Persecution Blog

A Face of Persecution: Sister Shen Peilan

This is from China Aid - please read and keep our sister in your prayers.  May the Lord bless you as you pray.

SHANGHAI - In the afternoon of March 24, 2010, Shanghai Minxing Maqiao government officers kidnapped Sister Shen Peilan for the second time this month; her present whereabouts are still unknown.

On March 16, 2010, Christian petitioner Shen Peilan was rescued from a 9-day captivity in Beijing by two attorneys and Beijing police. However, after Sister Shen returned to Shanghai, the local officials continuously oppressed her. Before the Shanghai Expo event, local authorities often put human rights defenders like Peilan under house arrest in the name of “security reasons for the Shanghai Expo.”

Citing the need to "build a harmonious environment for the 2010 Shanghai Expo," Maqiao government officers placed Shen Peilan under house arrest on March 23rd. They forbade her from going to the hospital or buying groceries. At 4:00 PM on March 24th, eight Maqiao government officers burst into Shen’s home and attempted to kidnap her by force. Shen's family immediately called the police.

She escaped with her husband’s help and hid in the bedroom, and the officials left immediately when the police arrived. But later more officers came in two cars, pursued and cornered Shen, and forced her to get in their car. They cut off Shen’s telephone line and confiscated her cell phone. Shen has not been seen since then.

China Aid Association appeals to the Shanghai officials to stop persecuting Christians and release Sister Shen immediately. We pray that the authorities in Shanghai will repent and respect the law. We also call on Christians worldwide to pray for the persecuted brothers and sisters, and especially for Sister Shen’s safety.

For more information on Shen Peilan's previous abduction, see previous press release: Beijing Attorneys Rescue Christian Petitioner from 9-Day Abduction

Dmitry's Dance

This is a great video showing the joy of a daughter named Vera with her father Dmitry before Dmitry was imprisoned for his faith. And it is a great reminder to remember that our brothers and sisters who are imprisoned for their faith, have families, and often children they have to leave behind.

In December 2007 The Voice of the Martyrs Newsletter covered the story of Dmitry and his daughter. Please click here to download the PDF of that article.

CHINA: HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER ALIVE

Yesterday we shared with you that Gao is alive.  Today I wanted to share with you the official release from The Voice of the Martyrs news team.

On March 28, human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng, who has been missing for more than a year, contacted his wife and children, according to ChinaAid Association.

Gao’s wife, Geng He, and children were relieved to hear from him after such a long time. Geng He hopes her husband can rejoin the family in the United States soon. In recent months, rumors had circulated that Gao had died of torture at the hands of Chinese government officials. 

“Gao’s brief phone conversations with western media on Sunday mark the first official contact the public has had with him since his abduction by police on Feb. 4, 2009,” ChinaAid reported. Gao told the Associated Press and Reuters news agencies that he was released from Chinese custody six months ago and taken to Wutai Shan mountain, a Buddhist landmark in Shanxi province. He declined to give other details on his condition, saying legally he could not give interviews.

ChinaAid reported that Li Heping, Gao’s friend and colleague, had also spoken to Gao on Sunday. “It’s certainly him,” Heping said. “I spoke to him over the phone. I could tell from the way he spoke and the way he spoke to me that it’s him.”

ChinaAid President Bob Fu confirmed that Gao is alive. “After examining Gao’s voice in the interview, I too am convinced that it is Gao,” he said. On Feb. 4, 2009, Gao Zhisheng was abducted from his hometown by Chinese secret police. Since 2005, Gao has been repeatedly arrested, imprisoned and severely tortured by Chinese authorities, mostly for his work defending Chinese Christians. In 2006, he and a group of prominent human rights lawyers created the Association of Human Rights Attorneys for Chinese Christians. In 2007, he was arrested and spent more than 50 days behind bars, where he was also tortured. “I was beaten so badly that my whole body began shaking uncontrollably on the floor,” Gao wrote of his torture in an open letter.

The Voice of the Martyrs and ChinaAid has lobbied for Gao’s release from prison, and The Voice of the Martyrs has featured Gao on its Web site at www.prisoneralert.com. The Chinese government would not acknowledge that Gao was in one of its prisons, so letters of encouragement for Gao were mailed to the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C.

