Christians in Egypt have targeted planting 70,000 new house churches by the year 2020.

On Friday, January 19, 2007, Shahbaz Kaka, was released from prison after serving six years of a life sentence. According to a statement issued by justice Ejah Ahmad Chaudry (High Court Lahore) Shahbaz will spend a month under medical care and then return home.

In today's editon of our "persecution carnival" I'm going to call it a trinity of wonderful posts that our persecution blog team have written.

Earlier today Todd Nettleton, Director of News Services for The Voice of the Martyrs, appeared on Janet Parshall's America to discuss the latest on Christian persecution. Here is a rundown on their conversation.

This week I have been thinking of the phrase, “what you see is what you get.” Most of us have heard these words used in different contexts. When you look at me for example, my life, the way I conduct myself, you can probably see what I am about. You can see a glimpse of who I am.

As a result of all the Christian persecution in North Korea many persecution organizations have come together to proclaim 2007 a year of prayer for North Korea. I think this is a wonderful idea. Even yesterday, as I was praying for my day and lifting up the nation of North Korea in prayer - even before I knew about this effort - I felt sad as I thought of Diane Sawyer's reporting from North Korea at the end of 2006.

The following prayer request is in this weeks Canada Prayer Alert from The Voice of the Martyrs. As I read through this request it really touched me because my husband and I distribute bibles through The Gideon's International and I know of many others who work with the Gideons all over the world who also do. This can be very dangerous work, as this story tells.

As you all know Glenn Penner of The Voice of the Martyrs Canada was recently in the hospital and is now resting back at home. Glenn has written a brief post about his current experience and also asks us all to continue our prayers for him. And I'd like to thank those of you have been praying and continue to pray for Glenn. We need to remember to pray for his wife Denita also, as she has been carrying a heavy load. Glenn writes in part the following...

CHINA – On January 6, 2007, police from Yongfeng township police station in Xiuwu county, Henan province, raided a Christian meeting in a home in Chencun village. Eleven Christians were arrested, two were released the next day and nine remain in jail.

Special thanks to our friends at Mission Network News. This appeared in today's email alert from MNN and you can also see the story online at their newly redesigned website.