” 26 But he said to him, “Did not my heart go when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Was it a time to accept money and garments, olive orchards and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male servants and female servants? 27 Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your descendants forever.” So he went out from his presence a leper, like snow. The Axe Head Recovered 6 Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “See, the place where we dwell under your charge is too small for us. 2 Let us go to the Jordan and each of us get there a log, and let us make a place for us to dwell there.” And he answered, “Go.” 3 Then one of them said, “Be pleased to go with your servants.” And he answered, “I will go.” 4 So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. 5 But as one was felling a log, his axe head fell into the water, and he cried out, “Alas, my master! It was borrowed.” 6 Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, he cut off a stick and threw it in there and made the iron float. 7 And he said, “Take it up.” So he reached out his hand and took it. Horses and Chariots of Fire 8 Once when the king of Syria was warring against Israel, he took counsel with his servants, saying, “At such and such a place shall be my camp.” 9 But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are going down there.” 10 And the king of Israel sent to the place about which the man of God told him. Thus he used to warn him, so that he saved himself there more than once or twice. 11 And the mind of the king of Syria was greatly troubled because of this thing, and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not show me who of us is for the king of Israel?” 12 And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.” 13 And he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and seize him.” It was told him, “Behold, he is in Dothan.” 14 So he sent there horses and chariots and a great army, and they came by night and surrounded the city. 15 When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16 He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 18 And when the Syrians came down against him, Elisha prayed to the LORD and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Elisha. 19 And Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” And he led them to Samaria. 20 As soon as they entered Samaria, Elisha said, “O LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see.” So the LORD opened their eyes and they saw, and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. 21 As soon as the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, “My father, shall I strike them down? Shall I strike them down?” 22 He answered, “You shall not strike them down. Would you strike down those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master.” 23 So he prepared for them a great feast, and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the Syrians did not come again on raids into the land of Israel. Ben-hadad's Siege of Samaria 24 Afterward Ben-hadad king of Syria mustered his entire army and went up and besieged Samaria. 25 And there was a great famine in Samaria, as they besieged it, until a donkey's head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and the fourth part of a kab4 of dove's dung for five shekels of silver. 26 Now as the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, saying, “Help, my lord, O king!” 27 And he said, “If the LORD will not help you, how shall I help you? From the threshing floor, or from the winepress?” 28 And the king asked her, “What is your trouble?” She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.' 29 So we boiled my son and ate him. And on the next day I said to her, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him.' But she has hidden her son.” 30 When the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes—now he was passing by on the wall—and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth beneath on his body—31 and he said, “May God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today.” 32 Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. Now the king had dispatched a man from his presence, but before the messenger arrived Elisha said to the elders, “Do you see how this murderer has sent to take off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold the door fast against him. Is not the sound of his master's feet behind him?” 33 And while he was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him and said, “This trouble is from the LORD! Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?” Footnotes [1] 5:1 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13 [2] 5:5 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms; a shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams [3] 5:12 Or Amana [4] 6:25 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams; a kab was about 1 quart or 1 liter (ESV) New Testament: Romans 11 Romans 11 (Listen) The Remnant of Israel 11 I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham,1 a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” 4 But what is God's reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace. 7 What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, 8 as it is written,   “God gave them a spirit of stupor,    eyes that would not see    and ears that would not hear,  down to this very day.” 9 And David says,   “Let their table become a snare and a trap,    a stumbling block and a retribution for them;10   let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see,    and bend their backs forever.” Gentiles Grafted In 11 So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. 12 Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion2 mean! 13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry 14 in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. 15 For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? 16 If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root3 of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. 19 Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. 23 And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree. The Mystery of Israel's Salvation 25 Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers:4 a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,   “The Deliverer will come from Zion,    he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;27   “and this will be my covenant with them    when I take away their sins.” 28 As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now5 receive mercy. 32 For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all. 33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 34   “For who has known the mind of the Lord,    or who has been his counselor?”35   “Or who has given a gift to him    that he might be repaid?” 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. Footnotes [1] 11:1 Or one of the offspring of Abraham [2] 11:12 Greek their fullness [3] 11:17 Greek root of richness; some manuscripts richness [4] 11:25 Or brothers and sisters [5] 11:31 Some manuscripts omit now (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 139 Psalm 139 (Listen) Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 139   O LORD, you have searched me and known me!2   You know when I sit down and when I rise up;    you discern my thoughts from afar.3   You search out my path and my lying down    and are acquainted with all my ways.4   Even before a word is on my tongue,    behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.5   You hem me in, behind and before,    and lay your hand upon me.6   Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;    it is high; I cannot attain it. 7   Where shall I go from your Spirit?    Or where shall I flee from your presence?8   If I ascend to heaven, you are there!    If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!9   If I take the wings of the morning    and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,10   even there your hand shall lead me,    and your right hand shall hold me.11   If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,    and the light about me be night,”12   even the darkness is not dark to you;    the night is bright as the day,    for darkness is as light with you. 13   For you formed my inward parts;    you knitted me together in my mother's womb.14   I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.1  Wonderful are your works;    my soul knows it very well.15   My frame was not hidden from you,  when I was being made in secret,    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.16   Your eyes saw my unformed substance;  in your book were written, every one of them,    the days that were formed for me,    when as yet there was none of them. 17   How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!    How vast is the sum of them!18   If I would count them, they are more than the sand.    I awake, and I am still with you. 19   Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God!    O men of blood, depart from me!20   They speak against you with malicious intent;    your enemies take your name in vain.221   Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD?    And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?22   I hate them with complete hatred;    I count them my enemies. 23   Search me, O God, and know my heart!    Try me and know my thoughts!324   And see if there be any grievous way in me,    and lead me in the way everlasting!4 Footnotes [1] 139:14 Or for I am fearfully set apart [2] 139:20 Hebrew lacks your name [3] 139:23 Or cares [4] 139:24 Or in the ancient way (compare Jeremiah 6:16) (ESV) Proverb: Proverbs 17:24–25 Proverbs 17:24–25 (Listen) 24   The discerning sets his face toward wisdom,    but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.25   A foolish son is a grief to his father    and bitterness to her who bore him. (ESV)

