Barnabas aid July August 2019

barnabasaid

barnabasfund.org JULY/AUGUST 2019

BARNABAS FUND - AID AGENCY FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH - BRINGING HOPE TO SUFFERING CHRISTIANS

TREE OF HOPE

Bringing hope and aid around the world

FEEL, PRAY, SPEAK, GIVE

What you can do to help your persecuted family

YOUR LEGACY

Earthly treasures are of no use in eternity

Fruits of Love to the one in ten Christians around the world facing discrimination and persecution

What helps make Barnabas Fund distinctive from other Christian organisations that deal with persecution?

The Barnabas Fund Distinctive We work by: ●● Directing our aid only to Christians, although its benefits may not be exclusive to them (“As we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

Galatians 6:10, emphasis added) ●● Channelling money from Christians through Christians to Christians (we do not send people, we only send money) ●● Channelling money through existing structures in the countries where funds are sent (e.g. local churches or Christian organisations) ●● Using the money to fund projects which have been developed by local Christians in their own communities, countries or regions ●● Considering any request, however small ●● Acting as equal partners with the persecuted Church, whose leaders often help shape our overall direction

How to find us International Headquarters The Old Rectory, River Street, Pewsey, Wiltshire SN9 5DB, UK Telephone 01672 564938 Fax 01672 565030 From outside UK: Telephone +44 1672 564938 Fax +44 1672 565030 Email info@barnabasfund.org Australia PO BOX 3527, LOGANHOLME, QLD 4129 Telephone (07) 3806 1076 or 1300 365 799 Fax (07) 3806 4076 Email bfaustralia@barnabasfund.org Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland Office address: Office 113 Russell Business Centre 40-42 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 6AA Please send post to our UK office address.

Telephone 07875 539003 Email ireland@barnabasfund.org

barnabasaid the magazine of Barnabas Fund Published by Barnabas Aid Inc. 6731 Curran St, McLean, Virginia 22101, USA Email info@barnabasfund.org © Barnabas Aid Inc. 2018. For permission to reproduce articles from this magazine, please contact the International Headquarters address above.

●● Acting on behalf of the persecuted Church, to be their voice - making their needs known to Christians around the world and the injustice of their persecution known to governments and international bodies

We seek to: ●● meet both practical and spiritual needs ●● encourage, strengthen and enable the existing local Church and Christian communities - so they can maintain their presence and witness rather than setting up our own structures or sending out missionaries ●● tackle persecution at its root by making known the aspects of the Islamic faith and other ideologies that result in injustice and oppression of Christians and others ●● inform and enable Christians in the West to respond to the growing challenge of Islam and other ideologies to Church, society and mission in their own countries

●● facilitate global intercession for the persecuted Church by providing comprehensive prayer material ●● safeguard and protect our volunteers, staff, partners and beneficiaries ●● keep our overheads low

We believe: ●● we are called to address both religious and secular ideologies that deny full religious liberty to Christian minorities - while continuing to show God’s love to all people ●● in the clear Biblical teaching that Christians should treat all people of all faiths with love and compassion, even those who seek to persecute them ●● in the power of prayer to change people’s lives and situations, either through grace to endure or through deliverance from suffering “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”

(Matthew 25:40)

You may contact Barnabas Fund at the following addresses New Zealand PO Box 276018, Manukau City, Auckland, 2241 Telephone (09) 280 4385 or 0800 008 805 Email office@barnabasfund.org.nz Germany German supporters may send gifts for Barnabas Fund via Hilfe für Brüder who will provide you with a tax-deductible receipt.

Please mention that the donation is for “SPC 20 Barnabas Fund”. If you would like your donation to go to a specific project of Barnabas Fund, please inform the Barnabas Fund office in Pewsey, UK. Account holder: Hilfe für Brüder International e.V. Account number: 415 600 Bank: Evang Kreditgenossenschaft Stuttgart IBAN: DE89520604100000415600 BIC: GENODEF1EK1

To guard the safety of Christians in hostile environments, names may have been changed or omitted.

Thank you for your understanding.

Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders and obtain permission for stories and images used in this publication.

Barnabas Fund apologises for any errors or omissions and will be grateful for any further information regarding copyright.

Singapore Cheques in Singapore dollars payable to “Olive Aid Trust” may be sent to: Olives Aid Sdn Bhd, P.O. Box 03124 Subang Jaya, 47507 Selangor, MALAYSIA Singaporean supporters may send gifts for Barnabas Fund online via Olive Aid Trust: Beneficiary: OLIVE AID TRUST Bank Name: United Overseas Bank (Malaysia) Berhad Swift Code: UOVBMYKL Location: KUALA LUMPUR Account Number: 140-901-654-0 USA 6731 Curran St, McLean, VA 22101 Telephone (703) 288-1681 or toll-free 1-866-936-2525 Fax (703) 288-1682 Email usa@barnabasaid.org

South Africa Office 301, 3rd Floor, Eikestad mall, 43 Andringa Street, Stellenbosch 7599 Telephone +27 21 808 1668 Email bfsa@barnabasfund.org UK 9 Priory Row, Coventry CV1 5EX Telephone 024 7623 1923 Fax 024 7683 4718 From outside the UK Telephone +44 24 7623 1923 Fax +44 24 7683 4718 Email info@barnabasfund.org Registered charity number 1092935 Company registered in England number 04029536 For a list of all trustees, please contact Barnabas Fund UK at the Coventry address above.

To donate by credit card please visit the website www.barnabasfund.org/au or phone the Queensland office on 1300 365 799 or (07) 3806 1076 Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations are taken from the New International Version®.

Front Cover: A Pakistani Christian girl

Editorial

Contents

The trees of the Lord are full of sap

4 Compassion in Action

The goats that keep on giving for South Sudanese refugees

(Psalm 104:16)

A

towering tree grows from a tiny seed – thanks to the Lord, who creates and sustains it.

A work of God may do the same. Twenty-six years ago, Barnabas Fund was a tiny seed, just beginning to germinate.

No one expected it to grow big. Only the Lord knew what, in His graciousness, He had planned.

We are humbled, overwhelmed, thankful and utterly amazed at what the Lord has done. The little seedling has kept growing, has survived storms, pests and hungry animals. It has been pruned into shape and productivity. It has become a Tree of Hope bearing Fruits of Love to nourish and strengthen the Lord’s suffering people.

The nutritious soil from which the Barnabas Tree of Hope grows, and which holds it firm, is the love of God Almighty. The love of our Father always gives us hope. His power protects us. He is the ultimate source of the life-giving water and nutrients without which we would first wither and then die.

The roots of our tree are the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our firm foundation. And the sap that flows through our tree is the Holy Spirit, bringing life, encouragement and guidance.

The Holy Spirit invigorates the trunk, branches and twigs of the Tree of Hope, which is the worshipping community of Barnabas supporters, who trust the Lord. They are like the tree planted by the water in Jeremiah 17:8, a tree of hope that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. A tree full of sap is a blessed and flourishing tree (Psalm 104:16).

The branches and twigs of the Barnabas Tree of Hope are Christians reaching out in love to other Christians, offering hope and practical help, all infused with the love of God. They bear a multitude of fruit – the practical help for persecuted Christians, funded by Barnabas supporters all around the world.

This fruit, in its turn, brings forth a new generation of believers. So a tree is not just for one generation but for future generations too. A legacy gift to Barnabas will bless believers yet unborn. As Jesus said, a seed that falls into the ground and dies will bring forth much fruit (John 12:24).

Without the love of God through Jesus Christ and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit the tree would not exist. But it does, and the continuing harvest of fruit is proof of the nourishing blessings that God continues to shower on this world.

5 6

In Brief

8

Tree of Hope

Aasia Bibi and family safely resettled in Canada

Barnabas’ work, sustained by God, bears abundant Fruits of Love thanks to our supporters

9 13

Wonderful fruits of compassion

17

What can I do?

Around 104,587 Christian victims of violence have been helped by Barnabas in the last five years alone

How you can feel and pray for, speak about and give practical help to your suffering brothers and sisters

20

What will be your legacy?

