I was praying we wouldn’t hear tragic news involving Christmas celebrations and persecuted Christians in dangerous areas.

But today I learned that on December 22, armed men killed 14 Christians, including a pregnant woman and a baby girl, shortly after a Christmas carol service in Nigeria.

“The attack … is the latest against the Irigwe tribe in north-central Nigeria,” says International Christian Concern, “a region grappling with conflict and vulnerability due to attacks by Islamic Fulani extremists.” One local leader “expressed his heartache, stating he had alerted military personnel at a nearby checkpoint about unusual activities but felt his warnings were dismissed.”

It grieves my heart that this community has been devastated by violence.

Those who live under the threat of death because of their faith — in Nigeria and other nations under similar Islamist oppression — need your urgent support.

Your compassionate gift today to Liberty Relief International — of 50, 100, 200 dollars, or more — will help provide for the basic needs of Christian brothers and sisters and their families … emergency aid like food, water, shelter, and safety.

Our partners on the ground also offer trauma counseling; help in rebuilding homes or properties destroyed in attacks; literacy training and job training for those who have been displaced by violence; Bibles for spiritual encouragement … and more.

Please lift up the needs of these mourning families to the Lord — and give today to support those suffering cruelty and loss.

In His service,

Mat Staver