Hello and welcome. Thank you for joining us here on our podcast, Elim church. You're joining myself, Reverend Ben Cooper. And we are so glad to have you with us today. We have some rivers today it is Thursday morning. We are recording in the studio we are gathered around the mic. So we thank Sondra, for coming along today. And you can find us on buzzsprout and Spotify, Apple Music and all the other platforms that we push out on and we just want to say thank you to the listeners wherever you are around the world for joining in and sharing and just listening to these podcasts we we ask that God will strengthen you and guide you and we just thank you for for your lives. But Sandra, we welcome you this morning. We hope you are well. And you are feeling better this week and your sinus is getting clear. And all as well. We understand you got work this afternoon. Yes,
Sandra Robson:yes, I've got half day of work. Yes in Kenya.
Reverend Ben Cooper:So that's good. And you'll find that you're sleeping a bit better.
Sandra Robson:Thank you. Yes, yeah, I've my sleeping has improved greatly. So I'm very grateful for that yet for
Reverend Ben Cooper:the rest, David. Okay.
Sandra Robson:Yeah, Dave's working away. Yeah.
Reverend Ben Cooper:He's working away. Yeah, Sandra, we we just want to say thank you again for just coming around these micros. And as we're just going to discuss the, the suffering church to persecute the church, wherever you are today across the world, we pray that God will guide you and this is a great subject to persecute the church. Sometimes we go a little bit deeper than we normally do. And sometimes it can really tug at your heart. But we are looking at Eritrea today a very interesting place. Number six on the world watch list. I didn't realize how high it was. And Sandra is going to give us a recap. And then she will gently take us into Eritrea. And as we just have a discussion, and Sandra will bring some stuff to the table, please have a look online at open doors you will find everything that we pull from open doors I think Sorry, just coming out of there today. Open Doors not from the heart of Barnabas Fund or anywhere like that.
Sandra Robson:Some from Barnabas, there's a little Yeah, and actually, a trailer is a big one for release international they have they really have quite a network to do with atreya. Open Doors do have an overview, which is useful. And they do just sort of give a you know, a news account. But it's actually the ones that is released International, the ones that I've learned the most about a trader about and they they have got contacts. So as we said, different organizations God has led into different areas of the world and to have particular focuses. And so yes, I mean, they are in the world watch list. And they are number six, and I've just received the top 50 countries, booklets. And it's very interesting, because not only does it have the whole of the 50 countries with a little a small information piece and a prayer for each one. But it also goes into depth. There are some articles in here about things that are affecting Christians now in 2021, because of COVID, and things like that. And so it's got little articles about what if your church had to meet in secret? What if you were put in prison for your faith, and that's what we're going to look at today. Because atreya a lot of Christians are put in prison spies watching your every move, and families throwing you out. So these are the key things, you know, so so it's it's interesting, you know, some of the articles in here how things have changed. And yeah, so if you can get hold of this, it's very good.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah, it's a nice little booklet there. Sandra just passed over to
Sandra Robson:the mat. Right, that you can open up Yeah, and it gives you so then it gives you a perspective of where places are and what's going on where like to know where a trade areas and which places are around a trailer. So as I'm because I'm going to talk about other countries who've got involved in the airtrain situation. And when we look at the map, we get an idea and we can see
Reverend Ben Cooper:what's going on strike
Sandra Robson:across the
Reverend Ben Cooper:globe. But yes, it's well worth sign up to open doors Barnabas Fund release international may be tuned in to Transworld radio, and they're supporting them. Great ministry. So we're, we're in into Iraq, just just a little backwards.
