VOM Radio

Thousands of people—including many who never met her—considered Elisabeth Elliot (1926-2015) as their spiritual mentor. Kathy Reeg was one of those people. Today she is president of the Elisabeth Elliot Foundation, carrying on the legacy of Elisabeth and Jim Elliott. Despite her fame in the Christian world, Kathy says Elisabeth always gave glory to God. She received thousands of letters from people seeking her advice; she responded to each one, directing each person to the Word of God and onto their knees in prayer. Kathy first met Elisabeth in the 90s and later got to know Lars, Elisabeth’s third husband and manager. Suffering from dementia in the latter years of her life, Elisabeth lost her mode of communication yet never lost the presence of the Holy Spirit. The night of Elisabeth’s funeral, in 2015, was the first time Kathy visited her and Lars’ home in Massachusetts. She was astounded by artifacts in their home from Elisabeth’s time serving and living among the “Aucas,” later known as the Waodani, the tribe that had murdered five missionary men, including her first husband, Jim, in 1956. Listen as Kathy shares about what happened that evening as a group of Elisabeth’s caregivers spent time in prayer. A few years later, the Elisabeth Elliott Foundation began. Artifacts that had been in Lars and Elisabeth’s home were transferred into the care of Museum of the Bible in Washington DC. Earlier this year, an exhibit opened to the public at Museum of the Bible showcasing Elisabeth’s life and her time among the Waodani. Kathy hopes those who walk through the exhibit will be inspired by an ordinary woman who trusted and obeyed the Lord—no matter the cost. The Voice of the Martyrs is one sponsor of Through Gates of Splendor: The Elisabeth Elliot Story at Museum of the Bible. The exhibit is open to the public until January 28th, 2024. You may also explore many of Elisabeth’s past speaking events, radio broadcasts, newsletters and more at the Elisabeth Elliot Foundation website. Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the Podcast. Or you can listen each week—and get daily reminders to pray for persecuted Christians—in the VOM App for your smartphone or tablet.

Children develop attitudes and opinions about the Bible from an early age. Awana has been discipling children for more than 70 years. Today Awana is active in more than 130 countries—including places where Christian persecution is common—helping 5.6 million children to know Jesus as Savior, belong to a church that supports them and become all that God wants them to be. Steve Cohoon is a leader at Awana. Listen this week as he shares how their discipleship program may look different in India, Pakistan or the Middle East than it looks at an American church. He’ll also discuss the focus on leader development, raising up future leaders who will teach more kids about Christ. Steve will share how Awana finds local volunteers and gives curriculum and training to these leaders to equip them to go and train up others. He also will tell how God opens doors for Awana workers to reach children who aren’t growing up in Christian homes—Hindus and Muslims and those of other faiths. “Our goal is to see every child everywhere reached and discipled for the Lord Jesus Christ.” It takes only one willing person to start an AWANA program. Listen as Steve shares testimonies from Awana alumni and more about how their program is adapted for use in other countries, including being welcomed into public schools in Africa. Pray for the work of Awana, especially inside hostile and restricted nations. Pray God would allow continued ministry in underground church situations, training leaders and seeing the gospel flourish. June 29 marks Day of the Christian Martyr, when Christians around the world honor a persecuted Christian who laid down their life for the cause of Christ. This year’s resources from The Voice of the Martyrs—including a short video—focus on the story of Abdiwelli Ahmed, an ethnic Somali former Muslim gunned down in northern Kenya in 2013. Watch the video about Abdiwelli’s faith and ministry and access all the resources for this year’s Day of the Christian Martyr to bless your church, small group or family with his inspiring example. Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast. Or you can listen each week—and get daily reminders to pray for persecuted Christians—in the VOM App for your smartphone or tablet.

In 1997, Warren and Donna Pett sold their 96-year-old family farm in Mukwonago, Wisconsin, after sensing God’s call to the mission field. In 2002, they moved to serve in Uganda’s Yumbe district, one of Uganda’s poorest districts and the only majority-Muslim district in the country. Warren and Donna provided agricultural training and spiritual discipleship at the Evangelical School of Technology in Aringa (ESTA). On March 18, 2004, ESTA was attacked by masked men with guns. Warren and Donna, along with a Ugandan student, were killed. Ezra and Saul Pett are the sons of Warren and Donna. Listen this week as they share on The Voice of the Martyrs Radio about their parents’ ministry and how Saul and Ezra wrestled with God and their own faith after their parents’ murder. “My faith basically evaporated,” says Saul. “This event devastated me.” But in the years since, God has gently and faithfully ministered to Saul and Ezra. He has comforted them in their loss and helped them address the anger they felt at their parents’ death. Today, they see His plan to produce eternal fruit, even when we may not understand what He is doing. Listen as Saul and Ezra talk about renewing their faith, accepting God’s plan and even going to minister in the very place in Uganda where their parents were killed—and seeing the legacy Warren and Donna left even in their short time of missionary service. You can give online to support the Pett’s ongoing work in Uganda here. You can read the story of Warren and Donna, from The Voice of the Martyrs free monthly magazine, here. June 29 marks Day of the Christian Martyr, when Christians around the world honor a persecuted Christian who laid down their life for the cause of Christ. This year’s video and other resources from VOM focus on the story of Abdiwelli Ahmed, an ethnic Somali former Muslim gunned down in northern Kenya in 2013. Watch a video about Abdiwelli’s faith and ministry and access all the resources for this year’s Day of the Christian Martyr to bless your church, small group or family with his inspiring example. Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast. Or you can listen each week—and get daily reminders to pray for persecuted Christians—in the VOM App for your smartphone or tablet.

