Restored Through a Safe House

Restored Through a Safe House "I read the Bible for my mother, because she is illiterate. I like doing that, because I dream of becoming a Sunday School teacher someday. I want to teach children about the love of Jesus, because I have experienced it myself.” (Yati) Yati, (alias) and her family, experienced the love of Jesus first-hand while in the midst of an intense struggle for survival. With the tragic death of her father, Yati, along with her mother and siblings, were thrust instantly into a world of poverty and despair. Stripped of their home and source of income, they faced a seemingly hopeless situation…but instead they chose to trust in Jesus. Only 25,000 Christians live in the densely populated province in Indonesia that Yati’s family calls home. Yet, somehow, God placed the right believer in their path to put them in contact with an Open Doors ministry safe house. Surrounded by the support they so desperately needed, Yati felt hope for the first time since her father’s untimely death. She says that it was through the daily Bible lessons and livelihood training that her faith grew deeper. Then, when the family was given financial assistance to start a small business, she knew undeniably that God had been watching over them, even in their darkest hours. Though no longer destitute, Yati wanted to help her family more. At a three-day gathering that Open Doors organized, she met a Christian family that hired her as a house-helper. Her new employer added to the blessing by sponsoring her to attend a sewing school. “There were days when we had nothing to eat, but Jesus never left us. He always sent His miracles. In everything, my mother and I are on our knees in prayer, and God has never failed to help us,” Yati shared with a joyful smile. One With Them Is there something in your life that you are trying to do on your own? Be One With Yati as you turn that decision over to Jesus and trust in God’s provision. Please join in prayer today for those suffering for Christ and who are living in safe houses… and pray for the faithful saints who compassionately nurture them to a place of hope. One With Them CHALLENGE Consider helping a persecuted family by supporting an Open Doors safe house.   4/10/2013

As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God! (Psalm 40:17)

One Woman With Heart

One Woman With Heart Myat (alias), a 40-year-old Christian woman, lives in Myanmar, a socialistic society crippled by poverty, discrimination, and oppression. As a believer, she was restricted to the confines of her village and was not allowed to stray beyond its boundaries.  And, because of her faith in Christ, she was also denied basic education and employment opportunities. In spite of her circumstances, God always faithfully provided for her needs. Eventually she was employed as a housekeeper for a missionary couple. Though thankful for this provision, Myat still felt ashamed that her Christian faith made it impossible for her to be gainfully employed in Burmese society. She begged God to provide work or tools to enable her to earn her own provision. Over the next seven years she continued to pray for this as God blessed her with a husband, and then a son. On a tragic day in 2008, Cyclone Nargis devastated her village and changed her life forever. Heart-broken over the plight of the many children orphaned by the storm, Myat adopted nine boys and girls. “My salary was no longer enough,” she said. “I wanted to bless others, but how could we? We were starving ourselves. My pastor encouraged us to share the gospel, saying God would feed us. But others said we should feed our stomachs first, before serving others.” Myat struggled against confusion and despair as she struggled to provide for her large new family. That's when God intervened, He chose that moment to bring the answer to her seven-years of praying. Open Doors learned of her needs and provided her with a brand new sewing machine, through a Livelihood Grant. With this new equipment, Myat has gone from barely surviving to earning more than enough for her family, and being able to bless others as well. “Because of your help, we are strengthened spiritually and physically. With this machine, I can make clothes for my own children and produce more for selling.”  One With Them Be One With Them as you praise God for women like Myat who strive to be faithful in the midst of oppression. Today, regardless of your circumstances, embody the “fruit of the Spirit” as you reach out and help someone in need. One With Them CHALLENGE Consider helping a persecuted woman provide for her family by providing vocational training. 4/8/2013

Set Free!

