The Suffering of the Brethren

Recently I was in a Muslim country. I was amazed at the freedom the people had. we had public meetings on the streets. What a freedom. They told me that they had recording all my messages. I asked what they would do with them and they told me that they would be broadcast on public radio....

I didn't expect that.

But there is another story. In one place the police searched everyone going to church. Evenso half the men were armed! The police had been looking for bombs! Heavily armed they escourted us out of the town when the meeting was finished.

The pastor told me that 75% of the town belong to a radical islamic group and actually is was fearing for his life. It could no longer sleep in the town and comutes day by day to be with his people.

Last week a friend called me from Andhra Pradesh in India and informed me that five of his tribal pastors had been kidnapped by the Naxlites (Maoists). In the end they managed to be freed, but they had guns pushed into their bellies and put against their heads. Miraculously they were spared. The senior tribal pastor is the son of a martyr.

Friends is Sri Lanka started to extend their church building. People in the village protested first of all saying they were building a shelter for the Tamil Tigers. That brushed aside the local government said that to get building permission, you must obtain the signatures of 66% of the people living within 500 metres of the church. This is impossible as there is much intimidation going on. A deputy mayor, himself a Buddhist, was appauled at the injustice of this situation and he began a campaign to help the Christians. He gave the Christians to personally present their case before the appropriate government minister. They had four interviews with him. In the end the minister has declared the rule to be unlawful and the Christians are allowed to continue building.

Fanatical Buddhists are so enraged by this decision that they are going to hold a demonstation in front of the church this coming Sunday (21st December). The demonstration get out of hand because of agitation and they quite often turn out to be violent.

I wonder if you could prayer for this situation.


I am very moved by our brethren who are prepared to suffer for their faith.