1 DECEMBER december 2018

Transcription

1 1 december 2018

2 Pastor Wurmbrand was imprisoned for 14 years in communist Romania in the 1940s to 1960s. He founded Voice of the Martyrs over 50 years ago to serve persecuted Christians. FROM OUR FOUNDER The communists wished to compel him to betray his brethren, but he resisted steadfastly. In the end, they brought his fourteen year-old son and began to whip the boy in front of his father, saying that they would continue to beat him until the pastor said what they wished him to say... When he could not stand it any more, he cried to his son; Alexander, I must say what they want! I can t bear your beating any more. The son answered, Father, don t do me the injustice to have a traitor as a parent. Withstand! The communists, enraged, fell upon the child and beat him to death. He died praising God... Quoted from his book, Tortured for Christ $8 Code: B217 Richard Wurmbrand ( ) EDITORIAL REMEMBER THE CHILDREN As we contemplate the year s end, which is fast approaching, let us not forget the very many children who are victims of persecution for their faith in Christ. We have seen and met many, who through no fault of their own, find themselves having to defend their stance on being Christian. We find in persecuted nations that children are often the forgotten victims of the atrocities committed against our fellow believers. These children are our future! Voice of the Martyrs has undertaken initiatives to equip those most vulnerable with God s word and bring joy to them during the celebration of Christmas. We also work in restricted nations to provide education to children of fellow believers. These children are a beacon of light in the world in some darkened places as we have seen in Turkey, where no schooling is provided for Christian children. One option may be an international school where no faith is practised but this is out of reach for many families because of the exorbitant costs. The alternative is an Islamic public-school system which is intolerant of non-believers. Many Christians who have fled from Iran to Turkey cannot send their children to Turkish schools (because refugees have no rights or access to services), so their children miss out on an education. There are cases in India where Christian children are excluded from attending school because of their faith. There are also stateless children caught up in a system in Malaysia, where because they are Christian, they cannot attend a public school without being indoctrinated with Islam. Children of the persecuted church need our prayers and aid. This year, we have the opportunity to bless persecuted children in China, you can help by supporting our Christmas Care campaign. The authorities in China have closed many churches since the new draconian laws became effective in February this year, children are directly affected. We ask that you continue to pray for those children affected by persecution because of their faith, especially during this time of Christmas. Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me. Mark 9:37 God bless, Tony Benjamin CEO 2

3 THE COST OF CONVERTING IN EGYPT At just 15 years old, Egyptian born Meriam first experienced persecution for her faith, after her family discovered she converted from Islam to Christianity. Meriam was just three years old when she was left without a mother after her parents divorced. Meriam s mother discovered that her husband had converted to Christianity and after telling her family, they insisted she get a divorce. Meriam s father was able to take her with him and the two of them left the family home to move in with her grandmother. Eventually, because he shared his faith often, Meriam and her grandmother became Christians too. In January this year, Meriam s extended family found out she had also converted so they came to her home and demanded that she renounce Christianity. Meriam refused to deny her faith and told them she loves Jesus and would remain a Christian. Her uncles then began to torture her, beating her repeatedly by pinning her to the ground by her head and repeatedly kicking her. Meriam and her father were then forced to escape their hometown and are now in hiding in Cairo from his family, as he fears they may return to kill her. Despite her questions and fear, Meriam refuses to deny Jesus and is continuing her life in God. Since that day, Meriam and her father are rebuilding their lives together and she is now receiving psychological treatment. 3

4 Children at CFM, with on-site nurse Comfort LINA FINDS REFUGE AFTER ABUSE Lina was 13 when she first discovered Christianity but her desire to go to church meant her own family persecuted her. 4 Lina is originally from Kano State, Nigeria and was first drawn to church when she heard children singing in her language in a nearby church. The music was praise and worship coming from a Sunday school which met in a thatched shelter outside a church building. She sat and listened as they sung songs with beautiful words. The next week the singing was there again and she soon joined in, hearing amazing stories of Jesus, who shows kindness, loves children and accepts them all as his special ones. She never missed a church meeting, but didn t tell her family, as they were Muslim. Her father soon found out where she was going each Sunday morning and beat her severely, commanding her to never go back. She obeyed for a short time but couldn t resist and remembered the words there is something here that makes me come into your presence, my Helper so she continued to attend. When her father discovered she was back at church, he again beat her before relocating the whole family to another village where there was no church. If this wasn t punishment enough, less than two weeks later, at just 14, Lina was forced to become a child bride and was taken to the home of her new husband. The bride price had been paid, the contract between her father and husband, settled. Lina was terrified and given no chance to escape. She refused to eat and would curl up in a ball crying for her mother. Her mother eventually convinced her she had no choice but to co-operate and so began a year of repeated rape and abuse. She often ran back to her mother but each time was returned to her husband. Finally, in desperation, Lina fled to the church in her old village. The pastor and his wife immediately brought her to Jos, to the safe house at VOM s partner, Christians Faith Ministries (CFM), risking their own lives. When she first arrived, Lina was still traumatised but with gentleness and care, especially from the on-site nurse, Comfort, Lina began to recover. She now sings the songs she once loved and is settling well in discipleship classes. School resumed in September and she is now learning literacy and numeracy while spending her free time playing with other children in crisis care. He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge Psalm 91:4

