Persecution Blog

Nate Saint Memorial School: End of an Era

The end of an era comes next month.

In August 1985, I clutched my mom’s hand and squeaked my rubber flip-flopped way down the gravel path from the Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) “base” to the cinderblock Nate Saint Memorial school. Miss Carolyn Wolfram greeted me and the three other kindergarten students and we took our places at the red, yellow, blue and green desks.

David’s parents were with Gospel Missionary Union, running a conference center for training local church workers. Rebekah’s dad was an anesthesiologist at the HCJB mission hospital in town. And Cristina’s parents worked with the local church while her dad trained to be a pilot with my dad at MAF.

I completed all of my elementary education through the sixth grade at Nate Saint Memorial School. In my era, the school hosted around 30 kids in kindergarten through eighth grade; all of our parents were involved in various ministries and denominations and types of mission work in the tiny town of Shell, perched on the edge of Ecuador’s Amazon rain forest.

At NSMS, as we called it, classes were frequently put on hold so the school children could perform a song for visiting tour groups from the U.S. We marched in the town parades proudly carrying a banner with Nate Saint’s name on it, and when we got tired of standing in the hot sun, our teachers would exhort us to set an example for the Ecuadorian schools, because they knew we were the “evangelical” school.

Class sizes were small, and like a prairie school house, often contained multiple grades. After the teacher got the third graders working in their math workbooks, she might quietly read the English assignment to the fourth graders on the other side of the room. When there were political strikes and no one could travel around town, we had classes in homes, books spread out on dining room tables with our mothers overseeing us.

Thursday afternoons were for swimming, when the whole school would pile into the rattley GMC mission vans and head for the river. The teachers would try to make sure we didn’t drown in the fast current while I worked up the courage to finally jump off that big rock into the deep spot.

When the eighth graders needed frogs to dissect for science class, they first spent an evening out behind the school, capturing toads and dunking them in formaldehyde from the hospital. The surgeons’ wife came over on Tuesdays to have us draw still-life paintings.

Every day on my way home from school, I’d pass the long wooden house of the Brethren church planters who were working with the indigenous people, including many of the Waodani (the tribe responsible for killing Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Ed McCully, Pete Fleming and Roger Youderian). Waodani teenagers lived with them for months at a time while completing their education in Shell, education that wasn’t available in the jungle. The hope of the church planters was that these young people would return to their villages with a firm spiritual foundation that they could share with their communities.

The school for the children of missionaries founded in 1966 in memory of those missionary martyrs—Nate Saint Memorial School—has run its course. Fewer missionaries are needed in the region, and more are choosing to homeschool their children.

The end of an era has come, but its purpose was well-served. My kindergarten teacher, Miss Wolfram, would go on to have a 32-year-long career serving the mission community, in Shell and later in the capital city at the boarding school. She’s retiring this year.

Several schoolmates went on to become missionary pilots. One is serving as a military chaplain. Another is a church planter in Mexico. One girl ministered with her family in Yemen. Another one trains pastors in the Dominican Republic. My sister and her family work with youth in Ecuador. And then there’s me: privileged to serve persecuted Christians around the world. Christians who are just as willing to sacrifice their lives in order to share the gospel as the school’s namesake, Nate Saint.

Dory P and her husband both work for VOM. Dory grew up calling Nate Saint’s sister “Aunt Rachel” and Jim Elliot’s widow “Aunt Betty.” She and her husband serve on VOM’s staff.

Today, You Know Their Names

Sixty-one years ago yesterday, five men lost their lives on a stretch of sand on the Curaray River in Ecuador. Had they not lost their lives, it’s unlikely you’d know the names of Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Ed McCully, Pete Fleming and Roger Youderian. Instead, their act of sacrifice to reach the Waodani Indians with the gospel resonated around the world and inspired future generations of missionaries.

Growing up, this story was an intimate part of my life, yet I had no idea how far-reaching it was. You see, my father was among those inspired by the five martyrs, particularly Nate Saint. This led to life-long mission work.

