Two ladies were freed by the Taliban and turned over to the Red Cross after three weeks of being held hostage. It's hard to imagine what those missionaries are going through. There is always the fear of this kind of thing happening to folks doing long or short-term work abroad, especially in a country where extreme violence is used without regard for human life or where people have no true awareness that their evil will be judged.
Missionaries expect that their lives will be a living witness that they serve a living God, but few expect that the Lord will allow their lives to be put on display world-wide as these Koreans lives have been. Already, I've heard that Christians doing work in the 10-40 Window are nervous. Not so much for their safety as they are worried that people back home will be fear-filled and unwilling to send teams and support. After 9/11, short-termers sent by churches to the field dropped dramatically. The church's response to attacks has been dramatic and fear-filled; not biblical. None of these events - they are as rare as they are publicized when compared to the tremendous amount of work getting done - cancels the Great Commission.
There are still 19 hostages being held. Of the original 23 that were snatched off a buss over three weeks ago, two have been shot and two released. We need to continue to remember to pray for the remaining missionaries.
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Labels: Korean Missionaries
