New believers persecuted for faith

Remember to pray for
 those who are persecuted.

South Asia (GFA/MNN) ― Last year, 100 million believers worldwide suffered persecution for their faith, many of them living in South Asia, according to the Open Doors World Watch List. Six of the countries in which Gospel for Asia missionaries work are listed in the top 40 countries where persecution is most intense.

For men, women, and children in these countries, following Christ often means being fired from jobs, disowned by families, beaten, imprisoned, or even sentenced to death. They stand firm in their faith, declaring Jesus to be worth all their suffering.

Gospel for Asia missionary Dipal ministers in an area dominated by devout followers of a traditional Asian religion. There are three temples in just one village he visits.

The strict religiosity did not keep Dipal from sharing the love of Christ with the villagers, though. Many of them were interested in the literature Dipal gave to them, and they invited him to teach them more about Jesus.

After hearing the Word of God, 15 families decided to follow the Lord and publicly proclaim their decision.

One young man, Rebanta, who had been ill for the previous six months passed away shortly after he chose to embrace God’s love.

“Why did you all become Christians?” the more extreme religious villagers asked Rebanta’s family. “You lost your son because you became a Christian.”

The fanatic group would not stop at voicing their disapproval. They interrupted the burial service and would not let the family bury their son because that act would betray their religious traditions.

Finally, Rebanta’s family gave in to the pressure. They cremated Rebanta instead of burying him, according to the practice of their ancestors. The family doesn’t spend time with other believers anymore, and they no longer go to church. Ultimately, they decided against following Jesus.

Some of the fanatics threatened Dipal, too, and warned him against coming to their village. Dipal continues to visit the community, despite the threats. He encourages the believers with prayer.

While some of the other new believers were shaken by the opposition, they remain unmoved. They said they will follow Christ until they die.

As persecution happens all around us, pray that our brothers and sisters in Christ will continue to stand firm in their faith. Pray that families in Christ will not be shaken by the pressure of others.

Book uncovers horrors hidden by Communist government

North Korean Prison Camps hold 150 -200 k
 human beings in bad conditions

North Korea (MNN) ― Spotted easily on satellite images but heavily denied by the government, North Korean prison camps harbor horrors equal to the Holocaust. A biography released earlier this month profiles the only man to escape from a "total control zone" camp, Shin Dong-hyuk. After spending a few weeks on bestseller lists, Escape from Camp 14 is drawing international attention to North Korea.

As North Korea faces human rights criticisms, Open Doors USAdraws attention to the plight of North Korean believers. The isolated Asian nation ranks #1 on the Open Doors 2012 World Watch List: a compilation of 50 countries where believers face the most religious persecution. An estimated 40,000 to 70,000 Christians suffer in total control zone internment camps, where people labeled as "wrong thinkers" are sent to die.

Shin Dong-hyuk was born in this same type of camp in 1982. In his book, Shin admits reporting his mother and brother to prison guards because they were going to escape without him. As a result, they were hung in front of Shin and other prisoners, and he was also tortured as punishment for their "crime."

Shin told American journalist Blaine Harden, author of Escape from Camp 14, "I wanted people to know this is the kind of children they are raising right now in these camps: people whose loyalty is to the guards and who will do anything to get more food."

Conditions in North Korean prison camps are similar to camps under the unforgettable regime of Hitler, Stalin and Mao. "Political prisoners" essentially work themselves to death while being subjected to severe physical and psychological torture. Open Doors reported they work 18-20 hours each day, with little to no food. To supplement their rations, prisoners consume anything edible, including snakes, rats, insects, roots, and grass.

In April, the U.S.-based Committee for Human Rights in North Korea released a report based on interviews with 60 former prisoners and guards. The 200-page report describes prison camps located mainly in northern mountainous regions behind barbed wire and electric fences -- fences Shin climbed through to escape, using his best friend's body as insulation against the deadly current.

In 2009, North Korea told the UN Human Rights Council, "The term 'political prisoner' does not exist in the [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] DPRK's vocabulary…the so-called political prisoners' camps do not exist." According to the April report, former prisoners were able to identify their work sites, execution grounds, and other landmarks using satellite imagery available through Google Earth.

Greg Scarlatoiu, Executive Director of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, said that while North Korea tries to hide the horrendous realities of Pyongyang, over 30,000 North Korean defectors have fled the country -- up from 3,000 defectors ten years ago.

Pray for imprisoned believers in North Korea. Ask God to sustain them, and pray that they might be released. Pray for changes that can only be brought about by the Gospel.

Ailing mother evicts children for following Christ

Laos (MNN) ― A brother and sister in Laos were recently expelled from their homes because of their faith in Christ, reports Voice of the Martyrs, Canada.

The 18-year-old son and 20-year-old daughter were blamed for their mother's extreme illness. Village elders claimed that the spirits were displeased because the two Christians were in the house.

The duo's older brother even tried to convince them to recant their faith in Christ so as to heal their mother. When the two believing siblings refused to do so, their ill mother accused them of hating their other brother. She threw their belongings out of the house and told them to leave.

The two siblings immediately moved to a Christian village where they originally heard the Gospel, where they were welcomed with open arms, according to VOM.

Pray for these two brave Christians who have been forced from their family for the sake of Christ. Pray that they will have opportunities to share the message of Jesus with their family.

Laos is comprised of only 1.9% evangelical believers, according to the Joshua Project. The Open Doors World Watch List places Laos as the 12th worst nation in its persecution of believers out of all nations worldwide. There is a long history of evictions and other persecution throughout Laos, especially in the last couple years.

To learn more about the persecuted Church in Laos, please visitthe VOM Canada Laos Country Report. To post a prayer of support for these siblings, click here for the Persecuted Church Prayer Wall.