GUTS AND COURAGE Get inspired to follow Jesus no matter what the cost

Stories from places where faith costs the most www.opendoorsyouth.org “WE OUGHT TO BECOME PEOPLE OF GUTS AND COURAGE, WITH STRONG CONVICTIONS – TO NOT COUNT OUR LIVES DEAR UNTO OURSELVES. IF ONLY WE COULD FULFIL THE HIGH CALLING OF GOD ON OUR LIVES.” BROTHER ANDREW, FOUNDER OF OPEN DOORS

WHEN BROTHER ANDREW TALKS HAVING GUTS AND COURAGE, HE KNOWS WHAT HE’S ON ABOUT.

He became a Christian in his early twenties, and chose to say ‘yes’ to wherever God would lead him. Initially that meant some pretty risky trips from his home in the Netherlands to the Soviet Bloc, where he would smuggle illegal Bibles to Christians facing pressure from the communist regime. In the 60 years since he’s visited Open Doors works with Christians around the world that are nearly all the places where Christians face the worst persecution, encouraging and desktop opendoorsyouth.org persecuted for their faith. We are committed to smuggling strengthening the church with each step. He’s befriended and shared the gospel with email [email protected] hope by providing Bibles, training, literacy and livelihood known terrorists and taken God’s love to the darkest of places. Because of his guts instagram opendoorsyouthuk programmes, and advocacy support for people who know the and courage, Open Doors, the movement he founded, now supports Christians facing facebook twitteryoutube /opendoorsyouth true cost of following Jesus. persecution in around 60 countries across the world.

OPEN DOORS YOUTH OPEN DOORS YOUTH 2 / GUTS AND COURAGE OPENDOORSYOUTH.ORG OPENDOORSYOUTH.ORG GUTS AND COURAGE / 3 WHAT IS IT TO HAVE TRUE COURAGE? WE’RE OFTEN SHOWN IN MOVIES THAT THOSE WITH THE GREATEST STRENGTH, “IF ONE PART THE BIGGEST MUSCLES, OR MOST GUNS ARE THE MOST SUFFERS, EVERY COURAGEOUS. BUT MAYBE THAT’S NOT RIGHT. True courage is about determination; it’s when WHY DOES IT MATTER? PART SUFFERS you keep going no matter what you face; when you choose love in the face of hatred and pain; The worldwide church is a body. In the New when you spark a light in the bleakest of dark Testament, Paul, one of the leaders of the early WITH IT” places. You don’t need guns or muscles. church, says that this body must work together. He’s pretty insistent – he says there are no bits of the 1 CORINTHIANS 12:26 Jesus said that following Him wouldn’t always be body that are more important than the rest, and easy. In fact He says ‘For whoever would save his life all the parts are needed for the body to work and will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will function properly. But it’s more than that too. He find it’ (Matt 16:25). Finding life with Jesus means says if one part suffers, we all do. So, when Christians we need some immense courage to be prepared to in other parts of the world suffer for their faith, it die to ourselves and put Him above all else. Sounds should hurt us. It should move us. And we should tough, right? Well, it is. And millions of Christians respond in whatever way we can. Read what Paul around the world have knowingly embraced the cost says for yourself in 1 Corinthians 12:12-26. of following Jesus. Why? Because knowing God, our heavenly, loving Father is worth more than anything IT’S ALL ABOUT FAMILY money, possessions, reputation or security can offer us. Knowing God means millions of Christians are But it’s important that we don’t just see persecuted prepared to courageously face persecution. Christians as victims. They are our family. They are our brothers and sisters in Christ, and importantly, PERCY WHAT? many of them can inspire us to greater passion, vision and courage in our walk with God. Perse-cution. It’s when you’re singled out and targeted because of what you believe or who you Just check out the stories and reflections over are. Believe it or not, followers of Jesus are the the next few pages. Each one is about a person most persecuted group in the world. Millions face living in a country on the Open Doors 2018 World abuse, violence, intimidation, arrest, torture, beatings, Watch List* - that means they live in a place where exclusion, isolation, rejection, fear and death because Christians face some pretty extreme challenges. of their choice to follow Jesus. This is happening The young people in these stories show us that across the world – from North Korea to India, Nigeria, following Jesus takes true guts and true courage. Kenya, across the Middle East and even in Colombia, They challenge us, with the freedom we have, to too. And it’s getting more extreme. In 2016, over follow Jesus no matter what, because we know 3,000 Christians were killed for their faith in Jesus. In He is more than worth it. fact, 1 in 12 Christians on the planet face at least ‘high’ levels of persecution. Shocking, right? Up for it? Read on…

*Every year Open Doors publishes the World Watch List, a ranking of the 50 countries where following Jesus is toughest. Grab our free World Watch map at opendoorsyouth.org/wwl to find out more...

