Oudong and his wife, Lae, placed their trust in Christ in May 2023, becoming the first Christians in their village. Two weeks after their conversion, the village head came to their home and told them to stop worshiping Jesus Christ because Buddhism and animism were the only religions permitted in the village. The couple, along with their four children, began to travel two hours each way to gather in worship and fellowship with believers in another city, but this did not satisfy the authorities.
Read MoreIn spring of 2023, two young men from a Christian family were convicted under Pakistan’s harsh blasphemy laws of blaspheming the Islamic prophet Mohammed. Conviction under these laws brings a mandatory death sentence. These laws are applied disproportionately against the small Christian minority in Pakistan. While these men appeal their cases, they remain on death row. Their families struggle to pay legal fees and provide for the young men’s needs in prison.
Read MoreAisosa’s father is a traditional tribal sorcerer in Benin. When he started performing ceremonies for a certain local god, his family members began to die. Eventually, all of Aisosa’s siblings and her mother died. Then Aisosa became sick, and her father wanted her to sacrifice a chicken to his god, but Aisosa did not want to worship her father’s god any longer. A Christian woman in her village reached out to the 23-year-old and invited her to church.
Read MoreFor years, front-line workers have been broadcasting the gospel message into North Korea using shortwave radio. Their broadcasts include Bible readings, sermons by early Korean Christians, hymns and common North Korean songs that have been rewritten with Christian lyrics. Official and unofficial surveys, as well as an increase in jamming efforts by the North Korean government, continue to show that these broadcasts are effectively reaching listeners in North Korea. A North Korean defector reported that he enjoyed listening to the rewritten songs, and he mentioned one that he especially enjoyed, originally titled “Our Party Is the Best” but changed to “Our God Is the Best.”
Read MoreArmed terrorists, often connected to the self-proclaimed Islamic State (ISIS), have ravaged parts of Niger, particularly in the west near its borders with Mali and Burkina Faso. Much of the country’s small Christian population has been displaced in the violence: “Many have seen their parents or family members shot and killed,” a front-line worker said. Additionally, after Niger’s president was overthrown by military officers in a July 2023 coup, the Islamic Council of Niger has been pushing to change the country from a secular democracy into an Islamic republic governed by sharia law.
Read MoreDarya was depressed and scared. Her much older husband had suddenly died of a stroke, and her 8-year-old son had become angry and violent. “I consulted with different psychologists about my son’s behavior, but nothing improved,” Darya said. “Once in the middle of the night my son came into my room with a knife in his hand. I was so afraid that I didn’t sleep at all that night, and I just kept trying to calm my son down.” The next day she told a friend what had happened. That friend was a Christian who prayed for her and gave her an illustrated Action Bible to give to her son. When Darya went home, she started to read the Gospels.
Read MoreNarmith, a new Christian in a discipleship program in Bhutan, has been growing in her faith and has had many opportunities to practice sharing her testimony and the gospel with others. Recently, she met two women with severe hearing impairments. She spent the entire afternoon with them, explaining through improvised hand signs how much Jesus loves them before praying for them. One woman was moved to tears after the prayer and conversation.
Read MoreIn August 2023, district police officials summoned the Houy Khoun village chief and all local Christians to a meeting where they outlined steps that would be taken against Christians to halt the spread of their faith. Authorities threatened to demolish the pastor’s home (which also serves as a house church), enforced restrictions that do not allow new members to join the church, and warned them against evangelizing in the village or elsewhere in the district. The Christians boldly challenged the right of the police to close or damage the church.
Read MoreFeliciana’s husband pastored a church in a town in Oaxaca, Mexico, until he was killed in 2014 for his bold witness for Christ. After her husband’s murder, Feliciana struggled to provide for her family, and her two children became seriously ill. With VOM’s help, she has been able to continue the work of leading the church in her town, and her children are healthy and thriving.
Read MoreKhalida, her two sons and a daughter placed their trust in Christ years ago after having dreams about him. When Muslim extremists in their community heard about their conversion, they attacked the family and tried to kill them. The family barely survived. The enraged Muslims then formed a mob that attacked and burned several churches that were helping Khalida’s family.
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