“Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer…Be faithful even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.” 

These words taken from Revelation 2:10 were written by the Apostle John to Christians living in the ancient city of Smyrna, today known as Izmir, Turkey. This passage is also the text of Scripture I was invited to preach on during my most recent trip to Asia.

According to Open Doors USA, a human rights organization that monitors Christian persecution worldwide, the country I visited ranks high as a place where Christians suffer for professing Christ. It is not unusual for Christians in this part of the world to be detained, imprisoned or even to face death for their allegiance to Jesus.

I was invited to bring encouragement to a host of men and women who daily count the cost of following Christ. I lectured at the largest Bible College in the country, spoke at a national leadership gathering, and preached before a multi-congregational worship service. Many related their own personal stories of perseverance, character and hope in the midst of unimaginable poverty, suffering and even danger.

Paul urged the church in Thessalonica to “pray that the message of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored” (2 Thess. 3:1). Many of you prayed as I traveled this past month. I’m deeply grateful for your partnership in prayer that ensures the Lord and His Word be honored through the ministry of BrookLink.

Later this month I will join US and Czech church leaders in Prague, Czech Republic to participate in several days of consultation designed to mobilize men and women for life and ministry in this post-Christian, urban and European city.

25+ years after the fall of communism across Central and Eastern Europe, there is still a noticeable absence of the Gospel and Christianity in most of society. According to an article that appeared in an April 2015 edition of The Washington Post, 75% of Czechs call themselves atheist and only 0.4% refer to themselves as evangelical Christians. Evidence suggests however, that there is a growing hunger for something to hope in among the Czech people.

Thanks to you, 2016 has proven to be a very fruitful year for BrookLink’s ministry. Along with our affiliate ministries, BrookLink has impacted the lives and ministries of Christian leaders in nine countries on four continents. There are also new places we have been invited to and have accepted in 2017!

Many of you are aware that BrookLink is a faith-based ministry. What this simply means is that we rely solely on the generous financial support of our friends and partners in order to step into opportunities like these.

As we near the end of this calendar year, I would like to ask you to prayerfully consider making a generous year-end gift to BrookLink in order to help us meet our existing needs and prepare us for 2017.

Thank you for being so steady and extreme in your generosity toward the ministry of BrookLink. Your gifts not only encourage Christ-centered ministry in hard places, but they serve to refresh the lives of God’s servants across the nations.

Thank you for your partnership,

PS: Making a financial gift to BrookLink is easy! Simply visit our website to make a tax-deductible gift today. And thank you again for your important partnership!