Because of his evangelistic efforts among Muslims, Indonesian pastor Abraham Bentar was sent to prison. Separated from his family and congregation, Abraham found encouragement from the letters that streamed in from around the world from concerned Christians who had heard of his plight, including supporters of The Voice of the Martyrs. After serving two-thirds of his sentence of four-and-a-half years' imprisonment, Abraham was released.
As they struggled to go about their lives without their husband and father, Abraham's family was also blessed by the thousands of letters and photographs sent by Christians living in different countries. Abraham's wife, Kristowati, shared, "We poured over 10,000 letters in a box in our living room."
His story is not unique--many believers face similar trials for serving Christ and have also been encouraged by letters from those willing to take up the pen and act on behalf of their suffering family.
Christians facing persecution often struggle with feelings of loneliness and isolation. At times, separated from their families or overcoming the loss of a loved one, they wonder if anyone cares about them. Writing letters is a simple way you can stand with them at their time of need – encouraging them in their walk with Christ and reminding them of the prayer support from their extended Christian family. It is a way you can "remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering" (Hebrews 13:3 NIV).
The story of Pastor Nguyen Lap Ma also testifies to the power of letter writing. When Communists took over Vietnam, Pastor Nguyen refused to relinquish the Christian Missionary Alliance Church in Can Tho. For this "crime," he and his entire family were placed under house arrest in a tiny, rural village with no travel and with no mail for the first 12 years.
Finally, when authorities loosened the mail restrictions, Pastor Nguyen was thrilled to see letters arrive at his home. The Voice of the Martyrs published Pastor Nguyen's story and his address. Students, housewives, pastors, and businessmen wrote letters of encouragement to the pastor and his family. Vietnamese police were shocked when Pastor Nguyen received more than 3,000 letters from all over the world.
"I read every letter with prayers and tears," Pastor Nguyen said. "I devour every letter and meditate on the Scriptures shared in them. I then share these words of encouragement and the Scriptures in Vietnamese with my family. We are glad and encouraged by the messages in them."
"God has strengthened and helped us," the pastor continued. "So we keep hoping in Him and fixing our eyes on Jesus. We follow Him to endure the cross, scorning its shame to the point of death. While we are living, God uses us to comfort the other suffering Christians." The letters encourage them as they happily encourage other believers.
Many other persecuted Christians who have received letters have responded with heartfelt thankfulness that a believer from a different country, someone they have never even met, has taken the time to tell them they are remembered and prayed for.
Sandal, a young Pakistani Christian, and her father, Gulsher, were released from prison in December 2009 after a court found them innocent of charges that they blasphemed the Qur'an. Sandal expressed her thanks for all the letters and prayers she received from believers worldwide.
"I am thankful to God He released me from prison," she said. "I am thankful to The Voice of the Martyrs for helping my family, and I thank my brothers and sisters who wrote me letters in prison. May God bless all of you."
Similarly, when Chinese bookstore owner Zhou Heng, arrested in 2007 for running an "illegal business operation," was released from prison in February 2008, he expressed thanksgiving for the concern he and his family received from the international community.
On his first night back home from prison, Zhou's family ate a meal together and his daughters sang an emotional song of thanks to the Lord. Tears of gratitude filled his eyes when he learned that believers around the world had been praying for him, writing to him, and helping to support him and his family through their intense legal battle.
Upon his release, he shared: "I thank you for the love and the help you offered for my family. My heart is filled with peace and light from the Holy Spirit. Let us, in Christ, continue to focus on the Father's kingdom and righteousness. Let us thank, praise and worship the great, almighty and loving God."
China: Esther's story
Esther couldn't reach her parents by phone for several days. Living as a student in the United States, she wondered what could have happened to her mom and dad, who both served as pastors at the Linfen Fushan house church in China's Shanxi province. Finally she discovered from family members and friends that they had been arrested and detained by authorities.
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Esther
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Esther's father
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Esther's mother
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Esther's father, Yang Xuan, began to serve in ministry full time in 1974. After graduating he had two choices before him: join the government-run Three-Self Church and enjoy a stable income, a peaceful life and a promising future; or join a house church, which would not guarantee anything for his life (the Three-Self Church, which was established by the communists in the early 1950s, has regulations to control many areas of Protestant church life). After fervent prayer, he chose to join a house church, which he believed to be in accordance with biblical teaching. It was a risk he took by faith. "My father has always clearly understood what he chose in that moment," Esther said. Her mother, Yang Caizhen, also made a difficult choice--she decided to leave her profession as a doctor, a job with a stable income, in order to stand alongside her husband and support his ministry.
