Urgent Prayers Needed for Our Iranian Brethren

Greetings in the name of Jesus, Head of the Church. Our dear friend who currently heads the Middle East Outreach yesterday sent a mail requesting for urgent prayers for our Iranian brethren. The prayers point is as result of three incidents.

First, three believers from a Muslim background (BMBs) in Shiraz have beenformally convicted. They were arrested in May 2008 and a series of six courthearings has concluded with their conviction on charges of anti-governmentactivity. They were given eight-month suspended jail sentences and were ordered not to engage in any Christian activities or to contact each other.

They were informed that if these conditions are broken then they will be jailed and tried again as apostates (i.e. for having left Islam).

Second, on 4th February three BMBs were reportedly arrested in the town of Isfahan. Two believers had been engaged in evangelism through the Internet.

They, together with the sister of one, were befriended by someone claiming to be a pastor who invited them to his "house church". However, this was a trap and when they arrived they were assaulted, arrested, blindfolded and taken into custody. The next day police officers searched the home of the brother and sister and confiscated computer equipment. The sister was released after a week when the authorities realised that she had not been

involved in evangelism. The whereabouts of our two brothers is unknown.

Third, a court order has been issued to close an Assyrian church in Shahrara. The church has held Farsi languages services for the past eight years and has welcome BMBs to attend. An Assyrian member of parliament has publicly criticised the church's leaders for allowing non-Assyrians to attend.

Christians supporting these believers request our prayers that:

a. Our three brothers in Shiraz will know the Lord's peace and presence at this time, and know the Spirit's guidance in responding to the restrictions imposed on them.

b. Our two brothers in Isfahan will know the peace and presence of Jesus,and will be released soon.

c. Our sister in Isfahan will fully recover from the ordeal of her detention.

d. The leaders of the Assyrian Church in Shahrara will know the Lord's enabling and empowering at this time.

e. The court order will be rescinded and the church remain a place of regular worship.

f. All officials involved in all three incidents will act with mercy and justice, and respond positively to the true message of Jesus.

g. All those who wish to participate in Christian worship across Iran will be able to do so freely.

Amazing Opendoors at Bhutan

Great opportunities have arisen in Bhutan recently, creating the need for 500
Christian teachers.

Bhutan became a democracy in 2006, and in 2008 created a new constitution that
recognizes religious freedom. Therefore, Christians are allowed to worship in
their homes in Bhutan, but some Christians still feel some pressure because of
their faith and choose to worship in secret. The number of Christians in the
country remains under one percent, and evangelism is forbidden.

With this in mind, it may be surprising to hear that the Education Minister of
Bhutan has called on Bibles for the World to provide teachers for the country.

While Bibles for the World founders Ro and Mawii Pudaite visited Bhutan with a
few others, they were able to meet with several extremely well-respected people.
They were first invited to meet with the Education Secretary, followed by a
meeting with Bhutan's newly-elected Prime Minister, Jigme Thinley. Since Bibles
for the World has not worked directly in Bhutan before, they answered questions
and discussed their ministry.

Soon after, the Pudaites met the king of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel WANGCHUCK,
and attended his birthday celebration with several dignitaries and members of
the king's family. They later met at the residence of the Education Minister of
the country since the offices were closed in honor of the king's birthday.

"The Education Minister asked if we could provide at least 500 teachers for
Bhutan, specifically to teach English, mathematics and science," says Mawii
Pudaite. "We would like to send as many as we can--well-seasoned men and women
who will live out their faith."

After such an experience, Pudaite has no doubt that the Lord is to thank for
this opportunity.

"As we got ready to depart from Bhutan, our little group gathered together. All
we could say was, `It is the Lord.' None could have imagined or worked out what
transpired during our short visit to Bhutan--a country and people we have prayed
for. To God be the glory! I must say, we left our hearts in Bhutan."

The Lord has opened doors widely for this organization; now people are needed to
respond to the call. "If you are qualified and interested in teaching any of
these subjects [English, mathematics or science] in the schools in Bhutan,
please let us know," says Pudaite. They are looking for qualified teachers who
will simply live out their faith in a different land.