Save Syria, the persecuted church

I have been looking forward to this week-end with impatience. Last Tuesday we left the hotel where we stayed after our roof burnt to move in our temporary accommodation back in Hixon and this was wonderful. Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining about the hotel but living in a house again is a bonus.
Yesterday, as I was unpacking boxes I found the Open Doors world watch list 2013. I stopped what I was doing to read it and I found out more about North Korea, the most difficult place on earth to be a Christian. It is opposed to religious of any kind. The following information can be found on Open Doors website. Click on the word Open doors to find out more.
North Korea

Leader: Kim Jong-Un
Population: 20 million (400,000 Christians)
Main Religion: Atheism/traditional beliefs
Government: Communist dictatorship
World Watch List Rank: 1
Source of Persecution : Communist oppression/Dictatorial paranoia

For the eleventh year running, this is the most difficult place on earth to be a Christian. One of the few remaining Communist states, it is vehemently opposed to religion of any kind. Christians are classified as hostile and face arrest, detention, torture, even public execution. There is a system of labour camps including the renowned prison No. 15, which reportedly houses 6,000 Christians alone. But despite severe oppression, there is a growing underground church movement of an estimated 400,000 Christians.

Please Pray:

• For real political and economic change under the leadership of Kim Jong-Un
• Spies have reportedly been sent to China to expose networks. Ask God to protect refugees and those helping them
• Give thanks that Open Doors is able to deliver emergency aid into the country.

Persecution dynamics

North Korea promotes two ideologies vehemently opposed to religion of any kind: the self-reliance of man or 'Juche' and the God like worship of the leaders or 'Kimilsungism'. Fuelled by a rampant ideology, North Korea believes Christianity to be linked to the West and sees it as a threat which could inflict harm on North Korea's  social disciplines. This threat must therefore be eradicated.Exact information is difficult to obtain due to the country's inaccessibility and the inability to gain timely information. Apart from some church buildings in Pjongjang, which serve to showcase religious freedom in the country, there is an underground church movement of an estimate 400,000 believers.Christians are classified as hostile and face arrest, detention, torture or even public execution. There is a vigorous elimination programme in existence to convert, imprison, banish or execute individuals who have converted to Christianity: Koreans who have converted after defecting to China and are later repatriated are in particular danger. Spies have reportedly been sent to China to expose networks; Christians helping defectors there have been killed. Christians are likely to remain targets of this regime.

Have a blessed week-end. N