ZONKWA, Nigeria, November 8 (CDN) — It was a few minutes before 10 at night when the staccato sound of gunfire interrupted the serene worship of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church near Zonkwa, Kaduna state. When the chaos ended, two women lay dead and 12 people were wounded. The attack by a Muslim extremist gang in Tabak 1 village on Thursday (Nov. 3) shattered the peace long known to Christians there, area sources said. The following night at about the same time, the gang raided another Christian community near Zonkwa, Kurmin-Bi, killing one Christian and injuring another. While the Islamic extremist Boko Haram was responsible for several attacks that killed at least 150 people in Borno and Yobe states in Nigeria’s northeast over the weekend, Christians in Tabak 1 village in northern Nigeria’s centrally located Kaduna state said the church attack appeared to come from a Muslim gang not affiliated with the terrorist group. The two women killed were Justina Zugwai Isaac, 28, and Hassana Luka, 39. A Roman Catholic seminary student who was leading worship at the time, 32-year-old Emmanuel Mallam, said it was a miracle that only the two women died in the attack. Unaware that the attackers were hidden in the bushes around the church building, the two women were outside the building when they were shot, Mallam said. He had asked parishioner Julius Jacob, 38, to make closing remarks when the shooting began. “As these Muslims began shooting, they shot Mrs. Justina Isaac, a mother of three, who had all the while been hanging around by the window outside the church listening to my teachings in the church,” he said. “And when she was felled by the bullets, the cry of her baby attracted another woman, Mrs. Hassana Luka, who came out of her house close to the church to find out what the problem was, only to be killed too.”

Nigeria (MNN) ? Christians in Nigeria are saying, "Enough is enough."

In what may appear to be a controversial article on the WorldNetDaily website today, we read that about fifty percent of pastors will not talk to their churches about Christian persecution. This is according to a Barna Research Associates Survey which was commissioned by fellow persecution ministry Open Doors USA. Here's a part of the article:

A few months ago I had the opportunity to share with you one of my favorite ministries of The Voice of the Martyrs, and that is the Bibles Unbound program.

Burmese soldiers targeted Christian civilians and church buildings in a recent attack against insurgents from the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO). The military, which accused church leaders of being part of the KIO, reportedly burned church property and several homes.

GARISSA, Kenya, November 7 (CDN) — Suspected Islamic extremists with Somalia’s al Shabaab militia threw a grenade into the home of the church guard of an East Africa Pentecostal Church (EAPC) congregation outside Garissa, Kenya on Saturday night (Nov. 5), killing an 8-year-old girl and another member of the church, sources said. Three other people were seriously injured in the 8 p.m. grenade attack on the house, which is near the gate of the church compound. Killed instantly were 8-year-old Winnie Mwenda Mutinda and 25-year-old church member John Kikavu. The child was the youngest daughter of church elder Patrick Mutinda, who also serves as the guard or watchman of the church building, sources said. The other three people in the house at the time of the blast were seriously wounded. The watchman’s son, Samuel Mutinda, 12, suffered burns on his chest and leg, and his 10-year-old brother, Peter Mutinda, sustained burns on his hand and leg; the injuries of both boys required doctors to remove portions of skin. Burns on their grandmother, Rachael Kandu, also required the removal of skin from her leg, sources said. The three wounded family members were first taken to the house of the church pastor within the compound before they were rushed to Garissa Provincial Hospital. “The three injured Christians are in stable condition in the hospital undergoing treatment,” the pastor told Compass. “I hope they will be discharged soon.”

Last week we introduced you to a new prisoner by the name of Behnam Irani and asked you to write him a letter of encouragement. I want to thank you for writing him and I'm happy to share that 630 letters have already been written! Praise the Lord!

On this very special day for the world's most beloved evangelist, we would like to thank Billy Graham for his years of service to Christ, and also for being a voice for the persecuted church.

Today I wanted to give you a quick update about Pastor Youcef. Both the Christian Broadcasting Network and The Jerusalem Post are carrying stories today about Pastor Youcef. Please keep him in your prayers, as he still remains in prison and awaiting a decision from, the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

There is still time to get your church involved for this years International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, which is this Sunday, November 13th.