VOM-USA Prayer Update for November 18, 2011
Here are this weeks prayer requests. Please pray over them and share them with your friends.
India--Ten Christians Attacked and Arrested in Karnataka State
Source: VOM Contacts
Luke 12:50-52
Activists from a Hindu-nationalist movement attacked members of two Christian communities on Nov. 12 and 13 in Karnataka state, accusing them of forced conversions. Ten Bajrang Dal activists stormed into Pastor H. S. Nagaraj's Sunday service on Nov. 13, interrupting prayer and tearing a Bible to pieces. When local police arrived, they arrested the pastor and three church members. The men are still in prison. On the previous day, six believers were waiting at the Belur bus station after a prayer service when activists from the same group surrounded them and began beating and insulting them. The activists then took the six Christians to the police station, where they were arrested. Three women and a child were later released, but the two men remain in prison. There have been 40 incidents of violence against Christians in Karnataka this year. Pray that our partners will be able to help these believers and that the charges will be dropped. Pray for all Christians in India who face similar circumstances, especially in the six states that have "anti-conversion" laws.
Nigeria--Two Deadly Days for Nigerian Christians
Source: Compass Direct News
John 16:33
Christians in northern Nigeria have been besieged by a string of recent attacks, some by the al-Qaida-affiliated Boko Haram extremist group. In the most recent incident, on Nov. 4, extremists stormed the city of Damaturu, Yobe state. One hundred fifty people were killed in the four-hour rampage -- 130 of them Christians. Ten church buildings were also destroyed in the attacks, and churches that remained in operation saw a dramatic fall in attendance. On the previous day, bomb blasts in nearby Borno state killed four people. And on the same day in Kaduna state, Muslim extremists fired on a church service, killing two Christian women. The same gang raided the Christian community of Kurmin-Bi on Nov. 4, killing one Christian and injuring another. The extremists employed guerrilla tactics, striking and withdrawing, then striking elsewhere while military personnel respond to the first attack. Pray that Christians in Nigeria will know how to lovingly engage their persecutors and that the extremists will come to know the peace of Jesus Christ.
Sri Lanka--Brutal Attack on Christian Workers
Sources: Release International, National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka
Romans 16:19
The National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL) reports that a staff member and volunteer were attacked by a gang and badly injured last month in the town of Vavuniya in Northern Province. The men were driving through town on their motorbike on the evening of Oct. 19, when they were stopped by about 12 people at a junction. The gang beat them so severely with rods and clubs that a helmet worn by one of the Christian workers was shattered. One believer suffered injuries to his head and arm, while the other suffered a broken right arm and injuries to his head and body. One of the two managed to break free and alert the police, but the gang fled before police arrived. The NCEASL workers were initially taken to a hospital in Vavuniya but were later transferred to Colombo for further treatment. The motive for the attack is uncertain, and locals say this is just the latest in a string of violent attacks on citizens in Vavuniya. Pray that the two will heal quickly and be able to return to their work.