Persecution Blog

By Choosing Christ, Her Children Will Be Orphans

Daniel Wani holds his newborn daughter for the first time. MailOnline News

“It’s a baby girl!”

Maya, the second child of Meriam Ibrahim and Daniel Wani was born earlier this week in a prison clinic, where her mother awaits execution for refusing to renounce Christianity. Maya and her 20-month-old brother, Martin, will remain in prison with their mother until she is weaned. Then, she and her brother will become orphans if Sudan’s government carries out Meriam’s death sentence.

The children’s father and Meriam’s husband Daniel, was finally able to visit his children on the day after Maya’s birth. When he spoke with his wife, she expressed no regrets. “If they want to execute me then they should go ahead and do it because I’m not going to change my faith.”

In court, the judge repeatedly gave her opportunity to recant her Christian faith. She stated openly that she had never practiced the religion of her father and that she was a Christian. The judge gave her three days to change her mind or be charged with apostasy. Meriam came back to court and told the judge she would not change her mind.

Meriam told her husband, “I refuse to change. I am not giving up Christianity just so that I can live. I know I could stay alive by becoming a Muslim and I would be able to look after our family, but I need to be true to myself.”

Meriam Ibrahim has already died to herself and lives in Christ. She is ready to die for her faith, but I cannot imagine the sorrow that she and her husband are enduring as their two young children are kept alongside her in chains, and as they imagine a future without Meriam.

I can only imagine the conditions she is living in at the prison, where guards are reportedly mistreating her and where Muslim prisoners are rallying around her. I can only imagine her pain as she tries to care for her two young children while trying to keep her hope alive and her faith vibrant. I can only imagine Daniel’s anguish at his inability to help his wife while separated from his children.

As members of the body of Christ, we are called to “Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.” (Hebrews 13:3). We are also called in Isaiah 58:6 to “loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free.”

Please pray for Meriam and her family. Pray for comfort for her in prison. Pray that her example will have an impact on those around her and on the whole nation of Sudan. Pray for her husband Daniel and the lawyers who are working to help her. Pray that Meriam and her children will be freed.

Post a prayer for Meriam at iCommitToPray and learn more at Persecution.com.

“Ann Kay” is a writer for VOM. She learned about VOM five years ago when she read Tortured for Christ and began receiving the newsletter. She is passionate about reaching the world for Christ and sharing stories of the persecuted church.

UN Adds Boko Haram to Terrorist Listing

VOM’s Todd Nettleton was interviewed by a reporter from Mission Network News earlier this week for a story about persecution in Nigeria. Here is the resulting story:

Nigeria (MNN) — There’s good news and bad news coming from Nigeria regarding al-Qaeda-related Boko Haram.

What does this group of Islamist extremists want? Todd Nettleton, a spokesman for The Voice of the Martyrs USA, answers, “They want Nigeria to be an Islamic state, so they are trying to eliminate the so-called ‘Western culture’ or ‘Western thought.’”

As a result, adds Nettleton, “Boko Haram targets churches, they target Christians, as well as government installations, as well as schools, as well as other places that would represent–in their minds–the West.”

Most recently, more than 300 teenagers (#bringbackourgirls) were abducted from their school in the town Chibok on April 15. Nettleton says the latest news is a mixed bag. “One of the Nigerian military officials said, ‘We do know where the girls are, but we can’t tell you. And no, we can’t go in with a military-styled assault and free them because that would probably result in killing too many of them.’”

Police say 53 escaped on their own and 276 remain captive. Although a senior U.S. defense official could not independently confirm the reports of the girls’ finding, the news provides a ray of hope.

On another note, Nettleton says, “[There are published reports that] there was a deal in place to exchange the kidnapped girls for releasing Boko Haram prisoners. However, the deal was nixed by Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan.” The motives for scuttling the deal are unclear.

