Gifts for the Persecuted Christmas Catalog 2014

Gifts f Persecuted or the

PERSECU

ION .ORG

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

ICC’s advocacy director presents a petition (under police escort) to the Sudanese embassy. The petition was delivered in the midst of a protest demanding Sudan release Meriam Ibrahim, the pregnant Christian Sudanese woman who had been imprisoned and sentenced to death for being a Christian.

Gift 1 Where Most Needed Gifts to “Where Most Needed” are used to fund much of our work, such as Advocacy and our trips overseas, as well as the priority need of the moment.

Did you know that “Where Most Needed” supports all of our Advocacy efforts, like when we fought for months to free Sudanese Christian Meriam Ibrahim, the pregnant mother imprisoned with her two-year-old child and sentenced to death in Sudan for being a Christian?

“Where Most Needed” also funds most of our investigative trips overeas where we find sources and discover and fight for the cases of persecuted Christians.

We also use “Where Most Needed” when we encounter a vital project that doesn’t fit under one of our designated funds. In that case, we draw on “Where Most Needed.”

$100

pays for one day of an overseas trip.

$3,500 funds a complete overseas investigative trip.

“You shall generously give to [your poor brother]....

For this thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all your undertakings.”

Deut. 15:9-10 (NASB)

Please make your first choice “Where Most Needed” so we have the flexibility to apply funds to the place where they are needed most.

Call Now to Donate: 1-800-422-5441

ICC’s regional manager for the Middle East delivers a food package to a young Irqqi girl in Erbil, Iraq in August while ISIS was 60 miles away. All the aid we dristributed on this trip came from donations to “Communtiy Rebuild”

An ICC team was at work in Erbil, Iraq, in mid-August delivering aid while ISIS fighters were only 60 miles away. Here, a young Iraqi girl receives a food package from ICC’s regional manager.

We distributed tents, food, water, baby formula, and other vital needs of the Christians fleeing ISIS.

Gift 2 Community Rebuild

When the Islamic State swept into Iraq’s Christian areas, they told them point blank, “You must convert to Islam, or we will kill you.” Many were slaughtered.

The lucky ones, facing certain death, fled and left everything, rather than turn their backs on Jesus.

ICC arrived shortly after in Erbil, Iraq, and provided thousands of these refugees with food, water, and shelter at their time of desperation because our donors gave to “Community Rebuild.”

When Christian communities are driven from their homes or their communities are destroyed, when a natural disaster strikes and the government deliberately fails to provide aid to Christians, ICC’s Community Rebuild fund provides aid to sustain and rebuild their communities.

$70

typically gives a family basic food staples for six weeks.

$3,000 feeds 30 families for a month.

“Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins...and they will repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations.”

Isaiah 61:4 (NASB)

Call Now to Donate: 1-800-422-5441

An ICC-supported pastor prays with his congregation and hands out Bibles from ICC.

Gift 3 Underground Pastors

Across the world, ICC supports underground pastors in some of the world’s most dangerous countries. Often on the forefront of persecution, these pastors are among the few willing to take the Gospel into areas where, if discovered, they will be killed.

In these most dangerous areas, we have to give the pastor a cover business; if he is living without any means of support he will be viewed as either a drug dealer, a militant, or worse yet, a Christian looking to spread the Gospel.

Through the Underground Pastors Fund, ICC created one cover business, a salon, for a pastor’s wife in an extremely dangerous area.

Since the salon opened in June, six house churches have been established by that pastor through connections made at his wife’s beauty salon.

$100

supports a pastor for a month.

$2,000 creates a cover business for a pastor in the most dangerous countries.

“But if I am casting out demons by the power of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you.”

Luke 11:20 (NLT)

Call Now to Donate: 1-800-422-5441

Gift 4 Bibles for the Persecuted

Part of ICC’s vision is to not only bandage the persecuted Church but to build it.

A key way to do that is to get Bibles into the hands of evangelists who risk even their lives to get the Word of God into the hands of their countrymen.

To do that, we smuggle Bibles into needy countries. In the most perilous and strategic countries where smuggling is too dangerous, we will even install a printing press.

Printing presses run for years pumping out Bibles and Christian teaching materials that will transform a country.

$75

gets 75 Bibles into the hands of Chinese believers. $3,700 provides all supplies for an underground printer for a year.

