Remember Ambassadors

I was alarmed to read of this weekend's violence in Sudan.  Violence in Darfur is tragically normal these days, but these clashes were very different, and could have a direct impact on the work that we are doing in Kadugli.

This violence has taken place in the capitol city of Khartoum, where rebels from the Darfur region have attacked the government, causing many areas of the Sudanese capitol to be shut down, including cut bridges and closed roads.  While Remember has not worked with the Darfur genocide specifically, these recent developments could directly impact our work first by hindering the actions of our local contacts, dependent on Sudan's already tenuous transportation infrastructure, and in the increased build up of military forces in Kordofan, where we are basing our work.  It could further damage the shaky peace situation, which would have a direct, powerful, and tragic impact on suffering Christians in the country.

Pray for Sudan.

As you know, Remember has had significant work among the Christian Karen in eastern Burma.  The Karen State was one of those hit by the recent cyclone catastrophe.  While the cyclone cannot be categorized as "persecution," it has greatly affected the lives of these brothers and sisters that live in constant fear of very real persecution by their own government.  They need our prayers.

Tim Bunn is a Remember Board Member who has done extensive work in Burma, and I received this update from him today.  (For more on Tim's work, visit New Foundations International.)

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Dear Tim,

 

I am emailing you from my house. I was so fortunate that I am able to get my access to internet. Its only my phone line that is good in my area.

 

Yes, today there were no less than ten thousands corpses that were found on the sea side as the sea dried.  There are still many who are not yet found by people. Yes, it is now estimated that there have been no less than 30000 thirty thousands and still there are many who are not yet found. We just pray that the Lord moves the heart of the authority in such a way that they would feel compassionate about their own people and that they would allow other relief organization to help the people.

 

We looking forward to our new beginning and we pray that it will happen soon. Thank you once again for your concern and prayer. Your prayer, word of encouragement meant a lot to us and to the country.

 

Everyday if full of work. Cleaning our houses and helping others as well. It is a great time to best show our love for the people, more importantly to reflect His love for the people.

 

On Friday, 2th of May 2008, Yangon area was struck down by cyclone. It blew so great it destroyed so much of the building, especially zincs. Many good and big trees were all fallen down because of the storm.  It was terrible because it was the first time in our life and history that we saw the storm striking us so great. It destroyed so much for of the trees and those power holders.  Many have lost their life. According to the news, there have been more than 300 (three hundred who lost their life) but according to the witness there have been no less than 500 (five hundred people who lost their life). Personally, I believe there must have been no less than  ten thousands who lost their life. Many were sunk into the deep of the sea and they are not yet found.For those of you who have seen the power grids in Myanmar, you can just imagine how it must have been.

As for my family, we are OK and doing good. But our toilet was completely destroyed and our boy's dorm of Yangon Grace Bible School was full of flood without any good place for cooking. Things are so much expensive and insufficient. For example, one bag of rice was 25 $ last month and now it is 50$ and in some place it is about near 100$ for one bag. Normally, my family eats this one bag for a week but since last month we have been having guest and because of the circumstance, they cannot get out of our house either. At this present time, we eat almost two bags in a week.

We have the privilege to show our love and give the best of our hospitality but there is also a case to worry. We've been thinking how will we survive next month if things are still expensive. And there are thousands who are in the same situation like us. There are thousands who are starving. We do need your prayer.

Sincerely,

Philip

 

I have trouble containing my excitement when the Lord opens doors for new ministry through Remember.  The needs of the persecuted church can be overwhelming, and there are many challenges to effectively meeting that need, but when the doors open we become the channel for the outpouring of God's blessing on His people.

In just a couple of days, a Remember team will be heading to China to search for the best way to do just that.  It will be a survey trip - seeking out the widows and orphans of martyrs, identifying their needs, and developing the right contacts to meet those needs.  The travel details of the trip are confidential to protect the safety of all involved, but please pray for this trip!  The eyes of the world are on China, as the Olympic torch faces massive protests and world leaders scrutinize China’s violations of human rights and oppression of Tibetans.

But underneath the surface is a problem that goes largely unreported.  The problem starts with an amazing praise—the church is growing in China!  Not the church buildings that exist in major Chinese cities so that the government can show that it “allows” Christianity, but the living, vibrant underground church is spreading through China at an incredible rate.

And though the Chinese government will not admit it, the Communist leaders cannot help but feel their power threatened by the movement of the Spirit of God.  That knowledge, combined with the increased international scrutiny, has led to a major crackdown on Christianity.  As our Chinese contact puts it, “the Communist government is stepping up its persecution of Christians as the Summer Olympics approach and the Games are held.”

