Open Doors Highlights July- August 2025
1. Our brothers and sisters in Christ in Myanmar have been affected by an earthquake, they face this challenge on top of severe persecution- it is #13 on the Open Doors World Watchlist.
2. We learn of Yasin a Christian in an undisclosed Middle Eastern/ North African country. He risked losing his wife and daughter but they saw the change in him.
Yasin has been violently attacked by his brother several times but since, his wife and daughter have also come to Christ.
He has had to close his business and work as a sheperd .
He ofcourse wanted to leave his village but each time God convicted him to stay. He has seen two of his persecutors now attend church!
3. A celebration of Open Doors smuggling Bibles for 70 years- we hear of a modern Bible smuggler Daniel... who escaped being caught.. with humour!
Daniel always knew a trick, the airport scanner was too small for his box and customs always just waved him through... until there was an upgrade.
The officer demanded Daniel to put the box on the scanner, the books were now visible on the machine. The customs officer got a large knife to inspect but the knife almost hit Daniel, he goofed around pretending to be hurt, the guards laughed and liked him so much they waved him through.
The ways God works......
4. Khada from Afghanistan made the bold move under the Taliban government to share her faith with her family.. and they believed on Christ!
Although from a different culture and a different view and perspective on life, they experience the love and freedom of God we do!
5. Somayeh from Iran went to church to challenge everything she heard but God had other plans.
At the church service she felt the overwhelming presence of God and when she walked out, she felt like a bird released from a cage.
Her violent, abusive husband discovered her faith, tore up her Bible, but in the middle of the tears she heard God say "Your name is written in the book of life".
Ofcourse her abusive husband deliberately moved her and their daughter to a new location so she would have no contact with her family in Christ.
In the middle of crying to God and asking why this happened to her, she felt God say "I want to build a church here"
The church grew to more than 30 members but one day she recieved a message from the Iranian intelligence authorities saying "We will see you soon"
She fled the Country with her daughter but she is now able to attend a Persian speaking church.
END
In my opinion Somayeh's story especially shows us the value of fellowship- we can only imagine Somayeh treasuring the memories of her Iranian Church family, worshipping God under the Iranian night sky in those secret houses, the sounds of joy, laughter and worship, she even risked being caught to experience it- but some in the West refuse this safe experience (safe for us) and decide to follow a 'lone wolf' Christian walk which always ends in disaster.
Do you care for your persecuted Church family as your own family? If not you may need to read John and 1 John again...
2. We learn of Yasin a Christian in an undisclosed Middle Eastern/ North African country. He risked losing his wife and daughter but they saw the change in him.
Yasin has been violently attacked by his brother several times but since, his wife and daughter have also come to Christ.
He has had to close his business and work as a sheperd .
He ofcourse wanted to leave his village but each time God convicted him to stay. He has seen two of his persecutors now attend church!
3. A celebration of Open Doors smuggling Bibles for 70 years- we hear of a modern Bible smuggler Daniel... who escaped being caught.. with humour!
Daniel always knew a trick, the airport scanner was too small for his box and customs always just waved him through... until there was an upgrade.
The officer demanded Daniel to put the box on the scanner, the books were now visible on the machine. The customs officer got a large knife to inspect but the knife almost hit Daniel, he goofed around pretending to be hurt, the guards laughed and liked him so much they waved him through.
The ways God works......
4. Khada from Afghanistan made the bold move under the Taliban government to share her faith with her family.. and they believed on Christ!
Although from a different culture and a different view and perspective on life, they experience the love and freedom of God we do!
5. Somayeh from Iran went to church to challenge everything she heard but God had other plans.
At the church service she felt the overwhelming presence of God and when she walked out, she felt like a bird released from a cage.
Her violent, abusive husband discovered her faith, tore up her Bible, but in the middle of the tears she heard God say "Your name is written in the book of life".
Ofcourse her abusive husband deliberately moved her and their daughter to a new location so she would have no contact with her family in Christ.
In the middle of crying to God and asking why this happened to her, she felt God say "I want to build a church here"
The church grew to more than 30 members but one day she recieved a message from the Iranian intelligence authorities saying "We will see you soon"
She fled the Country with her daughter but she is now able to attend a Persian speaking church.
END
In my opinion Somayeh's story especially shows us the value of fellowship- we can only imagine Somayeh treasuring the memories of her Iranian Church family, worshipping God under the Iranian night sky in those secret houses, the sounds of joy, laughter and worship, she even risked being caught to experience it- but some in the West refuse this safe experience (safe for us) and decide to follow a 'lone wolf' Christian walk which always ends in disaster.
Do you care for your persecuted Church family as your own family? If not you may need to read John and 1 John again...
