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Serving the Persecuted Church Worldwide | March 2018 FAITH ON THE FRONTLINE

FAITH ON THE FRONTLINE equip persecuted Christians to love and lead their enemies (persecutors) to Christ. 5. To promote the fellowship of all Christian believers. 6. To infuse, distribute

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Page 1: FAITH ON THE FRONTLINE equip persecuted Christians to love and lead their enemies (persecutors) to Christ. 5. To promote the fellowship of all Christian believers. 6. To infuse, distribute

S e r v i n g t h e P e r s e c u t e d C h u r c h W o r l d w i d e | M a r c h 2 0 1 8

FAITH ON THE

FRONTLINE

Page 2: FAITH ON THE FRONTLINE equip persecuted Christians to love and lead their enemies (persecutors) to Christ. 5. To promote the fellowship of all Christian believers. 6. To infuse, distribute

A few years ago, I visited a group of Ethiopian evangelists who conveyed to me the opposition

they frequently encountered in their ministry. I must tell you, it wasn’t easy listening to these brothers share their stories – not only because hearing testimonies of persecution can be difficult, but also because trying to understand the immense pressure these Christians are under is next to impossible.

The real struggle was the dichotomy I recognized in how I live out my faith in virtual freedom to how these Christians live out theirs with suffocating restrictions. As my time with these bold witnesses drew to a close, I asked them, “What is it like living near the frontline of this spiritual battle?” By the awkward pause before their answer, to the looks I received from my new friends, I instantly knew my question had exposed my lack of understanding of their existing reality.

“Near the frontline?” one dear brother replied. “We live behind the frontline and are hard pressed on every side. However, we know that God is greater, and He will fight for us. We just need to trust and obey Him.”

As I think back on that meeting, I am reminded of

a story found in 1 Samuel. The Israelites find them-selves confronting a well-equipped Philistine army while their own army is inadequately equipped with-out weapons or supplies. In fact, the Bible tells us that only King Saul and his son Jonathan had the appro-priate weapons and armour to engage in battle. The story then outlines a series of unfortunate events that ultimately lead to the demoralization of the Israelite army while the enemy grows in confidence and gains tactical advantages.

When all hope is almost lost, Jonathan steps forward, reviews the situation and – having mulled things over – realizes that something must be done. If no one acts, there will be no hope left. From this position of com-plete weakness, Jonathan calls his armour bearer and announces: “Come, let us go…. Nothing can hinder God from saving….” (If you are unfamiliar with this story or need a refresher, it can be found in 1 Samuel 13-14.)

Jonathan is able to look past the perceived power-lessness of the Israelite army to the omnipotent God with whom his people had a relationship through the covenant established with their forefather Abraham, as recorded in Genesis 17:1-8 (ESV):

“God is God. Because He is God, He is worthy of my trust and obedience. I will find rest nowhere but in His holy will that is

unspeakably beyond my largest notions of what He is up to.” – Elisabeth Elliot

FAITH ON THE FRONTLINEBy Anthony Rhodes, Vice President of International Ministry & Operations

2 VOM Canada | March 2018

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“When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I am God Almighty; walk before Me, and be blameless, that I may make My covenant between Me and you, and may multiply you greatly.’ Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, ‘Behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. “‘No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.’”

The covenant with God was granted to Abraham and, in light of that, Israel’s enemies were the Lord’s enemies. Jonathan sensed that this was not a time to shrink back in fear, but to stand on the promises of a faithful God and move forward in boldness.

What this portion of Scripture teaches us, and what I have found true with our persecuted brothers and sisters, is that the frontline does not need to be feared but rather embraced. I am struck by the fact that many Christians in the “free” world seem to spend a lot of energy avoiding the frontline, while many Christians in hos-tile nations spend their energy engaging on the frontline.

“We live behind the frontline and are hard pressed on every side. However, we know

that God is greater, and He will fight for us. We just need to trust and obey Him.”