Old Testament: 2 Kings 5–6 2 Kings 5–6 (Listen) Naaman Healed of Leprosy 5 Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper.1 2 Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little girl from the land of Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman's wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” 4 So Naaman went in and told his lord, “Thus and so spoke the girl from the land of Israel.” 5 And the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So he went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels2 of gold, and ten changes of clothing. 6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, “When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Naaman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy.” 7 And when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me.” 8 But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha's house. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.” 11 But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. 12 Are not Abana3 and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. 13 But his servants came near and said to him, “My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, ‘Wash, and be clean'?” 14 So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. Gehazi's Greed and Punishment 15 Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and he came and stood before him. And he said, “Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel; so accept now a present from your servant.” 16 But he said, “As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will receive none.” And he urged him to take it, but he refused. 17 Then Naaman said, “If not, please let there be given to your servant two mule loads of earth, for from now on your servant will not offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any god but the LORD. 18 In this matter may the LORD pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, leaning on my arm, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon your servant in this matter.” 19 He said to him, “Go in peace.” But when Naaman had gone from him a short distance, 20 Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “See, my master has spared this Naaman the Syrian, in not accepting from his hand what he brought. As the LORD lives, I will run after him and get something from him.” 21 So Gehazi followed Naaman. And when Naaman saw someone running after him, he got down from the chariot to meet him and said, “Is all well?” 22 And he said, “All is well. My master has sent me to say, ‘There have just now come to me from the hill country of Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of clothing.'” 23 And Naaman said, “Be pleased to accept two talents.” And he urged him and tied up two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of clothing, and laid them on two of his servants. And they carried them before Gehazi. 24 And when he came to the hill, he took them from their hand and put them in the house, and he sent the men away, and they departed. 25 He went in and stood before his master, and Elisha said to him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?” And he said, “Your servant went nowhere.” 26 But he said to him, “Did not my heart go when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Was it a time to accept money and garments, olive orchards and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male servants and female servants? 27 Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your descendants forever.” So he went out from his presence a leper, like snow. The Axe Head Recovered 6 Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “See, the place where we dwell under your charge is too small for us. 2 Let us go to the Jordan and each of us get there a log, and let us make a place for us to dwell there.” And he answered, “Go.” 3 Then one of them said, “Be pleased to go with your servants.” And he answered, “I will go.” 4 So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. 5 But as one was felling a log, his axe head fell into the water, and he cried out, “Alas, my master! It was borrowed.” 6 Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, he cut off a stick and threw it in there and made the iron float. 7 And he said, “Take it up.” So he reached out his hand and took it. Horses and Chariots of Fire 8 Once when the king of Syria was warring against Israel, he took counsel with his servants, saying, “At such and such a place shall be my camp.” 9 But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are going down there.” 10 And the king of Israel sent to the place about which the man of God told him. Thus he used to warn him, so that he saved himself there more than once or twice. 11 And the mind of the king of Syria was greatly troubled because of this thing, and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not show me who of us is for the king of Israel?” 12 And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.” 13 And he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and seize him.” It was told him, “Behold, he is in Dothan.” 14 So he sent there horses and chariots and a great army, and they came by night and surrounded the city. 15 When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16 He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 18 And when the Syrians came down against him, Elisha prayed to the LORD and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Elisha. 19 And Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” And he led them to Samaria. 20 As soon as they entered Samaria, Elisha said, “O LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see.” So the LORD opened their eyes and they saw, and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. 21 As soon as the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, “My father, shall I strike them down? Shall I strike them down?” 22 He answered, “You shall not strike them down. Would you strike down those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master.” 23 So he prepared for them a great feast, and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the Syrians did not come again on raids into the land of Israel. Ben-hadad's Siege of Samaria 24 Afterward Ben-hadad king of Syria mustered his entire army and went up and besieged Samaria. 25 And there was a great famine in Samaria, as they besieged it, until a donkey's head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and the fourth part of a kab4 of dove's dung for five shekels of silver. 26 Now as the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, saying, “Help, my lord, O king!” 27 And he said, “If the LORD will not help you, how shall I help you? From the threshing floor, or from the winepress?” 28 And the king asked her, “What is your trouble?” She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.' 29 So we boiled my son and ate him. And on the next day I said to her, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him.' But she has hidden her son.” 30 When the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes—now he was passing by on the wall—and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth beneath on his body—31 and he said, “May God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today.” 32 Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. Now the king had dispatched a man from his presence, but before the messenger arrived Elisha said to the elders, “Do you see how this murderer has sent to take off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold the door fast against him. Is not the sound of his master's feet behind him?” 33 And while he was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him and said, “This trouble is from the LORD! Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?” Footnotes [1] 5:1 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13 [2] 5:5 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms; a shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams [3] 5:12 Or Amana [4] 6:25 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams; a kab was about 1 quart or 1 liter (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 139 Psalm 139 (Listen) Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 139   O LORD, you have searched me and known me!2   You know when I sit down and when I rise up;    you discern my thoughts from afar.3   You search out my path and my lying down    and are acquainted with all my ways.4   Even before a word is on my tongue,    behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.5   You hem me in, behind and before,    and lay your hand upon me.6   Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;    it is high; I cannot attain it. 7   Where shall I go from your Spirit?    Or where shall I flee from your presence?8   If I ascend to heaven, you are there!    If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!9   If I take the wings of the morning    and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,10   even there your hand shall lead me,    and your right hand shall hold me.11   If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,    and the light about me be night,”12   even the darkness is not dark to you;    the night is bright as the day,    for darkness is as light with you. 13   For you formed my inward parts;    you knitted me together in my mother's womb.14   I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.1  Wonderful are your works;    my soul knows it very well.15   My frame was not hidden from you,  when I was being made in secret,    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.16   Your eyes saw my unformed substance;  in your book were written, every one of them,    the days that were formed for me,    when as yet there was none of them. 17   How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!    How vast is the sum of them!18   If I would count them, they are more than the sand.    I awake, and I am still with you. 19   Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God!    O men of blood, depart from me!20   They speak against you with malicious intent;    your enemies take your name in vain.221   Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD?    And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?22   I hate them with complete hatred;    I count them my enemies. 23   Search me, O God, and know my heart!    Try me and know my thoughts!324   And see if there be any grievous way in me,    and lead me in the way everlasting!4 Footnotes [1] 139:14 Or for I am fearfully set apart [2] 139:20 Hebrew lacks your name [3] 139:23 Or cares [4] 139:24 Or in the ancient way (compare Jeremiah 6:16) (ESV) New Testament: 1 John 1–2 1 John 1–2 (Listen) The Word of Life 1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our1 joy may be complete. Walking in the Light 5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. Christ Our Advocate 2 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. The New Commandment 7 Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 8 At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because2 the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. 9 Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him3 there is no cause for stumbling. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. 12   I am writing to you, little children,    because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake.13   I am writing to you, fathers,    because you know him who is from the beginning.  I am writing to you, young men,    because you have overcome the evil one.  I write to you, children,    because you know the Father.14   I write to you, fathers,    because you know him who is from the beginning.  I write to you, young men,    because you are strong,    and the word of God abides in you,    and you have overcome the evil one. Do Not Love the World 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life4—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. Warning Concerning Antichrists 18 Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. 20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.5 21 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. 24 Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that he made to us6—eternal life. 26 I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. 27 But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him. Children of God 28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. 29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him. Footnotes [1] 1:4 Some manuscripts your [2] 2:8 Or that [3] 2:10 Or it [4] 2:16 Or pride in possessions [5] 2:20 Some manuscripts you know everything [6] 2:25 Some manuscripts you (ESV)

