“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures for ever.”
1 Chronicles 16:34
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Myanmar – Seven children among the dead in airstrike on church; Military bombs church in home village of Christian leader
Please pray for a community in Christian-majority Kachin State as they grieve for nine people killed in a Myanmar military (Tatmadaw) airstrike on a church on 15 November. Seven children playing in the area were among the dead.
The Tatmadaw bomb struck the church in Konlaw village next to a camp sheltering people displaced by the fighting.
“In just one family, the father, the mother, and all their kids, six people in total, died,” local spokesman Naw Bu said.
Naw Bu named the victims as: Sut Zai Li, 5; May Sen Pan, 7; Gum Seng Maw, 9; Tsawm San, 10; Mung Htoi Awng, 11; Sa Ra Seng, 11; Myu Jet Awn, 13; Lazum Lung Wa, 35; and Mun Mai, 36.
Eleven others were injured, seven critically, and were taken to hospital in the nearby town of Lai Zar for treatment.
The airstrike occurred just two weeks after the bombing of the church in the home village of senior church leader Charles Maung Bo on 30 October in Sagaing Region.
No casualties were reported in the attack in Mon Hla village, and Bo himself, who lives in Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city, was not present at the time.
“They’ve destroyed an entire side of the church, the whole right side,” said one resident. She added that both the church’s bell tower and nave also sustained damage.
Bo has spoken out passionately against attacks on churches in the past. In November 2022 he appealed to the Tatmadaw for dialogue after an earlier land and air attack on Mon Hla village in which three civilians were killed.
Mon Hla is home to 3,000 residents, most of whom are Christians. It is one of the region’s historic Bayingyi villages where inhabitants are descended from Christians who settled in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
Residents asserted that there was no justification for the attack on the village. Many villagers were forced to flee from their homes a second time when drones reappeared on the day following the bombing.
The Sagaing Region has been particularly affected by violence since the Tatmadaw seized power in the military coup of February 2021.
Cry out on behalf of those who lost loved ones in the airstrike in Konlaw village. Pray that they will be comforted and that the wounded will receive healing. Give thanks that there were no casualties in the attack on Mon Hla. Pray that Christians in both communities will know the Lord’s protection in the days ahead and that targeted attacks on Christian communities will cease. Pray that their trust in the Lord (Proverbs 3:5-6) will point the way ahead and enable them to overcome fear. Ask Him to anoint, empower and direct Bo and other Christian leaders to speak boldly against injustice in these troubled times for Myanmar.
Nigeria – Boko Haram fighter justifies killing own niece for being a Christian
Evidence that Boko Haram is still active in north-eastern Nigeria was provided by a horrific video released by the Islamist terrorist group in October, which shows the beheading of four civilians in Borno State.
At least one of the victims was a Christian, a young woman who was the niece of one of the terrorists who abducted her.
The fighter justified participating in killing her by simply stating, “We do not share the same faith as her.”
The group also announced that they would intensify their attacks in the region.
Boko Haram has been operating in Nigeria for more than 10 years. It was in Borno State that they abducted 276 girls, mostly Christians, from a secondary school in Chibok, in April 2014.
Other Islamist groups active in northern and Middle Belt Nigeria include Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). On 10 November ISWAP fighters attacked a Christian village in Chibok, burning down several homes.
Lift up to the Lord Christians in Borno State and other vulnerable communities in northern and middle Belt Nigeria. Ask that even amid increasing danger they will be filled with God’s Spirit of love, power and self-control (2 Timothy 1:7). Give thanks for the faithfulness of our sister who was called home and pray that her devotion to Christ will leave a profound and convicting impression even on family members who follow Islam. Pray that her witness, and that of others who have paid the ultimate price for following their Lord, will be an encouragement to our brothers and sisters to resist the enemy, standing firm in the faith (1 Peter 5:9).
Egypt – Government approves licensing of 293 more churches; Three Christian men severely injured in stabbing attack
Our brothers and sisters in Egypt received great encouragement as the government approved the licensing of 293 churches and church-affiliated buildings on 21 October.
This was the 28th batch of approvals granted since the government committee overseeing the licensing process began work in 2017.
The decision brings the number of churches granted licences to 3,453 out of the 3,730 that applied for registration after a Law for Building and Restoring Churches abolished Ottoman-era restrictions on church buildings in 2016.
