Chhatar Singh, a schoolteacher in India, placed his faith in Christ in 2002 and has planted churches in seven villages. In 2010, when his mother died, he refused Hindu funeral rituals for her, which turned his father against him. On Jan. 27, 2021, the police arrested Singh and three other Christians on false charges of forced conversion. They spent a month in jail; consequently, Singh was suspended from his school. In July 2024, after Singh’s father cut off his inheritance, he filed a criminal complaint against Singh of trying to convert him to Christianity.
Read MoreBasma, who comes from a fervent Muslim family, placed her faith in Christ in 2018. As a result, her husband and brother began to abuse her violently. Eventually, Basma escaped from her family and took her two teenage children, who had also become Christians, with her. Basma said that if her brother and husband find her, they will surely kill her. Basma requests prayer for her son, who feels he cannot trust anyone, and for her daughter, because they live in constant fear that someone will turn them in.
Read MoreAmid regional instability, bombs regularly fall in some parts of Yemen, creating a dangerous environment for Christian brothers and sisters. “The situation is not stable for anyone in Yemen,” said a front-line worker. “The electricity goes out, and one Christian community heard bombs exploding during a church service.” Despite this situation, the worker said the church in Yemen is growing. “Fifteen years ago, it was a dream to find any believers,” he said.
Read MoreWhen protests forced the resignation of the prime minister in August 2024, Islamist groups took advantage of the lack of police presence across the country to attack the Christian minority. Attackers have looted and destroyed churches and targeted Christians’ homes. Monoara, 75; her daughter, Salma, and her granddaughter, 14, were among those who were attacked. On Aug. 5, they escaped from their home and watched from the nearby jungle as their belongings were carried away or destroyed by an extremist mob. “I thought that was my last day,” Monoara recalled.
Read MorePak Aman, a Sundanese Christian from a Muslim background, leads a small church and faithfully evangelizes in his community. He was arrested and held in police custody after appearing on the YouTube channel of another Muslim-background believer in Christ. He was accused of violating Indonesia’s blasphemy law. Aman said he originally anticipated that he would serve several years in prison due to the outcomes of other blasphemy cases, but the courts ruled in favor of Aman, and he was released from police detention after nine months.
Read MoreHalim is a Muslim-background believer who fled to Lebanon from a neighboring country when his family tried to kill him. After arriving in the war-torn country, he decided to visit a local hospital amid ongoing attacks. “I was able to pray for five people and seek the Lord for them,” he said. “And I had a wonderful conversation with a young Palestinian man. I shared with him how Jesus can give peace and comfort.” Another former Muslim, Salim, came to know Christ and has been persecuted in his Shiite town in the Beqaa Valley.
Read MorePastor Mathieu Tchando, along with 13 others, was leaving a Christian conference in Nigeria on November 1, 2024 when a large truck hit their minibus. The group was outside of Lagos when the truck hit three vehicles. One person was killed at the accident site, and three others were seriously injured. Pastor Tchando suffered a brain injury that left him comatose; another minister was hospitalized with broken ribs, and doctors were concerned about internal bleeding; and the third was in stable condition.
Read MoreGia and her husband, Dai, have been believers for 15 years. Because they chose biblical names for their children, getting birth certificates for them was difficult. Their daughter, Ruth, was diagnosed with a condition that has affected her neurological and physical development. There is a fund intended for children with Ruth’s condition, and the family was called to a government office to receive these funds. After waiting there all day, however, they were presented with an ultimatum: Change Ruth’s name and renounce their faith or leave without the funding.
Read MoreIshaq is active in evangelism and Bible distribution in the Arab nation where he was born, but his future there is tenuous. Ishaq was permitted to be in the country while his Eritrean father, who had lived and worked there for decades, maintained his official work status. But when Ishaq’s father died during the coronavirus pandemic, Ishaq’s residency visa expired, and he has been unable to renew it. Ishaq has not been arrested for his unofficial status but has been stopped by police numerous times. “If he were to be deported to Eritrea, where he has never lived, it could be very dangerous for him,” said a front-line worker.
Read MoreA Christian youth conference scheduled in Bhutan was disrupted when authorities raided the location and demanded that organizers show permits, which did not exist because Christian events are not allowed by the Buddhist government. Authorities then summoned the organizers for interrogation. The raid caused organizers of other youth events to change their plans as they wait to see the consequences.
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