As you read through the pages of this issue

about other brothers and sisters who are serv-ing “on the frontline,” please do not feel sorry for them. These persecuted Christians will tell you that they do not need your pity but do welcome your prayers continually. Pray that they will remain faithful to the God who can save, whether the numbers be many or few. As you intercede, you will find yourself side by side with them – front and center – in this cosmic battle that we have all been commis-sioned to join.

P.O. Box 608 Streetsville, ON L5M 2C1

Tel: 905-670-9721 Toll Free: 1-888-298-6423

Fax: 905-670-0246

Email: [email protected] Internet: www.vomcanada.com

Founders: Klaas and Nellie Brobbel with Pastor Richard Wurmbrand

Chief Executive Officer: Doug J. McKenzie Director of Communications

and Publications: Karyn Marianne Publication Assistants:

Bethany Ann and Alexandra Chelse Graphic Design: Big Footprints Inc.

Special thanks to our International Ministry team for contributing to this issue.

The Voice of the Martyrs

The goals of VOMC are expressed in our “Ministry Purposes” as follows:

1. To encourage and empower Christians to fulfill the Great Commission.

2. To give relief to families of Christian martyrs.

3. To undertake projects of encouragement, helping persecuted Christians rebuild their lives and witness.

4. To equip persecuted Christians to love and lead their enemies (persecutors) to Christ.

5. To promote the fellowship of all Christian believers.

6. To infuse, distribute and exhibit to the Canadian church constituency the faith and testimony of those Christians in the world who are persecuted for Christ.

7. To give voice to those Christians whose cries of pain and proclamation of praise go unheard.

The Voice of the Martyrs newsletter is the flagship publication of The Voice of the Martyrs in Canada.

Published monthly, it is available free of charge and without obligation in one-year subscriptions to

anyone in Canada who requests it.

Spending of funds is confined to board-approved programs and projects. Each restricted contribution designated

towards a board-approved program or project will be used as designated with the understanding that when the need for such a program or project has been met, or cannot be completed for any reason determined by the board, the remaining restricted contributions designated for such

program or project will be used where needed most. Gifts from individual donors of $10 and more are acknowledged

and receipted with an official receipt for income tax purposes.

Recycle your newsletter: share it with a friend!

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CAPTURED BY ISISHani was imprisoned by ISIS because of his Christian heritage. Yet it was after his escape that he truly came to know Jesus.

As members of the self-proclaimed Islamic State (ISIS) eagerly broke their Ramadan fast for the day

by digging into large round plates of rice, “Hani” and his brother, along with several other prisoners, started running. They ran as hard as they could, hoping to reach the cover of some nearby hills while their captors ate their anticipated meal.

After reaching the hills, the escapees called their families using a cell phone one of them had managed to conceal. “Tell the Peshmerga [soldiers] not to shoot!” they urged. “There are seven of us.” The men’s fami-lies then alerted the Peshmerga, the Kurdish militia protecting the city of Qaraqosh from ISIS invaders. Hani and the others knew the land well, and soon they were crossing the Peshmerga lines into the arms of their wait-ing families. Their 26-day ordeal was finally over.

Threat to Historical Christian HeritageKidnapped by ISIS, Hani was a proud citizen of

Qaraqosh, a Christian city about 32 kilometres from Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city. The 50,000 Chaldean Christians in Qaraqosh still spoke Syriac, a dialect of the Aramaic language spoken by Jesus, and could trace their Christian heritage back to the first century. Hani’s family were well-known sheep ranchers in the region, and he was in charge of their recently begun poultry operations.

One day in July 2014, while managing the poul-try farm almost five kilometres outside Qaraqosh, Hani suddenly found himself caught in the crossfire between ISIS fighters and the Peshmerga forces

protecting the city. Although he knew the Islamist militants had invaded Mosul several weeks earlier, he never expected them to attack Qaraqosh. After three days of fighting, ISIS took control of the poultry farm. Hani recalls one of the terrorists saying, “We are the Islamic State; don’t worry.” The fighters then

proceeded to tell Hani and the other employees to con-tinue with their work, yet they wouldn’t let them return to Qaraqosh. “The fear and con-fusion were unbearable,” Hani adds.