It’s been more than a month since fighting broke out in the capital city of Sudan. Christians and non-Christians alike are dealing with extreme hardship, difficulty, and terror as the battle between two warring Islamist factions continues. For our Christian brothers and sisters in Sudan, war has made life even more difficult than usual as they try to survive the fighting, find food and shelter and still face persecution for their faith in Christ. Brad Phillips, founder and president of Persecution Project Foundation (PPF), began working in Sudan in 1997 and has partnered with The Voice of the Martyrs to serve Sudanese Christians since 2002. Listen as he explains the current fighting and tells how our Christian family members are being affected. Brad and the PPF team are daily hearing stories of tremendous loss in the church, yet also stories of heroism as persecuted Christians risk their lives to serve others in this season of upheaval and need. Others are trying to flee major cities for the Nuba Mountains—which previously was a site of great persecution and repeated bombings by the Sudanese military. Listen as Brad shares how to pray for persecuted Christians in Sudan, and invite a Christian friend to pray with you for followers of Jesus caught in the crossfire there. Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast. Or you can listen each week—and get daily reminders to pray for persecuted Christians—in the VOM App for your smartphone or tablet.

As the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan in 2021, many Afghan Christians—especially those widely known to be followers of Christ—had to flee the country. Today, many of those Christians grieve the loss of their homeland, especially as they watch the suffering of their countrymen under Taliban rule. Some desire to return but while they wait are still faithfully reaching Afghans through a variety of digital means. In Part 2 of our conversation with author John Weaver (Part 1), he calls us to pray God will bless Afghan people—including both persecuted Christians and the governing Taliban—and that God will draw many to Himself. Listen as Weaver, the author of Najiba: A Love Story from Afghanistan (affiliate link), shares what life is like for Afghans now under Taliban rule. He will also tell what life is like for those who’ve fled the country and deal with the culture shock of navigating healthcare, education, work and relationships in a completely new environment and culture. As Christians, John gives us advice on first steps in welcoming Afghans into our communities and churches. Christians in Afghanistan are seeing increased response to the gospel as they discern hearts that are hungry and seeking truth. Once they become followers of Jesus, new Afghan Christians hunger for like-minded fellowship. Pray for the Taliban to lead with peace and focus on what’s best for Afghanistan’s people. Most importantly, pray for their salvation. Pray for our brothers and sisters in Afghanistan to know God is with them and for endurance in their faith. Pray for Afghans sharing the gospel through social media as they continue in their ministry. Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast. Or you can listen each week—and get daily prayer reminders—in the VOM App for your smartphone or tablet.

Twenty months into the second Taliban rule of Afghanistan, all Afghans—but especially Afghan Christians—face great challenges. What pressures do our persecuted brothers and sisters face living in Afghanistan today, and how has their life changed under the strict Islamic rule of the Taliban? Listen as John Weaver, author of Inside Afghanistan, A Flame on the Frontline, and Najiba: A Love Story from Afghanistan (affiliate links), explains what life is like for Muslims and Christians in Afghanistan as they experience economic crisis and lack of assistance from the outside world. Many of the Taliban fighters come from the Pashtun people group, one of the largest unreached people groups in the world with 50 million people primarily in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Persecution against Afghan Christians has always come from local mosques, communities, and families. With the Taliban takeover, the nation’s government is now also openly opposed to the gospel. Amid isolation and economic hardship, many Afghans are desperate and dissatisfied with Islam. That dissatisfaction means they are more open to the gospel. Christian brothers and sisters in Afghanistan continue boldly witness in conversations with Muslims. Listen as John tells how Christians are carefully sharing the gospel and finding “people of peace” in their communities. Pray for Afghan Christians outside the country who are reaching their people through digital tools and pray for wider distribution of the Pashtun Bible. Pray the Holy Spirit will draw more Afghan people to become followers of Jesus Christ. Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast Or you can listen each week—and get daily prayer reminders—in the VOM App for your smartphone or tablet.