Sandra Robson:Yeah, we just go back. So the main issue with Iraq was that ethnic cleansing and that has been happening and particularly when I asked you know, Islamic states were, you know, involved in The terrible conflict in 2014. And, and then recently, they've had an, again affecting the refugees and those who fled from the Nineveh plains that they fled to near the border, which is near Turkey. And then of course, Turkey isn't happy. And there's a conflict to do with the Kurds. And when they get caught up in all that, so we talked about that knee in internationally displaced people. So it's a very tricky situation where we explain that still, there are pockets where the rebels are holding out. And so it's very, it's still very dangerous. We talked about how the, the Iraqi Christians have their bags packed, ready to go at a moment's notice. But we also said that the Pope has helped things by, you know, encouraging the leaders to think about the Christians and they feel that his, his visits, as enabled Christmas to become a public holiday. And I was listening on the news just this week, and apparently, he has been there again. Yeah, and this time, he has been really saying about the women and supporting the women and what we were talking about, you know, the, the declaration. So he was saying that women needs to be upheld, and you know, the importance of them and the bravery of them. And, and to so he's been talking about that. And so we hope that will bring fruit, God uses all these things, all these leaders, they, you know, they are seen as by the government's as he is seen as being somebody to listen to. So, so that's, that's the Iraq situation, really, that they are trying to bring Christians back, they realize that it's important to have a Christian community, which is good, but it's all still very dangerous,
Reverend Ben Cooper:very, very dangerous is astonishing to think, isn't it that you're living out your bag, and you can't call that place your home. Because we just don't know what's going to happen next. You don't know. When someone's coming into the village or science going to happen. Churches burnt down, you don't know when your life's gonna be threatened. So you're constantly, your mind must be racing all the time, emotionally on edge, completely anxious, you're worried about footsteps, you're worried about doors knocking, you're just ready to run, literally run for your life. crossing borders living in places you'd never thought you'd live. So it's really important to us and the listeners that we lift up all those that are caught in the persecuted church and the suffering church, because imagine that living out your bag, you know, we go to work and we get home and we just, you know, take your coat off, sit down on the sofa, or have a cup of tea or coffee, you can you know, and you can spend all day all night indoors rather. And you can just relax you know, you got TV, you got heating, you got lighting, we've got all and we call them trappings. They are luxuries and trappings whatever way we look at that. But it's really interesting to myself to think that while we're in these creature comforts, that you've got the these women, these young families and these men just live in on a knife's edge, just waiting to run, waiting, can't feel relaxed, can't feel comfortable. And then then on top of that you've got you've actually got the fret that you could be killed for your faith. So much bagged up in a persecuted Christians life, work issues, family issues, displacement, and everything like that. So we need to really can we always say this, and we will continue to say we've got to keep lifting them up. So we're bouncing, and we're crushing into Eritrea. Yeah. And there's a lot of things happening there. By the looks of it, Sandra.
Sandra Robson:Yeah. So I try it is that number six on the world watch list. And the main issue is the dictator. Ship government is very dictatorial. And as, again, the army is, you know, also increasing its power. And that's what you know, the, you know, when I'm looking at this and I jotted down some words, that was the word that stood out power. It's all about who has power. And, you know, the Christians. It's an interesting situation some, some religion is allowed, but other is outlawed. So they outlawed most religions in 2000. And to, but they still allow the Orthodox Catholic and Lutheran evangelical and Sunni Islam but if you profess anything else, if you're born again, Christian, and you don't want to come under the authority of the government, because they control these churches a bit like in China, you know, the free self church, and they, you know, so although they allow religion, it isn't free. So if you want to be free with your beliefs, you have to go underground, you have to be a secret Christian, you can't hold up a Bible in public would be arrested on the spot. You can't say a song, you can't say Jesus be with you, you will be arrested on the spot. And these people just disappear. I mean, nobody knows where they are. So we're going to sort of talk about that. And, and the new situation that's developed and the sort of glimmers of hope, but how that is, you know, changed with other motives. So, we will just give an overview now, so from this is from the world watch list open doors, so, Christians of non traditional denominations face the harsh persecution in Eritrea. And the government security forces monitor phone call scrutinize activity conduct countless rays, with which Chris target Christian sees Christian materials and damage house churches. Christians can be arrested in prison without trial. And they're, they're inhumane, the prisons and you know, and their loved ones. They don't know, as I say, where whether they are still alive. They just taken to the police station for questioning and then they disappear.
Reverend Ben Cooper:What it says their song grace inhumane prisons.
Sandra Robson:Yeah, I was going to read about that.