OPEN DOORS YOUTH OPENDOORSYOUTH.ORG GUTS AND COURAGE / 5 “I WAS AFRAID TO TOUCH THE BIBLE, BUT I COULDN’T JUST LEAVE IT THERE. I CLOSED MY EYES, PICKED UP THE BOOK AND PUT IT BACK.”

No.1 Kim Sang Hwa grew up in North Korea. For North Korea followers of Jesus it’s the most dangerous place 94 World Watch WHAT’S IT LIKE IN List points in the world. Anyone suspected of being a NORTH KOREA? Christian will be interrogated and potentially sent to a harsh labour camp, whilst owning a • North Korea has been the place where Bible will most definitely lead to arrest. following Jesus costs the most for nearly 20 years Kim knew this. So, when she found her parents’ IT TAKES • Christians are viewed as spies and traitors, Bible at the age of 12, hidden in a secret cupboard, and if found they will face arrest, torture, she was pretty scared. At the time she had no clue imprisonment, and perhaps even public that her parents were even Christians; they’d kept GUTS TO execution their faith hidden from her to protect her. After finding the illegal Bible she didn’t know what to do. • Up to 70,000 Christians are imprisoned in BELIEVE She knew she should tell her teacher or the local harsh labour camps. police, but then she also loved her family. • Christians therefore keep their faith a KIM SANG HWA After 15 days wondering what to do, Kim spoke to complete secret; many don’t even tell her father. He was surprised, but sat her down and their children NORTH KOREA explained who God was, and how her heavenly • But the church appears to be growing. Father had created the world. Over the following There may be as many as 300,000 secret weeks and months she had many conversations believers in North Korea! with her mum and dad, until she herself chose to believe. She learned to pray in whispers, knowing she couldn’t tell anyone about her faith. RESPONSE: What a decision. It takes courage to make that choice. It takes guts to know you’re choosing a faith Following Jesus is a choice, and one that should that could cost you everything. cost us. Christians, like Kim, from North Korea understand that being a Christian is worth risking Years on, Kim now lives in South Korea, but she’s everything for, including their lives. What about still as brave as ever: “I wish I could go back to North us? What, if anything, are we prepared to give up Korea and share the Gospel with the people there.” for Jesus?

PRAYER:

Father God, thank You for secret Christians in North Korea. Thank You for their courage, belief and perseverance. Help them find ways to meet and encourage one another and share Your love without being found out. Help me to have the courage to believe and follow You with all I have. Amen.

IMAGE IS ILLUSTRATIVE OPEN DOORS YOUTH OPENDOORSYOUTH.ORG GUTS AND COURAGE / 7 FOR MANY OF US, ACTUALLY SPEAKING ABOUT OUR FAITH WITH OTHERS CAN BE A PRETTY DAUNTING THOUGHT. IT TAKES COURAGE AND GUTS TO TELL OTHERS. No.11 That’s something Christians in India know India IT TAKES GUTS 81 World Watch first-hand. For many, especially converts from WHAT’S IT LIKE List points Hinduism, sharing your love of Jesus will have IN INDIA? TO TELL OTHERS severe consequences. • Radical Hinduism is growing, and the link Subhash was born into a Hindu family. He’s young between being Indian and being a Hindu is SUBHASH / INDIA and married - in his twenties. But when his wife becoming increasingly important became sick, a Christian pastor prayed for her and • This means tolerance for Christians and she was healed. This changed everything. Subhash other religious minorities is decreasing decided to follow Jesus for himself, and just as his pastor had prayed for his sick wife, Subhash began • Five states have anti-conversion laws, praying for lots of sick people. In fact, many were where it’s illegal to leave Hinduism healed because of his prayers, so much so, that he started holding special meetings where he’d share • Those who convert from Hinduism can face the gospel and pray for people. Up to 3,000 people extreme violence and be excluded by their came to one of these gatherings! families and community • In 2017, at least eight Christians were killed But all this attention started worrying the authorities. and nearly 24,000 physically assaulted Subhash was arrested on false charges and held in prison while the claims were investigated. The prison officers would hit him, but he didn’t fight back - instead, he chose to fast and pray. Then in prison, he RESPONSE: began doing exactly what he’d been arrested for – he started telling others about God’s love. If we live in the west we have some immense privileges. We’re free to follow Jesus, and share that “God used me inside the prison. I shared the gospel with others, without fear of arrest or violence. But with twelve other inmates. Eleven of them believed, sharing can still take guts, and it might well cost us. so I taught them how to pray”. Subhash went to prison for his faith, but still kept telling others about Jesus. How can we have the What amazing courage - to keep sharing Jesus’ love same passion to see others come to know God’s and hope when doing so could make things even love? How can we be more courageous in sharing worse! Subhash was released, but is still fighting the our faith? false charges against him.

