The King is Coming to Reign!!!

Persecution Prayer Alert from Open Doors
OCTOBER 2006

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Nigeria Update:
Last week, in response to the violence in Nigeria, Open Doors began to deliver relief aid to alleviate the immediate needs of Christians who have suffered loss in the attacks in Dutse.

Week of the 11th

"He holds victory in store for the upright, He is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for He guards the course of the just and protects the way of the faithful." Proverbs 2:7-8

North Korea announced on Tuesday, October 3rd, that it planned its first underground nuclear test. The North Korean government claimed that it is being forced by a U.S. led "threat of nuclear war and sanctions." In response, announced on Friday, October 6th, the U.N. Security Council reached an agreement to urge North Korea to cancel its planned nuclear test and return immediately to talks regarding scrapping its nuclear weapons program.

In spite of international pressure over the weekend, seismic activity indicates that North Korea tested the nuclear device. The United Nations--led by the US, China, Japan and South Korea--has condemned North Korea’s actions and suggested possible blockades, sanctions, and even military action.

In January of this year Open Doors launched a 3-year campaign to pray for N Korea. This is a prayer chain for which you can sign-up to pray for 10 minutes a week. If you have not yet joined you can enroll today. "No one is a firmer believer in the power of prayer than the devil; not that he practices it, but he suffers from it." - Guy H. King

Please Pray:
- That talks will resume between North Korea and the UN Security Council; that God’s wisdom will be present in the minds of the government officials who are participating in the negotiations.
- That the North Korean government will cease the needless devotion of scarce resources on developing weapons and would instead focus on providing humanitarian relief to the many who are starving and suffering in their country.

Egypt:* An Egyptian Christian teenager escaped from her Muslim kidnappers last week, hours after they had drugged her on a public bus. Compass Direct reported that they threatened to rape her and convert her to Islam if her family did not leave their Nile Delta city of El-Mahala el-Kobra. Held in Cairo’s southern Helwan suburb, Laurence Wagih Emil, 15, escaped the ground-floor room at 10 p.m. on Tuesday, October 3rd while her captors were away, breaking their Ramadan fast. Before family members recovered her, State Security Investigation officials interviewing Laurence Emil told her she would never see her parents again unless she reported a false story, denying the kidnapping.

Please Pray:- Thanksgiving to God for delivering Laurence from her captors; and for her courage and determined resistance during this terrible ordeal.
- That Laurence’s attackers will be brought to justice.
- That the Lord will provide honest and unprejudiced law enforcement officials for this investigation.
- For God’s mighty hand of protection, and the peace of Jesus for this family.
- For all believers living in Egypt; for their deliverance from their enemies.
- For the salvation of all the unbelievers in Egypt.

Week of the 18th

"Though I walk in the midst of trouble You will revive me. You will stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me." Psalm 138:7

Indonesia: General Secretary of the Christian Church of Central Sulawesi (GKST), Pastor Irianto Kongkoli, (45), was shot Monday, October 16, in Palu, capital city of Central Sulawesi province. He died instantly from a bullet through the back of his head. Pastor Kongkoli was at a local shop when he was shot, the media reported. Officials have not yet identified the shooter. Pastor Kongkoli became head of the GKST after the former chairman, Rev. Rinaldy Damanik, stepped down from that position. Rev. Damanik was grieved and shocked by this development. "We need pressure from the international world," he said to Open Doors.

Please Pray:
- For Pastor Kongkoli’s family; that God would strengthen and comfort his wife, daughter (18) and son (16).
- For Rev. Damanik; to be given wisdom from the Lord in dealing with this situation. Pray also for the Lord’s constant protection, as he is a prominent Christian figure in Central Sulawesi.
- For the critical situation in Central Sulawesi that Christians would not react with hatred and anger that might lead to further violence. Pray also that the security force will be diligent in securing the area.

