The daughter of an Assyrian front-line worker attends an Iranian public school where Quran classes are required for Muslim students. As an Assyrian child, the girl is exempt from the class, but a new teacher forgot to excuse her from class one day. When the teacher asked the girl questions about Islam, many of her classmates answered that the girl is a Christian and should be excused from answering.
Read MorePastor David Walter Fis leads a Baptist church in Cuba that has experienced ongoing harassment from government authorities. First, state security officials demolished their church building. When the congregation continued gathering, officials placed restraining orders on Pastor Fis and the congregation.
Read More
An imam (Muslim leader) in Bangladesh was reading the Quran when he came across the name of a person he didn’t know much about: Isa (Jesus). As a local mosque leader, he felt he should learn more about this person mentioned in the Quran, so he asked around his village for a book about Jesus. He was given a New Testament and began to read—and soon recognized that Isa is far more than a prophet. He’s the Son of God and the only way of salvation! But following Jesus can be dangerous in a place where Christians are persecuted, as this now-former imam learned. That’s just one of the stories you’ll hear this week from Matthew Hanson, VOM’s regional leader for South and Central Asia. Matthew will also share what Christians in India are facing in the face of a Hindu nationalist government and a nationwide network of radical Hindus infiltrating churches, persecuting pastors or instilling fear in the local people to persecute their own neighbors because of their faith. In spite of that persecution, though, he says Indian Christians—including children—are responding with grace and boldness to their persecutors. You’ll also hear the story of a Nepali missionary working in a difficult place—and how God miraculously helped her learn the language in only six months! Matthew will equip listeners to pray for our brothers and sisters in South Asia who are being disowned and threatened by family members because of the gospel. One Christian woman whose entire family rejected her said, “Jesus has given me life. He is real. He is the only God.” Pray believers in South Asia will continue to hold their confidence in Christ. Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the Podcast.
Read MoreWhen Muslims denied water access to the only Christian church in town, front-line workers helped church members drill a borehole to access water. During a severe drought in Kenya, the community borehole dried up, but the church borehole remained strong.
Read MoreIn the past, the Islamic government of Iran banned Christian seminaries from operating within the country. The lack of formal training centers prevents most local pastors from receiving practical, hands-on theological instruction.
Read MoreFront-line workers recently visited with four Christian families in Chiapas, Mexico, who have been rejected by their community because of their faith in Christ. The families were held hostage in their homes and denied the right to leave for food or groceries. Eventually, members of the community drove the families from their homes.
Read MoreIn 2021, as the US prepared to withdraw its military presence from the country, radical Islamist Taliban forces swept across Afghanistan. Many Christians—especially those publicly known to follow Jesus—needed to flee the country or risk immediate execution. Charmaine Hedding, president of The Shai Fund, has worked to help persecuted believers around the world since 2014. When Christians needed help getting out of Afghanistan, she and a committed team quickly stepped forward to help. They arranged flights, helped Afghan Christians hide and get to the airport, and helped find nations willing to accept them as refugees. They worked around the clock to help Afghan believers. Listen as Charmaine shares how she became involved in helping persecuted Christians, first-hand stories of the hardships Afghans faced, and God’s faithfulness to answer prayer amidst the chaos and upheaval of the Taliban takeover. She will also share specific ways we can continue to pray for our Afghan brothers and sisters in Christ—both those still living in Afghanistan and those who have relocated to surrounding Islamic Nations. Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the Podcast
Read More