22

In Touch

After you have gone to glory your gift will continue to minister to the next generation of your persecuted family

Barnabas has been busy out and about across Australia during convention season

how barnabas is helping Church building repairs in Uzbekistan keep out wind and rain In Uzbekistan, it is illegal for Christians to meet for worship or prayer in private homes. Church buildings are the only place where they can legally worship the Lord together.

Congregations are often small and poor, so cannot afford to cover the costs of repairs. Barnabas assisted five churches to finance major repairs. The improvements to the buildings encouraged believers to stand strong in their faith as they saw that others care.

Two church buildings had damaged and leaking roofs. Two others had poorly fitting windows, letting in the bitterly cold wind in the winter and letting out the noise of singing, which drew unwanted attention to the worshippers who were mainly converts from Islam. One also provided much needed accommodation for homeless Christians.

Goats multiply and sustain South Sudanese refugees Christians from South Sudan who fled from violence and hunger face the challenge of self-sufficiency in refugee Camp Rhino in Uganda.

With no employment comes no income. Peace in their homeland is uncertain, so for many returning is out of the question.

Barnabas Fund is supporting a livelihood programme among refugees aimed at providing sustainability for 2,400 Christians from 35 congregations in the vast camp. One female goat is given to a refugee who must give away its first kid to someone who has none. On average goats produce one to three kids twice a year.

Pastor Scopas said, “May God bless Barnabas Fund. Our children will have meat and milk. This will contribute to eliminating malnutrition among the children and breast feeding mothers. It is amazing that many of our Christians that had lost all their animals in South Sudan have some animals to graze.”

Before and after the repair work to a church roof

$9,522 for repairs and improvements to five church buildings Project reference: 00-637

Christmas comes to Christian children in Syria During the eight-year Syrian conflict, Christians not only endured the horrors of war but also found themselves specially targeted by the Islamist rebel groups who kidnapped, murdered and bombed them.

Children in Syria suffered beyond our imagination. They saw family and friends die and homes and schools destroyed. Many are distraught at not being able to go to school.

“The psychological toll of living through eight years wondering if today will be their last is enormous.

Research on the children’s mental health and wellbeing during the war revealed horrible accounts of terrified children, and the majority show signs of severe emotional distress,” a Barnabas’ partner reported.

To bring a little joy to these children last Christmas, Barnabas provided gifts to 1,000 Syrian Christian children. Each received a school bag with school supplies ($29), a hat, scarf and gloves ($4.20 for each item) for the intensely cold Syrian winter, various hygiene items and a Christmas gift.

A traumatic life of war and persecution is all many Syrian Christian children have known so Christmas gifts brought much needed joy

$27,796 for 420 goats Project reference: PR1403 (East Africa Hope – self-sufficiency)

$57,410 for gifts for 1,000 children Project reference: 00-1032

Compassion in action

Strengthened and encouraged. This is what we often hear from Christians who have received support from Barnabas Fund. Thank you for making this possible. Here are just a few examples of the many ways we have recently helped persecuted and pressurised Christians.

Relief for poor Christian families in the bitterly cold Armenian winter Shirak is one of the poorest regions of Armenia with 46% living in poverty and an unemployment rate of 64%.

Thousands live in temporary shelters without basic amenities.

Barnabas Fund helped a local church provide winter relief for extra vulnerable Christian families, such as 86-year-old Lida, who is deaf and lives with her daughter Gayane, 64, who has been blind since birth. Eighty families received a fuel allowance ($280) as the temperature can drop to below -30°C. Two hundred families received food baskets ($69).

Gayane expressed her thankfulness for the help, remembering how she had been diagnosed with cancer in 2012 and broke her leg in 2016, which the doctors refused to treat. “God cured me from cancer, restored my broken bones and did not leave me alone. Thank you to those who are compassionate towards our needs.”

New church halls replace makeshift tents in Indonesia The earthquake and tsunami that hit Central Sulawesi, Indonesia in September 2018 caused massive destruction of church buildings.

Congregations resorted to meeting in home-made tents but these were not large enough to provide cover for everyone and many were discouraged from going to worship.

Barnabas has so far funded the construction of 14 multi-purpose halls for churches affected by the natural disaster, as well as providing emergency food and rebuilding homes.

Yunus, a church elder, testified, “When they [the church members] saw the new building just starting to stand, their spirit to worship the Lord has returned. Before we didn’t believe we can build a new church building in a short time. We needed 20 years to build our previous church that was destroyed by the tsunami. This is truly a miracle from the Lord.”

Lida, who is deaf, with her blind daughter Gayane (left)

One of the multi-purpose halls constructed as a church building in Central Sulawesi

$36,562 for winter relief for 280 families

$147,455 for 14 multipurpose halls

Project reference: 79-719

Project reference: 00-634

Barnabas Aid July/August 2019 5

“Easy to Read” New Testaments sent all over Thailand Barnabas has funded the distribution of 65,000 Thai “Easy to Read Version” (ERV) New Testaments from the northern border to the far south of Thailand to believers who have no access to the Bible.

Khonprisit, a church leader from Chiang Rai, said, “The Bible is really something that is needed in Thailand, because it is so expensive for most people and it is difficult for people to get as in most areas it’s not even available.” Bibles are obtainable in cities like Bangkok but it can still be a struggle to find one.

The Thai Standard Bible is very hard for an uneducated person to understand. The ERV New Testament has been translated so that ordinary people can read it with ease.

Ritmaha, 22, a Christian from the impoverished north-east is thankful, “The New Testament you sent is easy to read and it is an understandable Bible … Thank you for creating this version and for giving them away freely.”

Khonprisit with the Thai Easy to Read Version New Testament

$12,448 to cover the distribution of 65,000 Thai New Testaments Project reference: 00-362 (Bibles and Scriptures Fund)

In brief

6 July/August 2019 Barnabas Aid

Aasia Bibi and family safely resettle in Canada PAKISTAN

Disappointment for Christians as Sudanese military says sharia law should remain SUDAN

Aasia Bibi and one of her daughters Aasia Bibi, who was acquitted of “blasphemy” charges by Pakistan’s Supreme Court on 31 October 2018, has resettled with her family in Canada.

This news was made public on 8 May but Barnabas Fund had been aware for some time that Aasia Bibi and her family had left Pakistan and were safely resettled in Canada. At the request of Pakistani Christian leaders we did not publicise this information for her safety and to avoid the possibility of violence on the streets of Pakistan.

Stringent secrecy had been maintained over Aasia Bibi’s whereabouts since her release under government protection on 7 November 2018, amid threats on her life from hardline Islamists.

The Christian mother of five had angered Muslim co-workers on 14 June 2009 by drinking water from a shared cup when she fetched them a bucket of water as they picked crops together on a sweltering summer’s day. The Muslims considered that her action made the water “unclean”. An argument ensued, and Aasia Bibi was later accused of “blasphemy”.

Islamic State claims responsibility for Easter Day bombings in Sri Lanka SRI LANKA

In a blow to the country’s Christian and other minorities, the military council in control of Sudan has affirmed that legislation will continue to be based on sharia (Islamic) law.

Lieutenant General Shamseddine Kabbashi stated on 7 May the military rulers accepted in general terms the proposals in a declaration put to it by protest leaders, but lamented that sharia law was not among them.

“The declaration failed to mention the sources of legislation, and the Islamic sharia law and tradition should be the source of legislation,” he said on behalf of the Transitional Military Council (TMC), which took power following the ousting of President Omar al-Bashir in April.

TMC was negotiating with Declaration of Freedom and Change, a coalition of activists and opposition political groups, which at the time of writing, was continuing to stage a sit-in outside the military headquarters in Khartoum.

Police order closure of church building in Egypt EGYPT

Christians in Egypt were ordered by police on 23 April to stop holding services in a building they have been using as a church, amid reports of local Muslims being stirred up to attack it.