To secure their licences, churches must prove ownership of land and fulfil structural and safety obligations, including the availability of fire extinguishers.
Before the committee addressed the task of processing licences it was extremely difficult for churches to obtain a licence, and many congregations had no option but to worship unlawfully in unregistered buildings.
In 2018 the government allowed Christians to worship in unlicensed buildings pending the completion of the registration process.
This positive news is counterbalanced by a stabbing attack in Upper Egypt on 5 November that has left three Christian men severely injured.
Amir Narouz Jaber, his brother Abanoub Narouz Jaber, and Hanna (John) Magdi Malak Shehata were attacked by a group of Muslim men armed with knives and machetes in the village of Ashrouba, Minya Governorate.
This incident follows a pattern of rising tensions between the Christian and Muslim communities in the village, which have been simmering for years.
Abanoub suffered severe injuries, including a cut to his right hand that damaged arteries and bones, as well as a stab wound to both the shoulder and leg. Specialists in orthopaedic and vascular surgery were called in because of the severity of the hand injury.
Amir sustained a similar severe cut to his hand, while Hanna was treated for facial injuries that required 10 stitches.
The police arrested several of the assailants, and investigations were ongoing at the time of writing. Authorities also increased security measures in the village to prevent further violence.
Praise God for the committee’s work in approving these 293 church licences. Pray for successful completion of any outstanding structural work. Ask that the continuing legalisation process will not lead to any increase in hostility towards Christians from extremists in the Muslim-majority community. Pray for the healing of Amir, Abanoub and Hanna, for strength and comfort for their families, and for protection for Christians in rural areas where such violence is all too common. Pray that our Egyptian brothers and sisters will never tire of seeking justice (Luke 18:1-8) but remain steadfast and immovable in their devotion to the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58) and that the cycles of violence towards Christians will end.
Uganda – Islamists shoot dead two Christian civilians
Evidence of the widening reach of Islamist terrorism in Uganda should drive us to prayer. Islamist militants killed two Christian civilians and an intelligence officer in an attack on 13 October in Mugona, Bugiri Region, Uganda.
The three victims were reportedly shot dead with a pistol by Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP) militants.
Unusually, this attack occurred in eastern Uganda, close to the border with Kenya. Whilst ISCAP has been active in attacking Christian communities in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), it is rare for terrorist activity to be carried out this far from its stronghold in the eastern DRC.
ISCAP has concentrated its offensive in Uganda mainly on incursions into the west of the country. One horrific example was the killing of more than 40 people, predominantly teenagers, in a violent attack on a Christian boarding school in Mpondwe, Kasese District, near the DRC border in June 2023 (see Prayer Focus Update, July 2023).
Pray for the families of the three victims of this attack that they will be comforted as they grieve (Romans 12:15). Pray for discernment for Ugandan security forces to prevent any further killings and that those who seek to spread terror against Christians and others will be resisted.
Lebanon – Vital aid dispatched to help Christians
Please continue to uphold our brothers and sisters in Lebanon in prayer.
Barnabas Aid is one of very few international Christian organisations committed to helping suffering and abandoned Christians innocently caught up in this brutal conflict. Since October, the generosity of our supporters has enabled us to send money and aid specifically to our Christian family.
The crisis continues to deepen. Thousands of Christians have fled from the south of Lebanon, seeking the relative safety in the Mount Lebanon region further north.
One woman told a Barnabas Aid project partner that she and her family left Tyre – a city with a historic Christian community – after a phone call from the Israeli military instructed them to leave their home.
“We got scared and left,” she said. “Yesterday there were two airstrikes near to our house.”
These displaced Christians are desperately short of vital supplies. “People have lost homes and jobs,” says our project partner. “They have lost any financial help that they would usually receive.”
We continue to respond. At the time of writing, a 20 ft. container laden with essential supplies was set to be sent to Lebanon to sustain Christians suffering the ravages of the conflict.
The container includes 11 pallets of food.gives items (lentils, salt, chickpeas, rice) donated by generous Barnabas supporters, as well as pasta and sugar.
The shipment is due to arrive in Lebanon in December. Your prayers are valued in ensuring our brothers and sisters receive this aid without delay.
Pray for the safe arrival of this essential aid and for swift, efficient onward distribution. Pray that the Lord will provide for Christians in Lebanon most in need as winter sets in. Ask that supplies will reach even the areas worst affected by the conflict.