PRAYER:

Father God, thank You for the courage of many Christians in India who are prepared to risk their safety to tell others about You. I pray many would come to know You because of the risks they are willing to take. I’m sorry when I don’t have the same passion as Subhash to share Your amazing love. Give me courage to speak to my friends about You, and give me the right words to say when they ask questions about You. Amen.

OPEN DOORS YOUTH OPENDOORSYOUTH.ORG GUTS AND COURAGE / 9 “PEOPLE HAVE NOTICED A CHANGE. SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO USED TO MOCK ME NOW ASK ME MY SECRET.”

No.14 Forgiveness can be the one of the hardest things Nigeria 77 World Watch we ever have to do. For Esther, the pain of her WHAT’S IT LIKE List points past is not easy to forget. When she was 17, IN NIGERIA? her village was attacked by a militant Islamic IT TAKES extremist group called Boko Haram who have • Nigeria is split between a largely Muslim been targeting Christian areas. In the violence, North and largely Christian South. her dad was injured and later died. If that wasn’t • Twelve northern states have imposed bad enough, Esther and some other girls were GUTS TO Islamic law, and the minority of Christians taken captive by the militants. in these states experience exclusion from government services and increasing Hidden away in the militants’ camps, she faced LOVE AND intimidation and violence regular pressure to convert to Islam. But she refused. She suffered severe abuse, and as a result, • The Islamic extremist group Boko Haram FORGIVE she became pregnant. She had a little girl called have targeted Christian villages, attacked Rebecca – far from the way she had hoped to start a and burnt homes, stolen land and family. “I had no idea how on earth I would ever be kidnapped many ESTHER / NIGERIA able to love this child… [But] she has become my joy and laughter amidst sadness.” • In other areas Fulani herdsmen, a radical Islamic tribe, target Christian villages and Esther was eventually rescued, but with a baby farmland, causing ongoing unrest fathered by a militant fighter, it was hard for her to be • Converts from Islam face rejection by their accepted her own community, and even her family. families and pressure to give up Christianity Thanks to help from Open Doors partners, Esther is learning to deal with her past and find freedom from her sorrow and pain. She’s still clinging onto God. She’s learning to forgive those who attacked and RESPONSE: abused her: “People have noticed a change. Some of those people who used to mock me now ask me Esther’s experiences are horrific and extreme. my secret. I tell them, ‘I forgave my enemies and now Hopefully, we’ll never know such trauma, but trust God to take vengeance in His time’.” we’ve all been hurt in some way by other people, and caused hurt ourselves. Jesus taught us to pray It takes guts for Esther to love her daughter. It takes ‘forgive us, as we forgive those who do wrong to guts for her to forgive her abusers. Courageous us’. Are there people you need to forgive or seek love, courageous forgiveness. forgiveness from? Do you have the courage to do it?

PRAYER:

Father God, thank You for Esther and Rebecca. Help them grow as a loving family and to always know Your acceptance, peace and love. Strengthen and protect the church in Nigeria as it faces growing extremism. Bring tolerance, peace and stability. Help me love and forgive courageously, like Esther, and like Jesus. Amen.