My parents joined Mission Aviation Fellowship (Nate Saint’s sending mission) and were assigned to work in Shell, Ecuador in 1978. They lived in Nate Saint’s jungle house, the place where the men and women prayed and pondered their mission to the Waodani for weeks before setting out, and where the wives anxiously gathered around the radio at 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 8, 1956, hoping for word from their loved ones.

In 1979, my parents brought me home from the hospital to that same Saint house. For the next 12 years, as I played on the hill outside the hangar, I saw Waodani women brought by airplane for treatment at the mission hospital, I watched as Waodani teenagers arrived by air to be discipled by church planters and I saw Bible translators, working on a Waodani translation of the New Testament, travel by plane to their communities.

Two weeks ago, my family and I traveled back to Shell and stayed in that same Saint house, which is now a mini-museum, event space and guest house. It was encouraging to witness that the work that began after the five men lost their lives continues today. Two generations later, there is an established, Waodani-led church. They now have the New Testament in their language. The group has sent missionaries to reach other Waodani as well as neighboring indigenous groups. Several have attended Bible schools. Some family friends continue to aid the Waodani to develop job skills and provide discipleship.

But today there are some concerning developments: a group of Waodani who rejected the gospel and live in isolation are threatening violence against the others again. This could trigger a return to the repeated revenge killings that nearly decimated the tribe 60 years ago. Will you pray for the young, Waodani church leaders who are opposed to this violence and who are encouraging their people to continue to follow “God’s carvings?” And pray that the Good News will reach the hearts of those threatening violence.

The story of the five men’s life and death is told in The Torchlighters: The Story of Jim Elliot. This children’s DVD also includes an adult-oriented documentary.

Dory P and her husband both work for VOM. Dory grew up calling Nate Saint’s sister “Aunt Rachel” and Jim Elliot’s widow “Aunt Betty.” She didn’t know they were celebrities in Christian circles until she attended Wheaton College, alma mater of three of the men killed.

We Died Before We Came

Months ago, I had a conflict with a friend at church. There were several conversations and many tears as we tried to work it out. Finally, it boiled down to different values and parenting philosophies. For my friend, one of her foundational values is safety. She sees her main role as a parent to protect her children from harm.

Now, I don’t want harm to come to my kids or even me. But I’ve come to understand that on my list of priorities as a Christ-follower, avoiding risk and staying safe are farther down on my list. I’m not talking about acting foolishly, but I am talking about taking potentially risky actions because it might help further the gospel.

And yes, it does come down to the level of my children.

My oldest son prays for Petr Jasek almost every night before bed. Two nights ago as I tucked him in, I suddenly realized my son’s view of God as a good God could be influenced by Petr’s situation.

“You know, God sometimes allows bad things to happen to us,” I told him. “We don’t always understand why, but God does. Petr’s family obviously wants him home, but they also know that God is using this situation. They would rather have Petr stay in prison and serve God in the best way than to have him home. God’s way is always better than our way.”

I don’t know how much of that made it into his 6-year-old mind, but we’ll keep reemphasizing it.

This idea was brought up again to me in a book I recently read, called We Died Before We Came Here. Author Emily Foreman lost her husband when he was killed by al-Qaida affiliates in North Africa. Their family sacrificed much by choosing to serve God in a poor, undeveloped and hostile area. They were “paid back” by the devastating loss of her husband.

But Emily, her family and husband were already prepared for such a moment. They “understood that ‘safety’ was not a New Testament concept but merely an American one. Jesus never called his disciples to safety but rather to obedience. …He never denied that hardship would be part of the bargain. …Ultimately, it boiled down to one thing: Was he truly worth of our lives?” (pg. 19)

She talks of especially struggling with that concept in regards to her children, and the “balance between common sense and faith,” but ultimately concluded that it was fear holding her back. She chose instead to fight the daily battle against fear.

