Today, the Moscow Boys’ Choir sing ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’: today is Day 11! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-UomLNjcL4
In keeping with the Russian theme, today’s charity is Open Doors.
http://www.opendoorsuk.org
Open Doors (founded by Brother Andrew) exists to strengthen the church to be the church in the most hostile places. In over 50 countries, Open Doors supplies Bibles, trains church leaders, delivers Scripture-based literacy programmes and supports Christians who suffer for their faith. In the UK and Ireland, Open Doors strives to raise awareness of global persecution, mobilising prayer, support and action among Christians. It works hard to provide Bibles and Christian literature for persecuted believers, trains leadership to help believers grow in their faith and understanding and stand strong through the storm of persecution, helps those who have had to flee their countries because of persecution and speaks out in advocacy, providing various kinds of legal support and seeking positive policy change through private diplomacy and public campaigning.
Most of all, Open Doors encourages believers to pray and to get involved, fulfilling the command “Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering” (Heb 13:2). In 1982 they launched a seven-year campaign of prayer for the Communist Bloc. It ended with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 with the Soviet Union opened to the Gospel and Christian prisoners released.
If you’re interested in finding out more, the book ‘God’s Smuggler’ tells the story of the founding of Open Doors and is both a great read and an inspiration to all.