Page 2 - Voice of the Persecuted Christians - Jan-Mar 2022 - 121

Welcome
by Paul Robinson, CEO
Fellowship. What does it mean to you? Perhaps a chat over coffee at church after
a Sunday service? Maybe meeting together with other Christians in small home groups? How important is it to you?
included a number of prayers for our brothers and sisters in each of the specific countries highlighted. After reading each section please do take time to pray for our persecuted family. We may not see immediate results but we know that prayer changes situations.
Reading the testimony of our dear sister
Twen from Eritrea (see pages 6-10) and her declaration that finally being allowed to share a cell with other believers was like being set free from her imprisonment, I am inspired to think more deeply about my fellowship with others and what it would mean to me if it were taken away.
That is why in every edition of Voice we provide three months of daily requests in the Prayer Shield.
No wonder the Bible encourages us not to give up meeting together. Without fellowship we are solitary believers and more vulnerable.
Of course there may well be times when we have no choice, either through health or other circumstances, but generally we should aim
Many of you prayed for Twen over the years of her imprisonment. Thank you so much for those prayers which helped to sustain her during the toughest of times. In fact she says: ‘Your prayers saved me.’ I know that she is grateful for all that intercession. So let us also continue to pray for other Christians around the world who are being oppressed today because of their faith and witness.
to be in fellowship with other believers. If you doubt that, then imagine being separated,
like Twen, from other Christians for a lengthy period of time. What impact would that have on you? Do I, like Twen, value it? I guess we often know only when something is taken away just how important it is. But while we have the freedom to meet let’s take full advantage of it.
If you haven’t had a chance yet to watch the Artless Theatre Company’s powerful stage production of If Prison Walls Could Speak may I encourage you to attend a performance. New dates have been confirmed for England and Scotland for 2023 (see page 21). Petr Jasek, whose story of imprisonment in a brutal Sudanese prison the drama is based on, recounts how he was able to fall asleep peacefully every night despite having to share a cell with ISIS fighters. How was he able to do this? Simple. His church back home was praying for him at that precise hour!
At the start of every year we publish a survey undertaken with partners detailing current persecution and the trends reflected therein.
TRENDS 2023
In this year’s report (pages 12-17) we have
Cover photo: stock image
ARTLESS TOUR DATES
How much do I value fellowship?