Last week BTL RADIO SHOW started some cinematic summer globetrotting with films about Mongolia & Genghis Khan and Syrian immigrants rebuilding lives in Canada. This week we continue our cinematic trek and go from the steamy swamps of the bayou in the Southern United States with CHRISTINE CHEN and ERZULIE to the highest point on the Earth – the summit of Mt. Everest – with ALEX HARZ and THE QUEST: NEPAL. First up, director/writer/editor/adventurer ALEX HARZ joins us live talking about his new documentary THE QUEST: NEPAL. Talk about an up close and personal journey!! Alex takes us along on his trek through Kathmandu and up into the Himalayas as he makes his way up Mt. Everest to its summit. Amazing cinematography with even more jaw-dropping images not only shows us the splendor of nature but the beauty of the Nepalese people and their culture. An engaging and entertaining adventurer and filmmaker, I could have chatted with Alex all day talking about THE QUEST: NEPAL. And as you listen to this show, you'll feel the same. I was gobsmacked watching this documentary and even moreso hearing Alex talk about the preparation and journey itself, and the filming process and challenges, especially when it became just Alex filming his first-person POV due to a crew that slowly fell ill from the physical strain and altitude acclimation. And then we travel to the Louisiana Bayou with writer/director/editor CHRISTINE CHEN as Christine joins us talking about her new narrative feature ERZULIE. A little bit of voodoo and four friends reconnecting but each with hidden issues and secrets, a beautiful location serves as the perfect backdrop to a story with socially relevant themes wrapped around a bit of fantasy. As you'll hear from Christine, she brings a wealth of experience as a Second Unit Director and as a Director of shorts and episodics to the table, stepping into this feature directorial. And that experience shows, something that Christine talks about as she dives into research and writing, collaborating with her writing partner Camille Gladney, planning and preparation, night shoots, shooting in water, location, casting and the need for cast bonding, production design and costume, score, the mermaid culture (Yes! It's a thing!), and more. http://eliasentertainmentnetwork.com

I'm so happy to be bringing you episode 1 of The Journey - a 6-part podcast series following migration routes from Africa, The Middle East and Ukraine, to northern Europe.In this episode we're starting from the beginning and exploring why people first embark on their journey. Why do people leave their countries and everything they ever knew behind? What are the push factors? We'll be hearing from people from all over the world about the circumstances that forced them to first become a refugee. Our journey begins in North Africa, in Cairo, the capital city of Egypt, where we spent a week meeting many young people who have fled countries all over Africa, such as Eritrea, South Sudan, Nigeria, Sudan and Somalia and more, and are now living in Egypt. You will hear from Ahmad from Nigeria, Albino from South Sudan and Radhid from Somalia.We then head to Lebanon and hear from ‘M' who shares a different reason for leaving his country - his sexuality. Next we head to Greece to hear from Mustafa, who runs Velos Youth - a wonderful organisation supporting young asylum seekers in Athens.Finally we hear a short poem from a young Syrian named Mohamed in Istanbul, Turkey.To find out more about the organisations featured in this episode:https://stars-egypt.org/https://velosyouth.org/To buy our merch:https://theworldwidetribeshop.com/–Many of the people we spoke to along this journey are being supported by projects funded by Comic Relief. Thanks to donations from the UK public, Comic Relief's Across Borders programme has invested over £7millon in organisations supporting refugees and people seeking asylum along these routes. Find out more about Comic Relief's work and how to support it at comicrelief.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Voice of the GP Episode 2: 20 June 2022. Dr Jillann Farmer is a Brisbane-based GP, who also happens to be the former Medical Director of the United Nations. Dr Farmer talks about her experiences managing the UN's response to Ebola, Zika, COVID-19 and the Syrian chemical weapons crisis, as well as her joy at being back in general practice, despite the current challenges of the profession. Accompanying article in InSight+ can be found here. With MJA news and online editor, Cate Swannell..  

Note: This episode of Danger Close with Jack Carr first aired in June of 2021 in Season 1.   Chris Ryan is a former member of the Special Air Service. He is the bestselling author of seventy fiction and non-fiction books including the Geordie Sharp series, Alpha Force, the Danny Black series and The One That Got Away, which details his experience on E&E (Escape & Evasion) during the 1991 Gulf War. The only member of his eight-man team to not be captured or killed, Chris evaded enemy patrols and survived over a 300 kilometer journey to the Syrian border. It was the longest escape and evasion in the history of the SAS. His book Strike Back was adapted into a TV series for the UK's Sky 1 and he helped create the action-drama TV series Ultimate Force.  He's also hosted popular TV shows including Hunting Chris Ryan, Terror Alert: Could You Survive, How Not to Die, and Armed and Dangerous. You can check out his latest book, Outcast, here.  In this episode, Jack and Chris discuss how Chris survived his 1991 experience in Iraq, his transition from the military into publishing and the importance of reading.   Visit Chris' website: https://www.chrisryanauthor.co.uk/ Navy Federal Credit Union: Today's episode is presented by Navy Federal Credit Union. Learn more about them at navyfederal.org Black Rifle Coffee Company: Today's episode is also brought to you by Black Rifle. Purchase at www.blackriflecoffee.com/dangerclose and use code: dangerclose20 at checkout for 20% off your purchase and your first coffee club order! Featured Gear: Today's featured gear segment is brought to you by by the online physical training program for backcountry athletes MTNTOUGH. MTNTOUGH is offering Danger Close listeners 20% off the all-new MTNTOUGH+ subscription with the code DANGERCLOSE when you sign up at mtntough.com Christian Craighead OZ9 | ZEV Technologies SKB Cases Horse Soldier Bourbon In the Blood by Jack Carr The Terminal List (Chris Pratt cover edition)  BRCC Sticker Club  Grizzly Forge Steak Turner Black Rifle Coffee  Reagan Library Pen Achter Knives Personal Defense Axe  Ares Watches - Jack Carr Edition  Auto Nation Illustration Stickers and Shirts 

Recorded at the 2022 Oslo Freedom Forum, in this episode, Syrian public speaker and human rights advocate Omar Alshogre recounts his experience as a political prisoner, braving torture and witnessing the death of his beloved cousin. At the age of 20, Alshogre was smuggled out of prison and fled Syria with the help of his mother. Alshogre currently serves as Director of Detainees Affairs for the Syrian Emergency Task Force, advocating for the liberation of detainees. He is a key witness in numerous national prosecution efforts to hold the Assad regime accountable for war crimes.

