Jailed: Christmas Prayer Rally Organizer Still Behind Bars
Can you imagine being in prison during Christmas just for hosting a prayer rally? How about being in prison for three Christmases?
This year will mark Yang Xuan’s third Christmas in prison for organizing a prayer rally more than two years ago. Yang was arrested on Sept. 14, 2009 along with four other church leaders.
On Nov. 25, 2009, Yang and the other four Linfen-Fushan church leaders from Shanxi Province were sentenced to criminal detention for two to seven years. The five church leaders were accused of “gathering people to disturb the public order” because they organized a prayer rally the day after 400 military police raided the church’s grounds. During that raid, more than 30 believers were seriously wounded, and 17 buildings were destroyed.
Xuan has been imprisoned for over 750 days. According to his daughter, his visits in prison are very limited.
This Christmas, Voice of the Martyrs is calling on you to be an encouragement to this suffering brother in Christ. There have been 814 letters written to Yang over the past couple of years. VOM wants to increase that number to 1,000 by Christmas to let Xuan know Christians love him and are praying for him. To help VOM send 200 letters to Yang this Christmas, click here and write a letter.
Voice of the Maryter sis also asking for prayer for Xuan and his fellow prisoners: Pray that they would be a blessing even in prison and would have opportunities there to share the gospel, just as Paul did nearly 2,000 years ago.
