FRONTLINE FAITH Sharing The Inside Story Of The Persecuted Church Partnering With The Persecuted 2 4 14 15 Why The Local Church How We Work In The Field Small Gift, Big Difference Sixty Second Stories Letter Writing Campaign
Issue 05 / Partnering With The Persecuted A Letter From Mike Welcome to another edition of Frontline Faith! I ve recently returned from a trip to the Syrian border where I was able to see many of the projects we run in both Syria and Lebanon. I want to assure you that your prayer and financial help is making a great difference in this part of the world. Many people are coming to Jesus through the work of the local church. One of the driving beliefs we have at Open Doors is that caring for the persecuted church should be part of the DNA of everyone who calls themselves a follower of Jesus. Because of that, we ve re-vamped our monthly Frontline Partner program. We re asking people to match one of the subscriptions in their lives to the survival of the persecuted church. It might be a monthly streaming service like Spotify or Netflix, or your monthly phone, internet or TV bill. I m a passionate believer that charitable organisations should not demand your whole attention, but seek a commitment that allows people to support the work of other organisations too. We don t want all of your charitable giving. Instead, we re asking people to choose the lowest amount to support the persecuted church for the longest time. Subscribe To The Survival Of The Persecuted Church Become A Monthly Donor Today! I have met people who have been supporting the persecuted church for more than 30 years at $10 per month. They have walked with the persecuted church through the changing religious climate in China, the rise of ISIS and the ongoing increase in persecution. Whilst $10 may not sound like a lot, over 30 years we have seen it have a great impact spiritually (in prayer) and physically (through finances). So, this month I am asking you to consider joining the frontline and matching a subscription in your life for the survival of the Church. Thank you for all your support. I believe the need for Open Doors has never been greater and will only increase as we get closer to the return of our Lord. Mike Gore CEO Open Doors Australia and New Zealand michaelg@od.org / @_mikegore What We Do Serving persecuted Christians since 1955 Open Doors was established in 1955 when Brother Andrew, a newly committed Christian, began smuggling Bibles into Eastern Europe. Since then, Open Doors has expanded to work in over 70 countries, providing Bibles, training and practical support to the persecuted church. Globally We strengthen and prepare. We work through the local church in over 70 countries to support Christians who are persecuted for their faith in Jesus. The local church knows and understands what is needed to see their community strengthened and reached with the gospel. We work to provide these local churches with Bibles, training and practical support. A Bible is life-changing, and training and discipleship is essential for new Christians, pastors and evangelists. Trauma counselling and preparing for persecution is also an important part of what we do. Whilst we also provide practical support and emergency relief, everything we do is to see the Church strengthened and the gospel spread. We believe Jesus is the only solution to the world s brokenness. Through the local church, countries are being transformed from the inside out. We as Christians are the ambassadors of Christ. Our message for us as believers is to reconcile with God. We see broken people running away from Islamic extremists. This is the time to show them the real love of Christ. Many have never had the chance to hear the gospel, Pastor Jamal*, church leader in Lebanon, caring for Syrian refugees. Australia and New Zealand We mobilise and inform. We believe the local church is stronger when united with the global Church. We believe we are all part of one Church and that the persecuted church is part of the DNA of every believer. As the Australian and New Zealand church becomes more connected with persecuted Christians overseas, we see believers become bolder in their faith. Each year we release our annual World Watch List ranking the top 50 most dangerous countries to be a Christian. Through this we see how God is working in some of the most confrontational places on the planet, and building His Church. Thank you for the regular updates around the world of our suffering brothers and sisters in Christ. It is a privilege to be able to partner in prayer, writing letters to encourage them and support in many practical ways. In many ways... my own faith is constantly being challenged... as we don t seem to need Jesus as much as they do. It keeps me grounded! Cheryl, Open Doors Supporter. Find out why we re committed to the survival of the persecuted church. Read stories of faith on our blog. /blog /blog Issue 05 / Partnering With The Persecuted *Name changed for security purposes 2 3