Christian families in Mit-Nama, north of Cairo, had only recently bought the building. Their previous attempts to build a church on land they bought in 2001 had to be halted twice because of Muslim extremist attacks at the site.

The Christians remain sceptical about police assurances that construction of the new church would be allowed to go ahead provided they agree to leave their present building.

Children enjoying Sunday school at Zion Evangelical Church in Batticaloa on Easter Sunday. Minutes later many of them were killed when an Islamist suicide bomber detonated his vest in the church grounds Islamic State said it carried out the Easter Day bombings in Sri Lanka that killed 253 people and injured at least 500 others.

Three churches and three luxury hotels, where Christians were known to meet, were targeted in a series of coordinated suicide attacks, focused mainly on the capital Colombo.

The death toll at Zion Evangelical Church in Batticaloa would have been far higher had it not been for the actions of church leader Ramesh who became suspicious of a stranger entering the crowded church and escorted him outside. There the bomber detonated his device, killing Ramesh and at least 28 others, including 14 children.

In brief

Barnabas Aid July/August 2019 7

Court frees four Christians detained by police while training pastors in Nepal NEPAL

Four Christians accused of committing “an act of religious conversion” were released on 29 April after a court hearing in Nepal, in a case victory celebrated by local Christian leaders.

The two Nepali men and one Indian national were working with a US woman to train local pastors in Dang district, midwestern Nepal, when they were arrested by police on 23 April.

The police accused them of trying to “lure conversions” with enticements of money and medical care.

The Nepali Christians and Indian national were in police custody for six days, while the US woman was held under house arrest.

A new law came into force in Nepal in September 2018 that makes it an offence to “involve or encourage in conversion of religion” or “hurt religious sentiment”. While the constitution already prohibits proselytisation, the new law is very vague about what an “attempt” to convert someone might involve and means any public Christian activity is potentially illegal.

Iranian pastor and family “watched and wiretapped” while awaiting prison sentence appeals IRAN

An Iranian Christian has spoken of the surveillance ordeal her father, mother and brother are enduring as they wait for an appeal hearing against lengthy prison sentences imposed for “acting against national security”.

Dabrina Bet Tamraz said her father Pastor Victor, her mother Shamiram and brother Ramiel have been freed on bail in Iran pending a further joint hearing.

Dabrina, who has taken refuge in Switzerland, said, “They are living with constant anxiety, powerless, not having safety even in their own home … They are watched, controlled and wiretapped.”

Victor was pastor of an Assyrian church in Tehran before it was closed for worshipping in Farsi.

Historic Assyrian and Armenian Christian minorities who have their own languages, not spoken by the Muslim majority, are usually allowed to worship freely in those languages. However, Christian worship meetings in Farsi, the national language, spoken by the Muslim majority, are often targeted by the Iranian authorities, in their efforts to discourage conversion of Muslims to Christianity.

Dabrina’s brother Ramiel (pictured), father Victor and mother Shamiram live under the pressures of constant surveillance as they await their appeal hearing Pastor Victor and his wife held meetings in their home prior to their arrest. They have been given sentences of five and ten years, respectively.

In July 2018, their son Ramiel was convicted and imprisoned.

Islamist gunmen carry out four brutal attacks on Christians in Burkina Faso BURKINA FASO

Six Christians including a pastor were shot by Islamist gunmen in Burkina Faso on Sunday 28 April Four people were killed in an attack on a church in northern Burkina Faso on 26 May, in the fourth deadly assault

by Islamist militants on Christians in the region in four weeks.

A heavily armed gang attacked in the town of Toulfe, 240 km north-west of the capital Ouagadougou, while the congregation worshipped.

Local sources said the attack “caused panic in the village and many residents sought cover in their homes or in the bush”.

The latest attack brings the total death toll to 20. The militants’ murderous rampage began on 28 April in Silgadji, when gunmen rounded up the pastor, the pastor’s son and four of the congregation and demanded they deny their Christian faith and convert to Islam. When they refused, they were taken one-by-one behind a building where they were executed.

On 12 May, a gang of between 20 to 30 terrorists stormed into a Sunday service at a church in Dablo where they herded together the pastor and five church leaders and shot them. The terrorists then set fire to the church, before torching a shop and looting a health centre. The next day militants shot and killed four people taking part in a church parade in Zimtenga.

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8 July/August 2019 Barnabas Aid

Fruits of Love Barnabas Funds’ work sustained by God through you for 26 years is bearing wonderful fruits The seed of Barnabas Fund’s Tree of Hope was planted in 1993

From the seed planted 26 years ago, when Barnabas Fund began, our Tree of Hope is steadily growing bigger and producing abundant Fruits of Love, thanks to the grace of God, and the prayers and generosity of our supporters.

Fruits of Love are harvested and distributed to persecuted Christians the world over

These Fruits of Love, grown through the generosity of Barnabas supporters, have enabled us to feed, clothe, heal, educate, equip, train, free, resettle, rehouse, empower and protect hundreds of thousands of persecuted Christians across the world.

Barnabas not only responds with large-scale emergency aid or help to those who face sudden severe and often dramatic persecution, we also meet the simple, everyday practical and spiritual needs of our Christian brothers and sisters who are discriminated against and harassed, often on a daily basis; Christians in places where the mere act of worship can incur severe punishment, or even death.

The future of the Church

Children are always at the forefront of our thoughts at Barnabas Fund. We support many projects to help Christian children in peril worldwide and those affected by persecution and poverty.

Children are the future of the Church, and often the most vulnerable in times of hardship and persecution. Little Cyrus from Nigeria (see facing page) is an excellent example of this and of how Barnabas can help.

In the past 26 years we have sent aid to 107 countries – and that’s only been made possible because of the prayers and donations of you, our supporters.

Barnabas: a unique tree in the garden of grace

Our aid is delivered from Christians, through Christians and to Christians, although others may benefit, too. Our model answers the apostle Paul’s call in Galatians 6:10, “As we have the opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

We always work with the persecuted Church as equal partners, whose local leaders guide our direction, and we listen to their ideas rather than

Barnabas Aid July/August 2019 9

The future is Cyrus and brave Christian children like him

impose our own. Unlike many other international charities, we do not send people to implement projects.

We simply send money, making grants to local Christian agencies, churches and ministries on the ground to enable them to run projects that they have developed in their own communities and regions.

This way of operating keeps our overheads down and also makes it possible for Barnabas’ help to be “invisible” in places where obvious outside aid could bring down greater persecution on the very people we want to assist.

Careful pruning yields abundant fruit

Our help is sent with the minimum of fuss and the maximum of generosity, making every penny of your donation count.

Barnabas maintains very low overheads of just 12% globally, which covers the costs of education, raising awareness, prayer materials and advocacy, as well as general administrative and running costs. This means that 88¢ of every $1 that you, our supporters, donate goes directly to help persecuted Christians. For donations to specific projects, 100% of the sum you give is used for that project and its costs: nothing is deducted.

Just as Jesus loved the little children, so do Barnabas Fund supporters, and very much so.

Sometimes, in areas of persecution against Christians, a father or mother or even both are not there to help care for a child.

The parents may have become victims of violence or may be away earning money to support the family or absent for other reasons. Just as Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me” (Matthew 19:14), Barnabas especially welcomes these little ones, guided by other Christians, to approach the Tree of Hope and take of its nourishing fruit.

Take the case of Cyrus (pictured below) from Nigeria, who was cared for and schooled at the Barnabas-supported Agape children’s ministry after his father, and other relatives, were shot by Fulani militants.

His home was burnt down and his mother was struggling to make a meagre living after losing most of the family’s land on which they had grown food.

Barnabas supports Agape, which helps provide education and care for more than 100 primary and secondary school-aged children who have been displaced by antiChristian violence.

Tree of Hope

10 July/August 2019 Barnabas Aid

Fruit is harvested each day from our tree’s many branches

Dijen watched his home being burned down by persecutors. “Now I have a real place to live,” he said after Barnabas paid for a new house for his family

Fruits essential to life: He ... fills the hungry with good things Psalm 107:9

Food

Many Christians from around the world are hungry because they are poor, and they are poor because they are discriminated against, because they are Christians.

