The extensive wildfire that took the lives of dozens and demolished thousands of homes in Northern California has been fully contained after it burned for over two weeks, authorities declared on Sunday. 

According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the Camp Fire has been encircled by firefighters after a few days of rain in the Paradise area. 

CBN News reports that the most destructive wildfire to occur in the past century took the lives of at least 85 people, with 249 unaccounted for. Fortunately, the number of missing people dropped in the past few days as officials confirmed that more people were alive. 

As time went on, crews continued to comb through debris and ash for human remains. The fire began on November 8th in the scorched Sierra Nevada foothills and hastily made its way across 240 square miles, consuming the majority of Paradise within a day. 

An astonishing 19,000 buildings, most of which were homes, are now destroyed. 

Last week, the first considerable winter storm to blow through California was the force needed to push the fight against the fire. Over a three-day period, the storm dropped an approximated 7 inches of rain without causing serious mudslides, according to Hannah Chandler-Cooley of the National Weather Service.  

Jennifer Erickson, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Forest Service, reported to  

The migrant caravan that originated in Honduras and Guatemala is nearing the United States’ southern border and President Trump is preparing to close the shared border with Mexico until the situation is “under control.”

In a news conference last week, President Trump told reporters, “if we find that it is uncontrollable, if we find that it gets to a level where we are gonna lose control or people are gonna start getting hurt, we will close entry into the country for a period of time until we can get it under control.”

A reporter then asked if that meant the entire U.S.-Mexico border would be closed, the President replied by saying, “the whole border,” as he shook his head in confirmation. 

President Trump also confirmed that he has authorized the military to use lethal force if necessary, though Trump said he hopes it does not have to come to that. 

He said, “If they have to, they are gonna use lethal force. I’ve given the okay if they have to. I hope they don’t have to, but you know you’re dealing with a minimum of 500 serious criminals.” He added, “I’m not gonna let the military be taken advantage of.”  

The Associated Press reports that on Sunday, only a few days after the news conference, U.S. agents used tear gas on migrants who were attempting to breach the border fences. 

According to…

NAIROBI, Kenya, November 23, 2018 (Morning Star News) – After a family in southeast Kenya put their faith in Christ this month, Muslims gave them one day to return to Islam or be killed, the father said.

“We were given a day to either recant the Christian faith or face the sword, as well as lose all the privileges the Muslims had given to us,” Abdul Abuk-Bakr of Sera village, Garsen, told Morning Star News.

Abu-Bakr had suffered a serious illness for more than two months, visiting various hospitals without improving, when a pastor whose name and church are undisclosed visited him the evening of Nov. 3, Abu-Bakr said. The pastor prayed for Abu-Bakr in Jesus’ name, and the married father of two received instant healing.

The next day, Sunday (Nov. 4), his entire family decided to place their faith in Christ for salvation from sin. The pastor’s church joyfully received the family as new members – and word of their conversion spread like a bush fire, he said.

“It reached the mosque at Sera that I had converted to Christ, and that very day I received threatening messages that the Muslims were planning to kill all of us and take away both the rented house and the two acres of land on which we had planted food crops – maize and beans,” Abu-Bakr said.

Given a day to return to Islam, on Nov. 6 the family sought refuge at the church site.

During Friday…

JERUSALEM, November 21, 2018 (Morning Star News) – Two Christian converts from Islam planning to meet in a northern city of Iran were detained on the same day, part of what rights advocates say could be part of a rash of arrests in the area.

Behnam Ersali and Davood Rasooli, both of Karaj, were arrested on Friday (Nov. 16) before they were scheduled to meet in Mashhad, according to advocacy organization Middle East Concern (MEC). It is believed that Iranian intelligence intercepted calls between the two men to learn of their plan to meet, according to MEC.

“It reveals how closely the Iranian authorities are closely monitoring the Christians,” said Rob Duncan, regional manager at MEC. 

Ersali, a former member of the Assemblies of God church in Tehran, had traveled to Mashhad and was arrested at his friends’ home there. Six plain-clothes officers, including a woman, entered the home without legal permission. He was arrested along with another person who was later released, according to Mohabat News.

On the same day, Rasooli was arrested in front of his home in Karaj by two plain-clothes officers at 6 a.m. as he was preparing to leave for Mashhad, according to Mohabat news.

Both have been taken to unknown locations and have had no contact with their family or relatives, according to MEC.

“The fact that there has been no information and…