Human Race

CURED: American surgeon Paul Lim operated last month on 12-year-old Gadisse at the newly opened CURE International hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. When he tells patients that he can fix their cleft palates, Lim says, "Jesus brought me here for you" (Ethiopia's new flowers, May 31, 2008). The post-op photo was taken just a few hours after surgery, before the swelling subsided and the incision healed.

DIED: Millard Fuller, the entrepreneur who gave up his millionaire lifestyle to start Habitat for Humanity, died Feb. 3. Fuller, 74, and his wife, Linda, founded the Christian charity in 1976 with the aim of building simple, decent houses. Since then, the network has constructed more than 300,000 homes in 100 countries. "More than any other person of our generation, Millard pricked the conscience of our affluent society and inspired us to practical action," said Bob Lupton, founder and president of FCS Urban Ministries in Atlanta. "He was a towering visionary who ignited hope in the lives of tens of thousands of struggling families."

BOWED OUT: Ben Stein, 64, withdrew as the University of Vermont's spring commencement speaker after the school received a flood of complaints, including one from evolutionist Richard Dawkins. Stein, who starred in the 2008 documentary Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, has drawn fire for his critique of Darwinism and support for intelligent design

SPLIT: Hillary and Julie Goodridge, who on May 17, 2004, became the first same-sex couple to marry in the United States, have filed for divorce. The Goodridges were among seven gay couples whose 2001 lawsuit challenging Massachusetts' gay marriage ban later persuaded the state Supreme Judicial Court to make Massachusetts the first state to legalize same-sex marriages.

ON HOLD: Talks continue between Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church and the church of its prospective new pastor, Tullian Tchividjian, who said his appointment hinges on a merger between the Florida churches. Although a decision was expected by Feb. 18, Tchividjian indicated on the New City Church's blog that more time is needed.