Issue 05 / Partnering With The Persecuted Small Gift, Big Difference The body of Christ in Australia and New Zealand responded in a huge way, giving $100,000 towards the secret project. Three crew members from New Zealand and three from Australia also boarded the tugboat and joined the team. Many of them had never been to sea. After they successfully delivered the Bibles in China, the nation was flooded with the good news of the gospel. Present day China is hardly the same. Chinese believers experience relative freedoms in the cities to follow Jesus and share the gospel. Our pastor was imprisoned and tortured in the 1980s, said Li, a local pastor. He doesn t talk about it very often, but it is difficult to believe that was happening only 30 years ago. Today, we have to take some precautions to avoid trouble, but the government often lets us be as long as we don t have too large of gatherings. It is amazing how God has matured the church of China through previous years of persecution. We are so thankful for how our brothers and sisters around the world prayed for and supported us during some of the most extreme years of persecution, shared another Christian leader. We believe caring for the persecuted church should be part of the DNA of everyone who calls themselves a follower of Jesus. Many of our supporters have partnered with us to serve the persecuted church for more than 30 years. They have walked alongside the persecuted church through the changing landscape of persecution, including the changing religious freedoms in China. That s why we are asking people to become a Frontline Partner, giving monthly to the persecuted church. We are asking people to match one subscription in their lives, for the survival of the church, and give the lowest amount to support the persecuted church for the longest time For the same price as your phone bill, who knows the kind of impact your support could have over the following 30 years. You can partner with the persecuted church. See pages 6-13 to learn more about the different regions you can support. Become A Frontline Partner Issue 05 / Partnering With The Persecuted Subscribe To The Survival Of The Persecuted Church Dean Keaney moved from Denver, USA to start the Open Doors Australia base in 1977, with the intention of reaching China with the gospel. In 1979, Open Doors was part of a successful smuggling operation that delivered 30,000 New Testaments into southern China. Later came a message from church leaders in China: They were not enough. We need one million Bibles! By 1981, Christians in China weren t allowed to gather together at church or own a Bible. Many believers were imprisoned, tortured or even killed for their faith. A plan was hatched to courier one million Bibles into China, overnight. It was called Project Pearl based on Matthew 13:45: Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. Before Project Pearl could take place, funds were needed to purchase the tugboat that would help smuggle the Bibles onto a secluded Chinese beach at midnight. 1 2 3 4 Choose which region you would like to support: Where Most Needed, Middle East, Africa, Asia. See pages 6-13 in Frontline Faith for more details on these regions. Make your choice via step 3 below. Match a subscription from your life for the survival of the persecuted church Fill out the form you received with this Frontline Faith, jump online: or call AU: (02) 9451 2999 NZ: (04) 232 7055 Celebrate! You will receive your Frontline Partner Pack in the mail. 4 5
Mexico Colombia Kazakhstan Azerbaijan North Korea Uzbekistan Turkey Turkmenistan Tajikistan Tunisia Syria Afghanistan China Iraq Iran Palestinian Territories Kuwait Jordan Nepal Bhutan Bahrain Pakistan Algeria Libya Egypt Qatar Saudi Arabia India Vietnam UAE Oman Myanmar Laos Mauritania Mali Bangladesh Eritrea Sudan Yemen Djibouti Nigeria Ethiopia Somalia Sri Lanka CAR Brunei Maldives Malaysia Kenya Indonesia Issue 05 / Partnering With The Persecuted Where Most Needed Seojun grew up in North Korea during some of the most terrible years of famine. He recalls roaming the countryside for food and often going hungry. 1. North Korea 2. Afghanistan 3. Somalia 4. Sudan 5. Pakistan 6. Eritrea 7. Libya 8. Iraq 9. Yemen 10. Iran 11. India 12. Saudi Arabia 13. Maldives 14. Nigeria 15. Syria 16. Uzbekistan 17. Egypt 18. Vietnam 19. Turkmenistan 20. Laos 21. Jordan 22. Tajikistan 23. Malaysia 24. Myanmar 25. Nepal 26. Brunei 27. Qatar 28. Kazakhstan 29. Ethiopia 30. Tunisia 31. Turkey 32. Kenya 33. Bhutan 34. Kuwait 35. CAR 36. Palestinian Territories 37. Mali 38. Indonesia 39. Mexico 40. UAE 41. Bangladesh 42. Algeria 43. China 44. Sri Lanka 45. Azerbaijan 46. Oman 47. Mauritania 48. Bahrain 49. Colombia 50. Djibouti The only thing Seojun knew about Christians was what he learnt in school. Christians were a threat to the country and thus North Korea has been the hardest place in the world to follow Jesus for over 17 years. Any believers were forced to practice their faith in secret or risk imprisonment, torture and even death. At the age of 17, Seojun crossed the Tumen River and