Yet, the human interest aspect of the situation has shed light on the insurgency. “The international community is finally, finally, finally paying attention to what’s going on in Northern Nigeria with regard to Boko Haram attacks,” Nettleton notes, confirming the United Nations has imposed sanctions on the terror group. The Boko Haram will now be added to a list of al-Qaeda-linked organizations subject to an arms embargo and asset freeze.

Will it make any difference? It might be more of a symbolic act, considering this is not a group that operates in the normal channels. “They are kidnapping people for ransom, they are robbing banks, they are stealing vehicles rather than working through the financial system in such a way that it can be traced or really that these sanctions will have a direct effect on the way that they do business.”

While the government has yet to end the mutiny, they have begun to station police and set barriers at church entry points, preventing a number of attackers from reaching their targets. But that also means the situation has directly had an impact on outreach. “It affects everything the Church does in Northern Nigeria because the simple act of holding a worship service potentially is a case of being targeted by Boko Haram.”

VOM provides tools for evangelism, medical care for riot victims, and job training for widows and other affected Christians. “We have direct connections with the churches in northern Nigeria. Part of our work is to come alongside them and encourage them, give them the message that the world is aware of what’s going on here, and that there are Christian brothers and sisters who are praying.”

Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country, with nearly 115 million people, and approximately 470 languages are used in the country. Yet, more than half of the population has not heard of salvation through Jesus Christ. Nettleton says that’s exactly why there are those who are still sharing God’s story. They’ve told Nettleton, “‘Our calling didn’t change because there was risk and danger. Our calling is still to serve the Lord. Our calling is still to reach out to the people around us, to share the love of Christ with them.’”

The VOM team is providing aid, medical help, and more. Recently, “We’re now helping eight girls who have been previously kidnapped by Boko Haram and subsequently escaped or been released. We’re helping to provide them with recovery and a safe place where they can heal.”

But Nigerian Christians also need more resources, both for their personal growth and to share with others. Nettleton acknowledges financial needs, “but I think the first and most important thing for people to do is simply to pray for our brothers and sisters who are in Nigeria who are facing these challenges, because they live in an area where Boko Haram is so active and where they have specifically said, ‘We don’t want Christians to be here.’”

Nigeria: Linked in Prayer

Each week VOM staff members and those volunteering with the ministry gather for a time of worship and prayer. We pray for specific requests from our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world. We pray for VOM projects to assist these brothers and sisters. And we pray for the requests of VOM readers from around the US who ask us to pray for specific needs in their lives.

Today one of my colleagues shared stories and testimonies from a recent visit to Nigeria and meeting with Christians who face persecution at the hands of radical Islamic terrorists from Boko Haram in that nation. And at the end of his presentation we had a special time of prayer for the girls kidnapped last month by Boko Haram.

On each chair was a special card with one of the 180 names that have been publicly released of those kidnapped girls. We were invited to pray specifically for the person whose name we held in our hands. Some of them are Christian girls being pressured to convert to Islam by their captors. Some (15) are Muslim girls, reminding us that Muslims also suffer at the hands of Boko Haram. And we know that not all the names have been released publicly, so we pray for those “known but to God” also being held captive.

And finally we were invited to remember the Biblical mandate to pray for those who persecute, and we prayed that God’s spirit would move mightily among the Boko Haram fighters and that many would be reached with the saving message of salvation through the shed blood of Christ. “The Apostle Paul was the Boko Haram of his day,” we were reminded. “Until the love and the grace and the blood of Christ reached out and saved him.”

We pray that God will raise up more “Pauls” out of the “Sauls” that are currently persecuting Christians as part of Boko Haram.

Will you join VOM staff today in linking up with our brothers and sisters in Nigeria through your prayers?

Todd Nettleton has served the persecuted church and VOM more than 16 years. He has been interviewed more than 2000 times by various media outlets. He's the author of Restricted Nations: North Korea, and served on the writing team for FOXE, Extreme Devotion, Hearts of Fire and other VOM books.

