As you pray daily for China, think of the great task to which you are committing yourself. Pray that China will continue to waken spiritually and that many dark places will joyfully receive the good news of Jesus Christ.

A Plea For Deliverance

Posted: July 8, 2021 | Author: | Filed under: People | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

Life for Muslims in the province of Xinjiang in Northwest China has changed drastically over the past four years, and the transformation has been heartrending. To hear about the persecution is agonizing, but to be living in the middle of the suffering is unimaginable. While international awareness has grown, the Uyghur [WEE-ger] people have seen little change or relief from oppression. They continue to live as captives, both physically and spiritually.

The Uyghur are a Muslim people group of Turkic background. Although scattered all over the world, at least 10 million Uyghur live in Xinjiang. Of these millions, most have never had an opportunity to hear the gospel. Because of their belief in Islam, they seek to do enough good works to outnumber their sin so that on judgment day they might have a chance of entering heaven.

Throughout history there have been fruitful seasons of Christian witness among the Uyghur in Xinjiang, but seasons of persecution and government restrictions have seemingly extinguished the small beginnings of a church among them. This season is one of the latter.

Since 2017 at least 1 million Uyghur have been detained and held in reeducation centers, separated from family and suffering horrible atrocities. Their language and culture are slowly being erased as the Chinese government hopes to assimilate the Uyghur into Chinese culture. At times it seems that darkness has won. Hope seems lost.

The Uyghur long for freedom — freedom from constant surveillance, imprisonment and suffering. Freedom to speak their own heart language, to be at home and with family, to work the job of their choice. Freedom to practice their religion — even to simply speak the name of God or to pray. They long for a physical deliverance from very real suffering and captivity.

They also hunger for deeper freedom, though most of them don’t consciously understand their spiritual state before God. They need deliverance from seeking to earn their salvation through good works, from the hold of fear, from sin, from being separated eternally from the one and only, true, Creator God.

Most Uyghur don’t know that Jesus offers them spiritual freedom. Most have not heard that He wants to give them life. They wait in darkness.

We know that God sees the suffering of the Uyghur people. He knows each person being held against their will in a camp or prison. He sees every cruel act and every injustice. He sees the location of every Uyghur man, woman and child — even if their family cannot see them or does not know. He sees how very lost they are.

And God cares. He cares for the orphans, separated from their parents and being raised in dorms at schools. He cares about the Uyghurs’ fears that keep them awake at night. God is concerned about their mistreatment. Every tear that is shed is seen and stirs the heart of a caring Father who hates injustice and loves the precious people He created. He does not want them separated from Him eternally because of their sin.

God wants to deliver and save the Uyghur people, and He wants to give them eternal freedom.

Pray that the current evil being done to the Uyghur would be stopped, and that they would be rescued from their oppression.

Pray for Uyghur everywhere to have an opportunity to hear about the Deliverer who was sent to the world and that the Spirit of God would cause them to believe the truth they hear.

Pray that hope would replace fear in the lives of the Uyghur, as we believe God’s Word is true: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5)

Imprisoned and Persecuted

Posted: June 28, 2021 | Author: | Filed under: People | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

“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)

The Christians in one Muslim region are working hard in recent days to support their brothers and sisters who have been imprisoned for their faith. Though scattered because of current persecution, they send cryptic messages through social media and text apps and try their best to keep each other informed.

Many of these believers live in different cities or even countries. In the last six months, their messages often speak of the rise of persecution and how to care for those in prison. Thirteen among one people group—that missionary workers know about—have recently been jailed.

One national couple was arrested last year for openly sharing their faith. The wife had recently given birth and was led to prison with her newborn. Separated from her husband, she was expected to care for herself and the infant in a dirty prison cell. Days turned into weeks and then into months as authorities used the time to find evidence against them.

Her husband underwent regular beatings, and not just at the hands of guards. Missionary workers explain that it’s not unusual for authorities to bring in family members to try to persuade a believer to recant their faith in Christ and turn back to Islam. Families often spew rejection and hatred toward the individual and will add physical beatings to the emotional abuse. The shame they say brought to them by the family member choosing to follow Jesus is great.