It is illegal to bring a Bible into North Korea, and illegal to possess one inside the country. But VOM continues to find ways to get God’s Word into the hands of North Koreans. Dr. Eric Foley, CEO of VOM Korea in Seoul, says everything changes every day in North Korea, bringing new challenges and requiring new responses to continue bringing the gospel to desperate people in “the hermit kingdom.” Listen to hear how persecuted Christians in North Korea practice biblical obedience in spite of a brutal regime that demands utter loyalty. How can Christians follow the first commandment, “You shall have no other gods before me,” while living in a country that deifies members of the Kim family? Dr. Foley shares how, despite the consequences for even the slightest hint of Christian behavior, our brothers and sisters continue to boldly take risks and exercise wisdom to follow Christ inside North Korea. One way members of the persecuted church in the DPRK are encouraged and discipled is through VOM radio broadcasts sharing passages from the Bible or sermons delivered in the North Korean dialect. With five broadcast times throughout the day, Dr. Foley asks us to pray that the Lord would continue thwarting efforts of the North Korean government to jam these Christian radio broadcasts.  Dr. Foley, author of These Are The Generations (affiliate link), will also share his own story of persecution for spreading the gospel to North Korea. He reminds us that getting God’s Word out, even just one copy, is worth it. Pray for North Koran Christians to be faithful to Christ as they go about their daily lives in this restricted nation, and for more North Koreans to be able to read and listen to the Bible for themselves. Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast Or you can listen each week—and get daily prayer reminders—in the VOM App for your smartphone or tablet.

One night, TK, extremely sick, found himself in his room praying, “I am ill and if you are the one true God then I will commit my life to you.” TK slept through the night and woke up completely healed! From that moment, he was committed to following Christ. His father—a former drug dealer who met Christ in prison for his crimes—encouraged TK to learn more about the one true God. With passion for following Christ after he had experienced God’s power over disease, TK went to Bible school in Thailand. Returning to Laos with Christian materials to help his ministry, TK was arrested at the border and imprisoned for three months before God ordained his release from prison. Today TK serves persecuted Christians inside Laos and holds a leadership position within Laos’s registered church organization. He says at the time of his arrest it was common for Christians in Laos to endure physical suffering for being a Christian—arrests, beatings and other pressure. Today, he says, mental and spiritual pressure for following Christ is more common, including being ostracized by family members, cut off from work or educational opportunities and even being kicked out of your village. Listen as TK shares what our persecuted church family faces in Laos today. TK will also explain how he is serving persecuted brothers and sisters there. Pray for communist authorities in Laos and for wisdom and discernment for TK as he assists persecuted Christians. Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast. Or you can listen each week—and get daily prayer reminders—in the new VOM App for your smartphone or tablet.

This week we complete our conversation with Richard and Jeanette, an American couple who had served 10 years in China when police came knocking on their apartment door and they knew their gospel service in China was over. When we left off last week, Richard was being interrogated at a Chinese police station while Jeanette, his wife, prayed and was ministered to by their local church pastor and other Christian friends. Richard’s interrogation continued the next day before police let him return home but warned him not to tell anyone—even his wife—about the questioning. He knew the interrogation wasn’t over. In the ensuing weeks he was repeatedly called back to the police station. When he arrived home, Jeanette watched her husband closely, looking for signs of beatings or torture. The stress of each day—and not knowing when authorities would demand another trip to the police station—left Richard, at times, barely able to function. Some days he couldn’t even get out of bed. He couldn’t tell his wife what happened with the police, fearing anything he said would put her in danger of also being arrested or interrogated. Chinese police mockingly asked why he would follow Christ. They thought Jesus selfish to ask His followers give up family, jobs, money and success just to end up being locked in a police station. Yet even as they questioned him, Richard felt guidance from the Holy Spirit in how to answer their questions and even tried to plant seeds of the gospel in their conversations. Finally, Richard and Jeanette learned that they would be allowed to leave China but would likely never be allowed to return to the land and people they love deeply. Listen to hear how they were finally set free, and when they finally had the chance to talk to each other about all they’d gone through at the hands of communist Chinese police. You’ll also hear how they are both thankful for the persecution they endured—and the fruit they’ve seen in their own lives and their family that grew directly out of their time of trial. They’ll also help listeners pray for Christians in China as they endure persecution and suffering for their faith—without the opportunity to leave the country or the protection of a foreign passport. Listen to the first part of Richard and Jeanette’s story here, and the second part here. Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast. Or listen each week in the new VOM App for your smartphone or tablet.