If you're not already - please pray
Daily news - London report:
"The Taliban kidnappers of 23 Korean hostages have today extended the deadline for the South Korean government to agree to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan, after saying on Sunday it had just 24 hours.
A purported Taliban spokesman said today the hard-line militia has extended its deadline for the lives of 23 South Korean hostages until Tuesday evening.
Qari Yousef Ahmadi, who claims to speak for the Taliban, said late today the militants extended the deadline another day after the Afghan government refused to release any of the 23 Taliban prisoners the insurgents want freed.
The militants have pushed back their ultimatum on the Koreans' fate at least three times. Afghan officials in Ghazni province have met the militants in person and are also negotiating over the phone, but little progress appears to have been made so far."
PLS NOTE - I'VE NOW EDITED WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY BELOW FOR THE BENEFIT OF THOSE WHO DON'T READ THE COMMENTS SECTION (but haven't edited the comments):
Last night, when I first put this post up, I was sure that the girl in the middle of the photo (with the hat) was some one that I went to SMBC with. Happily for my friend, I was very wrong - it was not her, but rather someone else's friend/daughter/sister.
Over the last few days at D'Arts getaway, we have been reading through Revelation and one passage has stood out in the last 24 hours, 6:9-11, and the saints who are waiting under the Lord's alter - waiting for Him to take just vengence against those who have persecuted and martyred them for the name of Jesus. Their cry is "How long O Lord?"
At the time of first reading it, the was a feeling of distance and abstraction, but with what is happening in Afghanistan right now... let alone other times of persecution that we haven't been aware of...
Don't you just want to cry out "How long O Lord?" too? How long until things will be made right and perfect?
Please keep praying for these brothers and sisters.
"The Taliban kidnappers of 23 Korean hostages have today extended the deadline for the South Korean government to agree to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan, after saying on Sunday it had just 24 hours.
A purported Taliban spokesman said today the hard-line militia has extended its deadline for the lives of 23 South Korean hostages until Tuesday evening.
Qari Yousef Ahmadi, who claims to speak for the Taliban, said late today the militants extended the deadline another day after the Afghan government refused to release any of the 23 Taliban prisoners the insurgents want freed.
The militants have pushed back their ultimatum on the Koreans' fate at least three times. Afghan officials in Ghazni province have met the militants in person and are also negotiating over the phone, but little progress appears to have been made so far."
PLS NOTE - I'VE NOW EDITED WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY BELOW FOR THE BENEFIT OF THOSE WHO DON'T READ THE COMMENTS SECTION (but haven't edited the comments):
Last night, when I first put this post up, I was sure that the girl in the middle of the photo (with the hat) was some one that I went to SMBC with. Happily for my friend, I was very wrong - it was not her, but rather someone else's friend/daughter/sister.
Over the last few days at D'Arts getaway, we have been reading through Revelation and one passage has stood out in the last 24 hours, 6:9-11, and the saints who are waiting under the Lord's alter - waiting for Him to take just vengence against those who have persecuted and martyred them for the name of Jesus. Their cry is "How long O Lord?"
At the time of first reading it, the was a feeling of distance and abstraction, but with what is happening in Afghanistan right now... let alone other times of persecution that we haven't been aware of...
Don't you just want to cry out "How long O Lord?" too? How long until things will be made right and perfect?
Please keep praying for these brothers and sisters.
posted by jodi @ 11:58 pm
10 Comments:
At 1:46 am,
Justin said…
I may have missed something. Do you actually know one of the 23?? As in, she went to SMBC??
I am praying!
At 7:29 am,
jodi said…
yes Justin. Joyce is one of the 23 in the picture (in the hat) and although I'm not 100% certain, I'm fairly sure that I recognise three others in the photo too.
At 9:56 am,
sam said…
I just hearing about that this morning. One of them has been killed. I can't believe Joyce has been kidnapped?!! Are the others Christians as well?
At 11:37 am,
jodi said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
At 11:47 am,
jodi said…
I've been speaking a little to Tim Goldsmith and getting him to check things out on the SMBC end. At this stage it's important to note that some of the faculty do not think that it is Joyce (or about some of the others) but they are making every effort to reach friends/contacts who are in Korea and via Tim I think I'll stay posted from them on what they can find out.
Having said that, two other friends have contacted me and said that they think it's Joyce in the picture too (and by the way the picture came from two news websites - apparently of the group at the airport as they're about to leave).
I would love for this not to be Joyce et al - but equally I would love for it not to be any Christian brother or sister facing this persecution - whether we know them or not!
News reports that one man has been shot - apparently because he was sick and unable to walk and keep up with the others. Again, whether we know them or not, these are God's children and we must be praying for them
At 3:27 pm,
sam said…
Keiyeng has clarified the issue!
She writes..
I have Joyce Kim's mobile number and just called her upon reading these emails and no, it's most certainly not Joyce Kim in the photo / in Afghanistan if we're all talking about the same Joyce.
I clarified with her that she doesn't personally know any of the captured Koreans (which would presumably rule out any of them being from SMBC) but she does know the Senior Pstr of the ch involved - he himself is not one of the prisoners but is the head of their denomination in Korea. One of his chs' assistant ministers is amongst the captives.
Joyce said she's very glad and encouraged to know people are concerned and praying (I didn't say that people thought she was one of the captives but that some people are concerned about the situation and wanted to learn more about it).
either way yes indeed they are our brothers and sisters and we should pray that stand fast for J.
At 4:55 pm,
jodi said…
Sam, Keiyeng - Thankyou! K I'm so glad you had her number and was able to find out - it's been doing my head in all last night and this morning. What an answer to pray to know at least that.
I've been looking up info on the net every hour or so to find out and have seen pictures taken from the captives church (in Seoul) as members of their congregation respond to the news. It's heartbreaking to see their pain.
It's made me think - would I have responded in such a way if I hadn't thought it was Joyce I saw? Would I have cared as much for 'anonymous' brothers and sisters?
It is with shame and repentance that I must acknowledge that I don't think it would have meant nearly as much. Why is that? How can we be so desensitised from one another???
At 1:55 pm,
Justin said…
We naturally care for those we know personally. And we are devasted the closer we get to someone. God wired us this way. This is not bad.
But fervent prayer is still V good, yes?
At 6:06 pm,
Anonymous said…
Hey Jodi,
sorry to use your blog, but i'm looking for your email address, ben short from vancouver asked me for it but i don't have it!
hope you're well, was lovely to see you at christ church the other day!!
Helen
helen@33degrees.com.au
At 8:26 am,
jodi said…
Update: Weds 31st - for anyone who is still reading this section, I keep on checking the internet reports and apparently another hostage has been killed.
21 of our brothers and sisters still remain captive though. Keep praying.
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