UPDATE

Update on Kim Kyung Il Kim Kyung Il has been in prison 10 years. Just a few days ago, VOM contacts received word that his sentence is expected to be commuted in March and he may be free in September. Normally this would be cause for rejoicing, but as soon as Kim Kyung Il is released he'll face deportation to North Korea. There, he will almost certainly be executed. Our contact writes, "The only hope he may have is a huge outpouring of public awareness on this issue, which might at least delay his execution once he's returned." Friends are working frantically to help Kim Kyung Il, but it's not easy. Please pray with us for a solution, and take action by writing Chinese officials today.

RELEASED

Update on Father Nguyen Van Ly

Father Nguyen, now 64, has warned that he will go on a hunger strike and refuse medical treatment if he is readmitted to jail on March 15, 2011. The pastor was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2007 for "damaging national security." He was released March 15, 2010 to undergo a year's medical treatment after suffering two serious strokes leaving him partially paralyzed.

Nguyen Van Ly previously served a total of 15 years in jail, including years in solitary confinement. While on medical leave, authorities have prevented the pastor from giving interviews or meeting other democracy activists.

Please pray authorities will not send the Father Nguyen back to prison. Ask for healing for him.

UPDATE - Yang Caizhen

Yang Caizhen, who was arrested with four other Linfen-Fushan church members in November 2009, is currently in the hospital. Prison officials told Yang Caizhen's family to visit her there. This is the second time she has been in the hospital since she was arrested. The first time, her family was not informed, so this time they think her condition is more serious. Yang Caizhen is due to be released in July or August, but her family hopes she can be released early on medical parole.

Her daughter also said the prison recently changed its visitor policy. Previously, almost anyone could visit Yang Caizhen. Now, only close family members may visit.

RELEASED

VOM received word today that Chinese prisoner Shi Weihan was released Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2011 from the Haidian Detention Center outside Beijing. He completed his prison sentence.

Shi Weihan was convicted in June 2009 based on evidence he had printed Bibles and other Christian literature for free distribution to poor believers in rural China.

www.prisoneralert.com

RELEASED

Update on Dmitry Shestakov Pastor Dmitry (David) Shestakov was arrested in Andijan, Uzbekistan on Jan. 21, 2007. While he was in a prison labor camp, his wife and his three daughters missed him terribly. Exactly four years later, he was released on Jan. 21, 2011. Praise God that Pastor Shestakov is now home with his family. Pray for the Shestakovs as they adjust back to life together. Pray also that the church in Andijan will be strengthened. Your letters on behalf of prisoners do make a difference! Take time to write a letter to another prisoner in Uzbekistan, Tohar Haydarov, using the link below. http://www.prisoneralert.com/pprofiles/vp_prisoner_205_profile.html

Petition to Secretary Clinton regarding Iraq

The country of Iraq has had one of the biggest changes this year on the 2011 World Watch List - moving up from position seventeen in 2010, to number eight!

In response to this jump Open Doors USA is launching an advocacy campaign on behalf of the Christians in Iraq whose persecution has rapidly escalated in recent months. Advocate on behalf of our Iraqi brothers and sisters by signing the petition urging Secretary Clinton to work closely with the Iraqi government to protect its Christian community. Sign the petition today and ask others to sign as well, collectively we can globally raise awareness of the situation of Christians in Iraq.

 Please sign the petition....

http://members.opendoorsusa.org/worldwatchlist/petition/

Tribute to a Brother

In the African country of Eritrea, in a small isolation cell the size of a shipping container, Mehari Gebreneguse Asgedom (42), a man who had committed his life to Christ, was denied medical treatment for complications from diabetes and injuries sustained from torture. On January 16, 2009, at the Mitire Military Confinement Center, Asgedom’s earthly life had ended. This week Open Doors and Christian brothers and sisters around the world remember Christ’s servant Mehari Gebreneguse Asgedom and the sacrifice he made for his faith. Join with us in praying that Mehari’s family is comforted, that they are strengthened in this difficult time and that their lives become testimonies to the hope that lies within all of us.
“Remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison.” Hebrews 13:1.
As of November 2010 church leaders in Eritrea estimate that there are around 1,500 believers in prison specifically for their faith, their families sometimes waiting years to hear any news of their welfare. Eritrean Christians have asked believers around the world to continue praying for their country.

