• Dec. 05, 2019 | Central African Republic

    Refugee Hopes to Reestablish Local Church

    [22] prayers in [1] nation have been posted for Matthew and Family.
    Some of the Christians driven from their villages want to retun home.

    Like thousands of other Christians in the Central African Republic, Matthew and his family left their town in 2017 when it was overrun by Muslim rebels. They fled into the bush with nothing more than the clothes they were wearing and have lived as refugees ever since. Read More.

  • Dec. 05, 2019 | India

    New Believer Persecuted over Rumors of Paid Conversions

    [17] prayers in [1] nation have been posted for Aarav.
    Aarav was beaten and evicted from his home after coming to faith.

    Aarav came to faith in Christ after being healed from a long illness when a local minister prayed for him. When Aarav invited the minister and his family to his home, about 50 members of a militant Hindu group gathered at Aarav's house and began shouting and banging on the doors. Read More.

  • Dec. 05, 2019 | Iran

    Increased Gas Prices Could Hinder Christian Work

    [16] prayers in [1] nation have been posted for Iranian front-line workers.
    Christians in Iran meet in small cell groups secretly in homes.

    Gas prices in Iran increased by as much as 300 percent in November, and the government has also limited the amount of fuel that can be purchased for each private vehicle. While transportation costs have tripled, salaries remain the same. Read More.

  • Nov. 28, 2019 | Vietnam

    Villagers Confiscate Christian Woman's Land

    [269] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Chau.
    Chau was kicked out of her village while away on a visit to her daughter.

    A Christian woman in the village of Dak Lak lost her home and land recently when villagers decided to expel her because of her Christian faith. Read More.

  • Nov. 28, 2019 | Turkey

    Officials Threaten Legal Action Against Church

    [173] prayers in [12] nations have been posted for Newly Opened Church.
    Local officials want to find a way to legally remove a church in Turkey.

    A newly opened church in Turkey is facing potential legal problems. After years of prayer and searching, church leaders finally found a suitable building with an owner willing to rent to them. They began holding services, and the congregation gradually began to grow week by week. Then, the police began calling the pastor asking for information, and recently district officials questioned him for two hours. Read More.

  • Nov. 28, 2019 | Ethiopia

    Rebuilt Churches Bring Unity

    [150] prayers in [8] nations have been posted for Church members in unity.
    Ethiopian believers in front of one of the newly constructed homes.

    Church leaders in an area that experienced large-scale persecution in 2017 say the local church has been greatly strengthened by support from Christians outside the country. People who had stopped coming to church have begun to return after seeing Christians' homes rebuilt. Read More.

  • Nov. 21, 2019 | Algeria

    Authorities Continue to Close Churches

    [299] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Closed churches.
    Special police forces (in green) remove worshippers from an Algerian church.

    Authorities shut down three more churches in Algeria last month. On Oct. 16, days after Christians protested the government's crackdown on churches, authorities forcibly removed Light Church worshippers from their building in north-central Algeria and sealed its doors. Read More.

  • Nov. 21, 2019 | Iran

    50 Years Since Seeds for the Gospel Were Planted

    [211] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Gladys Bliss.
    Mark, Gladys and their children in an earlier photo.

    In October 1969, American missionaries Mark and Gladys Bliss and their children were traveling to visit believers in northern Iran when their car collided with another vehicle. All three of their children were killed along with the baby son of Haik and Takoush Hovsepian, who were traveling with them. Read More.

  • Nov. 21, 2019 | China

    Baptism and Offering Boxes Forbidden

    [190] prayers in [11] nations have been posted for Zhejiang Churches.
    A copy of the agreement in which the measures were introduced.

    A new set of measures adopted in Zhejiang province now forbid changes in location, church growth, adjustment of service times and offering boxes. Local officials now control a church's number of attendees, service times and types of activities, and churches must have a supervision team. Read More.

  • Nov. 14, 2019 | Burkina Faso

    Evangelist Attacked by Armed Gunmen

    [307] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Yaya and Family.
    Evangelists in Burkina Faso baptist a new believer.