Helping Boko Haram Kidnap Victims Recover

VOM is providing assistance to two sisters who recently escaped captivity from Boko Haram.

Two sisters, Kamka, 19, and Naya, 16, were sleeping when radical Muslims invaded their home. The armed terrorists entered their brother's room and shot him in the hand before demanding to know where the girls' father was. When they realized the two sisters were not married and their father was not home, they took the girls by force.

The Boko Haram terrorist group has declared war on Christians in Nigeria, frequently attacking Christian villages, burning Christians' houses and murdering indiscriminately. They also kidnap teenage girls and force them to convert and marry Boko Haram members.

After forcing Kamka and Naya to walk through the woods at gunpoint, the terrorists immediately put them to work fetching water and cooking. A few days later, the girls were told that both of them were to be married. “We're too young,” Naya protested. But the leader then showed them his daughter, a girl of 7 or 8, who was already married.

“If we refused to cooperate, we would be killed,” Naya told a VOM worker. “The man whom I was forced to marry took me. He picked up his gun and a knife and threatened to murder me if I continued to resist.”

The sisters cried and prayed together, unsure of what would become of them. But after two weeks, a Muslim woman took pity on them. While fetching water with the girls, she showed them an escape route and told them to run away.

The girls escaped under cover of darkness. They knocked on the door of the first house they came to, praying the owner would be friendly. Although he was Muslim, the man took pity on the girls. He allowed them to bathe and eat, and then had his sister take them to a nearby Christian village.

The girls were traumatized by their experience but are now doing reasonably well. Since it is unsafe for them to return to their home, VOM is providing care for them at a safe house through one of our project partners.

“I thank God that He has saved us from the hands of these bad people,” Naya said. “Everything is now behind me and I'm not afraid anymore. I only want to look forward now.”

And Kamka is also thankful for God's protection. “I am very grateful that many Christians pray for me,” she said. “Despite what I've been through, I still have faith in God.”

The Voice of the Martyrs invites you to support our work in Nigeria. Your contributions help believers like Naya and Kamka as well as providing support to families of martyrs and medical assistance to victims of extremist attacks.

Make a Contribution to VOM's Work in Nigeria

Please remember to pray for those kidnapped by Boko Haram and for all our brothers and sisters in Nigeria who are under attack. Share this post with your Christian friends so they can join us in prayer.

"My Grace is Sufficient"

The wife of a man in prison for his work at a Christian bookstore told VOM partners that although she and her children miss their husband and father, she and her family haven’t needed anything except prayer. Cai Hong Li, wife of Christian prisoner Wenxi Li, recently spoke with workers from Release International, The Voice of the Martyrs' sister organization in the United Kingdom.

Wenxi was sentenced to two years in prison in December 2012 for his involvement with a Christian book store. Wenxi, who is from Beijing, was helping set up a Christian bookstore in Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi province, when he was arrested. Police raided the shop, and according to the South China Morning Post, one of the officials shouted at the bookstore employees, “Don’t you dare bring Christian culture here. This is our turf.”

Cai Hong with a photo of her husband taken during their visit with him in prison.

Since her husband’s arrest, Cai Hong’s only visit with her husband occurred in January 2014. She said, “He is doing well and is able to read the Bible in jail, which is amazing.”

Although he is in prison, Wenxi is still able to do the very thing authorities tried to prevent him from doing — share the Gospel. While awaiting trial, he led three prisoners to Christ. When Cai Hong visited in January, he excitedly told the family that several more prisoners had committed their lives to the Lord as a result of his prison evangelism.

Cai Hong told our partners that she is content that God is using a bad situation for His good purposes, even though the family has faced a lot of hardship as a result of her husband’s imprisonment. “I don’t think my husband being in prison is a miserable thing,” she said, “I have already come through the hardest time.”

Last year, the couple’s daughter was in an accident and had to be hospitalized. “At that time, I cried out to God and ask him why all these things were happening to our family. He spoke to me through the verse: ‘My grace is sufficient for you’ (2 Corinthians 12:9).”