They may be failed in their exams, given lower wages or refused employment altogether because they are Christians.

This is why aid for Christian people through long-term Barnabas Fund feeding programmes is so crucial. So too is emergency aid delivered

in times of natural disasters, war or famine, especially in places where Christians may be discriminated against when other aid is handed out.

In Pakistan, we are supporting 1,530 struggling Christian families with food parcels distributed through local churches.

“It is beyond our imagination that people across seas and hundreds of miles away can send us help, but we also know that anything is possible with God,” said Kashif, one of the recipients.

One of our biggest feeding programmes has been at Camp Rhino in northern Uganda, where more than 100,000 Christians from South Sudan took shelter after fleeing conflict and hunger. Barnabas Fund provided food aid to save countless lives at the camp.

Edina, a blind Christian refugee bedridden for three days through hunger, said, “If you had not brought this food today, many of us would die.”

Barnabas has helped to feed about 830,000* people in 27 countries in the past five years

Tree of Hope

Barnabas Aid July/August 2019 11

Fruits of shelter: For you have been my refuge Psalm 61:3

Houses

If you have food and water, the next fundamental need is shelter, which not only protects you from the elements, but also gives people, and especially those persecuted for their beliefs, added security.

However, the experience of the Santal Christians in the Gaibandah district of Bangladesh shows how quickly persecutors can take that away.

Many impoverished Christian families in

Bangladesh, including Santal people, live in flimsy shacks made of clay and sticks.

Armed police, aided by local Muslims, marched in to evict a desperately poor community of Santal Christians from their homes in November 2016. Three Christians were killed and at least 5,500 left homeless as their homes were deliberately set on fire.

Dijen Tadu was shot in the chest but survived. When local church leaders told him that Barnabas was building brick houses for the Santal victims

and he would get one of the first, he was very doubtful that such an amazing thing could happen. Dijen said, “Every day when work was progressing I came to see. I prayed and waited … I saw a small light that is from Jesus Christ that I will get a place to live. I don’t know where this money came from, but I bless them who helped me and my children.”

Barnabas Fund also stepped in to build new houses for families who lost everything during the notorious anti-Christian violence in the Kandhamal district of India’s Odisha state in 2008-9 that left around 60,000 Christians without a home.

In the past five years, thanks to Barnabas supporters, we have built 1,391 houses in eleven countries where Christians have lost their homes through anti-Christian violence or due to disaster, often where they are already a persecuted minority

Fruits essential to life: I will pour water on the thirsty land Isaiah 44:3

Water

Water goes hand-in-hand with food as the two fundamental necessities for human life.

Unfortunately, it is not difficult to deprive people of water in some regions. Christians living where they are a hated minority are sometimes denied access to water as a form of persecution.

Their water sources, for example, could be poisoned or access could be cut off. Women walking long distances to fetch water may also risk harassment or violence.

“With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation” Isaiah 12:3 In northern Cameroon, Barnabas helped 229 Christian families in three villages,

whose homes were burnt and looted by the Islamist militant group Boko Haram. Water pumps were installed to assist the irrigation of the fields so that crops can be grown and the people can become self-sufficient.

“While we have suffered great losses, you have consoled and upheld us in the whirlwind that is the sect of Boko Haram … Even though we are in danger, we are moved to joy because God and your gifts lift us up,” said Pastor Pierre after the pumps and other aid were provided.

The young men in one village composed a special song of joy about the water pumps.

Barnabas funded the installation of ten hand pumps and 250 Nadi water filters in 15 Christian villages in Sindh,

Pakistan. Nadi water filters are a low cost technology made from local materials, consisting of three mud pots, one having eight layers of stones and sand.

The village hand pump saves time and energy – a double blessing for women. Mariyam, 28, is thankful to God for the clean drinking water, “My children are totally well and stomach pain is also gone.”

Saul enjoys a refreshing drink of clean water beside his family’s new Nadi filter, Pakistan

From 2013, Barnabas has provided 152 wells and 252 water filtration systems in twelve countries, giving about 300,000 people access to clean, fresh water

Tree of Hope

12 July/August 2019 Barnabas Aid

Fruits of understanding: For the LORD gives wisdom Proverbs 2:6

Schools and education

Education is a vital part of our work to build up persecuted Christian communities. In 2018, Barnabas enabled 14,279 children in twelve countries from impoverished Christian families to attend Christian schools where they could gain the education to allow them to escape the cycle of illiteracy and poverty endured by previous generations, as well as be built up in their faith. Many children from Christian families face hostility when attending regular schools such as pressure to convert to the majority religion or being deliberately marked down in exam results. Some are so poor they cannot go to school at all.

Barnabas has assisted 51,324* children to attend schools in 17 countries over the past five years

Fruits of compassion: comfort in natural disasters

Disaster relief

A natural disaster can rob people of food, water, shelter and schools in an instant.

The fruit of compassion from Barnabas’ Tree of Hope is the urgent aid sent swiftly to Christians at times of natural disasters through our worldwide network of church partnerships.

In 2004, a 9.2 magnitude earthquake west of Indonesia created a devastating tsunami that hit 14 countries in south and south-east Asia. Within a couple of days Barnabas Fund had sent our first grant to help Christian minorities in the affected region, where they were often discriminated against when aid from other sources was distributed.

Many further grants followed, first providing emergency aid and then funds to help restore Christian lives and communities including rebuilding 235 homes and 38 churches, funding 1,714 income generation projects, providing 17,212 Bibles and hymnbooks and supporting 5,325 children, including those orphaned.

Again, when the Indonesian island of Sulawesi was struck by a powerful earthquake followed by a devastating tsunami in 2018, at least 2,256 people were killed, while more than 70,000 homes and at least 84 church buildings were destroyed or badly damaged.

After receiving requests from Christian survivors, food, water, medicine and electricity generators, school supplies and, crucially, baby milk powder (not available locally) were provided.

Help sent by fellow Christians brings hope.

The emergency aid received by survivors was critical, not just in keeping them alive but also lifting spirits and giving them hope because

it came from you, who love the Lord Jesus Christ just as they do. One of our local partners told us, “It is important for the recipients to find out that fellow believers have gone at great length to buy, transport and distribute the relief goods and to know that God is looking after them.”

When on 2 May 2019 cyclone Fani devastated India’s Odisha state, a Barnabas Fund staff worker who was in the area said, “It was heart-breaking to see the suffering of Christians in Odisha, already some of the poorest and most persecuted in India. Their simple homes and their few possessions were at the mercy of the destructive winds and rain.

But their faith and hope in the Lord remain unshaken.”

Barnabas was quick to send aid to around 20,000 of our brothers and sisters in Odisha, mainly to repair flimsy homes seriously damaged by the terrible storm.

Christians who are already dealing with severe persecution because of their faith in Christ were provided with fruits of compassion through us, but from you.

Shahid Slum, in the heart of the state capital, Bhubaneshwar, is mainly inhabited by Christians who were displaced by severe anti-Christian violence in the Kandhamal district of Odisha in 2008-9. As tribal people they are oppressed and marginalised, and being Christians too makes their plight even worse. Most work as “daily wage labourers” in jobs such as street sweeping or cleaning the sewers or as domestic servants. If there is a day they cannot get work, they have no income.

These are the Christians who were helped by Barnabas after cyclone Fani.

Many children from Christian families were provided with school supplies and temporary education by Barnabas Fund in the wake of the deadly Indonesian earthquake and tsunami of 2018

Barnabas sent life-saving aid and helped to rebuild the lives of 415,021 disaster victims in the past five years alone

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Fruits of compassion: consoling victims of violence

Victims of violence

Disasters are often natural, as we have seen, but also they can be man-made. Violence is a man-made disaster. Robbery, murder, war, genocide … all kinds of violence spring from human sinfulness.

In Sri Lanka on 21 April 2019 a wave of anti-Christian bombings carried out by Muslim extremists targeted Easter Sunday worship services and Easter breakfast buffets at hotels for Christians who had completed all-night vigils, killing 253 and injuring more than 500.

