I am suffering tortuous pain. My heart [condition] bothers me, my hands and legs suffer from arthritis due to dampness and poor circulation. I am often ill with colds, flu and other viruses due to the unsanitary conditions.
We are cooking and eating in the dirt with rats and cockroaches. Many of my fellow prisoners have AIDS and tuberculosis. We literally eat and live in the bathroom. The food is bad and has a horrible smell, so the inmates are fed by their families, who have to pay the authorities for its delivery. Even the food from our families is often stolen.”
The inmates respect me, but the authorities are very skeptical of me because of my sentence and because I am a Baptist who spreads Christianity. They routinely call me in for interrogations and watch my every step. You must pay them money for everything. If you don’t give them money, they can take it by force and beat you.”
–Pastor Zaur Balaev, in prison in Azerbaijan
These are the words of an Azerbaijan Pastor who is in jail right now for preaching Christ. Please pray that he will be released from his terrible suffering in prison. The Slavic Gospel Association has the entire interview here. Please pass it on to other believers for prayer.
I am reminded of 2 Timothy. Anyone who believes that all Christians are called to a life of material wealth should read that letter.