VOM encourages you to pray that Gao will soon be able to rejoin his family. Praise God that Gao is safe for now, and ask God to encourage him and his family during this challenging time. Pray that God will give Gao the grace to forgive his persecutors, and pray that the Holy Spirit will minister to him.

Christian Prisoner in Vietnam Released from Prison

Compass Direct is highlighting a good news story from Vietnam, concerning Attorney Le Thi Cong Nhan who was imprisoned as a prisoner of conscience for wanting democratic freedoms in Vietnam.

Cong Nhan is still serving a three year term under house arrest, but says that she isn't going to stop fighting for democratic freedom in Vietnam.

Cong Nhan became a Christian before she was arrested and imprisoned and shares that she read the whole bible while in prison.  Here's a short excerpt from the article.

“In prison the Lord became my closest friend, my teacher, and the one who carried my burdens with me,” she said. “When I was released from prison, I received many words of praise and of love and respect – I became a bit worried about this, as I do not consider myself worthy of such. I believe I must live an even better and more worthy life.”

Her prison experience has confirmed her calling and faith, she said.

“As a direct result of my prison experience, I am more convinced than ever that the path that I have chosen is the right one,” Cong Nhan said. “Before prison I was just like a thin arrow, but now I have become a strong fort.”

Do you think you'd have this type of faith outcome if you were imprisoned for standing up for freedom?  Please share.  Please also remember to keep Le Thi Cong Nhan in prayer.  Thank you.

Missing Human Rights Attorney Gao Zhisheng Confirmed 'Alive'

The latest news about Gao is good, but we still need to keep praying so that he can be reunited with his wife and children. 

This is the latest information on Gao from our friends at China Aid.  Full press release can be read here.

March 29, 2010: Updated 6:30 PM CST

SHANXI--On Sunday, March 28, 2010, missing human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng spoke to his wife and children for the first time in over a year, confirming he is still alive. False rumors of his death, torture, and escape from the custody of the Chinese Government have shrouded Gao's absence with mystery. Gao's brief phone conversations with western media on Sunday mark the first official contact the public has had with him since his abduction by police on February 4, 2009.

Over the phone, Gao informed AP and Reuters reporters that he had been released from detention six months ago, and had taken up residence at Wutai Shan mountain, a Buddhist landmark in northern Shanxi province. He refused to give details on his condition, saying he could not legally give interviews.

Close friend and fellow human rights lawyer Li Heping also confirmed he had spoken with Gao on Sunday. "It's certainly him. I spoke to him over the phone. I could tell from the way he spoke and the way he spoke to me that it's him." When Li asked to visit, Gao refused to give him details on his whereabouts, saying he had "friends around him"--indicating he was being held under close surveillance by Chinese authorities.

Gao's wife Geng He and two children were overwhelmed with emotion and relief as they spoke with him on Sunday morning. Tthe children could not stop crying. Earlier today, Geng He released a statement, appealing to the Chinese Government to allow Gao Zhisheng to reunite with his family in the United States. According to reliable sources, the pressure on Geng He and the family has increased during Gao's absence. Reports indicate Geng He's parents have been severely harassed in recent months, due to their relationship to son-in-law Gao Zhisheng.

Gao has felt guilty for the backlash friends and family. He told the Associated Press, "I just want to be in peace and quiet for a while and be reunited with my family. Most people belong with family. I have not been with mine for a long time. This is a mistake and I want to correct this mistake."

ChinaAid President Bob Fu confirmed the reports. "After examining Gao's voice in the interview, I too am convinced that it is Gao." ChinaAid has waged an international campaign to Free Gao for more than a year, circulating petitions and calling on the international community to raise awareness for Gao's cause. Last week, prominent human rights attorney Dr. Li Baiguang joined President Fu in meeting with high-ranking members of the British and European Parliaments in London and Brussels, calling awareness to Gao's cause. (See CAA report) They met with seven members of the Northern Ireland Assembly in Belfast today, including First Minister Mr. Peter Robinson, who expressed particular concern for Gao Zhisheng.

"We are thankful for the assurance that Gao is alive and praise the more than 124,000 supporters in over 180 countries around the world who have signed the petition, and have not allowed him to be forgotten," said Mr. Fu. "Due to the international pressure levied by these faithful supporters, the Chinese Government has been forced to respond and to allow Gao Zhisheng to reconnect with his loved ones."