One of the churches attacked

was Zion Evangelical Church in Batticaloa, where at least 29 worshippers including 14 children were killed. Barnabas already had a close relationship with this congregation and had been helping war widows at the church for several years.

Zion Church, whose congregation is mainly poor and needy, asked Barnabas Fund to assist the bereaved families with funeral costs. We also helped with medical care for the injured at Zion Church and in other parts of Sri Lanka.

To the north-east of Sri Lanka across the Bay of Bengal, Kachins and other mainlyChristian ethnic minorities have faced brutal repression

by the military in Myanmar for over four decades.

“Because I am Christian, they made me imitate Jesus on a cross like the crucifixion. We were treated like animals because they look down on Kachins,” said one who had been humiliated for his faith by soldiers.

Ten thousand Kachin Christians fled from aerial bombardment in April 2018.

Sky news reported other aid agencies were unable to operate in the region, but Barnabas was already getting practical help to displaced Kachin people, working through our local Christian partners.

Thanks to the generosity of our supporters we provided rice, dried fish, tarpaulins (for shelter), sleeping mats, medicine and other needs for approximately 5,400 Kachin people fleeing attacks.

Around 104,587 victims of violence have been helped by Barnabas Fund in the past five years

Fruits of deliverance: setting the captives free

Brick-kilns

Debt, just like violence and oppression, can spring from greed, which leads to inequality.

Debt is not just about running up big credit card bills due to gluttony or covetousness. Many families are caught up in a neverending cycle of debt through no fault of their own. Debts are passed down generation to generation and it is sometimes forgotten how they actually began. But they are here, and they are real, as bonded Pakistani brick-kiln workers will testify.

“You are like Moses, leading us out from slavery!” said Jamila, a bonded brick-kiln worker set free when Barnabas paid off her debt.

Thousands of Christian brickkiln families in Pakistan are bonded labourers, tied to their brick-kiln by a debt they owe its owner, borrowed long ago in a time of emergency need. Many Christian families are effectively “enslaved” in this way, unable to pay back the loan and barely able to survive because of the interest deducted every week from their meagre wages.

Another Christian brick-kiln labourer, father-of-two James, said, “When my wife got sick I had to take a loan to look after her, for her check-ups, but eventually she died and I couldn’t pay back the amount in full.

“We were trapped in a swamp but thanks to Barnabas Fund we are now free.”

Mr Mushtaq, a 39-year-old Christian, was a bonded brick-kiln worker, burdened by a cycle of debt that was not his fault. Then Barnabas supporters paid off his debt. Now everything he earns can be spent on supporting his wife Nazia, 39, and his four children, Sonia, 13, Sana, ten, Swera, eight, and Saira, six Now he receives his full wages each month, and he is delighted that he can afford to send his daughter, Naila, ten, and son, Aftab, nine, to school for the first time.

791 Christian brick-kiln families have had their debts paid by Barnabas. That’s almost 4,000 individuals set free from the misery of bonded labour

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Fruits of deliverance: He delivers them from all their troubles Psalm 34:17

Refugees

Some persecuted Christians feel the only option is to leave their beloved homeland and find somewhere safer to live and bring up their children. They ask us to help them escape, and we do. Take “Dina” from Syria as an example.

“It began in a bakery,” recalled Dina. Two of her brothers were queuing to buy bread when they were killed in a drive-by shooting. The occupants of the car that had sped past, firing at the bakery, were terrorists

from the Jabat al-Nusra rebel group. They drove on to the village where Dina lived with her husband and two children.

Shooting and plundering as they went, the terrorists entered every home, gathered the Christians together and told them to leave and never come back, or they would be killed and their children raped.

Barnabas Fund’s Operation Safe Havens (OSH) helps thousands of persecuted Middle Eastern Christians escape from the man-made disaster of violence. We cover their flight costs to Australia

and some other countries, where they have been granted visas to settle.

Arriving in the safety of Australia in March 2017, on flights paid for by Barnabas supporters, was “like a dream we never thought would come true” for 74-year-old John. The Christian family fled the violence in Aleppo after the outbreak of the Syrian civil war. “We suddenly realised we don’t have to fear anymore,” said John.

In a forerunner to OSH, Barnabas laid on three convoys of buses and three flights in 2012-13 to transport 8,429 Sudanese people from the Islamist North to their homeland in South Sudan. They had been displaced by the man-made disaster that is civil war.

Barnabas has paid for the flights of 2,574 Syrian and Iraqi Christian refugees, facing violent persecution in their homelands, to Australia, including 94 since the beginning of 2019. Another 248 have been enabled to resettle in Canada, Brazil, Poland and the Czech Republic

Fruits of salvation: coming to Christ at a cost

Converts

Disasters, whether natural or man-made, cause suffering in this world, but the biggest disaster of all is not finding salvation in Christ. This disaster continues for all eternity.

Many Christians who leave other religions to follow Christ face hostility, threats and violence from their community. Even their families reject them, often throwing them out of the home.

Although their heavenly home is secure, they still need to endure the many problems this life brings with it. Barnabas supports thousands of these pressurised converts by offering a safe refuge from attack, or helping with their practical needs, as well as providing discipleship training to help them grow in their new faith.

Emotions overflow as a Syrian family arrives in the safety of Australia Ugandan Pastor Umar Mulinde, a convert from Islam, had acid poured over his face

by Muslim extremists as he left church on Christmas Eve 2011.

He was horrifically burned and lost one eye. Now he runs a ministry for converts and, with support from Barnabas, 60 adults receive help for physical and mental scars, discipleship and vocational training. One of those he helped is Joseph, attacked with a hammer by a Muslim for leaving Islam to follow Christ.

“Barnabas Fund has helped me survive,” said Joseph.

Joseph thanks Barnabas for his survival after he was attacked because he had decided to follow Jesus

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Fruits of faith: Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path Psalm 119:105 (ESV)

Literature

The Word of God is our handbook on how to follow the path Christ has laid out ahead of us and the words within strengthen the faith of believers, especially those living with daily discrimination, injustice or other persecution.

Unfortunately, in many countries where Christians are persecuted, you cannot just walk into a shop and buy a Bible. There are no shops in some places, no Bibles in many places, and even if there are, the Christian families often don’t

have enough money to buy one.

The Bibles distributed or given for free by Barnabas Fund have boosted Christian communities immeasurably.

“You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” Psalm 16:11 All Bibles had to be carefully concealed by isolated and impoverished hill tribes in one south-east Asian country, that we cannot name for security reasons. If discovered, the Scriptures are burned by

the military or government authorities. For 40 of the 46 years of Pastor “John’s” ministry in this country, he had no Bible. He saved up money for seven years and was finally able to buy a Bible for about $32 – at least two months’ average wages in the region. It was the only Bible in the village. Now his congregation is growing rapidly with Bibles provided thanks to generous donations from Barnabas’ supporters. We have distributed 32,485 Bibles to Christians in the region, enough for one per family.

Many more hundreds of thousands need to be purchased and distributed in the future and we can achieve this by nourishing the Tree of Hope so that it bears more fruit.

1,207,338 items of Christian literature, including 443,436 Bibles/New Testaments in 33 different languages in 25 different countries, have been provided by Barnabas over the last five years

Fruits of fellowship: not giving up meeting together Hebrews 10:25

Church buildings

Church buildings are a vital resource to strengthen Christian communities, especially where it is illegal to gather for prayer in a private home or where Christians are so poor that no one has a home big enough for meetings.

Our church building projects

have provided hundreds of new buildings, or renovated, extended or equipped old ones.

These are used not just for Sunday worship but for many other activities that build up the body of Christ in situations of pressure or persecution.

In Siberia, Tatar Muslims are increasingly turning to Christ. For three years, a congregation in Omsk had to meet in cafes, and were evicted four times from premises they had hired. Eventually they hired an empty, rundown building and Barnabas helped towards electrics, heating and sanitation. Now Christians meet for worship, hold ministries for children and the disabled and have a training space for missionaries, who are reaching out to about 10,000 people.

