www.opendoorsuk.

org
October 2010

N e w Le t t e r -
Writing
Guides for
Write away!
Open Doors
Adults and
“Are all of these for me?” asked Tsehay Desta when
Open Doors delivered hundreds of letters to her from
Children supporters all over the world.

When Tsehay became a Christian, life got harder. Her magazine

husband divorced her – and when her baby son died,
villagers refused to allow him a proper burial. Serving persecuted Christians worldwide

But a year on, thanks in part to so many letters and

prayers of support, Tsehay can say, “Praise God, I am
fine. My mother is supporting me and encouraging
me to be strong in the faith. I will show these letters to
her. She will like them very much.”

Letters can bring comfort

and hope to people like Tsehay
God has brought healing to Tsehay and her family.
“Both my mother and younger sister have joined me to
worship the Lord. My sister was suffering from sickness,
but we prayed for her at church and she was healed.”

A simple card may

be all that is needed
Every message is precious. “Please tell them that I say
thank you,” said Tsehay as each letter was read to her. “I
love you all so much, from the bottom of my heart.”

You can write to Christians like Tsehay and let them

know they’re not forgotten. Our new Letter-Writing
Guide gives information on who you can write to, as
well as important guidelines to follow.

Order your copy using the

enclosed Response Form, or go
to www.opendoorsuk.org/write
New edition or phone 01993 885400
of Kidzone
writing guide
now available Rough Ride
on the Silk Road
The reality for Christians in Central Asia
…by writing a letter of encouragement
 International Day of Open Doors is an international
Prayer for the persecuted church ministry serving persecuted
7 November 2010 Christians and churches
worldwide. Open Doors supplies
Join in prayer with thousands across the world on behalf Bibles, leadership training,
of Christians who do not have the right to believe. Scripture-based literacy
programmes, livelihood support
Our free Right to Believe pack, including DVD, PowerPoint and advocacy services. We also
and Prayer Cards, gives you everything you need to raise seek to mobilise the church to
awareness in your church or small group. serve Christians living under
religious persecution.
Phone 01993 885400 or go to
www.opendoorsuk.org/rtb If you have any questions about
the work of Open Doors, or
would like to reprint any of the
articles in this magazine, please
Volunteers wanted! do get in touch.
Open Doors UK
PO Box 6
Witney
Oxon
OX29 6WG
T 01993 885400
F 01993 885401
E info@opendoorsuk.org
I www.opendoorsuk.org
This summer, over 13,000 people signed our Right to Believe petition because of the
amazing efforts of our events volunteers. Join the team in 2011 and pledge your time
Open Doors Ireland
to inspire more people to be on their knees in prayer and on their feet in action for
PO Box 873
persecuted Christians. Belfast
BT15 1WZ
To step up and make the difference,
email Lynda at events@opendoorsuk.org or call 01993 885400 T 028 9075 1080
This issue focuses on some of
the hardest-to-reach countries
where Open Doors is working.
These countries in Central Asia
seem so isolated, so remote and
inaccessible. But there is one
thing that no wall or barrier can
keep out. One power that the
greatest powers on earth have no
protection against: prayer.
I am a big E.M. Bounds fan. The
quote opposite comes from him.
And here’s another one. “All things
can be done by importunate
prayer,” he wrote. “It surmounts or
removes all obstacles, overcomes
every resisting force and gains
its ends in the face of invincible
hindrances.” Amen to that! There
is no border that prayer cannot
cross, no wall it cannot jump over,
no guard it cannot fly past. No
The
Eddie-Torial
PRAYER
Prayer, you see, is a weapon that Prayer
everyone can use. Male or female,
young or old, we can all pray. is our most
Talking of young people, I’m
formidable
weapon, the
heartened by their response to the
needs of our brothers and sisters.
During the summer I visited thing which
various Christian festivals and
events. It was wonderful to stand
makes all else
in front of thousands of young we do efficient
people and see them respond
immediately. To see how God E. M. Bounds
put the needs of the persecuted
church on their hearts was both
exciting and humbling.
In this issue
Such support is needed now more
than ever, because the needs
Rough
of the persecuted church are Ride on
escalating, not decreasing. the Silk
Road
So, my friends, what are we

