Helping The Persecuted Church in Nigeria

Helping the Persecuted Church in Nigeria

Welcome to the conversations that matter podcast. My name is john harris. We have a guest with us today. Mr Judd saul no stranger to the podcast. Thank you judd for being with us.

Thanks for having me on. Mr. Harris. It's always a pleasure.

And uh today we're going to talk about something I know we've talked about once before and you're going to give us kind of an update and let people know what they can do to help and just Encourage everyone with people are some people especially my listeners are kind of uh, you know I think bummed out a little bit about kind of what's happening politically here um.

But there we're not to the point yet. We're not we we haven't you know gone gone to the point of Enduring the kind of persecution they're enduring in nigeria. And you judd have an organization in nigeria.

Uh that uh is is growing as I understand helping uh christians on the ground pastors not just with um, you know spiritual needs and bibles and things like that, but you're As I understand it. Uh, you're supplying even things like bulletproof vests.

So I want I want you to talk about that with us encourage us a little bit with how they're dealing with persecution. And I know you were just there. So, um, take it away.

Responding After Attacks and Equipping Local Defenders

Well, uh recently got back from africa just before christmas. I was in nigeria I can't name the specific state that I was in or area uh due to security reasons, but um. One of the needs we've seen as a ministry, you know, we started off the ministry looking at trying to help, you know.

Kids get into education, you know after the villages are attacked. These kids really don't have anywhere to go to learn. Um, and we were looking at ways to further help intervene after a crisis situation um, and as.

Just over the year when covet hit we've seen a lot of attacks increase. Where they're going into villages, uh killing Children indiscriminately and then people are pretty much permanently displaced and put into camps and um.

Since we started our mission we've been able to intervene um right after an attack. Right about within 48 hours after an attack happens. We've been able to get in and help deliver food aid medical uh and Spiritual support for our fellow brothers and sisters in christ.

Um, but along the way one of the other needs that we saw arise was we were looking at The security situation, um. The front line of defense for these villages are what they call the vigilante service uh, the vigilante service Is essentially community watch.

That is recognized by the government to protect their communities. But they don't get any government funding. They don't get any government really support or weapon support or anything like that uh, and they On their own dime and on their own time acquire their own.

Uh weapons get together and they protect the communities. But the police and the government have left them to be the first line of defense when an attack happens. And that led us to say, okay. Wow. Uh, I went down and saw it myself.

I was like you guys Don't have hardly anything you don't have vests you don't even have communications. Uh, so we've made it a part of our ministry to help these guys out by getting them, uh bulletproof vests, uh some other equipment and Long-range two-way radio so they can communicate with one another and that has been.

That has gone Way further than we could have ever expected as far as an impact in ministry.

Boko Haram Tactics and the Targeting of Rural Villages

I want to hear about some of the impact, uh. Just to kind of bring people up to speed because I think we kind of jumped in the middle here. Um, we're talking about uh, boko haram, right. Muslim, uh more terrorist organization, um muslim-based, but they could go in and into these villages small villages in nigeria and.

Uh, essentially commit acts of terrorism, right? Shooting people taking hostages that kind of thing they.

Well first what they do is They they have a tactic where they go in. They surround the village. Uh, and people start they start shooting. They start setting houses on fire and. They start funneling people in.

So once people start escaping and going in they kind of funnel in a group of people and then they kill. And it's usually the the the kids that can't run fast enough in the elderly. They get caught up in it or pregnant women.

Um I i'm not trying to talk nonchalant about this, but this is. What they do they this is their tactic and this is what happens and um. Uh, and what it is is it is Boko haram believes that nigeria belongs to the muslims.

And that christian land is their rightful territory. And so right now they're go after the weakest links. So let's say you have a big city um. You know, let's say there's nashville, right. Just give that as an example.

Well, they'll go after the small towns that are about 20 miles outside of nashville. And maybe have about a thousand people in them. 500 800 people in them and they go after those villages first. So that's what they're doing is they're picking off the rural villages and rural towns.

Because that's the weakest link. The government, uh doesn't have much security in those areas and they take advantage of that situation. Gotcha.

Medical Aid, Rescues, and Support for Widows of Pastors

And it's sad and you've uh, I know posted some pictures of some of these terrorist attacks the aftermath, um, you've been part of Supplying aid. Do you have any numbers with you or stories? Uh, you know, how many terrorist attacks have you since you started this about a year ago?

Have you been involved with um, in responding to and uh. You know, maybe give us a story about one of them and kind of what your team did there. Uh.

Unfortunately, it doesn't end, um, we pray for an end to it but uh, we've intervened in over 13 attacks thus far um. One of the most recent ones is. We were able to go in and no one had really Truly responded we we found our team found wounded.

That had not been treated and our team took wounded to the hospital and a few of them had such terrible wounds. Uh, some of those surgeries were costly and our our mission picked up the cost of the surgeries.

Like removing bullets that were stuck in bones. Um. Helping a child that survived a machete to the head um. Little girl about four years old. And um. And so we were able to go in bring them into the hospital, uh take care of them.