The goal of the government and the family is the same—to stop the spread of Christianity.

This couple was brought to trial and shortly after deported to another country. For the believing community, the work to protect and provide for their brothers and sisters is a high priority, though challenging since they cannot meet or openly discuss current circumstances. When the couple was forced to leave their home country, they faced many challenges, including being reunited with their other two children who were not imprisoned with them.

Their faith community worked to provide trusted transportation and a safe location. Putting themselves at risk, they brought their children to them and helped the couple with post-trauma care and emotional support. These situations have been much too common lately, but even in these dark circumstances, God continues to be glorified.

“Out of those we know who have been arrested recently, 100% have refused to renounce their faith,” said one worker. This commitment energizes the national believers, and they have been able to provide support for each other, though they are also daily at risk of arrest and persecution.

“For all of these people, they are in prison for being faithful to share the gospel,” another worker emphasized. “The persecuted church is persecuted for doing what God wants us to do. These brothers and sisters who have been incarcerated over these last six months have modeled that in a really healthy way.”

  • Pray for the believers who are currently in prison. Ask God that they will remain steadfast in their faith and will find favor with authorities.
  • Thank God for the response of His church in this area, who put themselves at risk to care for each other.
  • Ask God to break through the barriers to sharing His truth in this region and for His glory to shine above the darkness of persecution

Women Strengthen One Another

Posted: June 20, 2021 | Author: | Filed under: People | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

Missionary Liz Karwood reports that in the area of South Asia where she serves, the lostness can feel staggering. She understands that her team can’t even begin to reach the 25 million Muslims in her region without involving other believers. She also understands that “God is working and is bigger than the task in front of us.” Faced with multitudes of people who do not know Jesus, her team has intentionally focused on evangelism training and building partnerships with South Asian believers in the missionary task.

Karwood tells of one missionary training where only two women attended. One woman was a pastor’s wife. Another woman, Lipti, was a local believer who attended though she had to bring her six-month-old son. The first part of the training includes how to start a conversation with a Muslim and share the gospel. The second part of the training includes heading out to the streets to practice.

Going out to engage people with the gospel can be intimidating for some, and Karwood says that she often faces excuses when people are asked to actively go out and share their faith. She assumed that Lipti would have a good excuse since she was caring for her son, but she seemed the most eager and convinced the pastor’s wife to also join. Karwood and her friends ventured into the neighborhood, praying for opportunities to start gospel conversations.

Neither of these women had ever shared the gospel with a Muslim and didn’t even know where Muslims lived in the area.

“We just started walking toward the neighborhood market and praying to find some Muslim ladies,” Karwood said. In the heat of the day, no one was outside, but they ventured into a hair salon in an area marked with green flags. Green is a holy color for Muslims and is often a sign of areas where Muslims live and work.

Inside the salon, Karwood chose to have her eyebrows shaped as a way to begin a conversation with one of the salon workers. As the opportunity to speak clearly about the gospel became evident, Karwood said to Lipti, “Your language is so much better than mine. Why don’t you tell these ladies how they can have forgiveness of sin?”

Lipti then started to share the gospel with the salon worker, explaining that we have to believe in Jesus’ death as payment for the forgiveness of our sin. As Lipti spoke, the salon worker stopped her and called out for women in the back of the salon to come hear about Jesus, too. Lipti, still holding her baby, continued to share the story of Jesus to the six women who gathered.

None of those women decided to follow Jesus that day, but Lipti now understood the significance of the training and how the good news of Jesus could be shared. As they left the salon, Lipti said, “Wow! I never knew it was so easy to share the gospel. Let’s go find someone else.”

As they walked toward the training site, they passed a woman selling coconuts on the side of the street. Lipti asked Karwood to hold her son, while she told the woman about Jesus. “I’ve never been happier to partner with a national believer,” Karwood said.

“That day I was amazed to see how God was calling more laborers like Lipti into the harvest field. She, like many other believers in South Asia, is taking ownership of the core missionary task.”

Karwood encourages others to consider their role in the missionary task and to show the same enthusiasm and boldness as Lipti did in sharing about Jesus.