“We prayed against it constantly,” she writes. “And fear was definitely one of the biggest roadblocks to the growth of the small community of local believers… In this country there were only two choices: Be a Muslim – or risk the loss of your job, your family, and potentially your life. Of course our friends were afraid. But we knew that the church would not grow until they were willing to push forward in the face of persecution – not out of recklessness, but as wise as serpents and gentle as doves. Out of love for God and those around them.”

Out of love for God and those around… ME. In spite of her great loss, Emily had her priorities straight. And I pray that I always choose to put love for God first, love for others second, and then farther down the list as I daily die to myself, the hope for safety.   

Dory P and her husband both work for VOM. Some people thought it was pretty risky for them to move to Oklahoma for VOM. They hope the prayer of their kids isn’t, “Keep me safe, Lord!” but instead, “How can I serve you, Lord?”

The Bitter Gospel

It took a horrific attack on her church for Emily to realize that her understanding of God was wrong. Three years ago, her bishop asked her to move to a new church plant near Mombasa, Kenya. The Joy in Jesus Church in Likoni was struggling, and the bishop thought Emily could help. Over the next several months, the church grew to 60 people.

On Sunday morning, March 23, 2014, most of the faithful were scattered throughout the pews. Assistant Pastor Philip Ambesta was speaking that morning, and Emily was in the front row. In the middle of his sermon, there was a loud bang outside and heads turned to look, but Pastor Philip told everyone, “Ignore what is going on outside these walls and listen to what God has to say to you.” He continued to preach.

Moments later, two gunmen burst through the back door. One, armed with a machine gun, sprayed the congregation with bullets. From her seat at the front, Emily turned and saw the other gunman aim a hand gun straight at the platform. He fired, and Pastor Philip fell, dead.

It was chaos. The gunmen fled. Everyone was screaming. Blood was everywhere and people were running. Emily moved among the members, reassuring everyone and offering first aid. She made sure an ambulance and police were called. The ambulance couldn’t carry all the injured, so Emily helped them prioritize which victims needed the most urgent help.

Six people died that day, including Pastor Philip. 24 others were injured, and VOM has helped four of the most severely injured with their ongoing medical care for the past two years. Emily herself wasn’t injured, but she was left with deep scars on her soul.

She struggled to understand why God would have allowed the church to be attacked. She believed that God must have been punishing them for their sin. Emily returned to her home church in Mombasa, discouraged.

But she continued to read God’s Word. As she did, she realized God wasn’t punishing them. In the Bible, she read how Jesus promised His followers they would be persecuted for His sake. She saw that sin compels evil men to commit evil acts, especially against those who follow the God in whom there is no darkness. She realized that God’s promises to work for our good and to bless us mean not financial good, but spiritual good. Persecution is a promise, not a punishment.

Today, Emily describes the gospel as a “bitter gospel.” She says, “I teach the bitter gospel of the cross and the blood. You have to accept taking up the cross.”

Dory P. recently spent a week in Kenya, meeting with the believers who VOM serves alongside. While many people think of Kenya in terms of safaris and mission trips, in the northeast and along the coast, Christians face severe persecution by al-Shabaab affiliated Islamists. She was encouraged how Kenyan Christians are supporting persecuted believers and sharing the gospel in their own country.

What May Surprise You about the Refugee Crisis

Book Review: Seeking Refuge

Most of us are aware – and concerned – of the refugee crisis surging against Europe’s shores, though media attention has moved on by now. Greek Coast guard members continue to pull desperate people out of the ocean almost daily, and huge refugee camps in Greece and elsewhere are home to tens of thousands of refugees, mostly from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq.

I recently read Seeking Refuge: On the Shores of the Global Refugee Crisis by several World Relief staff. I knew I’d be educated about the current refugee situation, but I never expected their words to have so much to do with our persecuted brothers and sisters.