Pastor Ryan shares Wednesday in Williston. Take Great Care regarding the Initiative of Your Heart! Galatians Ch. 2 “Fourteen years later, I returned to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas and Titus, my coworkers. 2 God gave me a clear revelation to go and confer with the other apostles concerning the message of grace I was preaching to the gentiles. I spoke privately with those who were viewed as senior leaders of the church, wanting to make certain that my labor and ministry for the Messiah had not been based on a false understanding of the gospel. ‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭2:15‬ ‭TPT‬‬. “Always be eager to present yourself before God as a perfect and mature minister, without shame, as one who correctly explains the Word of Truth.” ‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭2:15‬ ‭NLT‬‬. “Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.” Paul wanted to Make sure He wasn't ministering from a potential blind-spot! Mathew 7:4-5 “How could you say to your friend, ‘Let me show you where you're wrong,' when you're guilty of even more? You're being hypercritical and a hypocrite! First acknowledge and deal with your own ‘blind spots,' and then you'll be capable of dealing with the ‘blind spot' of your friend. ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭11:14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬. “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” 3.Even though Titus was a Syrian, they accepted him as a brother without demanding that he first be circumcised.4. I met with them privately because false “brothers” had been secretly smuggled into church meetings. They were sent to spy on the wonderful freedom that we have in Jesus Christ. Paul protected the message, as well as the reputation of His fellow senior leaders. He wasn't going to place something precious before someone who would mishandle it. ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7:4-6‬ ‭TPT ‬‬“Who would hang earrings on a dog's ear or throw pearls in front of wild pigs? They'll only trample them under their feet and then turn around and tear you to pieces!” We don't need to waste time with those who have poor intentions, or are unreceptive to the message we bring. Their agenda was to bring us back into the bondage of religion. 5 But you must know that we did not submit to their religious shackles, not even for a moment, so that we might keep the truth of the gospel of grace unadulterated for you. They were not willing to suppress the message. 6 Even those most influential among the brothers were not able to add anything to my message. Who they are before men makes no difference to me, for God is not impressed by their reputations. 7 So they recognized that I was entrusted with taking the gospel to the gentiles just as Peter was entrusted with taking it to the Jews. They saw the importance of position.(Fox Holes) 8 For the same God who empowered Peter's apostolic ministry to the Jews also flowed through me as an apostle to those who are gentiles. 9 When they all recognized this grace operating in my ministry, those who were recognized as influential pillars in the church—Jacob, Peter, and John—extended to Barnabas and me the warmth of Christian fellowship and honored my calling to minister to the gentiles, even as they were to go to the Jews. It's good to honor positions God has placed in the body. ‭‭I Thessalonians‬ ‭5:12-13‬ “And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. Be at peace among yourselves.” 10 They simply requested one thing of me: that I would remember the poor and needy, which was the burden I was already carrying in my heart. Place honor upon those who are in your care as well! Paul Confronts Peter 11 When Peter visited Antioch, he caused the believers to stumble over his behavior, so I confronted him to his face. 12 He enjoyed eating with the gentile believers who didn't keep the Jewish customs—up until the time Jacob's Jewish friends arrived from Jerusalem. When he saw them, he withdrew from his gentile friends—fearing how it would look to them if he ate with gentile believers. 13 And so, because of Peter's hypocrisy, many other Jewish believers followed suit, refusing to eat with gentile believers. Even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocritical behavior! 14 So when I realized they were acting inconsistently with the revelation of the gospel, I confronted Peter in front of everyone: “You were born a Jew, but you've chosen to disregard Jewish regulations and live like a gentile. Why then do you force gentiles to conform to these same rules?” Paul's care for Barnabas and the Message that Christ had put in his hand caused him to restrain Peter's Hypocrisy. ‭‭Galatians‬ ‭3:3‬ ‭NLT‬‬ “How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?” It's easy to start in the right direction, only to take over and try to finish by our own hands. Rather than allowing Jesus to be the author and the Finisher of our faith. Take Great Care of the Initiative of Your Heart! Jews and Gentiles are saved By Faith 15 “Although we're Jews by birth and not gentile “sinners,”” 16 we know that no one receives God's perfect righteousness as a reward for keeping the law, but only by the faith of Jesus, the Messiah! His faithfulness has saved us, and we have received God's perfect righteousness. Now we know that God accepts no one by the keeping of religious laws! 17 If we are those who desire to be righteous through our union with the Anointed One, does that mean our Messiah condones sin even though we acknowledge that we are sinners? How absurd! 18 For if I start over and reconstruct the old religious system that I had torn down with the message of grace, I would appear to be a lawbreaker. 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 20 My old identity has been co-crucified with Christ and no longer lives. And now the essence of this new life is no longer mine, for the Anointed One lives his life through me—we live in union as one! My new life is empowered by the faith of the Son of God who loves me so much that he gave himself for me, dispensing his life into mine! 21 So that is why I don't view God's grace as something peripheral. For if keeping the law could release God's righteousness to us, then Christ would have died for nothing.” Peripheral: relating to or situated on the edge or periphery of something. Grace is not to be something that is sidelined in our relationship with God. It's something to be focused on, and pointed to! It's a principal matter.

Being a prophet of God was tough duty. Very often powerful people did not appreciate what you had to say and would have you to be slapped around or worse. The Syrian siege of Samaria.

From Award-winning filmmaker David Henry Gerson a documentary short, THE STORY WON'T DIE. It's an inspiring, timely look at a young generation of Syrian artists who use their work to protest and process what is currently the world's largest and longest ongoing displacement of people since World War II. THE STORY WON'T DIE was produced by Sundance Award-winning producer Odessa Rae (Navalny). and geature a wide variety of Syrian born artist that includes; Rapper Abu Hajar, post-Rock musician (Anas Maghrebi), members of the first all-female Syrian rock band (Bahila Hijazi and Lynn Mayya), break-dancer (Bboy Shadow), choreographer (Medhat Aldaabal), and visual artists (Tammam Azzam, Omar Imam and Diala Brisly). All of these talented artists use their art to rise in revolution and endure in exile in this new documentary reflecting on a battle for peace, justice and freedom of expression. It is an uplifting and humanizing look at what it means to be a refugee in today's world and offers inspiring and hopeful vantages on a creative response to the chaos of war. Director David Henry Gerson stops by to talk about his exploration of artists / activists forced to flee one of the world's most repressive regimes, away from family and loved ones, but still committed to their art, community and hope for a time when they can return to their beloved country. For updates and screenings go to: thestorywontdie.com To watch: thestorywontdie.com/screenings

Directed by Jonathan Keijser, PEACE BY CHOCOLATE tells the amazing true story of the Hadhads, a family of Syrian refugees fleeing their nation's civil war. First to arrive is eldest son Tareq (Ayham Abou Ammar), a respected physician in his home country. As he prepares for his family's arrival, he quickly discovers that this new land of opportunity is frought with challenges, ranging from financial struggles to xenophobia. However, when his parents join him, things begin to change, especially when his father Issam (Hayem Ali) begins to sell the amazing chocolate delicacies that he create to the community. As his father's new business begins to grow in popularity, Tareq becomes torn between his family's success and creating his own legacy in the medical world. In this 1on1, we speak to Keijser about the tension between homes, the involvement of the real Hadhads and the myths of the Canadian Dream.

