# Update on the persecuted church



## a mere housewife (Feb 10, 2005)

Here are some updates on the persecuted church in different parts of the world

Egypt:
Achwak Mohamad, a Christian Lebanese woman who married an Egyptian Christian (Gergius Bekhit), has been kidnapped because she refuses to renoune her faith. She has two small children (now in hiding for their protection). Women in these situations are often raped, and the shame of that is used to make them feel even more isolated. You can write on her, and her family's behalf to
Ambassador Nabil Fahmy
The Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt
3521 International Court, NW
Washington D.C. 20008
email: [email protected]

Mauritania:
Mauritania is facing the worst locust threat they have had, perhaps in living memory. This country is already one of the world's poorest-- the children especially suffer from malnutrition. They have absolutely no freedom of religion: being a Christian is an automatic death penalty. The entire country is basically unreached: people who even show an interest in Christianity are imprisoned. Now they are facing drought and starvation. You can give to them through WorldVision, a Christian organization (I don't know how evangelical they are, but they aren't ashamed to speak of Christ, and they are very reputable) at www.worldvision.com.

Laos:
Voice of the Martyrs has an article about Laos in their current issue that is worth reading: Christianity is not tolerated there, despite a constitution that guarantees religious freedom.
There is a heartrending picture of four women whose husbands have been imprisoned on false charges (they helped to raise money for a tractor for the village, and the man who was to get the tractor ended up being a swindler who ran off with the money: they have offered to repay what they raised), and ordered to give up their faith in Christ or die in prison. The women have to walk over four hours a day to take food to their husbands. Often they have to wait hours to give their husbands the food, then return home after dark. They also have small children at home that they need to take care of and provide for. They cannot work because if they don't take food to their husbands, their husbands will have nothing to eat. Their husbands report that five people have come to Christ in the prison, and seem to be very joyful. The women are obviously having a very difficult time: at least one woman is in tears. You can help support these women and their families by giving to "families of the martyrs" fund through Voice of the Martyrs.
One of the letters from a "Mr. L" in Laos asks for our prayers that he would become a believer. It says that he wants to accept Jesus as His Savior, but that the govt. is very strict the believers.
The Laotians are asking for prayer for a Christian, Boontheong, who was very active in evangelization, and seems to have been greatly used. He and his wife, one of his children (seven yr. old son) disappeared last July. The Laotian Christians believe they are being held by the communists.
The Christians of Nam Heng village have been given an ultimatum that if they do not deny Christ, they will either have to leave the village or stay in their houses under house arrest (not being allowed to plant their crops).

You can write to the ambassador and the president of Laos on behalf of Boontheong and his wife and son, and also Khamsay, Pheang, Thongsoun, and Khampay (the husbands of the women above: being held at Muang Kasy). The nation's constitution (adopted in 1989) requires religious freedom.

Khamtai Siphadon
President
Office of the President
Vientiane, Laos

Embassy of the Lao People's Democratic Republic
Phanthong Phommahaxay
Ambassador
2222 S. Street N. W.
Washington, D.C. 20008


Former Soviet Union:
I found the address where you can request to receive the Voice of Peace magazine, which tells about the evangelization and persecution going on in these countries-- it is a really, really good magazine:
Voice of Hope Mission
P.O. Box 1316 Station Bentall Center
Vancouver, BC.
Canada V6C 2P2
The mission is actually based in Germany: Freidennstime (sp?) Mission.
Recently these people went on a mission to the settlements of Katyryk, Newaja (this is the first time the people there have heard the gospel), and Kresty. The young people and children were especially responsive. The conditions they brave to do this are incredible,(one man was recently killed traveling to these unreached settlements) but they are truly glad to be doing it.

North Korea:
I was reading this morning that there used to be over 300,000 Christians at the end of World War II: now, under the persecutions of Kim Il Sung and his son, Kim Jong Il, there are only a few thousand. The church seems very vibrant in spite of facing possibly the worst persecution in the world-- some Christians actually returning to the country to evangelize, in spite of the cost. But whole families are persecuted in this country: the children along with their parents. I was read this, thinking about them this morning:
"If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god;
Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of our heart.
Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.
Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, cast us not off for ever.
Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression?
For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth unto the earth.
Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies' sake."

Rinaldy Damanik, who was on the prisoneralert website a while back, was released from prison more than a year before his three year sentence was up.


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