Email to Persecuted  |

Awake and Strengthen those fences Posted on 01/30/2012 12:00 AM   |  EMail to Friend   |  View Comments (5)

She is tiny and loves her bright orange coat and little yellow gloves. It has been cold again. I had a splitting headache and was searching for a sunny spot after Church to stand in when little Arzoo came running up to me. She pulled at my sleeve and smiled up at me from behind gorgeous long eye lashes. She offered me a piece of chocolate which I took only to put back in her mouth. She is 5 but the words she spoke just after that shocked me 'No didi (whch means big sister), I will get fat and will not be able to become a model when I grow up'. I nearly passed out. I hugged her and told her she was made to be Jesus' Arzoo. I hope she got it coz words failed me at that moment. I am scared for the next generation of kids. After last week's episode with my cousin's son and now Arzoo's comment I can see the stark rift and gulf between Pakistan's own children. Some are being sought out by the wolf of Islamic extremism and others by the ravenous seular liberalism. Now I am not saying that models are bad or there is no need for Christian models but Pakistan is way more complex than that my friends. Another cousin of mine, with her dark hair and slim figure went into modelling and acting. Soon she was talking about how Allah and the God of the Bible are the same and all paths lead to God and before I knew it her name changed and she was soon married to a Muslim. In my own family I am witnessing the power of the encroaching enemy. Arzoo's mum has always told us of how hard it was in their village where Christians kids were not allowed to drink water at the same tap as the Muslim kids and the Muslim kids would not share their lunch with the Christian kids for fear of the contamination of their food. I hugged little Arzoo and committed her into Jesus' care and promised the Lord that I would do everything to strengthen the fence aournd His flock that wolves would not get in and attack his sheep. Will you pray this with me?

To stay or not to stay Posted on 01/25/2012 12:00 AM   |  EMail to Friend   |  View Comments (0)

'Mum I do not want to go to school I can take it no more', this is the cry of my 7 year old cousin. It sounds so grown up and mature. But this 7 year old is for real and so is the dancing and chanting around him during break time, when he is called names for being a Christian. And this is no tiny government school in the middle of no where. This is a well known school in the heart of the city where wealthy kids go. 'Mama no more mama. They keep wanting to know why I go to the poor peoples' clubs on Sunday morning? They keep making fun of me mama. Please can we go away to Canada. Please can we leave this country? Mama they make fun of you being dark and say daddy's just the sweeper at work'. His mum was quick to reply 'Timothy, where do you go on Sunday morning?' 'To Church' he replied with his eyes turned down and tears glistening around his eyes. 'Why do you go to Church?' she continued 'To see Jesus' he sulked 'Then never ever deny that and never ever feel ashamed of being a Christian, of following Jesus and belonging to Him. Never ever worry about what they think of us. We belong to Jesus. Yes I am dark coloured and you and I both know your daddy is not the sweeper at work, but so what if he did? Timothy, be brave my son. We decided not to go. When Jesus says 'Go' we will go but till then we are here and the sweepers are human too. They do not have Canadian visas. Come here' she said softening and holding him close. Friends, this is real. I witnessed this conversation when I went to stay with my cousin for the weekend. I hugged him and loved on him a little. We giggled about his spikey hair and then he fell asleep. We stayed up late, his parents, I and Abraham. We talked about what kids go through in Pakistan. We talked about the difficulties of being a kid at school and where would it stop, 'Today they are dancing and chanting what could this turn into?' Abraham asked with concern. His mother wept and his dad bit his lip. Business has not been good for them and the temptation to go to the USA or Canada is so strong when something like this happens. Pray for Christians who remain in Pakistan who want to remain in the center of God's will. The days ahead promise us one thing: difficulty. His Word promises us He is Emmanuel.

