The Taliban have seized power in Afghanistan, storming across the nation and capturing all major cities within a matter of days. This political takeover occurred just weeks before the U.S. was set to complete its troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.

In the current crisis, an exodus is building as people by the thousands try to evacuate the country. Tens of thousands of Afghans who may be vulnerable to Taliban retaliation are looking for a chance of escape. One primary group of Afghan refugees are Christians fleeing imminent persecution, as well as other religious minorities, ethnic minorities and women and girls.

Send Relief is working with resettlement agencies to minister to Afghan refugees as they flee political unrest and religious, ethnic and gender-based persecution. We are partnering with these resettlement agencies to determine the most strategic plan to empower local churches to care for Afghan refugees in resettlement communities around the world.

At this time, we are asking those who want to support our response to do so through prayer and giving. You can find updates on the Send Relief website here: https://www.sendrelief.org/projects/afghanistan-crisis/

Prayer Requests:

Pray for the Afghan people as they navigate political unrest, violence and persecution. Pray that they may find peace in Christ among overwhelming circumstances.
Pray that God would intervene and glorify His name in this tragic situation.
Pray for Afghan believers whose lives are being threatened by the new regime. Ask God to give them courage and strength.
Pray that the millions of Afghans who have never heard the gospel will have an opportunity to hear.
Pray for neighboring countries, as well as countries around the globe, as they attempt to host the surge of refugees coming out of Afghanistan.

The post Prayer and giving most needed in response to Afghanistan crisis appeared first on IMB.

On the road to a new life, many female refugees experience sexual trauma, grief and sometimes domestic abuse. Christians are providing a road map to healing.

Refugees take more than one journey. The more obvious journey is the one they make from instability and threats of violence and death to Western nations in search of stability and safety.

Another journey many women take is through a trail of sexual trauma, grief and sometimes domestic abuse.

William and Darlene King* serve among refugee populations in Europe. Darlene helps women navigate these dark corridors from trauma to healing. Darlene partners with other Christian organizations to provide for the mental health needs of refugees by hosting trauma healing seminars and offering counseling.

Darlene recalls one woman named Estere* who came to a trauma healing seminar she and other Christians hosted.

At first, Estere was downcast and didn’t make eye contact or participate. By the end of the second day, however, Estere was smiling, talking and contributing.

During the second round of the seminar, Estere shared she was walking through a difficult season at the time. During that session, they taught about grief and domestic abuse. Women began crying at the end of the session – the content hit close to home.

“We could not walk out the door like this, so I said, “Okay, everybody stand up. Let’s all say one way that we have been strong,” Darlene said.

“I have hope that things will get better,” Estere shared.

Darlene explained how this was an encouragement because, for Estere and the other women, life situations aren’t necessarily going to change. The women will most likely face seasons of suffering and trials for a long time, and hope can be as elusive as permanent resettlement.

“If you have hope that you’ll feel differently, or you have hope that you’ll find healing, then you can get through it. And so, knowing what [Estere] had been through and hearing her say that she was strong by having hope was a real encouragement,” Darlene explained.

All the women who attend the seminars have gone through trauma on their journey to Europe, and it is common for trauma survivors to have a disconnect in their brain that is a coping mechanism, Darlene said. The women need mental health education and to learn healthy coping skills.

“They also need Jesus,” Darlene said. “We’re sharing the gospel, we’re sharing the mental health education, we’re hopefully providing therapy opportunities and exercise classes and the things that can help people work through their depression and anxiety and at the same time point them toward Christ.

The women use a seminar program developed by the American Bible Society’s Trauma Healing Institute.

There are 11 core lessons in the seminar, which dive into how to help rape victims or women who have experienced domestic abuse, attempted suicide or developed a drug addiction.

The lessons have been translated, adapted and geared toward Muslims. One of the sessions in the seminar focuses on shame and guilt.. The curriculum provides stories about circumstances women in similar situations have experienced.

“When people can talk about someone else’s story, they can process their own feelings without admitting that it’s their own story also,” Darlene said.

Referring to the example stories allows the women to avoid the shame of sharing their trauma.

The seminar also delves into grief and how to healthily process what they’ve experienced.

“I think it’s really important for refugees to talk about what grief is. It’s not just losing a person because, for refugees, they have lost so many things,” Darlene said.

Darlene and the other Christian workers launched a website with videos from their seminars for women who cannot attend or live in distant camps.

The women Darlene’s team have met recently struggle with varying degrees of depression and anxiety. Some of the women cut themselves, and others have attempted suicide multiple times.

