Source:                    www.opendoorsusa.org

Date:                          May 19, 2022

 

On Christmas Eve last year, 17-year-old Talitha slipped beneath the waters and rose a newly washed young woman in Christ.

But this young woman’s baptism didn’t look like the public ceremonies you see in your church. There were no overjoyed parents or large crowd of witnesses (see photo below). 

Because where Talitha lives in Central Asia, following Jesus must be done in secret. She is the only Christian in her family and if they discover her faith, she could be attacked or even killed. 

Still, it was a special time for our sister. From the moment Talitha kneeled to give Jesus her heart, she wanted to be baptized. Despite the risks, and despite the fact she’s alone in her faith most of the time.

But today, you have the beautiful opportunity to write to her and send prayers of encouragement, love and hope. Our local partner will translate your messages and get them to her, showing her just how big her new family is.
Encourage Talitha

Through our letters and prayers, we can begin to let Talitha know (and see) that she is part of a global family. A Church that’s here to show her the heights and depths of God’s love for her, especially since following Jesus will mean following Him into persecution and trials.

Right now, I hope you’ll take a minute to rejoice with the angels over one more child becoming part of our family and lift up Talitha in prayer.
 
And then will you go a step further and share your prayer and words of hope with her? We often hear from believers how reading your letters encouraged them to keep going in the face of family rejection, attacks and even prison. 

Thank you for speaking into the life of your 17-year-old sister.

Best,

Lindy Lowry
Managing editor, Open Doors USA