"Cancer and Armed Conflict: Crossing Realities," by Tamamyan, et al: the story of a young patient with cancer from Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and his thoughts and sufferings during the war in 2020.   TRANSCRIPT Narrator: Cancer and Armed Conflict: Crossing Realities, by Alisa Kamalyan, MSc, Yeva Margaryan, MD, MPH, Jemma Arakelyan, MD, Liana Safaryan, MD, Gevorg Tamamyan, MD, MSc, DSc, and Stella Arakelyan, MD, MPH, MscIH, PhD (10.1200/JCO.22.00663) In 2007, Armen, a 6-year-old boy from a village in the mountainous Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR), was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. NKR is a de facto independent state located in the South Caucasus which has historically been inhabited by Armenians and declared its independence after the collapse of Soviet Union in 1991. Armen's hometown had a small clinic offering only routine health care services. To receive treatment for lymphoma, he and his family had to travel 350 kms to the Hematology Center in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. The journey was long and exhausting, but every visit to the Hematology Center filled him with hope, and, ultimately, he achieved a complete remission. Thirteen years later, Armen, now a young man, returned to the Hematology Center for evaluation of rapid weight loss, persistent pain, and chronic fatigue and was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. First-line chemotherapy and surgery were ineffective, as was second-line therapy with high-dose methotrexate, doxorubicin, and cisplatin. The tumor was growing and spreading rapidly, causing unbearable pain. Throughout the course of his disease, Armen kept a diary. Recently, his family shared his journal with us, hoping to give a voice to Armen and other young patients with cancer struggling with physical and emotional distress along with overwhelming existential angst. “In the hospital I had dreams which I could not understand. In one of the dreams, it was midnight, and I knew that I was going to die in 3 hours, but time was running backward, which meant that I was going to die at 8 pm … In another dream, I was undergoing a course of chemotherapy when my phone rang, the call was from Hell. I picked up the phone, and it was one of my relatives from Nagorno-Karabakh who is no longer alive. But you are dead …, I said to her, surprised. How are you, my dear? She replied. Once I hung up the phone, a man dressed in black sat down next to me, made the sign of the cross, and then disappeared …” At the time, there were no clinical trials available for patients with osteosarcoma in Armenia and his family could not afford to take Armen abroad to receive any experimental therapy, so, after exhausting all available treatment options, Armen returned home to live out his days in the village that helped raise him. We knew that his home environment would provide the support he needed as his cancer journey came to its tragic end. We hoped for his comfort, safety, and peace among those who loved him. On the morning of September 27, 2020, Armen awoke in a panic, distressed by the loud explosions of bombs dropped on his village as the war between the NKR and Azerbaijan erupted. This conflict, coinciding with the rapid spread of COVID-19 in NKR and Armenia, interrupted access to cancer care and essential palliative medications. Armen was bedridden with intolerable pain and a dwindling supply of analgesics. The encroaching sounds of high-intensity blasts further amplified his anguish and suffering. Armen's psychological trauma resulted in nightmares and chronic anxiety as evidenced by his diary entries. “My house keeps shaking with each explosion, resonating like a high-scale earthquake. Soon, the blasts will shatter all the windows in my house” (October 1, 2020). “Our electricity, heating, and water supplies are cut off. My supply of painkillers is running out” (October 9, 2020). “Don't think about death– think about the future…” Within weeks, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict escalated, destroying homes, healthcare clinics, hospitals, and schools, resulting in massive population displacement and hundreds of civilians, including health care providers, being killed or wounded. Given these dire circumstances and Armen's worsening pain and weakness, Armen's family sought refuge in Armenia, where his battle with cancer ultimately ended. After the war ended on November 9, 2020, Armen's family took him back home to be laid to eternal rest. This had been his last wish. Armen was a fearless soul. He was a fighter who had already survived cancer once and continued his fight with a smile on his face, giving hope to many of our other patients and staff. But the day the Azeris attacked his home, the smile left his face forever. For our health care team and other colleagues, the 44 days of the Nagorno-Karabakh war caused a psychosocial and emotional crisis. We could not concentrate on our work. Hundreds of soldiers were being killed daily, and many colleagues felt compelled to leave the cancer wards to join frontline military health care workers. With increasing numbers of surgeons, anesthesiologists, and nurses traveling to the NKR or bordering regions of Armenia, we experienced acute staff shortages, undermining the provision of quality care to our patients. COVID-19, the main health care concern for the rest of the world, was no longer our priority, even as the incidence increased 8-fold during the war.1 The vicious cycle of war and pandemic was tormented as we tried to balance our own emotions and fears while continuing to care for and support our patients with cancer. Armen's story provides only a glimpse of what people with terminal cancer and the health care workforce experience in resource-limited settings affected by war. Today, around half of the world's population lives in countries affected by war, with predictions that cancer will disproportionately affect these regions in the coming decades. Because of multifactorial resource limitations, patients with cancer from these areas are usually diagnosed in advanced stages of the disease when palliation is the only viable option for care. Worldwide, an estimated 78% of adults and 98% of children in need of palliative care reside in resource-limited regions. A third of adults needing palliative care services are patients with cancer and 80% of them live with moderate or severe chronic pain. Despite these data, only 10% of the world's overall morphine consumption occurs in resource limited regions. The provision of palliative care services is even more strained by armed conflict. Recently, the World Health Organization reported that palliative care was available in less than two thirds of Syrian health care facilities and that all cancer centers surveyed in Syria lacked immediate-release oral morphine and trained palliative cancer care staff. Currently, we are witnessing an escalating war in Ukraine. The images from this and any new conflict around the world bring back our own wartime experiences with haunting clarity. The desperation we felt trying to care for the most vulnerable patients during lethal and chaotic times will never leave us. How many children are now writing tales of death in their journals? How many villages and families are being shattered, unable to provide last days of peace and comfort to their sick and dying loved ones? Despite recent initiatives to include oncologic and palliative care contingencies in humanitarian responses to crisis, they continue to remain a relatively low priority and have been minimally integrated into emergency response plans during armed conflicts. Protocols detailing how to provide basic care to patients with cancer and maintain supplies of essential medications are yet to be fully developed. We urge the international community to take action to address the existing obstacles to cancer care delivery in conflict affected regions to mitigate the adverse impact of cancer and armed conflict on our most vulnerable patients.   Dr. Lidia Schapira: Welcome to JCO's Cancer Stories: The Art of Oncology, brought to you by the ASCO Podcast Network, which offers a range of educational and scientific content and enriching insights into the world of cancer care. You can find all of the shows, including this one at podcast.asco.org. I'm your host, Lidia Schapira, associate editor for Art of Oncology and Professor of Medicine at Stanford. And with me today is Dr. Gevorg Tamamyan, Chairman and Professor of the Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology at Yerevan State Medical University, head of the Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Centers of Armenia, and Chairman of the Board of the Institute of Cancer and Crisis. We will be discussing his Art of Oncology article, ‘Cancer and Armed Conflict Crossing Realities.' Our guest has travel, accommodation, and expenses from Roche. Gevorg, welcome to our podcast. Dr. Gevorg Tamamyan: Thank you! Thank you very much, Dr. Schapira, for the invitation and for this opportunity to speak with you. Dr. Lidia Schapira: It is our pleasure. Can you tell our listeners a little bit about the origin of this narrative? How your team come together to tell the story now? Dr. Gevorg Tamamyan: So, living in a region where every day you face not only - and being an oncologist in the meantime - facing death not only from cancer but also from the war, it makes you think about cancer from a different perspective. During my not-so-long life, I experienced three wars. The second one was a little bit shorter, but the first one was quite a long one. I was a young boy at the school age and the second one, the large one, was recently in 2020. Later on, being already an oncologist, when every day you are walking in between life and death and your everyday work is dedicated to saving one more life, sometimes you realize that with one bomb people can kill hundreds and thousands. So, having this on my mind, I started exploring the field a few years ago, even not knowing that a new war is going to begin in 2020. And we wrote an editorial in Nature Cancer Reviews, I think it was 2019, if I'm not mistaken, about how the war affects cancer patients and cancer care in general. And then in 2020, when we had this sad experience, then we thought that we must express our feelings and reveal what happened, what happens with cancer patients during the war situation. And just recently, of course, there is a new war in the world and we see all this struggling every day. So, unfortunately, this topic does not lose its actuality, I would say. Dr. Lidia Schapira: You chose to tell the story of a young boy who first came to your major academic center in Armenia at age 6, and you treated and cured him of Hodgkin's lymphoma. And then he returns as a young adult, 19 years old, with an osteosarcoma that you treated. But unfortunately, treatment was not curative, and he goes back to his village and needs to receive palliative care but is suffering now in 2020 with the war in NKR. Can you tell our readers a little bit about the Nagorno-Karabakh war and how it affected your team and the care you provided to children and young adults with cancer? Dr. Gevorg Tamamyan: So, Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is located in South Caucasus. It's historically inhabited with Armenians and it has been a land for wars for many years. The first war, what I observed, started in the late 1980s. I was just born a few years ago and I cannot clearly say what happened, but I know from the history definitely. There were massacres of Armenians and the war erupted. But for many years, for three decades, the situation was unstable. And during the COVID 19 pandemic, Nagorno-Karabakh Republic was attacked by Azerbaijan, supported by Turkey. And just to kind of illustrate what the situation is, there are like 100- 150,000 people residing there. So, this is a small country. It was attacked and there were thousands of people killed and tens of thousands displaced. So, this was the sad reality, what we have seen, of course. One day I was in Stepanakert, the capital of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic when bombs were falling on the civilian buildings. I was on the ground floor of the hospital, and I was seeing how these wounded people, civilians, were coming to the hospital. It was really, I mean, my English is very poor to describe all this situation, but back in the hospital, we had a lot of patients from Nagorno-Karabakh and we were seeing their struggles. It was not only from cancer. Some people were losing part of their families, and some of their family members were at the worst stage. And kids, I mean, there was no smile on the kids' faces. It's difficult to describe. I think it happens with every war, anywhere in the world. And we decided to describe this young boy's story and through this story, to deliver the message about the war, about cancer, and about how patients with cancer struggle during this crisis and these difficult times. Dr. Lidia Schapira: You tell in your story very movingly how difficult it was for this young man to run out of his pain medication, to also run out of all of the sources of delivery of palliative care. And also, you tell us a little bit about how this made your team feel, that you were struggling with the war, you were struggling with this idea that you couldn't relieve the symptoms and pain of your patients. Tell us a little bit about how your team struggled through this and what helped you as you went about your work every day? Dr. Gevorg Tamamyan: Our hospital is a major hospital not only for pediatric cancer. We have the only pediatric cancer center located in the hospital, but also our center, the hematology center, where our pediatric cancer center is located, is the major and the main blood bank. So, we were kind of primarily involved in saving patients' lives through the blood bank, of course, because all the people were coming to donate the blood and we were sending this blood to different hospitals. And I must confess that this pain medication and palliative care is an issue not only during the war but also during peacetime in many resource-limited settings. But during the war it becomes dramatic. And for the people living in the war area, in the region affected by conflicts, it's almost impossible for them to receive this treatment. I've seen the stories from Syria, back, let's say ten years ago, photos from the hospitals, and photos of kids who were not able to receive the treatment. Let's say a kid with lymphoma with all the chances to get cured and he or she is not receiving the medications because there is a war, because people fight, and people are dying and kids are dying in pain because they are not able to receive their opioids, their painkillers. So, for doctors, of course, realizing this is very difficult. And the second one, because the supply chains are kind of disrupted, it's difficult to get the medications on time. Then many doctors leave the hospitals and go to the war front and let's say, do surgeries there or just help the wounded people. Sometimes we're out of the staff or out of the specialists, some of our surgeons. We are a small country and there might be four narrow specialists, one or two specialists, and when your specialists are at the military hospitals, how can they operate? How can they do surgeries for the kids? And of course, everyone has a relative, everyone has a friend who is there and you are thinking about them even if you are not there. So, from all sides, you are depressed. And that's the war. That's how the war looks. In the cities which are under the bombs, of course, the situation is even more difficult than what we see in different parts of the world. Dr. Lidia Schapira: The reality of the war is always awful and I really admire your ability to bring this to our attention in such a clear way. Let me ask the question again. How do you and your colleagues get through the day? And I imagine that you're probably sort of reliving the trauma in a way when there is a new war in the world, as there is now in your general area of the world. How are you all doing? Dr. Gevorg Tamamyan: With every new war, including this new war in Ukraine, I mean, people are dying. You see these images from the cities. The worst thing is that you know these people are from both sides and you have friends from both sides, and even these fighting sides, I mean, they were brothers a day ago. And you see how kids are dying, you see how young people are dying, and you see displaced people who are leaving their houses. It's really very difficult. In the meantime, the situation here is also not calm. During the last months, several times we observed a similar situation in Karabakh, again, wherein several villages people were displaced. It's kind of a no war, no peace situation. And can you live with the thought that the war is going to begin again soon and you don't know what's going to happen? That's the reality. Dr. Lidia Schapira: So, you bring our attention, Gevorg, to the enormous disruption in care for children and adults with cancer caused by war, both the interruption of cancer-directed care, but also the interruption of palliative care. There's a general feeling, I think, among many oncologists throughout the world of wanting to help. How can people help? Dr. Gevorg Tamamyan: It's very difficult, to be frank, to single out a solution, but there are different ways. First of all, I think one kind of help would be just to write an email and say, ‘How are you doing?' Because in the world, what we are lacking the most, it's paying a little bit more attention to our friends and neighbors and people we know. And of course, with our routine daily life, we are so busy, but even a small message can help the people with the stress. At that time, maybe someone will say, “Okay, do you have ten ampoules of this or fractions of this drug?” Or something like that. “Or would you give me advice on how I might manage this child?” But of course, my suggestion would be that all the professional societies and humanitarian organizations, and major cancer institutions put their efforts into trying to find systematic solutions for how it is possible to help patients or professionals in the conflict-affected regions, and how to help displaced populations. And not only when the conflict erupts or war erupts because there are conflicts all over the world right now. For example, people in Syria, right? They experience so many struggles. I was reading in the ASCO post, there was an editorial, that tens of thousands of professionals left Syria. So, people are left without basic health care, and similarly in Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine, and in many parts of the world. So, I think a systematic effort is needed to help the patients and professionals. I'm sure when we get together, we'll find better solutions. But of course, the best way is to keep the peace. But sometimes it's out of our reach. Dr. Lidia Schapira: That's right. So, some things are out of our reach. But one of the things that we can all do is, as you so beautifully articulated, to show some solidarity and to start by reaching out to a colleague we know or to somebody who is in that area just by checking in, ‘How are you doing?', ‘Is there something I can do to help?' And then, of course, through the power of these stories, I think to sort of help people understand that there are ways of getting involved, as you say, to think about creating perhaps a better infrastructure to deal with both cancer care and pain and symptom management for all the people affected by and displaced by war. Dr. Gevorg Tamamyan: Yeah, I agree, definitely. Dr. Lidia Schapira: Do you have a final message perhaps for our listeners, Gevorg? Let me give you the last word. Dr. Gevorg Tamamyan: We are talking about war and we are talking about cancer. My only wish is for there to be peace in the world and there is a cancer-free world, of course. Dr. Lidia Schapira: Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to share your thoughts. Thank you so much to you and your team for sending this beautiful essay to us. Until next time, thank you to our listeners for listening to JCO's Cancer Stories: The Art of Oncology. Don't forget to give us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode. JCO's Cancer Stories: The Art of Oncology is just one of ASCO's many podcasts. You can find all of the shows at podcasts.asco.org. The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. This is not a substitute for professional medical care and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or treatment of individual conditions. Guests on this podcast express their own opinions, experience, and conclusions. Guest statements on the podcast do not express the opinions of ASCO. The mention of any product, service, organization, activity or therapy should not be construed as an ASCO endorsement.  

