The Voice of the Martyrs

BELARUS (Forum 18 News Service)
Two Baptists are set to have their personal property confiscated-in one case a car-while a third is having his pay docked after the three visited a hospital at Easter to sing hymns and hand out New Testaments. A local regional religious affairs official told Forum 18 that the Baptists had broken the law because-among other violations-they did not get the hospital authorities' permission to hold "a mass event with music and give out literature." Their other offenses included the fact that two of the Baptists are from Brest, which is outside the region where the hospital is located, and that they do not belong to a registered church. ( Click here )

Pray these believers will remain bold in their witness for Christ. Pray God will protect members of The International Union of Baptist Churches. Pray the Lord will have mercy on all in Belarus who call themselves Christians, drawing them into a deep and personal faith in their Savior.


JORDAN (Compass Direct)
The Supreme Islamic Court of Jordan has accepted Christian widow Siham Qandah's last possible appeal to disqualify the court-approved Muslim guardian fighting to take custody of her two minor children. Reportedly, the new Supreme Court has ordered the lower Islamic court handling the case to investigate the guardian's use of large sums of money ($17,650) from the children's UN-allocated trust funds. The children's Muslim uncle was given custody of the children in 1995, after an Islamic court produced a "conversion" certificate showing Qandah's husband had secretly converted to Islam three years before he died while serving in the U.N. peacekeeping forces in Kosovo. Qandah first filed an appeal for custody of her children in 1998, when she discovered that large sums of money were being taken from the children's benefits.

Give thanks to God that He has given Siham Qandah one more chance to obtain legal custody of her children. Pray the lower court investigating the case will rule in her favor. Pray Christians worldwide will continue to intercede for Qandah until the issue is settled and her family can live without fear.


CHINA (Compass Direct)
There is now clear evidence of a crackdown on "illegal religious activities," especially unregistered Christian group activities, as well as a tightening of controls on academic and media activities related to religion. Even projects of the state-controlled Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) involving foreigners have been put on hold. Provincial governors have been ordered to report directly to Beijing on the state of religion in their provinces, a rare development showing the concern at the very highest levels that religion-and particularly Christianity-is perceived as a threat to political stability. ( Click here )

Pray people in China will continue to seek the Lord. Pray TSPM leaders will stand against government restrictions and boldly take a stand for Jesus. Pray government leaders, unwilling to give up their power, will surrender to the love of the All-Powerful One.


VIETNAM (VOM Sources)
On Sunday, August 29th, Pastor Tran Mai was arrested at the Vietnam border. He was entering his country without a lot of people around to witness, and no one knows where he is now. Pastor Mai has been relatively safe in the past because of his "high profile" as a church leader. But considering the government's plans to crack down on house-church movements, there is a possibility they will not let anyone know his whereabouts for some time. Mrs. Mai is very sick and also in need of prayer.

Pray God will protect Pastor Mai, keep him safe, and bring him home quickly. Pray he will know the presence of Jesus with him under all circumstances. Pray God will heal Mrs. Mai and give His supernatural peace to all Pastor Mai's family. Pray the government leaders will come to know the joy of the Lord.


PAKISTAN (Christian Monitor/Pakistan Christian Post)
On August 14th, a day when Pakistan celebrates its independence from British rule, a Christian youth, Nasir Masih, was picked up by police on suspicion of theft charges. He was tortured for two days, denying the theft, which he never committed. His family members did not know his whereabouts until they were informed of his death on August 19th. ( Click here )

Pray God will comfort Nasir's family. Pray Jesus will give Nasir's family and friends the power to forgive those who tortured him. Pray the Holy Spirit will convict those who treated him so brutally and will lead them to Jesus' forgiveness and peace.