4-5
E odireland@opendoorsuk.org
barbed-wire fence or prison bars waiting for? Time to get on our
can keep prayer out. knees and pray.
Operation Ezra
Thank you for Prayer is not the only thing we
can do, but it is the best thing
Letters
your generosity! we can do. It’s the most potent
to the
persecuted
power we possess. And this issue church

8-9
Many thanks to all those who sent in their gold, silver
Open Doors magazine contains a lot of information to
and jewellery items to raise money to bless persecuted
believers. Over £53,000 was raised to provide Bibles
Edited by: nourish your prayers. So please Eddie Lyle
Nick and Claire Page use it to pray for our brothers CEO Open Doors UK & Ireland
for persecuted Christians.
Design:
and sisters in these hard-to-reach
www.tekoacreative.com
Crawford Ivin, who developed the vision for places. And also, please remember Right to Believe
Operation Ezra, said: “Now thousands of those who the International Day of Prayer. and Pakistan
suffer for Jesus will have their own Bible in their own
This is a chance for churches and floods update
language. Not until we get to heaven will we know the

full ramifications of what that will mean.”
You can still give your unwanted jewellery.
Call 01993 885 400 for more information.
10-11
individuals to get together and
pray for the work of Open Doors.
Open Doors Registered Charity
in England and Wales No. 1125684
© Open Doors 2010

2 www.opendoorsuk.org 3
 Rough Ride
on the Silk Road
The reality of following Jesus in Uzbekistan
Tashkent. Samarkand. Cities
on the ancient silk route from
Kazakhstan to China conjure up
images of travel, romance and
adventure. Say the words and
you imagine yourself riding on
horseback over breathtaking
mountains, lush green steppes
and spectacular desert sands.
The reality is less romantic. If
you’re a Christian in Uzbekistan
you are a threat. Your church will
be tightly controlled by the SNB
(formerly KGB), and will need to
be registered – a long drawn-
out process which often ends in
refusal. Lately, no new registrations
have been issued at all.
Your church may lose its buildings,
so there’s nowhere to meet. If
you manage to meet for worship,
you’re not allowed to sing or
preach in your native language.
And if you’re active in outreach
you may be ‘invited’ to the police
station for questioning. Your
house might be searched. You
could be threatened, fined, or
expelled from your home or
place of work. You could be put in
prison for several days, weeks, or
even years.
No. Not much romance there at all.
4
‘Maximum useful’
Amazingly, despite this treatment,
Christians in Uzbekistan remain
faithful – and even bold.
Azamat Rajapov and Abdusattor
Kurbonov, both sentenced in April
for unregistered religious activity,
are good examples of this. “My
first night I was alone in the cell
and it gave me the chance to talk
to my living God,” Azamat relates.
“I asked Him that the time I’d
spend there would be maximum
useful. Within those days three
people heard the gospel, even
though I was isolated as a
dangerous person. Hopefully one
of them accepted Jesus.”
Abdusattor, however, lost 3 stone
in ten days, after being detained
in an isolation cell on a very cold
floor, and became very sick. Even
after his release, he faces pressure
from relatives and neighbours.
Both men have been attacked in
newspaper articles, with copies
being sent to them anonymously
in order to intimidate them. They
are still under close surveillance
and have been told to expect it to
continue.
Church raided
One month later a Sunday
morning worship service at the
Full Gospel Church of Christ in
Tashkent was raided by police. The
service was recorded, computers
were confiscated, money was
taken and books and CDs were
destroyed. Eight church members
were arrested and swiftly put
on trial. The chairman of the
district committee testified that
the church had been a positive
influence on the community and
was providing material help for
needy people in the area. Crime,
alcoholism and drug addiction
had decreased since the church
had arrived in the district, he
said. But none of this made any
difference. Three of the men
were given 15-day administrative
sentences. The rest were fined.
God will give the victory
With such opposition, you might
expect the work of the church to
come to a halt. Not so. Believers
have been enterprising in
spreading the gospel. A Christian
woman from Central Asia seized
an opportunity a few years
ago whilst visiting her Muslim
homeland.
“I came to a village inhabited by
Uzbeks. A new mosque had just
been built. The mullah proudly
showed me the new building and
probably expected criticism from
me as a Christian, but I praised
the mosque and said that I hoped
God’s Word would be preached
there. He was surprised, and
when I gave him a copy of the
New Testament in Uzbek he took
it, touched it with his lips and
forehead and finally held it close
to his heart. A group of men had
gathered around us and when
they saw how the mullah received
it with such honour they also
wanted books, but unfortunately I
did not have any more with me.”
Recently, on returning to the same
village, she reports that she was
met by the mullah again calling,
“My daughter! You’ve returned
at last! Do you remember that
when you were here last time you
gave me the New Testament? I am
so grateful to you! Now I know
every Friday what to read in our
mosque, and I have a holy book
which shows the way to God in my
language. The other books that I
have I could not understand, but
this one helps me to prepare my
sermons and give hope to those
who listen!”
Although evangelism is officially
prohibited, the Christians are
persevering. Recently summer
Uzbekistan
Christians can be fined for meeting together with some
fines reaching excessive heights. A group of ten women
(eight were pensioners) were fined 100 times the minimum
monthly salary for holding a meeting. The minimum
monthly salary in Uzbekistan is only £15 (37,000 sum).
PRAY
The International Day of Prayer for the
persecuted church (7 November) is the
perfect opportunity to pray for Christians in
Uzbekistan, and other places where believers
outreach teams have been visiting are denied basic religious freedoms. Use our
different towns in Uzbekistan, to Right to Believe Prayer Cards to raise awareness
share the gospel and mobilise in your church or small group, or just keep
the church. “We want to wake up them in your Bible to remind you to pray.
the people in the churches, to Download these Prayer Cards
see them set free from fear. We’d and other Right to Believe resources at
like to see new home groups www.opendoorsuk.org/rtb
established, and evangelism or phone 01993 885400.
groups in each church.
“When people go out to
evangelise, God will give the
victory.”
So although the reality of
following Jesus in this
country is daunting,
it’s exciting, too. Let’s
support the church
in Uzbekistan as they
prepare the way of the
Lord, that the crooked
roads will become
straight, the rough ways
smooth, and people will
see God’s salvation.
Source: Open Doors; Institute
for Bible Translation
Read more stories from Uzbek believers
WWW www.opendoorsuk.org
 Central Asia – Government: Republic
Leader: President Nazarbayev Government: Authoritarian