After two days under the watchful eyes of ISIS, Hani and the others learned of the militant group’s true agenda. “They started to talk to us about Islam…and how [Christianity] is wrong,” Hani explains. “They told us, ‘You are welcome to clarify your faith, to do the right thing.’” However, the extremists gradu-

ally increased their pressure on the Christian captives, threatening to break all their crosses. Finally, the ISIS leaders told them that their families had been called, and a ransom sum of approximately $590,000 CAD was demanded. The Christian men knew their families couldn’t come up with such a large amount of money, and that their lives would still be in danger even if the ransom amount were to be paid. “One or two members of our group were really scared,” Hani acknowledges. “It was a very difficult moment. I always pray that no one finds themselves in this position.”

Every day at sunset, the ISIS fighters broke their Ramadan fast. Knowing that the Peshmerga forces – also comprising of Muslims – were breaking their fast

4 VOM Canada | March 2018

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at the same time, the terrorists holding them hostage relaxed enough to take a break and enjoy their evening meal. That’s when Hani and the others endeavoured to escape.

Fleeing Terrorist Invasion

After spending 26 days in cap-tivity, and losing his valuable poultry farm, Hani couldn’t imagine anything worse hap-pening. But one week after his return to Qaraqosh, an Arab friend called him at 10 p.m. with an urgent warning. “Hani, please leave,” the friend advised. “Please, there is no chance for you if you stay.” At about mid-night, the Peshmerga troops suddenly left the city and, 30 minutes later, ISIS rolled in without encountering resistance. Hani, his pregnant wife and par-ents, plus all of his extended family, safely fled Qaraqosh, heading for the Kurdish-controlled city of Erbil.

“I was heartbroken when I came here,” Hani con-fides. “I had no vision – nothing. We loved our city; it was very dear to our hearts. When I came here, I was 27 years old. In one second, my work and all of my money disappeared. It was like hell for me.” Hani began to wonder where God was during this time of uncertainty and hardship. He was emotion-ally drained, and he hated the fact that the terrorists’ actions had brought such devastation into their lives. Although he attended the Chaldean church with his family, Hani felt so betrayed by God that he decided not to continue attending church.

Sign Leads to New Life One day, while driving through a suburb of Erbil

with his uncle, he noticed a sign to one of the few evangelical churches in the area. Hani had formerly disliked evangelicals for “destroying” the traditional aspects of what he perceived to be an important part of Christianity. Even though he had recently turned his back on the Chaldean church, Hani decided to go into the evangelical church and challenge the believers who attended there, in an effort to prove they were not really Christians.

Once inside, everyone welcomed him with smiles. The pastor seemed genuine, and the sermon touched

his heart. With some of his anger towards God abated, he decided to go back and attend a discipleship class. “I was a very tough guy in those days,” he admits. “I asked questions, thinking I could embarrass the per-son who was teaching. Yet I always received an answer

based on the Bible.” Hani discovered that the

evangelical church, which was led by a VOM ministry part-ner, taught important truths from the Bible rather than merely emphasizing the prac-tice of Christian traditions. “From that day, I didn’t miss any Sunday services,” he adds. He even learned to pray and gained a new understanding of the Scriptures, which had pre-viously always been a mystery to him. He sensed a new peace within his heart and began to understand his purpose.

“Before, I used to hate militant Muslims,” he admits. “Now I see them as victims because, if they knew Jesus, they would not do such [horrible] things.” After Hani’s wife witnessed the transformation of her husband – from an angry, hard man into a peaceful, loving follower of Jesus – she also placed her faith in Christ. And Hani could not keep his new faith to himself. “I understand that when someone becomes a believer, they have a duty to tell others.”

Hani is saddened by those who sit in church ser-vices on Sundays but don’t act on what they say they believe. “These believers have had many chances to know Jesus, but Muslims don’t receive such oppor-tunities. That's why I am focussing on reaching Muslims.” Compelled to convey the Gospel to those who are hungry for the truth, he now spends his days passing out Bibles throughout the Erbil area. In the future, he intends to return to Qaraqosh to plant a new evangelical church. Recognizing Hani’s call to ministry, his pastor is encouraging him with this God-ordained vision: “We think [Hani] will be the pastor of our church there.” Above all, Hani wants to spread the love of Christ throughout Iraq. “We want to see Qaraqosh reached for Jesus – and Mosul too! We want the light of Jesus to stay in Iraq.”Editor’s note: In keeping with Canadian usage of gram-mar and punctuation, translated quotes have been slightly modified.

