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2018-01-25

• Thousands Call for Release of Kidnapped Doctor
  
  Photo: World Watch Monitor

  On January 15th, thousands took to the streets of Djibo, a town located in the province of Soum, to call for the government to secure the release of an elderly Australian doctor, Ken Elliott, who was kidnapped two years ago. The abduction was claimed by the 'Emirate of the Sahara,' a branch of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb region of North Africa.

  Dr. Elliott and his wife Jocelyn had run a 120-bed clinic in Djibo for 40 years until their abduction. Although Jocelyn was released in February of 2016, she did not want to leave Burkina Faso. (An audio recording presented by members of the militant group explained that Jocelyn was released because they did not want women involved in the war.)

• Services Hindered by Government Interference
  
  Believers in China are persevering despite opposition.
  Photo: ChinaAid

  Two Nanle Church congregations in China's central Henan province had their services tampered with this past Christmas by government authorities. The Hongen Church, which is located in the city of Puyang, was forcibly locked by authorities in order to prevent Christians from organizing Christmas services.

• Teens Persevere Despite Persecution
  
  The released sisters recognize the importance of prayer.
  Photo: Open Doors USA

  In spite of the pain inflicted on them by the very ones they love the most, two teenage girls from a small village community in Laos are standing firm in their commitment to worship God. The persecution began during the fall of last year, when Nani, 17, and her sister Nha Phong, 16, received Jesus as their Saviour and Lord. They have since faced strong opposition from members of their own family -- especially their father, whose fierce anger over the girls' decision to forsake the village's animistic religion has resulted in their need for safety.