IMAGE IS ILLUSTRATIVE OPEN DOORS YOUTH OPENDOORSYOUTH.ORG GUTS AND COURAGE / 11 IT TAKES GUTS TO KEEP GOING, TO CHOOSE TO STICK WITH YOUR FAITH WHEN LIFE GETS HARD. WE ALL FACE PRESSURES, TRAGEDIES AND DISAPPOINTMENTS, AND IT’S EASY TO WALK AWAY FROM GOD. IT TAKES GUTS AND COURAGE TO KEEP GOING. IT TAKES GUTS Christians in Egypt and across the Middle East No.17 are showing us the way. When churches are WHAT’S IT LIKE Egypt attacked or homes destroyed, when people are IN EGYPT? 70 World Watch TO KEEP GOING List points killed or kidnapped, many cling to God, knowing His love is bigger than their questions and pain. • Egypt has the largest population MARIAN / EGYPT of Christians in the Middle East. There Marian knows this first hand. She’s from Egypt, where are around 9.5 million Christians; that’s Christians are facing increasing persecution from about 10% of the population violent Muslim extremist groups. When she was just • Political unrest over the last 6 years has seen 14, the unthinkable happened. She was at church, and a rise in Islamic extremism, and Christians as one service was ending and another beginning, her are being squeezed out of society dad sent her home to make some tea for him. As the water was heating up, she heard a big explosion. • The so-called Islamic State are viciously targeting Christians and churches. 128 She rushed back to the church and found a scene Christians were killed in 2017. of carnage. There were bodies and blood. Marian found her father; he was barely breathing: “I put his • Church leaders are watched by the state head on my lap… and he asked me to take care of • It’s nearly impossible to change your my younger brother and sister. Then he closed his religion, and many Muslims that do convert eyes and smiled peacefully, his face shining. Then he face extreme pressure to go back to Islam went to heaven.”

A suicide bomber had walked into the church, and Marian’s father had run after him, trying to stop RESPONSE: him from detonating his bomb-vest. The attack happened just days before Marian’s 15th birthday. None of us are immune to giving up. Look at Peter, one of the first disciples. He denied Jesus three A year and a half later, Marian still misses her dad. times when the pressure was on. But with God’s But courageously she’s still following Jesus, clinging grace, we can keep going. Peter became the leader onto Him through pain, trauma and loss. Incredibly of the early church. What could God do through us she says: “God takes, but He gives back more. God is if we courageously keep going with Him? Exciting, love, God is kind, God is merciful. I have experienced right? Spend time praying that you’d have the this in my most difficult hour”. strength to persevere when the going gets tough.

PRAYER:

Father God, thank You for Marian. I pray You’d encourage and strengthen her. Help her know you as her loving heavenly Father and continue to heal her from the pain she knows. Help her keep going with You. I’m sorry for when I stop following You and give up. Like Peter, help me know Your grace and kindness, and commit to living out my love of You with true guts and courage. Amen.

