“The only time a lady goes first here – is through a mine-field!” Can you imagine having such low worth as our Butterfly reports about women in this closed country in the Middle East?
I visited this country in 2003. The condition of women broke my heart and fueled my vision to equip and empower women who would reach these women with the love of Jesus and set them free with the power of His word. I thank God that He has raised up Butterfly Susan (name change) a woman with such love, vision and passion, who is prepared to risk her own life to tell these women about Jesus, the only Man who truly loves and values them.
This is Susan’s deeply moving report. I felt compelled to share it with you for your urgent prayers and your financial support to help us reach more women like those written about here.
Susan reflects the heart of our vision and ministry, and shares how we can pray for her and the women – and men in this closed and dangerous Middle East country:
1) What are the conditions for women and children in the Middle East?
I watched a man and his wife traveling together. The man was a good 10 yards ahead of her. She was not allowed to follow him closely. Her vulnerability washed over me and my stomach churned. This is not God’s design for women (or men).
- This is indeed a stronghold of Satan. The darkness here is great as there are very few believers. Those women who are believers often live in fear not in freedom. It is a land crawling with ugly caterpillars and a handful of butterflies that have forgotten they have wings.
- In this culture women are not cherished or given value. They are not protected by men. They are not told that they have beauty, worth or purpose. In fact, they are often told the opposite.
- Many women have shared that they are terrified of death; when their good deeds will be weighed against their bad deeds!
- They are unclean during their monthly cycle, while nursing or pregnant. Since they have 6-10 children resulting in years of uncleanness, they fear they will never make it up. This is a heavy burden chaining them fast to darkness.
- The physical conditions are harsh for women here. This nation has one of the highest maternal death rates. So many die from the simplest of illnesses and injuries, simply because only males reach the education level of a doctor and men cannot touch womenwho are not their wives. Thus, great numbers are in significant physical pain with no relief. The poverty they live in often results in empty stomachs and hard work day to day to simply survive.
- Intellectually, women are told that they are inferior and lack the capacity to learn. Thus the handfuls of believers I know do not believe they have the capacity to teach The Word. This, added to them living in fear instead of freedom, results in Satan silencing the light.
2) What is your heart and vision for reaching women in the Middle East?
- Freedom in Christ is not limited by circumstances. It is available to every woman here but they need to hear about it.
- The believers need to be empowered to share and to fly! They need to understand who they are in Christ!
- The women who don’t yet know the true Lover of their souls need to be introduced to Him.
- Women in this nation must be reached and witnessed to by women because men are not allowed to enter the realm of women. Women here need to know that God can work through them to reach a lost world and that they are able to teach His word and disciple.
- My vision is to start a movement of women meeting in groups for discipleship. I want to train women to train others. I want to teach them to multiply and spread the fragrance of Jesus across this nation so that they are able to share the Truth with their families first, then with strangers. From the president’s wife to the orphan girl who is a slave in a home not her own, I want them to hear about the love of Jesus.
- God is already opening up doors and I am learning to pray with audacity! Nothing is impossible for God Almighty! Groups will form, the Truth will spread and there will be persecution of butterflies. This path I have chosen is not free of pain, hardship or suffering. However, these pale in comparison of the glory to come. I am willing to give my all; my energy, my life which is in Christ, to see this started.
3) How can Love UnVeiled help?
When I met Liz in Mongolia and experienced a touch of the butterfly discipleship training, The Spirit moved in my life. How powerful will this be in reaching Muslim women and in the discipleship of MBB’s! (Muslim background believers).
It is very simple and will work well among the illiterate and uneducated. Using pictures, puppets and films, women will find that they are indeed able to disciple others. There are a handful ofwomen Christ has put in my life that I hope to train using the LUV materials. I hope to be able to acquire/make kits here. I am working on an oral & written translation of the flash cards. As most women here are illiterate, an oral kit will be most useful.
4) How can Love UnVeiled partners pray for you?
- Work on translation
- Opportunity, boldness and ability
- The start of Group #1 with God’s select women for this group
- Victory in the spiritual warfare that is certain each day
- Endurance through persecution
Pray with audacity that God would start a movement here that is massive and unquenchable. We are about to start a rescue mission a yard from the gates of hell!
5) Resource Needs:
LUV Materials such as Butterfly puppets as well as simple MP3 players (for oral training of butterfly manuals, movies).
Thank you for your prayers for Susan and all of our butterflies!
Yours in His love and for His kingdom
Liz
Liz Dickson, Founder & President
Love UnVeiled