We Cannot Say Where…
February 2021
Dear Friend of the Persecuted Church,
You will understand this because you care about persecuted Christians:
At times, we cannot publicly disclose the locations where Christian Freedom International is involved.
In these cases, our partners caution, “For security purposes, please do not share the specific details.”
While we cannot say where, we can generally share what Christians are enduring – and how together, with your support, we are helping.
Here are three examples:
A Restricted Country
In this nation, Christians call themselves “the persecuted church.” You’ll see why.
Believers who wish to worship freely, outside of government-controlled institutions, have been arrested, tortured, killed, or disappeared.
A person can be fined for choosing to become a Christian.
Pastors must get government permission to travel outside their hometown for religious purposes.
Christians have been arrested for trying to hold sacred events, like funerals, according to Christian beliefs. Their crime is creating “disharmony”. At any time, authorities can order religious activities – or even religious expressions – to cease if they say it offends traditional customs or national unity.
Local authorities and villagers punish Christians – even exiling them from their homes and villages — to pressure them to convert.
“Persecution is a way of life,” one Christian leader told me.
How do believers persevere under this pressure?
It takes a strong faith in the Truth. Discipleship is an important part of that. Will you pray for them?
Christian Freedom International partners with local leaders. They bring hope, support, encouragement – and strengthen the faith of these persecuted churches.
Does it work? Well, one problem for the authorities is that the church is growing.
One believer told leaders after a training, “I am excited to share the gift of God, Jesus, with my family and friends. Please pray that God will use me to be His voice to spread the Gospel. May God bless you!”
Refugee Camp
Inside the filthy, overcrowded camps, a small group of Christians are mercilessly attacked by other refugees. They are the same ethnicity and fled the same persecutors. In spite of worldwide attention, very few know about the Christians. Extremists believe no one in their ethnic group can be Christian.
At times, extremists fired shots at the Christians’ tents and church. Those without guns used rocks and Molotov cocktails, then machetes to demolish the homes. On Christmas day, three homes were destroyed and looted.
Several Christians were kidnapped, taken to a mosque and beaten to forcibly convert them to Islam. Two escaped and another was released, too weak to walk or speak. One kidnapped family was killed.
When the Christians lodged complaints with the authorities, their ration cards were withheld for weeks. When they tried to show videos of the crimes, the authorities confiscated the cell phone and arrested and tortured the Christian who recorded the videos.
The extremists still threaten to kill the Christians unless they leave the camp, accusing them of instigating the violence.
“We number so few, why would we ever instigate anything,” one said.
“When our church was demolished, many Christians sold their food to repair and rebuild it. That church has been completely demolished again.”
“We don’t know what [the UN] will do but we believe that God has good plans for our Christian community, for God said in Hebrews 13:6, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ He is our Good Shepherd, the best feeder.”
“We need your prayers and encouragement,” they said when we first met, “because we are not getting real protection, foods or medical care neither are we allowed to go outside [the camp] because of the current situation happening towards us.”
Christian Freedom International is helping dozens of Christian families inside the camp with food and clothes.
Their last request was, “Pray that we can continue our religious activities freely, without any fanatics’ attacks.” Will you pray for them?
Terrorist-Overrun Region
It is described as “one huge treacherous minefield.” Multiple terrorist groups operate in this region, all targeting Christians.
Villages are burnt to the ground and people massacred. Children are left homeless and roaming.
How are the survivors helped?
“A lot of what we do cannot be made public or else we are requesting a visit from the destroyers,” our partner said. “Our contacts and God’s agents are embedded deep behind the ‘enemy line’” to reach the survivors.
Along with emergency food aid for children and support for women in camps, your support to Christian Freedom International is helping to relocate a former slave girl of the terrorists, abducted after her pastor father was murdered. She escaped her captors who are still looking for her.
“I am scared often for my precious ones,” our partner said. “I have begged many to move away. [One leader] has the resources to avoid this madness, but you cannot convince him to abandon his people. Please pray for them.”
The places where Christians suffer the most are also the hardest to reach. These courageous Christians pay a high price to follow Jesus.
And those who serve them can do more when we partner together as one body in Christ.
One pastor is inundated with news of tragedies. How does he handle it?
“My Response is I cannot save all. I know. But can I save a few? Yes! Can I find friends and partners to help me? Yes! May I ask you to help me?”
Thank you for responding to their cry.
For His kingdom,
Wendy Wright
President
P.S. Would you pray for persecuted Christians in places that cannot be named to:
“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
Deuteronomy 31:6