MALAYSIA: YOUNG PEOPLE EQUIPPED TO FACE PERSECUTION USING THE BIBLE When believers face persecution, one of the spiritual weapons we can turn to is the Bible – God’s Word. But in East Malaysia, many Christians have a nominal faith, and the young people who are second and third generation Christians often know little about the Bible and how to read it. That’s why Open Doors local partners recently decided to host a Standing Strong Through the Storm training with a group of teenage Christians, teaching them how to stand firm when persecution comes, including how to read the Bible and meditate on the Word. One of our local partners shared, “Our goal is to encourage them to read the New Testament repeatedly throughout their secondary school (high school) life and have a good grasp of the content, especially on the four books of the gospel.” This training has had a huge impact on the students who have taken part. This is the second training the team has done with them, and this time the students are much more confident in reading the passages of scripture and sharing why they love the verses. Many of them have even finished reading all four gospels. The more advanced students were also helping their fellow peers who needed assistance in searching for verses in scripture. “It’s encouraging to see them beginning that journey, with practices of repeat reading and marking verses they like,” said another trainer. We do not know what persecution these young people may face in the future. Malaysia is a Muslim majority country, and although Christians make up just nine per cent of the country’s population, there are attempts to reduce this number further – for example, if a Christian wishes to marry someone who is officially registered as a Muslim, they must also convert to Islam. Christians who are from Christian backgrounds are generally free to follow their faith at the moment, but it is illegal for them to share the gospel with Malay Muslims, and their activities are sometimes monitored by the government. But your prayers and support are helping to equip these young believers with the Word of God, a powerful weapon for whatever lies ahead. We thank God for all the work that Open Doors local partners have invested in these young people. Please continue to pray for them.