M I S S ION
Worldwide Prayer Concerns “But recall those earlier days when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to abuse and persecution, and sometimes being partners with those so treated.” Hebrews 10:32-33
Iran
Global Shipping
Voice of the Martyrs In a recent magazine, Voice of the Martyrs shared the story of Ramtin Soodmand and his family. Ramtin had worked as a leader and evangelist in Iran for about 30 years, but always in secret since unauthorized Christian activity is illegal in that country. Then in January 2021, when Ramtin and his wife were watching a movie together at home, plainclothes officers appeared at his door and informed him that they knew of his activities in the underground church. They offered him a deal by which he would become a puppet of the government: he would pastor a church of members chosen by the government, in which he followed the directives of the government. If he refused their offer, they would arrest him immediately. Ramtin knew others who had been persecuted and even killed by the Iranian government, including his own father and the pastor who had baptized him. He told them that he would cooperate, but only to avoid immediate arrest. In the two days they gave him to report to the government offices, Ramtin made arrangements to leave the country in secret. His wife, daughter, and son fled soon after. Pray for Ramtin and his family as they start a new life in a new place. Pray that they experience God’s care and provision for them as they wonder if they made the right choice. Pray for other Christians who are risking everything to share about the love of Christ with others in Iran.
Wall Street Journal Between the grounding of the EverGiven and the backlog at the Port of LA, many of us have become more aware of the global shipping industry and the role cargo and container ships play in moving goods around the world. But sometimes things don’t go right onboard, and the crew of the ship ends up stranded in limbo: waiting for their pay, running out of food, and wondering when they will be able to get home. The Journal reported on the plight of the 11 men aboard the ship Haj Abdullah who languished for three months when their ship developed a crack in the hull after a storm and began taking on water. The ship became stranded in Somalia when it ran out of fuel and couldn’t buy more. The crew was not allowed to leave the ship due to the hazardous cargo onboard. The insurer canceled coverage because they said the ship wasn’t seaworthy. The ship’s owner had seemingly abandoned the ship. They were sailing under the jurisdiction of Sierra Leone. This is not unusual: in order to save money on shipping costs, many ships are now registered in poorer nations such as Sierra Leone. But when the crew asked Sierra Leone for help, they weren’t able to get it for months. Finally the hull was able to be mended and the ship was able to continue towards its original destination of Tanzania, where they are hoping to finally reach an end to their odyssey. Pray for the crew of the Haj Abdullah, and the more than 1,000 other sailors who are facing similar situations on cargo ships worldwide. Pray that they would be treated justly and not be abandoned when problems arise.
Honduras, El Salvador, Guatamala WorldVision.org Pray for people living in the “northern triangle” nations of Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. Pray for economic opportunities in these nations that would give good jobs to lift people out of poverty. Pray for the government to be able to protect its citizens from violence. Pray that 2022 would bring new hope and opportunity so that parents can provide for their families and build up these nations.
- Jonathan Peske If you have information to share about the persecuted church or news from the mission field, please share it with Jonathan Peske.
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