Darlene’s friend Liana* invited several friends to the same trauma seminar Estere attended. Liana is a Christian and is from a refugee population who are not as devout in their faith in Islam. The Lord developed a heart in both Darlene and Liana for reaching a refugee population who are more devout in their faith.

After the seminar, Liana called Darlene bawling and told her it was difficult hearing the women share their stories. Liana implored Darlene to let her know when she did any more outreach with this people group.

Liana invited women from this more devout people group over to her home and shared the gospel.

“That was really beautiful,” Darlene said of Liana sharing her faith through their shared pain.

Though the journey to their permanent home and their journey to emotional healing are often long roads, the refugees have hope and the promise of an eternal home and healing that comes through Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Caroline Anderson writes for the IMB from Southeast Asia.

The post Tale of two journeys on the refugee highway appeared first on IMB.

“Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.” (Hebrews 13:3)

As Taliban forces have swallowed up Afghanistan and even now the capital city of Kabul, pastors in the country have been emailing and messaging me over the last few days, even hours, anxious for prayer.

Pastoring just a short flight away in the United Arab Emirates, I’ve had the opportunity to build partnerships with these men over the last decade. One house church leader sent me a picture of the small room he was hiding in with his family. He wrote, “This is where I am living. We are hidden right now in different areas.”

Another pastor wrote, “We can’t go out like normal. It’s dangerous. We moved to one of my friend’s houses, but it’s not safe at all.” Mindy Belz at WORLD reports that pastors say the Taliban has contacted them saying they are coming for them.

Here are specific ways they have asked for you and your church to pray.

Physical protection and provision

I asked one brother if he was presently in physical danger. He replied, “Not only me but my family too … because of me.”

We need to pray that our sovereign God would physically protect our brothers and sisters in Afghanistan. Boldly go to the throne of the universe and plead with our God to restrain evil and confuse the plans of evildoers.

Pray also for physical provision. One brother asked that we would pray “for financial issues because no one can take out money from the bank and ATMs are empty.”

A number have specifically asked that we would pray for visas to get out of the country. So let me throw in an additional request to you, dear reader: Is helping secure a visa something that you or someone you know are in a position to help with? If so, do what you can.

Regardless, you do have access to the throne of the universe, and you can ask our heavenly Father to provide. Pray for physical protection and provision.

“Be not silent, O God of my praise! For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues. They encircle me with words of hate, and attack me without cause.” (Psalm 109:1-2)

Spiritual provision

Every church leader who has emailed or texted me has asked that we would pray for the Lord to strengthen them in their faith – that they would “stay strong in the Lord, who is the Sovereign King,” as one put it.

“Pray for me to be strong in my faith. It is really hard to stay here,” another said.

If you are reading this, you have the opportunity to ask God to protect and even increase the faith of our brothers and sisters in the Afghan church. They don’t know what today – much less tomorrow – will bring. But they can be certain that our God will supply every need of theirs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philemon 4:19)

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” (Romans 15:13)

“May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might. …” (Colossians 1:11a)

Gospel advance

One brother described these days as “dark” and said they feel like a “storm.” Then he asked that we pray for “revival.” What faith! Here is a man whose life is in danger asking us, who enjoy so many privileges and freedoms, to pray that God would open the eyes of the spiritually blind and give life to dead hearts.

Wouldn’t it be like our God to work in these horrible circumstances to make His great name known? While our Afghan brothers and sisters face terrible uncertainty, we should be like the believers in Acts 12 who themselves faced serious threats and persecution but, without ceasing, offered up earnest prayers to God.

“Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men.” (2 Thessalonians 3:1-2)

“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?” (Jeremiah 32:27)

“Our hope is not in politics, but in Jesus”

Over the past weeks, U. S. missions agencies have pulled out their workers. I have had the great privilege to minister the Word to some of them as they have processed their own grief and confusion. I’m grateful they could get out. Pray for them as well as for any who chose to stay.

But pray especially for the Afghans who have no choice but to stay, such as one brother who has already spent time imprisoned for his faith in Afghanistan. He has assured me again and again, “We can trust that our Lord is mighty and will care for His children.” And: “Our hope is not in politics but in Jesus who is the King.”

This is not escapism. This is biblical faith when all earthly prospects are completely bleak. Don’t you know that such faith brings great glory and joy to our Father in heaven?

While these days are dark and tragic, remember that God sits on His throne in the heavens. He holds the rulers of this world in derision. He promises to make the nations his Son’s heritage, the ends of the earth His possession (Psalm 2:4, 8).

Global Missionary Partner Minjae Kim leads a Bible study with students at Zambia’s Copperbelt University.