When VOM partners asked if she had specific practical needs, Cai Hong said that her church is providing an allowance that meets the family’s requirements. The support not only relieves worry about meeting her daily needs, but it also reassures her children about their father. “My children know that their father is in prison, but I tell them that he has done nothing wrong. The church takes good care of us.

“We have never wanted for anything,” she said, because God’s grace has been sufficient. The one thing Cai Hong desires most is that her Christian brothers and sisters support her family through prayer. “Prayer is the most precious thing.”

Write a letter of encouragement to Wenxi Li on Prisoner Alert.

A version of this story also appears on VOM's main web site. www.Persecution.com.

"I Surrender Myself Entirely"

God’s grace arrives just as we need it, appropriate for every challenge. Even if we’re lonely? Even if we’re ill? Yes. Even if we’re tortured? Even then.

Michael Sattler, born in Germany around 1490, became a Benedictine monk. As he studied Paul’s letters, he grew dissatisfied, left the monastery, married, and became a Lutheran. Sometime later he became convinced of believer’s baptism and became an Anabaptist of growing renown whose ministry attracted both converts and enemies.

On the road to Kiebingen, where the gallows used to be, there is a memorial for Michael Sattler and his wife erected on the site of his execution.

Sattler, his wife, and a handful of associates were arrested in the mid-1520s and imprisoned in the tower of Binsdorf, where he wrote a letter to his flock:

The brethren have doubtless informed you that some of us are in prison. Numerous accusations were preferred against us by our adversaries; at one time they threatened us with the gallows; at another with fire and sword. In this extremity, I surrender myself entirely to the Lord’s will, and prepared myself, together with all brethren and wife, to die for his testimony’s sake.

On May 20, 1527 his torture, a prelude to execution, began at city center where his tongue was sliced. Chunks of flesh were torn from his body with red-hot tongs, and he was forged to a cart. On the way to the stake execution the tongs were applied five times again. Still able to speak, the unshakable Sattler prayed for his persecutors. After being bound to a ladder with ropes and pushed into the fire, he admonished the people, the judges, and the mayor to repent and be converted. “Almighty eternal God,” he prayed, “Thou art the way and the truth: because I have not been shown to be in error, I will with thy help to this day testify to the truth and seal it with my blood.” As soon as the ropes on his wrists were burned, Sattler raised the two forefingers of his hand giving the promised signal to his brothers that a martyr’s death was bearable. Then the assembled crowd heard coming from his seared lips, “Father, I commit my spirit into thy hands.”

Sattler’s wife was executed by drowning eight days later.

Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— of whom the world was not worthy.  (Hebrews 11: 36-38a)

Story excerpted from On This Day in Christian History: 365 Amazing and Inspiring Stories about Saints, Martyrs and Heroes by Robert J. Morgan. Disclosure: VOM is part of the Amazon Associates program. If you use the links in this post to purchase the book from Amazon, VOM will receive a very small percentage of your purchase as a referral fee.

Photo credit: Gregor Helms (CC BY SA)

Is Christian Persecution a Social Justice Issue?

In order to answer that question, let’s look at the definition. Merriam Webster dictionary defines social justice as: “A social philosophy advocating the removal of inequalities among people.”

In the last few years the social justice movement has exploded; it’s become trendy to have a social justice issue you champion. My peers are seen sporting their Tom’s shoes or writing love on their arms. Human trafficking, clean water and child soldiers are some of the most popular causes, to name a few. I think it’s safe to say all of these causes are striving to eliminate some kind of injustice. Seeking to “remove an inequality” as the definition above states.  And so they should: we want to see an end to these atrocities.