While presidential candidates, politicians and pundits speculate about the imagined results of resettling refugees into our country, Seeking Refuge provides a different perspective. Namely, that serving the alien, aka the refugee, is a Biblical mandate that all Christ followers are called to pursue. The authors explain this mandate using various Scripture passages.

Most enlightening though, is how serving refugees in America can be a way to serve our persecuted brothers and sisters. According to a World Relief study, “about 340,000 professing Christians of one tradition or another have been admitted into the United States as refugees between 2003 and 2015, more than any other religious tradition [emphasis mine]. Many of those individuals and families were persecuted particularly because of their Christian faith. Of approximately 125,000 Iraqi refugees admitted since 2007, for example, more than 35 percent have been Christians – many times more than the Christian share of the Iraqi population – because Christians have been uniquely persecuted.” [pg 25]

Perhaps that new Iraqi family I see walking their children to school every morning are believers. And perhaps they’re feeling lonely and alienated in a new culture and climate. One of World Relief’s major endeavors is partnering incoming refugees with a welcoming church family who will help them bridge the gap as they settle into a foreign new place.

As the authors say, “If we were forced to flee our country, we would hope that a Christian brother or sister in the country to which we fled would be there to welcome us, to help us adjust, and to lament with us what we had lost. We have the opportunity to stand with the persecuted church as many come into our country each year.” [pg 25] At The Voice of the Martyrs, we encourage our readers to engage with and stand with the persecuted. What if our persecuted brothers and sisters aren’t oceans away but instead are moving into apartments just down the street?

If we fear incoming immigrants, we’re operating under false assumptions. According to missiologist Timothy Tennent, the “percentage of immigrants in North America who either arrive as or become Christians is significantly higher than the Christian share of the native population.”[pg 32] If we act in fear, “We risk ignoring a divine mandate if our sole priorities are safety, comfort and convenience.” The authors exhort us to begin thinking biblically –“not merely politically or economically” – about immigrants. [pg 32] “Safety is fine, but it is not – cannot – be our ultimate value if we follow Jesus.”[page 68]

So how do we think biblically about immigrants? These new arrivals present a huge mission field, people and religions we might never have encountered otherwise, brought right to our doorsteps. As we support and encourage persecuted believers who are reaching their enemies for Christ, how can we not reach out to our “enemies” in love?

The authors acknowledge that serving people is hard. It’s messy and complicated. Many of the new arrivals bring with them deep trauma. Their languages and customs are different. But again, as followers of Jesus, our obligation is not to neat, safe, ordered lives. Instead it is to engage – to serve the persecuted and to reach the lost.

And somewhat surprisingly, we can do that right here in America by welcoming an immigrant.

Dory P has been on staff with The Voice of the Martyrs for nearly 10 years. As a freshman at Wheaton College, she interned at World Relief DuPage, giving her brand new eyes for immigrants. At that time, most of the arriving immigrants were from the Sudan and the Balkans.

Disclosure: VOM is part of the Amazon Associates program. If you click on the links in this post and purchase the book from Amazon, VOM will receive a very small percentage of your purchase as a referral fee.

Tuesday Prayers

By now, I hope you know that prayer is foundational to VOM. We’re constantly asking for it on behalf of persecuted Christians, but did you know that we’re also praying for you?

Every week, staff members in VOM’s Readers Services department compile a list of everyone they talk to who may have a need. Every Tuesday, that list is printed and distributed to staff during our weekly chapel time. As we pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters, we also pray for our readers. Then, those lists are posted in the breakrooms, elevators and other common areas – all so we can continue to pray.

We serve a God who knows our every need, and yet we’re also encouraged to pray without ceasing (1 Thess 5:17) and to be constant in prayer (Romans 12:12). So please: if you have a need, let us pray for you. You can send us an email or call (877) 337-0302. And don’t forget to remember our brothers and sisters, too.