At first glance, Korean and Zambian cultures don’t share many similarities.

But IMB missionaries Daniel and Grace Kim notice the commonalities. Originally from South Korea, Daniel spent 23 years and Grace spent 14 years in the United States before going to Zambia as missionaries in 2000. Now they are hosting other Koreans who are serving in Zambia. Shingi Kim, Minjae Kim, and Hoieon Jeong are Hands On volunteer missionaries from the Korean Foreign Mission Board serving as Global Missionary Partners during 2021.

These students relate well to the Kims because their cultural background is the same. And like the Kims, they have assimilated into Zambian culture well because of the similarities of this African nation and their Asian nation.

“[Koreans] don’t ask, ‘How are you?’ We ask, ‘Did you sleep well? Did you eat? Did you wake up well? How was last night?’” Daniel explained. Zambians exchange greetings in much the same way – warm and familiar. They ask specific questions, instead of the general “how are you.” This type of greeting expresses genuine care that is common in both cultures.

Additionally, the GMPs, though all in their 20s and early 30s, see parallels in the type of Christianity that characterizes Zambia and the Christianity that was dominant in Korea’s past.

“We are a young generation, but 20 or 30 years ago, in South Korea, our Christianity was weak, because there were many false doctrines and heresies [in the church],” Shingi shared. The state of the Zambian church is so similar, with many professing Christ but buying into false doctrine. Because these doctrines are familiar to the young missionaries, they focus on not just doing evangelism among the students at Copperbelt University, but really teaching the new Christians doctrine through discipleship.

The three Hands On students have been pouring into the students at Zambia’s Copperbelt University. They regularly evangelize on campus, but with heightening COVID-19 restrictions, they’re now focusing on discipleship and evangelism at the boarding house and among their neighbors.

Despite the weaknesses in the Zambian church – exacerbated by false doctrine – generally Zambians are hungry to learn about Jesus, Daniel explained.

Daniel’s ministry focuses on strengthening the 63 churches in the Copperbelt Association by helping their leaders and pastors with training and theological education. Daniel helps local leaders “focus on how to evangelize effectively, intentionally, and as a lifestyle,” he shared.

The Hands On Global Missionary Partners fit into his vision well, as they focus on the students at Copperbelt University.

“Zambian students are very open to anybody that would bring the Word of God,” Daniel explained. “They are hungry. But not many people teach them. So they welcome them. They want to learn; they want to listen.”

“We didn’t have the chance or time to go into CBU, even though it’s right here where we live,” Grace said. “Those three people who came, they were there until the school was closed because of the COVID situation. We prayed for people to come and do that work. We are glad that these three [Hands On] missionaries are here to do the work.”

These young men have what Daniel describes as a 1:3:5 vision.

Each week, during their year in Zambia, they seek to:

Train one lifestyle disciple
Produce three effective lifestyle evangelists
Lead five people to Christ

The Hands On GMPs share the gospel mainly in English, a common language in Zambia. They are also taking language classes in Cibemba, Zambia’s native language. Shingi, Minjae and Hoieon “evangelize anywhere, the street, when we go to the market,” Minjae shared.

“We call it lifestyle evangelism. When we’re out, we just go out and evangelize and make disciples.”

Minjae explained that this vision for evangelism is exactly what they’re trying to instill in those they’re discipling, so when they return to Korea, the work at Copperbelt University can continue.

Currently, they are doing discipleship with 40 individuals.

“I’m very happy, because these people welcome missionaries,” Shingi said. “When I ask, ‘if it is ok with you, can I share about Jesus Christ?’ almost always, people agree about that.”

“When I share about Jesus Christ, we invite them, ‘Would you like to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior in your heart?’ A few people refuse, but many people don’t. We pray, and after that, we ask some questions,” Shinji continued.

He emphasized the need to instill proper doctrine in the minds and hearts of the new converts. Inevitably, they will encounter more false doctrine. For those who are interested in learning more about the Bible, they set up a time for discipleship.

The young missionaries are excited about the “lifestyle evangelist disciple” they’ve already made in Georgie, a Zambian friend they led to the Lord.

“Every day he goes by himself and evangelizes and makes disciples. This story is very interesting to us. He is now teaching eight people Bible studies,” Shingi excitedly shared.

“We are so happy to see this movement. The Holy Spirit has really opened doors for them and is working through them. I can see so many people come to the Lord,” Daniel said.

“They are very hard working,” Grace expressed of her young mission partners. “They bring a lot of positive influence to the Copperbelt University students. They are ready to do whatever it takes.”

Myriah Snyder is senior writer/editor for the IMB.

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