“We are the Bride of Christ” – The Faith of a Uyghur Woman

Gulnur is a Muslim-background believer (MBB) in western China, where Christians from her Uyghur ethnic group experience the worst persecution in the country.

Since her husband Alimjan’s imprisonment for his faith in 2009, Gulnur and her two sons have only been allowed to visit him once a month.

She recently shared with Open Doors International about her hardships and hope in her husband’s absence:

“We have joy, real joy. The joy in this difficult situation is real joy. It must be joy from the Lord! Otherwise, how could we endure the hardship?

“I have regular gatherings with brothers and sisters. I am able to share my thoughts and feelings with them. I need their support and prayers. Without their prayers we could not endure!

“My elder son misses my husband so much! Very often he remembers the precious moments with his father when he was a child. The more he thinks of how his father loves him, the more he misses him. He now understands that his father is suffering for his faith. He is proud of his dad! He does not feel ashamed of his father’s imprisonment.

“My younger son was only a one year old when my husband was put in jail. He can hardly remember anything about his father. He has been growing up without a father figure.

“My passion is to evangelise our Uyghur people! It’s really hard to bring them to Christ. Praise the Lord – both my mother and mother-in-law [became believers] several years ago. They have witnessed how this faith upholds us in our difficult time. They have found Jesus to be the true God.

“Above all, we still put our faith in Jesus and strive to live a godly life under the hardship. My husband always asks me to live well, take good care of our sons and teach them to love God. This is the way we witness Him.

“I ask my sons to behave, to study hard and to always tidy up our home as if my husband was coming back today. I understand my husband will come back to us in time. I wait for his return as if I wait for the second coming of Jesus. We are the Bride of Christ!”

• Give thanks for the faith and testimony of this Uyghur woman and her family.
• Pray for her, and for many other Uyghur believers enduring hardship, persecution and imprisonment. Pray for their faith to continue to grow strong and for their light to be a beacon of hope in their families and communities.
• Pray for those in prison, including this woman’s husband, for a speedy release and aquittal from any charges.
• Pray for the Uyghur Church, for access to good training and discipleship material in their own language, and for continued freedom to meet together encourage each other and to worship.
• Pray for a move of the Holy Spirit and the spread of the Gospel amongst Uyghur Muslims in Western China, one of the most unreached places in the world.

Matthew 5 vs 14 – 16: “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.“

Source: https://www.opendoorsusa.org