    Two armed men forced an evangelist in northern Burkina Faso out of his house one night recently. When they led Yaya outside, he managed to escape into the darkness as the men shot at him several times. Read More.

  • Nov. 14, 2019 | Nepal

    Widow Refuses to Worship Snake God

    [239] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Tavesa.
    Tavesa struggles financially after being kicked out of her son's home.

    Tavesa, a widow who lives with her son, became a Christian three years ago after being healed of an illness through prayer. Her son told her repeatedly to stop following Jesus, and when she refused, he kicked her out of his house. Read More.

  • Nov. 14, 2019 | Cuba

    Evangelist Arrested for Public Preaching

    [211] prayers in [11] nations have been posted for Juan Bautista.
    Juan Bautista was arrested while street preaching.

    A lay evangelist was arrested in the central Cuban city of Camagüey in October after police heard him preaching in public. Juan Bautista is well known to local authorities, who have repeatedly told Juan to stop his public evangelism and have also claimed he has a mental illness. Read More.

  • Nov. 07, 2019 | Egypt

    Woman Flees Father and Brother Planning to Kill Her

    [362] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Acenath.
    In some Muslim cultures, it is acceptable to kill women who have shamed their family.

    Acenath was a married mother of three children when she became a Christian. She kept it secret for many years, but her family eventually learned of her Christian faith. They first tried to persuade her to return to Islam, but when five members of her extended family also came to know Christ, Acenath's father decided she was a "virus" that had to be stopped. Read More.

  • Nov. 07, 2019 | Eritrea

    Christians Suffer Under Worsening Conditions

    [257] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Eritrean Christians.
    Many Christians in Eritrea were driven to worship underground after 2002.

    Conditions in Eritrea continue to deteriorate despite a peace treaty signed with Ethiopia earlier in 2019 that earned Ethiopia's president, an evangelical Christian, the Nobel Peace Prize. "The country is becoming worse and worse," an Eritrean Christian said. Read More.

  • Nov. 07, 2019 | Laos

    Police Fear Growth of Christianity

    [240] prayers in [12] nations have been posted for Lao Believers.
    A growing number of people in the community are turning to Christ.

    Police in a province near the border with Thailand have become so concerned about the number of people converting to Christianity that they have forbidden worship and asked Christians to renounce their faith. Read More.

  • Oct. 31, 2019 | Nepal

    Living the Christian Life with Beautiful Aroma

    [373] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for New Christian family.
    This family has very little materially, but they are spiritually rich.

    An extremely poor family who came to Christ has experienced intense persecution but also rapid spiritual maturity. The family is so poor that they live in a shelter on government-owned land and lease land to grow crops. At each harvest, they owed their landlord half of their crops and they struggled to survive. Read More.

  • Oct. 31, 2019 | Sri Lanka

    Villagers Assault Christians

    [229] prayers in [11] nations have been posted for Christians assaulted by villagers.
    Behind Sri Lanka's island beauty, there are some who want the nation to be purely Buddhist.

    A group of 10 villagers assaulted six Christians as they were on their way to church on Saturday, Sept. 21. The villagers beat the Christians with sticks, injuring five of them so badly that they required hospital stays. Read More.

  • Oct. 31, 2019 | Cameroon

    Willingly Making Sacrifices

    [238] prayers in [11] nations have been posted for Pastor Silas and fellow pastors.
    One of the homes burned by Islamists in Cameroon.

    A VOM-supported pastor whose home was destroyed by Islamists continues to shepherd his congregation despite the risks. Boko Haram militants destroyed Pastor Silas's home and the homes of several other pastors in northeastern Cameroon. Read More.

  • Oct. 24, 2019 | India

    Young Christian Woman Killed by Neighbors

    [346] prayers in [20] nations have been posted for Naadir.
    Naadir (center with the green shirt) and his daughter (held by a neighbor) watched family members murder his wife because of her faith.