• Pray that the newly arrested would remain firm in the faith
• Pray for God’s protection and provision for them as they may be facing very trying circumstances
• Pray that God would use their testimonies of faithfulness to convict their persecutors of their need for salvation in Christ.

If this story has touched you, please share your thoughts with us below:

Somali Mother of Four Killed for Her Faith

On January 5, Asha Mberwa’s husband, Abdinazir Mohammed Hassan called his wife to make arrangements to move the family out of the area because of Asha’s fears that their lives were threatened. Al Shabaab extremists, who control large parts of Mogadishu, monitored the conversation and confirmed that she had become a Christian. She was arrested the next day.
Then on January 7, in front of villagers in Warbhigly, on the outskirts of Mogadishu, Islamic extremists slit the throat of 36 year old Asha Mberwa because of her faith in Christ. She is survived by her children – ages 12, 8, 6 and 4 – and her husband of 17 years, who was not home at the time she was apprehended. According to Compass News Asha’s children are being cared by “a good Samaritan” in Mogadishu. Her children, traumatized by their mother’s violent death, continue to weep and cry out for her.
Al Shabaab insurgents have embarked on a campaign to rid the country of its hidden Christian population. With estimates of al Shabaab’s size ranging from 3,000 to 7,000, the insurgents seek to impose a strict version of sharia (Islamic law). Said to have ties with al Qaeda, al Shabaab has been designated a terrorist organization by several western governments.
The transitional government in Mogadishu, fighting to retain control of the country, treats Christians little better than the al Shabaab insurgents do. While proclaiming himself a moderate, President Sheikh Sharif Sheik Ahmed has embraced a version of sharia that mandates the death penalty for those who leave Islam. Somalia is in the number five position on Open Doors World watch List of countries where the persecution of Christians is most severe.
Thank You, Father, for Asha’s faith in You and that she is now enjoying perfect peace and joy in Your presence. We pray, though, for her children who have known more tragedy in their young lives than anyone should ever know. Our hearts weep for them, as we know Yours does. We are powerless in ourselves to help them, but we call on You to heal them from this trauma and to protect them. Strengthen their faith. We are comforted only in your promise that “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” (Psalm 91:1)

China Experience: Open Doors USA

Pakistan--#11 on World Watch 2011

Islamic extremists killed a Christian lawyer, his wife and their five children in northwestern Pakistan for mounting a legal challenge against a Muslim who was charging a Christian exorbitant interest.

Police found the bodies of attorney and evangelist Edwin Paul and his family at their home in Haripur, a small town near Abbotabad in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province (previously known as the North-West Frontier Province).

The victim and his wife Ruby Paul, along with their five children ages 6 to 17, had been shot to death.

A group of armed men stopped Paul and took him by the collar and said, “Leave the town in 24 hours we know how to throw out Christians, we will not allow even a single Christian to live here. We will hang them all in the streets, so that no Christian would ever dare to enter the Hazara land.” 

Dear Readers,

Dear Readers,

I just wanted to thank you so much for faithfully keeping up with our persecuted brothers and sisters all over the world. I was looking at my traffic map earlier and saw just how many people I had coming to this blog.

Thank you, thank you so much for being fellow watchers with me. Whoever you are, and wherever you are, thank you. 

I will continue to post updates as I get them.

Always, always remember to pray. It's the most powerful thing on earth.


Always Fighting,
-Hannah

Al-Qaeda Attack on Christians

Two Sundays ago, as faithful Christian believers gathered at church in Baghdad to worship, Al-Qaeda attacked.

They took about 120 worshipers hostage, beat and killed three priests, and detonated explosives moments before Iraqi security forces stormed the church in a rescue attempt. At least 64 people, mostly worshippers ––including a 3-year-old–– were massacred and an estimated 300 wounded.
Help secret believers

I know your heart aches with mine at this horror. And what makes it even more shocking is that, due to the recent election focus, the American media has barely reported this persecution of Christians! 

Unfortunately, it’s not over. Al-Qaeda’s Iraq splinter group, the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) who was responsible for the attack, just issued this statement:

"All Christian centers, organizations and institutions, leaders and followers, are legitimate targets for the mujahedeen wherever they can reach them.”

Click HERE to watch the video.

