Kids of Courage

In many Muslim countries, it’s not easy to share the good news of Jesus with others.

With the help of The Voice of the Martyrs, Christians in one Muslim land have set up a bookstore that offers Christian books to sell, and sometimes to give away free. VOM recently received the following report about the bookstore from a VOM contact.

“Muslims are usually very suspicious when they pass by the bookstore, but many come in. The Muslims usually think that Christians are against them, because they are against Christians.

“We make sure that we welcome any of them who enter, and we try to help them as much as we can. When they see the bookstore workers welcoming them and giving them a cup of water, they usually feel safe and start to ask questions about Christianity.

“These are some of the comments we have received from visitors to the bookstore:

• ”I am sure that you are not after money because I have seen you give Christian materials to Muslims for free. You care for souls, not money.”
• ”I feel that your bookstore is a peaceful area. Anyone who comes here can feel it even if he is not a Christian.”

(Some of the quotes and stories on this website have been edited and paraphrased from the original sources for clarity.)

To Think About

• How do the workers at the bookstore help customers feel comfortable enough to talk about Christianity?
• Can you donate a Christian book or DVD to a public library?

Children in the safe house get new shoes

The following story is from a girl in Indonesia who lives in a safe house. The house protects children whose family members have been attacked by radical Muslims.

“I am 14 years old, and I have been at the safe house since 2010. I want to share my story. My mother told me this story. It happened when I was 3 years old.

Our home was on the beach, and my father went fishing with his friends. A riot was happening in the area. My mother told my father it would be better if he didn’t go out because of the situation. But finally my father went fishing at night without telling my mother.

A few hours later, my mom heard the sound of gunfire from the beach. Our neighbors and my mother tried to find the source of the gunfire. The friends who went fishing with my father came back from the sea without him. They only brought back his boat. My father is still missing today.

Sometimes I feel sad when I remember my father, but now I have Jesus close to me. I love to read Psalm 23:3 because the Lord always walks with me.

I pray every day at 9:00 a.m. Once I prayed that God would provide me with a school uniform, shoes, and books. God answered my prayers, and he provided.

I love science and get good grades. I want to be a doctor when I grow up; I want to treat sick people.

Be thankful if you still have a father and mother. If you live in the free world, then obey God and always pray to him.

(To protect their identities, the names of some of the people on this website and some identifying details have been changed. Some of the quotes and stories have been edited and paraphrased from the original sources for clarity.)

Children in Indonesia

The following story comes from a 14-year-old Christian in Indonesia.

“I am the third child in my family. I have been at the safe house since I was 8 years old. I love to read, swim, and listen to the radio, and I love to do math, physics, and computers.

“My mother says that I was 8 months old when our village was attacked. My father was shot with an arrow.

“Sometimes I am sad because I don’t have a father. I overcome my sadness by playing the guitar. I don’t hate Muslims even though they killed my father.”

Matthew 5:44 says, “Love your enemies.” How does Yakim follow this command?

(To protect their identities, the names of some of the people on this website and some identifying details have been changed. Some of the quotes and stories have been edited and paraphrased from the original sources for clarity.)