Reverend Ben Cooper:what that actually
Sandra Robson:means that's in the Barnabas Yeah,
Reverend Ben Cooper:you've got that bit of
Sandra Robson:Yeah, so so as imprisoned Christians are tortured, starved and forced into hard labor. Now, what they do is, they beat you, and but not so badly that it would you know, you would die. And at some point, some Christians if they carry on, you know, like, Helen, Bahrain that we talked about you some years ago, you get to as a condition where you have to be hospitalized. And then that's sometimes when they decide to release you. But others obviously will die along the way if they can't, and if they have other medical conditions, as we know, there was their lady who had diabetes. Yeah, she only lasted a couple of days. You know, it is horrific conditions are worse for pastors and theological students who are singled out for beatings or have their jail terms extended as a warning to others. Many Christians are held indefinitely, and they don't know when they're going to be released. Some are kept in shipping containers. And that's what happened to Helen and a lot of others we've talked about and yeah, so for that they you know, expose the searing and desert heat by day and cold by night. So yeah, those are the inhumane conditions. And somewhere else I've read that one prison was closed because of its in sanitary environment, but then they open somewhere else instead a night they sent the prisoners there. I think that's in the testimony, I'm going to read so yeah, that is the background. It's very, very grim.
Reverend Ben Cooper:As a Western I find it someone living in the UK, I find it almost impossible to get my mind to the position of actually accepting this exists and it goes on I know it goes on but when you hear it and you read it, and you really try to get your mind into that position, how another human being country another human being because of their faith. And we talk about the shipping containers and the terrible things that go on inside the shipping container in the middle of the desert in the heat in the cold it just roast in hot in the day, freezing cold at night. Oh Lord. Lord is this is this for real when you see what's happening around the world, inhumane prisons and they had they Shut it down how bad? You know, we read over these things very, very quickly we breeze over them. But there are people in these situations right now, at this time of the morning at quarter to 10. on a Thursday morning, as we sit here and his church with all the trappings of the creature comforts that we get so used to. I just played God, I just just asked that you'll be in that situation. inhumane prisons.
Sandra Robson:Yeah. So that was, yeah, that was the main focus I felt this morning was the prisoners. And, you know, we know that scripture, Hebrews 13, three, you know, remembering. It says, Remember the prisoners as if it changed with them, those who are mistreated, since you yourself are in the body also? Yeah, that's what Paul asked us to remember. So I'm going to talk about this lady who is given the prison name. So that's not a real name, and can't give her real name because it's, it would be dangerous, you know, to give it out. But, yeah, this, maybe some people have heard that. There have been and I did say, when I gave the overview of the year that some prisoners have been released, which everybody would think great, wonderful, fantastic. And it is for them, because obviously, they have been through such an awful situation. Yes, yeah. But still, they need healing and care and support. But we're gonna look at the bigger picture of that. Okay. So we thank the Lord that he's made away for those to be, you know, released. And this lady Esther has been released, but this is her story. And so, now, as I said, mentioned the Helen moraine. Now, she was an Eritrean gospel is an Arab train gospel singer, she is now I think she's in Denmark. She managed to escape from the prison. But this lady who's just been released, Esther, was the woman who looked after her. Okay, and it's, it's quite quite a story really, about her. So Helen wrote about her in a book, and said that she was a good friend. And they were imprisoned in the same shipping container. And it's amazing, this Christian woman has self injurious, terrible beatings and torture at the hands of the Eritrean prison guards. And on one occasion, took the punishment in place of Helen. And Helen was very ill as a result of the beatings and prison conditions. Esther cared for her Yeah. And she fed her and washed her wounds and defended her, even carrying her to the toilet. And Helen was unable to walk. She was arrested. Esther was arrested in 2004. But then she was released after her father persuaded her to sign papers saying she wouldn't continue to meet with Christians and share her faith. But in 2005, she was arrested at an evening prayer meeting in an underground church. So obviously, she carried on being a Christian. And because of this, because, you know, she'd been arrested once a bit like what we see in Iran, you get harsher, you know, the punishment is harsher the second time, so they'll put you in for a little time, first time, and if you know, if you stop, then that's fine. But if you carry on, then you're going to get it even worse. And so she was sent to the most severe Maya su work prison in 2006. And she was joined by a large group of detainees who have been arrested at a Christian wedding ceremony in Asmara. And then she and other women refuse to sign the papers again. So they were then transferred to another prison, which is even harsher, which is the wire prison. And this is situated on the red coast and this is where the containers come in. So there is also the extreme heat and deplorable sanitary conditions. They did close that prison, but then they opened a new prison. In the remote northwest of atreya. And, and there's no public transport there. And yeah, so no, there's no towns, nearby towns, no visitors.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah. atrocity, inhumane place away from society away from eyes away from the world looking in, yeah, anything will go.