5 KEEPING THE FAITH IN MONGOLIA Raised in a Christian home, 15-year-old Isaac was faced with the decision to quit school after the local government refused to pay his mother (a widow) her pension, just for being a Christian. Born in a small village in Inner Mongolia, Isaac was only 10 years old when his father passed away and 12 when his grandparents also died leaving his mother alone to support herself. Forced to farm the land all day for little money while also faithfully serving her church, she was denied the pension making her living situation almost impossible. It is illegal to practise the Christian faith in the region and the local government threatens locals to join their Three Self Church or face the consequences. The church the family attends is an underground church and the only one in the area with about 60 attendees, mainly poor farmers and three main workers (including Isaac s mother). In refusing to join the Three Self Church, the Party Secretary cut off the official pension of the widow and warned other villagers not to support the mother and her son. Thankfully, a Voice of the Martyrs co-worker from Beijing visited them and Isaac was able to share how difficult life was. At that time the only thought in my heart was to work in a restaurant or a shop, I just wanted to share the living burden of my mother. She works so hard, over eight hours a day and also serves our brothers and sisters in the community who are in need. If I did nothing, my heart would blame me. So I decided to quit school. Since hearing this last year, VOM workers provided funds for Isaac s school fees and living expenses. This still comes at a great risk, as it is illegal for the family to receive help from anyone outside. According to the VOM worker, the local church members also testified to the beautiful genuine faith of Isaac and his mother. The collective effort meant that Isaac was able to continue school. He is now studying and working hard, and this summer he won a mathematics competition for his school. He recently told VOM workers of his desire to attend Bible college when he completes his high school education. 5

6 NINE-YEAR-OLD CLARISSA SURVIVES CHURCH BLAST Nine-year-old Clarissa Angeline was at church one day in Indonesia when an explosion took place in their church building injuring her and severely injuring her mother who spent three months recovering in hospital. On Sunday 13 May, Clarissa and her mother left for their church service at 6am as they do every week. During the service, Clarissa went upstairs to the children s ministry to visit a friend and at that moment, a bomb exploded in the building. The sound was so great, like a balloon blew up and I suddenly felt dizzy. I prayed that God would protect my mum and me during the explosion. Clarissa was hospitalised for just a day while her mother spent three months there recovering from severe burns covering her entire body. She is now home and on the road to recovery but now fears returning to church in case there is a retaliation attack. Clarissa says she knows God is still good even though this happened to her and her mother. Jesus has died for me and it is enough because I still love Him and I m not angry at Him. Clarissa s dream is to one day become a surgeon so she can help many people. Jesus has died for me and it is enough because I still love Him and I m not angry at Him. Voice of the Martyrs has provided Clarissa s family with financial support. 6

7 CHRISTIAN CAMP EMBRACES CHILDREN IN TURKEY Most Turks are proudly Muslim and hold the faith as a core part of their nationalist identity, even if they aren t devout. Christians are heavily persecuted by their families, neighbours and employers. Though freedom of religion is legally protected, the laws are not enforced. Christian refugees are often forced to live in small villages or urban slums. They endure hunger, persecution, and labour exploitation during the long wait for resettlement. Amidst this opposition, Pastor Ibrahim organises children s camps and creates publications to help the children of Turkey learn about Jesus using the Bible. The camps are called Kucak, meaning embrace. Recently, two brothers, Ahmet and Mehmet came to one of the camps. They have been attending a church for 6-7 years, where they take part in weekly activities for children. Their parents are not believers and do not go to church. These boy s parents are not educated and do not know how to relate to Ahmet and Mehmet. The brothers face verbal and physical abuse. The camp gave the boys an opportunity to learn more about the love of Jesus. Please pray for their spiritual, physical and emotional safety and health. Havva and Can are siblings who also attended the camp. Their father is a believer, but their mother is not. The children were unsure about the Gospel when they arrived at camp but praise God, His love and grace opened their hearts and they came to trust in Him. After the camp was over their maternal uncle heard they had participated in a Christian camp and was very upset. May God give the family, especially the father, strength and wisdom. May the children s faith in Christ take deep root. Zeynep is the young daughter of a refugee family. At first, she cried at great deal and said she was ill. The camp organisers quickly learned she was not ill but starving for love and care. They also learned that she and her family are required to live in a container facility. During the camp, this young lady also trusted in Christ. Please pray for her and her family and their future. We do not know where they will be sent but we know the Lord will be with them. And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them. Mark 10:16

8 CHRISTMAS CARE GIFTS OF JOY Instead of worrying about finding the perfect gift for your loved one this Christmas, consider giving them a present that will bring joy to children of the persecuted church in China. Let us know that your donation is a gift. We will send you a card that you can give to your loved one. The card contains a message letting them know that you have given them the opportunity to bless a child in China. Every $30 gift blesses a child with a pack containing a Bible, a pair of shoes, socks, a towel, a toothbrush, toothpaste, soup, notebooks, pens, pencils, eraser, ruler, toy cars and a Rubik s cube. To give to this project please go to vom.com.au/christmascare Merry Christmas All donations over $2 to Voice of the Martyrs Australia are tax deductible. Westpac: BSB: Account No: Swift: WPACAU2S (for international transfers) Please include your name or supporter number in the description line. Voice of the Martyrs PO Box 250 Lawson NSW 2783 Australia phone fax info@vom.com.au Remember the prisoners as if chained with them those who are mistreated since you yourselves are in the body also. Hebrews 13:3 Published by and Voice of the Martyrs Ltd 2018 unless otherwise indicated. Names may have been changed to protect individuals' identities. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version of the Holy Bible. Copyright 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.