Dory P. has worked with VOM for nine years. Dory tells the stories of the persecuted through VOM's newsletter, and her husband serves in VOM's international department. Between Dory, her husband, five-year-old son and two-year-old daughter, the family shares seven passports, though they know their ultimate citizenship is in heaven.

Pray for India

The prayer focus for Secret Church this year was on the nation of India. Why choose India? India’s 1.2 billion people include members of all of the world’s major religions, and the country also been a hotspot for Christian persecution in recent years.

Though there are Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and Buddhists in India, more than 80 percent of the population is Hindu. For many Indians, to be Indian is also to be Hindu. Hindu radical groups throughout the country reinforce this notion by beating Christians, burning churches, trying to force believers to undergo Hindu reconversion ceremonies and throwing Christians in prison. Many pastors and evangelists have also been killed.

The rise in persecution at the hands of Hindu nationalists is related in part to the nationalists’ perceived fears of “loosing” India. They see Christianity spreading and offering hope to people trapped in a caste system. They see the gospel giving Indians a way to know God by his grace only, not by works.

Please pray with us for India. Believers there know to expect persecution. Pray that they will remain bold. Pray that they will stay faithful during persecution, and that they would share the gospel with their neighbors without fear. Pray for good teaching and good leadership to help train new believers in their faith, so they grow deep roots that will sustain them in difficult times.

And pray for the persecutors: members of government, community members and family members, who make things difficult for new believers. Pray that the Holy Spirit opens their eyes to the truth about Hinduism and to the goodness of our loving God. We’ve heard many testimonies about Hindu extremists who’ve been completely changed through Jesus; pray for more of these conversions.

Dory P. has worked with VOM for nine years. Dory tells the stories of the persecuted through VOM's newsletter, and her husband serves in VOM's international department. Between Dory, her husband, five-year-old son and two-year-old daughter, the family shares seven passports, though they know their ultimate citizenship is in heaven.

When Being Persecuted Means Staying Up All Night

How does six-plus hours of Bible study on a Friday night sound to you?

As someone who works at a ministry dedicated to serving persecuted Christians, the first time I heard of Secret Church, I assumed it was an underground church simulation. Maybe you’ve participated in something similar. You know – meeting in a “secret” location, under the cover of darkness, singing softly so “authorities” don’t hear, possibly getting “raided” by other church members dressed up in fatigues… that’s what I thought Secret Church was.

And while those simulations are valuable to help us understand how Christians worshipped behind the Iron Curtain for many years, and even how some Christians worship today, that’s not what Secret Church is. Instead, it’s much closer to how most persecuted Christians actually practice their faith today. Those who work with persecuted believers recognize a need for these believers to be firmly rooted in God’s Word and in good, Godly teaching. VOM is supporting these efforts in nearly every one of the 68 nations we work in.

The organization behind the Secret Church studies is dedicated to helping believers in American know God just as deeply as their persecuted brothers and sisters long to know him. It was born after founder David Platt found himself spending all-night teaching sessions with persecuted Christians.

VOM workers and contacts report similar stories. One particular partner regularly holds trainings for Khmu believers in Southeast Asia. Because their locations are so remote and so restricted, the believers’ only regular Bible teaching comes via radio programs. They have few other resources. So when a group of 20 men and women come together in a secure place for study, they are eager.

Often the reports of these training sessions read: I taught from 8 a.m. with a 1 hour break each for lunch and dinner. As I started to wrap up the teaching at 9 p.m., the believers begged for more. Though I was so tired, I kept on teaching until 1 a.m. At 6 a.m., the students were already knocking on my door and pleading for me to start again.

What if you didn’t have a study Bible? What if you didn’t have a seminary-trained pastor? What if you had no access to thousands upon thousands of other Bible study resources available on the Internet?

That’s reality for many of our persecuted brothers and sisters. And so when they have opportunity, they take it. Even if it means sequestering themselves in a rented house in the countryside for a week. Even if it means crossing borders to a less-restricted country for training. Even if it means meeting with other house church Christians and risking being found out by authorities.