Sandra Robson:So she was 23, then I haven't worked out how she is now 23 in 2004. And she is considered to be a key senior women's leader in the person. When she wears she continues to look after and care for the other women prisoners. And she has had the opportunity to escape. And she's been given the permission to stay with her family for a month because of health problems. And after care and treatment, she may made her way back to the prison on her own rather than trying to arrange to be smuggled out via trial by to a neighboring country. And they people say she is a precious and lovely Christian, and determined to remain faithful to the follow Jesus. And yeah, and she's just been released,
Reverend Ben Cooper:just been released just being released
Sandra Robson:to them while she's there were two of these prisoners who've been there for over over 10 years isn't
Reverend Ben Cooper:a long time. Not a long time.
Sandra Robson:Now 2006
Reverend Ben Cooper:to be in inhumane prison and to take yourself back there when you've had an opportunity to escape. Yeah, that's a calling on your life.
Sandra Robson:That's Yeah, that's just
Reverend Ben Cooper:that, that that can only be God intervening,
Sandra Robson:like a Florence Nightingale.
Reverend Ben Cooper:She taken herself back to the darkest depths that we can we could never imagine what that must be like,
Sandra Robson:No,
Reverend Ben Cooper:we can't we can't
Sandra Robson:only be the grace of God,
Reverend Ben Cooper:you just couldn't. You just couldn't.
Sandra Robson:She has now been released no prefer because she's in a terrible condition.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Most you
Sandra Robson:know, being beta horribly tortured.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah. When you talk about that, when you think about what torture doesn't come into our language, is it in the West torture,
Sandra Robson:you know, a woman and this is another thing that they say that Christian women who are constructs are particularly vulnerable to gender based violence. While detained or imprisoned female prisoners often experienced violence from prison guards. In royal areas of Eritrea abduction and false marriage are still prevalent as well. Not only you've got that, they've got that as well.
Reverend Ben Cooper:They're thinking about what goes on.
Sandra Robson:So but we thank the Lord that she has been released. And or do you have a plan for her? And you know how you're going to say that. And I pray that she will have opportunity to meet up with Helen. Yeah. And, you know, even with all this COVID and everything you will make away. And I think, yeah, you're going to do something, but we do pray for her safety. Believe that she has to get out of the
Reverend Ben Cooper:country. Good news is coming in a dark place. So think about that. Think about that for a moment there. She had the opportunity to escape and she's gone back. That is that is a true calling
Sandra Robson:that God has now released.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah. faithfulness, of going back. Yeah. When there was an opportunity to go to get away from the torture, yeah, to get away one of those. So she wanted to go back and carefully care for those. So she was willing to put her life on the line every second, every moment to be tortured, to be raped to be beaten, hospitalized. Just, we can't even go there. The sanitary situations the the living conditions, the oh my goodness, Lord, that that is some calling to her.
Sandra Robson:She was only 24. So she spent a Christian I'm 24.
Reverend Ben Cooper:And she went back in to prison.
Sandra Robson:Yeah, for others, or discipleship she's had, I'm going
Reverend Ben Cooper:to walk back. Can't get no transport. So I'll get myself back. And she got an opportunity to escape to get to freedom. But she took herself back to prison.
Sandra Robson:Yeah.
Reverend Ben Cooper:I've never heard of anything like it. I've never. I can't I can't grasp it at the moment.
Sandra Robson:Yeah, cuz that's what Helen said. She said, you know, if you think I'm a walking miracle, and you think I'm something special, you know, think of my friend Esther. And she told us, and she was like, weeping, you know? And she said, you know, she said, I'm standing here because of her.
Reverend Ben Cooper:There you go. It's a very, you know, powerful prophetic statement to make. I'm here because someone decided to walk back to hell for me.
Sandra Robson:Yeah.
Reverend Ben Cooper:I'm willing to get beaten, raped, pushed, poked, whipped.
Sandra Robson:Don't feel your enemy.
Reverend Ben Cooper:For the love of others.