So where does Christian persecution fit into the social justice noise? I would submit to you that maybe it doesn’t, at least not in the way most other causes do. Based on the definition of social justice, it would lead us to believe that we are trying to remove or eliminate the injustice of Christian persecution.  However, that shouldn’t be the goal, and it’s not the goal at The Voice of the Martyrs. II Timothy 3:12, Philippians 1:29, John 15:19-20 help explain why this can’t be our goal. The Bible says Christians will always be persecuted and suffer for their faith and it won’t end until Jesus returns.

In fact, what we do at VOM can even make persecution worse for Christians. If we didn’t deliver Bibles to believers in hostile and restricted countries, there might be less arrests. If we didn’t equip believers to share the gospel in Muslim countries, there might be less converts, which would mean less persecution, ostracism or honor killings.  Whenever light and darkness collide so forcefully, there is a reaction. There are nations and areas where Satan has a stronghold of people in bondage and he won’t give it up easily.

A Christian boy in Nepal received a back pack of school supplies from one of VOM’s recent distributions.

In one sense, persecution can actually be seen as a specific Kingdom strategy. Persecution is a classic example of how what Satan means for evil, God uses for good. Often, persecution actually causes the church to grow and be built up. Paul says in Philippians 1:14 that because of his chains, other believers have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly. The fastest growing church in the world is in Iran, a nation where it is illegal to convert to Christianity!

So what is our goal for persecuted Christians? It’s to be the body of Christ to them and with them. Persecuted Christians are not a cause, they are our family. You are standing with your family and saying, “yes I agree with you, Jesus is worth it all. And I will support you in this endeavor, whatever that looks like.” Maybe it’s that they are in danger and need to be in a safe house or maybe they need medical care from an attack or a pool to conduct secret baptisms or motorbikes to reach remote villages with the gospel. Whatever it is, we are their family and we are with them. And all of this is not with the hope of ending persecution; it’s with the hope of advancing God’s kingdom.

As you stand with them, you will start to notice you are not only giving but you are receiving as well. Your own faith is challenged and inspired by their lives and testimony. We start to ask ourselves the hard questions: “Have I also counted the cost to follow Christ?” So it’s not just one sided, it comes full circle; this is the beauty of the global body of Christ. 

Brooke Parks serves on the staff of VOM as the youth & young adult coordinator. She was first introduced to the ministry of VOM by her parents and grandparents, who received the VOM newsletter, and through the VOM book Jesus Freaks. She has served in 12 different countries and is passionate about helping expand God’s Kingdom throughout the nations of the world.

A Russian Resurrection Sunday

“I long to see you…that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me” (Romans 1:11-12).

I spent Resurrection Sunday in Russia this year. I was there while traveling to meet with some persecuted brothers and sisters in a neighboring hostile nation. After I reconnected with a dear Russian brother and his beautiful family, we met for worship at a church plant.

We shared a wonderful experience as children recited portions of Scripture they had memorized from the Gospels and a professional opera singer offered her finest gift to the Lord—a stunning song! As she finished the song, she sheepishly shared that she had not performed it as well as she intended. We certainly hadn’t noticed, but it reminded me of the widow giving all she had, while wishing she could do so much more.

One of our Russian brothers cooking lunch for the Body of Christ on Resurrection Sunday.

The Resurrection Sunday celebration was followed by a large fellowship meal. The warmth of these dear family members was full-bodied. For a few semi-awkward moments, I tried to chat with a mother of five children. Kimberly and I have been blessed with five children as well, and by using hand gestures and taking full advantage of her very limited English (and my non-existent Russian), we discovered that some of our children were near the same age. After we mined that connection point as deeply as we could, we simply stood next to each other surveying the crowd around us and resting in the fact that one day we will be able to speak freely with each other because we are in the same universal family! It was a beautiful, sacred space—a few serene, non-anxious moments simply enjoying a newfound sibling's presence.

Prior to Paul’s introduction to his Christian siblings in Rome, he noted that even though they had never had the opportunity to meet in person, he frequently lifted them to their Father in prayer: "For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you” (Romans 1:9-10).

