Persecuted Watch

On 13th February 2022, a Christian father, Nin, died leaving behind two daughters, Neung and Nom, and a son, Ram. The three siblings had already lost their mother, grandmother and a sister, all of whom were Christians, since 2009.

Nin’s older brother and sister-in-law blamed the deaths on the family’s belief in God and offered to care for the orphaned teens only if they rejected Christ. The teens refused, saying they could never reject Jesus. This angered the teens’ uncle and he refused to care for them. So, Nom, 16, and Ram, 13, had to move in with their pastor’s family whilst Neung, who has since graduated from high school lives on her own.

Pray that God will bless these 3 young believers for standing firm in their faith. Pray that God will protect them and provide for all their needs in the absence of their parents. Pray that they will continue to grow in maturity and in their knowledge of the Lord. Pray that the Holy Spirit will convict the hearts of their uncle and aunt and lead them to Christ.

 

(Source & Photo : VOM)

#Persecuted Church

Six believers from the Shenzhen Trinity Harvest Church had been attending baptism classes for several months. On 5th September 2021, these believers, together with Pastor Mao and other church members, drove to a beach in Huizhou to celebrate the church’s anniversary. But the beach was closed by the authorities before they could gather.

To avoid encountering such a situation again, the believers decided to take a 2-hour drive on 16th April 2022 to a remote beach in a different city where they could hold the baptism service. Thankfully, the baptism service was able to proceed uninterrupted. However, pictures and videos of the event was posted on WeChat shortly afterwards and within 30 minutes Pastor Mao received a phone call asking him to verify his identity. Several minutes later, the authorities arrived at the restaurant where Pastor Mao and the church members were having lunch. The authorities checked the Christians’ identities and conducted facial recognition scans.

The Shenzhen Trinity Harvest Church is a relatively young church that has attracted much attention over the past 5 years since its inception. They have been victims of numerous police raids and arrests during the past year. However, Pastor Mao is convinced that God is still in control and they just need to trust and follow Him.

Pray that these newly baptized believers will be strengthened in their faith and encouraged to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord. Pray that they will be emboldened to continue following Christ and sharing the Gospel wherever they go.

 

(Source & Photo : VOMC)

#Persecuted Church)

In July 2021, Fariba and 5 other Christian converts were arrested and later released on bail while awaiting trial. Then in December 2021, Fariba was convicted and sentenced to 5 years in prison for “acting against national security by establishing and leading an evangelical Christian church”. Soroush, Fariba’s husband, and 3 others were sentenced to 10 months in prison for their membership with the church.

Fariba’s sentence was later reduced to 2 years and the others were released with a fine because they had already served their prison time by then. On 16th April 2022, Fariba began her 2-year prison sentence in Tehran’s Evin Prison which is notorious for the mistreatment of inmates.

Pray that God will protect and watch over Fariba during her imprisonment, and may she find favour with her fellow inmates and the prison guards. Pray that she will be encouraged and assured of  the Lord’s abiding presence with her everyday such that she will not lose hope but will grow stronger in her faith.

Pray also for Soroush during this difficult time of separation for the newly-wed couple. And pray for other imprisoned Iranian Christians, that they will remain strong in their faith.

 

(Source & Photo : VOMC)

#Persecuted Church

Pastor Adam faced repeated death threats because of his ministry work amongst new converts. He shares a home with many members of his extended family. On the night of 11th April 2022, perpetrators broke into Pastor Adam’s home and entered the first bedroom they came across. There they murdered Pastor Adam’s sister and her husband before fleeing from the home.

Because of the vicious attack, the rest of Pastor Adam’s family have had to flee to another city for protection. They did not consider it safe to even return to retrieve their belongings or bury the bodies of their deceased loved ones.

Pray that God will protect and provide for Pastor Adam and his family as they left all their belongings behind. Pray that God will renew their strength and give them peace. And may they find a suitable and permanent place to stay.

Pray that God will bless Pastor Adam’s ministry – that it will be fruitful and lead many to turn to Christ.

 

(Source & Photo : VOMC)

#Persecuted Church

On 20th February, two officials entered a Catholic Church in Vu Ban and interrupted the Sunday Mass celebration. The officials demanded that everyone in the church disperse immediately or else “appropriate measures” would be taken against them.

Despite the disruption, the congregants continued to sing hymns while some of the priests and lay church leaders managed to persuade the officials to leave so that the service could conclude properly. The reasons for the disruption were unknown. While the nation’s citizens are legally allowed to practice their religion, persecution remains prevalent, particularly for unregistered groups.

Pray that there will be greater tolerance and respect for religious freedom in Vietnam. Pray that the Lord will strengthen Christians throughout Vietnam such that they will boldly practice their faith and continue to share the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus. Pray that God will give them the wisdom needed to deal with situations where they are questioned or harassed because of their faith.

 

(Source & Photo : VOMC)