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword.”

Hebrews 4:12 (ESV)

Call Now to Donate: 1-800-422-5441

An ICC-supported suffering wife poses with her child.

Gift 5 Suffering Wives & Children

Edward left his wife, Fadia, and his three children to work in Libya. He would send them money monthly to support them in rural Egypt. One night, Islamic militants stormed his apartment building in Libya, going door to door searching for Christians.

Edward was one of seven Christian men taken outside the city and executed.

After Edward’s murder, Fadia and her children were left in a desperate situation.

ICC furnished Fadia with a clothing store, thus providing an income for her and her children. “My children and I thank ICC so much for standing with us and setting up this project for us. May God bless you.”

ICC’s Suffering Wives and Children Fund rescues families like Fadia’s when persecution has prevented the family from being able to earn an income and take care of their needs. Typically, these are Christian church workers.

$70

purchases a goat for a family.

$2,500 allows us to completely rescue one family.

“Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress.”

James 1:27 (NLT)

Call Now to Donate: 1-800-422-5441

One of the kids from our Orissa orphanage having a blast at an amusement park during a visit from our regional manager

Gift 6 Kids Care

Across the globe, ICC continues to care for Christian children orphaned by persecution through our Kids Care program.

Children, often the unseen victims of persecution, are those most tragically affected.

From the Kids Care Fund, ICC cares for fourteen Christian children in India who were orphaned by the massive anti-Christian violence that swept across India’s Orissa state in 2008.

ICC provides all of these children with food, education, private tutoring, medical care and a loving Christian home...and even trips to amusement parks (picture at left)!

$50

provides food, lodging and schooling for one child for a month. $3,500 provides for our India orphanage for six months.

“Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Matthew 19:14 (NASB)

Call Now to Donate: 1-800-422-5441

Two of “Freedom’s” daughters pose with the cow supplied by ICC.

Gift 7 Save Our Sisters When “Freedom” became a Christian, her husband, a fundamentalist Muslim, began beating her, leaving her right leg crippled. When he passed away, her inlaws took away her sons so they would not be raised as Christians.

She was left with her three young daughters to fend for herself. With no men in the house and no ability to work, and suffering continued persecution at the hands of her neighbors, Freedom remained strong in her faith.

Eighteen months ago, ICC gave Freedom a cow (pictured) and some chickens. Since then, the cow had a calf, the chickens had chicks and the women have lived off the sale of milk, chicks, and eggs.

Christian women are often the most vulnerable victims of persecution.

Their faith and gender keep them low on the social spectrum, leaving them open for attack and lacking aid.

Your gift allows us to rescue Christian women from captors, and provide livestock or small businesses and job training to help them.

$75

provides five egg-laying chickens.

$1,000 provides a cow.

“He will rescue their life from oppression and violence, and their blood will be precious in his sight.”

Psalm 72:14 (NASB)

Call Now to Donate: 1-800-422-5441

ICC’s satellite channel beams hard-hitting Gospel content into one of the world’s most dangerous countries.

Gift 8 Broadcast the Gospel into the most dangerous parts of the world

“I’ve been living in darkness but from your program, I see that Christ is the only way” (Egyptian viewer).

“I’ve been watching your program and realize that I need a Savior” (Iranian viewer).

ICC supports several groups that broadcast Gospel material into the most spiritually hungry areas of the world.

ICC also birthed a satellite channel that sends hard-hitting content into one of the world’s most dangerous countries (we can’t say where). We then built a follow-up network on the ground to bring the Gospel to those interested.

Satellite TV has revolutionized bringing the Gospel to the most dangerous areas of the world. Partner with us to bring them out of darkness!

$125

funds the work of one broadcast follow-up worker for a month. $3,125 pays for one week of BOLD TV broadcasts into one of the toughest countries in the world.

Call Now to Donate: 1-800-422-5441

The lives of Imran and his wife were destroyed by Pakistan’s blasphemy laws. He has been sentenced to life in prison. Above, his parents thank ICC for supporting their daughter-in-law and grandchildren.

Gift 9 Blasphemy Victims in Pakistan In 2009, Imran Masih, a Christian shop owner, was cleaning his shop when his entire life was destroyed by Pakistan’s blasphemy law.