I mean you have to understand in a place like nigeria. There is no coordinated police ambulance fire service. Um people that probably could have gone into help or too afraid to go in. Um, our team got word about it.

They drove in risked their lives and were able to uh to help out that situation um. Um. But this this is the kind of thing we do on a regular basis. Uh, you know, this is just the most recent story. Um in other situations what we do also as a ministry is.

We're we're we're seeing that pastors are targeted for for death. Um, they are killing pastors um. And last time when I was in africa and and we'll we'll show some uh video and some testimony of this.

When this uh airs, uh, but uh I met with nine widows. All whose husbands were pastors. Combined between all those nine widows. There's about uh, 40 children. That they have um, but boca haram. Signaled out each and every one of their husbands on various attacks and uh and murdered them.

And um. We find it we found it it's a very big calling to help support the widows and the kids of of of these fallen pastors and. It's hard for people to comprehend, but it's a different world out there but here's the interesting thing in a positive outlook on this in a sense is.

They still trust and have their faith in god.

I was going to ask you about that. So, I mean they're joyful through this they're.

Well, they're. They're they're mourning. They're they're mourning. I'm sure. Very upset, uh, you know and sad about what happened, but they do. Put their faith in god and find a joy and a peace in christ and um I can't tell you one of the things that happens after we go there after we intervene.

Um the response from the people is You have given us hope. You have given us hope. You have boosted our faith. And I just we our team tells them and I tell them it's like this isn't us. This isn't me.

I said this is this is. What we as christians are to do is to help take care of other christians. And support you guys. This is jesus christ. This is christ in action. Yeah, and god loves you and we're here to tell you that.

Prayer, Direct Support, and the Need for Equipment

Um, well good good, um, I I mean I can't even imagine I think for our context, uh, It's such a foreign thing. I know you've gone over there You try to get there what once or twice a year yourself and you got a team on the ground Seeing these things sending you the pictures.

Um, i've been with you actually I think when they've sent you some of this stuff and You're trying to respond to things. Um. You know, how can um christians in this country? Uh anyone watching this video, how can they help and pray and you know, where where can they go to to be part of this?

Well first.

The important thing is prayer. We need prayer our brothers and sisters overseas that are being persecuted. It's just not nigeria. I was called to that part of the world part of that country to serve but there's persecution happening all over.

Our persecuted brothers and sisters need your prayers. Um to help support our mission directly, uh, we have a website www .equippingthepersecuted .org. And uh, you make a tax deductible donation to help out the persecuted.

We have no overhead. Everything that comes into our mission goes right to Facilitating and helping the persecuted christians on the ground. And I mean it's it's almost immediate turnaround. Once money comes in it goes right out to helping them.

And the needs are endless. And uh, i'm just going to say one of the things we're looking for it's a big need for the ministry is um. Our head team member was shot at uh had bullets riddle his vehicle while he was driving about a month ago.

Um, so I am praying and searching for a bulletproof Vehicle that our team can drive in deliver in and go to these dangerous territories in because uh now that's that's a big risk factor. Uh, he survived it hit his back window hit the back of his vehicle and he sped off driving and and fortunately, uh, he made it.

Yeah, wow.

Political Consequences, Nigeria’s North-South Divide, and the Need for Action

The. They're so intense some of these stories and um, and it's just normal life for so many brothers and sisters. In other parts of the world, so god bless you for what you're doing. Um, You know share with us, you know, any any things that hit you?

I know you were just there that uh, you're aware of the political situation in the united states any any profound just Observations or kernels of wisdom you want to drop here? About the contrast and and what you've seen and and where our country's at here.

I'll i'll just i'll just put it this way and um, you know Because of covid there's not too many americans or international people going to nigeria. Um, so let's just say I kind of stood out a little bit.

Um, but one of the questions people would walk up to and ask me about is is the election in the united states. And what I noticed was, uh, and I and I partook at some conversations is that The muslims in nigeria All felt biden was their guy.

They felt biden was their own president.

Their presidential so the terrorists you're talking about. The terrorist organized people.

Yeah, the terrorist people and the muslims in general. Okay love biden. And promoted biden the christians in nigeria. I met christians that fasted and that were praying for. Because the the the the reality of the situation is this now that biden is president.

The christians in nigeria feel that they are going to be attacked probably tenfold. Because the muslims are now empowered to do more damage.

Is that just is that a political reality or is that just a Motivation because I don't know like how does that work? Why would I I believe it's a political reality? Okay, so policies that abide and will directly lead to more christians dying in nigeria, right?

Right.

Yeah, and we we and we we saw some very gruesome attacks in uh in the obama years. Um more so. Than there already are now. What. Why is that though?

Why why did it sort of get tempered during the trump years then. Or what policies led to that?

Well, uh the the arab spring. Oh, that's you're right. Yeah. Okay. So so you look so so let's go back to the arab spring and show your audience This so libya gets destabilized. Iraq destabilized egypt destabilized.

