Lana hated Christians. She and her Muslim friends in Egypt were taught to stay away from Christians.

Lana’s school friend, Sahar, had a plan. She asked Lana to join her in carrying out her plan.

Sahar planned to listen to Christian programs on the radio. The girls would then choose the Christian radio host who seemed to be the weakest in his faith. They decided to write letters to the host and ask him questions that he could not answer.

Lana liked Sahar’s idea, and she agreed to help. She wrote a letter to one of the Christians and explained that she was a Muslim girl who would “never be shaken from her faith.” Her letter then asked the host, “Is Christ God, a messenger (prophet), or the Son of God?”

Lana said, “I never expected an answer to my letter because I did not believe he had one.” Muslims believe Jesus was a prophet, but not the Son of God. They do not believe He died for the sins of the world, or that people are saved by the grace of God through faith in Christ. Muslims do not understand that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are one God.

To Lana’s surprise, the host answered her letter! His answer was polite and loving. “He did not attack me, and I found myself liking what he wrote,” said Lana. “I read his letter several times a day.”

Lana continued to write to the host. After awhile, he gave her a Bible and led her to Christ. “I accepted the Lord into my life. I felt God was turning me around,” Lana said.

Peace and Persecution

Lana’s life did turn around. She began to experience the peace of those who follow Christ. But her family was not as peaceful about her decision. They tried to talk her out of her faith.

Family members did not allow Lana to eat meals with them anymore or to wash her clothes with theirs. They did not want their dishes and laundry to be “contaminated” by someone who did not follow Islam. (Islam is the religion of Muslims.)

One night Lana’s father caught her listening to a Christian radio program. He kicked her out of the house. He told her that as far as he was concerned, she was “dead.” Lana spent the night with a friend.

After a while, Lana found a job in a Christian bookstore. One day a man came into the shop and asked Lana to help him with something outside. But when Lana left the store to help him, he kidnapped her!

The man took Lana to a National Security office. He questioned her about her faith and treated her harshly for three days. Then her parents came, even though her father had said she was “dead.” Lana’s parents and the man tried again to get Lana to return to Islam.

Lana refused to deny Jesus. Now she is in hiding where her family and enemies cannot find her.

“I’m in real danger,” said Lana. “But I trust God because He is alive. My comfort is that it is only a short time that I’m spending here on earth. But there will be a long time that I’ll spend with Him. I know there will come a time when there will be no more sorrow or suffering. This is our hope in the Lord Jesus.”

To Think About

• What did Lana mean when she said, “It is only a short time that I’m spending here on earth. But there will be a long time that I’ll spend with Him.”
• Lana and Sahar looked for the weakest host to question. But his strength came from God, who has no weaknesses. (See Philippians 4:13.) How can you strengthen your walk with God so that you can help bring others to Christ?

Parveen is the daughter of poor parents in Pakistan. Like many Christian girls in Pakistan, she worked as a maid in a Muslim home to help support her family. Parveen received just $17 a month for her work.

Christians in Pakistan often have a hard time getting a good education and good jobs. Most of the best opportunities go to Muslims. Muslims are people who follow the religion called “Islam.” Islam does not agree with the teachings of the Bible.

Muslims believe they should pray five times a day. They say mostly the same words each time. On Fridays, many Muslims go to a mosque to pray. A mosque is a building where Muslims worship.

One Saturday, Parveen’s boss, Fatima, told Parveen to come to work the next day. “I have guests coming tomorrow,” Fatima said.

“Tomorrow is Sunday,” said Parveen. “That is my day off.”

“What’s so special about Sunday?” Fatima asked.

Parveen answered, “Sunday is our special day. We go to church on Sunday.”

Locked Up

The next day, Fatima sent for Parveen. So Parveen stopped by Fatima’s house on the way to church to ask what she wanted.

Fatima asked Parveen to clean the house. Parveen again explained that she was going to church. “Why do you follow Jesus Christ?” Fatima asked. “Why do you go to church?”

Parveen answered, “Jesus Christ is our Lord. I love Him, and I love to worship Him.”