Mr. Fu further warned that the recent contact with Gao is only the beginning. "Yesterday's events happened as a result of international pressure. But Gao is not free yet. His movements are still being watched and monitored. He is not free to speak publicly or without surveillance."

"Gao Zhisheng is entitled to be free, according Chinese law, if he is not found in violation of laws during the probationary period. And according to international norms, he has the right to travel overseas to reunite with his family, if he has not violated his probation. As a defender and protector of the law, Gao Zhisheng has upheld his end. We must continue to press the Chinese government to free Gao Zhisheng and uncensor his movements, according to the law, and to allow him to reunite with his family."

Christian Girls and Women in Egypt Receive New Testaments

This past Saturday I had the opportunity to go to a nurses convention in order to hand out bibles.  It was a very cool experience because not only was I able to give out bibles to someone who didn't have one, but I had the opportunity to share about how Christians in persecuted countries pray, sometimes for decades,  for a copy of the bible.

In fact, I had a conversation with one nurse who was resistant to taking a bible, and after I shared about the persecuted church and how they desire scriptures, and how fortunate we are in America to have bibles all around us, she took a copy of the New Testament I was giving out.  Which leads me to this newest update from Bibles Unbound.  If you receive bibles unbound email updates,  you may have received this, if not, please keep reading because this will inspire you to join the program, if you aren't already participating.

We get many wonderful testimonies from our Bibles Unbound mailers, and sometimes we cannot wait to share the effect your mailings are having around the world. The stories inspire and encourage us, and we think they will encourage you as well. Recently, VOM contacts in Egypt shared how New Testaments are changing the lives of young girls and women.

VOM contacts held a meeting in “El Minia” governorate in Egypt to minister to girls and women, who are often treated as second-class citizens in their own country. “Generally, in most of Upper Egypt governorates and villages, the girls are treated in a bad way, they don’t get enough education and they get married while still young,” VOM contacts said.

More than 350 girls and women from several small villages attended the meeting. “Each one got a copy of the New Testament. They were very happy to receive it and start to read it,” VOM contacts added. “God blessed the meetings by his presence; many girls knew the Lord and were affected by his love and mercy.”

We are grateful for your faithfulness in receiving New Testaments monthly, praying over them and sending the Word of God to people like these girls and women in Egypt. These seeds are sown in good soil, and God has promised a great harvest. We are also thankful to the many believers in restricted nations who gather names and addresses of people who need to read God’s Word.

Thank you for your critical work with Bibles Unbound. Please check www.biblesunbound.com often to see when new operations are added. Also, please forward this email to other believers who care about persecuted Christians around the world. Pray that God will provide more opportunities for us to mail New Testaments to even more nations.

For those in bonds,

The Bibles Unbound Team

Sharing God's Love Leads Lieutenant to Christ

“You are lying!” Lieutenant Grecu screamed at the imprisoned pastor, Richard Wurmbrand. “Tell us the truth about your Christian activities and about others in your church! Here, you must write out for me all the rules that you have broken in the prison.”

     Wurmbrand sat and quietly wrote down all of the prison rules he had broken. When he was finished, he added one final paragraph: “I have never spoken against the Communists. I am a disciple of Christ, who has given us love for our enemies. I understand them and pray for their conversion so that they will become my brothers in the Faith.” He signed his name boldly at the bottom.
  

 Grecu read the “declaration.” His face softened as he got to the end, overwhelmed that Wurmbrand could write about loving a government that had arrested and tortured him. “This love,” he said. “That is one of your Christian commandments that no one can keep.”

    “It’s not a matter of keeping a commandment,” Richard replied gently. “When I became a Christian it was as if I had been reborn, with a new character full of love. Just as only water can flow from a spring, only love can come from a loving heart.”

    In the following months, Wurmbrand spoke of Christ’s love many more times to Lieutenant Grecu, who eventually prayed to receive Christ!

Declaring your faith in Christ is simply saying it loud enough for others to hear and receive it. It doesn’t mean you’re obnoxious. It doesn’t mean you must be extraordinarily extroverted. It simply means you are an open book for others to read about Jesus Christ. And you’re willing to read it aloud when necessary. We are often hesitant in our witness for Christ. We don’t wish to offend. We don’t want to be ill received. And yet our taciturn testimony may cause us to miss the opportunity to lead someone to faith in Christ. What would it mean for you to declare your faith in Christ today? To whom should you define and deliver God’s message of grace?

