June 2023 Persecution Magazine

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Your Hands and Feet ICC PROJECTS MADE POSSIBLE BY SUPPORTERS 6 AFRICA ICC Donors Stay the Course with Nancy Nancy sat at her desk, clutching her pencil tightly. She couldn’t believe that she was starting junior secondary school today. It seemed like only yesterday that she was sitting in her hospital bed, recovering from the injuries she sustained during the terror attack that took her parents. Right before Christmas 2021, when she was just 13 years old, she witnessed a radical Muslim suicide bomber murder her parents in the foyer of their home. Nancy survived the attack with serious injuries, losing three fingers on her right hand and sustaining deep cuts to her chest, back, and ear. But as she looked around the classroom, she felt a sense of gratitude wash over her. She wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for the support of the people who had been with her from that day. She thought of the staff at the orphanage center who had taken her in when she had nowhere else to go. They had become her family and had given her the love and support she needed to heal. International Christian Concern (ICC) has been with Nancy every Persecution | JUNE 2023 step of the way, from first hearing about the tragedy to funding her education for a brighter future. “You have been my best companions from the time I was going through treatment after the terror attack that left my two parents dead. You took up the duty of educating me in primary school, and you have not stopped doing this,” Nancy said in a recent visit. “Now you have supported me to begin my junior secondary school education. I am very happy about the commitment you have made to see me through my education. May the Lord bless you.” As she looked around the classroom again, she knew that she had a bright future ahead of her. She knew that there would be challenges along the way, but she was confident that with the support of her companions, she would overcome them. Nancy took a deep breath and began to write her first assignment. She knew that her parents would be proud of her and that their memory would live on through her education. And as she wrote, she whispered a prayer of gratitude for the people who had become her family and her best companions.
Crowns of Courage It is our privilege to introduce you to a new segment that we’ll be featuring monthly in Persecution magazine: Crowns of Courage: Inspiration from memorable martyrs. Here, we will share the incredible testimonies of both historical and modern-day believers who have paid the ultimate price for their faith. This month, we are featuring the inspiring Saint Polycarp of Smyrna, a Christian leader in the second century, who was a disciple of the apostle John. Through his writings, he openly denounced various heresies that had taken root in the church. SOUTH ASIA Hope in Times of Crisis GOSPEL: BIBLES & BROADCASTS Pastor Rohan had always been a devout man of God, serving his congregations with utmost dedication and love. However, recently, things have been tough for him and his family. The COVID-19 pandemic that devastated many rural areas of India and the Hindu, radical-driven anti-conversion law have greatly impacted his ministry operations. The fear of persecution loomed large over the Christian community, and the attendance in his congregations had dwindled significantly. As a result, Pastor Rohan had been struggling to make ends meet and provide for his family. He had been praying for a long time to start a small ready made cloth shop, which he believed would not only contribute to his family’s survival but also help him continue his ministry. However, financial constraints made it impossible for him to start the business. That’s when ICC stepped in to provide the necessary financial support to set up the small business he prayed for. With the income from the business, Pastor Rohan hopes to have a regular and predictable source of income for his family’s survival and continue his ministry. He is grateful for the assistance and believes that it is the Lord’s way of providing for his family and his ministry. After Polycarp’s many faithful years of service in the church, the Roman proconsul ordered him to renounce his faith. Holding fast to the promise of eternity, Polycarp clung to his faith, knowing the brutal consequences to come, by saying, “For eighty and six years I have been His servant, and He has done me no wrong. And how can I now blaspheme my King who saved me?” He offered up a prayer, and his captors soon bound him, intending to burn him alive. Yet, to their surprise, he would not die. As Polycarp stood in the flames, the scene was described “not as burning flesh, but as bread that is being baked, or as gold and silver being refined in a furnace.” Eventually, an executioner stabbed Polycarp with a dagger, which ultimately brought about his death. Following Polycarp’s martyrdom, a group of believers gathered his scorched bones in remembrance. In the years that followed, on the anniversary of his death, they gathered to remember what they referred to as his “birthday.” Here, they would rejoice over the legacy of his enduring faithfulness, not yet knowing that his testimony would be shared for centuries to come. PERSECUTION.ORG 7
Page 1 and 2: WWW.PERSECUTION.ORG JUNE 2023 PERSE
Page 3 and 4: You Help Build Jesus’ Church Muns
Page 5: HEAD TO OUR WEBSITE, PERSECUTION.OR
Page 9 and 10: “Repent and be baptized, every on
Page 11 and 12: Nepal During the height of the COVI
Page 13 and 14: PERSECUTION.ORG 13
Page 15 and 16: Where do you see the Lord working i
Page 17 and 18: literacy, basic math, and a communi
Page 19 and 20: The ICC team also met with five for

June 2023 Persecution Magazine

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?