Special Prayer Days and Special Prayer Events!
August 20, 2009
Dear Donna,
We are excited to invite you to attend a special conference call forum on Monday, August 24 from 10-11AM (PST).
We have created this unique opportunity because you are an avid and loyal advocate for persecuted Christians and have demonstrated your commitment to pray for the persecuted church.
The forum will be hosted by Open Doors President, Dr. Carl Moeller, the Prayer Director, Michele Miller, and the Advocacy Director, Lindsay Vessey. We'll provide an update on the situation in Orissa, host a time of prayer for our brothers and sisters in India, and unveil an exciting upcoming advocacy campaign in which you'll play a vital part.
Make sure to RSVP because we'll need to save your spot in the forum!
As regular participants in the Prayer and Advocacy Programs at Open Doors, many of you know that this August marks the one-year anniversary of the outbreak of anti-Christian violence in Orissa, India, which was started when Hindu leader Swami Laxmanananda was assassinated.
Since the outbreak of the violence last year, at least 120 people were murdered, 250 churches were destroyed, and over 50,000 individuals were displaced. Sadly thousands of Christians are still in relief camps and little has been done to bring justice to this situation. Watch the video>>
For this reason, we need to join hands in prayer and advocacy to seek justice for these precious brothers and sisters.
We hope you can join us! To join the call, dial 712-432-0031 and use enter 1063343 for the pass code.
Michele & Lindsay
One year after India’s worst-ever attack on Christians, which began after Maoists killed a Hindu leader, churches across India
and around the world fasted and prayed for peace, healing and
reconciliation. On Monday August 24, prayer partners from the U.S. and
other countries joined Open Doors USA staff in prayer for India.
> Listen to audio of Orissa discussion and prayer.
Praying with you,
The Prayer Force Team
In response, we are launching Project Hope. I have recorded a personal message for you to explain this crucial project in more detail.
Today I am asking you for your online gift to support Project Hope, which will help us deliver over $3.5 million worth of vital medical supplies to our suffering brothers and sisters.
In response, we are launching Project Hope. I have recorded a personal message for you to explain this crucial project in more detail.
Today I am asking you for your online gift to support Project Hope, which will help us deliver over $3.5 million worth of vital medical supplies to our suffering brothers and sisters.
click button to donate
The Gospel Message -- Going and Coming
Summer brings many Arabs from hot, arid regions to more temperate climates in countries like Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt, where the living water of the gospel message also flows more freely and they are exposed to gifts of New Testaments, the Jesus Film and the courageous, faithful testimony of Christians.
“I believe God is working among all the nations,” says Nadal, one of the pastors in the Middle East. “We baptized 37 persons in one meeting. More than half of them were Muslims. I asked one of them for his ID. When he gave it to me, I thought that this was not his own card…. I saw that the picture on this ID was from an Imam practicing Islam very seriously. The man confirmed he was that man and acknowledged that he indeed was very active in converting people to Islam but God changed his life. Now he does not miss any meetings in the church. He travels around and shares the gospel with who wants to hear.”
Father, this summer You have brought freedom and life to many who were slaves to sin and death. They have returned now to the darkness of their home countries. Protect them, increase their faith, bring fruit to their witness. Give them wisdom, courage and humility that the light of Your gospel might shine brightly in their lives and dispel the darkness.
Praying with you,
The Prayer Force Team
Record Numbers of Vietnamese Attend Christmas Rallies
God
has heard your prayers on behalf of Christians in Vietnam. For the
past two years, authorities have granted permission to unregistered
house churches in Ho Chi Minh City
for Christmas rallies. Compass Direct News reports that last year more
than 10,000 people participated in Tao Dan Stadium. On December 11th
of this year, a record breaking 40,000 people met in Ho Chi Minh City
to worship God in the Christmas season
with upwards of 8,000 people committing their lives to Christ in
response to the gospel message. And then 12,000 people attended a December 20
Christmas rally in Hanoi. While permission was never officially granted
for this rally, authorities in Hanoi indicated they would not interfere
with the event.
Father, as 2009 comes to a close, we give thanks for this clear evidence of your power at work in Vietnam. We pray that the hearts of the leaders would soften toward Your people and that a mighty revival would wash over this country.
