You spent the morning in Church with other believers having fellowship and studying God’s Word and return to your thatch house built on poles about 5 foot off the ground. You’ve hardly had time to sit down with your daughters and grandchildren which you’ve helped raise alone since your husband left you years ago, and suddenly you hear yelling outside. You peer out the window and one of the village leaders is headed your way. His long machete is in his hand and the words coming out of his mouth are full of anger and hate and they are steered at you. He gets to your house and begins ripping the bamboo thatch off the walls. He kicks pots, cuts into the posts of your house, and continues to yell. As he yells that you should not be going to “that school” and should not be around “those people” he begins to shove his machete through the thin walls. You immediately think of your small grandchildren and gather them in your arms in the middle of the hut waiting for the chaos to end. What would you do?
You and your brother each live with your wife and children in a cozy hamlet surrounded by your other siblings and your parents. You and your brother’s family are believers but everybody else continues to follow a traditional belief they have held to for over 100 years. You have seen though, that what they believe and follow is not God’s way and is contrary to truth. To make matters worse, your father is the leader of that group and has confronted you several times. Others in the village are talking against you and your father because of your “rebellion.” Your mother is angry and heart-broken and doesn’t even want to talk. What would you do?
You have been faithfully meeting together with other believes and studying God’s Word. You bring your family to hear God’s Word. You teach your family in your home and now you have been teaching others publically the truths from the Bible. One day, while walking home on the muddy road you are confronted by a group. You are told that if you or your family pass this way again, don’t be surprised if you are ambushed and beat up because of your actions. What would you do?
These are all actual situations that have come up in the last few weeks here in the village in which we work, and there are more. So, what would you do? What should you do? Thankfully, all of these have men and women have stood firm. They are continuing to meet as believers, they are continuing to teach and lead their families, they are hold strong to the true Gospel of Christ. Easy? No. Has the pressure and persecution stopped? No, but praise the Lord is has slowed down. No one has been beat up or hurt, but talk continues.
Pray for your brothers and sister in Christ. Pray for the stand they are taking. Pray it will be a light to their community. Pray that you can stand strong like the Patpatar.
Aaron
Fact – In some recent village elections for who would form various committees to help oversee areas of need for the community guess who was chosen and elected? Yep, many of those that have been threatened. Despised but admired!