Security risks and language barriers

Naomi needs to be careful what she says to her friends. Even a text message can be intercepted by authorities and scanned for ‘Christian’ language. It adds a tension to everyday life she didn’t know before September. Naomi has recently moved to a country to East Asia as an international student to pursue language learning. She reflects:

“I don’t like the effect it has on me. It makes me less inclined to share the gospel because I’m so conscious of the sensitivity of it. But if anything, my response should be the opposite! The gospel desperately needs to be shared here, as many people – locals and internationals – have yet to hear of Christ’s redeeming love and grace.”

Despite the dangers, Naomi is loving the international experience. She explains:

“In a class of 20 there are 14 different nationalities. I’ve met students from places like Iran, Sudan, Nigeria and many more! The number of different languages and cultures represented is enriching and exciting, but can be a challenge in getting to know people deeply and moving past surface-level conversations.”

Join us in praying for Naomi this week:

Pray for Naomi to have linguistic fluency, sensitivity and courage to have gospel conversations with friends.

Pray that God would open eyes and change hearts of local and international students, so that they would know Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.

Pray for the local Christians facing persecution, that they would continue to hold fast to Jesus and trust in His ways and provision.

Thanks for praying with us!