Please Pray For Egypt (shared by my brother). Below is the latest update we received on the situation of our brothers and sisters in Egypt. We are sending it to you in the hope that you can spread this message to others and join with us in praying for a divine miracle from God for our persecuted brothers and sisters in Egypt so that they can continue to be God’s salt and light. LORD, CONSIDER THEIR THREATS! “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” (Acts 4:29-30) Undoubtedly, the last week’s wave of fierce attacks on Christians in Egypt is shocking and unprecedented. We’ve always witnessed occasional incidents of variable attacks on churches by radical Muslims in villages or towns; Christian families harassed or forced to migrate from their home towns; and repeated daily-life discrimination against Christians wherever they lived or worked. But the systematic violence conducted against the Christians of Egypt over the last five days has left the largest church in the Middle East with a long list of losses - and a number of questions that only God’s holy servant Jesus can show us how to answer. The list is long, and may not mean much to a reader who has not visited Egypt before, or is unable to grasp its geography. But it is certainly painful! According to the latest report published on Twitter this morning, August 20, by the well-informed Bishop Jeremiah, a member of the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church and the head of the Coptic Cultural Center, Christian losses since the violent dismantling of the two sit-ins of the Muslim Brotherhood last Wednesday are massive: 73 churches and monasteries, as well as 22 adjunct church service buildings (including orphanages, schools and Bible bookshops) were either partially or totally burnt down or damaged. Moreover, 212 private Coptic Christian properties have been attacked, looted or set on fire, and seven Christians’ deaths confirmed. Here is the list: Catholic churches and convents 1. Franciscan church and school (road 23) - burned (Suez) 2. Monastery of the Holy Shepherd and hospital - burned (Suez) 3. Church of the Good Shepherd, Monastery of the Good Shepherd - burned in a Molotov attack (Assuit) 4. Coptic Catholic Church of St. George - burned (Minya, Upper Egypt) 5. Church of the Jesuits - burned (Minya, Upper Egypt) 6. Fatima Basilica - attacked (Heliopolis, Cairo) 7. Coptic Catholic Church of St. Mark - burned (Minya - Upper Egypt) 8. Franciscan convent (Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary) - burned (Beni Suef, Upper Egypt) 9. Church of St. Teresa - burned (Assuit, Upper Egypt) 10. Franciscan Church and School - burned (Assuit, Upper Egypt) 11. Convent of St Joseph and school - burned (Minya, Upper Egypt) 12. Coptic Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart - torched (Minya, Upper Egypt) 13. Convent of the Sisters of Saint Mary - attacked (Cairo) 14. School of the Holy Shepherd - attacked (Minya, Upper Egypt) Orthodox and Evangelical Churches 1. Anglican Church of The Savior - burned (Suez) 2. Coptic Orthodox Church of St Michael - surrounded and sacked (Assuit, Upper Egypt) 3. Coptic Orthodox Church of St. George - burned (Minya, Upper Egypt) 4. Church of Reformation - burned (Assuit, Upper Egypt) 5. Adventist Church - burned, the pastor and his wife abducted (Assuit, Upper Egypt) 6. Church of the Apostles - burned (Assuit, Upper Egypt) 7. Church of the Holy Renewal - burned (Assuit, Upper Egypt) 8. Diocesan Centre Coptic Orthodox Qusiya - burned (Assuit, Upper Egypt) 9. Church of St. George - burned (Arish, North Egypt) 10. Church of St. George in al-Wasta - burned (Beni Suef, Upper Egypt) 11. Church of the Virgin Mary - attacked (Maadi, Cairo) 12. Church of the Virgin Mary - attacked (Mostorod, Cairo) 13. Coptic Orthodox Church of St. George - attacked (Helwan, Cairo) 14. Church of St. Mary of El Naziah - burned (Fayoum, Upper Egypt) 15. Church of Santa Damiana - sacked and burned (Fayoum, Upper Egypt) 16. Church of St. Theodore - burned (Fayoum, Upper Egypt) 17. Evangelical Church of al-Zorby - sacked and destroyed (Fayoum, Upper Egypt) 18. Church of St. Joseph - burned (Fayoum, Upper Egypt) 19. Franciscan School - burned (Fayoum, Upper Egypt) 20. Coptic Orthodox Diocesan Center of St. Paul - burned (Gharbiya, Delta) 21. Coptic Orthodox Church of St. Anthony - burned (Giza) 22. Coptic Church of St. George - burned (Atfeeh, Giza) 23. Church of the Virgin Mary and father Abraham - burned (Delga, Deir Mawas, Minya, Upper Egypt) 24. Church of St. Mina Abu Hilal Kebly - burned (Minya, Upper Egypt) 25. Baptist Church in Beni Mazar - burned (Minya, Upper