In the Pakistani city of Jaranwala, twenty-six churches were destroyed and numerous homes of Christians set on fire in August. Rev Rien Mulder (deputy diaconate) and Erjan van der Linde (diaconal consultant) paid a working visit to this emergency project. They spoke to victims of the attack. Impressive and moving. But they also saw what our emergency aid, to which you and you contributed, meant.
Personal stories
In four different churches, they met some 400 people. Ten of them told their personal flight stories. "The fear was palpable. Emotions were not lacking. Each time we spoke to the people encouragingly with the Word of God, prayed for them and gave them God's blessing."
Flying with a baby
One young mother said she had just given birth and had to flee with her newborn baby. "Everyone was scared. I was very worried about my little daughter." She packed some baby things together and had to leave the city. The rickshaw drivers (taxi drivers) did not want to take her, also out of fear. With support from each other, she managed to get out of Jaranwala town. She hid in the sugarcane fields. Later, she heard that her house had been burnt down.
Rubble and recovery
The next day, the working visit continued. A total of about five hundred people gathered in four more churches. These churches were in villages just outside the city. As on the previous day, poignant stories were told and both visitors saw blackened churches. But they also saw what the local partner YWAY had already done in terms of repairs.
Hope and encouragement
"We visited a house where everything was still blackened and smashed. Terrible to see. On the walls, visitors had written slogans like 'God is love' and 'hope remains'. That is also what we want with our visit: to give hope."
The people we spoke to felt encouraged: "Your presence here gives us hope. You are the first clergy to come to see us after the disaster. Now we really know that Christians outside Pakistan are thinking of us."
Pray for us
Guslam is a young woman who lives with her family in a Muslim village near Jaranwala. Her father deliberately chose to stay in this village and not live in a Christian neighbourhood. 'God let us live here for the Christian witness. That's why we live there.' What faith confidence and encouragement, also for us in the Netherlands!