    A young woman from Jharkhand state, in eastern India, was attacked and killed by neighbors in front of her home recently as her husband and 3-year-old daughter watched in horror. Read More.

  • Oct. 24, 2019 | Indonesia

    Two Christian Men Released from Prison

    [216] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Andreas and Bintang.
    Andreas Sarno and Bintang Sirait spent eight months in prison for sharing a gospel tract in a Muslim neighborhood.

    Two elderly Christian men who were imprisoned in February for distributing gospel tracts on the island of Sumatra have been released. Read More.

  • Oct. 24, 2019 | Iran

    Three Christian Converts Sentenced to Prison

    [220] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Asghar, Mohammadreza, and Friend.
    Sharing your faith could be an imprisonable offense in Iran.

    Three Christian converts from Islam were sentenced recently to six months in prison because of their Christian faith and activities. On Sept. 16, 2019, Asghar Salehi and Mohammadreza Rezaei, along with another Christian convert, were summoned to court and issued six-month prison sentences for "propaganda against the system through promoting Zionist Christianity." Read More.

  • Oct. 17, 2019 | India

    Pastor Beheaded by Radical Communists

    [488] prayers in [24] nations have been posted for Saisha and her children.
    Saisha is grieving the loss of her husband.

    Members of India's Naxalite political group have killed another evangelist in India's Odisha state. Pastor Saanvi had shared the gospel in villages near his home for the past six years as a bi-vocational minister, even planting house churches in two of the villages. Read More.

  • Oct. 17, 2019 | Vietnam

    Hmong Christians Receive Audio Bibles

    [230] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Displaced Hmong Believers.
    A Hmong woman who received an audio Bible.

    A group of displaced Hmong believers joyfully received a gift of Bibles earlier this year. The Christians, who relocated to central Vietnam after facing severe persecution in the Hmong ethnic region of northern Vietnam, are now viewed as squatters and are refused the rights of legal citizens. Read More.

  • Oct. 17, 2019 | Egypt

    New Converts Hunger for Christ

    [237] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Women in Bible School.
    Former Muslims are learning more about Christ through an underground Bible school.

    An underground Bible school for former Muslim women who have come to faith in Christ has experienced significant growth in the past year. Read More.

  • Oct. 10, 2019 | Nepal

    Young Wife Beaten and Kicked Out of Home

    [339] prayers in [20] nations have been posted for Sreva.
    Sreva and her son.

    Sreva's husband, who was not a Christian, allowed her to attend church because he had seen a positive change in her. But Sreva and her husband live with her husband's parents, and they are unhappy that she attends church. Recently, while Sreva's husband was away at work, they took her Bible and began beating her with it. Read More.

  • Oct. 10, 2019 | Sri Lanka

    Buddhist Monk Assaults Pastor

    [217] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Pastor of Potters House Church.
    Villagers sometimes oppose Christians because they don't fit community norms.

    A Buddhist monk and about 10 other individuals forced their way into the Potters House Church in Dambulla on Aug. 7, 2019, and assaulted the pastor during a prayer meeting. Read More.

  • Oct. 10, 2019 | Algeria

    Government Closes Eighth Church

    [200] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Church members after church closings.
    The Algerian government has been systematically closing churches, like the church of Ait-Mellikeche. (Photo: World Watch Monitor.)

    Authorities closed and sealed another church building in Algeria recently, making it the eighth church closed since November 2017. On September 24, the police director in Boghni announced that a church building in Boghni had been sealed at the governor's order. Read More.

  • Oct. 03, 2019 | Laos

    Pastor Threatened at Gunpoint

    [317] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Threatened Pastor.
    New believers often face the harshest opposition in Laos.

    In June, authorities in a Laotian village threatened a local pastor at gunpoint, insisting that he and his congregation renounce their faith and that he sign a document agreeing to cease worship in his home. Read More.

  • Oct. 03, 2019 | Uganda

    Teens Driven from Home

    [236] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Hanifah and Nasira.
    Nasira (left) and Hanifah (right) worry about their mothers, who they left behind.