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They face arrest Up to 1,500 churches new church has been (IS) have targeted Iraq’s Christian in the Zhejiang WHERE FOLLOWING grantedand registration attack whilst churches are being WORLD WATCH LIST MAP 2018 since 1956. community, destroying whole towns. province have either demolished. been demolished, JESUS COSTS Tens of thousands remain displaced, The places where faith costs the most or had their crosses THE MOST SOMALIA PAKISTAN 17 whilst converts from Islam can face removed in the last and Facebook for weekly prayer requests and stories. to Christians facing increasing intimidation and extreme violence and pressure for few years. Churches exist, but areEGYPT targets for KEY “WE ARE EXPERIENCING HORRIBLE THINGS HERE EVERY DAY. IT APPEARS their choice to follow Jesus. WHAT NOW? THAT I LIVE IN HELL ON EARTH. I WISH I COULD JUST STAND INSIDE A extremists. Radical Muslims monitor EXTREME PERSECUTION CHURCH AND CRY OUT IN THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.” gatherings of converts,A rise in who violent can face KEEP PRAYING VERY HIGH PERSECUTION extreme violence.attacks saw 128 9 YEMEN violence. Show them that they are not forgotten! RAISE MONEY HIGH PERSECUTION A SECRET CHRISTIAN FROM SOMALIA Christians killed Christians have been killed and Get our ‘Guts and Courage’ prayer Open Doors does all sorts of things last year and many resource at opendoorsyouth. others injured abducted by Islamic radicals. The 26 BRUNEI 6 ERITREA to help persecuted Christians,NORTH KOREA HOW BAD IS IT? current conflict has sparked a massive org/guts to up your prayer 1 Christians are seen as spies and from delivering Bibles and training 27 QATAR • If you are even suspected of WHAT SHOULD I PRAY? humanitarian crisis, with Christians game and connect with us on 2 AFGHANISTAN Father, even where extremists don’t traitors. Over 300 Christians were church leaders to micro-loans 28 KAZAKHSTAN Give what you can: Open Doors provides all sorts of being a Christian, you could being discriminated against when Instagram, Facebook and Twitter 3 SOMALIA arrested last year, with many held for refugees to help them start want people to follow You, You for weekly prayer updates. 29 ETHIOPIA be murdered on the spot. At in miserable conditions - including relief is being handed out. 4 SUDAN are still known and worshipped. businesses and trauma counselling 30 TUNISIA least 12 Christians were killed PAKISTAN Strengthen and encourage secret shipping containers in scorching heat. for those who have experienced5 in 2016 when their faith was IRAN TELL OTHERS 31 TURKEY Christians. Help4 them find ways violence. Why not run a fundraising6 ERITREA things to help persecuted Christians, from delivering Tell others: Pass on this booklet, share the stories discovered A hard-line Islamic government barely Tell everyone you know! Let the 32 KENYA to meet to worship and pray. 7 LIBYA event or get sponsored to 7takeLIBYA • The militant Islamist group al- SUDAN tolerates Christianity, and house world know that in many places BHUTAN There are 42,000 Christians in Libya, on a challenge to raise money 33 Alongside Christians in Somalia, I Christians are facing shocking 8 IRAQ Shabaab has said that it ‘wants churches with Muslim converts are KUWAIT cry out toMany You. converts Pour out Your Spirit though just 150 are Libyans (the rest and support these things? Check 34 Somalia free of Christians’ monitored and raided. 52 Christians abuse, isolation and violence. 9 YEMEN on this harshfrom Islam land. keep Provide ways for are migrants). War has created mass opendoorsyouth.org for loads of 35 CAR • Grab some resources to give away 10 IRAN Bibles and training church leaders to micro loans of courage with your mates and let the world know The government has stated were arrested last year. their faith a secret instability. All Christians are at risk of ideas including our weekend-long PALESTINIAN Your Wordfor fear to ofbe violence. known and learnt. at opendoorsyouth.org 36 TERRITORIES that leaving Islam is illegal – attack by radical Islamists. 11 INDIA Help ChristiansSome even find do favourso and digital fast, Blackout. 37 MALI they even banned Christmas after they’ve died, 12 SAUDI ARABIA influence choosingto help tobring be tolerance 38 INDONESIA celebrations in 2015 MALDIVES and stability.buried Build in Muslim Your Kingdom 13 • Christians keep their faith a 39 MEXICO for refugees to help them start businesses; from that in many places Christians are facing shocking there. Changecemeteries. hearts. Bring many WHAT SHOULD I PRAY? 14 NIGERIA secret; even liking a Christian 40 UAE more to You. You can do it. Yours is Father God, the world seems so dark, but we know You are true and pure light. SYRIA social media post can have the 15 the power and glory. Strengthen the church. Bring hope and change. I pray that secret, persecuted 11 41 BANGLADESH most severe consequences desktop opendoorsyouth.org 16 UZBEKISTAN Amen. Christians around the world would know Your immense and amazing love opendoorsyouthuk 42 ALGERIA INDIA email [email protected] 17 EGYPT today. Help them keep going, and help me use my freedom3 to live my faith trauma counselling for those that have experienced abuse, isolation and violence. Grab some resources 20    /opendoorsyouth 43 CHINA out loud. Amen. Open Doors UK, PO Box 6, Witney, Oxon, OX29 6WG / 01993 460015 18 VIETNAM In 2017, 23,792 44 SRI LANKA CENTRAL AND SOMALIA Registered as a Charity in EnglandLAOS and Wales No.1125684, and in Scotland, No. SC043710 19 TURKMENISTAN YouthWWMap2018.indd 1 Christians were SOUTH AMERICA mentally or 45 AZERBAJJAN 20 LAOS At least 23 suspected physically abused. House churches are 46 OMAN converts from Islam considered by the JORDAN www.opendoorsyouth.org violence and terror to training church leaders to to give away at opendoorsyouth.org That’s more than the 21 were killed for their combined total of all authorities as ‘illegal 47 MAURITANIA choice to follow 22 TAJIKISTAN the other countries gatherings’ and must BAHRAIN Jesus in 2017. 48 on the World Watch operate in secret. 23 MALAYSIA List put together. 49 COLOMBIA 24 MYANMAR 07/02/2018 14:50 50 DJIBOUTI 25 NEPAL

/opendoorsyouthuk Open Doors UK, PO Box 6, Witney, Oxon, OX29 6WG / 01993 460015 Registered as a Charity in England and Wales No.1125684, and in Scotland, No. SC043710 desktopopendoorsyouth.org    /opendoorsyouth OPEN DOORS YOUTH [email protected] OPENDOORSYOUTH.ORG GUTS AND COURAGE / 15 Open Doors works with Christians around the world that are desktop opendoorsyouth.org persecuted for their faith. We are committed to smuggling email [email protected] hope by providing Bibles, training, literacy and livelihood instagram opendoorsyouthuk programmes, and advocacy support for people who know facebook twitteryoutube/opendoorsyouth the true cost of following Jesus.