Ajay, 24, has been pressured by his community and the police to return to Hinduism. The police arrested him and brought a false charge against him in an attempt to make him recant his faith. He was jailed for 9 days. Despite the ongoing pressure, Ajay has persevered in his faith.
Read MoreShiva and Kamleshor are leaders of a group of 20 Christians who have been meeting for fellowship in a Maithili-speaking region of Nepal. On June 24, a group of more than 40 Hindu radicals surrounded the home where they were meeting to threaten and mock them, live-streaming their abusive actions on social media for three hours. These brothers were discouraged but thankful for the body of Christ remembering them in prayer.
Read MorePastor Filadelfo, a former drug trafficker who is now an evangelist, has been jailed repeatedly for his gospel witness and was kicked out of his village for refusing to renounce Christ and return to the traditional religious practices of the village. Because of the prayers and support he has received through VOM, Filadelfo is able to continue to share the gospel in Southern Mexico, praying for the sick and providing Bibles to believers who don’t have one.
Read MoreOnly a fraction of 1 percent of the population of Morocco are Christians, and lack of access to Bibles limits the growth of Christian communities. “Believers and seekers in this country face a shortage of physical Bibles and are usually obligated to interact with God’s Word in an online or digital format, which is not accessible for everyone,” a front-line worker said. Additionally, new followers of Christ are often threatened by family members, discriminated against by landlords, and forced to relocate unexpectedly.
Read MoreAbdu grew up wanting to be an Islamic scholar, so he attended schools focusing solely on the Quran. After studying the Quran for 15 years, he became an Islamic teacher. But in 2022, he met an old friend who had become a follower of Christ. The friend shared the gospel with Abdu on numerous occasions, and Abdu began to question his beliefs. Eventually, Abdu put his faith in Christ. His enthusiasm for teaching the Quran waned, and local Islamic leaders noticed.
Read MoreChristians in eastern Turkiye are often isolated with limited opportunities to fellowship openly with other followers of Christ. But a small Protestant church in eastern Turkiye, in an area close to the Syrian border populated mainly by Kurds and some Syrians and Iranians, has developed a good relationship with a long-standing Orthodox church. Its leaders are willing to allow the young church to repurpose one of their dilapidated buildings, but doing so will require the approval of local officials.
Read MoreOn November 25, 2022, Drithi was worshipping with about 25 other believers when the service was interrupted by a group demanding that the congregation members return to Hinduism. Many of the believers were beaten, including Drithi and her father. Because of this event, 14 of the families returned to Hinduism, leaving Drithi and her father as the only believers.
Read MoreOn July 10, militants from the Islamist group Boko Haram snuck into the home of a 75-year-old Christian and killed him in his sleep. This brother is described as a businessman and an active, faithful member of his local church. His family believes that the militants entered the home around 1:00 a.m. and slit his throat.
Read MoreOn Aug. 16, a mob of 5,000 Muslim extremists rampaged through Jaranwala, a city in the Faisalabad district, reacting to allegations that two young Christian men had desecrated a copy of the Quran and insulted the prophet Muhammad. Rioters attacked Christian neighborhoods and churches throughout the city. The mob burned or severely damaged 25 churches and 89 homes; hundreds of Christians fled either because their homes and belongings were destroyed or in fear of further attacks. The mob dispersed hours later only after the government dispatched police and soldiers into the area.
Read MoreA young woman killed in September 2022 while in the custody of the Iranian religious police led to a spontaneous uprising. “Iranian women wanted their dignity back,” a front-line worker said. In Iran, girls as young as nine can be given in marriage, and a woman’s testimony in court is worth only half a man’s. Front-line workers report that the young woman’s death has caused many Iranians to continue to grow disillusioned with their repressive Islamic government and search for truth elsewhere.
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