And that empowered an isis group. Okay. So the boko haram has now aligned themselves with isis. And they're starting to imply more brutal and more harsh isis tactics. That kind of quelled when isis was was being pushed down.

But what we saw was a lot of money in arms coming through Northern africa and these other countries coming into northern nigeria through niger. Which is just north of nigeria and um now the To look at nigeria.

What we call is we call it the muslim north and the christian south and since obama came in. And northern nigeria is now fully controlled. And militantly controlled by radical muslims. Okay, and your goal is to further take over parts of nigeria and further move south.

And that's and that's what we're dealing with right now. So one of the most dangerous territories is the middle belt between that christian south and muslim north.

This is so sad to me because you know one of the things that um we were I and others were concerned with and why we we expended so much energy um on the election integrity issue and before that even on trying to prevent biden from becoming president, um was Policies that would be downstream and some of the so many christians.

Um, I feel like i'm ranting I don't mean to sound like that, but i'm just being honest so many Evangelical elites big eva, whatever whatever term you want to use so many of them seem to be oblivious to um To to do anything outside their very limited experience.

They're not paying attention perhaps politically and especially globally and uh There's brothers and sisters of ours that will likely be killed because of policies uh to be that will be enacted or or the removal of policies by the president that uh, the the Usurping president, uh I will call him that um, or or as I I heard this morning on twitter the resident in chief instead of president.

But anyway, um and This is something that I hope we May be too late, but hopefully some of us are paying attention and learning the lesson. I'm sure you're going to give us updates um over the next few years as You see this all play out and you know, I just thank god someone like you's there.

Uh, you have a team there i'm sure I are are there other teams are there other organizations doing the same kind of work in the area trying to Help defend these christians give them protection etc. Or are is your team kind of it?

We're it. Um, I I spoke with the heads of the vigilante services in several, uh, nigerian states and I asked him I was like is anybody from overseas from the west offered to Help you guys like give you any kind of support whatsoever.

They're like no you're the only one like wow a weirdo. You know, I i'm the only one to do it. But you know, it's just it's just I was there. I we saw a need and fill it and um. But let me tell you this.

To show people that you know, it's not just bring. Bringing food in is huge bringing medical aid in is huge. But when you say hey, uh. We think we can help you a little bit out maybe saving your lives with the you know some bulletproof vests and some, you know, long, you know long-range two-way radios and.

Um, it's actually created a little thing. We're local nigerians. We showed them how to do it. They're building them. Gotcha. They're building the vest. It's creating an account God for those guys and let me tell you, um.

For just a little bit of money going such a long way. Yeah, how much does it cost per vest? We're doing it for about 25 bucks for a bulletproof vest. Yeah, and they're tested locally made.

You can't I mean how much does that cost in the united states like between three and four hundred? Yeah, i was gonna say it's a significantly more expensive. Um I don't know how you do that, but i'm glad that you are uh I want to encourage the audience here if you are um if you're giving to an organization if you're good, I don't want to pick on any organization in particular and I don't want to I want I don't want this to be taken the wrong way, but Um a persecuted church kind of organization if you're giving to an organization like that, but all they're doing is reporting On incidents of persecution which i've come to figure out.

Some of these organizations that's that's mainly what they do. They give you a magazine they report on what's happening. But they're not actually doing much about it. Um, I would just encourage you drop them give give to the brother judd here.

Uh go to his website. It is 501 c3. It's tax deductible and you can give to um. Some guys who are actually doing something about this and uh and judd where where can they go to give and then to also get?

Updates, Donations, and Social Media Links

Reports firsthand accounts pictures Um to you know, see if they want us to know more about the specifics. Where can they go?

Facebook doc. Is she quipping the persecuted and giving the recent social media craziness? We're looking at probably going on about 10 more alternative media platforms to get the word out. But you can go to facebook .com slash equipping persecuted to get regular updates on what we're doing.

We'll have that link in the info section. Is there isn't don't you have like a central website where they can find all the links that will be coming out as well?

Yeah equipping the persecuted .org.

So that's that's the main website. Uh where you can give and then if you want the the updates or to go back through the timeline and see pictures from Um updates etc. Go to the equipping the persecuted.

Um slash, uh, i'm sorry facebook .com slash equipping the persecuted. So, um, so judd, I appreciate it. I'm looking forward to seeing what's going to happen and I I hope that your operation gets bigger and that more people.

Uh give to it and you're able to get more supplies on the ground there because because we need this right now I know it's not just nigeria. We need this in all kinds of countries. Um, especially in africa in the middle east.

And so, um, hey, thank you. I appreciate it.

Thank you for having me on john. I appreciate it. Thank you. God bless.

I'm very happy to be here today to appreciate to have appreciate. Executed. I don't know how to even say it. Even thank them. We normally assist the community service and with this now we go a long way.

To assist the personnel of not only the headquarter, but the whole the 23 local government that will happen. We found and by the special grace of god We are The 23 Government that will happen. We appreciate and by the special we thank you and we continue to pray to you.

Is the almighty god continue to lift the lift you off?