{"id":48215,"date":"2023-10-31T14:00:53","date_gmt":"2023-10-31T05:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/?p=48215"},"modified":"2023-10-31T15:25:29","modified_gmt":"2023-10-31T06:25:29","slug":"vomk-report-276","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/2023\/10\/31\/vomk-report-276\/","title":{"rendered":"NEPAL THE FOCUS OF THIS YEAR\u2019S INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER FOR PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”48205″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”An estimated 100,000 churches in 130 countries are expected to participate in this year\u2019s International Day of Prayer for Persecuted Christians on November 5, 12, 19, and 26 according to Voice of the Martyrs Korea Representative Dr. Hyun Sook Foley. Representative Foley says that this year the focus is on Nepal, with Voice of the Martyrs Korea debuting a new short feature film to help churches, small groups, and home school families to pray during the event. ” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:1.2em|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” el_class=”headline”][vc_column_text]According to Representative Foley, the <\/span>film, <\/span>\u201c<\/span>Sejun: Nepal<\/span>\u201d<\/span>, tells the <\/span>true <\/span>story of a Nepali boy\u2019s journey from life in a Buddhist monastery as a preschooler to finding new hope in Christ.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201cSejun\u2019s parents sent him to live at the monastery, and during <\/span>his nine-year stay <\/span>there, <\/span>he <\/span>experienced <\/span>spiritual <\/span>darkness <\/span>and personal difficulties, which ultimately caused him to run away at the age of 13<\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley<\/span>. <\/span>\u201c<\/span>When <\/span>Sejun <\/span>ran <\/span>back home, <\/span>his family did not welcome his return. H<\/span>e had to enroll <\/span>in first grade<\/span>,<\/span> since his only schooling had been <\/span>memorizing <\/span>Buddhist scriptures<\/span>. He was <\/span>ashamed about being so much older than his classmates. <\/span>At<\/span> school, however, Sejun met a godly teacher who shared Christ with him.<\/span> When Sejun turned to Christ, his family disowned him <\/span>violently<\/span>. But through the teacher he met a new family\u2014the body of Christ<\/span> in Nepal<\/span>\u2014and he began to experience joy for the first time in his life. But instead of forgetting about his birth family, he became determined to bring them the good news of Christ, no matter the cost.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”48207″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Representative Foley says the short film highlights one of the most common forms of persecution experienced around the world: persecution by members of one\u2019s own family. \u201cIt\u2019s the kind of persecution that Jesus said that we all will experience,\u201d said Representative Foley. \u201c<\/span>The film <\/span>reminds us that persecution is not just an issue of religious freedom or government policy. It\u2019s the spiritual heritage of <\/span>all <\/span>Christians around the world who seek to live a godly life in Christ Jesus.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]According to Representative Foley, t<\/span>he International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church<\/span> has been <\/span>observed <\/span>annually<\/span> on <\/span>one of the<\/span> Sundays in November<\/span> each year<\/span> since being established more than 20 years ago by <\/span>the World Evangelical Association<\/span>.<\/span> 100,000 churches in more than 130 countries are estimated to participate in the event annually<\/span>, says Representative Foley.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Typically,<\/span> they participate by setting aside a special time of prayer for persecuted Christians during one or more of their worship services during November<\/span>. <\/span>Often,<\/span> they show the <\/span>new short<\/span> film we prepare each year for the event<\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley<\/span>. <\/span>\u201c<\/span>Sometimes churches invite a special speaker from Voice of the Martyrs to share about the theology of persecution and faithful witness.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”48212″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”Screenshot from the film: \u201cSejun: Nepal\u201d, that Voice of the Martyrs created for the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. Watch the film at www.vomkorea.com\/en\/idop ” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230f0f0f|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Representative Foley says the short films are about 5 minutes long and feature a true story from a persecuted Christian in a different country each year. The films from previous years are also available for viewing through the organization\u2019s special home page for the International Day of Prayer event, <\/span><\/span>www.vomkorea.com\/en\/idop<\/span><\/span><\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201cToday 260 million Christians<\/span>\u2014a<\/span>bout <\/span>10% of <\/span>the global Christian population<\/span>\u2014face <\/span>intense persecution for their faith<\/span>,\u201d says Representative<\/span> Foley<\/span>, citing statistics from the World Evangelical Association<\/span>\u2019s <\/span>Religious Liberty Commission<\/span>. <\/span>\u201c<\/span>In 2020, on average every day 8 Christians were killed for their faith; 10 Christians were detained or imprisoned; 25 churches or Christian buildings were attacked.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Representative Foley says that the <\/span>International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church <\/span>(IDOP) <\/span>is a direct response to the most common request made by persecuted Christians. <\/span>\u201cWhen we ask persecuted Christians how we can help them, the first thing they say is \u2018Pray for us!<\/span>\u2019<\/span>\u201d<\/span>,<\/span> says <\/span>Representative Foley<\/span>. <\/span>\u201cThat is exactly what happens on the two IDOP Sundays <\/span>in November every year<\/span>: The church around the world <\/span>joins together in prayer for their persecuted brothers and sisters.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”48210″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”The film, \u201cSejun: Nepal\u201d, tells the true story of a Nepali boy\u2019s journey from life in a Buddhist monastery as a preschooler to finding new hope in Christ. ” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230f0f0f|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Representative Foley says she hopes that this year\u2019s short film on Nepal <\/span>will <\/span>encourage <\/span>Christians <\/span>t<\/span>o participate in the International Day of Prayer for Persecuted Christians. \u201cNot only church congregations, but small groups, home school families, and individual Christians who are serious about prayer will find these tools to be extremely helpful on IDOP and throughout the year as they carry out the command of scripture in Hebrews 13:3<\/span>:<\/span> R<\/span>emember the persecuted as though we are bound together with them.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Individuals and churches interested in accessing the free short <\/span>feature <\/span>film<\/span> \u201cSejun: Nepal\u201d <\/span>can visit <\/span><\/span>www.vomkorea.com\/en\/idop<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”48205″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”An estimated 100,000 churches in 130 countries are expected to participate in this year\u2019s International Day of Prayer for Persecuted Christians on November 5, 12, 19, and …","protected":false},"author":659,"featured_media":48206,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[857,235,869,140],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-48215","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-russian-special","category-special-column","category-china-special","category-vomk-report"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"3.0.2","language":"en","enabled_languages":["ko","en","zh","ru"],"languages":{"ko":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"zh":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"ru":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48215","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/659"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48215"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48215\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48235,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48215\/revisions\/48235"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48206"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48215"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48215"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48215"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}