A Need to
Population: 15.4 million Leader: President Islam Karimov
Main Religion: Islam (36% Orthodox Christian) Population: 27.5 million

Know Special
(Your guide to understanding the ‘stans’)
Welcome to our Open Doors
guide to Central Asia. If you have a
problem knowing your Kazakhstan
from your Tajikistan, this is for you!
A quick challenge: how many countries can you name
which end in ‘stan’? Your thirty seconds start now…
We think it’s seven: Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan,
Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan.
And how many of these countries are on the current
World Watch List, which ranks countries by the
intensity of persecution that Christians face?
All of them. The worst are Afghanistan (6) and
Uzbekistan (10), with severe limitations in Pakistan
(14) and Turkmenistan (15), and some limitations in
Tajikistan (32), Kyrgyzstan (49) and Kazakhstan (51).
We’re going to focus on five: Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan,
Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan – all places where
Christians are denied the right to worship in freedom.
Freedom? In 2009 a law designed to restrict
freedom of worship was rejected by the
Constitutional Council. Even so, churches
and religious organisations have to register
with the government. Christians have been
fined or sentenced to community service for
participating in unregistered religious activities
– which may involve something as simple as
giving out free Christian literature.
In 1990 the Kazakh church was almost extinct,
but a decade later there were 6,000 evangelical
believers! Since then, the church has been
growing slowly but surely.
Main Religion: Islam (5.2% Christian)
Freedom? Religious freedom deteriorated in 2009. Unregistered
religious groups are illegal, but many churches cannot obtain
registration. Many church leaders have been interrogated. Believers’
homes have been raided, Christian literature confiscated and a
number of Christians arrested and fined. New believers may face
physical abuse from their family to force them to return to Islam.
Yet the church is growing and many Christians are sharing the
gospel.
Open Doors
in Central Asia
Government: Interim government
Formerly part of the Soviet Union, these
countries only achieved independence in
Leader: President Roza Otunbayeva
1991. The result is that, in many places,
Population: 5.5 million
the evangelical church is still in its infancy,
Main Religion: Islam (11% Christian) trying to grow leaders and teachers, whilst
struggling with government restrictions and
Freedom? Although this is a secular state, Islam has a growing
opposition.
influence on politics and society. A law introduced in January
increased restrictions on religious groups. All churches must re- Much of Open Doors’ work in Central Asia
register and a minimum of 200 people is required for registration. focuses on supporting and resourcing the
Pastors and churches are monitored and there is a ban on religious church. We bring church leaders together for
teaching and the distribution of religious literature. Threats and much-needed biblical training, encouraging
harassment towards believers have increased. Social pressure on partnership instead of division.
Christians is especially strong in the south.
We distribute Bibles and other Christian
Christianity is growing among the Kyrgyz population. In spite of materials, and provide times of fellowship for
negative developments over the last years, there is still a vibrant the most isolated of believers. We also offer
Christian church. vocational training and business loans to those
who lose their jobs because of their faith.