entered China in search of food for his family. He struggled to make enough money to buy food or find shelter and there were continuous police raids, looking for illegal North Koreans. Someone told Seojun about an Open Doors safe house. Deep in my heart, I wanted to encounter the heavenly Father, Seojun said. Through the Open Doors safe house, Seojun received food, shelter, biblical teaching and gave his life to Jesus Christ. Seojun memorised over 2,000 scriptures during his time at the safe house in order to share the gospel with people back in North Korea. Issue 05 / Partnering With The Persecuted However, God had other plans for Seojun. The North Korean government discovered he had escaped, so Seojun instead made it to South Korea to study the Bible. He now serves there as a pastor. Where Most Needed Over 215 million Christians are persecuted for their faith around the world. Each year we respond to the need and distribute 2.5 million Bibles, train over 450,000 people in biblical teaching and how to prepare for persecution, as well as giving 875,000 people practical support and emergency aid. Your help makes a difference. I would never be able to forget those who helped me at the safe house, Seojun says. Your dedication reminds me of the poor widow who put in two tiny copper coins which were everything she had. I experienced the power of your prayer and support. Do not give up or be discouraged with the unseen evidence. God is working now through your prayer and support. Thank you for partnering with us to serve our persecuted brothers and sisters inside and around North Korea. Your help makes a difference, and is changing lives for many believers like Seojun. 6 7
Issue 05 / Partnering With The Persecuted Asia Pakistan Maldives India Nepal Bhutan Vietnam Myanmar Laos Bangladesh Sri Lanka China Malaysia North Korea Tim was the first Christian in his village. He was on his way to the markets to sell a pig when he met a pastor and was invited to church. It was the first time he had heard the gospel and Tim accepted the Lord as his Saviour. Brunei Indonesia 1. North Korea 5. Pakistan 11. India 13. Maldives 18. Vietnam 20. Laos 23. Malaysia 24. Myanmar 25. Nepal 26 Brunei 33. Bhutan 38. Indonesia 41. Bangladesh 43. China 44. Sri Lanka Tim began to tell others about Jesus, and six families in his village gave their lives to Christ. The other villagers noticed that Tim had stopped offering sacrifices to their gods. They told him to deny Jesus. When Tim refused, the persecution began. Tim was dragged out of his house in front of the village and told to renounce his faith in front of 100 people. He refused, so he received the same treatment every night for a week. Three times they poured sand into the petrol tank of his scooter, which was his only way to get into town to earn an income. They slashed the hamstrings of his cows, killed his two dogs, cut up his crops, burnt and confiscated his field, beat his family and destroyed his home. The villages then took Tim s only pig and sacrificed it to the spirits. They left him without any source of income and under constant pressure. One night while the family was sleeping, the villagers threw large rocks through the roof of Tim s home. They landed just centimetres away from Tim, his wife and son. They escaped just in time. I always pray for the people who came and beat me, my wife and my son. They don t know about God and God is a heart changing God, Tim said. We don t give up because we know Jesus and he is coming back soon. Tim remains adamant about sharing the gospel. Your support allows us to provide him and his family with temporary accommodation as they continue to reach the lost. Issue 05 / Partnering With The Persecuted Asia Over 109 million Christians experience intense persecution throughout this region. In the Asia region, the main source of persecution is split almost equally between Islamic Oppression, Communist Oppression and Religious Nationalism. Your help makes a difference by providing Bibles, training and practical support in Asia. 31 OCT 09 NOV TRAVEL WITH US Encourage believers facing extreme persecution. Simply being there makes a huge difference! South Asia 31 Oct 9 Nov 2018 $3,900 AUD $4,200 NZD Find Out More gotravel@od.org 02 9451 2999 8 9
Issue 05 / Partnering With The Persecuted Middle East Turkey Syria Iraq Jordan Palestinian Territories Azerbaijan Kuwait Saudi Arabia Yemen Kazakhstan Uzbekistan Turkmenistan Iran Bahrain Qatar UAE Oman Afghanistan Tajikistan Pastor Boutros runs a church in Syria. With your help, his church has supported over 4,000 displaced families. Around 90% of his congregation are new believers many used to be Muslims. 