Barnabas has helped construct, extend, equip or repair 310 church buildings within the last five years

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16 July/August 2019 Barnabas Aid

Fruits of leadership: pastors, evangelists and their training

Leadership

Having been saved and armed with Biblical knowledge, God wants us to be disciples. He wants us to go out and spread His Word.

Barnabas supports the Christian pastors, church-planters and evangelists who do this godly work full-time, but often face hardship and hostility, even though they are ministering in their own country or people-group. We help cover their living and ministry expenses if their churches are too poor to support them fully.

Barnabas Fund provided regular support to 40 church-planters in Indonesia, many of whom work in extremely poor communities. The money helps with practical needs such as transport and medical costs.

Pastor Yosua, 58, bravely operates a small house church in the midst of a community of fanatical Muslims on the island of Java. He told us he is sustained and empowered by the aid sent by Barnabas Fund and adds that what is so uplifting is to know that people “far away care about you and pray for you”.

The Christian love from Barnabas supporters is “like the five loaves and two fishes, the kind of blessing that multiplies,” said a Barnabas Fund partner who visited Yosua and the other church-planters in Java early in 2019.

Christian leaders can serve more effectively with the right training and resources, and Barnabas is heavily involved in this crucial support.

Empowering Christians in their ministries is a key part of our work and, in 2018, we provided training for 15,218 believers across 23 countries.

“There is an unmentioned increasing persecution of the church in many areas of Tanzania,” a local Christian leader told us. This is because of rising Islamisation and hostility towards Christians from the Muslim population. Barnabas has funded fiveday training seminars in 20 different areas of Tanzania to help evangelists and pastors stand firm in the face of Islamisation, and to make them more effective in outreach.

A former student at a Barnabasassisted Bible college in the Pakistan city of Lahore told us of how his Sunday school training there has provided great fruit: “I had a burden for kids near my home, who wander in the streets. Last year after training, I began praying to open a Sunday school.

After one month, parents agreed to send their kids. On the first day we had 35 children, and it is still growing!

When kids learn their verse, they go home and teach it to their parents.”

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong” 1 Corinthians 16:13

In the last five years, Barnabas has helped to support 2,557* Christian workers, mostly pastors and evangelists, in 34 countries. 78,871 Christians in 48 countries were assisted by Barnabas with various kinds of leadership training over the last five years

Future fruit from the Tree of Hope The trunk of Barnabas’ Tree of Hope is you … your donations and also your prayers. All of those hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people that Barnabas supporters have helped give great thanks to you for enabling the Tree of Hope to be grown from which our persecuted family can take their Fruits of Love.

Barnabas welcomes these persecuted Christians to the Tree of Hope, to find succour in its shade, and enjoy its fresh fruit. They are able to do this only through the generous

Fruits of modern media: fellowship at a flick of a switch

Media and radio

Media such as radio, TV and also the internet are vital for isolated Christians who cannot get to a church for one reason or another. They can also plant the seeds of the Gospel in places where there are no Christians.

Barnabas Fund bought an office building for Radio Elia in Estonia, and our newest media project is our involvement in the setting up of a youth radio station in Syria.

In Russia, Barnabas has given substantial financial support to the Radio MCC ministry through the North Ossetian Christian Mission.

Radio MCC spreads the gospel among the many ethnic groups living in the North Caucasus, the majority of which are Muslim. It is the only Christian radio station in this region and its message goes beyond as it can also be listened to on the internet.

Barnabas has helped 21 media projects in eight countries over the last five years

Barnabas supporters who make up the trunk of our tree.

We at Barnabas join together with our supporters and those we have helped to give thanks to the Lord for His blessings that caused the Tree of Hope to grow and to bear much fruit.

Please join us in praying that Barnabas’ Tree of Hope will continue to grow, that its branches will reach further, its fruit grow bigger and more plentiful, bringing blessings from heaven to our faithful brothers and sisters who suffer for Christ.

For, as Luke 1:37 clearly and succinctly says, nothing is impossible with God.

*These figures may include a percentage of unavoidable cumulative duplication because some individuals may have been helped in multiple years.

Feel Pray Speak Give

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What can I do?

FEEL

for your suffering family

Christians are a huge family – spread to the four corners of the earth. It is the biggest family the world has ever known. Many of them are suffering, sick, injured, hungry, lonely, destitute and persecuted. You may never meet them in your earthly life but they are still your brothers and sisters.

The single most important thing you can do is FEEL for them in their pain, and, just as Scripture tells us, even feel it as if it was your own.

Just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ … If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honoured, all rejoice together.

(1 Corinthians 12:12,26, ESV) If one of our brothers or sisters is beaten, spurned, or cast down anywhere in the world, all of Christ’s family of believers suffers.

PRAY

for your persecuted brothers and sisters

Prayer changes things. Through faithful, believing prayer we make a real difference to the lives of our persecuted brothers and sisters.

With prayer you have access to our heavenly Father’s infinite power and resources to accomplish things. The Holy Spirit helps us in all our prayers.

Prayer is unlimited by distance and cannot be barred by closed doors

You can pray wherever you are – in your homes or workplaces, on the streets or mountaintops – for people who are thousands of miles away.

You may never meet your distant “household of faith” or travel to their lands, but you can lift them up to the Lord.

Barnabas Fund produces free resources to aid you in praying for the persecuted Church

The bi-monthly Prayer Diary, included as an insert in Barnabas Aid magazine, provides a topic for prayer for each day of the year. These daily prayer items are also available on the PrayerMate App and posted daily on our social media feeds.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay updated, and pray and engage with likeminded supporters.

Weekly news about the persecuted Church, with accompanying prayer points, are sent out in our Christian Newsline email. Sign up to receive this at: barnabasfund.org/en/ barnabas-emails For prayer groups, we have a monthly publication, Prayer Focus Update, with points for praise, thanksgiving and prayer. This is available in print or by email. ... if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. (Matthew 18:19)

Harness the power of united prayer by becoming a Barnabas Prayer Partner

You can organise a dedicated prayer group to meet regularly in your home or church, or join with an existing group, to pray together for the persecuted Church. We have start-up resources for prayer group leaders.

Once a year, we have Suffering Church Action Week, with extra prayer resources such as prayer bookmarks and a booklet of daily devotions for eight days. (See back cover)

SPEAK

about the plight of your persecuted family

Many Christians suffering for their faith are in situations where they cannot tell others about what they are enduring. Maybe they are

illiterate and poor. Maybe they live in a strict and closed country where communications are prevented. But you can speak for them.

Write to your MP or your local newspaper or local radio about the persecuted Church.

Tell your family, friends and church groups about Barnabas Fund and what we do to help persecuted Christians. Could you be a Church Partner, representing Barnabas Fund in your own congregation or fellowship?* Why not book one of our team of Barnabas Speakers to share at your church or special event?

Our knowledgeable Speakers will describe the contexts, challenges and persecution taking place across the world and explain what Barnabas is doing to help.

Or you could become one of our Speakers* and raise awareness about Barnabas’ work to help our suffering brothers and sisters in some of the world’s most hostile regions. We will support you by advertising your events to local supporters and provide you with informative materials to distribute to audiences. *Contact Ashley Saunders, Barnabas Fund Australia CEO, at the National Office.

GIVE

a gift, small or large, to make a huge difference to lives

And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there was no needy persons among them … Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet. (Acts 4:33,34,36-37) Sharing is love in action. Pray to God and ask Him to guide your giving.

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How to give

Feel Pray Speak Give ...

REGULAR GIVING OPTIONS When you choose to give regularly, you are helping Barnabas Fund to keep our overheads low and make the best decisions about our long-term commitment to projects. You also make it possible for us to respond immediately in emergency situations.

SPONSORSHIP Join LIVING STREAMS to enable even a small regular gift to have a BIG impact!

Barnabas invites you to pledge a monthly gift to become part of an essential, continuous life-flow to needy Christians living with pressure and persecution across the world.