Sandra Robson:Yeah. That's really Christ.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Very Christ like is a nest. I'll go to the cross. I'll come back to prison. Yeah, I'm going home for a while.
Sandra Robson:You know, I've been hurt. I've been in, you know. Yeah. So the Lord gave her time to recover.
Reverend Ben Cooper:And she went back for more. She knew what she was walking into. Yeah, walking back.
Sandra Robson:Would you pray that she's affected lots of people's wives the mean lot like the even the hardest of you know, the prison guards. To have had to have some spiritual effect. Just very, it's very, very emotional. You know, just sitting here just
Reverend Ben Cooper:thinking I'm feel that I feel that you feel gravity of that, don't you? The power of saints or anything? No, no, no, no, we're not. We're not lifting. We are cheering
Sandra Robson:Russia in a clay jar.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Example. Yeah, Christ like example. Yeah. Or a model? Yeah. A true model to go home to get rest recover. From torture. Yeah, to get well. And then to wake up and go. I'm going back. Yeah, I'm not gonna escape. I'm not I've got a chance to get one on the bus. I can go to another land and start a new life. Within a year or two. I could I could, I'll be free. But I'm going to walk back. Yeah, I want to go back to the most, or one of the most inhumane places on earth. Yeah, that's a showstopper, as a conversation stuck at that one.
Sandra Robson:So this is a guy. Now, this is the other testimony. And he was arrested and sent to prison for working as a pastor at an unregistered church. So you see, this is the issue. You've got registers churches, and you've got unregistered churches. But now that they are saying again, that even the registered churches if you don't follow
Reverend Ben Cooper:what for the government?
Sandra Robson:Yeah. Very. Under great surveillance. Yeah. So that's. So he says, I'm in prison, one of my main purposes as Christian was to evangelize. Of course, it is forbidden to do it openly. But we did it at night. We know when everybody was asleep. We even had Bible verses we could study in secret. Sometimes there were very problematic people who used to inform on us, they would tell the God's mercy is preaching, teaching and doing other Christian things. They would say, there were people like that, yes. But many are passing through different frustrations and depression. Those people loved what we taught and shared. Some of them even tried to cover for us. We so many conversions, the gospel cannot be changed.
Reverend Ben Cooper:A man can't change the gospel down.
Sandra Robson:Yeah. So mercy remains under close surveillance. And his foster reports with the local police station regularly to show that he has not fled the country. Every time he goes there, he risks re arrest. And his wife says, Please continue to pray for us. We need prayer so that we will live without worry and keep calm. So so that's what they are doing. They are they are sharing Jesus in the prisons. And some of them do believe you know, and they are told, I think we talked about that where a pastor was saying how he, if somebody says they want to be you know, they they're interested in Christianity, he tells them, are you prepared to suffer? Are you prepared to die if you're
Reverend Ben Cooper:prepared to die?
Sandra Robson:And he prepares them he says, you know, you are likely to get arrested,
Reverend Ben Cooper:tortured, beaten, and everything.
Sandra Robson:Yeah. And you know, and he says, but if you do go to prison, and he said himself, that his his it would be that God would send him there for the sake of the prisoners, to help them to encourage them to give them light in the darkness.
Reverend Ben Cooper:If like, isn't that when God said so so so why do you persecute men and going further on down the line? We have A very interesting part of that story where God makes it very, very clear. And he says, I will show show, Paul. So how much he must suffer? For my name? Very clear, isn't it? Very clear. So there we have a man that was going to persecute the Christians. And then suddenly, it arises upon him, God speaks to him. Then he is blinded. He has prayer. The one that brings prayer to him says very clearly to God, are you sure you want me to pray for him? Do you realize what he has been doing? But then God says to the servant that needs to pray. Just pray. And I will show him how much he would have to suffer for my name. Oh, Lord, does make you think does make you think, you know, the church in the West, makes everything happy and clappy and such a contrast such a con such a polar opposite? Isn't there? You know such a different view such a different understanding of it? Is it the church? And are we are we the church? Are we really saved? Are we truly living by the gospel of Jesus Christ in the UK? When you see and you hear and you read things, what we're looking at this morning, going back to an inhumane prison, and then you got pastors, teaching congregations and converts, I will tell you about Jesus, if you will die, be prepared to die. I'm preparing you to die. But there is so scripture, dying to self. I'm preparing you for the worst time of your life.