Fatima was furious. She slapped Parveen and dragged her into the house. For about three hours, Fatima, her husband, and their two daughters tried to force Parveen to deny Jesus. They threatened her and even offered her money to become a Muslim.

“Even if you offer me 10 billion rupees, I will not accept Islam,” Parveen replied. (A rupee is the main unit of money in Pakistan. One Pakistan rupee is worth about two cents in U.S. money.)

Then the Muslim family locked Parveen in a room for two days. Parveen’s parents came to check on her, but they were told that Parveen was working.

“Happy to Suffer”

Finally Fatima turned Parveen over to her parents. Parveen was so happy to be free! Later Parveen talked about the time she spent locked in the Muslims’ house. “I didn’t cry because I wanted to show them that I am happy with my Jesus Christ. I was happy to suffer for the witness of Jesus Christ.”

Parveen no longer works for the Muslim family. She has learned to sew, and she hopes to teach her skills to other Christian girls so they can earn money by sewing. Then they will not have to work for Muslims. They will be free to “remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8).

Refugee: A person who flees, or is forced out of, a place of danger to them. The refugee settles in a safer place.

Vicente and Gerardo were in trouble. The traditionalists in their town in Chiapas, Mexico were planning another festival.

"Traditionalists" in Chiapas follow some Catholic teachings. But they mix those teachings with superstitious practices from the ancient Mayan religion. The Bible does not speak well of such practices (Isaiah 47:12-15; Daniel 1:20).

The traditionalists hold 13 festivals a year. They demand that the townspeople pay a "tax" to help them buy liquor and supplies for the festivals.

Vicente and Gerardo are not traditionalists. They refused to pay the 350 peso tax for the festival, because they did not think the festival honored God. (The 350 pesos would equal about $33 in U.S. money.)

One of the town leaders said Vicente and Gerardo had to pay the tax. Vicente asked if there was a law that said they had to pay. The man answered, "There is no law, but what we do in this town is make our own laws."

Then the town officials locked up Vicente and Gerardo in a small jail. The jail was like a shed. "The two of us only had enough room to move our feet," said Vicente. "We didn't have enough room to lie down."

The officials chained and padlocked the door shut. They did not give Vicente and Gerardo food or water for almost three days.

A group of evangelicals came to the jail and helped get the brothers released. Evangelicals, like Vicente and Gerardo, believe in the truth of the Bible and in sharing the Good News of Jesus with others. Traditionalists in Chiapas often persecute evangelicals. The traditionalists even burned down some evangelicals' homes and churches.

Vicente and Gerardo, along with their parents, brothers, and sisters were forced out of the town and their property was taken away. Now they live as refugees in another town. Sometimes it is hard for them to get enough food to eat in their new location.

But Vicente and Gerardo know that no one can take Jesus from their hearts. Thomas, a Christian in Chiapas whose home church was burned, said, "They can take my clothes and all my property. But they cannot burn Christ and the church from our hearts. We are in God's hands."

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8: 38,39, NIV).

“Kids have an amazing capacity to understand the world and the energy to change it,” said Cynthia C. from New York. Cynthia taught a class of fourth through seventh graders about the persecution of Christians around the world.

The group wrote letters to Christian prisoners on www.PrisonerAlert.com. They prayed for suffering Christians, watched The Voice of the Martyrs videos, sent blankets to VOM for delivery to Christians in Sudan, and raised money for VOM projects.

“The kids learned that the world is not really so big,” said Cynthia. “And that we have brothers and sisters who are suffering. But we can do something.”

The 10 stories below tell about other U.S. kids who found out they can “do something.” They learned that they can raise awareness about the persecuted church or raise funds to support projects that help suffering Christians.

(To read another story about U.S. kids helping persecuted Christians, check the story “‘Life Hurts, God Heals’ Spreads the Word” in the KOC Spotlight section of this Web site.)

#10: Parable of the Talents

Every year, Sandy S.’s third grade class at the Country Christian School in Wisconsin studies the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30). This year Sandy handed out $53 to the students in her class. Six students got $1, six got $2, and seven received $5.