Belonging is knowing that you are a part of the world around you. It's about fitting in, finding your place, and feeling like you belong with the people around you.  But some may have difficulties in identifying a sense of belonging to a certain place, or with certain groups of people, especially after international experiences or careers that may have shaped the way they think, behaves, or addresses any challenges, they are faced. So let's discuss the importance, or lack thereof perhaps, of having to find your place and assuming an identity and belonging. After all, isn't it the goal for us all to create more inclusive communities where one is accepted no matter where they are from, or where they believe they belong? Our Guests Aya Imai Aya is the Associate Investment Officer at International Finance Corporation (IFC). Aya joined IFC's Financial Institutions Group in 2019 after working in management consulting and M&A advisory in the private sector. She is involved in executing new investments and the portfolio management of existing investments in the West and Central Africa region, after spending 2.5 years in Amman, Jordan, with IFC's Middle East and North Africa team. Most recently, her team has been working on equity investments to fintech companies in Africa, small loans to women entrepreneurs, including Syrian refugees, and loans to SMEs that could contribute to climate change mitigation. Aya is an EMFIN'23Feb participant. Stephanie Daudier Stephanie is the founder of The Inspiration Lab, a consultancy working for global companies to strengthen diversity, inclusion and leadership at work. Stephanie started her career as a researcher in both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, and a teacher in survey theories at Paris University. Stephanie also 25 years at L'Oréal, in the Luxe Division, in marketing, sales and general management and then at 50, I decided to go back to learning and studied NLP at UCSC University of California Santa Cruz, and Organizational psychology at INSEAD with EMC programme.