January 13, 2010
Dear Donna,Iran Moves to #2 Spot on 2010 World Watch List
Due to the increase of arrests that began in 2008, Iran replaced Saudi Arabia in the #2 position on Open Doors
World Watch List. Islam is the official religion in Iran and all laws
and regulations must be consistent with the official interpretation of
Sharia (Islamic) law. Churches are closely monitored and at least 85
Christians were arrested in 2009 with most having been mistreated in
prison, Maryam Rustampoor and Marzieh
Amirzadeh were among them. We praise God that they were released from
prison, but these brave women, along with hundreds of other believers,
still remain at risk inside Iran.
Not surprisingly, North Korea
remains in the #1 position on the WWL for the eighth straight year.
Under Communist rule, it is one of only two countries in the top ten
positions with a non-Muslim government. The continued targeting of
Christians in Kim Jong-Il’s
regime in 2009 resulted in arrests, torture and killings. There are an
estimated 40,000 to 60,000 Christians in North Korea’s political prisons. The plight of the people of North Korea is desperate.
Saudi
Arabia now holds the #3 position on the WWL. The legal system is based
on Sharia law. Apostasy – conversion to another religion – is
punishable by death if the accused does not recant. Give thanks that in
2009 there were no reports of Christians killed or physically harmed
for their faith.
View Open Doors 2010 World Watch Listfor a complete listing of all the countires where persecution of Christians is most severe.
Father, we pray in quietude as we gather to intercede for the nations. We pray You would hasten that day when “every knee shall bow… and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord….” (Philippians 2:10-11). In the meantime, we lift up the persecuted that You would comfort and strengthen them to endure faithfully the life set before them, that You would release them from tyranny and that their suffering would not be in vain. We pray for a revival to sweep across the globe.
Read More>>
On the one-year anniversary of Gao Zhisheng's disappearance, ChinaAid is humbly asking for your help to expand our efforts in raising awareness on Gao's behalf. Please read the complete message below.
On February 4, 2009, Gao Zhisheng was abducted from his home and disappeared into the black hole of the Chinese detention system. After one year, Gao is still missing - his condition and whereabouts are still unknown.
Rumors of Gao's death have viciously circulated since December, 2009, inflicting pain and despair on his family, and weakening the resolve of many human rights organizations. Some believe that the Chinese government will never yield, and that human rights for the Chinese will remain an elusive myth.
Yet the Chinese government's silence cracked ever so slightly on January 21, 2010. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Ma Zhaoxu publicly acknowledged Gao's case to the media for the first time in over a year in a news conference: "The relevant judicial authorities have decided this case, and we should say this person, according to Chinese law, is where he should be."
ChinaAid believes that based on the minister's comments and other inside reports, Gao Zhisheng is still alive, but suffering incredible torture. We will not give up on Gao until he is guaranteed his basic human rights with dignity before the law.
There is hope! And now it's time to bring up the intensity to a new level.
24-Hour Free Gao Ad Campaign
On
February 4, 2010, the anniversary of Gao Zhisheng's disappearance,
ChinaAid will be launching a one-day, 24-hour targeted issue-based
advertising campaign to spread the news about Gao. The ads will feature
a basic message, and urge people to learn more about Gao Zhisheng's
case. See banner ads live on-line, Thursday, February 4, 2010, hosted
on www.DrudgeReport.com
The chosen site boasts traffic of up to 25 million page views per day, with over 2 million unique site visitors - promising a high number of concerned citizens learning about Gao Zhisheng for the first time. We hope to effectively generate new interest and add more pressure to the Chinese government to respond.
The sample below illustrates the primary design for the 24-hour campaign. These banner ads will be animated, linking to a webpage sharing Gao's story, and directing the viewer to www.FreeGao.com, to Sign the Petition, and to Contact their U.S. Representative or the Office of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
We
humbly ask you to consider being a part of this next push on behalf of
Gao Zhisheng, to get his story out and urge the international community
to step forward to raise the alarm.
Please consider donating to specially offset the cost of this ad campaign, as we step up the campaign to the next level on the Anniversary of Gao Zhisheng's disappearance. Every small effort helps.