Jacob C. teamed up with another student. They pooled their money and bought ingredients to make cookies, which they sold at recess. “I learned that sacrificing recess and selling items can really help other people,” Jacob said.

For six weeks the students did a variety of projects to make their money “grow.” They earned a total of $850. The class sent a portion of their money to VOM to be used for Bibles for Chinese Christians.

#9: Underground Reality “Jump Start”

“The video jump-started our kids, and the adults, too!” said Cathy K. She gave VOM’s Underground Reality: Vietnam DVD to the pastor of her church in North Carolina. The pastor showed the four episodes on the DVD at Sunday night services. “Now all of us look forward to receiving our VOM newsletter. We pray on Wednesday nights for those who are suffering,” Cathy said.

The video tells the true story of American teens smuggling Bibles into Vietnam. “It has given the kids and adults the desire to do a short-term mission trip, but not to an easy place,” Cathy said. “Maybe to India or Peru.”

Sierra R., age 12, saw the video at church and introduced it at her Christian school. Other youth in the church are telling their friends what they have learned about the persecuted church. “It has lit a fire,” Cathy said.

#8: VBS Contest

The kids at Sunrise Baptist Church in Wyoming had a contest at their Vacation Bible School. They tried to see who could collect the most change, boys or girls. Instead of counting the change to see who won, they weighed it! They donated the money they raised to VOM to help Christians in countries where Christian activity is limited by the government.

#7: “The Pastor” Musical

The Youth Worship Choir of the Community Bible Church in Kansas performed the musical “The Pastor” for their congregation. “The Pastor” tells the story of Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, the founder of The Voice of the Martyrs. Pastor Wurmbrand was in prison in Romania for a total of 14 years because of his faith in Christ.

“The Pastor” is an original musical that was first introduced by the Greenleaf Music and Arts Academy in another Kansas town. Both Greenleaf and the Youth Worship Choir shared the proceeds from their ticket sales with VOM. “It was a life-changing and faith-inspiring experience to learn more about Pastor Wurmbrand,” said Meredith O., the Youth Worship Choir director.

#6: Kids of Courage Meetings

A teacher in Virginia said: “Our 4 to 12 year olds have “Kids of Courage” meetings on the first Sunday of the month. Each month we talk about a different country using information from www.KidsofCourage.com They color a flag and a map of the country. We have learned about Iran, China, North Korea, Vietnam, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. The kids couldn’t wait to show their parents the Pakistani treat they had for a snack.

“The class also watched the videos Agent Abbey and Stephen’s Test of Faith. We talk about how blessed they are to be able to carry a Bible, come to church, and say they love Jesus whenever they want to. The group prays for the persecuted and the persecutors. We will continue to pray and help by being ‘voices.’”

#5: Junior Linkers for Christ

Hannah N. recently began leading a group her church in Kentucky calls “Junior Linkers for Christ.” Using VOM materials for children, the group learns about persecuted Christians around the world and prays for them. Hannah is teaching the Linkers using the alphabet. When they reached “C,” Hannah baked them cookies and taught them about Christians in Colombia.

Hannah, age 18, was a member of her church’s older “Linkers for Christ” group for eight years. She is homeschooled, and her parents gave her school credit for “World Cultures” because of all she learned in the group.

Now Hannah is passing on her knowledge to younger kids. “Linkers for Christ has been a huge part of my life,” said Hannah. “I am thankful to have some understanding of what my brothers and sisters in Christ are going through around the world. Sharing this with the little ones is a small part of what God has for me to do, but prayer is what changes things. I am thankful for our Lord who hears and answers prayer.”

#4: Cans for Kids of Courage: A Letter to VOM

“My sister Elyse and I are homeschooled. The stories that we read in the Kids of Courage newsletters have encouraged us to pray and ask God what we could do to help the persecuted church.

“My sister handed out flyers in our neighborhood requesting aluminum cans for recycling. One neighbor had over 40 pounds of cans! We want to share what we earned with the VOM Families of Martyrs fund and fellow “kids of courage” so they may have some of their needs met and especially to have an opportunity to receive Bibles and Christian materials.”