    Two half-sisters remain fearful after being kicked out of their home for attending church. Hanifah, 15, and Nasira, 14, were driven from their home by their father, who became a polygamist after converting to Islam. Read More.

  • Oct. 03, 2019 | Jordan

    New Christian Forced to Flee Country

    [216] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Ammer.
    Baptism is often the act that clarifies a new believer's position… sometimes resulting in persecution.

    A Christian convert from Islam was forced to move to another city and eventually leave the country after someone reported his conversion to authorities. After accepting Christ, Ammer's family treated him badly, beating him and claiming he was insane. Read More.

  • Sep. 26, 2019 | India

    Hindu Radicals Beat Pastor at Prayer Meeting

    [323] prayers in [19] nations have been posted for Radicals beat pastor.
    Pastor Mahesh and his wife in the hospital.

    On July 19, Pastor Mahesh was leading a prayer meeting in Tamil Nadu state, when three Hindu extremists entered the building and began to beat him with a metal rod. Read More.

  • Sep. 26, 2019 | Indonesia

    Another Church Closed

    [212] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Neighbors shut another church.
    Police arrive to shut down the church.

    After Muslims in Sari Agung hamlet objected to a Pentecostal Church in Indonesia that was meeting in a neighborhood home, local officials agreed to close the church. Read More.

  • Sep. 26, 2019 | Turkey

    Christians Find Place to Worship After Two-Year Search

    [202] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Church finds home.
    The building the church found is ideal.

    A church in Turkey that has been looking for a worship space for two and a half years has finally found one. Read More.

  • Sep. 19, 2019 | India

    Bibles Bring Joy to Kandhamal

    [272] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Christian Leaders in Odisha.
    Believers in Odisha are still recovering from the 2008 riots.

    Earlier this year, VOM workers provided Bibles to 50 pastors and Christian leaders for distribution to their congregations in Kandhamal district, Odisha state, which suffered massive anti-Christian riots in 2008. Hindu nationalists, who blamed Christians for the death of a political figure, killed 45 people, displaced about 50,000 and destroyed thousands of homes. Read More.

  • Sep. 19, 2019 | China

    Christian Man Injured in Church Demolition

    [220] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Injured Christian.
    Last year, government workers removed crosses from the tops of churches in Henan.

    On July 12, 2019, a demolition crew hired by local authorities surrounded a house church in Zhengzhou, Henan province, at 11:30 p.m. During a scuffle with the work crew, a Christian man who was at the house church with his wife was severely beaten, suffering three severed tendons in his wrist. He was later taken to a hospital unconscious. Read More.

  • Sep. 19, 2019 | Uganda

    Susan Ithungu Faces New Health Challenges

    [230] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Susan Ithungu.
    Susan (right) and the woman who cared for her while she recuperated at Susan's school.

    Susan Ithungu, who suffered permanent leg damage as a young girl after being locked in a small closet for becoming a Christian, is now facing a new health challenge. Read More.

  • Sep. 12, 2019 | Nepal

    Young Athlete Chooses Christ Over a Sports Career

    [328] prayers in [18] nations have been posted for Unnat.
    Unnat was baptized after escaping from his father's home.

    A young Nepali athlete has chosen to follow Christ, at the cost of losing all family support for his dream of becoming a professional athlete. Read More.

  • Sep. 12, 2019 | Niger

    Family Rejection Leads to Community Acceptance

    [232] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Karina Ali.
    Karina's witness touched members of her Muslim community.

    When Karina Ali became a Christian after reading Bible stories about Jesus, her Muslim father was so angry that he kicked her out of the house and refused to pay her school fees. Read More.

  • Sep. 12, 2019 | Tajikistan

    Family Eagerly Awaits Bakhrom Kholmatov's Release

    [210] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for The Kholmatov Family.
    Bakhrom and his wife before he was arrested. He could be released in April 2020.

