Helping Those Who Have Lost So Much

In our last post, we told you about the extremist attack against Christians in Jaranawala where 28 churches and 400 homes of Christians were burned.

Reach the Nations sent funds which were used by our Punjab team - Mehboob, Irfan, and Adnan - to help 20 families with basic home and kitchen needs. The team also spent time worshiping with and praying with the people who have suffered so much.

Thanks to the compassion of RTN supporters, we were able to send additional funds and the team was able to help 40 more Christian families.

This elderly man was injured trying to defend his church. When the mobs came, he stood in front of the church resisting their attack, trying to keep them from setting fire to their place of worship. But, he said, there were more than a thousand people in the mob, and he was powerless against them. The church was burned, and he was hit, and he fell. Now he still has a bandage on his head and walks with a crutch. The RTN team left him with a package of kitchen supplies and some cash in the envelope.

These two sisters were living in very sparse conditions in one room of their parents' home. The sister receiving the envelope is disabled and can't walk well or speak at all. Her sister (to the left) takes care of her. The mob came and burned their house. The girls and their parents ran into the fields where they spent one night and the entire next day, in fear of further attacks. Mehboob says their whole story brought tears to his eyes, and he asks that we remember them in our prayers that God will bless them with more than they lost.

The woman above, standing in the rubble of what was once her home, said these words, "Although the mob has destroyed everything, they can't destroy our faith, and through this faith Almighty God is restoring us again."

Mehboob summarizes the sitution of the Christians in Janaranwala this way: "Our Christian families are suffering through persecution, lack of food, lack of clothes, lack of clean water, homelessness, lack of medicine, and lack of the basic needs of life."

He goes on to explain that Christian families are not working for many reasons, not the least of which is their fear of non-Christian people. Therefore, they are having many problems recovering from these great losses.

The RTN team says, "We are thankful to God for RTN especially during this difficult time of persecution in Pakistan for Christian families. We are thankful that RTN is standing with Christian families. We have now reached 60 families helping them with basic necessities and giving them strength and hope in Jesus Christ through His word.

Please continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in Pakistan, many of whom are living in fear these days, though the persecution seems to be quieting. If you desire to send funds to aid those who have lost their homes and churches, please go to the Support tab on our website and designate your gift for Aid to the Persecuted.

"For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God." - 2 Corinthians 9:12