A Christian couple in a northern province of Laos continues to suffer painful persecution after the unresolved death of their son. On Sunday, Nov. 2, Khong, 22, missed the church service because he was searching for his stolen motorbike. He did not return, and two days later, his body was found in a nearby rice field. No cause of death has been determined. Khong’s parents, Dan and Tee, wanted to bring the body home for a Christian funeral, but the head of their village refused to allow it unless they paid an exorbitant fee.
Read MoreIn December 2024, Adam Amdou, the adult son of a pastor, was kidnapped from his home and his whereabouts are still unknown. The abductors are members of an Islamist terrorist group who were angered that Adam’s father refused to obey their orders to stop his Christian ministry activities. Since Adam’s abduction, his family, including his father, his wife and his two children, have received no word on his condition.
Read MoreA former Kurdish soldier has been threatened for his ministry work after placing his faith in Christ. During the Syrian Civil War, Kochar developed an intense hatred for all Arabs, an emotion that grew as he witnessed fellow Kurdish soldiers and friends die. He also experienced a crisis in his Islamic beliefs as he could not understand why Allah would allow Muslims to fight and kill fellow Muslims. At one point, he left Syria for a visit abroad and met some Christians.
Read MoreThe whereabouts of a Christian convert arrested in Iraq remain unknown. Kazim became a follower of Christ while living abroad. His Iranian wife and their children eventually came to live with him, and they too became Christians. However, the family was unable to establish residency outside Iraq and feared returning to southern Iraq as converts to Christianity. They also didn’t want to move to Iran because Kazim’s in-laws had threatened them after learning of their conversion. The family eventually moved to Iraqi Kurdistan, a safer part of Iraq for Christians.
Read MoreChristians in Nepal are rejected by their families and communities but remain faithful to Christ. Increasingly, pressure to return to traditional Hinduism in the country has grown as the influence of radical Hindu nationalists has crossed the border from India. Sister Rupa, a Nepali Christian, was beaten and cast out of her home for her faith in Christ. Front-line workers are helping her set up a small clothing business that will also serve as a platform to continue sharing the gospel.
Read MoreBoko Haram Islamists have regularly attacked Christian members of the Hidi people in eastern Cameroon, destroying the homes of Christians or killing them. VOM workers have ministered to some of the children and teenagers impacted by the deadly attacks. “If God loves me, why does he allow the rebels in our village to destroy our house, our hospitals and our churches and kill us?” asked one teenage boy. After receiving specialized care, the boy said, “Here I have learned to remind myself [that] whatever happens to me, God loves me.”
Read MoreDue to increasing threats from Islamist rebel groups following a military coup in July 2023, Christians in Niger are taking extra precautions during the Christmas season. “It’s very dangerous,” said a Christian leader. “Actually, we are stopping celebrating in the night.” Previously, Christians would hold evening services, and young church members would sing Christmas songs through the streets before celebrating in homes. The Nigerien church leader added that, in the past, their Muslim neighbors would often wish them a happy Christmas.
Read MoreA mother and her two daughters have been forced from their home because of their Christian faith. Rasha became a follower of Christ in early 2025. She began sharing the gospel with her mother, Laila, and her younger teenage sister, Asman, soon afterwards. They both came to faith in Christ, and the three women committed to a Bible reading plan. In August 2025, Rasha’s father discovered her Bible. He harshly interrogated her, and when Rasha would not renounce her new faith, he beat her.
Read MoreDespite government restrictions, one pastor in Turkmenistan hopes to register his church soon. Christian worship has been limited to churches in government-sanctioned denominations, but other churches do exist. The pastor said, “Since 2007, no church has been registered in Turkmenistan. We are praying for a miracle!” The church is small but has active outreach events, such as a sports ministry for youth, despite experiencing past pressures and even arrests for its Christian ministry work.
Read MoreA Christian widow and certain family members are facing expulsion from their village in northern Laos for their faith. Chan, 63, first welcomed the message of the gospel in February 2025, hoping to be healed from liver cancer. She and the four children and two grandchildren who live with her came to faith in Christ on the same day. Physical healing has not come, yet they love the Lord and have continued to grow stronger in their faith, attending worship services every week and listening to Christian radio programs.
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