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A letter from Christian leader in Afghanistan
Believers in Afghanistan are facing increasing persecution and the following letter carries a news update to Christians Together from a Christian leader in the country.
An Update of the Afghan Christian Refugees Community
Dear All Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus
I thank and praise God for His faithfulness, protection and all blessings on our community in New Delhi in the past two months. I also thank God for your love, kindness, prayers and assistance with our rejected and persecuted community.
Since we are members of the same family of God, and parts of the Body of Christ, our sorrow and happiness are shared and we are to lift up, give hand and encourage each other in the times of happiness and sadness; I am sharing some of our (Afghan Christian Refugee Community) updates with you through this email and my request from you is to please keep praying for us:
These are the headlines:
1. Situation of Believers in Afghanistan:
2. Our situation in New Delhi
3. A Miracle:
4. An urgent request to save a life
5. World Magazine
6. The Afghan Embassy:
7. Distribution of Tracts (One family of 8 members were saved)
8. There is plenty of harvest
9. Nine Baptisms
10. The UNHCR Office shifted
11. Groceries and Stationeries Distribution
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1. Situation of Believers in Afghanistan:
As our community is in regular contact with some of Afghan believer brothers and sisters in Afghanistan and other countries we have received very discouraging news from some believers in Afghanistan, it is painful to see that our brothers in the first line of battle are discouraged. I have talked to some Afghan Christian Leaders in Afghanistan, they were sharing their testimonies that how the Afghan Government is taking and keeping all records of their movements, sittings and activities, that all foreigner brothers and sister have left them and do not want to meet them because of the security situation, they are carrying all these suffering, persecution and pain on their shoulders and there is no one to give a hand or take their hands, it was very painful to hear all this, and my request is that please kindly and seriously pray for them and lets think how we can encourage them.
2. Our situation in New Delhi
Our situation and status in Delhi is the same, there are still many brothers and sisters whose UNHCR Applications are closed, they are underground, hiding from the Indian Police and there is no response on their reopening from the UNHCR, New Delhi Office.
We had some great achievements in the past months, as Aman Ali and Rahimullah whose applications were rejected were called by the UNHCR Office for Appeal Interview and we pray that they may get the refugee status, but we have 7 applications still closed which means that the lives of 12 people (7 applications) are in danger, they are facing deportation and if deported execution will be waiting for them. Please pray for these brothers and sisters and please kindly help us and guide us how to save their lives with the help and power of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
3. A Miracle:
One widow sister who has recently accepted the Lord Jesus Christ received a deportation order from the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs on 24 June 201l, the police came to her home and warned her that she should leave India on 27 of June 2011, otherwise they will arrest and put her in the Detention Center from where she will be deported to Afghanistan. I contacted the EFI Office and sent emails to the UNHCR Office on 24 and 27th June to help her, and it was unbelievable and a miracle that the UNHCR Office reopened her closed refugee application on 27th Afternoon and received a certificate from the UNHCR Office that would let her to stay in India and be protected by the UNHCR office, it was such a big encouragement for her in the Lord and also for us, praise God for this.
4. An urgent request to save a life
Sahar who is a 5 years old child and whose photo is attached with this email has bones cancer (orthopedic cancer), her family has recently moved to India, the family has 8 members, father, mother, three daughters and three sons, the family has spent all their
Financial strength on Sahar's treatment in Afghanistan and they are struggling with the different aspects of their life in India now. I kindly request you to pray for Sahar's health and God's providence for her treatment.
5. World Magazine
The World Magazine has published an article on the issues of Christian persecution, beheading of an Afghan Christian and the general situation in Afghanistan, they have interviewed me. I am getting very good response from brothers and sisters from different parts of the world that people are praying for Afghan Christians.
6. The Afghan Embassy:
One Afghan Christian asylum seeker, who is working as a daily wage hospital interpreter in Delhi, has helped one of his Muslim friends who had cancer, his Muslim friend did not have money in hand and the believer brother helped him financially by paying a loan for his treatment. , but when the treatment was done, the Muslim friend told him that you are a pagan, I don't return your loan, Allah give me reward if I hurt or mistreat a pagan. The believer brother asked the police to help him, but his Muslim friend went to the Afghan Embassy and the General Secretary of the Afghan Embassy warned the believer brother that the Embassy will come with the Indian police to his house and deport him to Afghanistan, his Muslim friend also warned him that he will kill the believer brother’s brother-in-law and brother in Afghanistan.
The Afghan Embassy has good relation with the Indian Government; they can arrest and deport people as they had deported one believer sister in the past and she was killed in Afghanistan, the Embassy give warning to individuals, they misuse their diplomatic rights and shelter. Please pray for this believer brother and please give us your legal advices what to do?
7. Distribution of Tracts (One family of 8 members were saved)
We have distributed more than thousand Dari and Pashtu Gospel tracts to hundreds of Afghan Muslims in New Delhi; we are receiving very good response from the people,
one family of eight members who has received one of these tracts, have contacted us and they are coming to the Afghan Church regularly, please pray and support this ministry as India is the best place for Afghans to receive the Gospel now, there are plenty of opportunities to distribute tracts and share the Gospel.
8. There is plenty of harvest
During the past three months, 32 new Afghan Christians have come to India, and they have joined us, please pray for all of them as they are learning the Bible growing in the Lord.
9. Nine Baptisms
Nine Afghan Christians were baptized on 23rd of July 2011 by our church; please keep them in your prayers as they have started their journey walking with the Lord.
10. The UNHCR Office shifted
The UNHCR Office has shifted to New Building which is a remote area and it is very difficult to get there, their new address is:
B/16 Vasant Vihar, New Delhi, India.
Please kindly change it in your databases and dairies.
11. Groceries and Stationeries Distribution
We have received some donation (groceries, school stationery and etc) from different individuals, we distributed a one month groceries packages (14) to 14 families, we distributed school stationery to 35 children , helped one teenager girl with her school admission last week, and we are regularly distributing the monthly school fee for 50 children.
This was a short summery of God’s blessings and our prayers request, our community is very encouraged and really helped by all of you, we request to keep praying for us.
May God bless all of you
Pastor Obaid
<Name of organisation>
New Delhi, India
Afghan Church in New Delhi
Ed footnote: Anyone wishing to be in contact with the writer of the above letter can contact the Editor for contact details.
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Christian leader in Afghanistan, 31/07/2011
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