VOM-USA Prayer Update for August 30, 2013

The Voice of the Martyrs USA: www.persecution.com

Kazakhstan—Mother Fined for Son’s Witness
Source: Forum 18 News

1 Peter 1:6–7

A Christian woman was fined one month’s average salary because of her 9-year-old son’s “illegal religious activity” at school. Tatyana Degterenko’s son, David, gave two Christian CDs to his teachers as gifts. When the head teacher saw one of the CDs, labeled “God loves you too,” in a teacher’s room, she immediately called the police. A police investigator questioned the boy in the absence of his parents. When the investigator asked him who permitted him to bring the CDs to school, David replied, “my mother.” Tatyana was then fined for allowing her son to participate in religious activity. She appealed the decision on July 30, but a high court upheld the fine.

Malaysia—Government to Appeal Ruling on Use of “Allah”
Source: VOM Sources, AP News

Deuteronomy 32:4

On Thursday, Aug. 22, the Malaysian government won the right to appeal a previous court ruling that had allowed the country’s non-Muslim minority to use the word “Allah” in reference to God. “Allah,” the Arabic word for “God,” is commonly used in the Malay language to refer to God. The Malaysian government, however, insists that “Allah” should be restricted to use by Muslims only. Some Christians in Malaysia argue that limiting the use of “Allah” to Muslims is unreasonable because Christians who speak Malay used the word to refer to God in their Bibles, literature and songs long before authorities tried to ban its use in recent years. Pray that justice and the rule of law will be upheld. The appeal is scheduled to begin Sept. 10.

Vietnam—Bibles Confiscated from House Church
Source: VOM Sources

Revelation 12:10–11

Local authorities confiscated 16 Bibles and some hymnals from a group of Hmong believers during a house church meeting two weeks ago, a VOM worker reports. The house church of 30 families was formed two months ago after an evangelist came and shared the gospel in their mountain village. No Christians lived in the village prior to the evangelist’s visit, and police are especially opposed to Christianity spreading in new areas. Police are watching the house and have threatened to arrest the group’s leader and tear down the house if they meet again. They also took the believers’ cell phones and told them not to contact anyone outside the house. VOM is making plans to replace the Bibles that were taken by police.

Burma/Myanmar—VOM Project