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persecution.com |
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20 Years in Prison in Eritrea
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Dear Friend, Your memories of that day may not be as distinct as those of two pastors in Africa. In the early morning hours of May 23, 2004, Kiflu Gebremeskel and Haile Nayzgi were arrested at their homes in Asmara, the capital of Eritrea. Twenty years later, the two men are still in prison. They are two of more than 350 Christians currently imprisoned in Eritrea; more than 80 have been arrested in the first five months of this year. Two years ago, I received a bittersweet text message — a picture of Haile’s daughter in a graduation gown, holding her university diploma. Haile, who served as a pastor in Eritrea, was in prison that day. The picture made me think of all the significant moments he and Kiflu have missed in the lives of their wives and children in the past 20 years. What family milestones would you have missed if you had spent the last 20 years in a prison cell? For me, the list is long: graduations, family weddings, the birth of my first grandchild.
On this 20th anniversary of the arrest of Haile and Kiflu, I’d like to ask you to do two things:
You can email the Eritrean Embassy. And you may want to post on social media today about Haile and Kiflu, using the hashtag #20Years2Long. Maybe you want to share a photo or story of something you would have missed out on if you had spent the last 20 years in prison as they have. You can even tag Eritrea’s president, Isaias Afwerki, or other Eritrean leaders in your social media post to draw their attention to this cause. Select the link below for details on how to share, and for a sample email you could send on behalf of Kiflu and Haile.
God used an angel to guide Peter out of prison. He used an earthquake to open the doors for Paul and Silas. He protected Daniel from lions until the king ordered his release. My prayer today is that God will use whatever way he chooses — perhaps simply our combined voices — to release our Eritrean brothers from prison. Twenty years in prison just for being a pastor is far too long! For those in bonds,  Todd Nettleton Host, The Voice of the Martyrs Radio |
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