By joining Living Streams you can: ●● Sustain a family living in poverty with monthly food parcels ●● Support an evangelist or pastor in their ministry ●● Sponsor a child throughout their school years and see them grow in the Lord ●● Strengthen suffering Christians through the grace of God’s Word by investing in the gift of a Bible each month

Flowing into the Living Streams

Barnabas Fund will give regular news updates to all who join Living Streams by committing regular support. If you choose to sustain a family or sponsor a child, we will also send you a prayer card with a photograph and details of persecuted believers you are helping.

To find out about our Living Streams regular giving initiative visit: www.barnabasfund.org/au/livingstreams

We are often asked for guidance on which is the “best” or “cheapest” way to donate.

By far the biggest cost to processing gifts is administration, mostly due to the time required to process a transaction. Whether you are already a faithful supporter or considering giving a gift for the first time, please take a little time to review the following helpful guide to the various ways donations can be made to Barnabas Fund.

... Pray Speak Give Feel

Recurring credit card You can make regular monthly, quarterly or six-monthly donations with your credit card or debit card. This convenient method is quick to set up with your card provider. You can also change the amount or the project you would like to designate your gift to at any time by contacting your card provider or our office.

Ezidebit Ezidebit is a convenient payment system used by Australian organisations receiving regular payments, including Barnabas Fund. Ezidebit is a cheap and safe way to make payments.

Barnabas Fund will cease collecting payments should you request us to do so. Alternatively, you can cancel at any time via your bank. We do ask that you let us know, but you don’t have to. You can also change the amount, project, or payment day by email or with a quick phone call.

You can set up a Ezidebit quickly and easily by advising your details over the phone or by completing and returning a paper form found in most of our literature, downloaded from our website or sent to you upon request. All you need is your name, address and bank account details (BSB and account number) to hand.

The choice of regular payments by credit card or by Ezidebit help us keep our overheads down to an incredibly low 12% (see page 9). However, we do understand that supporters may prefer to use one of the other options we have in place to donate to Barnabas Fund.

SINGLE GIFTS Online payments via our website are a cost-effective way of giving single one-off donations. This includes credit or debit cards (including Amex) and PayPal. You will receive an automatic email to thank you for your donation, and notify you of the amount and project you have chosen; this is cheap and easy for us to process and you can keep it for your records. The only proviso is that

Barnabas Aid July/August 2019 19

some cards attract a percentage-based charge which Barnabas Fund has to pay, making this method less cost-effective than direct bank transfer, for example.

It is also possible to transfer funds using your PayPal account directly to ours (bfaustralia@ barnabasfund.org) but this method has the same issue of percentage-based charges to be paid by Barnabas Fund, which is especially a disadvantage for larger payments.

Direct Bank Transfers are another safe and cheap way of giving, and convenient if you already bank online. For your payment reference please use your unique supporter number followed by the project number you wish to support. For example: 12A123/321. If you do not know your supporter number, please call us before you make your transfer. If you prefer NOT to receive an acknowledgment letter for your payment, please add /DNA at the end of your reference or email: bfaustralia@barnabasfund.org.

Phone credit/debit cards can be a convenient way to give but are inherently more time consuming and expensive to process than via our website. They also suffer the same disadvantage about percentage charges so usually aren’t as good a method as other options for larger donations.

Cheques are still a popular option for giving individual donations and we understand that for many of our supporters this is still the best option for them. If you don’t want to receive a thank you letter, please tick the “Do not acknowledge” box on the form and that will save any unnecessary postage costs.

Sponsorship events are a great way to raise awareness and funds for Barnabas Fund. By using one of the many online services available for your sponsorship activities helps keeps our processing costs down to a minimum. Call the Australian office for more information if you are planning a sponsorship event.

Legacy Gifts ...

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When you go to Heaven let your endeavours on Earth continue Earthly treasures are of no use in eternity so, once your loved ones are provided for, what will be your legacy?

Barnabas Fund has a special concern for the needs of Christian children in regions of pressure and persecution, such as these youngsters at the Divya Shanthi school and children’s home in Bangalore, India remembering Barnabas Fund in your will, even after you have gone to glory, your legacy can transform the lives of Christians who face persecution, discrimination and poverty.

You can feed hungry Christians, help them recover from violence or disaster, inspire persecuted believers to stand firm through the gift of God’s Word, or transform the future of a child by supporting their schooling in a Christian environment.

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).

By

blessings to Barnabas Fund for the help,” she said.

Congolese Christian refugees fled brutal violence in their homeland to safety in Uganda, but faced hunger and the risk of disease when they got there.

Working through the local Ugandan church, Barnabas Fund provided food, medication and other practical help for hundreds of Congolese people who fled the onslaught of violence in December 2018. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) faced one of the worst displacement crises in Africa due to a conflict affecting around 7.7 million people.

Through Barnabas Fund, impoverished and malnourished Christian refugee families fleeing violence have received lifesaving food, medicines and basic hygiene necessities

“For the last six months since we ran from Congo because of war, we have been suffering with hunger. We have been taking a cup of porridge as our lunch and supper.” But when Barnabas Fund provided staple foods, including beans, rice and cooking oil, Arioni’s family were able to eat a nutritious meal three times a day. “I pray that God pour His

Keeping clean and healthy is next to impossible for refugees who have to leave everything behind when they flee persecution or violence. Food and simple hygiene items, even a plastic bowl, can help them survive. Barnabas Fund provided Christian refugees who fled from terrorists in the Congo with staple foods, medicine and other basic necessities

By remembering Barnabas Fund in your will, you can transform the lives of Christian children

Christian children are doubly vulnerable when a natural disaster strikes in a region where Christians suffer persecution or day-to-day discrimination. When an earthquake struck the Indonesian island of Sulawesi in September 2018, killing at least 2,256 people and damaging or destroying 70,000 homes, there were reports that minority Christians communities were neglected as government aid was directed to the Muslim majority.

Barnabas provided food, helped construct tent communities for Christian families left homeless by the earthquake, and set up programmes to help children recover from trauma. We then went on to repair or rebuild houses and provide simple church buildings.

Farmer Mr Maklon’s field of maize was swept from beneath his feet when the earthquake struck his foothill village. He narrowly escaped being dragged away by the sliding earth.

On reaching home he discovered his wife had died beneath the rubble, but thankfully his five children were safe.

The 15kg of rice and other necessities given to him by Barnabas sustained him and his young ones in the quake’s

Legacy Gifts ... aftermath, when he was unable to farm his field.

Barnabas Fund has been sending substantial aid for thousands of displaced Kachin children and their families to cover their needs for food, shelter and schooling in Myanmar.

The mainly-Christian Kachin minority are facing persecution and ethniccleansing. In April 2018 at least 10,000 of them were forced to flee from a military aerial bombardment. As well as providing food and shelter for families, we supplied 1,500 children with school equipment and set up classrooms so they could continue to study. At one IDP camp, we provided a kindergarten for 184 children with a generator. With your help we will continue to support this vulnerable generation of Christian children to have lives as near normal as possible.

One grateful Kachin grandmother, who received help from Barnabas Fund, said, “I am old, but I am worried about the future of my children and grandchildren. Thank you for coming and visiting us. Thank you for bringing aid and thank you for praying for me.”

Barnabas provided food aid to the displaced Christian families of these children after the Sulawesi earthquake of 2018 that wrecked 70,000 homes in Indonesia

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Fund supporters by saying, “You have sown the best seed to the best ground. So these seeds will multiply more than millions of times.”

Iraqi Christian refugees school by herself because we are afraid that she might be kidnapped, raped or killed.”

Barnabas Fund covered the costs of air tickets for Aren and his family to fly to Australia, where they have settled and are restarting their lives in peace and security.

By remembering Barnabas Fund in your will, you can rescue Christians such as Aren and his family from lifethreatening persecution.

