Pastor Vinod was killed in 2021, leaving behind his wife, Sunita, and 13-year-old daughter, Stuti. They have struggled emotionally and financially with their loss while living with Hindu family members who refuse to help them. Front-line workers have helped them get counseling, which has given them tools to express and process their emotions and begin to regain some joy.
Read MoreKhaled’s Lebanese Muslim family was displeased when he decided to become a follower of Christ. After learning about his newfound faith, they attacked him and locked him in a room away from his wife, attempting to force him to return to Islam. But Khaled escaped and eventually reunited with his wife. She was also not supportive of his conversion and only allowed him to return if he paid the full cost of their housing and living expenses without any financial assistance from her. He found a new job, is paying the expenses, and is trying to demonstrate God’s love to his wife.
Read MoreOn January 10, 2023, in a small town in central Benin, a group of voodooists burned down a church when Christians refused to honor local idols. Benin is considered the birthplace of voodoo, and the country celebrates National Voodoo Day on January 10 each year. Occult practices, which include worshiping idols, sacrificing animals and wearing special talismans to ward off evil, are widespread. With VOM’s help, the church has been rebuilt and reopened.
Read MoreThe atheistic Communist government in Cuba has enacted a new law intended to control the online spread of misinformation, especially that which is related to the country’s reputation, national security, revolution, government leaders and ideology. Christians in Cuba have reported concerns about the law’s enforcement as the government has defined “misinformation” broadly and indicated that it will prosecute violators with heavy scrutiny. Some have reported instances of government prosecution simply for sharing Bible verses in social media posts, which the government then interpreted as a threat to the regime.
Read MoreIn 2015, Zara, then 19, was abducted and horribly abused for several days by her kidnappers. Her entire Muslim family had become followers of Christ, and some Muslim extremists wanted to punish them. “They told her what they were doing was not a sin,” said a front-line worker, “but that it was their religious obligation because of her conversion to Christianity.” After her kidnappers released her, Zara and her family eventually fled to another country, but they continue to struggle.
Read MorePhet, 71, and his wife placed their trust in Christ in 2005. As a veteran of the Laotian army with more than 30 years of service, Phet is entitled to a government pension but was denied it. The commander said he would approve the pension if Phet would recant his faith. Phet answered, “My family and I, we already accepted Christ, and we could not turn back to worship the ghost spirits any longer.” His wife and children agreed, saying, “God, our Father, will take care of us.” Phet’s family experienced increasing persecution in their village, and the police took their family registration book, which holds important records such as birth and marriage certificates, educational records, and work permits.
Read MoreOn Sept. 18, 2023, Pastor Anooshavan Avedian, who is 61 years old with a wife and two children, was summoned by police to Evin prison to begin a 10-year prison sentence. Pastor Avedian was arrested on Aug. 21, 2020, when approximately 30 security agents raided his home while family and friends gathered to pray and worship. The group met in his home because the government closed their church several years earlier. Government agents confiscated Bibles and mobile phones, taking Pastor Avedian and two Christian converts to Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison.
Read MoreFront-line workers recently held a camp for teenagers from several different areas across Nigeria where militant Fulani Muslims and Boko Haram militants have slaughtered thousands of Christians. Each teen in attendance during the camp had lost one or both parents in Islamist attacks. Some of the young people continue to live in areas where militant attacks are common.
Read MoreWhen Manju’s husband became a follower of Christ, Manju and their children were very opposed to his faith and berated him to abandon it. But in May 2023, a pastor asked her to watch a film about Jesus. He installed a memory card with several videos on her phone. The family began to watch these films, calling the pastor to explain parts they did not understand. Manju invited the pastor to her house one day. While he was there, 14-year-old Sharda was watching one of the videos by herself when she experienced a demonic attack.
Read MoreGabriela lives in a rural village in Oaxaca, Mexico, where members of her Mixteca community adhere to Christo-paganism, a syncretistic blend of pagan practices and Roman Catholicism that is opposed to the gospel. Because of her boldness in sharing her faith, she has been attacked by her neighbors as well as her husband, who is embarrassed by her commitment to Christ. She has been beaten an estimated 40 times and hospitalized on several occasions.
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