In 1994, Esther's father moved the whole family to the city of Linfen in China's northern Shanxi province. The local churches had recently separated from the Three-Self Churches. Many believers did not have a place to worship, and so assembled in the backyards of some church members' houses. In time, the congregation grew from 50 to 700 members!
By the fall of 2009, Esther was living in the United States. When she tried to contact her parents in China by phone, she could not reach them. Soon she learned why. Relatives and friends said that her parents' church had been attacked. On September 13, approximately 400 police and security officials had demolished the church building. Many Christians had been arrested and jailed. Through the internet, Esther learned that her parents had been among those imprisoned. Her father, Yang Xuan, was sentenced to three and a half years in jail for "illegal land occupation." Her mother, Yang Caizhen, was sentenced without trial to two years' "re education through labour." Another eight church leaders also received sentences.
When Esther's relatives visited her mother to bring clothes and some daily necessities, they came back with distressing news. Yang Caizhen did not look well--she had lost a front tooth, her hair was significantly grayer and her hands were swollen. Esther was heartbroken to hear of her mother's frail state, and deeply concerned for her father's health as well. "I know my mother better than anyone else. She is just a housewife, dedicated to her faith and diligently serving the Lord. My father is prudent in studying and teaching the Bible; he practices what the Bible teaches. How could he do anything that violates the law?"
Now Esther is appealing to her Christian family around the world on behalf of her parents and other Chinese believers suffering for righteousness' sake. "My father and mother are being persecuted like many other Christians and house churches. All we ask for is the freedom to worship and share the Gospel. Please remember Chinese Christians in your prayers and appeal for them! I call upon everyone to fight for religious freedom in China, and to continue to pray for the deliverance of my parents, and justice for all the imprisoned leaders."
Encourage Esther's parents
Please take some time to write letters of encouragement to Esther's parents. By visiting www.PrisonerAlert.com, you can assemble a letter to Yang Xuan or Yang Caizhen in their native tongue!
Esther's mother:
Yang Caizhen
Shanxi Taiyuan Female Re-Education through Labour Camp
No. 28, Xindian Street, Xinghualing District
Taiyuan City, Shanxi province
China 030003
Esther's father:
Yang Xuan
c/o Yang Linli
Room 101, Fuyuan Central Building,
Shuiche Xiang, Xiangyang Road
Linfen City, Shanxi province
China
Pakistan: Arrested for blasphemy
Thirty-seven-year-old Asia Bibi was arrested on June 19, 2009 following a heated argument about Islam. When Asia's Muslim co-workers, who had often pressured her to convert to Islam, tried again to convince her to convert, Asia stood firm in her faith. She told them that Christ died on the cross for their sins and asked what Muhammad had done for them. "Our Christ is the true prophet of God," she told them, "and yours is not true."
Infuriated by her refusal to give in, the women beat Asia until some men came and locked her in a room. From the mosque loudspeakers, Muslims announced that Asia would be punished. They threatened to parade her through the village on a donkey. However, local Christians informed police who then took Asia into custody before the Muslims could carry out their plan.
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Asia's husband & daughters
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Asia was arrested and held at a police station in Nankana city, Punjab province. Local Christians urged the police not to file blasphemy charges, but police claimed they had no choice. They succumbed to the pressure from local Muslim leaders.
On October 14, Asia appeared in court in Sheikhupura. For 15 minutes she was able to meet with her family and contacts from The Voice of the Martyrs. Asia's two daughters were visibly upset when they saw their mother. The younger one continuously asked when she was coming home.
VOM contacts stated that "Asia is in strong faith. Her eyes were hopeful." Asia informed them that she prays to God every morning at 3 a.m. She said, "I thank God that the jail administration has good behaviour with me. I don't have trouble from them, but I miss my daughters and family."
Uphold Asia Bibi
Uphold Asia as she stands firm in her faith by writing her a letter today. Remind her that Christians in Canada are praying for her and for her family. Visit www.PrisonerAlert.com to compile a letter in Asia's language. You can also write in English, as there is often somebody who can translate if the recipient is not able to read English.
