Help Christian Refugees

Christians in strict Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Pseudo-Christian or Communist nations have to choose between following Jesus or giving into whatever restrictive laws exist be it: Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist, Orthodox or Communist (Atheist) law.  Restrictions have been going on since the beginnings of Christianity 2000 years ago and continues in many places in this world.  It is when those of us who are Christian in nations where there is freedom of religion see it first hand that we come to grips with the hardships our brothers and sisters endure to love the same Jesus that we love freely. 

The beloved ones we met are in Thailand, they are Pakistani Christians.  They under great duress and hope to save their families fled their homeland, houses, their family, their friends, their jobs, to try to make it to somewhere they can raise a family safely, free from persecution for loving and serving Jesus.  The road is not an easy one, it is most difficult and we see they need our help.  Jesus said when you do good to the least of these, you do it unto Me.  The reverse goes as well, when you refuse to help these My children, you are refusing to help Me, for they are a part of Me.  Here are a few of their stories that we feel Jesus wants us to share so we who love Him can be a part of loving Jesus by extending love to our family.

We were so moved by the attitudes of those beloved believers we met in Thailand who despite the hardships still rejoiced in the Lord.  Here are two pictures of Christians enduring and rejoicing both in prison (Immigration Detention Center - IDC) and those not in prison but still in hardship as refugees awaiting a host nation.  Those outside the IDC pool resources so that they can survive, they share in common what little they have to help one another and encourage one another.

From this picture below, you would not see how difficult it really is for these who are not in the IDC, some have loved ones inside the IDC, including children, grandchildren, still waiting for the UN to accept their request for refugee status.  These outside have no "legal" means to get a job to support the family, feed their wives and children, so resolve to odd jobs, charity, etc to survive until a host nation or church will receive them.  Some in this picture have been accepted by a host nation (meaning a church in a host nation) but must still wait until all paperwork is prepared which can take months.  Meanwhile they could starve before that time if it not were for the odd jobs and charity of Christians.  Yet look at the joy on most of their faces in midst of hardship.


Too many times, Christian women, married or single, are raped by Muslims without any legal recourse.  That is what happened to this Christian man's married daughter when they were at home in Pakistan.  She was raped, conceived a child from the rape but instead of killing the child through abortion, they chose to let the child live, deliver and raise the child as their own but fled their home because there was no justice or protection for them there.
Probably the biggest threat Christians have in the West is a car accident on the way to or home from Church but in some nations like Pakistan, the threat could be simply being in Church.  While we in the USA have seen an increase of violent attacks on Christians who gathered to worship, it is quite uncommon and we have a government that punishes such actions.  But in Pakistan, Indonesia, Turkey, Egypt, China, the threat is actually every time believers meet together.  These Pakistani believers we met in Thailand have had their churches bombed during holiday services.   The government police took notes...no actions taken.  They look the other way because the government is just as complicit as the perpetrators. 