We're going global on this episode of BTL Radio Show with our films, one a narrative based on a true story and one a documentary, thanks to our special guests JONATHAN KEIJSER talking PEACE BY CHOCOLATE while ROBERT H. LIEBERMAN talks ECHOES OF THE EMPIRE: BEYOND GENGHIS KHAN. Writer/director JONATHAN KEIJSER kicks off the show as he joins us in talking about his narrative feature debut – PEACE BY CHOCOLATE. A feel good true story pulled from the news, this is the story of a Syrian family (and distinguished chocolatiers) who emigrate from Syria to Canada and are forced to rebuild their lives in a new country with language barriers, work issues, family struggles, father-son head-butting, unacceptance and acceptance by the community and more. A wonderful film that inspires and gives hope, Jonathan's story of bringing this film to life and working with the real family in developing the film is inspirational while the production challenges are the things that only make first-time filmmakers better. Then we cross the globe to Mongolia with a look at ECHOES OF THE EMPIRE: BEYOND GENGHIS KHAN and have a conversation with documentarian ROBERT H. LIEBERMAN. A fascinating documentary that takes us back in time to the days of Genghis Khan, examining the man himself and how he came to power, and how the Mongolian Empire came to be, only to eventually collapse, become part of the Soviet Union, and then re-emerge as a democratic country now facing issues with pollution, a dwindling way of life for the generational herders now trying to "fit in" in the modern world, and more. Beauteous eye-popping cinematography, interesting interviews from experts and Mongolian citizens alike, and a solid and engaging storyline (among many other things) are all discussed by Robert in this energetic and interesting conversation about a fascinating film. Listen as he goes in-depth about the research behind this documentary, his travels through Mongolia, meeting and living with the people, doing his own camera work, the meld of a stunning pen & ink/watercolor animation for historical aspects of the film, really getting "up close and personal" in every aspect of this documentary. One of my favorite documentaries of 2022! http://eliasentertainmentnetwork.com

This episode of Big Blend Radio features award-winning filmmaker David Henry Gerson, who discusses his debut feature documentary film, "The Story Won't Die." The film gives an inspiring, timely look at a young generation of Syrian artists who use their work to protest and process what is currently the world's largest and longest ongoing displacement of people since World War II. The film is produced by Sundance Award-winning producer Odessa Rae (Navalny). More: http://www.davidhenrygerson.com Special thanks to the National Parks Arts Foundation. https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/

Week after Knesset defeat, cabinet unanimously votes to renew regulations applying Israeli law to citizens in Judea and Samaria. Syrian rights group says Damascus airport strike attributed to Israel hit passengers hall used for temporary storage of arms from Iran, arrival of senior Iranian, Hezbollah officials. Israel condemns Norway's decision to label products produced over the Green Line.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Episode 127 of the CounterVortex podcast, Bill Weinberg notes that the Kurdish-controlled Syrian city of Kobani, which became a global icon of resistance to ISIS in 2014, is now under threat of Turkish aggression. The Syrian Kurds were betrayed in 2019, when their autoomous zone of Rojava was greatly reduced by Turkey's first thrust into their territory. Erdogan is now threatening to extinguish it altogether, and incorporate all of Rojava into his "security zone." There is growing speculation that the US could "green light" this aggression in exchange for Turkey dropping its objections to Sweden and Finland joining NATO. Meanwhile, the Yazidis of northern Iraq, who were subjected to genocide at the hands of ISIS in 2014, now face extermination of their hard-won autonomous zone of Ezidikhan at the hands of Baghdad's military—acting under pressure from Turkey. Great Power meddling in Syrian and Iraqi Kurdistan alike is pitting the peoples of the region against each other, portending a disastrous Arab-Kurdish ethnic war. How can activists in the West help break this trajectory? Listen on SoundCloud or via Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/countervortex Production by Chris Rywalt We ask listeners to donate just $1 per weekly podcast via Patreon -- or $2 for our new special offer! We now have 41 subscribers. If you appreciate our work, please become Number 42!

Writer & Director Jonathan Keijser sits down with Jan Price to discuss his new film, “Peace by Chocolate” available to stream on Apple TV!After the bombing of his father's chocolate factory, a charming young Syrian refugee struggles to settle into his new Canadian small-town life, caught between following his dream to become a doctor and preserving his family's chocolate-making legacy. Based on the internationally recognized true story. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Turkey is planning a new military operation in northern Syria. President Erdogan has said the incursion is intended to combat PKK/YPG “terrorists” and will facilitate the “voluntary” transfer of Syrian refugees back to their homeland. At the same time, Ankara has blocked Sweden and Finland's NATO membership bids on grounds that the Nordic states provide support to the outlawed Kurdish militants. As Russia is distracted by the invasion of Ukraine and America is bogged down by the tranche of sanctions imposed on Moscow, Erdogan, it seems, is seizing a window of opportunity to advance Turkish interests in its war-torn neighbour and across the world. In this week's episode of The New Arab Voice, we explore Erdogan's rationale for launching a new military incursion in Syria and examine what impact this operation will have on the Turkish electorate, Syrian refugees and the Kurds. We speak with foreign policy experts Steven Cook (@stevenacook), based in Washington, and Ömer Özkizilcik (@OmerOzkizilcik), based in Ankara, about Turkey's proposed incursion. We also discuss the fate of the Kurds in Syria and Iraq with freelance reporter Dana Taib Menmy (@danataibmenmy). This podcast is written and produced by Rosie McCabe (@RosieMcCabe3). Theme music by Omar al-Fil (@elepheel). Other music by Blue Dot Sessions.To get in touch with the producers, follow then tweet us at @TheNewArabVoice or email hugo.goodridge@alaraby.co.uk. 