The
Stans
‘Stan’ means ‘land of’,
e.g. Kazakhstan means
‘land of Kazakhs’ or
‘Cossacks’.
Largest: Kazakhstan at 1,050,000 sq
miles
Smallest: Tajikistan at 55,000 sq miles
(but still bigger than England)
Most populated: Pakistan, with
180 million (over 3 times the size of
England’s population). All the rest are
under 30 million
Least populated: Turkmenistan and
Kyrgyzstan each with 5 million
Government: One-party state
Leader: President Berdymukhamedov
Population: 5.1 million
Main Religion: Islam (1% Christian)
Freedom? The government retains strict control over its
people. The constitution provides for freedom of religion, but
all religious groups must register and all unregistered religious
activity is banned. Private homes and unregistered places of
worship are often raided by police, and Christians arrested and
fined. Imported religious literature is censored. Believers from
a Muslim background are pressurised by their community to
return to Islam.
The church is growing. Last year in one town, 17 new believers
were baptised.
Government: Republic
Leader: President Emomali Rakhmon
GIVE
Make a gift to support church leaders in
Population: 7 million Central Asia. Despite all the difficulties, the
church is growing in this region, but leaders
Main Religion: Islam (1% Christian)
need resources and training. Your gift will
Freedom? The constitution provides for religious freedom, but
help Open Doors to provide church leaders
Russian Orthodoxy is the only state-approved Christianity. Church
with the encouragement and support they
groups – especially indigenous Tajik fellowships – are monitored.
need to stand strong.
The influence of Islam is increasing, putting more pressure on
believers coming from a Muslim background. A law passed in April You can donate using the enclosed
2009 increased restrictions on church registration and the import of Response Form or online at
religious literature. www.opendoorsuk.org/give
Despite the difficulties, many Tajik Christians still have the zeal and
fire to share the gospel with their fellow countrymen.

