After months of seeing villagers and friends extorted, abused and killed by violent guerrillas who control the dangerous “red zones” of Colombia, Pastor Santiago and his family have fled from their village to a safe location, leaving most of their personal belongings behind. According to a church member, Pastor Santiago is on the guerrillas’ hit list for his refusal to support their illicit activities, prompting his decision to flee with his family. Pastor Santiago also shared with VOM staff that he had received death threats for preaching the gospel. His greatest concern is for his family and their provision if anything happens to him.
Read MoreBrima’s village had been steeped in occult practices for generations. It even had a tree where children were sacrificed to local gods. These deaths would go uninvestigated because villagers reported only that the missing children were “swallowed by the jungle.” Brima’s son learned of the wicked practice and fled before anything could happen to him. Later, a Christian evangelist came to the village, and most people in the village came to know Christ.
Read MoreDuyen, 33, and her husband, Hieu, were drawn to Christ both by the healing they received and the love and care they were shown by the body of Christ. They were mocked, threatened and even attacked several times because of their faith in Christ. Their land was taken on the grounds that land grants were only for those loyal to the government, but Christians were not loyal. After an appeal, their land was returned. Finally, when traveling with another man in 2022, Hieu was attacked by three men. His companion ran for help and provided first aid before carrying Hieu home.
Read MoreHawa is a Christian convert from Islam who maintains a farm in a rural area of Somalia. Though raised as a Muslim, Hawa became a follower of Christ through her son’s witness. Hawa’s Muslim husband divorced her and kicked her out of the house when he learned of her newfound faith. Through another Christian woman, Hawa came to help work and maintain the farm, which also houses 19 Christian widows whose husbands had been killed by al-Shabab, a terrorist group active in Somalia and Kenya. Hawa disciples the widows and actively shares her faith with other women who work on neighboring farms.
Read MoreSince 2011, Pastor Prem and his wife, Amala, have served in an area of India where pastors and Christian organizations serve for a short time but then leave because of persecution. The area is the central hub in the district for the Hindu nationalist organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Prem and Amala now lead a church with about 35 believers. Prem has been beaten four times, faces constant pressure from the community and is continually watched.
Read MoreKila, who is in his late twenties, survived an East Indonesia Mujahideen (MIT) terrorist attack on a small group of Kalimago villagers in 2022. His friend, Marten Solon, was killed in the attack. Kila shared about the experience and how God used it to motivate him when he was a nominal Christian to live his life for God rather than himself. Kila is still experiencing some ongoing health complications due to the trauma of the attack.
Read MoreAfter a Christmas worship service in December 2023, Pastor Raj Kumar Yadav received a phone call from an unknown person. At first, the caller asked seemingly innocent questions about the celebratory service, and the pastor answered in general terms. Then the person asked how many people were fed cow meat during the meal. The question raised concerns in the pastor’s mind, since Hindus consider cows sacred and have sometimes made trouble by claiming that Christians have slaughtered and eaten cows.
Read MoreWhen Somanid came to faith in Christ in 2000 at age 17, he immediately faced persecution. He decided to move to a new province, where he built a home, started a family in his new village and became part of a fellowship of more than 100 Christians. Recently, village leaders demanded that all families, including Christians, must donate money for the traditional spirit ceremonies, but the Christians all refused. On May 15, 2024, the leaders announced over loudspeakers that all Christians were required to leave the village, on the grounds that they were disobedient to village authorities.
Read MoreSome governments in Central Asia have outlawed all ministry to children. Nevertheless, Christians in the region remain committed to teaching young people about the Bible and Jesus Christ. In recent years, numerous pastors have had to pay fines for their outreach efforts. “The bank accounts of one pastor were checked and analyzed. When his activities were found, he had to pay a huge fine,” said a front-line worker.
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