Islamist militias attacked three different villages in eastern Burkina Faso on and shortly after July 19, 2025. “Eleven Christians have been killed, and others have been taken hostage or are missing,” said a front-line worker. He added that many Christians in the area have fled their homes, and one pastor was evacuated to another city to receive medical care after suffering a serious injury. The incidents occurred near the Mali border, where numerous jihadi groups are based. “Please pray for the church in Burkina Faso as they continue to face attacks on nearly a weekly basis,” said the front-line worker. Another Christian leader said, “Thousands of believers are being displaced; hundreds are being killed. There’s a lot of pain but also a lot of perseverance.”

Click here to find out about Christian persecution in Burkina Faso and learn how to pray.

A Christian man now suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after being tortured for his faith. Jonas left Islam and came to faith in Christ many years ago. When someone discovered his conversion and reported it to authorities, Jonas was immediately arrested, imprisoned and tortured repeatedly. When he was released, Jonas fled from the region as soon as he was able to and now lives in Europe. He is still tormented, however, by what he endured and suffers from PTSD. “He has been in his new country for several years,” said a front-line worker, “but continues to struggle emotionally and needs healing in order to adjust to life in his adopted home country.”

In a series of raids on July 17, 2025, Nicaraguan national police took Pastor Rudy Palacios Vargas and seven other Christians into custody without warning or warrants. The families of those detained have been unable to locate their loved ones. One family member reported that they were being charged with treason and “undermining national integrity.” Vargas had been forced into exile in 2018 after he and his congregation brought food and medicine and offered prayer to students protesting the authoritarian Marxist regime of President Daniel Ortega. Vargas returned to Nicaragua in 2020 to resume the pastorate and has been routinely monitored and harassed by the police and other authorities. Since 2022, the Nicaraguan government has imposed increasingly harsh restrictions, seeking to intimidate Christian leaders into joining a government-controlled church association.