6 www.opendoorsuk.org 7

I’m gonna
sit right down
(and write
myself a letter)
“I am signing this letter myself: PAUL.
Don’t forget that I am in jail” (Colossians 4:18)
Dear Reader,
How often do you receive a
hand-written letter these days?
In our household we don’t get
many: most messages are sent
by email or Facebook. And, to be
honest, I write very few letters.
Cards, yes, plenty of those; but
letters, less and less.
However, I love receiving them.
A hand-written note shows
consideration and concern.
Someone has taken the time and
effort to put pen to paper and
get it in the post. It means that
someone cares.
8 www.opendoorsuk.org/write
So, let’s hear it for the letter-
writers of this world! Where would
we be without them? Well, for a
start, we wouldn’t have half the
New Testament. In the first century
AD, Paul and other early church
leaders were busily writing letters
to young Christians and newly-
formed churches, encouraging
them to remain faithful to Christ,
despite opposition and hardship.
And we know that they were
sources of great encouragement.
“Church leaders, I am writing
to encourage you,” wrote Peter.
“I, too, am a leader, as well as a
Kidzone Children’s
Letter-Writing
Guide
A great resource for your children’s
group at church, school or in the
home, this new edition of the Kidzone
Letter-writing Guide features children
from China and Nigeria. Complete
with stickers, an interactive map
and colouring guide, step-by-step
instructions and a Parent-Teacher guide,
it’s an ideal way to help children discover
how they can make a difference to
young people who suffer for being a
Christian.
To order a copy phone 01993 885400 or
email kidzone@opendoorsuk.org
witness to Christ’s suffering, and It was his family who put him with beatings from guards, means such a lot to these people.
I will share in his glory when it is there. In January of this year, criminal gangs maintaining a It shows they aren’t forgotten,
shown to us” (1 Peter 5:1). Tohar’s relatives asked the local hold over prisoners, and a high they aren’t alone.
police to help them force him level of sickness. Prisoners are
The police to return to Islam. The police
pressured Tohar to deny Jesus, but
not allowed to read the Bible or
pray visibly. But they are allowed
It shows that someone cares.
pressured he refused. So they accused him
of manufacturing and possessing
to receive letters! Best wishes,
Tohar to deny drugs. His church family are Which is where we come in Claire
adamant that the case has been – even if our writing skills are
Jesus but he fabricated and that Tohar is ‘a man rusty and our handwriting P.S. Don’t delay. You can write
with a pure conscience and an poor, we can offer comfort and
refused
a letter to Tohar now, using
honest Christian’. They reported hope. Tohar has appealed to the the writing guidelines at
that Tohar’s lawyer presented Supreme Court for justice, but www.opendoorsuk.org/write
And that’s just as true today. written documents to the court, each day that passes must surely
Letters of encouragement can proving that the case was ‘totally challenge his faith. Any word of
lift the spirits of our brothers fabricated, and that records of the encouragement that we can give
and sisters who are suffering for case contained 243 violations of him – a colourful card, a brief
Christ, as they go through the
darkest times. And for us, they can
procedural norms and regulations’. message, a verse or a prayer –
will be of immense worth.
Write
give us a special connection with No use. Tohar was Knowing that someone cares enough to
individuals we have never met, sentenced to ten Tohar is, of course, just one write and to pray brings Christians like Tohar
bringing our prayers alive. years’ imprisonment. of many Christians who are the encouragement they need to persevere.
Labour camps in Uzbekistan can jailed unjustly or who face Tohar’s story is also featured in the new
Take Tohar, be unsanitary, dangerous places, persecution. A note from us edition of our Letter-writing Guide. Order
for example. your copy using the enclosed Response Form,
Tohar Haydarov is 27 years old go to www.opendoorsuk.org/write or
and lives in Uzbekistan. Formerly phone 01993 885400.
a Muslim, he became a Christian
and a member of the Baptist Tohar Timeline 2010
Church in Gulistan. Today,
18 January 21 January 4 March 5 March 9 March 13 April July
however, he is far from home – in
a labour camp, 250 miles away. Tohar Brief court Tohar brought Tohar’s father Tohar Regional Tohar
arrested hearing. Church to court. Church found dead. convicted of court transferred
after drugs members members not Official manufacturing rejects to a labour
found in his report that allowed to explanation is and possessing Tohar’s camp near
pockets and Tohar can testify on Tohar’s ‘electrocution drugs and appeal. Qarshi, South
Church members believe Tohar has been apartment. hardly walk and behalf. Tohar’s through sentenced to Uzbekistan.
imprisoned because of his faith shows signs of lawyer not falling on 10 years in He prepares to
having been allowed into the an electric prison. appeal to the
badly beaten. courtroom. heater’. Supreme Court.
9
 For the latest news from the persecuted church, and to
Guide to colours used in Worldwatch News sign up for our weekly Email Prayer Alert, go to www.opendoorsuk.org
Severe persecution Oppression
Severe limitations Some limitations Some problems
Pakistan
Open Doors partners begin rebuilding lives

Worldwatch News As Pakistan struggles to come

to terms with the aftermath of
August’s devastating floods, Open
Doors partners are working hard
supplies, they had to share with
the Muslims. Otherwise they
would have been in big trouble.
According to pastors I speak
workers who had been kidnapped
and killed by the Pakistani Taliban,
local officials said.