As Qaraqosh’s previous church buildings were destroyed by ISIS, Hani intends on establishing a new church.

March 2018 | VOM Canada 5

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About seven years ago, I was working in my home office, praying and reading Scripture as I prepared

a seminar for a homeschool conference. A random and bizarre thought interrupted me out of the blue. It was a concept for women’s retreats across Canada.

Increasingly, my interactions with the persecuted Christians in my life had changed me. Their mentor-ship had profoundly impacted my relationship with Christ and others. I desperately wanted my friends and church to have the same opportunity to grow in their faith and relationship with Christ. The dichot-omy I was seeing overseas, versus the fear and floun-dering I witnessed here on our shores, was striking. While “free” here in Canada, it seemed as if people were so misguided and frightened – blown around by empty and deceptive philosophies.

Countless mothers had approached me at home-school conferences and during women’s “Coffee Break” Bible studies. Despairing about their wander-ing children, and feeling concern for their husbands, they were at a loss to know how things had drifted so far off course. Suddenly, I found myself thinking about a comment Sabina Wurmbrand made in her book, The Pastor’s Wife: “In prison, even at the worst times, we’d seen God’s hand at work. We came to know that although we suffered, He would not leave us. We could trust Him” (pg. 184).

Again, I realized how much those who are suffering for their faith in Jesus have learned to love and rely

on Him, and their example has challenged me toward that end. How amazing it would be to connect women here in Canada with persecuted women abroad.

In an instant, I knew that this retreat idea was the Holy Spirit’s still small voice, whispering to my heart and mind. A plethora of ideas downloaded into me faster than I could record them on paper. I thought, “Wow! What a great idea for someone else to lead!” I reasoned with God that I was insignificant in the light of such a powerful message. I’m no one of significance to motivate women to risk trying something new. I’m not Priscilla Shirer, or Joyce Meyer, or Beth Moore…. In response, the Lord provided me with this quote, “If you think you’re too small or insignificant to make a difference, try spending an evening with a mosquito.”

All out of excuses, I tucked the idea away, and prayed for God’s timing regarding His plans. Years later, we are now preparing for not only one, but two Olympic Faith retreats. The feedback received for the 2017 retreat was overwhelmingly positive. So much so, that we were prompted to hold another one in Ontario, as well as a first-time event in Alberta.

This June, The Voice of the Martyrs Canada is pleased to host Kimberly Smith Highland as our main speaker for both the east and west coast retreats. Kimberly is President of Make Way Partners, which is an international organization committed to prevent-ing and combatting human trafficking in war zones and other “no go” zones. She is also the author of

Olympic Faith Women’s Retreats

By Vanessa Brobbel, Manager of VOMC Events

6 VOM Canada | March 2018

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Passport Through Darkness, a compelling book that is being sold through VOMC’s resource catalogue.

Kimberly’s story will pierce your heart for the suf-fering believers of the church in Sudan who, in the wake of the 1983 civil war, have faced an onslaught of targeted violence. Many of the country’s widowed women and orphaned children have been left vulner-able to crimes of trafficking and rape, among other forms of physical, spiritual and emotional persecution.

Kimberly is a gifted word-smith. Having lived and experienced the pain endured by Sudanese Christians walking in the shadow of the cross, she communicates with passion and eloquence. While both weekends promise to provide fantastic times of refreshing, the messages will also present each of us with a challenge to grow further in our faith.

The mandate of our mission is to encourage and empower Christians to fulfill the Great Commission – no matter the circumstances in which they find them-selves – and to promote the fellowship of all Christian believers. We are in a race, and we need to train to fin-ish it well.

