Gloria
Argoti, a Columbian Nun who
is in her 60s, was kidnapped on February 7th when assailants broke into her
convent in Karangasso, southern Mali.
Ken
Elliott, was
kidnapped in January 2016, along with his wife Jocelyn, from the town of Djibo
in northern Burkina Faso, near the border with Mali. Jocelyn
was released a month later but her husband is still in captivity.
Beatrice
Stockl, a Swiss, was kidnapped on
January 15th by al-Qaeda's Ansar al-Dine terrorist group from her home in Timbuktu, Mali. This
is the second time in four years that Beatrice has been kidnapped by militants.
After the group seized control of Timbuktu, she was accused of proselytizing
Christianity, held for ten days, and warned that she would be executed if she
tried to return to Timbuktu. Despite the threat, Beatrice returned to Timbuktu
in 2013 after French troops liberated the city. In January 2016.
Jeff
Woodke, an American Missionary working with Youth
With A Mission (YWAM). He was
abducted by unknown assailants late in the evening of October 14th from the
town of Abalak in northern Niger. So far, little is known about Jeff's
condition or whereabouts, other than news that his captors were tracked to
neighbouring Mali by Nigerien authorities. On July 11th, a video was released
by Els Woodke, expressing her despair, as well as her desire to be in touch
with her husband's kidnappers.
Pray for the comfort of the Holy Spirit on these brethren no matter what they go through. May God help them to remain faithful. Pray that God may touch the hearts of their captors so that they will release them unconditionally to their families. May the ministry of the Holy Spirit also console the
families and friends of the missionaries, reminding them of God's promise to be
a "very present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1). In addition, please
pray for the protection of the country's other foreign mission workers so that
needed humanitarian aid can continue assisting the suffering people of Mali.
More information on these and the persecuted Christians around the world can be obtained here. Make sure you say some words of prayer no matter how busy you may be. Encourage your church to pray for the persecuted.