Right to Believe gathers momentum
There has been an amazing response to the
Right to Believe campaign at Christian events
this summer. Keswick, New Wine, Soul Survivor,
Greenbelt and others saw young people queuing
up to sign the petition and adults keen to share
the campaign with their church: around 17,000
people added their support to the campaign.
And the take-up of the website advocacy campaign
has been the best ever for Open Doors, with another
Young people 9,000 people taking action online.
eager to sign
the petition at If you are included in this remarkable response –
Soul Survivor THANK YOU!
Turkmenistan
Pastor faces up to five years in prison
You are not alone: Open Doors Australia
reported a great response to their campaign launch
and their radio broadcast campaign. In New Zealand
the Prime Minister has formally written to Open Doors
to indicate New Zealand will vote NO to the Resolution.
There’s still plenty to do, of course. Derek from
Taunton has already explored what he can do to
spread the news: “I have sent the petition to over 200
friends and have had many replies already confirming
that they have signed. This includes at least one
church where all the members will be signing up”.
The Foreign Office has indicated its support of the
aims of the campaign. A statement sent to Open
Doors said, “The UK Government does not agree with
the Defamation of Religions Resolution… The UK
therefore votes against the resolution whenever it is
tabled at the UN General Assembly and encourages
other countries to do likewise.”
We have a growing sense of God’s hand being on this
campaign, and we believe it will make a significant
impact for the good of our persecuted brothers and
sisters, and the cause of religious liberty.
It’s not too late to join in. Add your signature,
download resources for the International Day of
Prayer on 7 November and look out for further
campaigning actions at www.opendoorsuk.org/rtb
to reach the already depressed
community of Christians to
provide much-needed food,
shelter and encouragement.
“We are setting up new ways to
protect them from persecution
and especially to protect new
Christians from being discovered
and their networks exposed,”
reports an Open Doors partner.
“We aim to provide medical care
for injuries sustained during
the flood and subsequent
displacement, and to provide
people with other facilities to
which they would otherwise have
limited access as Christians.”
An Open Doors photographer
who visited two Pakistani villages
to report on the disaster said: “I
had heard stories about Christians
being neglected during relief
operations led by the government
and Islamic organisations. In
the first village this was a harsh
reality. The village was still under
water, the people camped on
higher grounds. The Muslims had
nice, firm tents. The Christians
had improvised tents, made of
branches and leaves. The local
Christian chief told me they were
passed over when Islamic aid
came to the village. All they got
was left overs. However, when
a church brought the Christians
to, this is a sad reality in many
affected areas.”
In another village the situation was
slightly better. “These Christians
could help themselves reasonably,
because they managed to secure
parts of the harvest. I prayed with
about 50 local men for the country
and the village.”
Still, tensions remain high. “At
several places the locals chased
me away. It seems they don’t want
the church involved in relief aid.
Also, the Christians say that the
Taliban is very active. There is
always a risk that aid workers are
attacked, especially foreigners and
Christians.”
Reaching Christians in some of the
more extremist areas of Pakistan
remains a major challenge. On 25
August authorities recovered the
bodies of three Christian relief
“The foreign aid workers were
returning to their base when a
group of Taliban attacked their
vehicle,” said Swat District Officer
Atif-ur-Rehman. An official at
the international humanitarian
organisation that employed the
workers withheld their names and
requested that the agency remain
unnamed for security reasons.
“The Taliban had warned about
attacks on foreigner aid workers
and Christian organisations,” an
Inter-Services Public Relations
source said. “All the international
humanitarian organisations have
been notified, and their security
has been increased.”
Please continue to pray for
Christians in Pakistan and for
Open Doors partners as they
face the long-term challenge of A woman wipes
strengthening what remains of this her Bible clean
already struggling church. with her scarf

A Pentecostal pastor from the south eastern town
of Mary is facing criminal charges of large-scale
swindling, after two women who had attended
church meetings wrote statements saying that he
took money from them. Pastor Ilmurad Nurliev, who
was arrested on 27 August, faces up to five years’
imprisonment if convicted.
Pastor Nurliev’s wife and church members have
vigorously refuted the accusation, saying the police
pressured the two women to write the statements
and they now regret doing so. Another church
member has been threatened that if she does not
testify against Pastor Nurliev, her husband – who is
not a church member – will be sacked from his job.
Source: Forum 18 News Service
Many thanks to those of you who gave so
generously to support Christians affected by the
floods. At the time of writing, over £300,000 has
been donated.
However, the long-term needs remain enormous.
To make a donation to support Open Doors
partners working to rebuild the struggling church in
Pakistan, go to www.opendoorsuk.org/give

10 www.opendoorsuk.org 11