Endangered Christians

Afraid to Bury His Body

Here are excerpts from the story, as reported by Mission Network News:

Juma Nuradin Kamil, a Christian convert from Islam, was kidnapped and found in early September decapitated on the outskirts of Hudur City in southwestern Somalia.

The kidnapping and subsequent murder appear to be the work of al Shabaab militants, based on how it was carried out.

Church leaders confirm that al Shabaab often decapitates Muslims they suspect to have embraced the Christian faith, or those who appear to sympathize with Western ideals.

Based on the terror-linked nature of the attack, area Christians were initially afraid to bury Kamil’s body. They did not want al Shabaab extremists seeing them associated with a newly-discovered convert to Christianity. The body thus lay in the open for two days, until an unknown group reportedly buried him in secret.

It’s a dangerous time for Christians in Somalia who not only face ongoing threats from al Shabaab, but whose own government is against them.

Pray for believers on the underground to continue to stand up boldly for their faith and to continue to proclaim the Truth of Christ, whatever the consequences. Pray for those who mourn the loss of Kamil, that his family and fellow believers might have peace and remain safe.

Missionary Plane Down

This happened on September 22:

YAJASI Plane Crashes; Three Killed | JAARS

A Pilatus PC-6 crashed today in Indonesia; pilot Paul Westlund and the two Indonesian passengers died in the accident. The plane—flown by our partner YAJASI—was traveling in a remote, mountainous area. The cause is still unknown, and an investigation is pending.

Paul had flown in Indonesia for nearly 25 years; he’s survived by his wife and two children. Please pray along with us for the families, YAJASI, and everyone else involved.

May God bless and comfort the families and colleagues of these three. (My Web searching so far has failed to yield the names of the two Indonesians.)

Here are three other posts I came across:

Bibles to Iran

With links added by me, here’s a current story over at Mission Network News:

Dangerous Bible distribution to get Truth to Iranian youth

Despite the persecution and risk associated with assisting believers there, Bibles are being sent to Iran.

Iran ranks second only to North Korea for its poor treatment of Christians, according to Open Doors’ World Watch List. Believers make up a tiny minority of the nation and pay dearly for their faith.

And yet amid this severe atmosphere, Christ followers are determined to remain in their country and spread the Word. Their persistence is working, and the home church movement is booming–especially among Iranian youth.”

We just believe this is a tremendous opportunity to put Scriptures into the hands of young believers; the youth in that country are incredibly open to the Gospel,” says Ken Leggatt with WorldServe Ministries in Canada. “It’s an incredibly youthful nation as well,” Leggatt adds.

The total median age of an Iranian is about 26-years-old as opposed to the U.S. median of 36-years-old, and the number of these young people in the nation looking for change is high. Many are welcoming digression from the old oppressive regime of Iran and extremism. Getting Bibles into the country so they can read and learn more for themselves is crucial.

With all this in mind, WorldServe has chosen Iran to be the first recipient of their Million Bible Challenge.

We might fault the US Government for failing to support the recent revolution efforts by the youth (and who knows who else) of Iran.

But what kind of spiritual and moral support is Christ’s Church providing to fellow believers and potential believers in the Islamic Republic of Iran?

Muslim Democracy and Christianity?

More Christians have been fleeing Iraq in recent months than ever before.

Carl Moeller with Open Doors USA says extremists are calling for the complete extermination of believers in the country.

“We’ve been calling this a ‘religicide’–which is the systematic destruction and elimination of a religious group simply for being that religious group. And we see this now unfolding in a very shocking way,” says Moeller.

The number of Christians in Iraq has dropped dramatically in the last few decades, dropping from 850,000 believers in 1991, to 550,000 believers in 2003, to 345,000 believers in early 2010. Now perhaps less than 250,000 Christians call Iraq home, a number which includes those who have been permanently displaced from their homes.

[…]

At the current rate of the exodus, Iraq will not have any Christians left in three years, according to an Open Doors’ field worker. Read it all

Committed to Dangerous Aid

Turmoil has severely limited food and other necessities in several countries across the Middle East and North Africa. Aid is in high demand. Churches and individual believers are responding, but very much at their own risk.

[…]

In a region where believers are often threatened even during peace time, Christians are especially at risk now–even when they’re doling out desperately-needed aid.

“We think humanitarian effort and helping people in conflict is something everyone will respond to favorably. But they [Christians] know that as they do this, this actually makes them more visible, and it actually puts them in more danger, more in harm’s way,” says BGR’s Jeff Palmer.

[…]

“They choose to do this because the love of Christ compels them,” Palmer explains. “They can’t sit and watch this as people suffer. They can’t watch and not take advantage of what’s happening right now to help people and to make Christ known.”

As believers continue literally to risk their lives for the sake of serving others throughout the Middle East and North Africa, pray for God to provide them with courage and wisdom.

Source: Even Christian aid workers not safe in volatile regions

PS: You could also add love and faithfulness to that prayer list.

Above all, love God!