First, Fr. Godwin has been kidnapped in Nigeria (see first picture)... so many priests are kidnapped (and killed) in Nigeria. Please pray for his safe release. And please pray for the spread of 'In Our Lady's Shadow: the Spirituality of Praying for Priests' in both Pakistan and Nigeria (as well as here in the US). The more we can get people to pray for priests (especially according to how I explain Our Lady prays for priests), the more we will see these problems just disappear.
Secondly, please consider a donation to the GoFundMe for this purpose -so that we can continue to print these books for free for the persecuted Christians in Nigeria and Pakistan.
Thirdly, please see the email I received from Pakistan today along with pictures. These emails and pictures say way more (and better) than anything I could say about this work.
"Greetings to you in the name of our Lord!
Here are a few pictures of this Friday and Saturday activities. On Friday evening I went to a place where once again the majority of the people are being persecuted in one or another ways. People, especially children and women are physically and spiritually hungry. They are living in a certain fear. They really do not know what prayer is and the importance of prayer. They do not pray for themselves so who can we imagine that they pray for others.
So I went there with “In our Lady’s Shadow: The spirituality of praying for priests.
And it was good that one of my friends who is a priest also attended this session. The priest kept his promise. He promised that he would join whenever he has time.
The pictures that I am sharing of this community are not very clear. They don’t have proper light in the church. Later I reflected that they do not have light in their lives as well.
I shared a few texts with them from this book. I am feeling some peace that at the end they were willing to pray for others and themselves. I asked them about the hardships and persecution of their lives. They came with so many things with tears in their eyes. Their stories also brought tears to my eyes. But God turned these tears into joy at the end.
Then our group “Children of the Cross” had special prayer for persecuted priests and Christians. I asked them to draw what they are feeling. In their paintings fear and uncertainty was clear. This group is very active and good in prayer. So I have planned to bring this group (their parents have given me permission) to other places. This will help me to encourage others.
I am very delighted and humble to share that since I am translating your book “A Heart Frozen in Wilderness” and I shared my experience with this group. So this little group of children themselves asked me to pray for the conversion of Russia.
I never thought that in Pakistan, in my little town and in my house and in my other poor churches we would pray for Russia. When children and parents were sharing about their hardships, I added a few stories from “A Heart Frozen”. People in both places said that the suffering of Russia and Pakistan are similar somehow.
Then at the end we had a heart touching prayer.
God bless you and I need your continued prayers as your books have proved a mustard seed in the hearts of my poor, simple, innocent and persecuted people.
I need your prayer because it’s a long way, and I am ready to travel this with people and for people.
Blessings!"
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