We have those resources. Let’s not squander them. Let’s train ourselves and let’s keep our persecuted family at the forefront of our mind by praying for them, by standing with them, by encouraging them and by helping them get the training they need to stand strong under pressure.

Dory P. has worked with VOM for nine years. She grew up in Ecuador, met her husband while working with another mission organization and now lives in Oklahoma. Dory tells the stories of the persecuted through VOM's newsletter, and her husband serves in VOM's international department. Between Dory, her husband, five-year-old son and two-year-old daughter, the family shares seven passports, though they know their ultimate citizenship is in heaven.

Dreaming, Itching and Risking

When I joined a missions organization in 2003 intending to go overseas as a 24-year-old, people didn’t understand. They asked me why. They told me there were plenty of people who needed help in the U.S. They wanted to know why I was leaving my job at the newspaper.

It didn’t make sense to them, because it wasn’t a safe choice. But I knew I’d been put on earth for a reason that was bigger than my own comfort. So I went.

In those two years, I learned about sharing the gospel in front of a crowd or one-on-one. I learned about the global body of Christ. I worked with others’ whose cultures were very different from mine, but we overcame those differences to help further God’s kingdom.

Fast forward 10 years. Now I’m married with two kids. We (mostly) own a home. My husband and I both have good jobs we enjoy. My oldest is in school. I’m financially responsible. We go to church. We have Christian friends. (And even some non-Christian friends who we can share Jesus with.)

But there’s still that itch: am I doing enough? I’ve been blessed to be a blessing; I’ve been equipped in order to help others. How could I be serving God’s kingdom more?

Francis Chan recently gave a challenge on churchleaders.com. He said people have a tendency to take risks when they’re young, but once they are married with kids, they back off. They look for that gated community where they can “safely” raise their kids.

When you do that, you “miss out on life,” Chan says. We have to figure out a way to still be kingdom-minded, still take risks while in these stages of life. He says you might have to expose your kids to a little bit of danger; they might have to experience something a little scary. But it’s worth it.

That’s what I want for my own kids. I don’t want to raise them to be safe. I want them to be risk-takers for Christ. I want them to learn what it looks like when we live by faith.

Some of VOM’s own readers don’t understand this concept. People often write to us and ask why persecuted Christians don’t leave places where they face danger. For some of the most courageous of our brothers and sisters, the reason is because they are focused on God’s kingdom first, even before their own safety or their children’s education opportunities. Of course they want those things for themselves and for their kids. But instead, they are choosing to risk security for the sake of living for Jesus in these most dangerous places.

In our June newsletter, a Syrian Christian leader explained his own commitment to stay in his nation, which is devastated by civil war and where Christians are particular targeted. He said, “God has called us to serve our people in this time and this place. We have no desire to leave Syria.”

So where does that leave me? The itch is still there. I’m in a constant state of asking the Lord what he wants me to risk for him. I’m in a constant state of being ready to leave it all behind, should the Lord ask. And I hope that my children will learn that leaving security behind for kingdom work is always worth it when your ultimate goal is eternity with the Lord.

Dory P. has worked with VOM for nine years. She grew up in Ecuador, met her husband while working with another mission organization and now lives in Oklahoma. Dory tells the stories of the persecuted through VOM's newsletter, and her husband serves in VOM's international department. Between Dory, her husband, five-year-old son and two-year-old daughter, the family shares seven passports, though they know their ultimate citizenship is in heaven.

VIDEO: VOM Worker Visits Martyred Relatives' Grave

In 1934, John and Betty Stam were kidnapped and killed by communist soldiers in China. Today their distant niece, Dory, works at The Voice of the Martyrs.

Recently she was part of a VOM team visiting China, and while there she attempted to visit the place where the Stams were buried. Watch the video below to see the story:

 

Dory also spoke with VOM Radio about her visit to China and the Christians she met. Listen here.