    The family of imprisoned pastor Bakhrom Kholmatov is looking forward to his scheduled April 2020 release. The past two years have been difficult, as his wife has experienced various stress-related health problems, but Gulnora and the children say they feel they are now on the downward slope of a difficult season. Read More.

  • Sep. 05, 2019 | India

    Second of Two Kandhamal Prisoners Released

    [310] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Garnath and Bijaya.
    Bijaya, second from the left, was reunited with his wife and children after more than 10 years.

    Two men held falsely responsible for the catalyst to the 2008 anti-Christian Kandhamal riots have been released. India's Supreme Court ordered the release of Garnath Chalanseth in May and Bijaya Sanset in July. Four other Christian men remain in prison. Read More.

  • Sep. 05, 2019 | China

    Wang Yi Unable to Meet with Lawyer as Investigation Ends

    [241] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Wang Yi.
    Wang Yi's lawyer has not been allowed to see him.

    Court agents informed the lawyer for imprisoned pastor Wang Yi that the government's investigation into the pastor has concluded - even though the pastor's lawyers have not met with him since his arrest. Read More.

  • Sep. 05, 2019 | Uganda

    Woman Chased Away for her Faith

    [262] prayers in [18] nations have been posted for Fazira.
    Fazira and her children are looking for a new place to live.

    After becoming a Christian, Fazira's Muslim husband chased her away - twice. Fazira accepted Christ after her son, who had long battled an illness, experienced healing. Secretly, she started attending church and eventually brought her children. When her husband realized she was no longer attending mosque, he chased after her with a stick. Read More.

  • Aug. 29, 2019 | Nepal

    New Convert Cut off Financially by Husband

    [353] prayers in [19] nations have been posted for Chenbagam.
    Chenbagam's husband stopped sending money home for her support after she became a Christian.

    A young woman is now financially destitute but spiritually rich after coming to know Christ. Chenbagam was married at age 14, a common practice among Hindus in Nepal. Her family was impoverished, however, and Chenbagam's husband decided to work in Saudi Arabia. Chenbagam became ill and spent nearly everything her husband was earning on various treatments, including visits to a witch doctor. Read More.

  • Aug. 29, 2019 | Sri Lanka

    Buddhist Monks Threaten Pastor

    [228] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Threatened Pastor.
    Militant Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka sometimes organize against Christians.

    As Christians worshipped inside their Assemblies of God church in Gampaha District on June 6, 12 Buddhist monks organized a demonstration outside. When the pastor called police, they arrived, but they also brought the monks and the assembled crowd inside the church with them. Read More.

  • Aug. 29, 2019 | Indonesia

    Community Forces Church to Close Building

    [212] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Pastor Tigor and congregation.
    Neighbors posted protest signs against Pastor Tigor's house church.

    Officials closed a church in Central Indonesia after neighbors protested its existence. Pastor Tigor Yunus Sitorus built a home in the Bantul neighborhood in 2003 intending for it to double as a house church. When community members learned he was using the house for non-Muslim religious activity, they protested. Read More.

  • Aug. 22, 2019 | Afghanistan

    God at Work, More Laborers Needed

    [309] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Afghan Christians.
    Prayer is still greatly needed for Afghan believers.

    Christian workers report several encouraging developments in the difficult mission field of Afghanistan. Seven new believers formed a house church after being baptized recently, translators are working on three new Bible projects for minority languages, and followers of Christ are now present in every one of Afghanistan's 34 provinces. Read More.

  • Aug. 22, 2019 | Vietnam

    Imprisoned Hmong Believer Hospitalized

    [258] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Kaub.
    Kaub's health deteriorated so much that authorities took him to the hospital in handcuffs.

    A Hmong believer has been hospitalized as a result of poor treatment in prison, where he has spent the last year on false charges because of his Christian faith. After Kaub became a Christian, villagers destroyed his house. Read More.

  • Aug. 22, 2019 | Uganda

    New Hope for Abandoned Woman

    [233] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Charity.
    Charity said she could not allow her children to become Muslims.

