27 July 2016

Donh*, who has been a Christian for just a year, was beaten by a policeman and a group of youths at the start of July after he refused to give up his faith.

Our local partner, Cang*, who has recently visited Donh, says: "The cop used his baton and assaulted Donh on his head and on the back of his neck. The cop came with about 20 young men with clubs and big knives. They pointed at him and came at him, shouted that he follows Jesus, and beat him [until they thought he was dead]. Now Donh has run away and is experiencing frequent headaches."

Donh and his wife accepted Jesus in June of last year. They lived in a village where the locals practiced various sacrificial ritual ceremonies. After deciding to follow Jesus, Donh refused to participate in the rituals, which angered the villagers. The local authorities also kept tabs on Donh and his family, and found out that on Sundays he would take his wife and son by motorbike out of the village to a church 60km away.

"They came to his house more than once, trying to force him to deny his faith in the Lord, but he refused," Cang shares. "And because of this, they destroyed his house, savaged his crops, and kicked him out of the village. But despite being treated like that, he continued not only in keeping his faith, but he shared it with his relatives. Three families related to Donh then became Christians."

On 10 July, the heads of those three families were called to the police station and told to give up their faith in Christ. When they refused, the police also beat them.

*names changed for security reasons

PLEASE PRAY:

• Thank God for the faith and courage of Donh and his relatives
• For protection for Donh, his family and the other three families who have decided to follow Jesus
• That God will change the hearts of the people in Donh's village and reveal Himself to them
• For healing for Donh and the others who have been beaten, and for provision and encouragement for them.

Source: Open Doors