support suffering Christians in Eritrea, just days after security forces raided an evangelical wedding party there. Open Doors USA and the Voice Of the Martyrs USA said they will educate hundreds of American teens in California about persecution and raise money for estimated 900 Eritrean Christians, including teens, many of whom are allegedly held in shipping containers in the often hot sun of the African nation.
"The reality of what life is like for persecuted Christians will be brought home to teenagers,” said Jeff Shreve, coordinator of Open Doors USA’s Underground youth ministry in an interview with the Christian Examiner newspaper.
That reality comes in the form of "Night of Persecution," which is billed as "an exercise in intimidation, interrogation" and which takes place when youth prayer groups across America are "invaded." the newspaper’s internet edition reported. "Through role playing and other activities the students will learn firsthand of some of the stresses and pressures which persecuted Christians often face every day," the youth leader was quoted as saying. "For many it will be their first exposure to the persecuted church. They will also see the need to take their own faith more seriously."
"NIGHT OF PERSECUTION"
Hume Lake Christian Camps in California has already booked "Night of Persecution" for its Wildwood Camp for junior and senior high youth groups. Starting in June, approximately 250 youth groups will participate in the weekly “Night of Persecution” event at Hume Lake.
The initiative comes just days after Release-Eritrea. a global partnership of opponents of religious persecution, said security forces raided and detained up to guests at a wedding in the capital Asmara, Saturday May 28. It said the wedding party was attended by members of Meserete Kirstos Church, one of the closed evangelical churches in the troubled nation.
Police allegedly stormed and arrested the entire wedding party including the bride and groom, identified as Benyam Gezae. "The party was detained overnight in a brand new police station in the area known as Expo near Asmara International Airport. Passers by in the early hours of the morning could hear the detainees singing and praising God from their holding place," Release Eritrea claimed.
SOME RELEASED
It said some women and men were released Sunday, May 29, although the condition of their release is yet unclear. Among those arrested is Essey Stefanos, a Gospel singer "whose songs of worship are sang by Eritreans across the globe," Release Eritrea said in a statement monitored by BosNewsLife News Center. Another wedding party of Christians was reportedly cancelled because of the incident. A similar raid took place in January in the Berentu region, said Berhane Asmelash, the director of
Release-Eritrea. "With the release of most of those who were detained in Barentu over the last few weeks, I was hoping that this trend of raiding weddings and detaining people indiscriminately may perhaps be coming to an end, I have been proven wrong [and] once again call on all Eritreans, Friends of Eritrea and members of the international community to join me in raising objections to this." Eritrean officials have not yet commented on the latest developments.
While Eritrea will be high on the agenda during the June training camps for teenagers, the Voice of the Martyrs USA will also ask their attention to China. It has created “Agent Abbey,” a 30-minute, suspense-packed drama that it says will help Christian teenagers see Christianity in a whole new light, the Christian Examiner reported. Teens will see Abbey, a typical American teenager from Nashville, Tenn., who, like themselves, enjoys being a Christian, going to church, and having fun with her friends.
CHURCH ILLEGAL
Abbey has never heard about Christians suffering for their faith until she travels to China where 80 percent of the church is illegal, said a press release from Vision Video, describing the plot line. “But when she travels to China for the first time with her dad, a photo journalist, Abbey quickly becomes caught up in a plot that involves her new Christian friends, a mysterious secret agent, ‘illegal’ Bibles, and the police."
Set in modern-day Beijing and filmed on location in China and Taiwan with scenes that include the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and The Great Wall, the Voice of the Martyrs drama reveals not only the harsh realities of being a Christian in a restricted nation such as China, but also the all-too-common ignorance of Christians in the free world.
Open Doors, an international Christian ministry celebrating 50 years of supporting and strengthening persecuted believers, an estimates that 200 million Christians worldwide suffer interrogation, arrest and even death for their faith in Christ, with another 200 to 400 million facing discrimination and alienation. (With Stefan J. Bos, BosNewsLife Research, reports from Eritrea and the United States and the Christian Examiner)