Pakistan:* This week one Pakistani bishop found himself fighting a pitched battle to keep blasphemy rumors from igniting riots against his Christian community. "What usually happens is that word [that someone has committed blasphemy] spreads like wildfire and emotions take over," Catholic Bishop Joseph Coutts told Compass. "Once someone starts attacking houses, it’s so easy for the mob attitude to take over." Fresh allegations of blasphemy seem to be nearly a weekly occurrence in Pakistan (107 people were accused in 2005).
Police barely rescued James Masih, 65, and his neighbor Buta Masih, 70, on October 8, from the hands of a violent Muslim mob roused by claims that the illiterate men had burned pages of the Quran. "It was good that police protected them, because we were scared they would be killed," a source told Compass. "400 to 500 fanatics were [outside the police station] all night, but the police held them back and nothing was burned

Please Pray:- That Jesus will defend James and Buta, and protect them from attacks after their release.
- Pray that the blasphemy laws will be repealed.
- Pray for all the Christians in Pakistan; that the Lord will uphold them and help them withstand this constant pressure.

-Remember that although the stories are accurate often the names of the people are fictitious. This is to protect our brothers and sisters from further harm.

-An important request is that we remember to pray for each other - our unity with the Body of Christ is our greatest weapon.

Week of 25th

"For without faith it is impossible to please God, for those who come to Him must believe that He is, and is a rewarder of all those who diligently seek Him." Hebrews 11:6

ERITREA Country Profile: Approximately half of Eritrea’s population is Christian and the other half is Sunni Muslim. The majority of Christians belong to the traditional Orthodox Church founded in the region in the 4th century, with Catholics and Protestants representing five and two percent, respectively, of the national population.

Since May 2002, the Eritrean government ordered all independent Protestant churches to close down, declaring that only the Orthodox, Catholic, Lutheran and Muslim faiths were legal. Non-official groups were even forbidden to worship privately in their homes. The "unofficial" religions were required to apply for permits from the government of which the majority has been denied. Since 2002 even the "official" churches that applied for permits have faced increased persecution. Recently confirmed statistics indicate that at least 1,918 Eritrean citizens are jailed solely for their religious beliefs, without any access to judicial process. News Report: Open Doors is sad to report that Eritrean security police tortured two Christians to death on October 18, two days after arresting them for holding a religious service in a private home south of Asmara. Immanuel Andegergesh, 23, and Kibrom Firemichel, 30, died from torture wounds and severe dehydration in a military camp outside the town of Adi-Quala, eyewitnesses told Compass Direct. Andegergesh and Firemichel were arrested on Sunday (October 15), along with 10 other Christians, while attending a worship service in the home of Teklezgi Asgerdom. The three women and seven men, all members of the evangelical Rema Church, were kept in military confinement, along with Andegergesh and Firemichel, and subjected to "furious mistreatment," one source said. The fate of the 10 other Christians remains unknown.
Earlier this month, Eritrean authorities returned popular Christian singer Helen Berhane to a military detention camp after she spent three days in Asmara’s Halibet Hospital for medical treatment. Berhane’s leg had been seriously damaged as a result of beatings she received during 29 months of imprisonment in a metal shipping container since her arrest in May 2004. Sources told Compass that Berhane, a member of the Kidane Mehrete Fellowship (previously misreported as the Rema Church), has been transferred back to Mai-Serwa Military Camp and now is able to walk with the help of a cane.

News from Eritrea is always sobering, but we must continue to pray diligently for our brothers and sisters there. We can trust that God will one day remove the government that oppresses their people and that there will be a day of tremendous growth for His church there.Please Pray: - Thanks to God that some news about Helen has been received, after all of these months.
- Pray that Helen will be completely healed and that her light will remain steadfastly shining in this terrible place.
- For all the Christians of Eritrea who are being so mercilessly hunted.
- That Jesus will make Himself known by their ever increasing faith.
- That the Holy Spirit will empower them to bear witness, and to endure this persecution.
- For the realease of the other 10 prisoners and that they will escape further harm.

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