Your legacy could ensure that the Gospel message reaches remote regions and hard-pressed believers have access to Scripture to build them up in their faith

Pastor “Mark” was one of the few people in his region of south-east Asia to have a Bible, but his precious copy was seized and burned by the police in 1991. A convert from Buddhism, Pastor Mark was jailed for sharing the Gospel with soldiers at an army camp, but he courageously continued in his ministry while in prison and guided five inmates to Christ.

Throughout all this, he strongly believed that God would one day give him another Bible, and, after 25 years, his prayers were answered when he received one from Barnabas Fund.

Pastor Mark thanked Barnabas

A legacy left through Barnabas Fund will guarantee you continue to be a blessing to persecuted Christian brothers and sisters around the world and their children for many generations to come “We left Iraq because of the cruel circumstances there, particularly the persecution of the religious minorities and the displacement of Christians,” wrote “Aren”. “Threats, kidnappings, demand for high ransoms have increased. We have a 17-year-old daughter ... We cannot let her go the

Women were thrilled to receive Bibles through Barnabas Fund at this south-east Asian location. Many of the women would never have owned their own Bible until now

Imagine if, just before you went to be with the Lord, you knew that your legacy will enable pastors like Mark to receive a Bible and spread God’s Word and that the faith of Christians will be strengthened in regions where they face intense persecution Barnabas does not just help in the present, but also builds up Christian communities for the future, and you can be part of that by leaving a legacy. Christian converts from Islam are often persecuted by being denied work.

In Kyrgyzstan, many businesses employ only Muslims and insist that their staff actively practise Islam.

This means many Christian men, who cannot accept these conditions, are forced to move from their communities to search for work, leaving their wives and children behind and their small churches weakened by their absence.

In one remote Kyrgyz community, Barnabas Fund provided the money for five struggling Christian families from Muslim backgrounds to buy cattle.

“When we brought one of the brothers five cattle, his children couldn’t sleep because they were looking at cows all night! All the family was very happy,” said one of the Christians.

The cows give the families an independent livelihood and mean fathers can remain with their families and continue to play important roles in their local Christian fellowships.

If you would like information about how to leave a gift to Barnabas Fund through your will, please contact: PO BOX 3527, LOGANHOLME, QLD 4129, (07) 3806 1076 or 1300 365 799, bfaustralia@barnabasfund.org.

Also you can find information on legacies on our website at www.barnabasfund.org/au/get-involved/ leave-a-legacy

22 July/Augu st 2019 Barn abas Aid

In Touch

Barnabas has been busy out and about across Australia during convention season Over the Easter period, thousands of Australian Christians gathered at one of the many conventions held across the nation – and Barnabas Fund joined them.

Our representatives attended six Easter conventions across four states, and were at eleven conventions across five states in April and May, which is “peak season” for Christian assemblies. Our destinations included Mount Tamborine in Queensland, Katoomba in New South Wales, Belgrave Heights and Wimmera in Victoria and Camp Clayton in Tasmania.

Ashley Saunders, Australian CEO of Barnabas, said, “Our representatives at these conventions reported a high level of engagement with delegates regarding the plight of Christians suffering disadvantage – or worse – as well as some of the ways Barnabas Fund is assisting through the generous donations of our supporters.”

Plight of Syrian war widows touches hearts of Brisbane’s young Pancake Day fundraisers The plight of Christian women widowed as a result of Syria’s civil war touched the hearts of boys in Brisbane, Australia and moved them to help.

Members of the Year Nine Inter School Christian Fellowship (ISCF) group at Brisbane Boys’ College raise funds each year for the persecuted Church through their annual Pancake Day. This year the boys asked for the $540 they raised to be directed by Barnabas Fund to support the war widows of Aleppo, after their teacher Stephen Philpotts told them of the women’s daily struggles.

Most of the widows are young and have children to support, and many of their husbands were singled out and killed because of their Christian faith. Barnabas supports 99 widows in Aleppo, providing food, hygiene items, clothes and medication.

Ashley Saunders, Australian CEO of Barnabas, said, “Even though they [the boys] find it hard to imagine what life must be like for the widows of war in Aleppo, their hearts were opened to their plight, and their faith has been strengthened as a result.”

The message from the boys to people who suffer for their faith is a simple one, “stay strong”.

A speaker addresses delegates at Mount Tamborine

Barnabas Fund’s book stand at the Easter conventions offered free booklets and leaflets about our work with the persecuted Church as well as a range of books for sale

Big thanks to the Panc ak College. Front row, Ha e Day fundraisers of Brisbane Boys’ rrison Fisher, Dom Ch ristensen, Ethan Stokes, Hamish Telfe r, Jo Grant. Middle row, Ro shua Niblett, Sam Scott and James bbie Shore. Back row, Natha Atkinson, Scott Kift and Duncan n Kim, Jack Stevens and Jon Vickers

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Be a part of Suffering Church Action Week as we remember the One in Ten Christians living with pressure and persecution

SUNDAY 27 OCTOBER – SUNDAY 3 NOVEMBER

Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me – Matthew 25:40 This year our theme for Suffering Church Action Week (SCAW) is One in Ten. Did you know that at least one in ten Christians globally face persecution or discrimination for their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ?

Every day, somewhere in the world, our brothers or sisters suffer violence, kidnap, rape and even lose their lives because they are Christians.

If you are attacked, the police might be more interested in arresting you than your attackers. In some regions, just passing a Bible to someone or talking to them about Jesus Christ can land you in jail.

Being a Christian might restrict your access to education or job opportunities, trapping you and your children in poverty. In some Muslim-majority countries the law is stacked against you because, under sharia (Islamic law), your court testimony is considered worthless compared to that of a Muslim witness.

SPECIAL TWO BOOK DEAL ON NEW RELEASE

CAN YOU HELP THE ONE IN TEN?

Don’t forget to book Suffering Church Action Week into your church’s diary. You can make a difference to the lives of the millions of our persecuted family who need your prayers and support. You can pray and raise awareness by holding an event at your church or group.

Contact your local Barnabas office today to register for a One in Ten inspirational resource pack with everything you need including an A3 poster to advertise your event, an eight-day devotional booklet, the new SCAW bookmark for 2019, Barnabas’ Praying for the Persecuted Church booklet, an extra copy of the special SCAW edition of Barnabas Aid magazine and a money box useful for taking offerings for the persecuted Church at home or in small group meetings.

Keep up to date with the latest news on Suffering Church Action Week 2019 at: barnabasfund.org/scaw

$30.00 (Plus $12.00 Postage) or BOTH for $35 (Plus $12.00 Postage) BONUS OFFER: If you purchase Hated Without a Reason between July and August 2019, for an additional $5.00 you can receive Freedom to Believe.

Hated Without a Reason

Freedom to Believe

$30.00 RRP

$16.95 RRP

The remarkable story of Christian persecution over the centuries “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also,” said the Lord Jesus Christ to His first followers. Christian believers have suffered for their Lord down the centuries and across the world.

Hated Without a Reason tells the glorious story of their courage, faith and endurance, including many moving and inspirational examples that are little known. At a very personal level, Dr Sookhdeo’s book considers the different ways in which individual Christians could respond to persecution. It also explores the wide sweep of causes of persecution over two thousand years, whether religious, political, economic or ideological, finding lessons from the past which are relevant and applicable in the twenty-first century

For the next two months you can purchase copies of Hated Without a Reason for $30.00 plus $12.00 P&H or Hated Without a Reason and Freedom to Believe for $35.00 plus $12.00 P&H. This offer is only available by contacting the Australian Barnabas Office on 1300 365 799 or (07) 3806 1076 or by emailing bfaustralia@barnabasfund.org. This offer is not available via the website

Challenging Islam’s Apostasy Law

Islam is a one-way street.

Non-Muslims can convert to Islam, but freedom to convert from Islam is denied to Muslims. All schools of Islamic Law specify the death penalty for an adult male Muslim who chooses to leave Islam. The law can also impose other penalties on apostates. Change is only possible if the apostasy law is repealed.

This book discusses the Muslim teaching on apostasy from Islamic sources, the debate amongst Muslims about the apostasy law and the treatment of converts from Islam