There are 500,000 evangelical churches in Latin America, but only 6% of Latino congregations are involved in missions. As executive director of COMHINA, and in his previous work with Operation Mobilization Latin America, Brother Julio wants to increase that percentage! He desires to bring about collaboration between churches and missionary organizations to equip and send out Latino missionaries. Listen for the story of Julio’s own call to missions while living and working in Japan, and how he returned to Brazil and ended up working with and training workers for OM. Hear also how God eventually called Julio and his family to the United States to inspire and commission Spanish-speakers for international cross cultural gospel work through COMHINA, a network of churches and mission organizations. He says that as Latinos are trained and informed about unreached people groups who’ve never heard about Christ, they encounter God and ready to go on mission for Him. Julio has sent many to be witnesses in restricted nations and hostile areas. Listen for the story of how one man used soccer to open doors for ministry in Afghanistan, and how a church leader in Iran told Julio not to feel sorry for persecuted Christians. As Julio sends workers to the harvest, persecution is a reality. “If people pass through those situations,” he says, “they will experience God’s grace in ways that we cannot even train someone on.” Living for Christ in restricted and hostile nations comes with risks, yet the grace of God is ever present with the persecuted church. You can learn more about Julio’s work sending out Spanish-speaking mission workers at the web sites for COMHINA and COMIBAM. Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast. Or you can listen each week—and get daily prayer reminders—in the VOM App for your smartphone or tablet.
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Two brothers, Pastor Pramod and Pastor Dilip, lead a group of 17 growing churches, and the members of one of these churches began constructing a new church building. Suddenly, a group of Hindu radicals swept into the location and completely destroyed the newly laid foundation.
Read MoreXavia, 30, survived a brutal assault eight years ago. During a 2016 attack, rebels with a militant group set fire to numerous homes in her village. Her husband, mother, father and sisters were burned alive. Xavia was tied up and subjected to horrific torture, rendering her unable to have additional children. She doesn’t know how she survived the assault but only remembers waking up in an evacuation truck. She was sent to another country for surgery, but her emotional wounds need additional healing.
Read MoreAn Iranian pastor who was released from prison in 2023, after serving many years for leading a house church, reported that God enabled him to work as an evangelist behind bars despite constant surveillance. He said that when he started his sentence, “I began to think that this was a dangerous place and that it would not be possible to witness to anyone.” But later he found ways to secretly witness to others and eventually led 13 prisoners to Christ. “During the recreation times, I would walk around in a spirit of friendship with these new believers and teach them how to grow in their faith and answer their questions,” he said.
Read MoreA Christian and pastor from Central Asia, Brother Silas constantly interacts with Muslims. He says many are seeking truth and looking for answers to their deepest spiritual questions. Brother Silas and Tom Houser, executive director for People International, share this week what new Christians in Central Asian nations—including Muslim background believers—experience when they become followers of Jesus. “The moment you make that decision,” says Silas, “you will be oppressed on every side.” Persecution follows those who come to Christ in Central Asian nations like Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Azerbaijan. The persecution may come from different sources: the government, their parents, relatives, neighbors, or the broader community. Persecuted Christians face isolation, broken friendships and being targeted by police or other authorities. Silas shares some of his own experience as a persecuted Christian, and the encouragement he found in knowing other Christians were praying for him and that he was not alone. Organizations like People International and The Voice of the Martyrs, which take time to sit with persecuted Christians and know what they really need, bring encouragement as they share that others around the world—like VOM Radio listeners—are praying for our persecuted brothers and sisters. Hear how we can reach our Muslim neighbors, coworkers, and friends for Christ. Tom will also share more about People International’s mission to be present where there is no church presence and what leaders of the group have learned in more than forty years of ministry. Also hear how social media, broadcasting and other evangelism tools are reaching people in Central Asia. And learn how you can pray for the people of Central Asia to know Christ, and for the persecuted church in these nations. Listen here to Silas’ testimony of coming to faith and the persecution he faced as a new Christian. Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast. Or listen each week—and get daily prayer reminders—in the VOM App for your smartphone or tablet.
Read MoreLate in 2023, police in Laos arrested three Christians from the Akha people group for building a church and held them without giving any information to family or friends for several months. On January 26, 2024, authorities demolished the building these brothers in Christ had constructed.
Read MoreIn December 2023, Mauritanian authorities arrested a group of around 15 Christians after a video of them participating in a baptism was posted online. All of the arrested Christians were former Muslims. Mauritania is dominated by Islamist leadership, and conversion from Islam is illegal. “At first, no lawyer would defend them,” said a front-line worker. “The officials tried to get them to apologize on social media for spreading the gospel, to agree to never promote Christianity, and to return to Islam,” he added.
Read MoreSome local Christian leaders in Lebanon have reported an inspiring work of God even as many in the country are struggling amid economic hardship and political instability. “You’re aware of the many crises Lebanon is facing,” said one pastor. “In the past year alone, we have endured unemployment and underemployment, a dysfunctional government, hyperinflation, and war along our southern border.” Then he added, “And yet we are seeing one of the greatest gospel movements in the country’s history.
Read MoreMany Muslims are ready to hear the gospel and experience the love of Jesus Christ. For more than two decades Peter Smith has prayed for the nation of Iran and connected with ministries reaching people and supporting persecuted Christians in the nation he and his wife “adopted.” Seeing the gospel go forth in the Middle East reminds Peter of the good soil that produced 30, 60 and 100-fold harvests in Jesus’ Matthew 13 parable. Persecution is rising in restricted nations across the Middle East; despite that risk, more Muslims are becoming followers of Christ. Listen as Peter shares the stories of how God worked in the heart of an Uber driver and a divorced woman. “When you adopt a country,” Peter says, “sooner or later you get to adopt the people.” Peter’s wife also has an international ministry—from their home in the United States. She asks the Lord each day for divine appointments and looks for gospel opportunities at the grocery store, in her neighborhood and wherever else the day takes her. Hear how she’s had gospel conversations with women from 54 different countries. Learn how you can pray specifically for Christians in Iran and across the Middle East as Peter shares what current events mean for Christians there and how to pray for what God is already doing. Go to TheRealStoryOfJesus.com to see one resource people are using to share the gospel in the Middle East—a resource also available in English. Hear the story of Peter “adopting” the nation of Iran during his first visit with VOM Radio. Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast. Or you can listen each week—and get daily prayer reminders—in the VOM App for your smartphone or tablet.
Read MoreOn Sunday, January 28, two masked gunmen entered a Catholic church in Istanbul during a service and randomly shot and killed a 52-year-old man. The self-proclaimed Islamic State (ISIS) claimed responsibility. Turkish police quickly arrested two suspects with ties to ISIS and later arrested 25 more after raiding numerous locations. Afterwards, police contacted a pastor of a rapidly growing church in another part of Turkiye and told him that his name was on an ISIS hit list.
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