Day 27
Türkiye
Nine months after the devastating earthquakes that claimed more than 50,000 lives, recovery and rebuilding are ongoing. Though the response of the international community was generous, the clean-up and recovery process are ongoing. Many are still without new homes, and economic recovery in the affected areas is slow. Turkish Christians are actively participating in the recovery process by providing practical assistance and trauma counseling to those affected. This disaster brought Turkish Christians together in unprecedented unity. Additionally, the response has opened doors for the Gospel to spread. Let us pray for an abundant harvest of souls (The Bible, John 15:2).
Source: Six-Month Anniversary of the Türkiye Earthquakes and the UN Response (UN) and Christian workers in the region
Once the land of Paul’s missionary journeys, Turkey is now predominantly Muslim. Following a failed coup in 2016, President Erdogan began irradicating anyone deemed to oppose his regime, increasing the atmosphere of state control over the last 7 years. Dozens of long-term Christian missionaries have been deported or refused entrance, however interest in the Gospel among Muslim Turks has soared. Predominantly Syrian refugees that overwhelmed Turkey were a financial and infrastructural burden on the nation. As a result, anti-refugee attitudes have increased in the wider community, though Christian ministry amongst the refugees has been fruitful. At the start of 2023, Turkey was devastated by a massive earthquake that impacted the lives of more than 14 million people and resulted in the deaths of more than 50,000 people.
Day 27
North Korea
According to a Human Rights Watch report, China has forcibly sent around 500 people back to North Korea. These individuals are often North Korean escapees who are on the run in China after fleeing their country. Many of them are Christians trying to escape the severe persecution they face in North Korea. Let us hope and pray for an end to the troubling practice of forcible repatriation in China. Our hearts also go out to the North Korean defectors who are currently living in China without proper registration. Declare the Power of Jesus Christ over the Christian community in North Korea. Pray that the international community gives them the help and support they need as they face imminent danger returning to their country. May they find the help and support they need, and may God guide them to a place of safety and security. Let us keep them in our thoughts and prayers (The Bible, Psalm 16:9-11).
Source: South Korea protests to China over suspected North Korea repatriations (Reuters)
North Korea is a one-party state led by a dynastic totalitarian dictatorship, one of the most repressive nations on earth, led by supreme leader Kim, Jong-Un. Almost entirely shut off from the rest of the world, North Koreans experience brainwashing and total control at the hands of the authorities. Hundreds of thousands of prisoners are held in concentration camps and experts estimate up to 70,000 of them are Christian Believers. Christians face death if found meeting together, even saying the name “Jesus” or possessing a Bible, while family members of people found to be Christians are punished severely. Believers remain underground but may number as many as 100,000. North Korea entirely shut its borders during the years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Intelligence indicates this border closure and terrible drought have resulted in the worst food shortages since the 1990s. People are starving to death but offers of international assistance have been turned down.