Set Free! Three believers, Peter, Paul and John, were finally reunited in prison after being arrested for their Christian activity. They endured backbreaking work in prison – farming, mining, and working on government building projects – in blistering temperatures, with no shade or rest from the intense sun. “The prisons are very dirty,” reported the men. “There is no washing, no cleaning. And the food is very little—just bread many times, sometimes even no food. This makes many prisoners sick. They did not allow us to see a doctor. Many people died. It is very sad. Also, they beat us very much, for no reason. Some had broken hands, legs, even chest bones and most of the time no doctor to attend to our injuries. Some died from their injuries. We think some also died because they lost hope. Their hearts just gave up! We saw some die like this.” While in prison the three men faced repeated demands to sign an official document recanting their faith. “The police threatened to arrest our family members if we refused to recant and sign the document. But we refused because we do not want to leave Jesus.” Finally, one evening they hatched a daring plan. The men broke out of the line and jumped over the fence surrounding the prison. One said, “The fence was made up of plants with big thorns. We jumped over them and ran. When the prison guards started shooting, we went in different directions. We heard bullets flying over our heads, but none hit us.” The Lord protected each of them that day. Not knowing the fate of one another, their joy overflowed when they were miraculously reunited at a refugee camp in a bordering country. Informed that they could still be arrested and repatriated, they moved on to a safer place through the help of Christian brothers, whom God provided at just the right time. There they are waiting on God to open doors, in order to be resettled in a more secure place. One With Them Even in prison, Peter, Paul and John lived in the freedom of Christ. Join us in standing One With Them, in freedom and in prayer, as they find ways to build new lives in another country. One With Them CHALLENGE Over 125 Christians have been arrested in Eritrea just this year. Click here to receive weekly prayer updates on current news reports.   4/7/2013

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1)

Modern Day Saul – Part 1

Modern Day Saul – Part 1

Mualana was born into a Muslim family in the small town of Demak, in central Java. He was raised to love Islam and follow Islamic Sharia laws. He welcomed the ideas of Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini, and his call to revolution. He hated Western tourists who brought the Western lifestyles into his country. “I see Christians as hindering Sharia teaching in Indonesia,” he proclaimed. “Indonesia must be cleansed from the cross. The Christians worship Jesus, who is merely a man. For us this is sin, and we must stop this movement.”

While the Indonesian government is committed to freedom of religion, many like Mualana consider this wrong and take matters into their own hands. To instill fear in Christians, they attack churches and shoot pastors while they are preaching. “We do not fear death,” Mualana says, “because we were encouraged, by Ayatollah Khomeini, to spill our blood to the last drop to make this happen.

Proudly, Mualana adds, “We devised secret plans to bring about Sharia law in Eastern Indonesia. I was one of the first 5,000 soldiers sent from east Java on a ship to the island of Ambon. En route from Surabaya to Ambon, we hijacked a ship and checked each passenger’s identity. Anyone with a Christian ID was either killed or thrown into the ocean. Together, our group took over the ship and headed for Ambon Island, to eliminate the church of Jesus Christ. Calling us terrorists is a big mistake, because we’re just Muslim God lovers.”

Tomorrow we continue with Mualana’s testimony.

One With Them
Christians have good reason to fear men like Mualana. Please stand One With Them in praying for these enemies of the church; that they will see Jesus in the lives of believers in Indonesia. 

 

