Last Week to Raise Your Voice to
End Forced Church Closures
in Indonesia!
Since 2006, dozens of churches have been sealed shut by government
officials across Indonesia who fear pressure from radical Islamic
groups. As recently as March, hundreds of Indonesian Christians on the
outskirts Jakarta watched in utter dismay as authorities used heavy
machinery to tear down the church that they had been locked out after
more than 12 years of peaceful services.
Let those at the highest levels of Indonesia’s government know that
they cannot sit idly by while churches are shut down at the behest of
extremist groups. Sign our petition today!
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Jailed U.S. Pastor Remains Joyful in Iran's Deadly Prison
After more than 200 days in Iran’s Evin Prison, known for its
brutal treatment of prisoners, letters from American-Iranian Pastor
Saeed Abedini reveal that he is clinging to joy in the midst of intense
persecution. Since his imprisonment in Evin Prison, where he is serving
an eight-year sentence for being a “threat to national security,”
Pastor Abedini continues to be denied medical treatment for internal
bleeding due to injuries sustained through repeated beatings and
physical torture.
In a malicious act of psychological torture, prison officials
recently took him to hospital, only to bring him back without any
medical treatment. They taunted him by telling him it would be two
months before he saw a doctor. After returning from the hospital, prison
officials severely beat him on the same day, continuing their effort to
torture the faith out of him.
Praise for Pastor Saeed’s joy in the middle of intense persecution
Pray for the officials who are torturing him, and that they would stop
Pray for Pastor Saeed’s release from prison!
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Young Christian Girls Trafficked into Forced Labor and Sex Slavery
More than 140 children have been rescued from Islamic training
centers (madrassas) in the last nine months, with a majority of the
children targeted because of their Christian faith. The females,
accounting for nearly half of those rescued, report that they were used
for forced labor and sex slavery. “They were forcefully converted to Islam,” said Akash, a contact for International Christian Concern (ICC) whose name is changed for security reasons. “The
girls were made to wear veils at all times. Some girls were also forced
to work as slaves in the homes of Muslim families and were only fed one
time a day.”
The rescued girls were told they would study at a Christian school
and receive training to become beauticians. However, after completing
the grueling travel from their villages to the capitol city, Dhaka, they
discovered it was all a lie.“Instead of training in the Beautifying Parlor, we were forcefully sent to hotels for the sex trade,” explained one of the girls.
Praise for the children who have been rescued
Pray for the children who are still in Islamic training centers
Pray for the healing of the children who have been through this intense trauma
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Two Killed and Over 50 Wounded in Tanzanian Church Bombing
St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in Tanzania’s northern city of Arusha was bombed on Sunday, May 5th. At least two people are confirmed dead as a result of the blast. The BBC reported
that as many as 50 people were wounded, including 44 of whom received
serious injuries and have been rushed to nearby hospitals. The church
was bombed during its official opening, with the bomb thrown into the
building from a motorcycle.
“When it exploded there was a stampede, people running in all
directions, walking over each other, children were screaming and women
crying,” a witness told Al Jazeera. “I saw a dead woman trampled, I think even her two children were killed in the same way,” another witness added. Tanzania’s president, Jakaya Kikwete, has condemned the bombing as an “act of terrorism,” and has vowed to bring those responsible to justice.
Pray for the families of the people who died
Pray for proper medical care and healing of those who were injured
Pray for justice, and the complete rebuilding of the church
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The World Continues to Ignore the Thousands of Christians Murdered in Nigeria
 Since the beginning of 2012, over 1,000 Christians have been murdered in Nigeria.
The most recent eruption of violence took place over the weekend
when a Christian funeral service led to violent clashes between
Christians and Muslims in northern Nigeria. According to the most recent
reports, around 37 people were killed in that violence. Most Christians
murdered in 2012 were killed by the extremist group Boko Haram which
has targeted Christians for its acts of terror in order to carve out a
separate Islamic state in northern Nigeria.
Even though thousands of Christians have been murdered, the US and
the international community continue to ignore the issues of religious
violence in Nigeria and Boko Haram. How many more have to die before the
world to pays attention?
Pray for Boko Haram’s reign of terror to end
Pray for the families of everyone who has died
Pray for the world to intervene in the injustice and violence in Nigeria!
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Justice Continues to be Denied to Christians in India 5 Years Later
Justice continues to be denied for Christians affected by the 2008
anti-Christian riots in India's northeastern state of Orissa that left
over 100 dead and over 50,000 homeless. Using police intimidation,
witness tampering and judicial loopholes, Christians devastated by the
riots have seen their attackers go free. In particular, seven Christian
men remain imprisoned in Orissa, falsely accused of the murder of a
Hindu cleric that sparked off the violence. These Christian men have yet
to receive a trial of any sort five years after being arrested.
Pray for justice for the Christians of Orissa
Pray for the seven men who remain imprisoned for their faith
Pray for God to touch the hearts of the government leaders of India
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Spring Brings Torture and Death for Christians in Somalia
 With
the establishment of a new government in Somalia’s capital of
Mogadishu, many Somali refugees are risking returns to Somalia with the
belief that the failed state may now be safer. The country remains one
of the most dangerous places in the world to be called a Christian.
Somali Christians know that having their religious identities discovered
by al-Shabaab, an Islamic terrorist network in Somalia, is tantamount
to a death sentence, fact Somali Christians were reminded of this spring
when two Christians were captured, tortured and killed by al-Shabaab.
Pray for the suffering of persecuted Christians in Somalia to be relieved
Pray for the families of those who have been attacked
Pray for the gospel to spread across every inch of Somalia!
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Providing assistance, advocacy and awareness to persecuted Christians with integrity towards God and our donors.
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"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of the destitute."
Proverbs 31:8
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