Two Christian Women Detained and Harassed by Police in Yunnan

Yunnan, China At approximately 1:00 p.m. on February 2, police detained two Christian women, Meng Xiu Lan (55) and Zhou Cheng Xiu (53), after they were found distributing Christian literature in the town of Moding, Yunnan province, according to reports received this week from China Aid Association. The police accused the women of "disrupting society, endangering public security and violating the law" and threatened to imprison them if they did not tell who had given them the flyers. The women refused to supply the information. Both were stripped naked and frisked by police. At approximately 4:30 p.m., after police warned Lan that she was allowed to believe in Jesus "in her heart" but would be imprisoned if she preached the gospel, they handcuffed her and escorted her to her brother's home. Xiu was also handcuffed by
police and escorted to her home. Police searched both homes and confiscated CDs, Bibles and other Christian material.

Ask God to heal and minister to these believers during their recovery. Pray that He will help them to heed His difficult call to exhibit love to their persecutors. Pray that they will continue to obey God regardless of what man says (Acts 5:29).

For more information on the persecution of Christians in China, click here.

China

Current Ministry Projects
The Voice of the Martyrs Canada continues to help distribute Bibles to Christians in the country, making it possible for them to have their own printed version of God's Word. Additionally, VOMC works with various mission partners to facilitate a Biblical understanding of persecution and discipleship, while presenting ways to effectively respond and minister within the context of hostility.

Project Funds: Underground Church, Bible, Relief & Development
Country Information
Population
1,413,142,846 (2023 est.)

Ethnicity (%)
Han Chinese (91.1), ethnic minorities (8.9 - includes Zhang, Hui, Manchu, Uighur, Miao, Yi, Tujia, Tibetan, Mongol, Dong, Buyei, Yao, Bai, Korean, Hani, Li, Kazakh, Dai, and other nationalities) (2021 est.)

Religion (%)
Folk religion (21.9), Buddhist (18.2), Christian (5.1), Muslim (1.8), Hindu (< 0.1), Jewish (< 0.1), other (0.7 - includes Daoist [Taoist]), unaffiliated (52.1) (2021 est.)

Leader
President Xi Jinping (2013)

Government type
Communist party-led state

Legal system
Based on civil law system; influenced by Soviet and continental European civil law systems

Sources: CIA World Factbook
Pray for China
Pray that the Gospel will be proclaimed throughout China without government interference so many more names can be added to the Lamb's "Book of Life." May there also be a spirit of unity demonstrated among the country's growing churches, further strengthening existing believers and spurring them on in their ministry service and evangelistic outreach within the country's numerous communities.