NIGERIA: Christians Killed in Two More Attacks

Date of Bulletin: 11 June 2014

Photo: Gabriel Stephen survived a gunshot wound to his hip when
his village in Nigeria was attacked by Boko Haram militants in
February 2014.

#PrayForNigeria

Dozens of Christians were killed and many others injured in two attacks by Boko Haram in Borno state on  June 1 and June 3. On June 1, at least 27 believers were killed and another 50 severely injured when hundreds of militants invaded the Christian community of Attagara during church services. Two days later, Boko Haram militants disguised as army officials entered the same village and lured Christians to a supposed meeting about security problems. All 45 Christians that came to the meeting were shot to death. Militants also attacked the north of the village and some surrounding Christian communities, killing dozens of women  and children who tried to flee into the hills.

Voice Of the Martyrs Sources

Pray for Christians in Nigeria

Violence in Nigeria has sharply increased this year. In the first half of the year, 3,000 Christians have already been killed. A VOM volunteer worker was killed, and several field staff members lost family members in the violence. Thus far, it seems that there will be no slowing to the violence.

• Please continue to lift up Nigerian Christians daily.

• Pray for grace and encouragement for those living in refugee camps who have fled the violence in the northeast.

• Pray that God will supply their needs.

• Pray for healing and restoration for those who have been injured.

• Pray for comfort for kidnap victims and those who have lost family members.

VOM is assisting believers in Nigeria with medical help, relief goods, encouragement, literature and other aid. This year the number of patients being assisted by VOM has doubled.

#ChristianPersecution #JesusChrist #Pray #Nigeria #BokoHaram #Pebbles4Christ

SUDAN: Christian Woman Sentenced to Death for Apostasy

Date of Bulletin: 4 June 2014

 

 

Meriam Ibrahim and Daniel Wani on their Wedding Day.

A 27-year-old Sudanese woman, Meriam Yahia Ibrahim, was sentenced to death in early May for apostasy.  Eight months pregnant at the time of her sentencing, she gave birth to a baby girl on 26 May 2014. Ibrahim explained to the court that she had grown up as a Christian under her Christian mother's care, but the court  convicted her of apostasy because her father is Muslim. In addition, she is to receive 100 lashes for a charge  of adultery, relating to her 2011 marriage to a South Sudanese Christian man. Since Ibrahim's father is  Muslim, the marriage is not recognized under Sharia law. Her own family filed the complaint about her marriage, resulting in the charges. The court gave her three days to recant her Christian faith, but she refused.

Voice Of the Martyrs Sources
Photo: Meriam Ibrahim and Daniel Wani on their wedding day.

Pray for Meriam Ibrahim

During her trial, the judge gave Meriam multiple opportunities to recant her faith. Even now, if she became a Muslim, her death sentence would be commuted. Instead, she told her husband, "If they want to execute me  then they should go ahead and do it because I'm not going to change my faith." Praise God for her firm commitment!

• Please pray for Meriam and her family.

• Pray for comfort for her in prison.

• Pray that her example will have an impact on the whole nation of Sudan.

• Pray for her husband Daniel and the lawyers who are helping her.

• Pray Meriam and her children will be freed.

And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.

- Matthew  10:22 -

VOM is assisting believers in Sudan with encouragement, literature and evangelism tools. We are also working with the thousands of refugees who have fled from the Muslim government attacks into South Sudan.

#ChristianPersecution #SaveMeriam #Sudan

TANZANIA: Pastor and Church under Threat

Date of Bulletin: 28 May 2014

TANZANIA

A church in the predominantly Muslim area of Mafia, Tanzania, was burned down on Friday, 9 May 2014, just  hours before a scheduled prayer meeting. Radicals had threatened the pastor, Ombeni Omari, and the church  for the past two years. Pastor Omari, a Christian convert from Islam, escaped to Dar es Salaam with his wife and three children after learning of the attack. He had founded the almost 60-member church, the only Christian church in the area, and nearly all of its members were converts from Islam. Although the church building was destroyed, Pastor Omari said he will return to the area because the work he was called to is not yet finished.

VOM Sources
Photo: The EAGT church in Mafia, burned by radicals.

Please Pray!

• Please pray for Pastor Omari, his wife and children, as they seek to continue in ministry.

• Pray for the believers in Mafia, that they would be able to remain strong in their faith and continue to gather for worship and church services.

• Pray that more people would come to know Jesus.

"And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, 'We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.'"

- Acts 14:21-22 -

Voice Of the Martyrs works in Tanzania, providing vocational training for Muslim background believers, helping with evangelism, and giving legal assistance to persecuted Christians.

 

#JesusChrist #Tanzania #ChristianPersecution  #VoiceoftheMartyrs #VOM #Pebbles4Christ

SERBIA: Church Members Threatened by Attacks

Date of Bulletin: 21 May 2014

SERBIA

Attackers threw Molotov cocktails at a church in Serbia on April 21, causing minor damage and frightening local believers. One of the Molotov cocktails landed inside the church, partially burning the carpet.