The pastors of the underground church are routinely targeted.  In fact, having spent time in prison is one of the highest marks of a dedicated, mature pastor!  A “first offense”—preaching Jesus Christ or passing out Bibles, for instance—can mean years in prison.  A second offense can double or triple that time, and it only gets worse from there.  And prison is not a semi-comfortable cell where the pastor simply bides his time until release; religious prisoners are routinely beaten and tortured or sent off to suffer in a labor camp.

One by one they serve their time, and without hesitation return to the work that they have been called to.

I can only imagine the suffering that their wives and children must endure, and serving them is the core of Remember’s ministry.  This survey trip is geared to identify the specific needs, and find the best way to meet them.  Please pray for those traveling on behalf of Remember, as well as the local contacts.  Pray for safety, for wisdom, and for the guiding of the Holy Spirit to exactly the people we should minister to.

I will freely admit that I like a good spy movie.  I am fascinated by international intrigue, secret missions by highly trained agents, and the stories of top secret activities that keeps us safe–even when we don't know about it.  But I live in a country which directs its espionage for exactly that reason, to keep me safe.  I can hardly imagine what it would be like if the government's agents were coming after me.

That imagination has been reality for North Korean Christians.  There, government agents have been sent to "incriminate, arrest, imprison and sometimes execute believers" (Compass Direct News) by infiltrating small churches and prayer groups, posing as Christians, and springing a trap on them.  The North Korean government considers religion–and Christianity in particular–to be the number one danger to the state.

That gives a whole new meaning to the warning of Matthew 7:15, which warns us to beware of "ravening wolves" that come in sheep's clothing.  Can you even imagine that type of persecution?

Read the full story at Compass Direct News.

Though I only met Mahagoub for a couple of days, I will never forget him.  He was a man of enormous heart, character, and passion–and even though we did not speak the same language, his fist-pumping encouragement ministered far beyond any language barriers.

His story is as amazing as the joy he spread to all around him.  He had been a member of the Sudanese parliament, an influential leader and able representative of the tribes of the Nuba Mountains.  But he gave up his position of influence for one simple reason–to preach the gospel of Christ.  He used his political influence and charismatic personality for the greatest good of all, bringing souls into the Kingdom.

The time spent with Brother Mahagoub was precious, and in just a couple of days I felt as if he were a good friend, as well as being a brother in Christ.  As he traveled with us throughout Sudan, he could barely hide his excitement for Remember's work and the movement of Christ throughout the Nuba.

A couple of months after our first Sudan trip, we received the word that Brother Mahagoub was dead.  I was heartbroken, and I wasn't the only one; everyone involved in ministry in central Sudan felt the loss.

We are still not sure what caused his death.  In central Sudan they do not do autopsies, and Brother Mahagoub died on the mission field, in the midst of the Nuba Mountains.  It would appear he died of heart failure, which could easily have been the result of an assassin's poison (a tactic known to have been employed by Muslim extremists in the area) or just the result of many years of hard work, poor diet, and the stress of being a Christian in Sudan.  One thing is certain, though–Mahagoub died doing the work of the Kingdom.

His wife had died of cancer a couple of years before Mahagoub went to be with the Lord, leaving their four children orphans.  Three daughters and one son, each in their teens and early twenties as far as we can establish, left without anyone to provide for their needs.  They can work, but in doing so, have no opportunity to obtain the education necessary to give them a chance to prosper–and to continue in the ministry footsteps of their father.

I am so happy to say, in the face of all of this sadness, that Remember is reaching out to these children in the love of Christ.  We have undertaken to provide them with enough money, on a monthly basis, to provide for their education and basic needs.  Because of your generous work and donations, we are able to make sure that they get back on their feet.  Our support is not a permanent entitlement, but a gift of love to give them the opportunity to be mighty weapons in God's Kingdom.

Will you join me in praying for these four?  Pray for them through the grief of loss and the pain of hunger.  But don't just pray for their current situation; pray for their futures.  They have seen the Body of Christ at work, and the sacrifice the Kingdom is worth.  Pray that this memory will never leave them, and as they grow up that they will become powerful tools in the hands of their Eternal Father.

Only that Father knows what value our investment will be worth.  Let us pray that our assistance to these persecuted children will be the tool of revival throughout the nation of Sudan.

Members of Remember's Sudan team with Mahagoub's children - Khartoum, December 2007.