Sandra Robson:But also, the best time
Reverend Ben Cooper:it's so it's, it is. It's a conversation stopper. Yeah. Because when when I'm thinking about what I see across the airwaves, across Planet Earth, regarding the Evangelical Church, and what is happening here, how different is that if someone walked into a church in the UK, and the leadership stopped them at the door and said, If you come into this church, we will prepare you to be killed, we will prepare you and get you ready for your hardest time of your life, we will show you and teach you the word so that when death is facing you, down the lens, you will be able to cope with that. How many people would walk in a church? If you come and walk over this threshold? You are almost there's a 50% chance that you won't make it being a believer in this nation. Yeah, what would the church in the UK do? It's gone quiet. We know. I know. It's different. But it's the same. It's the same
Sandra Robson:as the total life isn't eternal life. Having the perspective on things, isn't it? Yeah. And you know, Jesus is everything, I think,
Reverend Ben Cooper:is everything. If you follow God, yeah,
Sandra Robson:I mean, they've got they've got such a, you know, in Eritrea, like she says, There's, there's no freedom. So it's like North Korea. And Jesus gives you freedom. And they want to have that freedom, whatever the cost. I'd rather have Jesus
Reverend Ben Cooper:and be incarcerated in their parochial area where they live. Yeah. So they're enslaved in the area where they are, yeah, but the Scripture is so true, you shall know the truth and the truth will set you free. Yeah, spiritually free. You can be in prison. In a container. You can be wherever you are, but you are free internally. That is the most powerful thing that a Christian could ever carry. But have a leadership team or a pastor at the entrance of a church and say, if you want to be a convert, if you want to be a real believer, if you want to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, I will give you this Bible but be prepared to suffer to suffer because it says, so be prepared to suffer. And he said you would suffer What do we do? in the church in the West?
Sandra Robson:We just say Jesus is God is love. God is love and and he's forgiven your sins. Yeah, I think there's a challenge.
Reverend Ben Cooper:That's a big challenge for the West when
Sandra Robson:what's happening when
Reverend Ben Cooper:there's a challenge challenge.
Sandra Robson:What is your face to you? What is the cost? You know, they say it'd be costly. You know,
Reverend Ben Cooper:we see these big churches have these big welcoming committees, you know, handing out sweets, you got umbrellas in the carpark when it's raining. You know, giving people can't forget your car and array. And they got t shirts Welcome to church and always happy clappy jumping up and down. But is that biblical? No. When you when you when you really look at it, we put on a show. And then we're what we read each week and what you bring to the table is, Lord, Lord, please have mercy. Lord, have mercy on the church in the UK, please, Holy Spirit, I pray that you will bring us out of this. The situation how can you bring this to a word to when you when you study what is going on, that that lady walked back in to an inhumane place? Because she needed to care and to give the love of Jesus to her friends? Yeah. Ya know, in every footstep that she took, could be the last time that she would ever see the light of day but she took herself back to prison. DNA makes you think, and I pray all the listeners, wherever you are around the world today, you know, we thank God for the church, wherever you are, and whatever denomination you are in. But, but if you are in a westernized church, and you are in a church that is pushing the name and climate and the prosperity gospel, we need to really check we really need to check it has to be Jesus. It has to be Jesus all the way through. And persecution needs to be above anything else. As I suffered, he said Disney. As I suffered. So will you Yeah. Yeah, Sandra, let's get back in. Let's get back in for these moments. You know, just bringing this to her. This is a this is a great, great dive into today's is a great door opener. We've done a lot of work on our tribe before over the years, haven't we? We have when we had the open days, and we had things that was a very big thing and with the children and everything that went on. So this is close to our highs. And it this is a name that is very familiar to me. But I didn't realize how high is up on the list. Number.