Asia Bibi
District Jail
Sheikhupura,
Punjab,
Pakistan
India: Christians still languishing after 2008 violence
Anti-Christian mob violence erupted in the Kandhamal district of Orissa state, India in August 2008. The assassination of a Hindu leader, Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, was used by militant Hindus as a pretext to attack the Christian community, even though Maoists took responsibility for the murder. Hundreds of believers were killed in the attacks and dozens of church buildings and homes were destroyed.
Thousands of Christians fled from their homes with only the clothes on their backs as the rampaging mobs terrorized village after village. Some lived in the jungle for days, even weeks, while others settled as best they could into temporary relief camps.
Today, after nearly two years, the situation remains grim for many Christians in the area. Unable to return to their villages due to threats from militant Hindus, many remain in the relief camps. Others no longer have homes to return to. Churches that were destroyed in the violence remain in ruins. A visiting delegation from Germany that recently visited the area stated, "We were shocked about the level of violence including rape cases and killings. We found that victims of the attacks are still displaced." They went on to say, "We saw the miserable situation of people without proper homes and livelihood opportunities. Most of them are yet to be compensated adequately."
Justice and peace remain elusive for many Christians in Orissa. At last report, only a handful of people have been convicted for their involvement in the violence, while many others have been acquitted due to lack of evidence. Your letters of encouragement will strengthen believers as they struggle in their day-to-day lives. It will demonstrate to them the unity of the Body of Christ and remind them that they are being prayed for by Christians around the world.
Strengthen suffering Christians in Orissa
Take some time to write a letter to a suffering believer in India's Orissa state. Mail your letter to our office (click here for our mailing address) and our contacts working in the area will distribute the letters to those who have lost loved ones or property in the anti-Christian attacks.
North Korea: Believers risk all to share the gospel
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An Underground University student
with a woman from North Korea |
The Church in North Korea has faced many obstacles in its history. In recent years, the country has consistently topped the world's human rights watch lists as the most repressive and closed nation on earth. Reports of dreadful and inhumane actions, particularly towards Christians, make their way steadily to the West. The nation is governed under a state religion called "Juche," meaning "self-reliance." Citizens are required to worship the country's leaders, the "Eternal President" Kim Il Sung, and his son, the current dictator, the "Dear Leader" Kim Jong Il. Kim Jong Il's lifestyle and political decisions betray his cruelty and brutality towards his own people. During the 1990s, as an estimated two million North Koreans starved to death in a preventable famine, he continued to bolster his armed forces.
Speaking out against Kim Jong Il or showing signs of hostility towards his regime carries severe consequences, including detention in concentration and prison camps. While the current restrictions make it impossible to determine the total number of those imprisoned, current estimates suggest that some 200,000 North Koreans are languishing in detention--many of whom are believed to be Christians. Religious prisoners are often subjected to harsher treatment, and given the most dangerous tasks, all in an effort to force them to renounce their faith. When they refuse, they are often tortured to death. Those caught praying are beaten and tortured.
Many citizens attempt to escape North Korea's deplorable conditions by fleeing to another country. They are frequently sent back where they face interrogation, torture, detention and often death. Those who do succeed in escaping are called North Korean defectors.
In partnership with our mission in South Korea, VOM is working with North Korean defectors who desire a practical and understandable picture of the unique role of persecution in the Church and why persecution, not just defection, is a vital and valid calling for Christians. Offering one year of intensive training in South Korea, Underground University equips North Korean defectors to build and rebuild the Church in the restrictive nation. Students learn how to live out their Christian faith through curriculum that trains them to evangelize, disciple, launch, and operate house churches in each of the four zones the North Korean Church must operate: North Korea, China, South Korea, and among North Korean students and diplomats abroad.
Thank you for remembering our persecuted family through your letters and prayers!
Uplift our North Korean brothers and sisters
These dedicated brothers and sisters face many challenges as they serve their Lord at great costs. Take some time to write a letter of encouragement to students at Underground University. Letters from Christians worldwide are especially meaningful to North Koreans because they are typically taught by the regime that Christians, especially English-speaking ones, are their enemies. The students are deeply touched when they learn that Christians around the world are praying for them, supporting them, and working together with them to reach their country for Christ. Please send your letters to The Voice of the Martyrs, and we will deliver them to our partners in South Korea. Click here for our mailing address.