We met Christians who helped feed poor Muslim children who were digging through the dump only to have their lives threatened by their Muslim countrymen. That is what this bearded Christian did back in his home.  He saw so many children hungry, looking for food in the garbage dumps, that it broke his heart.  So he would invite them to his home, fed them, taught them about Jesus and to love one another.  The result was his life was threatened not only by the parents but the government so he had to flee for his life secretly.  He waited for the UN to approve his refugee status asylum request a whole year in Thailand, living on whatever his son (beside his bearded father) could send him while working in Saudi Arabia with a construction company.  On the day we were at this place he and his son, who flew in from Saudi Arabia, came for counsel and encouragement since the UN disapproved his request saying the father was not in any danger in his homeland in Pakistan and must return.  Since the father is over 50, with his son's support, he can still live on a retirement visa there in Thailand but they had hopes of getting asylum request approved to give opportunity to move to a country that will give freedom to work, live, worship.  Hope deferred makes the heart sick.
Some of the Christians we met were Muslims previously now turned to Jesus Christ.  After that, they were threatened to be killed by their own family for converting! This dear lady asked that her face not be shown since her family doesn't even know where she is and knows if found out they would seek her out to kill her so she doesn't want them to know.  Since receiving God's love, Jesus Christ, she married a Christian man, have had two children, they await final word to immigrate to a western nation.  Her second child was born with a heart condition, should have died but through surgery and a  post surgery miracle was healed.   Her family of four have been accepted by a host nation but still her husband works odd jobs to keep the family fed, and share with other families in need.  The joy and Spirit of the Lord was so evident on this sister despite the hardships, she only gave thanks and glory to Jesus Christ. 
Many came to Thailand on a tourist visa hoping to escape persecution and request UN refugee status only to find Thailand reluctantly lets them in but only for 60 days, after which they must leave or go to Immigration Detention (a prison).  Meanwhile they apply for refugee status with the UN.  Some have told us that the UN who hires Pakistani Muslims, as intermediaries and translators and give Pakistani Muslims favorable reports to the UN and Christians unfavorable ones resulting in the UN many times rejecting their requests for refugee status.  So they can't return home to Pakistan without risk of imprisonment, torture or death, but in Thailand they either are vagabonds or imprisoned in overcrowded, concrete, no beds, hot and humid cells fed only rice and broth, or if given UN refugee status, put up a very large bail money to leave the prison, they are not allowed to work in Thailand to eat, house or feed their families.  These next two rare pictures were taken inside the prison cell.  In it are some of the detainees, not all who are in the cell. This may give you some idea of the crowded conditions.   The families are separated men and teenage boys together, women, girls and adolescent boys together.
This picture was taken on Christmas day so the Christians celebrated Christmas in the cell.  Since the cell is so crowded they hang any belongings they might have on the wall to give room to sit or sleep on the concrete floor.  It is the same condition in the women's cell too.  Men, women, children all sleep on a blanket or clothing on hard concrete floors, no AC, hot humid Thailand with only the space of a body length, if that much, to sleep.
We know of one family: Parents, daughters, sons, inlaws, grandchildren all in a difficult situation.  Some are outside with a visa, some are outside without a visa trying clandestinely to get odd jobs to support the family, wives and young children are detained in the detention center (IDC).  Only those with a visa can visit those in the detention center so families are separated - husbands from wives, children from parents .  They are at the mercy of the UN to grant refugee status.  They only can get help from outside or inside Thailand since the government won't let them work in Thailand.  For the sake of the family's safety we won't post their pictures here but it should be said that albeit they are in a hard place, they still are thankful to the Lord.  His praise is always on their lips.  Those of this family in the prison (daughters & wives 18-30 years old, children 3 & 6 years old, son 24 years old) all seek to share the love of Jesus with fellow detainees, many of which are not Christian from many nations.  They share what food their family brings to them with others in the cell.  They ask for bibles in detainees' native languages so that others may have Hope in a dark situation.  Food can be brought in by any family members who have a legal Thailand Visa or anyone with a Visa who comes to visit them by name and detainee number.  Here is a group of Christians who came to the IDC, purchased food and toiletry items to carry into the IDC at the visitor point.  While it is not a whole lot, it brings encouragement to those locked in.
So we came upon this situation and want to help these families: grandparents, parents, children in a desperate place until they can get accepted by a nation to immigrate to.  Some are in this situation for years.  The UN does not help these Christians other than to either accept or reject their stories and open the door to get out of their dire straits.  Our hearts are broken over this but we don't have the means to help them even with basic needs very much.  The need is much greater than what we could help with.  But we want to try.  So we decided to start this Go Fund Me project to be a pipe to channel real help to those holding on.  All funds received will go towards helping those outside the IDC who have family inside but have no means to support themselves nor their loved ones locked inside.  These funds will help them buy food, necessities, cook the food, take it to the family members and others locked inside the IDC, taking the food/necessities five days a week (no visitors allowed on weekends).  It will help those outside to live as well since they aren't allowed to legally get a job.  It will also purchase any needed bibles or books to give to those inside to share with their cell mates so they can have inner light in a dark place.  It will help provide bail money for those who gain a UN accepted refugee request or status and support them to live until they finally receive notice from a sponsoring nation who will take them in.  All moneys will be passed to help these desperate ones get to a place where they too can get a job, make money, and I expect who will help someone else later on too who was in the same situation they were in, not forgetting the hard road they traveled and to help others who follow them down that same hard road.  While we cannot make people choose to rejoice in their trials, we can bring light, love, and help lift some of the heavy burden they are carrying so that they can make it a bit further.

Psalm 42 comes to my mind of those who know the Lord but are mocked by their persecutors in their home country, in the place they fled to, and even by their IDC cell mates who don't know the Lord Jesus.
1. As a deer thirsts for streams of water, so I thirst for you, God.
2  I thirst for the living God. When can I go to meet with him?
3  Day and night, my tears have been my food. People are always saying, “Where is your God?”
4  When I remember these things, I speak with a broken heart. I used to walk with the crowd and lead them to God’s Temple with songs of praise.
5  Why am I so sad? Why am I so upset? I should put my hope in God and keep praising him, my Savior and
6  my God. I am very sad. So I remember you where the Jordan River begins, near the peaks of Hermon and Mount Mizar.
7  Troubles have come again and again, sounding like waterfalls. Your waves are crashing all around me.
8  The LORD shows his true love every day.  At night I have a song, and I pray to my living God.
9  I say to God, my Rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why am I sad and troubled by my enemies?”
10  My enemies’ insults make me feel as if my bones were broken. They are always saying, “Where is your God?”
11  Why am I so sad? Why am I so upset? I should put my hope in God and keep praising him, my Savior and my God.