# Writing to Christian Prisoners



## a mere housewife

Probably many people know this already, but Voice of the Martyrs has a website where Christians can write to other Christians in prison, around the world (the site allows you to choose from verses and certain phrases, which they translate). In this way, we can visit those that are in prison. 

You can also write to government officials, requesting the release of the prisoners. Here is the weblink:

http://www.persecution.com/basic/prisonerList.cfm

Some things I have found very useful in helping me to think of and pray for the Persecuted Church are prayer calendars. Voice of the Martyrs has one, and Christian Solidarity Worldwide also sends out pamphlets with updated prayer information for every day of the month. CSW is less evangelical than VOM (though VOM supports a lot of Catholics as well, I believe); but they seem to have more political sway. They're based in England, I think, and do a lot with the European Parliment. (http://www.csw.org.uk)

Both of these organizations offer specific county information that can be printed and used in prayer meetings, etc. I find I have to read the Psalms whenever I take time out to read and pray for these Christians: the Psalmist cries out in the language of persecuted believers, but he also cries out in the language of trust and of hope, and even of joy in the Lord.

I often look at a map I have of the countries in which Christians are being persecuted, and the staggering percentages of Muslims & Buddhists that dominate such a significant strip of the world & feel that my insignificant heap prayers, and my even more insignificant heap of actual efforts hardly be worth undertaking at all-- but Christ told the people who visited the prisoners that they did it to Him; and the God of heaven has His ears open unto the cries of His children. In fact the most powerful thing I can is to pray. Christ stopped at the cry of Bartemeus: He will stop for the cries of the persecuted church-- He will stop for my cries.


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## Puritan Sailor

Sounds interesting. thanks for the info.


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## a mere housewife

I realised that I gave the wrong link to have the letters translated into the prisoner's language: that link is

http://www.prisoneralert.com/


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## VirginiaHuguenot

> _Originally posted by puritansailor_
> Sounds interesting. thanks for the info.



 Thanks, Heidi!


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## Puritan Sailor

I emailed them and asked how they knew if the prisoners got the letters. They told me that they don't usually know if the guys get the letters until after they get out of prison and say so. Sounds like alot may get filtered out but apparently some trickle through and it is an encouragement to them.


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## a mere housewife

Patrick, yea-- probably quite a few of them don't get through at the time. But I think the prisoners often do almost always get the information (from family or friends) that a lot of people from all over the world have written to them, and when they are isolated from the Christian community, and at the mercy of their unjust govts., I would imagine that this in itself is very encouraging. One man in Cuba asked to see all of the hundreds of letters he had received, and was severely beaten and tortured (along with his visiting wife and children): another man in Cuba was recently released because of all the international attention he was receiving.

I remember that a prisoner in Russia, in solitary confinement for a long time, ended up getting released because of all the letters written on his behalf, as well as to him (again I don't know if he got them till he got out, but the prison kept getting all of this mail for him, and that in itself played a very important role in his release). I read about that in a backissue of Voice of Peace (Freidennstime Mission): I can't find these people on the web, but they are reputable, given the people who use them as sources (Forum 8 & CSW): they do missions work in the Far East, in unbelievable conditions. Their magazine is the most encouraging and edifying on the persecuted church that I've read.


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