Discovering a book in his shop containing Arabic writing, Imran asked a Muslim neighbor whether it was a Quran. His neighbor said it wasn’t, so he threw the book into a trash fire.

Seizing upon the opportunity to take out his business rival, Imran’s neighbor took the burned remains of the book and declared Imran had desecrated a Quran.

A mob attempted to set Imran on fire.

Police saved him from the flames, but he was sentenced to life imprisonment for blasphemy and his family went into hiding.

With funds from ICC donors, ICC relocated the family, provided them with a small business, and enrolled their children in a Christian school.

$100

feeds a family for a month.

$3,000 completely rescues a family like the Masihs.

“The Lord...has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners.”

Isaiah 61:1 (NASB)

Donations to this gift support blasphemy victims and their families in South Asia.

Call Now to Donate: 1-800-422-5441

Advocacy 2015

ICC’s advocacy director speaks at an ICC-arranged White House protest for Meriam Ibrahim, sentenced to death by Sudan.

How do you focus the power of the U.S. government on a foreign government to free an imprisoned Christian?

How do you make a foreign government crack down on their local authorities who are persecuting Christians?

How do you direct millions of dollars in resources to the relief of persecuted Christians in Iraq?

THE ANSWER IS ADVOCACY! ICC has been adovcating for persecuted Chrsitians for 19 years, but in 2014, our advocacy department shifted into high gear.

On one key case, the State Department couldn’t get a direct meeting with a foreign country’s ambassador to discuss a very high profile persecution case. While the State Department couldn’t get in, ICC did. ICC’s president and advocacy director sat down with the ambassador to arrange the quiet release of a prisoner.

In 2014, we also briefed toplevel personnel at the State Department and conducted dozens of meetings with key offices in the House and Senate.

We challenged the status quo on everything from Meriam Ibrahim’s imprisonment, to attacks

on churches in Sri Lanka, to the complete lack of religious freedom in Saudi Arabia.

In 2014, we saw the release of Pastor BK in Kazakhstan and the release of Meriam Ibrahim in Sudan. We had 70 members of Congress send a letter to President Obama regarding Saudi Arabia. We helped push through major legislation to create a Special Envoy for religious freedom in the Middle East as well as legislation to promote religious freedom in Burma.

In 2015, ICC’s advocacy department is looking to take another quantum leap forward. We need to hold major briefings for Congress on persecution and participate in congressional hearings, as well as develop stronger relationships with certain influential members of Congress who would be key in helping persecuted Christians.

To accomplish this, we absolutely must add advocacy staff to conduct the background research that Congress demands for congressional briefings. The research is also necessary for multi-week advocacy campaigns with follow-up.

$100

pays for one day of advocating for the Persecuted on Capitol Hill.

$3,000 pays for a complete advocacy campaign in Congress to bring relief to the Persecuted.

“Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all the unfortunate. Open your mouth, and defend the rights of the afflicted and needy.”

Proverbs 31:8-9 (NASB)

Please join with us as we advocate for the persecuted in Washington DC.

Call Now to Donate: 1-800-422-5441

Next Steps 1. Select the gifts you wish to give to the Persecuted from the Christmas Catalog.

2. Complete the amounts on the form on the right or on the order card insert.

3. Mail the gift and order form in the enclosed envelope:

ICC, PO Box 8056, Silver Spring, MD 20907

4. If you prefer to donate via phone, call: 1-800-422-5441 (7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. EST)

PERSECU

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INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

PERSECU

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INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

Christmas Catalog Gift Order CONFIRM YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS Name Address City

State

Zip Code

Email METHOD OF PAYMENT Credit Card ___ Visa ___ MC ___ Discover ___ American Express Card Number Signature Total $ Check/Money Order Enclosed: Amount $

Check Number

SELECT YOUR GIFT ITEMS Gift #

Gift Description

Donation

1

Where Most Needed

$

2

Community Rebuild

$

3

Underground Pastors

$

4

Bibles

$

5

Suffering Wives and Children

$

6

Kids Care

$

7

Save Our Sisters

$

8

Broadcast the Gospel

$

9

Blasphemy Victims

$

10

Advocacy

$ TOTAL $

Gifts for the Persecuted

PERSECU

ION .ORG

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

PO Box 8056 Silver Spring, MD 20907 301-585-5915 www.persecution.org email: icc@persecution.org