“Don’t waste time arguing over foolish ideas and silly myths and legends. Spend your time and energy in the exercise of keeping spiritually fit. Bodily exercise is all right, but spiritual exercise is much more important and is a tonic for all you do. So exercise yourself spiritually,

and practise being a better Christian because that will help you not only now in this life, but in the next life too.” 1 Timothy 4:7-8 NLT

“Then, knowing what lies ahead for you, you won’t become bored with being a Christian nor become spiritually dull and indifferent, but you will be anxious to follow the example of those who receive all that God has promised them because of their strong faith and patience.” Hebrews 6:12 TLB

It is my prayer that as we gather together as Canadian Christian women, we will help each other in the areas of our varied God-given strengths. In order to do this effectively, we so need the example of women overseas who are standing strong in faith and patience despite their difficult circumstances. In turn, we here in Canada can extend to them prayer support, comradery, and answers to their felt needs.

When people hear the word “mission,” often their first thought is “What’s this going to cost me?” or “What do they want from me?” While working for VOMC, I realize that I have received much more than I’ve given. The testimonies and prayers that will be shared are going to be worth their weight in gold. We need each other! This is going to be an unforgettable weekend – one you won’t want to miss!

March 2018 | VOM Canada 7

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ALGERIA: Notif ication Precedes Church Closure

On November 11th, 2017, a few weeks before Christmas

celebrations were to be held at the local church of Ain Turk in Oran, northwest Algeria, the local pastor received a notifica-tion of closure due to alleged illegal activities, as stated in the Ain Turk Authority letter. This notification was followed by the sealing of the main entrance door

a few days later (as shown in the provided photo on far right of opposite page).

Anyone can imagine the impact such news had on the community at a time when the church worldwide was celebrating the birth of our Saviour and Founder Jesus Christ. This special season of joy and reflection turned out to be a time of sorrow and frustration for these Ain Turk Christian believers. As of the publish-ing of this report, the church remains closed and the community members are banned from worshipping in their legitimate place of worship. However, they are continuing to worship in other different locations.

VOM Canada had the opportunity to interview Mr. Mahmoud Haddad, President of the Algerian Protestant Society, L'Eglise Protestante d’Algérie (EPA). Mr. Haddad clarified that the church of Ain Turk is an active member of the Protestant Society, a recognized entity by the Algerian Authority and

the official representative of Protestant churches throughout the country. He also mentioned that the Authority’s allegations (as written in its communique to the Ain Turk church leader, dated 11-09-2017) were all false. VOMC had access to these docu-ments, which were written in Arabic and French, and reviewed them carefully to verify their accuracy.

According to the local police of Ain Turk, the main allegations involved illegal activities such as the print-ing of Bibles and evangelistic flyers. Mr. Haddad stated that these allegations would be true if the local police were able to find any proof. However, the Bibles that had been confiscated were all legally purchased, as Mr. Haddad proved in the highlighted text of his letter to the Algerian Minister of Interior. Furthermore, the church of Ain Turk does not possess on its premises any professional printers for the pub-lishing of Christian materials.

The Algerian Protestant Society works hard to respect the Algerian laws and, with due diligence, ensures that all the churches affiliated under its umbrella, including the church of Ain Turk, does the same. Despite this, the local officials of Ain Turk man-date that the church must request permission in order to continue its worship services.

As the Ain Turk church community has existed since its founding in 2002, and has been active since, local church leaders consider the new requirement an unusual request. If a new law had indeed been

By Dr. Bassma Dabbour VOMC’s Missiologist and Director of Leadership Development

8 VOM Canada | March 2018

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recently implemented, then Mr. Haddad believes it should not have a retroactive effect. In addition, as the church of Ain Turk is an active member of the Algerian Protestant Society, its members have already obtained all the necessary documentation and permis-sion requirements according to Algerian law – one that promises to protect the freedom of beliefs and its practice.1

According to Mahmoud Haddad, the real motives behind such a move of closure are perhaps the result of the local officials’ unintention-al negligence and lack of effort in adequately understanding the true purposes of the Algerian Christian community as a whole. The lead-ers and congregational members of the Algerian Protestant Society faith-fully serve its communi-ties all over the country, and lawfully disclose each church’s rightful existence and worship activities. He also believes that such an incident was intended to set a precedent for an elevated level of persecution towards the Christian community.

