A lot can happen in eight years

In the last eight years I’ve cried grieving the loss of family members. I’ve celebrated weddings and milestone birthdays. And I’ve become a mum. I’m so thankful for the fullness of my life. Then I think of Alim.

Alim is a Christian from Xinjiang Province in China. He was arrested in 2008, and eight years ago he was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

His crime? Well, UN experts have ruled that he is being detained ‘solely because of his faith’.

For eight years, every word he’s spoken with his wife has been watched over by prison guards. How many birthdays, weddings and family gatherings have passed during this time? That’s when the reality of just how much he’s missed hits me.

‘So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten.’ Joel 2:25 (NKJV) I believe that God can fulfil this beautiful promise in Alim’s life – to restore to him everything he’s lost. Please join me in praying this verse over Alim and his family.

Emma Howlett

Communications Team

Please pray:

• For God to give Alim strength and faith to endure his sentence
• That God would move the hearts of the authorities so that Alim can have more regular visits from his wife and children
• That God would move powerfully to restore the lost years to Alim and his family.