VOM-USA Prayer Update for August 26, 2011
The prayers of the righteous man accomplish much. Please pray today and share these requests with your friends, family and church this weekend.
Indonesia—Mobs Burn House Churches on Sumatra
Compass Direct News, VOM Sources
Matthew 5:39
On Aug. 1 and 2, Muslim extremists burned three houses used as churches on the island of Sumatra. The houses served as meeting places for the Batak Karo Protestant Church, the Pentecostal Church in Indonesia and the Methodist Church of Indonesia. A church leader said a gang of about 100 people on motorcycles arrived at the Batak Church at 11 p.m. on Aug. 1. They threw stones and threatened church members with knives before pouring gasoline around the house and setting it on fire. The same group also burned the Pentecostal Church. A local news station reported that Muslims observing Ramadan had been disturbed by the Christians’ singing. However, the executive secretary of the Communion of Churches in Indonesia said the churches were targeted because of their open support of a local political candidate. Pray that affected church members will be able to forgive their persecutors.
North Korea—"Hellish" Labor Camp Growing
CBN News, VOM Sources
Matthew 5:11
New evidence indicates that one of North Korea’s worst labor camps is growing in size, now housing an estimated 50,000 prisoners. Compared with satellite images taken 10 years ago, recent images show more prisoner facilities, more guard units and additional farming areas at Yodok, officially called Kwanliso or Re-education Center No. 15. The little information known about Yodok paints a disturbing picture, described as “hellish” by a human rights advocate with Amnesty International. A man who escaped after spending 10 years in Yodok told CBN News that prisoners eat anything they can find—rats, snakes, figs, insects—and prisoners are executed for no apparent reason. Two out of five prisoners reportedly die from malnutrition. Anyone found to be a Christian in North Korea is arrested and sent to a labor camp. VOM workers say there are 100,000 Christians in North Korea, about a third of whom are in concentration camps. Please pray that believers in North Korea will remain strong despite severe oppression.
Malaysia—Government Raids Interreligious Dinner
Star Newspaper, Malaysian Insider, Damansara Utama Methodist Church
Matthew 5:44
Authorities from the Islamic Religious Department, accompanied by police, raided a celebration dinner at the Damansara United Methodist Church recently and recorded the names of those present. Authorities were under the impression that the event was intended to convert Muslim Malays to Christianity, but the dinner was a fundraising event to benefit the underprivileged and people with HIV. The incident has caused an uproar in Malaysia, where ethnic Malays are not allowed to convert to Christianity. The Islamist political party PAS has called for the church to be punished, while Christian and even Buddhist organizations have condemned the government raid. Pray for church leaders, who are under tremendous pressure as authorities try to resolve the incident peacefully.