“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.”
Psalm 28:7
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Nigeria – Two more former Chibok schoolgirls found in Borno; gunmen kill three in Plateau village
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Mozambique – At least 21 Christians killed by Islamists in Cabo Delgado
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Myanmar – Four students injured as military shells Bible school in Shan State
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Sri Lanka – Worshipper assaulted as church services are interrupted
Nigeria – Two more former Chibok schoolgirls found in Borno; gunmen kill three in Plateau village
Praise the Lord that two more “Chibok girls” have been found. The two young Nigerian women – kidnapped as teenagers by Boko Haram Islamist terrorists from a school in Chibok, Borno State, eight years ago – were recovered with their children by the Nigerian Army in separate operations in Borno.
Yana Pogu was found on 29 September with her four children, two boys and twin girls, in Mairari village, Bama Local Government Area (LGA). Rejoice Sanki was rescued along with her two children on 2 October in Kawuri, in Konduga LGA.
Boko Haram abducted 276 girls, mostly Christian, from the Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok in April 2014. Yana and Rejoice were among the Christian girls taken captive. An estimated 167 girls have subsequently escaped, been rescued or released. Girls reported being whipped by their captors to force them into marriage, while a group of Christian girls experienced a mock execution for refusing to convert to Islam.
In earlier operations against Boko Haram in Borno State in June and July, five former Chibok schoolgirls and their children were found (see Prayer Focus Update, August 2022 and September 2022).
Meanwhile, Islamist gunmen attacked a Christian-majority community in Plateau State on 17 October, killing three people including the head of the village, Salisu Idris.
The gang rode into Nyalun, in Wase LGA, on motorcycles at around 9.30pm and started shooting.
“They went straight to the traditional ruler’s house, killed him and abducted five members of his family,” said a local youth leader. “They also killed two other people.”
A Barnabas contact said Islamist attackers often seek out and kill the heads of Christian communities in order to create terror. “They want to destroy the administrative set up and cause chaos,” he added.
Give thanks for the rescue of Yana and Rejoice and their children. Pray that they, and other former Chibok schoolgirls rescued earlier this year, will experience God’s light driving out the dark memories of their time in captivity (1 John 1:5). Continue to pray for the release of more than 100 “Chibok girls” who remain unaccounted for. Ask the Lord to comfort all those who mourn loved ones killed in the attacks in Plateau State. Pray for His protection over Nigeria’s suffering Christian communities.
Mozambique – At least 21 Christians killed by Islamists in Cabo Delgado
Intercede for Christians and others facing horrendous violence in northern Mozambique. In October 2022 at least 21 Christians and two moderate Muslims were killed by Islamist extremists in Cabo Delgado Province alone.
Jihadists set fire to a church building and several houses in the Chiure district of Cabo Delgado on 26 October, killing one person.
The Islamists also announced the killing of 20 Christians and the displacement of hundreds more in Cabo Delgado between 3 and 20 October.
In addition to the church building in Chiure, the Islamists said that other church property in Cabo Delgado had been destroyed, though no details were given.
A Muslim leader and his wife were also beheaded by the jihadi group, who since 2017 have subjected both the Christians and peace-loving moderate Muslims of northern Mozambique to a campaign of terror.
At least eight believers were killed in lslamist violence across Cabo Delgado and neighbouring Nampula Province in September 2022.
A Barnabas contact said that IS plans strategically, drawing in security forces in one area to leave other areas defenceless. It makes about two attacks every week, killing Christians, raping women and kidnapping boys to serve as child soldiers.
Lift up the communities of northern Mozambique, both Christian and Muslim, who are suffering from this ongoing campaign of terror. Ask that the Lord will be especially close to His children, our brothers and sisters, and that they will be beacons of hope, love and peace. Pray that He will restrain those who seek to do violence and overturn their plans (Psalm 21:11).
Burkina Faso – Country’s existence in danger from jihadists
Pray earnestly for Christians in Burkina Faso, where Islamist militants threaten the very future of the country.
That assessment comes from army Captain Ibrahim Traore, who was sworn in as interim president of the country on 21 October. “We are confronted with a security and humanitarian crisis without precedent,” said Traore. “Burkina’s existence is in danger.”
Traore came to power after a second coup d’état in less than a year. Both coups resulted from anger among soldiers at the authorities’ failure to curtail Islamist groups who have carried out relentless attacks on civilians, many of them targeted at Christians, at the cost of thousands of lives.
