Dear Friend of the Persecuted Church—

            We have been talking a lot about aftermath lately.  The news has been abuzz with it – the aftermath of Hurricane Ike in Texas, for instance, the aftermath of the political party conventions, the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Georgia.  And we’ve been talking about aftermath in The Weekly Reminder, especially relating to the violence that started in Orissa, India, weeks ago and has now spread throughout the country.

            But sometimes the aftermath gets forgotten – lost in the shuffle of more current tragedy.  Our minds tend to move on, forgetting those that are left behind as a result of tragedy.  Even now, for instance, in Orissa, though the ruins of the churches torched by Hindu ultra-fundamentalists have barely cooled, the news outlets have moved on.

            Though the nature of the news is to move on to “new” and “exciting” tragedies, the nature of our prayers should not be – and neither should our ministry.  The very heart of Remember’s work is in the aftermath, reaching out to the widows and orphans of martyrs, those left behind, living their day-to-day lives in quiet suffering as a result of the tragedy of persecution.  The life of Sadia, the widow of a martyred Sudanese pastor, is not newsworthy, as she washes clothes and windows to singlehandedly support her family.  But ministering to her touches the heart of God.

            It is no coincidence that in the aftermath there is hope.  The word “aftermath” is actually an agricultural term, meaning a second-growth crop – though the first growth of the hay has been chopped off or plowed under, it is not dead.  “Aftermath” literally means that it grows up again!

            Though churches and homes in India lie in smoldering ruins, though Sadia and uncounted others like her live their lives in sorrow, though believers all over the world are targeted for untold suffering, the Spirit that gives life is still present in these chopped off, plowed under Christians.

            And the aftermath is coming!

Yours for the Body of Christ,

Gabriel J. Waddell
Executive Director

PS: “Persecuted, Not Forsaken” is next week, and there are only a few more days to guarantee yourself a seat.  Spots are filling fast!  Be sure to RSVP today for this exciting event.

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This Week in the Persecuted Church

Baptist Prisoner of Conscience Still Jailed in Azerbaijan

Laos Cracks Down on Believers

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