Sandra Robson:Yeah. Yeah. So recently, you know, with COVID, and there have been releases. And so it has been linked to the fact that they are trying to reduce transmission in these prisons. So control measures have released 69 Christian prisoners, most of whom had been held for over 10 years without trial. Some for as long as 16 years. The releases were made on condition. Now this is it. He says, not straightforward, you know, still strings attached. I just pray that those are be shaken off, you know that the Lord will deal with this because this is the bit you know, they're putting the conditions that bail securities will lodge usually in the form of property deeds,
Reverend Ben Cooper:policy after their property,
Sandra Robson:with guarantors held liable for the detainees future actions. So that'll be a family, you know,
Reverend Ben Cooper:consequence, even though you might be inside, even though that you're locked away, you can't see your family. You don't know what's going on on the outside.
Sandra Robson:So none of the imprison pastors or Christian leaders are among those released. And the number of the release were from that prison I told you about the Maya suwa. Nature she's the notorious sorry, notorious high security military detention facility near the Capitol even the sound of it
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah, shut up.
Sandra Robson:Known to put Dean it detainees and underground sells a metal shipping containers. And there's still 300 Christians still being detained including children. And another sad thing that's happened as well, in 2019, authorities shut down 21 health centers run by registered church denominations and ordered the closure of seven Christian Schools 10s of 1000s of Christians, and this is the now the next issue is the refugees. So 10s of 1000s of Christians have fled Eritrea mainly seeking refuge in Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda and Israel. And they are shunned in all those places and seen them in Israel. Yeah, so little ghetto there. Yeah, we were out there. And they said all don't have anything to do with them. They don't give them any help or any support. Because they said we've got enough people To deal with
Reverend Ben Cooper:weed, i did
Sandra Robson:realize they were airtrain until the pastor. You know, Brian, Brian Yeah. He told me he told us Oh, yes, they're there. They're the train refugees.
Reverend Ben Cooper:I said,
Sandra Robson:Yeah. So they've
Reverend Ben Cooper:gone from one bad environment to another bad. Life is just yeah.
Sandra Robson:I don't know how it is in Sudan. Now, I mean, things might be better there for them. But Ethiopia where they, you know, we know there was a church, and we were writing to refugees, the church, there are people who, you know, had fled there has, some of this has now come under attack, because there's the Beingness, some conflict in T gray, which has now they say, you know, there's like a ceasefire, but there's still sporadic, you know, things going on. So I don't know whether you want me to go into to that or just a bit about the refugees
Reverend Ben Cooper:scoring a little bit about the refugees. And we'll pick that up on next time, because
Sandra Robson:this sort of overlaps with Ethiopia. But it explains why the refugees they've said why the refugee why the prisoners are they think why the prisoners are being released. And so
Reverend Ben Cooper:keep prying listeners.
Sandra Robson:Yeah, they're saying the reason this is the CEO of release international said, our partners say the latest prisoner releases may be to curry favor with the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, who is a Christian. He has joined forces with Ethiopia in its fight against the tea grain renewables in the north of the country. Our partners believe they are trying is trying to extend its influence on the Horn of Africa.
Reverend Ben Cooper:So we have the Prime Minister of Ethiopia is a Christian is a Christian, that's a first. So God willing, this will have some influence.
Sandra Robson:Yeah, that's what I pray. Yeah.
Reverend Ben Cooper:A God given opportunity. God puts people in certain positions of power.
Sandra Robson:Yeah, but the enemy is really very fast. So because it says, Yeah, the hope that a peace agreement with Ethiopia would improve human rights for Tria has not happened yet, as yet. And in June 2020, un reported that there was no meaningful progress to address human rights violations in Eritrea. But yes, we do pray and we do say Yes, Lord, you have no say, let him rise for the time such a time as this. We're talking about estar aqui. Yeah. So so in about Christians have fled to escape the persecution and they now got caught up in this conflict and refugee camps. I've been displaced during the fighting and, and and the contact from race international says that, because they asked the trains. They asked them to make themselves known. They repatriated them, and they asked them to walk a long distance, and they just come out of prison, some of them and some of them died on the
Reverend Ben Cooper:way. I don't know. Really. Yeah.
Sandra Robson:So many refugees. Yeah, they've died fleeing from the violence. Yeah, most of them may, most of them made it back to the capital of Ethiopia. And some of the camps have been moved. And then this is the 25th of January 2021. Really, this was the press release, they've received reports that to the refugee camps in the T gray region have been attacked in the conflict. And Christians may have been among the number, and they are very concerned about them being taken back across the border. And surprised for Christian brothers and sisters. And for this, you know, the conflicts up are caught up in the conflict that this is largely ended, but there are sporadic fighting and severe food shortages and some services such as banking, transport and communications have not fully resumed and, and yeah, that these questions again, have had to flee due to the conflict placed
Reverend Ben Cooper:within American law.
