Read the whole post to hear prayer requests from missionary brothers & sisters on the front lines. Join the movement. Share this post. Use the hashtag #iamyourvoice. Comment below as to what is your part. And Pray.
The end of last month, I lay awake in bed in the evenings not being able to sleep, tossing and turning. Talking with God. Praying for my family. My extended church family. Those who don’t know Jesus. And those that do and are being murdered for it.
I cried with thoughts of beheaded children who simply speak with the unmistakable joy in the voice of a child who loves Jesus. I cried for their parents who were forced to watch. I just cried. With a heavy, burdened heart. (Click here for a free printable pack to help the younger members of your family understand) The press isn’t covering this as much as they are other details, yet the horror is real! I read today the exodus number of refugees is over ONE MILLION PEOPLE! WAKE UP, family! There is a genocide happening! PRAY! Surely the Lord will show you your part. And this. This platform, this project, it’s my part.
What can I do?
Why is this hitting me so hard? After nights of crying out, I was awakened in the night with the vision to call homeschoolers, and homeschool leaders, across the US together to pray urgently for eleven days, one of them specifically for the persecuted church and persecution of homeschooling across the world. In unity, we would ALL would be awakened to the always burning question, “what can I do?” He will answer your cries and send you. Even if that sending is your wallet in relief, your social media sharing and your speaking out. He will use you well if you ask. It’s not my job, or yours, to save the world. It’s up to Jesus. But I’m honored to be called a part of His crusade, and will certainly go and do as He asks. Even if it’s crazy.
Proverbs 31:8 BBE
“Let your mouth be open for those who have no voice, in the cause of those who are ready for death.”
During that first week of prayer calls, the gals (now friends) over at Planet Mommyhood were partnering with Heidi St John, Ann Dunagan, other Christian leaders and Food for the Hungry to launch the #iamyourvoice campaign. (Video below) Aside- make sure you click over. You can see “dots” of brothers and sisters around the world praying at the same time. So cool!
What I never expected was how the Lord would use those prayers to launch something so much larger that I’d ever envisioned myself as a way to help. How it would bring together the local body of Christ who had also been crying what can I do? And, it would certainly require me stepping outside my comfort zone. To open my mouth but trust in His words, as I helped create the forthcoming #iamyourvoice campaign en español. Yes. Spanish.
Thanks to my first middle school Spanish teacher, my husband and his amazing Cuban family, and a two-month stint living in Spain, I do read and hablo enspañol. After help from my husband’s aunt translating the script (thankfully it’s not often we have to use words such as decapitated in English- have to admit- I had NO idea) and securing of an amazing video producer, I needed a few others to participate in the filming. And nothing seemed to work- our timing just wouldn’t click.
I returned to prayer. And a few thoughts of “there’s no way I can do this!”
After about six back and forth time changes, I confirmed with my producer we’d be filming after church on Sunday, at a local brick wall, even if it would just be me and my husband. And then the most amazing thing happened. I let the Lord take charge, and asked Him who I should ask to participate. Suddenly, the faces of those who spoke Spanish in our church congregation began to flash in front of me, and one by one, I invited them to join us for the filming. We had a team of twelve with little effort.
When we gathered to shoot, dear friends and a lovely couple shared with me how they too had been praying “what can we do?” And how they felt so blessed to be included in the cry. We all had chills, knowing the Lord was at work. What if I had said NO because it was too much of a stretch for me?
You’ll have to read the next post to hear some of the other incredible stories. Meanwhile, what risk can YOU take that can be someone else’s answer to prayer?
Here’s how YOU can help. How YOU can be a voice for the voiceless.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWoOwxKmwL8
-Share this video with your family and friends through your social media.
-Change your profile pictures to the #IAmYourVoice logo you can find under the picture section of IAmYourVoice.org.
-Pray for the refugees. For their safety in this time of great trial. Pray our country moves to help them. Pray for safety for all of the humanitarian workers who are working in dangers. Pray the love of Jesus touches the hearts of this enemy so they too can know the saving grace of Jesus. No one is beyond His grace.
You can donate money to Food for the Hungry. Since they are well established in the areas of the refugees you can have peace knowing your money will reach them quickly and go to provide for their basic needs. These are real figures for real people.
$22- one family for hygiene items
$65 – Ensures that three families receive essential hygiene items, including a bucket, jerry can, soap, and disinfectant
$125 – Provides one week of emergency food rations to 10 people to guard against malnutrition
You can give to Food for the Hungry here.
You’ll see the Spanish video when it launches here, and we’ll ask you to share it. Until then, here’s a sneak peek.
Our pastor shared THIS REAL cry on a facebook post—
We recently received these two emails from missionary friends, one yesterday and one this morning. I pass it on so that people can pray specifically for our brothers and sisters.
This is so sad a friend from Ohio just got a text message from her brother asking her to shower him and his parents in prayer. He is part of a mission team and ISIS has taken over the town they are in today. He said ISIS is systematically going house to house to all the Christians and asking the children to denounce Jesus. He said so far not one child has. And so far all have consequently been killed. But not the parents. The UN has withdrawn and the missionaries are on their own. They are determined to stick it out for the sake of the families – even if it means their own deaths. He is very afraid, has no idea how to even begin ministering to these families who have had seen their children martyred. Yet he says he knows God has called him for some reason to be his voice and hands at this place at this time. Even so, he is begging prayers for his courage to live out his vocation in such dire circumstances. And like the children accept martyrdom if he is called to do so. She asked me to ask everyone we know to please pray for them. These brave parents instilled such a fervent faith in their children that they chose martyrdom. Please surround them in their loss with your prayers for hope and perseverance. She was able to talk to her brother briefly by phone. She didn’t say it, but I believe she believes it will be their last conversation. Pray for her too. She said he just kept asking her to help him know what to do and do it. She told him to tell the families we ARE praying for them and they are not alone or forgotten — no matter what. Her email broke my heart. Please keep all in your prayers. Thanks!
This came this morning…
Just a few minutes ago I received the following text message on my phone from Sean Malone who leads Crisis Relief International (CRI). We then spoke briefly on the phone and I assured him that we would share this urgent prayer need with all of our contacts.
“We lost the city of Queragosh (Qaraqosh). It fell to ISIS and they are beheading children systematically. This is the city we have been smuggling food too. ISIS has pushed back Peshmerga (Kurdish forces) and is within 10 minutes of where our CRI team is working. Thousands more fled into the city of Erbil last night. The UN evacuated it’s staff in Erbil. Our team is unmoved and will stay. Prayer cover needed!”
Please pray sincerely for the deliverance of the people of Northern Iraq from the terrible advancement of ISIS and its extreme Islamic goals for mass conversion or death for Christians across this region.
May I plead with you not to ignore this email. Do not forward it before you have prayed through it. Then send it to as many people as possible. Send it to friends and Christians you may know. Send it to your prayer group. Send it to your pastor and phone him/her to pray on Sunday during the service – making a special time of prayer for this. We need to stand in the gap for our fellow Christians.
Reading this has made me think… We need to raise our kids to be fearless and willing to die for JESUS! This isn’t our home! Our home is in Heaven with The Lord! Amen!
What will you do?
I’d love to hear and pray along with you. Leave your thoughts.