Category: Missionaries

Treasured Bread

Hearts Not ForgottenLeave a comment

How many Bibles do you own?  How many are in your home?

In countries where it is illegal to own a Bible, believers spend hours at a time hand copying scripture.  Many churches and pastors don’t have Bibles, often a Bible is passed among believers.  In the short amount of time they may have with it, they copy and memorize as much as they can.  In some cases, people’s hands become disfigured from years of hand copying the Bible.

Here is Ling’s testimony from China, http://www.kidsofcourage.com/?p=3307.  I read her story in Hearts Of Fire published by The Voice of the Martyrs.  Ling’s story illustrates how rare and precious Bible’s are in some parts of China.  I admire the way Ling put her whole life in God’s hands as she walked from village to village sharing Jesus.

Matthew 4:4 New Living Translation (NLT)

4 But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say,

‘People do not live by bread alone,
    but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’[a]”

There is a great need for Bibles.

This is a video from International Christian Concern of Christians in China receiving Bibles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkXDcdMNE-I&feature=youtu.be

Here are a few ways to help:

– Pray “Never stop praying” -1 Thessalonians 5:17

– Bibles Unbound http://www.biblesunbound.com/qry/mc_home.taf

– Get the word out.

– Gather a small group together to pray for persecuted Christians around the world.  Pray that they would receive God’s Word and Bibles.

– In solidarity, hand copy your favorite passages from the Bible, the New Testament, letters from Paul, or just one book of the Bible, to remember the persecuted.

At Randy Alcorn’s website, Eternal Perspective Ministries., he shares about a woman who wrote to him about hand copying the Bible as a devotion.  She was inspired after reading about believers, hand copying a Bible, in his book about the Underground Church in China, Safely Home.  http://www.epm.org/blog/2014/May/26/handcopied-bible

Hebrews 13:3 New Living Translation (NLT)

3 Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies.

Prayers, Letters & Encouragement

Hearts Not Forgotten3 Comments

 Hebrews 13:3 New International Version (NIV)

3 Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

There are an estimated 100 hundred million Christians facing persecution in the world.  Christians all around the world are imprisoned for their faith in Jesus.  According to Open Doors USA each month 332 Christians are killed, 214 Churches and Christian properties are destroyed and 772 acts of violence are committed against Christians.  For more information click here.

When I first learned about persecution I went to the Voice of the Martyrs website. I was looking for a way to help. I initially thought that would mean going overseas or giving money. I’m not old enough for relief work and I only make a little bit of money babysitting sometimes.  Most of the time, I am babysitting my little sister and my mom usually pays me in books and lattes.  So, I wasn’t sure how I could do anything to help without going overseas.  Right away. I learned there is much I can do. I can write to Christians imprisoned for their faith around the world, to encourage them and let them know they are not forgotten.  Often the prisoners don’t receive the letters, but the letters let the prison officials know there is an audience and the world is aware of their political prisoners.  You can also write letters and emails to government officials on behalf of the prisoners.

Prisoner Alert is a ministry under Voice of the Martyrs. With Prisoner Alert you can be alerted when Christians are arrested and  receive prayer requests and updates. They share information about Christians who are imprisoned so you can pray and write for them.  Before Prisoner Alert posts about a prisoner they get permission from their family and church.  You can also purchase a Prisoner Letter Writing Kit from Voice of the Martyrs that has eight prisoner profiles and self mailers. In the beginning, you might not be sure what to say, Prisoner Alert has suggested phrases you can use.  I’m excited, I got my first kit and I am writing the letters now.

With Open Doors letter writing you send in the letters you write to Open Doors and they will translate and deliver the letters to persecuted Christians. You can write letters of encouragement to children in orphanages and families who have loved ones who are imprisoned or who have been killed.  While writing letters to prisoners can offer encouragement to them and communicating with government officials can help, the most important and powerful thing we can do is pray. Starting with Paul the Apostle, through stories of modern persecution we see the same threads of connection.  Through the power of prayer people are healed, they are comforted during unimaginable trials, they are continually walking with God and keeping their eyes fixed on Him.  There are so many things we can pray for them: hope, strength, comfort, boldness in witnessing to their persecutor and fellow prisoners and to forgive their persecutors.  They are never alone, He is always there.  You can have prayer alerts and request sent to your email from Open Doors and Voice of the Martyrs.

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Thanks for reading and God bless you!

Shae

“Our prayers can go where we cannot…there are no borders, no prison walls, no closed doors that are closed to us when we pray.”     -Brother Andrew- Founder of Open Doors

I’m Only Fifteen! How Can I Help?

Hearts Not Forgotten2 Comments

“Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.”  Hebrews 13:3 NIV 

A New World

This weekend I went to Mission Connexion for my first time. A few days before I was looking for some kind of conference I could attend, but I found nothing. I went to the Voice of the Martyrs website to see if they were doing anything in my area.  I had been wanting to go to one of their conferences, but there were none anywhere close to me.  I felt frustrated and disappointed.  Then I checked under local events and saw they were going to be at Mission Connexion in Portland, Oregon in two days.  Only two days away!  I couldn’t believe it! I was so excited, I was even more excited when I found out that Don Richardson was going to be there. He is a missionary who went with his wife Carol and their seven month old son and spent 15 years living with a stone age tribe in Papua, the Sawi tribe were cannibals and headhunters.  He wrote about their experiences in Peace Child.  To learn more about Don Richardson’s life I went on Youtube and found interviews with him, this is my favorite clip.

I went to Mission Connexion not knowing what to expect.  Most conferences are geared more toward college students or adults. I’m only fifteen, how can I help? I wasn’t sure if I would just be an observer.  I was surprised at how I was welcomed and included. I could feel God’s hand guiding me as I met so many people who shared their time and stories with me.  Here are some of the highlights:

My first impression was Book Heaven!  All of the books I’m on the hunt for were there, plus so many more.  I was able to get a few and took pictures of many I plan to read in the future.  Now I know how much is available from YWAM Publishing about my favorite topics.

Open Doors

When I talked with the representative from Open Doors I told him about this blog and how I want to help our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ. He suggested that when I meet new immigrants I talk with them and find out their stories.  He also suggested I visit churches with refugees and volunteer to teach Sunday school.  He said there is a need and he thought I would be embraced. My sisters and I are all wearing rubber barbed wire bracelets they gave us.  They are great conversation starters, whenever someone asks us about them we can share about the persecuted church.  I want to plan a secret church youth event and the bracelets would be a great reminder to give to the other teens that go.  I’ll post more about that as it develops.

Voice of the Martyrs

At Voice of the Martyrs the representative shared with me many materials I had seen on the website including two DVDs I have been wanting to watch –Underground Reality Vietnam and Underground Reality Columbia. I am going to share them with my friends and family.  She also gave us bracelets that say “Pray for China” another great conversation starter. The Special Issue 2015 newsletter she gave us included a great pullout “I Commit to Pray for My Persecuted Family” map.  The back suggests 10 Ways to Pray.  Follow the link and you can read people’s stories and join with others in prayer there.

Prayer is a powerful way for us to intercede for them.

Colossians 1:9-12 New International Version (NIV)

9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,[a] 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you[b] to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.

Keep in Touch

This is a new blog.  Sign up with your email at the bottom of the page to automatically receive updates.  Leave a comment .  I want to hear your thoughts.  I’ll share more about the wonderful people I met and what else I learned in my next post.