Sandra Robson:So that's the refugee situation. And so you see that Ethiopia was where they thought that he had gone, get rest and peace and now again, suddenly they're in a conflict and being sent back to Australia. So One not get out of being pulled back, pull back.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Well, Sandra, very interesting today, but was interesting every week, we know, we just want to say thank you very much for bringing what you have to the table today. We pray for the listeners around the world, that as we listen and as we study, we, we certainly hope that we all dive into the literature that we're sharing out here. And we get these prayer points, these bullet points and we just gather around a cup of tea and a coffee in the comfort of our own home where there is no persecution, maybe at the desk at work and just just flip open the computer and just just have a peruse through these really powerful ministries, open doors, release International, CSW, Transworld radio, and just look and just discover, put your toe maybe into the persecuted world or the church and, and don't be frightened, you know, and find the prayer point, find a nation that really draws on your heart, you know, the psych about this one that we're looking at today, I've got to say, seems to catch a string within me, you know, maybe it's the word that we've used today as well, the inhumane prisons maybe that's a bit of a, an unsettling feeling in my spirit, but we just pray God, God, Oh, God, move, move by your glory. sandoway Thank you so much. Sandra, have you got anything else to bring to the table just before we say goodbye this morning?
Sandra Robson:No, I think it's just focusing on on that selfless love of Esther really, isn't it, you know, she has given herself for the love of her brothers and sisters and those who yet didn't know Christ, in that prison situation, to care for them, and to 10 their wounds, and she has, you know, taken on all the things, you know, that Jesus talks about, didn't he, you know, washing,
Reverend Ben Cooper:yes,
Sandra Robson:washing feet, you know, that she's tended the wounds and, and pray for her in her release, that God will keep her safe, that he will take her on to where he wants her to be.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Amen.
Sandra Robson:And that's he will continue that, you know what, what he is doing, even if we, you know, we'd we'd he sees the greater picture, we're only seeing bits and pieces. And, and and we pray for the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, that he helps hit that helps him and strengthens him and gives them wisdom in dealing with situations he's having to deal with. And we pray for all those that are still in prison. And we do pray for the prison guards who are having to meter out these punishments. Some of them don't want to do it again. They're being coerced, they're being forced, they're in fear of what might happen to them, but we thank the you know the Lord, for you, for those who turn a blind eye at times, Father God, and, you know, and, and allow the Christians you know, to meet and support because they find comfort in it too. And so, Lord, you know the situation, but we do lift up our brothers and sisters, Lord, and we thank you for like we said that, you know, their example, and the Christ's likeness and their service, their servant, attitude, Lord, that we can learn so much from them. And Lord, we pray for them as in their suffering, that you will be all that they need. And thank you for your grace, thank you for your grace. And Lord guards, we just pray that we will remember them, as you say, as Paul, you know, wrote in his letter to say that, you know, don't remember the prisoners, as if you were there, yourself with them chained law that we would take a moment to think about that. And thank you for the situation wherein that we have opportunity to speak about these things. And we have the freedom to talk about it. And so we can bring hope and light and thank you that you are doing a work there. And you are bringing treasure out of darkness and we thank you, Lord, for your goodness and your mercy and we just lift up our brothers and sisters in Eritrea to you Lord God, have your way in that place thought we just bless Your holy name. Thank you Jesus Jesus name, amen.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Amen. Amen. Amen. Thank you to everybody around the world for sharing and liking and follow us on all the social media platforms we pray that you will have a good day wherever you may be. You've been listening to Sondra even listen to myself, Reverend Ben Cooper here in Ealing church in Kent. And we thank you so much for everything that you are sharing whether the way we see you sharing the way we see your liking the way we see you, just giving and doing what you're doing. So thank you and all those people on buzzsprout, Spotify, Apple Music, I Heart Radio, Google Play Alexa, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube. We just thank you so much, and we pray that you will find rest but let's support our sisters and brothers in the world of the persecuted church. May God bless you in Jesus name, amen.
Sandra Robson:Amen.