Not a Day to Die
Bringing faith to war-weary believers
Dear Family,
Cries of surprise and fear erupted as a mortar struck the jungle floor, close enough to make the ground shake. Jamie said a silent prayer, pleading with God for their safety. She managed to choke back her fear. Today is not the day I will die.
A friend and partner of the Persecuted Christians Ministry of Heaven’s Family, Jamie lives and works on the border between Thailand and Myanmar. She and her small team have dedicated their lives to Paul’s mission 2,000 years ago: “It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known…” (Romans 15:20).
Their location of operations is strategic, as it places Jamie and her team in the vicinity of thousands of Burmese refugees who have fled a 60-year civil war that devastated their homes and villages. Most come from tribes that are culturally Christian but have never known the saving power of Jesus Christ for themselves. But through compassionate gifts of food and emergency living resources, as well as discipleship classes, Jamie and her team are planting seeds of hope in the hearts of a devastated group of people.
Evangelism in this still-active war zone is forbidden. But despite the genuine risk of persecution and armed conflict, Jamie’s team spends days traveling treacherous jungle roads to reach the refugees they serve.
Recently, Jamie encountered a brand new community of people who had never even heard the name of Jesus. Consisting of 85 families and 72 children—many of whom have been orphaned by the war—this unique community of displaced individuals have managed to stay together through incredible odds. On the day Jamie and her team encountered them, they themselves came under fire from an unseen enemy. But crippling fear caused by a loud mortar explosion nearby could not keep these precious people from embracing the newfound hope they had discovered.
In Jamie’s own words:
We brought these families survival resources and then spent time sharing [biblical stories of deliverance]. We were overwhelmed with excitement when over 95% of the refugees raised their hands to receive Jesus as their Savior. With great joy, we handed out Bibles to each eager recipient in their native language.
Shawen, a 56-year-old man from this group, also shared:
I have a wife and one child. [The fighters] forced me to become a slave for them off and on for 30 years. They mistreated us. They shot one of my relatives, and he died in front of me…In my village, we are scared that we will have to flee again. Fighting is really close to my village now, and we always hear it happening…I accepted Jesus today, and my heart is very happy and bright. It is also the first time I received a Bible, and I am so happy.
Through the Persecuted Christians Ministry YOU provided Jamie and her team with the food provisions, emergency supplies, and translated Bibles necessary to bring the powerful message of Jesus to life. Refugees like Shawen now have eternal hope, an enduring light that the darkness of persecution and war can never steal.
THANK YOU for your compassion for these front-line warriors!!
Ben Croft
Director, Persecuted Christians Ministry