Eritrea is a small Communist-dominated country to the north of Ethiopia. Christians are severely persecuted there. Many, especially pastors, are imprisoned. Three pastors have been imprisoned for 20 years (since 2004) without trial. They were abducted from their homes, without charge or trial. They have not been told when or if they will be released. Pray for them and other Christians similarly held. Pray for the persecuted church in Eritrea!
Week of 9/8/24: Nepal
The church in Nepal is undergoing steady growth but is persecuted by the Hindu majority. They encounter restrictions on meeting as Christians and sometimes are brought before the authorities for their faith. They face many unfounded accusations. Four Christians in one province faced trial and were accused of forcing conversions to Christ. They were fined what to them was an exorbitant rate. Pray for them and for Miranda, an Anglican Frontier Missions missionary who serves in Nepal.
Week of 9/1/24: Nigeria
Sporadic killings, persecution, kidnapping and abductions are part of the reality of today's Nigeria. This week we will cover another of the numerous disturbing issues and current happenings, especially in Christian Communities across Nigeria.
This ugly situation and senseless killing began as a movement by Fulani Herdsmen parading their cattle across Southern Nigeria seeking vegetation for their cattle. Little did the Nigerian population know that a greater agenda was for Muslim groups from North Africa to overrun and destroy Christian communities with the pretense of breeding and grazing cattle in various parts of Nigeria, especially in the Northeast, Southeast, and Middle belt regions. Sadly the Fulani-led government under the Buhari administration intentionally empowered them by instituting and passing an “Open Grazing” law that gave these Fulani Herdsmen the impetus to graze at will wherever they found choice vegetation on private properties, farmlands, and family backyard gardens.
Facts established that the Fulani strategy has continued to reveal their intentions to aggressively graze their herds, burn and persecute Christians who get in their way while on this destructive mission with a large number of casualties year after year.
Pray for our Christian brothers and sisters who are simply trying to make a living or who are attempting to feed their families.
Week of 8/25/24: Myanmar (Burma)
Christians in Myanmar, especially in certain tribal areas, are under severe persecution by the Tatmadaw (Myanmar's military). They are regularly hunted down, bombed, and have their homes and churches destroyed. Frequently their pastors are killed. Groups of them flee deep into the jungle to escape torture. In the jungles they often survive by eating leaves, etc. The children suffer inordinately. This has been going on for decades. The Anglican Church has a strong presence there and welcomes short-term missions like SOMA (Sharing of Ministries Abroad). Please pray for our brothers and sisters in Myanmar.
Week of 8/18/24: North Korea
Christians in North Korea are considered to be the most persecuted in the world today.
No display of Christianity is tolerated; all North Koreans are to “worship” their leader, Kim Jong-Un. No gatherings of Christians are allowed under any circumstance and all Koreans are under strict surveillance. No Bibles or Christian books are allowed, although a few Bibles are sometimes smuggled in. If a Christian is caught praying, reading a Bible, or in any way proselytizing, they are either severely punished or imprisoned in harsh labor camps where they are usually worked to death. Please pray for our brothers and sisters in North Korea!
If you wish further information, Mother Valarie suggests In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom by Yeonmi Park.
Week of 8/11/24: Nigeria
Christians in Nigeria have been under extreme persecution for a decade now. Although Islamic insurgence and persecution began two decades ago, the North-East, North-West, South-East and the Middle-Belt have suffered unimaginable loss in the hands of these Islamic terrorists.
The peculiarity of these attacks occur in Christian communities where these terrorists intend to take over and expand their area of influence. These Muslim Jihadists, notably called “Boku Haram” (which means “Western education is forbidden”) were reported to have infiltrated into Northern Nigeria from The Niger Republic and the Chad region. They primarily abduct and kill Christian clergy, demand millions of Naira (tens of thousands of dollars) in ransom, kidnap children of Christian faith, burn churches and houses, and decimate villages and communities at will.
In 2014, they kidnapped about 276 teens from a Christian school in Chibok, Borno State in Northern Nigeria; forced them into marriages and also forced them to recant their Christian faith or be beheaded. Over the years, about 100 of these young women have escaped or been rescued from this terrorist group and returned with two or three children born in captivity.
Please cover our precious brothers and sisters with prayer.
Week of 8/4/24: Iran
Pray for Christians in Iran, especially for Christian converts from Islam who are in the notorious Evin Prison in Tehran. Christian converts are often convicted and imprisoned for multiple years for “acting against national security” when all they have done is attend a Christian house church.