It is estimated that Islamist groups control at least 40 per cent of the country and that two million people have been forced from their homes because of the insurgency.
According to a report received from a Barnabas project partner earlier in October, more than 6,000 schools are shut, 50,000 teachers are without work and many thousands of children have no education.
“We have never experienced before what we now experience,” a Christian contact told Barnabas.
“The terrorists prevent people from farming,” he added. “Granaries and barns have been destroyed in many villages. They carry away all the cattle.”
Another Christian contact told us that attacks by jihadists have closed churches, schools and other public services. “The coup d’état added to the fears and anxiety of the population,” she told us.
Ask the Lord to bring peace to Burkina Faso, and that the country’s authorities will receive wisdom to find a solution to the violence. Pray for protection for our brothers and sisters from Islamist violence, that they will stand firm in their faith (1 Peter 5:9), knowing that God is their rock and their refuge, and for those displaced to be led to safe havens. Call on the Lord for Christian children whose formal education has been abruptly halted to gain an understanding beyond their years to learn His ways as they adjust to unsettling events (Psalm 86:11).
Myanmar – Four students injured as military shells Bible school in Shan State
Continue to pray for believers in Myanmar, where anti-Christian violence shows no signs of abating. On 3 November four men were wounded as a Tatmadaw (Myanmar military) shell struck the premises of a Bible school in northern Shan State.
Several shells were fired on the school, which is run by the Kachin Baptist Convention in Kutkai Township, at around 8pm.
The four students had been staying in a dormitory at the school when the shell struck a tree. They were injured by shrapnel and were treated in hospital.
The Tatmadaw, which seized power in Buddhist-majority Myanmar in a coup on 1 February 2021, has for many years persecuted the Christian-majority Chin, Kachin and Karen ethnic groups, as well as the large Christian communities in Kayah and Shan states, and the Muslim-majority Rohingya.
In September, the Tatmadaw laid mines around a church in Moebye, Shan State that it occupied for several days. Prior to that occupation, heavy shelling of the town killed a seven-year-old boy and destroyed around 100 homes, causing more than 5,000 people to flee.
Pray for an end to targeted attacks on churches and Christian institutions in Myanmar. Pray that the four injured students will recover fully and be able to resume their studies. Give thanks that such institutions are still functioning amid the turmoil in Myanmar. Ask that the Bible school will continue to equip saints powerfully with the truth of the Gospel, and pray that teachers and students alike will draw strength and receive vision from the One who is the supreme teacher and counsellor (Psalm 32:8).
Sri Lanka – Worshipper assaulted as church services are interrupted
Church services in Sri Lanka are often disrupted by extremists, or local officials, who allege that churches do not have the proper permission to meet for worship.
On Sunday 23 October, seven villagers interrupted a Sunday morning service in Mullaitivu District. They assaulted a worshipper, who had to be hospitalised with injuries to his head.
The villagers were objecting to Christians conducting a service in their village and wanted them to discontinue all religious activities. The local police filed a court case against the person accused of the assault.
In a separate incident on Sunday 25 September, two Buddhist monks, a local government official and two other people interrupted another worship service in Monaragala District. They claimed that they had received a complaint that a secret worship service was being held at the premises.
They inquired from the pastor whether the church is registered, and requested the registration documents. The pastor informed the police about the incident the following day and confirmed that the church is registered.
The law does not in fact require official registration for places of worship, but extremists use the issue of registration in order to “crack down” on churches.
Pray that harassment of worshippers and disruption of services in Sri Lanka will cease. Ask that the worshipper who was injured will recover fully and that Christians will be emboldened and not intimidated by threats encountered (Philippians 1:28). Cry out to the Lord for pastors and church leaders to receive wisdom as to how they may continue to meet for worship and conduct their regular activities.
Protection for Christians over the Christmas period
As Christians gather together in large numbers for church services and other celebrations, they inadvertently make themselves a target for terrorist attacks and other violence.
Some religious extremists will see Christmas as an ideal time to strike a blow against Christians. Seven people were killed in a suicide bomb attack at a crowded restaurant in Beni, Democratic Republic of Congo on Christmas Day 2021.
Pray for the protection of Christians around the world as they meet to celebrate His coming as light into the world. Ask that they will have a real experience of His light around them and through them overcoming the powers of darkness (John 1:5).
