Barnabas Aid - International Headquarters River Street, Pewsey, Wilthire. Phone: +44 1672 565030 Latitude: 51 deg 23 min 18 sec N Longitude: 1 deg 45 min 48 sec W .
Home
News
Archives
Barnabas builds houses for thousands of ...

Email:

Barnabas builds houses for thousands of homeless Christians in South Asia

To

Email address:
Separate multiple addresses with a comma (,). Maximum of 10

From

Your name:
Your email address:
Security test:
Please enter the numbers that appear here in the box below.
 refresh captcha
CAPTCHA Image
Security code:

Details provided here will never be used in any other context

Published: 15:00 GMT Daylight Time - Monday 18 June 2012

Barnabas builds houses for thousands of homeless Christians in South Asia

Project(s): 00-977

Country/Region: South and East Asia, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan

“Today I am not weeping for the sorrowful life that we have been through, but I rejoice in God’s grace and mercy. Thank you Barnabas Aid who provided us with this house.”

A Christian in Orissa state

Over 600 Christian families in South Asia who became homeless as a result of persecution or war are now living in new or repaired houses provided by Barnabas Aid.

House-building_4X3.jpg
This Sri Lankan family
are praising God for their new home

Just over a year ago, we launched a major appeal to build homes and churches for Christians in India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, who have been living in squalid huts and tents for years.

We are now pleased to report that, thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we have so far been able to build 522 new homes in Orissa State, India, as well as repairing 65 damaged houses there. In Sri Lanka, we have built 25 new homes and 17 new churches, reuniting shattered congregations. Hundreds more houses are in the process of being constructed in the three countries.

“We are praising God for this house”

A family of seven in Sri Lanka were delighted to receive their new brightly-coloured home from Barnabas Aid. Along with hundreds of other Christian families in Sri Lanka, their house was destroyed in the decades-long civil war, which ended in 2009. The violence drove many from their homes in search of safety, and when they returned months later, they found the buildings in ruins and all their possessions gone.

“Rani’s” family was severely affected by the conflict. Her husband and one of their sons were left permanently disabled after they were caught in an explosion. And three of their children were so traumatised by the war that they now no longer speak.

The new home has brought welcome relief from their suffering. Rani (43) said:

Now we have a shelter to be protected from heavy rain and sun. We are praising God for this house. Thank you for providing this house.

“We are grateful to God and to you”

In Orissa, around 60,000 Christians became homeless as a result of an outbreak of brutal anti-Christian violence by Hindu extremists at Christmas 2007 and in August 2008. They were ordered to either convert to Hinduism or leave, forcing entire villages of Christians to flee. When they returned, they found their homes and churches burned down. They have been living in temporary huts or tin-sheeted sheds for years.

One of the Christian men who received a new home from Barnabas Aid said:

During the violence we heard that people were coming to our village to attack our houses. Seeing people from the distance we fled to the nearby forest in order to save our lives.

In the past three years we spent a very miserable life without a house. But after three years God has given us this beautiful house through you. We are grateful to God and to you… So nice a house you have provided. We will maintain it carefully.

Give Today

If you would like to help homeless Christians in South Asia, please send a donation to our Houses for Homeless Christians in South Asia fund (project 00-977). using our secure server

If you prefer to telephone, dial: 0800 587 4006 from within the UK or +44 1672 565031 from outside the UK. Please quote project reference Houses for Homeless Christians in South Asia fund (project 00-977).

If you prefer to send a cheque by post: Click this link for the address of our regional office. Please quote project reference Houses for Homeless Christians in South Asia fund (project 00-977).

For a quick donation of £3.00 by SMS (see terms and conditions here) text Barnabas/977 to 70007 (Please note: This facility is presently only available to UK supporters).

Help us: Share this article

Email:

Barnabas builds houses for thousands of homeless Christians in South Asia

To

Email address:
Separate multiple addresses with a comma (,). Maximum of 10

From

Your name:
Your email address:
Security test:
Please enter the numbers that appear here in the box below.
 refresh captcha
CAPTCHA Image
Security code:

Details provided here will never be used in any other context

christian, persecution, charity, church, persecuted, sookhdeo, Islam

Other articles

Latest Emergency

/_images_files/content/article_files/Syria/201305/Medical-care-4X3.jpg

Follow Barnabas

or

receive news & appeal emails as they are published

From Twitter

From Twitter_icon
Read more...

Daily prayer

Daily prayer_icon

  • An upsurge of arrests and deportations of Christians in Sudan has further unsettled the country’s vulnerable Christian minority. In January three Christians of South Sudanese origin were detained and then ordered to leave the country because of their involvement with churches and a Christian radio station. The following month a group of at least 55 Christians were detained without charge, falsely accused of receiving money from foreign countries. Dozens of expatriate Christians have also been deported. Pray that this frequent and severe harassment will stop, and that the churches of Sudan will be allowed to worship and serve the Lord in peace. Subscribe to the prayer points rss feed 10 hours ago

  • “We have reached here with the help of God. We shall live well with God’s help in our land.” A Christian woman gave thanks as she arrived in South Sudan after escaping from discrimination and oppression in Muslim-majority Sudan, thanks to the Exodus project sponsored by Barnabas Aid. Give thanks to the Lord that more than 3,500 Christians have already reached the safety of the Christian-majority South by plane and bus. Pray for His blessing upon them as they settle into their new lives, and pray too that others will be able to join them soon. Subscribe to the prayer points rss feed Fri, May 2013 00:00

  • Pray for 14 Christians in Nghe An, Vietnam, who were sentenced in January to between three and 13 years in prison on charges of subversion against the state. Their lawyers complained that the Christians had been subjected to torture, including sleep deprivation, and coerced into confessing crimes that they had not committed. Some of them had apparently been detained by police at random, some at a church service. During the two-day trial, thousands of Christians staged a protest against the arbitrary and illegal arrest of innocent people. Pray that the sentences will be revoked and the Christians released, and that the authorities will stop harassing and bullying the Christian community. Subscribe to the prayer points rss feed Thu, May 2013 00:00

  • “The decree is intended to provide the tools to end the house-church movement entirely.” Nguyen Van Dai, a Christian lawyer in Vietnam, added his voice to a chorus of concern among church leaders about Decree 92, which provides new guidelines for regulating religious practice in the country. The decree imposes harsh and complex new criteria that churches must fulfil if they are to obtain legal status; these will make it almost impossible for unregistered groups such as house churches (which have not been recognised by the government since 1975) to do so. Even if a congregation manages to fulfil all the conditions, the minimum period it will have to wait for recognition is 23 years. Pray that the churches in Vietnam will withstand this attempt to stifle their witness and will not only survive but thrive. Subscribe to the prayer points rss feed Wed, May 2013 00:00

  • Pray for five Christian families in Vietnam who have endured repeated violent attacks by their fellow villagers since becoming Christians. The families, who came to Christ in 2012, have since suffered three waves of violence, the most recent taking place between 18 and 22 February. During this period, their homes and belongings were vandalised in successive night raids. On 22 February, a number of the believers were physically assaulted, leaving several of them with serious injuries. One family fled into the jungle after receiving death threats. Pray that the Lord will be the strength and shield (Psalm 28:7) that our brothers and sisters need as they endure persecution in His name. Subscribe to the prayer points rss feed Tue, May 2013 00:00

Read more...

Quick navigation

© Barnabas Aid 1997 - 2013 All rights reserved.
Barnabas Aid is a registered trade mark