VOM-USA Prayer Update for July 15, 2011
Thank you to all of you prayer warriors who are faithful to pray for our persecuted family in Jesus Christ. God bless you!
Iraq--House Church Leader Kidnapped
VOM Sources
Psalm 41:2
In Dehouk, Iraq, a young girl told a VOM worker how a group of Muslims broke into her family’s home and took her father, Jamal. Jamal is an active house church planter who works among the Shabak people, who have Jewish roots and speak Arabic and Kurdish. VOM sources think a radical Muslim group, possibly Al-Qaeda, kidnapped Jamal because he has led many Muslims to Christ. Several weeks ago, the home of one of Jamal’s recent converts was sprayed with machine gun fire. VOM workers do not expect Jamal to be freed, and many fear he will be killed. Please pray that God will protect Jamal and that Jamal’s family will remain faithful in this time of severe persecution.
North Korea--The Gospel Finds a Way
VOM Sources
2 Samuel 10:12
A VOM-supported discipleship training project is preparing North Koreans who have left their country to share the gospel with countrymen when they return home. “Mr. Kim” was an orphan who had no money, no home and no hope. After fleeing North Korea, he walked to the first house he saw. The family who lived there had compassion on him because they had witnessed the brutal and inhumane way the police treat North Korean refugees. Soon Mr. Kim accepted Christ and joined the discipleship training program. He and two other men in the training say they are thankful for Christians around the world who pray for them and help them. Please continue to pray for courageous Christians who dare to take the gospel into this dark nation.
Burma (Myanmar)--Political Unrest Leads to Ethnic Cleansing
Assist News Service
Ephesians 6:10
Civil war has erupted in northern Burma, and Christians in Kachin state are caught in the conflict between a rebel group and the Burmese military. In the second week of June, clashes over a new hydroelectric plant led to extreme violence. Kachin state is heavily influenced by its Christian background, and the military junta has used the conflict as an excuse for ethnic cleansing. A local priest confirmed that Burmese soldiers are killing the elderly and children, raping women, burning homes and confiscating property. “They use ruthless methods [for] ethnic cleansing,” he said. “Almost all [the victims] are Christians.” About 16,000 Kachin people are living in refugee camps, and as many as 20,000 are languishing on the Chinese border. The refugees have reportedly received no international help. Please pray for Christians affected by this violence; pray that they will remain strong in the Lord despite their circumstances.