This is an excerpt from the wonderful book Extreme Devotion.  To purchase your copy, please click here and visit The Voice of the Martyrs bookstore.

Nigeria: VOMedical Helps Victims

Last Friday we shared the video that goes with this story.  To see the video please click here.

The Voice of the Martyrs’ medical program is on the frontlines in Northern Nigeria, providing medical care, support and counseling to Christians following recent attacks by Muslims.

VOMedical staff report that many villages have been attacked, the latest occurring on March 17. “Muslims surrounded the small village of Byei, some 30 miles south of Jos. They attacked the homes with AK-47s (judging by the diameter of the bullet holes in the houses’ doors and according to survivors), followed by machetes and fire,” VOMedical staff said. “Thirteen people died in the attack and were buried in a mass grave just outside the village. Seven were wounded and taken to Vom Christian Hospital; five remained admitted when we visited the hospital this afternoon. Most of the wounds were gunshot wounds and burns.”

The wounds sustained by believers in this attack are severe. “The severity of the wounds is much higher than those seen in the January riots; there are very, very few with minor wounds, while more than half of the January attack wounds were minor,” VOMedical staff added. “This area has had six or seven villages attacked over the past 10 to 14 days. None of these were the typical Nigerian religious riot; all were deliberate, middle-of-the-night, well coordinated assaults.”

VOMedical staff have visited believers in hospitals and consulted with doctors to ensure they are receiving the medical treatment they require. “We were able to see numerous patients at Plateau State Specialist Hospital, one of two of the main receiving hospitals from this attack,” VOMedical staff said. “There were fewer gunshot wounds and far more machete and cutlass wounds. Muslims had sharpened their weapons before the attack, because the wounds on these folks were significantly deeper and more destructive than any of those I saw in January. The epitome was an above-the-elbow amputation on the left arm of a 4-year-old child.”

These attacks are the latest in a series of sectarian attacks and riots in recent months. In January and again in early March, Christians and Muslims rioted in several villages outside the city of Jos. Churches and homes were burned, and many Christians and Muslims were killed.

Following the attacks in Dogo Nahawa, a pastor stressed the importance of forgiveness. “He stressed that this was indeed persecution foretold by Jesus as a sign of the end times and that our duty was to carry our cross and forgive the attackers,” VOMedical said of the pastor’s comments. “This will be significant, as many of the attackers were actually long-standing members of Dogo Nahawa village and were pointing out who was Christian and which houses were Christian. The worship service was held in the village square, complete with charred, burned-out buildings in the background.”

The Voice of the Martyrs encourages you to continue praying for Nigerian believers, who live with the daily possibility of being attacked. Pray that those who lost loved ones will be comforted and that the injured will fully recover. Pray that VOMedical staff will encourage believers in Nigeria and be able to provide them with needed resources during this difficult time. Ask God to help Christians forgive their persecutors.

A Visit Inside the Prison Richard Wurmbrand Served Time In

Recently, Tom White, from The Voice of the Martyrs USA and Michael Wurmbrand, the son of the founder of VOM, Richard Wurmbrand, had the opportunity to go to Romania and visit the prison that Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand spent time in.

This is an amazing journey into one of the most depressing and desolate prisons.  In this 30 minute video you will hear Richard Wurmbrand share his feelings about his mom and dad being in this prison.

You'll also see Tom White share about his time in prison and how Richard Wurmbrand offered to take his place while he served in a Cuban prison.  And you'll also see the barbed wire that Tom takes to commemorate his visit to the prison.

There are also other moving testimonies in this short film, that will move your heart.

This is an amazing video of the never seen before prison of the founder of The Voice of the Martyrs.  Please take some time to watch this and be inspired.  And may this continue to spur you on to pray for the persecuted church worldwide.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL VIDEO.

Personal Testimonies from Indian Christians

In this video from The Voice of the Martyrs, you will hear two powerful testimonies from Christians who have lost loved ones because they were martyred for Christ. You will also hear in the second testimony, where they say they want to forgive the killers and see them come to Christ.

Please share your thoughts after you watch this. And please keep these dear ones in your prayers.