Although all observant Jews use the same basic text of the Amida, some minor variations exist among the different communities, as reflected in the different Siddurim that are used. The work Derech Eretz documents the customs that were followed in the Jewish community of Aleppo (Halab), and it is worth reviewing this material to ascertain the proper custom to follow.In the Beracha of "Ve'la'minim Ve'la'malshinim," the Jews of Aleppo would add the word "Ve'la'mosrim," and this word indeed appears in the Kol Yaakob edition of the Siddur (in some editions it appears in parentheses). The custom in Aleppo was to conclude this Beracha with the text, "Shober Oyebim U'machnia Zedim," which is also the text followed by Hacham Ovadia Yosef. This is contrast to the custom of the Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909), which was to conclude, "Shober Oyebim U'machnia Minim."In the next Beracha, "Al Ha'sadikim," the community in Halab would say, "Ve'al She'erit Amecha Bet Yisrael Ve'al Ziknehem." This text, too, appears in the Kol Yaakob edition of the Siddur. In the Beracha of "Et Semah David," it was customary in Halab to recite, "Li'yshuatecha Kivinu Ve'sipinu." In the Kol Yaakob edition of the Siddur, the word "Ve'sipinu" appears in parentheses, but it seems that this word was included in this text according to the custom of Aleppo Jewry.In the Beracha of "Sim Shalom," Aleppo Jews recited the text, "Hen Va'hesed Sedaka Ve'rahamim," as it appears in the Kol Yaakob edition.The custom in Halab was to begin reciting "Barech Alenu," the prayer for rain, in place of "Barechenu," starting from December 4th, just as we do here in the United States. (In some years, the recitation is begun on December 5th.) This is in contrast to the community in Damascus, which would begin reciting "Barech Alenu" in the beginning of Marheshvan as is done in Eretz Yisrael. Interestingly, the Jews of Halab would use as a "Siman" ("reminder") of their custom the word "Baghdad," which stood for, "Birkat Geshamim Dalet December" ("The prayer for rain – fourth of December").

On “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg,” Dani talks with Shaza Saker about her cooperative catering business, Hummustown. Founded in 2017, Hummustown offers financial independence and stability for Syrian refugees and other vulnerable communities. They discuss charity vs. parity, the passion brought by Hummustown's chefs, and combating the stigma faced by refugee communities.  While you're listening, subscribe, rate, and review the show; it would mean the world to us to have your feedback. You can listen to “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg” wherever you consume your podcasts.  

Your host, Ben Decker,  brings 4-time Emmy-Award-Winning Journalist Frank Elaridi, onto the show.  Frank has covered everything from Syrian refugee camps to the Academy Awards and has worked mostly for ABC Network News and EXTRA TV.  He can also be seen on Good Morning America and ABC's digital platforms, including giving viewers a backstage look into Dancing With The Stars.  Frank is also a spiritual healer who helps people clear negative emotions and blocks. He is also the co-founder of Modern Nirvana and runs his YouTube channel with over 40 million views. Learn more about our guest here:Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/felaridi/Work with Frank:https://www.frankelaridi.com/about-3Attend The Modern Nirvana Conference in Austin on September 23rd 2022:https://www.modernnirvana.com/conferenceVisit Frank's Youtube Channel here: www.youtube.com/frankelaridiOrder the Modern Nirvana's Oracle Deck here: https://www.frankelaridi.com/copy-of-oracle-2Ben Decker, The Unplug App & The Modern Spirituality Podcast in The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/03/30/well/guided-meditations.htmlDevelop Your Meditation Practice with books by Ben Decker:Modern Spirituality: A Guide to the Heart of Mindfulness, Meditation, and the Art of Healinghttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1647398150/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tpbk_p1_i2Practical Meditation for Beginners: 10 Days to a Happier, Calmer Youhttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1641520256/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tpbk_p1_i0Daily Mindfulness: 365 Exercises to Deepen Your Practice and Find Peacehttps://www.amazon.com/Daily-Mindfulness-Exercises-Deepen-Practice/dp/164739192X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=Meditations on Christ: A 5-Minute Guided Journal for Christianshttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1646118065/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tpbk_p1_i3Affiliates of The Modern Spirituality Podcast:

Our Youth Director, Dean Choi, shares his sinner saint for the BPC Sermon Series and a bit about himself. We are excited to have him share his perspective and his light. Ephrem the Syrian wasn't originally part of the book from Karen Wright Marsh, but we find out the relevance to the book, the sermon series and how this sinner saint is part of church history. Check out this article on our guest, Karen Wright Marsh - https://pres-outlook.org/2021/01/mentoring-with-the-communion-of-the-saints/Link to Karen's Book on Amazon - Vintage Saints and SinnersBPC YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/c/BrentwoodPresbyterianChurchPlease consider supporting our show - https://www.bpcusa.org/financial-ministry/Support the show

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association. During this episode, Amb. Roger Carstens discusses the United States hostage recovery enterprise and how his office helps bring U.S. citizens home. After explaining the legislative landscape, Roger explains the differences between kidnapping, wrongful detention, and hostage scenario, as well as engagement with state compared to non-state actors. Roger also discusses today's media landscape, weaponization of the international rules-based system, geopolitical dynamics, maneuver warfare, and a tech research agenda. Resources: Amb. Roger Carstens, Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs (SPEHA) Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell National Security Council FACT SHEET: U.S. Government Hostage Policy Presidential Policy Directive 30 (PPD 30) Executive Order -- Hostage Recovery Activities Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act We Want to Negotiate: The Secret World of Kidnapping, Hostages and Ransom by Joel Simon Prisoner: My 544 Days in an Iranian Prison - Solitary Confinement, a Sham Trial, High-Stakes Diplomacy, and the Extraordinary Efforts It Took to Get Me Out by Jason Rezaian The History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-99 Guest Bio:  Roger D. Carstens is the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs (SPEHA) at the U.S. Department of State. Mr. Carstens was the former Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor at the U.S. Department of State, where he oversaw the Bureau's work in Near Eastern Affairs, Western Hemisphere Affairs, and the Office of Security and Human Rights. Previously, he served in Amman, Jordan, as the Country Director for a U.S.-based INGO that provided humanitarian assistance and stability support to Syrian refugees and internally displaced persons. Prior positions include Senior Civilian Advisor on the Commander's Advisory and Assistance Team (CAAT) in Afghanistan; Project Director for an INGO based in Somalia; Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security; and Special Assistant for Legislative Affairs in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Mr. Carstens is a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel who served in Special Forces and the 1st Ranger Battalion. He is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy and holds master's degrees from the U.S. Naval War College and St. John's College. About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain. For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.