Imprisoned Beijing bookstore owner and house church leader, Shi Weihan’s health is rapidly deteriorating because he is being denied diabetes medication and is being held under poor conditions.

“Shi has lost more than 22 pounds because of the constant physical and psychological torture employed by prison officials. Recently Shi was coerced to sign and recognize a confession convicting him of ‘engaging in the printing and distribution of a large number of illegal publications,’” China Aid Association reported.

Shi was arrested four months ago after the Chinese government charged him for printing Bibles and Christian literature which were sold at his Christian bookstore in Beijing. The communist government declared Shi’s activities illegal because the books he sold were not printed by the government-sanctioned Three Self Patriotic Movement Church.

The Voice of the Martyrs has supported persecuted believers like Shi Weihan in China for the past 30 years. VOM and China Aid Association recently joined together to raise awareness of the increased incidents of persecution in China. In this effort, VOM has urged believers around the world, through our Web site www.prisoneralert.com, to write letters of encouragement to believers who have been imprisoned because of their faith.

Pray for Shi’s healing and comfort during this difficult time. Pray the Holy Spirit will minister to his family. Ask God to use Shi’s courageous testimony to draw his persecutors into the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Muslims recently closed a church and blocked Christians from entering and holding services in Jatimula, Bekasi, West Java, Indonesia.

 According to The Voice of the Martyrs contacts in Indonesia, “Muslims blocked the alley leading to the church building. Pastor Anna and Huta Julu had to lead worship outside their church building and believers had to sit in the dirty alley to pray outside their church.”

VOM contacts added, “The sign outside the church building stated, ‘This church building is sealed,’ and it was written on a letterhead belonging to the Tambun Selatan district of Bekasi local government.”

This is the second time Muslims have closed the church in Bekasi. The church was first closed on September 10, 2005, when a mob of 100 Muslims nailed boards over doors and windows and prohibited believers from entering the building. This incident is the latest crackdown on Christians in Indonesia. In the last decade, several hundred thousand Christians have been forced out of their villages and houses while 900 churches have been burned or destroyed. Four thousand Christians have been killed. Of the 62,806 villages in Indonesia, 10 percent do not have a single church.

The Voice of the Martyrs actively supports persecuted believers in Indonesia. VOM stood alongside and encouraged believers when their church was closed in 2005. VOM encourages you to pray for believers in Indonesia, especially members of the church in Bekasi. Praise God for their unwavering faith. Ask God to watch over Pastor Anna and Huta Julu as they continue to lead other believers in Indonesia. Pray for protection for believers as they courageously live for Christ in the midst of hardships.

We cannot let up. We’re making tangible progress, but we can’t leave the job half done.

We have until midnight tomorrow to reach our $200,000 fundraising goal, and we still have $117,142 to go.

Our efforts must continue. But they can only do so with your support.

Be the one to help put us over the top. Click here to make your gift TODAY.

The presidential candidates’ historic joint statement on Darfur, coordinated by the Save Darfur Coalition, clearly struck a nerve in Sudan. The Sudanese government lashed out at Senators Clinton, McCain, and Obama just two days after they released their statement. Their reaction shows we are making a difference.

But pressure on future presidents isn’t enough. We will continue to demand that President Bush live up to his rhetoric and do all he can in the remainder of his presidency to end genocide in Darfur.

In the coming months, it will become an even greater challenge to keep Darfur at the front of the national consciousness. Until November, our headlines and newscasts will be dominated by the horserace coverage of a presidential campaign.

But genocide doesn’t stop for the political calendar. We cannot stay silent while systematic slaughter continues in Sudan. If we don’t, we will face history’s harshest judgment.

Please don’t let this critical June 30 deadline pass. Help us continue this vital work.

Thank you for your continued commitment to the people of Darfur.

Best regards,

Colleen Connors
Save Darfur Coalition

Jesus already paid the price!