This week we complete our conversation with Richard and Jeanette, an American couple who had served 10 years in China when police came knocking on their apartment door and they knew their gospel service in China was over. When we left off last week, Richard was being interrogated at a Chinese police station while Jeanette, his wife, prayed and was ministered to by their local church pastor and other Christian friends. Richard’s interrogation continued the next day before police let him return home but warned him not to tell anyone—even his wife—about the questioning. He knew the interrogation wasn’t over. In the ensuing weeks he was repeatedly called back to the police station. When he arrived home, Jeanette watched her husband closely, looking for signs of beatings or torture. The stress of each day—and not knowing when authorities would demand another trip to the police station—left Richard, at times, barely able to function. Some days he couldn’t even get out of bed. He couldn’t tell his wife what happened with the police, fearing anything he said would put her in danger of also being arrested or interrogated. Chinese police mockingly asked why he would follow Christ. They thought Jesus selfish to ask His followers give up family, jobs, money and success just to end up being locked in a police station. Yet even as they questioned him, Richard felt guidance from the Holy Spirit in how to answer their questions and even tried to plant seeds of the gospel in their conversations. Finally, Richard and Jeanette learned that they would be allowed to leave China but would likely never be allowed to return to the land and people they love deeply. Listen to hear how they were finally set free, and when they finally had the chance to talk to each other about all they’d gone through at the hands of communist Chinese police. You’ll also hear how they are both thankful for the persecution they endured—and the fruit they’ve seen in their own lives and their family that grew directly out of their time of trial. They’ll also help listeners pray for Christians in China as they endure persecution and suffering for their faith—without the opportunity to leave the country or the protection of a foreign passport. Listen to the first part of Richard and Jeanette’s story here, and the second part here. Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast. Or listen each week in the new VOM App for your smartphone or tablet.
Read More
How a young woman overcame the pain of losing her father and forgave his murderers On the evening before Easter Sunday 2012, Comfort Jessy sat in the enclosed courtyard of her home in Nigeria chatting with her parents, older siblings and some neighbors. Around 11 p.m., they heard bombing in the distance, and less than 60 minutes later, Boko Haram militants were burning the church next door and pounding on the gate in front of their home. Comfort’s mother, Juliana, helped her husband hide in one of the back bedrooms, covering him with clothes. “God, we are in Your hands,” she prayed. Several militants entered to search the house while others dragged Juliana into the courtyard, striking her with their guns and taunting her about her faith. “You Christians say God has a son,” they said. “Call on that son! Today is your last day; your own life is over.” They then forced Julianna to kneel. “They said that if they don’t get their man, they will kill her,” Comfort said. “My mother said, ‘Even though I see your gun, I will not fear you.’” One of the men gave a shout from inside the house — he had found
Read More
When Ya put her trust in Christ in 2019, her husband and his parents abused and rejected her, believing she would bring down the anger of the spirits. After Ya’s husband divorced her. sending her and their three children away, she turned to her parents for help.
Read MoreIn February 2023, the Iranian government released thousands of long-held prisoners during a general pardon. Those released included several Christians imprisoned for practicing their faith.
Read MoreJagat Wagle was transformed from a violent career criminal to a passionate evangelist when he encountered Jesus in the Bible given to him by a stranger in 1996. Since then, he completed Bible school, became a pastor and now shepherds more than 300 believers.
Read MoreWe left off last week as Richard and Jeanette’s apartment was raided by 25 Chinese policemen. The couple knew that their time in China was over after 10 years of ministry, but they didn’t know how long it might be before they were allowed to leave. Listen now as Jeanette recalls exactly what happened when she returned to their apartment to find police searching through their bookshelves and closets and questioning her husband. Despite the chaos of the raid, Jeanette continued relying on the sovereignty and goodness of God, reminding herself often that He is trustworthy no matter our circumstances. She prayed fervently for Richard as he was taken away by the police. Richard experienced God’s sovereignty and the Holy Spirit at work as he sat in the police station interrogation room, living in the truth of Luke 12:11-12. In spite of police threats, Richard relied on scripture God brought to his mind and four things he knew he had to stand firm in as he tried to answer the police accusations. Listen also for how Chinese Christians supported Richard and Jeanette during their ordeal, including a local church pastor who knocked on their door and offered a bold prayer for Richard. Their local Christian community brought Jeanette great comfort, providing practical proof that the Lord was with them. Pray persecuted Chinese Christians will stand firm in faith and be encouraged by the Body of Christ. One group of Chinese Christians, the Mayflower Church, made the decision as a congregation to flee their homeland. Pastor Pan, leader of the group, was our guest on VOM Radio last month. Listen this week for a praise update on this group of believers and their immigration case. Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast. Or listen each week in the VOM App for your smartphone or tablet.
Read More
Aisha Granger is not your typical seminary student. She’s 43, a divorced mother of two children, and she’s Fulani, a member of the predominantly Muslim nomadic tribe spread across West Africa. Her journey started with a desire to learn. “I really wanted to go to school,” Aisha said, “but growing up in a Muslim environment as a Muslim girl, your orientation is toward growing up and being a good Muslim, a good mother.” Aisha followed cultural norms by marrying at age 18 and giving birth to her first child a year later. As a young woman, she studied at the College of Islamic Studies in Bauchi state and became a state representative for the Federation of Muslim Women. She even converted her living room into a mosque where women could pray, since Islam does not allow women to mix with men for prayer at the community mosque. “I used to be a very fanatical Muslim,” she said. “We were taught that Christians are infidels and we should not befriend them; we should not listen to them because they are not worshipers of Allah. We were always encouraged to stay away from Christians because they will make us turn away from
Read MoreChristians have suffered greatly from civil war in the Central African Republic (CAR) since 2012. They are targeted and attacked by Muslim rebels who accuse them of assisting militias that have carried out revenge killings against Muslims. They have been driven from their towns and villages as attackers loot and destroy their homes and churches, forcing tens of thousands into emergency camps for Internally Displaced Peoples (IDPs).
Read MoreThree brothers in Christ and their families in southeast Asia have faced severe persecution from government authorities. The men are now serving prison terms for their faithfulness to Christ.
Read MoreSix Christian families in a village in Chhattisgarh State, India, have experienced community pressure from the time of their conversion. They were socially excluded, and the adults lost their jobs. On August 18, 2022, Hindu radicals disrupted their church service and took the Bibles of all the believers.
Read More