29 NOVEMBER 2014

Werner Groenewald and his two children martyred in Afghanistan

This morning (Sunday 30 November 2014) our hearts are broken.  We have lost a dear friend, a faithful worker and a precious soul-mate.  Werner Groenewald and his two beautiful children, Jean-Pierre and Rhodé, were killed in a Taliban attack in Kabul on Saturday 29 November 2014.  Hannelie, his wife, was not at home during the time and survived the attacked but lost everything.

Three gunmen and suicide bombers stormed the compound where Werner and his family lived in Kabul on Saturday, exchanging fire with security forces before leaving Werner and his two children dead.  Six other hostages were rescued after the afternoon attack while one Afghan worker also died in the attack

The bloodshed began around 4 p.m. local time, when a grenade was lobbed at the gate of the compound, after which the militants stormed the building. The men were carrying machine guns, grenades and wearing suicide vests.  A Taliban spokesman said in a statement that it was targeting "a secret Christian missionary and foreign invaders' intelligence center."

This report is not an attempt to explain another theology of martyrdom.  It is simply an expression of grief and anguish and an appeal for the wider body of Christ to share in the pain of the Groenewald family, especially Hannelie and Werner's parents.

How do we express our deepest empathy and condolences with the family members who now have to face the reality of losing a son, a brother, a husband and two children in one horrific incident of terror?  What words or theology can relieve the pain?

Like Jesus at, the grave of Lazarus, we can only weep.  Words are insufficient but tears can be offered on their behalf before a loving Father who understands the acts of violence against a beloved Son.  Yes, we celebrate the life of three martyrs who loved Christ more than they loved life but we mourn the death of three dear servants, friends and co-workers.

Our last time of fellowship together was a month ago in Asia when we contemplated the joy set before us of serving Christ.  In Werner's last message to the international group of co-workers he spoke on "Counting the cost of following Jesus".  His words will remain in our hearts forever as he closed the session with these words:  "We only die once, so it might as well be for Jesus."

Together we also listened to Bill Drake sing the song "The Martyr's Crown" and the words rang in our hearts "It is your time to wear the crown". We did not know that soon it would be their time.   Together we worshiped, we laughed and we cried.  Together we knew that the call to carry our crosses and deny ourselves is not a theology but a reality.  Today we know that Werner, Jean-Pierre and Rhodé are wearing the coveted crowns set apart for an elect few.

May we appeal to you to set some time apart in your service today to pray for Hannelie and the family.  Weep before God as you share in the pain of a loving wife and mother who lost everything and an extended family who lost a son, brother and grand children.

We also pray that their death would not be in vain.  May the blood of the martyr truly be the seed of the Church and ignite something in the hearts of believers across the globe, especially in South Africa, to follow Christ unconditionally, whole-heartedly and faithfully.  May we be inspired to be Kingdom-minded and pursue the redemptive purposes that Werner's s family so faithfully pursued in Afghanistan.  May our live be a testimony of Christ, and our deaths ultimately point to His glory

We honour these three heroes of faith who have given their lives for those who hated them.  We celebrate the invisible victory that can only be seen by those who understand the cross.

http://incontextministries.org

http://muslims4jesus.wordpress.com/2014/11/30/werner-groenewald-and-his-two-children-martyred-in-afghanistan/

South African pastor killed in Afghanistan suicide bombing

30 NOV 2014 16:05

A church in Pretoria is reeling after their part-time pastor, Werner Groenewald, and his two teenage children were killed in a suicide bombing by the Taliban in Afghanistan on Saturday.

"We are in shock," said Willem Badenhorst, pastor for the Moreleta Park Dutch Reformed Church in Pretoria East.  "It is a very, very difficult time for us and the congregation."

Groenwald, 46, was based in the Afghan capital Kabul for several years, according to Badenhorst. He lived in the country with his wife and two children, a 17-year-old son and a 15-year-old daughter who were both killed in the attack, which lasted for several hours.

One Afghanistan local was also killed, according to local police, who did not release the person's name.

Groenwald's wife Hannelie Groenewald appears to be unharmed but the compound they lived in, where the attack took place, is thought to have been destroyed during the bombing, said Badenhorst, meaning Groenewald's wife had lost her documents and may not be able to travel home to South Africa immediately.

An online bio for Groenewald on funding website GivenGain notes that he was born in Johannesburg on 31 July 1968 and grew up as the last of three boys in the family. He married to Hannelie in 1990, became a pastor in 1997 at the Moreleta Park Dutch Reformed Church in Pretoria, South Africa and "received a calling for cross-cultural work in Afghanistan in April 2002".

Groenwald worked for an American-based aid organisation called Partnership in Academics & Development (PAD), which helps educate poor and orphaned children in various countries in the middle east and central Asia.

Taliban responsible

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack on Twitter, stating that the compound was that of a "secret Christian missionary group".

However there is no mention of religious affiliations on PAD's website, which describes its goal as "empowering and developing communities through educational efforts." One example of their projects is the Seeds of Hope school, which caters to about 200 children whose parents cannot afford to send their children to public schools.

Afghan police confirmed on Saturday that several armed gunmen had attacked a compound that housed employees from an NGO.

The police did not release the name of the NGO but PAD released a statement on its website on Sunday describing the attack on its compound, which seems to include its offices and accommodation for staff.

"The attack which occurred on November 29, 2014 by multiple gunmen included one who detonated a personal explosive device killing three and injuring other staff members," read the statement.

Battle

Afghan officials said three gunmen were involved in the attack. Authorities managed to kill two of the attackers in a battle that raged for several hours, but the third suicide attacker was able to detonate the explosive he had strapped to his body, according to news reports in the country.

The attack comes as the US-led Nato presence in Afghanistan is set to withdraw ahead of the deadline set for the end of 2014. The country's fragile new government will take responsibility for security in the country. In response there has been an uptick in attacks the past few weeks by the Taliban, who ruled the once prosperous country from 1995 to 2001,

Insurgents have targeted foreign compounds, embassy vehicles, US troops and a female member of parliament in recent weeks, according to reports. There have been a dozen attacks in just two weeks in the troubled country.

Saturday's attack which killed Groenewald appeared to have been the final straw for Kabul's police chief General Zahir Zahir, who resigned shortly on Sunday shortly after the attack, telling the Interior Ministry he "no longer wanted to continue his job", according to a ministry spokesperson.

Zahir was himself the target of an attempted suicide attack this month, according to one report. On November 9 a militant snuck into Kabul police headquarters and blew himself up just outside of Zahir's third-floor office.

http://mg.co.za/article/2014-11-30-south-african-pastor-killed-in-afghanistan-suicide-bombing

Please keep Hannelie Groenewald and the rest of the family in your prayers along with the wider Christian community serving through various humanitarian efforts in Afghannistan. Pray for their comfort, encouragement, strengthening and protection. Pray also that the new government and the Afghan military will be able to effectively overcome and eliminate the threat of the Taliban and their terrorist strikes.