From Mikey H., age 11, and Elyse H., age 9, Wisconsin

#3: History Fair Paper and Sudan Club

Adam A. from Georgia said: “I wrote a history fair paper about the Lost Boys of Sudan. It made me feel really sad about the situation in Sudan. I didn’t know what I could do to help since I am only 14. I thought maybe my friends would like to help do something for Sudan, so I started a club called ‘Students for Sudan.’ At our first meeting a refugee from Sudan talked to us. Two boys in our club are her sons.” (See the photo of the club above.)

Students for Sudan participated in VOM’s Blankets of Love project. They sent blankets to VOM for shipment to Christians in Sudan. The group also filled Action Packs of needed items for VOM to ship to Sudan.

#2: Family Presentation

Betsy F. and her children prepared and presented a 45-minute program about Bangladesh to their church family in Michigan. The children: Rebecca, 13; Daniel, 11; Rachel, 9; Naomi, 7; Ezra, 5;, and Joel, 4, used information from www.KidsofCourage.com for their presentation.

Rebecca read a story about Christians in Bangladesh from the Web site. Daniel presented country facts, and Naomi made a Bangladesh flag. The children sang a song in the Bangla language.

Ezra and Joel helped in a dramatic activity presented by the kids. They marked off an area the size of a typical home in Bangladesh and chose people in the congregation to be members of the “family” in the home. The family ate food Rachel had prepared, prayed together, and illustrated some of the realities of life in a Bangladeshi Christian home.

“We are not an especially talented family when it comes to reading aloud, singing, or acting, but this is something anyone can do,” said Betsy.

Note: The archives on this site contain stories from a variety of countries. The activities, such as the song and recipe Betsy’s kids used, are deleted after a month. However, all the content for each year is included in a Kids of Courage Yearbook, available from The Voice of the Martyrs.

#1: Prayers in a Bag

Eric and Timothy S. from North Carolina learned about the persecuted church from their grandmother. She put a prayer map from The Voice of the Martyrs on her wall. The boys wrote the names of all the countries on small pieces of paper and put them in a plastic bag. Each day, Eric and Timothy drew a country out of the bag. They prayed for the Christians in that country, then put the piece of paper in a “prayed-for” bag. When the prayer bag was empty, they switched bags and started over. “They began to have a great burden for their brothers and sisters in Christ in other countries,” their grandmother said.

Some of the quotes and stories on this Web site have been edited and paraphrased from the original sources for clarity.

One Saturday morning, police officers in Eritrea raided a children’s Bible study. The kids, ages 2 to 18, were taken to the police station with their teachers.

At the station the children began to sing a song. The song said, “I am not afraid of persecution, hardships, and even death. Nobody can separate me from the love of Jesus Christ.”

According to some reports, the police told the children to “shut up.” The youngest children were released that day, but the oldest had to stay longer.

Suspicious Leaders

The government of Eritrea approves only four religious groups: Islam (the religion of Muslims), Catholic, Lutheran, and Orthodox Christian. Persecution against other groups is growing.

The government usually leaves Orthodox Christians alone. But the children who sang at the police station were from an Orthodox church. Bible studies draw the attention of officials. The officials act suspicious of people who put God first in their lives.

The government gives no reason for persecuting Christians. The leaders may be afraid that young people who are Christians will not join the military and protect Eritrea against enemies.

None of the evangelical churches in Eritrea are against military service. But a reporter said that the government may be afraid that Christians who follow God will not follow the government’s instructions.

Helen Berhane

The Bible study children are not the only singers the government wants to “shut up.” Helen Berhane is an Eritrean gospel singer. Her music is popular with young people in Eritrea.

The police wanted Helen to sign a paper denying her faith in Christ. They wanted her to promise not to sing Christian music anymore. She refused.

The police took Helen to an army camp and kept her there for more than two years. She was treated harshly and was even forced to stay inside a hot metal shipping container much of the time. After Helen was released, she had to use a wheelchair because her legs and feet were injured in prison.

Christians are still arrested and put in prison in Eritrea.

(Sources include: Compass Direct, Amnesty International, Solidarity Worldwide, BBC News, and VOM sources)