Church members are thankful that the damage wasn't more severe, but several are still fearful. The attackers were arrested and sentenced to 30 days in jail, but the church continues to receive threats.

Voice Of the Martyrs Sources

 

Pray for Serbian Christians

• One of the church members wrote, "Please pray in the name of Christ for our church members and support them in prayer because they really need strength… the people who help in the work of God need strength."
• Pray also that the Holy Spirit will speak to these believers and release them from fear.

Hear my voice, O God, in my meditation; Preserve my life from fear of the enemy.

- Psalm 64:1 -

VOM is assisting believers in Serbia with encouragement and literature.

#Serbia #ChristianPersecution #Pray

SYRIA: Danger Increases for Aleppo Christians

Date of Bulletin: 14 May 2014

SYRIA

Believers in Aleppo have asked for continued prayer, as tensions between army officials and rebel forces  have increased since April 12. The city has been without electricity and water for days, and shortages of  gasoline and food have caused prices to skyrocket to as much as five times the normal rate.

A VOM contact said that while traveling to Aleppo, the bus he was in was stopped for five hours because of  the danger of sniper attacks. "I know that we are living under a daily danger of mortars, but waiting for a bullet to go through the bus window to kill you is something different!" he said.

Communion services leading to Easter were canceled as a result of the increased danger, but Good Friday and Easter services were held as planned.

Voice Of the Martyrs Sources
Photo: Syrian refugees

Please Pray!

• Pray for Believers in Aleppo.
• Pray for VOM contacts in Syria who continue to serve Christ faithfully there.
• Pray for their protection and for their families.
• Pray that the light of Christ will shine brightly in the darkness of war.

For You have been a shelter for me, A strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever;  I will trust in the shelter of Your wings.

- Psalm 61:3-4 -

Voice Of the Martyrs is assisting believers in Syria with encouragement and literature, and is also providing aid to Syrian Christian refugees.

#Syria #Aleppo #Pray #Christian #VOM #Pebbles4Christ

SOMALIA: Christian Woman Killed

Date of Bulletin: 7 May 2014

Somalia

In April, a young Christian woman, "Sufia," was killed in Mogadishu by a group of armed men. The attackers burst into her home and dragged her outside, shooting at neighbors who tried to rescue her. The men killed  Sufia and then fled the area. Her parents were unharmed in the attack but are devastated by the loss of their  daughter. Police are still searching for the suspects.

VOM Sources

Photo: A Somali refugee woman in Kenya. Many have fled Somalia's violence.

Please Pray!

• Please pray for the safety of those who know Sufia, for other Christians living in a very dangerous situation, and that the love of Jesus would reach those who do not know Him. 

That at the name of Jesus

every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those  under the earth.

- Philippians 2:10 -

Voice Of the Martyrs is assisting believers in Somalia by supporting multiple evangelists, who are all Christian converts from Islam.

LAOS: Teen Barred from Church

Date of Bulletin: 30 April 2014

A 16-year-old Christian girl is being prevented from attending church by her Buddhist family members. "Tien" loves God and loves attending church, but her family has prohibited her from attending church because she refused to go to temple with them. Tien continued to attend church despite her family's demands, until her grandmother began coming to the church every week to yell at church leaders.

Tien has stopped attending church because she does not want to cause the church trouble. "I really love God and I want to go to church," Tien said. "Please pray for me, that one day my grandmother or my family will understand me."

VOM Sources

Please Pray!

• Pray that Tien will be allowed to go to church.

• Pray that her family will see the change in her life and be attracted to Jesus.

• Pray that the other church members will find ways to encourage her.

Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Galatians 6:2

Voice Of the Martyrs is assisting believers in Laos by supporting itinerant pastors and evangelists, providing training Bible to new believers and vocational training to girls like Tien whose families reject them.

 

EGYPT: Christian Woman Killed in Mob Attack

Date of Bulletin: 16 April 2014

EGYPT

Every Friday, 25-year-old Mary Sameh George drove from Cairo to the nearby Ezbet El Nakhl area to visit a poor family and assist them with basic needs. While driving to visit this family on March 28, she was stopped in the Cairo suburb of Ain Shams by a mob protesting in favor of the Muslim Brotherhood.

"Once they saw that she was a Christian [because of the cross hanging on her rear-view mirror], they jumped on top of the car, to the point that the vehicle was no longer visible," an eyewitness said. "The roof of  the car collapsed. When they realized that she was starting to die, they pulled her out of the car and started pounding on her and pulling her hair, to the point that portions of her hair and scalp came off. They kept beating her, kicking her, stabbing her with any object or weapon they could find."

Voice Of the Martyrs (VOM) sources say the mob also shot her and burned her vehicle.

Christian Post, VOM Sources

Please Pray!

• Please pray that God will comfort and console Mary's family in their time of grief.

• Pray for the safety of all Christians in Egypt and that peace will soon be restored.

• Pray that the perpetrators will be caught and brought to justice.

"These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil."

- Proverbs 6:16-17 -

Voice Of the Martyrs assists Christians in Egypt through VOMedical, the Families of Prisoners fund, Christian radio  broadcasts and discipleship training for former Muslims.