Until we have the joy of seeing our international family face-to-face, let us agree to lift them in prayer regularly. And, then, let us live with the expectation that no matter what happens in the “here and now,” we will joyfully experience complete communion with our universal family in the “then and there!”

Dr. Jason Peters serves in VOM’s International Ministries department, traveling frequently to meet with our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world. He lived overseas for five years and has ministered in 35 countries as diverse as Cuba, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Iraq, Nigeria, and Indonesia. He and his wife, Kimberly, along with their five children, count it a great honor to serve with the persecuted church.

Extreme Confirmation

IRAN: HUSSEIN

And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” Luke 22:19

Christ dramatically changed the life of “Hussein,” a former Muslim in Iran. He had once been a drug addict with thoughts of suicide, but after becoming an on-fire believer in Christ, he quit his job to pursue full-time ministry in the underground church. He was assigned to “shadow” a Christian couple in their ministry work as he learned and grew in his calling.

At one of the first houses he visited with the Christian couple, a young woman in the house began to weep as soon as she saw the three Christians standing outside her door. Confused by her response, the Christians wondered if she’d just suffered some great tragedy or if they had offended her in some way.

Then, through tears, she explained. She had wanted to see Jesus in her dreams, and just that week she finally had a dream in which Christ appeared to her. In the dream, Christ led her to a table and invited her to sit down with three people already sitting at the table. And now, only hours later, those same three people-whom she had never met before-were knocking on her door!

She invited them in, and before they left she had committed her heart and life to following Jesus. Hussein had been confident that God had called him into ministry work. And by the time he left that young woman’s house, God’s amazing work had obliterated any remaining shred of doubt in his mind. Hussein never again doubted God’s plan for his life, even when he was arrested and imprisoned for his faith.

Sometimes God makes His will so plain it’s as if he’s written it on the sky with a neon magic marker. Other times, we “see through a glass darkly,” as Paul wrote to the Corinthian church. Raymond Edman, former president of Wheaton College, advised students to “Never doubt in the dark what God told you in the light.” Hussein saw clearly God’s call on his life, confirmed in neon obviousness by the girl’s dream. He hung onto that clarity and remained faithful to Christ, even in police stations, prison cells and Iranian courtrooms. What truths has God revealed to you that you need to hold onto more tightly today?

This is one of the readings from the book, Extreme Devotion, available from VOM’s online bookstore. You can also receive devotional thoughts daily via email. Sign up here.

 

Help Reach Syrian Muslims for Christ

Syrian Christians have asked for care packages to share with their Muslim neighbors.

The Voice of the Martyrs has distributed Action Packs to persecuted Christians in countries like Iraq, Pakistan and Sudan for many years. These care packages, filled or sponsored by Christians in the United States, contain clothing, bedding, toiletries and other items of need.

Now our front-line workers in and around Syria want to share these packs with Muslim, Syrian refugees as a demonstration of Christ’s love for them. They believe these packs will help open the door for the gospel.

We are excited to come alongside these faithful Christians in this incredible outreach opportunity, and we invite you to help us equip these front-line workers. Through a network of workers in and around Syria, VOM hopes to distribute 10,000 Outreach Packs. You can join us in one of two ways:

1. Fill Your Own Outreach Pack

You can receive Outreach Packs from VOM, fill them yourselves with items from an enclosed list and return the packs to The Voice of the Martyrs for distribution. Your $7 donation for each Outreach Pack covers the cost of the bag, shipping to you and final distribution.

Fill a Syrian Outreach Pack(s)

 

2. Sponsor an Outreach Pack

You can sponsor Outreach Pack(s) to be filled in the field (you will not receive an Outreach Pack). Your $30 donation for each pack covers the cost of all items in the bag, the bag itself and distribution.

Sponsor Syrian Outreach Pack(s)

Thank you for joining us in this outreach to Muslim, Syrian refugees. The Outreach Pack ministry is a great project for families, youth groups, Sunday school classes or even your entire church.