 4/5/2013

Modern Day Saul – Part 2

Modern Day Saul – Part 2 Yesterday we met Mualana, a modern day Saul who was persecuting Christ’s church in Indonesia. Today we continue his story. As Mualana and the mob headed to the island of Ambon to destroy the church and its members, his heart began to soften. Noticing that Christians did not fight back when attacked he shares, “There was a change in my heart; slowly I began to love them.” “One night,” he continues, “I was fasting and praying. I said, ‘God, you’re the one who created my heart; show me your righteousness.’ In the middle of my heart-crying, I saw a man appear to me. There was fresh blood spattered on the bottom of his white robe. He greeted me with ‘Salaam Al I Kum,’ (Peace be with you!). I tried to figure out who I had seen in my vision. It could be the angel of Gabriel, or Mohammed, or could be Nabi Isa, maybe He is Jesus.” As time went on, Mualana became an Islamic magazine distributor. One day, while he was about his work, an old man saw him. “Mualana, come here,” the man called out. “I was waiting for you.” They sat down to a lunch of rice and noodle sarimi, and he prayed in the name of Jesus before the meal.      “After lunch, he brought me to a room,” continued Mualana. “He picked up a large Bible and opened it to John 14:27. It said, ‘I am leaving you with a gift, peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.’ At that moment, I confessed that Jesus is God! Jesus is great! I cried out and received Him, Isa, as the people of Ambon whom I’ve persecuted.” One With Them Like Paul, Mualana now serves Christ’s church. Be One With Them, with believers in Indonesia who once lived in darkness, persecuting the church, but now have seen the light of Christ. Praise God for these unlikely conversions. One With Them CHALLENGE Consider writing a letter of encouragement for Christians in Indonesia. Send a message today at prayer@odusa.org.  4/6/2013

Meet Pema from Bhutan

“A Bible that’s falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t.”― Charles H. Spurgeon
Pema* lives in Bhutan, where Christians make up 2.8 percent of the population. The population of believers can pray, worship, and meet together for fellowship, but they must do so in secret.
Bhutanese who leave Buddhism for Christ can expect pressure from all fronts, which usually begins with the family. This is true for Pema, who is the only Christian in her home. “I often feel depressed,” said Pema. “My relatives and in-laws are all Buddhists. They blamed me and my faith for every bad thing that happened in our family.”
Soon after Pema was baptized, she suffered severe pain in her abdomen. She tried to sleep it off for a couple of weeks until the pain became unbearable. Pema was later diagnosed with appendicitis, and at the hospital, she waited for her family to come and see her, but no one showed up.
“Since becoming a Christian my family (parents and relatives) stayed away from me,” she shared. “My uncle scolded me for leaving Buddhism. My in-laws did not talk to me. My Buddhist husband, who worked in another country, said I deserved to be sick.”
But Pema was not alone. The comfort she did not receive from her family during her physical suffering, she received from fellow Christians who visited her to pray with her and helped pay the hospital bills. Pema was both surprised and thankful.
“I started to memorize and write Bible verses while at the hospital,” said Pema.  “Before my operation, I was reciting Bible passages and that gave me peace. The other patients were fearful and in panic, but I was at ease.”
But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4
Believers like Pema face persecution on a daily basis from those closest to them. Often times, the only comfort they find is in God’s word.
This is why we do what we do.
It is vital to provide our suffering brothers and sisters with God’s word because God’s word brings peace in the midst of suffering. God’s word brings comfort when nothing else does. God’s word can change the life of a persecuted believer.
Join us in setting aside a few minutes to pray for believers like Pema who cling to the word of God in the midst of suffering. Pray that God’s word would bring a peace that passes all understanding.
*Name changed for security purposes

The Ultomatum

The Ultimatum A Tajik woman, we will call Suraz, was teaching children at the local school when two police officers showed up in her classroom to escort her to the principal’s office. Trembling, she stood before the men as they accused her of trying to convert the children to Christianity. “You have committed a crime,” they said, “and can be sentenced to five years imprisonment.” The school principal gave Suraz an ultimatum—either resign from her job, with no court case to be initiated, or remain on the job and a criminal case against her would be filed. Suraz resigned. Two days later, she was ordered to appear before the prosecutor. “If you continue to spread the gospel,” he informed her politely, “I will do my best to have you expelled from the country.” One With Them Stand One With Them as people like Suraz face such ultimatums. Pray that God will strengthen them, dispel their fears, and grant them opportunities to share the gospel. And stand One With Them as you faithfully share the gospel as well. One With Them CHALLENGE Tajikistan is ranked #44 on Open Doors 2013 World Watch List of countries where persecution of Christians is most severe. Click here to learn more about Tajikistan. 4/4/2013

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:15-16)