Egypt) 26. Church of Amir Tawadros - burned (Minya, Upper Egypt) 27. Evangelical Church - burned (Minya, Upper Egypt) 28. Church of Anba Moussa al-Aswad- burned (Minya, Upper Egypt) 29. Church of the Apostles - burned (Minya, Upper Egypt) 30. Church of St Mary - arson attempt (Qena, Upper Egypt) 31. Coptic Church of St. George - burned (Sohag, Upper Egypt) 32. Church of Santa Damiana - attacked and burned (Sohag, Upper Egypt) 33. Church of the Virgin Mary - burned (Sohag, Upper Egypt) 34. Church of St. Mark and community center - burned (Sohag, Upper Egypt) 35. Church of Anba Abram - destroyed and burned (Sohag, Upper Egypt) Christian institutions 1. House of Fr. Angelos (pastor of the Church of the Virgin Mary and Father Abraham) - burned (Minya, Upper Egypt) 2. Properties and shops of Christians - burned (Arish, North Egypt) 3. 17 Christian homes attacked and looted (Minya, Upper Egypt) 4. Christian homes - attacked (Assuit, Upper Egypt) 5. Offices of the Evangelical Foundation - burned (Minya, Upper Egypt) 6. Stores, pharmacies, hotels owned by Christians - attacked and looted (Luxor, Upper Egypt) 7. Library of the Bible Society - burned (Cairo) 8. Bible Society - burned (Fayoum, Upper Egypt) 9. Bible Society - burned (Assuit, North Egypt) Burned buildings owned by Christians 1. 58 houses. 2. 85 shops. 3. 16 pharmacies. 4. 3 hotels (Upper Egypt) 5. 75 buses and cars. 6. 7 victims (killed) 7. 17 kidnapping incidents 8. Hundreds injured. All these attacks were conducted by furious followers of Morsi and Muslim Brotherhood, who had released the following statement on Friday, August 16: “Our revolution is peaceful, and we will continue to mobilize people to take to the streets without resorting to violence and without vandalism. Violence is not our approach. Vandalism only aims at distorting the image of our peaceful revolt and finding justifications for the coup leaders to continue to govern.” The stories we received from ministry leaders in various locations explain some of the daily life sorrows that Christians are suffering due to the state of violence and chaos caused by the Muslim Brotherhood, along with thugs who are exploiting the opportunity of the absence of any police protection. a. Threatening messages are being sent to some village church pastors and leaders, warning them not to hold any meetings in their churches if they want to keep their members safe. b. Some active church leaders and pastors have received messages that they are watched and targeted. c. A volunteer worker in an Upper Egypt city was kidnapped and a ransom of 150,000 Egyptian pounds ($21,500 USD) demanded to set him free. d. Some Christian farmers have been forced by radical Muslims to sell the lands for half price -- if they wish to stay alive. e. Armed radical Muslims broke into some houses of Christians, loading all the house furniture on a truck and leaving without the families being able to utter a word! They are grateful to stay alive. f. Christian girls were not allowed to ride service transport vans, while Christian men were rudely treated once recognized as Christians. g. A 115-year-old nun’s convent that includes an elementary school was broken into by armed radical Muslims in the daytime, furniture and computers were taken and loaded on a truck, and the cross on the building was destroyed. Moreover, three of the nuns were taken and forced to march through the streets of the town as prisoners of war! The list of attacks and suffering goes on and on, but some questions remain crucial for us as Egyptian followers of Jesus: a. In the middle of all this madness, where can we get the energy to love and forgive our enemies? How can we keep softened hearts in an environment that is soaked in hatred and rejection? A divine miracle is needed, I know! b. How, in our weakness, pain and suffering, can we show the joy and peace of the Lord to our persecutors? c. How can we leaders reach out and comfort the pains of the brokenhearted and wounded over their losses and injuries? That does not seem to be an easy job! d. What can I, as a Christian leader, do to help my fellow Christian brothers and sisters to turn back to God’s promises and realize that this One who is with us is stronger than those who are against us? e. How can I help Christians of my country to see the dilemma we live today through the eyes of the Almighty God, who has a mighty plan for Egypt? Surely He is shaking the country and cleansing it for the great work He is doing and will continue to do! Thank you and God bless you!
Posted on: Sat, 24 Aug 2013 12:05:00 +0000
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