Prisoner Alert: Youcef Nardarkhani---Location: Iran

Location: Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Arrested: October 2009

Recently, Pastor Youcef Nardarkhani was reportedly sentenced to death for apostasy. VOM contacts confirm that the pastor's trial was held in recent weeks in the 11th Chamber of The Assize Court of the province of Gilan. Pastor Youcef is one of several members of his church who have been imprisoned. In the past, the Iranian government has also imprisoned and released his wife. Pastor Youcef was arrested in October 2009 after protesting a decision by the government requiring that his son study the Quran.

Update on Imran Ghafur Masih

On Jan. 11, 2010, Imran Ghafur Masih was sentenced to life in prison and fined 100,000 rupees ($1,155 U.S.), according to The Voice of the Martyrs contacts. His family has appealed the decision to the Pakistan High Court and is awaiting a hearing date.
VOM encourages you to send a letter to Imran, letting him know you are praying for him. Also pray for his persecutors. Tell your friends about Christians suffering in Pakistan, and encourage them to pray for Imran and to write to him as well.
Your letters make a difference; they can result in shorter prison sentences for those accused. Please write to Imran and encourage our Pakistani brother.

North Korea: Power Transfer

 Please be in prayer for North Korea and other Christians all around the world! North Korea is especially going through a massive hard time right now, and with war possibly beginning to show its head, this is getting shaky. Please pray!

 

North Korea:

Power Transfer Possible

Sep 16 2010

Christians Facing More Persecution, Especially Defectors to China

SANTA ANA, Calif. (Sept. 16, 2010) – North Korea is quietly preparing for a successor to leader Kim Jong-Il while  the country is in  turmoil with many dying from hunger, according to Open Doors, a Christian organization which secretly supports persecuted believers in 60 of the most dangerous and restrictive countries in the world.
Kim Jong-Il’s third son Kim Jong-Un was expected to be voted in as a member of the Workers Party Central Committee, probably during a secretive conference held earlier this month. If true, it would be a significant step towards a real power transfer in the future. Kim Jong-Il is reportedly in poor health.
North Korea, the No. 1 persecutor of Christians according to this year’s Open Doors World Watch List, is taking harsh measures to strengthen the clique around the Kim family – with terrible consequences. A disastrous currency reform, announced near the end of last year, has led to many suicides.
Dr. Carl Moeller, president/CEO of Open Doors USA, says: “Change is likely coming to North Korea. We need to pray that the change will be a positive one for the Christians there – including the 40,000 to 50,000 believers who are suffering in North Korean prison camps where 200,000 people are held. We need to continue to not only pray, but also advocate for those brave Christians who live under brutal and nightmarish conditions with no basic freedoms.”
Civilians are openly protesting decisions made by the government. These protests sometimes have led to violence between civilians and police. These clashes are a rare occurrence in a country with a tight security system and vast network of spies.
 “Fifteen years ago Kim Jong-Il was still considered a god, but all these years of hunger have left the people disillusioned,” says Simon, Open Doors’ main contact for North Korea. “They have stopped believing the lie. Each time they put their trust in their leader, he has let them down.”
Around the same time of the failed currency reform, it was announced that people would no longer receive food rations from the government. In the first seven months of 2010 food was only distributed occasionally and in just a few cities. On top of that, the country was again hit hard by floods this summer. Open Doors sources report people are dying of starvation in the provinces of Hamkung, Yanggang and Jagang. Many North Koreans compare the past few months with the devastating famines in the 1990’s when over one million people starved to death.
Recently North Korea has dispatched dozens of secret agents to China to track down North Koreans who have fled, including Christians. Simon states: “Their purpose is to root out any defector problems. Defectors are seen as a destabilizing factor. The pressure on refugees is increased because of the party leaders’ meeting earlier this month and before the party anniversary in October. In our work with North Koreans in China we need to be extremely careful. We can only do this work when we completely depend on God’s wisdom, protection and guidance. The risks increase, but so do the ministry opportunities.”

Despite all the rumors about the possible upcoming power transfer, North Korean Christians haven’t focused on the politics. The current generation of Christians knows nothing but persecution. Open Doors has come along side the Christians in North Korea for over 10 years. Open Doors supports believers with Bibles, training, food and other practical help. Open Doors also connects the Church in the West with them through prayer and advocacy campaigns.
The North Korea Freedom Coalition (NKFC) will hold Save North Korean Refugees Day on Friday, Sept. 24, with events in Washington, D.C. focused on raising awareness and action for the North Korean refugees fleeing North Korea. For more information, go to www.nkfreedom.org. Open Doors is a member of the NKFC. 

 

Hope Amid Horror