Release International

The bodies of a missionary couple and two of their children have been found in Pakistan -- as the hunt continues for their two remaining daughters.

Dr Mehaboob, a founder of the At Any Cost Jesus Mission, was kidnapped along with his wife and four children in the Muzaffarabad area in August. His body and that of his wife Paulin were recovered from the Neelum river last month. The remains of their children Shalom, 15, and Sharon, 14, were found in September. Their daughters Sherin, 11, and seven-year-old Shelvin are still missing.

Militants had frequently warned Dr Mehaboob to stop his evangelistic activities which were aimed at Muslims in particular; Dr Mehaboob had been raised as a Muslim himself. A fortnight before the family's disappearance, Shalom had been abducted and forcibly circumcised. When Dr Mehaboob took the matter to the police, officers threatened to charge him with attempted murder.

Fellow believers rallied round the beleaguered family and met to pray with them every day. This further infuriated militants who returned on August 21 to rape, mutilate and murder.

The Mehaboob family had originally worked in Peshawar but left after their eldest son was murdered at the age of seven.

Praise God for the determined witness of the Mehaboob family and their willingness to pay the ultimate price for it.

Pray for the friends and relatives of the Mehaboob family, coming to terms with their loss. Pray that the younger daughters Sherin and Shelvin will be found soon.

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