However, the national Algerian church wants to remind the world that since Algeria was the birthplace of one of the greatest founding church fathers, Saint Augustine, Christianity has had its historical roots

previously established within the country. This is yet another valid reason why Mr. Haddad is hoping to see further dialogue and ongoing communication between the local officials and the church, as represented by the Algerian Protestant Society.

Please join us in praying that the Algerian Authority will quickly ascertain its misconceptions and make all efforts to properly amend them, thus allow-ing the believers of Ain Turk rightful access to their church premises and the freedom to continue serving their community. An update on this case will be provided in a future VOMC issue. Until then, we greatly appreciate your prayers for this situ-ation, and other similar challenges of persecution experienced by Christians residing in Muslim-majority countries.

Dr. Bassma Dabbour was born in Tunisia and raised in a conservative Muslim home. After com-ing to faith in Christ, she completed her Doctorate of Ministry, majoring in Leadership, at Tyndale University College and Seminary in Toronto. Bassma is a gifted communicator and teacher who brings a unique mix of theological knowledge and sensitivity to those from a Muslim background.

1 Article 42 of the Algerian Constitution: www.joradp.dz/FTP/jo-arabe/2016/A2016014.pdf

To prevent entry into the church (referencing photo on right), local officials placed a red seal on the front door.

March 2018 | VOM Canada 9

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Passport Through Darkness$15

In Passport Through Darkness, Kimberly L. Smith takes readers on a journey from normal family life and business to Europe, to the deserts of Africa and, ultimately, to the deserts of her own soul as she tries to live well as an imperfect North American mom and crusade for justice on behalf of orphans around the world. As Kimberly and her family risk everything to answer God’s call and embrace His extraordinary dreams, they experience change and restoration – even amid exhaustion, marital struggles and physical limitations. While sharing her heartrending sto-ries of fighting human trafficking, Kimberly offers hope for readers who wonder if God is also calling them to a different life…one outside the confines of cultural norms. Paperback, 255 pages

The Pastor’s Wife$8

In her testimonial book, The Pastor’s Wife, Richard Wurmbrand’s wife Sabina candidly recounts the events leading to their impris-onment – their discovery of Christ and subsequent secret under-ground church activities, the opportunities they had to preach in bomb shelters during WWII, their rescue of Jewish children from the ghettos, the illegal printing and distribution of millions of Russian Gospels, plus more.... This remarkable true-life story is sure to hold you captive to the ongoing cause of Christ! Paperback, 217 pages

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10 VOM Canada | March 2018

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Incredible true stories from the persecuted church

SOLITARY REFINEMENTThe Voice of the Martyrs Canada presents

TOUR�DATES�NOW�AVAILABLE�FOR� ­��!

To fi nd local performancesand regional tour dates,or to enquire about hosting a performance, visit VOMCanada.com/touring

By Dennis J. Hassell | Direction by Tom Carson | Running time: 75 minutes For Ages 13+ | Free Admission | Contributions gratefully accepted

An Asian Harvest$15

Leaving his home in New Zealand at age 16, Paul Hattaway found himself in Australia – homeless, hungry and lonely – sleeping atop the roof of a public bathroom. “A waste of oxygen” was his high school principal’s assess-ment of the lad.

After a fellow factory worker helped Paul to find faith in Christ, the young wanderer quickly became convinced that God was calling him to China. In 1988, Paul arrived in Hong Kong with nothing more than a backpack, a sin-gle contact, and $50 in his pocket. While there, he began to work as a Bible courier, carrying hundreds at a time across the Chinese border and under the noses of the guards.

Today Paul Hattaway leads Asia Harvest, the ministry he founded, which supports thousands of indigenous missionaries and has supplied over ten million Bibles to China, and millions more to Christians throughout Asia. An Asian Harvest is his astonishing story. Paperback, 315 pages

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