2. Afghanistan 8. Iraq 9. Yemen 10. Iran 12. Saudi Arabia 15. Syria 16. Uzbekistan 19. Turkmenistan 21. Jordan 22. Tajikistan 27. Qatar 28. Kazakhstan 31. Turkey 34. Kuwait 36. Palestinian Territories 40. UAE 45. Azerbaijan 46. Oman 48. Bahrain Pastor Boutros told us the story of a Christian woman who chose to stay in war-torn parts of Syria. She was taking food supplies to those still stuck in areas controlled by rebels. One time the rebels tried to force themselves into her house. She was protecting a number of women within her home, so she stood behind the door and held them off. They asked her: Aren t you scared that we will come and slaughter you? No, I am not afraid because I have the mighty God with me and He is protecting me, she replied. I don t remember what happened in that moment, she told Pastor Boutros. Maybe they did not understand what I meant. Or maybe the angel of God was standing behind me and he did to them the same as with Lot in the Old Testament. After a while, the rebels returned. Their leader wanted to hear her story. He was responsible for the rebels in that area. When she went to visit him, he was surprised to see how a woman would be standing there not shaking, Pastor Boutros said. He said: Usually when men come to me, they will be shaking. I want to know, who is behind you? Who is the source of your strength? Which country is helping you? While the men were pointing guns at her, she shared with them about Jesus Christ who was strengthening her and who is the Lord of peace and the Lord of courage. Issue 05 / Partnering With The Persecuted She spoke for 25 minutes, uninterrupted. At the end, the rebel leader was crying. After that meeting, he disappeared; we don t know what happened to him. But we know that God took him out of this place. Middle East In the Middle East region over 4 million Christians suffer for their faith in Christ. In the Middle East region, the main source of persecution comes from Islamic Oppression. Your help makes a difference by providing Bibles, training and practical support in the Middle East. It is as if we re living in the times of the book of Acts. Pastor Boutros said. Before the war, we were praying that God would do something great in our midst. But we didn t expect war and so many displaced. We got another perspective we discovered that all people are in need of God. We, as a church, are not isolating ourselves anymore. We are taking the lead, we are taking our place in society. Because of your support we re able to see Muslims discover Jesus, and to see nations transformed from the inside out through the work of the local church. 10 11
Issue 05 / Partnering With The Persecuted Africa Mauritania Mali Algeria Nigeria Tunisia Libya CAR Eunice, a mother of seven, was from a town in Northern Nigeria. Most mornings she would get up before sunrise to walk the streets and share the message of Jesus. Her husband Olowale is a pastor. Egypt Sudan Eritrea Ethiopia Kenya Djibouti Somalia 3. Somalia 4. Sudan 6. Eritrea 7. Libya 14. Nigeria 17. Egypt 29. Ethiopia 30. Tunisia 32. Kenya 35. CAR 37. Mali 42. Algeria 47. Mauritania 50. Djibouti My wife preached next to a mosque while the Imam (Islamic leader) in the mosque was also preaching. He stopped talking and listened to what Eunice was saying. He then told his members to listen to her because she was speaking the truth about God, Olowale said. After preaching near the mosque, there were some incidents that made the family concerned about Eunice s safety. Her husband called for a night of prayer. We prayed all night and Eunice led us in worship songs Little did I know that this was the last time we would ever pray together. We went to sleep at about 4 am. Eunice got up at about 5 am and left for her morning preaching. The next day her sons got word that a local woman had been killed for preaching on the streets. They ran home to tell their father. I ran to the place where the killing took place, Olowale said. I didn t find my wife there. All I saw was a pool of blood. I broke down and cried. I lost my true companion. A single dad of seven, with a church to pastor, Olowale still continued to fulfil The Great Commission. On the Sunday after she was killed, I encouraged my congregation to not be discouraged or afraid, but to keep preaching the Word of God everywhere they find themselves, he said. Whether the people (attackers) are caught or not, we should forgive them. My prayer is that if they can accept Christ, it will be a gain for Christ. Issue 05 / Partnering With The Persecuted My encouragement has been Colossians 1:27, which says, Christ in you, the hope of all glory. Yes, I know that my wife has died, but I know I am not alone. Christ is with me and He lives in me. My wife died preaching the gospel. She lived to preach the gospel. Africa I want to thank you for the support and the encouraging words you brought to me, Olowale said to Open Doors supporters. You do not know me, but you came to identify with me in my time of sorrow. May God continue to bless your ministry. Over 81 million Christians experience intense persecution for their faith in Jesus. In Africa, the main source of persecution is Islamic Oppression and many Christian populations live within a Muslim majority. Your help makes a difference by providing Bibles, training and practical support in Africa. 12 13
