Too Good to Deny…

Dear Friend,

Manosh lives in a garden under the peering eyes of hostile neighbors who are trying to force him to fall away from Christ.

His neighbors stole his livelihood. They threaten anyone who visits him. They want him to leave Jesus and return to Buddhism.

I met Manosh and other Christians in Sri Lanka. You, along with Christian Freedom International, are helping them in practical ways. They described how they are pelted with rocks, falsely accused of crimes, harassed by government officials, and their livelihoods destroyed, simply because they are Christians.

This is part of a larger problem.

An investigation by the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka found the country “witnessed a rise in Buddhist militant groups, who acted with visible impunity.”

Christian proselytism [sharing Jesus] is viewed as posing a threat to the numerical and cultural dominance of Sinhala- Buddhists. Police are less likely to help when the perpetrator is a member of the Buddhist clergy. Buddhist monks would explicitly threaten pastors in the presence of the police.

There were about seven acts of violence a month leading up to the horrific Easter Day bombings of churches in 2019. Over 60 percent of reported threats or intimidation were locals – neighbors – surrounding churches and demanding the worship services end.

All of this creates a culture of hostility against Christians.

Many acts against Christians – like the kind that Manosh endures – will not get reported. But he knows the goal is ultimately the same: to get him to deny Christ.

Yet God is too good for Manosh to turn away from Him.

He knows God’s goodness, in part, because of the love you and others have shown him by restoring his livelihood.

One sinister yet powerful tactic of persecution is denying Christians a way to make a living. The pressure comes with this temptation: just deny Christ and you can work and provide for your family. But if you remain loyal to Jesus, you and your family will certainly suffer.

This is why Christian Freedom International is helping persecuted Christians with practical ways to make a living. Providing a livelihood to Christians is critical for their survival. But it’s more than that.

It is proof of God’s goodness. It strengthens their faith in our loving, living God.

I hope you enjoy these stories of Manosh and Desiray, faithful Christians who you have helped through your prayers and support.

There is one thing that left me in awe with each of the Christians I met. I saw it in their faces. You’ll see it in their photos (see our newsletter below).

It is joy.

They are brimming with joy. Joy in God. Joy in what He is doing… even through the persecution.

Will you pray for their continued steadfastness despite the persecution yet to come?

Will you pray for all Christians to experience this joy?

In Christ,

Wendy Wright

President

P.S. Your prayers and support for persecuted Christians do more than give practical aid. It is proof of God’s love.

Thank you for giving them evidence to testify of the goodness of God.

 

---

 

“I Have Never Felt Fear”

Here are two—of many—stories of how your support for persecuted Christians helps them to endure and be a blessing to even their persecutors.

Manosh’s Cows

Manosh became a Christian when God healed him.

“Buddhists put charms” or curses on his family, he said. His sister was sick, he also was sick. “We tried everything that Buddhism said to do. But it didn’t work.”

Someone told them, “Try Christ.” They went to a house church and prayed. “God healed me,” he said. “I accepted the Lord with all my heart.”

Soon people noticed a change in him “I used to be stubborn. Now I am mellow.”

That is when their neighbors turned against them.

At the time, he had 18 cows but not enough land to graze. To get the cows to a field, he needed to walk on neighbors’ paths. Suddenly, they refused to allow him to pass.

There was nowhere else for the cows to graze.

Within one week, he was forced to sell all his cows at a huge loss. A few people wanted to buy them at a higher price, but the villagers harassed them.

Since then, his neighbors will not allow Manosh to freely go to certain places.

They watch who comes to visit him and threaten them.

The persecution has taken toll—on others. “When people who I brought to church saw how my family was treated, they went back to Buddhism.”

How has he stayed faithful?

“I have never felt fear,” he said. Even when half of the village led by Buddhist monks stormed their house.

“If I have to sacrifice my life, I will not give up the Lord. Pastor Daniel strengthens us by standing by us.”

Pastor Daniel serves the poorest of poor. He told our partners about Manosh, and we bought a cow for him. The cow came with a bonus—she was pregnant.

When the calf was born, Manosh tithed it. “The Bible says to give your ‘first fruits’ to the Lord,” he said. Since then, she’s birthed two more calves.

What can we pray for him? “My desire is to know the Lord more,” he said.

What about the people who harass him? It turns out they have had a lot of accidents. One ringleader broke his spine, another his leg.

“God is causing confusion for them,” Manosh said. “My prayer is they will turn to God and God will forgive them.”

Thank you for jumping into Manosh’s life with your prayers and support. Jesus replaced his community—who tried to starve him into compliance—with us, the family of God who gave him the means to survive and thrive.

Desiray’s Chickens and Water

Desiray was a Buddhist, until God healed him of asthma. He became a pastor, then knew God called him to the “dry zone,” a rural area with a lot of sicknesses.

This area is a Buddhist stronghold. Several churches had been burned down and a guard was knifed. Buddhist monks beat Desiray and threatened to kill him.

Over the years he has been falsely accused of crimes 14 times. One case has dragged on for 16 years. Christians and church leaders stand by him each time.

And villagers keep coming to church— despite violent attacks. They see God’s love, forgiveness, and healing lived out through the church.

Desiray raises chickens to provide for his family and church. But he had to stop because a neighbor kept harassing and encroaching on his land. Desiray would not complain or fight. Instead, with your support, Christian Freedom International built a boundary wall.

“The wall was essential,” he said. “I can raise chickens again and sell the eggs.”

The next project is building a water purifying system in front of the church and making it available for the community.

The water in the dry zone is believed to be toxic and a source of widespread illness. A system that turns bitter water into clean would be like turning a curse into a blessing.

“If we can provide fresh drinking water to villagers, people will feel free to come to church and know the Lord, and not thirst anymore,” Desiray said.

God answers prayers. Sometimes His answers come through us.

 

“But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed.” — 1 Peter 3:14