Grace in a fallen world Posted on 01/15/2012 12:00 AM   |  EMail to Friend   |  View Comments (4)

Daadi's appointment went ok. She will go in for surgery soon. The best eye surgeons used to be Christians but the Christian eye hospitals have been closed down or bought from the Church. Abraham sat at breakfast this morning and complained and argued with Abba and Daadi about corruption in the Church and how there are a handful of men and women in the Church who are selling so much of the Church property to Muslims and lining their own pockets. He was furious as are all of us. Abba tried to calm him down telling him that while there are men who are a destructive element despite their high position in the Church, there are also people who are doing much good for the Church. Sometimes when we get into these discsussions they go on for ever. Baba has always told us that what we do must be because we have heard God speak to us and have made best use of our resources and privleges.'Not every one is able to go to the schools you go to and not every one has travelled like you kids. Not every one has been able to have good Christian teaching and read the Bible for themselves. Many of the people who are used as 'mafia in the Church' are people who have never really had exposure to the truth'. It is true. Everytime I look at the little ones at Church my heart swells and my eyes cannot contain the tears. Three of the kids I grew up with have left the faith. One girl became a Muslim to marry the guy she worked with, another guy became a Muslim because of his girlfiend and yet another is on the verge of losing faith in God because of the orruption in some of the Churches. Our pastor tried to set his mind at ease and encourage him that while these things happen in a fallen world, we will have to rise above that and work to correct that which is gone wrong in grace, love and in an attitude that is Christ like. We must not repay corruption with further corruption or the downward spirial will take us as a Church so low and who will come after us if even those with responsibility sink that deep? It is true. Things are bad. The desperation of our land and the persecution of the people have created a mutation in the faith of the people. We need prayer for us to hold on firm that we be not a stumbling block to others and that we fall not into the same sin we see others fall into. Let us not forget the significance of what Jesus taught us to pray 'Lead us not in temptation but deliver us from evil' and may we ever remember the Church is His bride. Pray we may defend the bride well and also invite others to the wedding feat and help them prepare for it. These are critical times. May we give honour to HIS name and His name alone. Those were Baba's words as he got up from the breakfast table and left for work.

A garment of praise for this people Posted on 01/13/2012 12:00 AM   |  EMail to Friend   |  View Comments (2)

Amma asked me to accompany her to the doctor with Daadi. I brought my note book to write in while I wait. Daadi is losing sight. It makes us sad to see her lose confidence with every step she takes into a darkening world, it also gives me courage to see her faith become active in a whole new way. The promise of the Pslams that God will not let her foot to stumble and will set angels around her is more meaningful to her as she goes about every day chores in the familiar environment of our home. Then she steps out the front door and while her faith is strong in a different way, she asked me this morning ‘would I be able to sing His praises if you children did not take care of me the way you do?’. In a world that is going crazy with all kinds of technology and with an over load of data and news, it is important to have simple reminders like this one Daadi just articulated. Hospitals are strange places where we face raw humanity. Peoples’ eyes and faces are open books. You see the complete despair in the eyes of people and the question marks in every breath they breathe ‘What next?’ Outside the cardiologist’s door a row of mothers and babies stood. One walked over to me and asked if she could sit where I was and I would give her cover while she fed her baby. It was the perfect spot where men could not look over to where we were. She held her little baby girl to herself and then unwrapped her huge shawl for the little one to take her feed. I heard her muttering something and I turned around to see tears streaming down her face and her eyes set on a blank space while her mouth uttered and re uttered a string of prayerful phrases in the hope Allah would have mercy. The thick black string around her neck told me she had visited a holy man, called a pir, who had prescribed a prayer for her as well as given her an amulet to use. Her eyes were heavy and tired and every line in her young face was visible. I smiled at her and she seemed to use every muscle in her body to make her lips curl into a smile. Her question was loud even in her breathing, muttering and sighing ‘Will Allah hear my prayer and save my sick child or are my sins too many that they will prevent my prayers from coming before Him?’ I said a small prayer for her in my heart. She said thank you and got up. I told her she could sit. She was obviously a new mother with a sick baby. She was probably tired from the roller coaster of the past year. She sat gladly back into the chair and closed her eyes. Daadi started to talk to her and she told us her baby was sick. No more as her husband was walking around. I do not know her name and she did not tell us much more. But she is one of many in a land of suffering people where so many babies seem to have heart conditions and every few days we hear of young men dying from heart attacks. No holy man and no amulets and prescribed prayers will ever still the hearts of those who suffer and seek the peace that my daadi displays in her old age and loss of sight. Please pray for us that we be as Jesus to people like this young girl. Her suffering was like a garment she wore and my prayer for her is that she be clothed in a garment of praise.