Issue 05 / Partnering With The Persecuted Sixty Second Stories Short Stories You Can Share With the help of God, Syria will become all right again. Many families in Syria were forced to flee when the Islamic State attacked. Shiveen s son developed diabetes from the stress and they fled to Homs. I found some temporary work in a grocery shop. I earned too little money. It wasn t enough to buy what my family needed. Shiveen, and four other women who lost their income during the war, are now able to earn a living at a sewing workshop in Homs. I am excited about this job, Shiveen said. We re making something and getting an income. I thank you so much for your support, for everyone who makes this possible. When the women heard that the project was made possible because of your support, this is how one responded: You didn t give us just a salary for one month, you ve invested in something for our entire life. With the help of God, Syria will become all right again. Your help is allowing the church to equip displaced Syrians and help them earn a living. Christians are people who love their enemies as brothers. When Naomi* became a Christian at 12, her family kicked her out of home. When she 16, she married a Christian man from Belgium. More than once, my family sent jihadists to my house to kill us, Naomi said. One day, while my husband was on a business trip, he was gunned down. He was killed for his faith, and for marrying an ex-muslim. Naomi was left to care for their two children. Her son was abducted when Islamic extremists attacked their city. Her son acted deaf and dumb. The extremist whipped him severely but released him after two days. The family fled to an IDP camp. Your support helped us provide Naomi with funds to rent an apartment. Some of Naomi s displaced Muslim relatives have been forced to live with her. Pray Naomi and her sons show them God s love. Christians are people who love their enemies their haters as brothers, she said. That is how we can win them for the kingdom. *Name changed for security purposes Now those who used to hate us, bring their children to our school. In an Ethiopian community with a 99% Muslim majority, Christians experience severe persecution. Muslims would throw rocks at the church. Whenever members walked to church, Muslims would grab their Bibles and set fire to them. They even used to push our children around, said Principal Desu*. Your support allowed Open Doors to build a school, which is run by the local church. Persecution preparedness and cross-cultural outreach training helped us very much to grow spiritually in these troubles, said Feyissa*, pastor of the school. Now, those who used to hate us bring their children to our school... Today half of our around 800 students are Muslims, We frequently found opportunities to meet with the parents and develop better relationships with them, said Principal Desu. Now, we even counsel parents when they have family issues, and have the opportunity to share the gospel with them. Letter Writing Campaign Encourage Esther From Nigeria Esther and baby Rebecca Do: Print clearly in English Be brief and encouraging Provide your name and country only Send greeting cards, artwork from children and postcards Do not: Mention Open Doors Send money Criticise a country Make proposals to help Esther* a 17-year-old girl from Gwoza, Nigeria was kidnapped by Boko Haram in October 2015. Along with another group of girls, Esther was taken to a hideout in the forest. When the girls refused to become Muslims, they were beaten and assaulted. Esther soon became pregnant. I felt that God had forsaken me. There were times when I was so angry with God But still, I could not get myself to renounce Him. I found myself remembering His promise to never leave me or forsake me. A year later Esther was rescued and able to return home. Her community rejected her. They mocked me because I was pregnant, she said. Even my grandparents despised me and called me names. I cried many tears. I felt so lonely. What broke my heart even more was that they refused to call my daughter Rebecca. They referred to her as Boko. Since Esther s return she has received trauma counselling from Open Doors. Your support has helped her to work through anger, pain and shame. She said she now feels she can forgive her captors. We would like to invite supporters to write a letter of encouragement to Esther. Please send postcards by 30 September 2018. Australia: 11/10 Gladstone Road, Castle Hill NSW 2154 New Zealand: PO Box 51236 Tawa, Wellington 5249 OPEN DOORS LIVE PODCAST Bring the persecuted church to life. Listen now on Apple, Soundcloud or Android. /podcast /podcast Issue 05 / Partnering With The Persecuted 14 15
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER Praying With The Persecuted Church Worldwide 4 November 2018 Register your church or group today: /idop /idop SERVING PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS WORLDWIDE Open Doors Australia PO Box 734 Penrith 2751 (02) 9451 2999 (07) 3077 7460 (03) 8609 1918 odaustralia@od.org Open Doors New Zealand PO Box 51236 Tawa 5249 (04) 232 7055 newzealand@od.org