Remember Ambassadors

It has been a while since we did a World Update, but lots has been happening - please be sure to keep these stories in your prayers!

Bangladesh: Christians Flee After Attack on House Church

Bhutan: Missionary Asked to Renounce Christ

China: Christian Book Store Owner’s Condition Deteriorating in Prison

Shia Weihan was arrested four months ago for selling unapproved Christian books, and his condition continues to get worse as he languishes in prison.

Ethiopia: Muslim Mob Attacks Christians

Extremist Islam is growing in Ethiopia, sparking increasing violence. Ethiopia is not unique in this regard; the Muslim presence throughout northern Africa is causing problems in many countries. Pray for northern Africa!

India: Missionaries, Bible College Students Beaten, Tortured and Jailed

Iran: Christian Couple Dies from Police Attack

Last week, Iranian secret police raided a house church service, brutally beating, arresting, and interrogating many. This is the latest update from this tragedy.

Saudi Arabia: Plans to Deport 15 Christians

The crime committed by these believers was that they held a church service. The were arrested, had possessions confiscated, were mocked and interrogated - and now that they have been released, they face deportation.

Our October 2 banquet is quickly approaching, and preparations are entering full swing. Last year, we were blessed with almost 600 attendees, and this year, we’re hoping for 1,000! We received excellent reports on how our presentation touched the lives of the people that attended, and we raised tens of thousands of dollars to go towards the needs of those we serve.

As I’m sure you can guess, a banquet like this is not cheap, and we are looking for sponsors who will assist us in off-setting the costs. Since we believe in giving all the money raised that night to the needs of the persecuted church - our normal 100% promise - we must independently raise this money. A sponsorship is an investment of sorts; it gives us the ability to go out and raise even more money for the work that we are doing.

Will you consider sponsoring? Our sponsorship “levels” start at $500, but you can give towards the banquet in any amount - just designate the word “banquet” on your check or in the memo line of your credit card donation. Thank you for investing in this great event and the blessing it will be to suffering saints all over the world!

To download a 2008 sponsor pack, click here.

The list of countries that are persecuting Christians is a long one, and part of Remember’s goal is to raise awareness of those countries so that we can pray in an informed, effective manner. Here’s the next step in the “Country Focus” series:

Laos (PDF)

Pakistan (PDF)

(And you can see the whole list here.)

Over the past couple weeks, the Weekly Reminder has run stories of our Jordan trip. Check ‘em out!

July 16 - The moments that make it all worth it.

July 9 - Testimony of a persecuted Iraqi Christian.

(And remember, you can always read past issues of the Weekly Reminder in the archives!)

The Remember team arrived back in Charleston on Monday night at 11:30pm, after nearly 24 hours of travel. Looking back on the trip to Jordan, it is a joy to see what we were able to accomplish, from operating a clinic, to making new contacts, to fellowshipping with our fellow believers. The trip was a great success—and that is a result of the power of your prayers. In addition to the ministry that we were blessed to do, we wait in eager expectation to see all the blessings that have not yet come to fruition as a result of this trip!

We had three days of medical clinics, and our doctors were able to see around 80 patients, primarily Iraqi refugees with little access to doctors and medications. We packed medications with us, thanks to generous donations made by our sponsors, and those medications were used to meet the needs of those our doctors saw. What was left – thousands of dollars of worth of medications – was donated to local Christian clinics.

But the real ministry we did is not reflected in these numbers, but in the individual lives of those who were blessed.

One elderly lady was so grateful for what we were done for her that she clung to Lori, our nurse who was doing her medical charts, and started crying “Habibi, Habibi,” which translates as “beloved.” The grateful thanks of so many are impossible to duplicate in writing, but it was, and is, touching to see how much of an impact we made on each others lives and what we each can gained from this trip.

The success of this trip was made possible by the prayers of the saints, and by the interworking of the Body of Christ. While in Jordan, we worked with a variety of other ministries, each of which played a different, vital, part in the blessing. I can’t help but be excited when I think of how this working of the Body as a whole will lead to future ministry potential; the Body working to serve the Body – that’s what we are all about.

If there is one thing that has been evident on this trip - and I’ve mentioned it before - it is that God has been opening every door for us. From miracles at customs, to vital in-country contacts, to the patients that our doctors have seen, we’ve been jumping through those doors just as quickly as we can.

I’m not a doctor, but my lack of medical expertise has not stopped me from seeing the blessing that our medical staff has been to these Iraqi refugees. They’ve seen a multitude of illnesses, from the chronic to the acute, and prescribed dozens of medications (and donated thousands of dollars worth to vital local ministries!).

But I think the most important thing they have done is to pray for each patient. These men and women need so much more than medication; they need the healing and the peace of the Great Physician, and we have prayed for each one, child and adult alike. Their smiles and tears have made sure we know that our work is not in vain.

And we have pictures!

Two spirit-filled men who “just happen” to be doctors.

Lori is not just a nurse, but a friend to all she comes in contact with.