KIDNAPPED FOR FIVE LONG MONTHS

Negotiations continue for the release of the Swedish missionary
couple, Daniel and Paulina Brolin,  five months after their abduction
by armed men on January 8th, in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan,
southern Russia.

The couple, aged 22 and 23 were training to become Christian
missionaries in Dagestan, a predominantly Moslem republic within the
Russian Federation bordering war-torn Chechnya.

A spokesman for the Brolins' church in Vasteras, 80 km (50 miles) west
of Stockholm, said that indirect contact had been established with
representatives of the kidnappers. Three videos had been received in
the first three months showing the couple in a basement of unknown
location. On the videos, two of  which have been broadcast on Swedish
and Russian television, Daniel and Paulina made brief statements
indicating that they were coping thus far with their circumstances,
despite rats and lice. However, no further videos or proof of their
welfare has been received since early April. In May, Russian and
Swedish media reported accusations by the head of security in Chechnya
that the secretary-general of the security council in Dagestan was in
some way involved in the kidnapping. It is now thought that the
Brolins may have been relocated. 

Late last year, Paulina had written in a letter to her mother that it
was worth risking their lives for the peoples of the Caucasus. Before
going to Dagestan they had received a message that they would suffer
in some way in the Caucasus, but that after the suffering, the doors
would be open to them to share the Gospel in Sweden. At a recent
conference of church leaders held in the Caucasus, a leader of an
underground church in Chechnya asked forgiveness of the Swedish
nation, the Brolins' church in Sweden and Daniel and Paulina's
families, for what his people had done. 

According to The Slavic Mission of Sweden, a young Dagestani couple
were burnt to death by a mob last year, shortly after they become
Christians and began preaching the gospel in Buynaksk, a city not far
from Makhachkala. Several people had responded to the message of the
couple, Tatyana and Khadzhimurat Khadzhiyev, and local Muslims reacted
by falsely accusing them of the abduction of a small girl that earlier
had been found cut in pieces. Before petrol was poured over the couple
and they were set on fire, Tatyana declared, "When you kill us, other
Christians will take our place and preach, and one day - the sun of
righteousness of Christ will dawn over Dagestan."

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source: Hope for Europe website: www.hfe.org
check the prayer pages of this site for a photo of the Brolins, a map
of the region, and profiles of the 50 Caucasian people groups.

Several groups are encouraging global prayer for the region, and for
the safe release of the Brolin couple.

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PASS IT ON!
end

Blessings,

Ron
Hope For Europe / Global Communications Track
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
May Jesus come quickly. 
E-mail: RonKernahan@XC.Org
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