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Christianity Today, August, 2009 |

Desert Deaths

Martyrdoms threaten to displace Christian workers from Yemen.

Jeremy Weber | posted 7/13/2009 10:53AM

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Christian expatriates in Yemen were left shaken in June after six Christian aid workers and three children were abducted while on a day trip.

Shepherds found the bodies of two German nurses and a South Korean teacher in a riverbed in Saada, a mountainous province near Saudi Arabia known for tensions between Shiite Houthi rebels and the government. Still missing at press time were a British engineer, a German doctor, his wife, and their three children all under age 5.

The group was working at a Saada hospital through Worldwide Services, a Dutch charity that places medical personnel in developing countries. The charity is reevaluating its presence in Yemen.

The kidnapping of foreigners by tribal groups has become common in poverty-stricken Yemen, but most abductions are resolved nonviolently with ransoms. No group claimed responsibility for the killings, but investigators reported signs of Sunni extremists such as Al Qaeda.

The three women were found with "missionary materials" among their possessions, according to The Times of London. German investigators said the group had been warned by local mullahs to discontinue evangelism in the area.

The kidnapping caused many Christians in Yemen to review their security arrangements. The martyrdoms evoked memories of December 2002, when three Southern Baptists were killed at their Christian hospital in southwestern Yemen by an Islamic militant.

Christian workers from South Korea were particularly concerned that their government would change its Yemen travel warning from "advisory" to "binding," reported Middle East Concern. The declaration would effectively force South Koreans to leave the country and significantly limit several Christian ministries.

Related Elsewhere:

Christianity Today has special sections on persecution on our site, including:

Standing with the Desolate | The anguish of working for those who suffer for their faith. (March 25, 2009)

Gatecrashing for Jesus | Brother Andrew discusses ministry in the Middle East. (January 31, 2005)

See our section on Yemen, news section and liveblog for more news updates.

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August 2009, Vol. 53, No. 8

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Average User Rating:

David

Posted: July 15, 2009 9:34 PM


and the real prob is that : We still need more leaders and teachers to study and build our young church here . EVERYONE ...PLEASE PRAY ....PRAY. David a Yemeni believer.

original Anna

Posted: July 13, 2009 7:15 PM

Gee, with all these killings of Christians (treating the sick of all things), you would think the news people would be all over this, but, no they're too busy worshiping the new drug addict god king. Maybe the dead Christians should have been singing and dancing while treating the sick, than the media would be yelling from the roof tops of New York City over the killing of Christians. The only people who can stop these murderers are the media who can scream so loud that the murderers might actually be embarrassed by their exposure and back down. On the other hand, these type of murderers don't seem to be embarrassed by what they do. Afterall they think it's okay to demand a 2 year old girl be married to a relative of a rape victim when she turns 18 for payment of the rape as if she did the raping so why should these murderers stop their persuasion techniques. This seems to be in their belief system.

Bill Bray

Posted: July 13, 2009 4:13 PM


Thank you for your promt coverage. Almost every day now, it seems we are getting more reports of indigenous missionaries being killed for the faith by the Jihad...and now to see expats murdered as well makes us cry, "Oh Lord, how long?"

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