    Charity struggled with depression after her husband became a Muslim and abandoned her. But she stood her ground when he threatened to take their three children. Read More.

  • Aug. 15, 2019 | Mexico

    Eight Christian Families Expelled from Village

    [327] prayers in [21] nations have been posted for Exiled Christians.
    This woman was kicked out of the community, along with eight other Christian families.

    After a family of believers in southern Mexico led seven other families to Christ, village leaders told the Christians they had 15 days to leave the village and that they were losing their inherited land. Read More.

  • Aug. 15, 2019 | Pakistan

    Pray for Family of Murdered Christian Convert

    [262] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Mohammed's Family.
    Sharing the gospel is risky in Pakistan, but there are many faithful brothers and sisters who are faithfully telling others about Christ.

    Mohammed, a former imam, became a follower of Christ in 2015. He got baptized, removed his son from a jihadist training camp and began eagerly sharing his faith with others. Read More.

  • Aug. 08, 2019 | Uganda

    Christian Convert Kidnapped

    [373] prayers in [20] nations have been posted for Sohail.
    Kidnappers tried to convince Sohail to return to Islam by holding him overnight.

    A Christian convert from Islam was kidnapped by unknown attackers recently and questioned about his faith. At midnight, someone knocked on the door of Sohail's rented home and called his name. When he answered the door, some men grabbed him, blindfolded him and took him away. Read More.

  • Aug. 08, 2019 | Nepal

    Christian-Run School Burglarized

    [231] prayers in [18] nations have been posted for Nepalese Christians.
    Many areas of Nepal don't have access to education or God's Word.

    Buddhist fundamentalists broke into a school run by Christians recently, searching for proof that the Christians were indoctrinating local Buddhist children. Read More.

  • Aug. 08, 2019 | Vietnam

    New Believer Tortured for Faith

    [266] prayers in [20] nations have been posted for Hmong Christian.
    Officials often leave established Hmong converts to Christianity alone, but newer converts face strong opposition.

    Village leaders tortured a Hmong Christian recently in an attempt to get him and his wife to renounce their new Christian faith. Read More.

  • Aug. 01, 2019 | Syria

    Car Bomb Injures 11 in Front of Church

    [326] prayers in [19] nations have been posted for Christians in Syria.
    Assyrian Christians return to their church building to pray after Islamic extremists destroyed it.

    A car bomb injured 11 people during a prayer meeting in front of a Syrian Orthodox church in northern Syria. Locals in the city of Qamishli said that if the attack had happened just minutes later, people would have been emerging from the service and the number of casualties would have been much higher. Read More.

  • Aug. 01, 2019 | Iran

    Eight Arrested in Coordinated Raid

    [238] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Sam Khosravi and his family and friends.
    Iranian believers worship Christ in secret. They gather knowing a network of government informants could expose their house church, leading to their imprisonment.

    Eight Christians from the city of Bushehr were arrested on July 1 in raids conducted by Ministry of Intelligence agents. The eight arrested include Sam Khosravi and his wife, Maryam Falahi; Sam's mother, Khatoon Fatolahzadeh; Sam's brother, Sasan, and his wife, Marjan Falahi; Pooriya Peyma and his wife, Fatemeh Talebi; and Habib Heydari. Read More.

  • Aug. 01, 2019 | China

    Historic Church in Southeastern China Closed

    [225] prayers in [19] nations have been posted for Xunsiding Church members.
    Officers form a human wall in front of Xunsiding Church.

    An influential unregistered church in southeast China was forced to close earlier this year after months of hostilities. In May, officials broke into the Xunsiding Church in Fujian province for an inspection, and issued a fine equivalent to $36,000 and closed the church. Read More.

  • Jul. 25, 2019 | Ethiopia

    Attacks Spur Church Growth in the South

    [317] prayers in [19] nations have been posted for Attacked Believers.
    This family received a new house after theirs was destroyed in the 2017 attacks.

    After large scale attacks against Christians in southern Ethiopia left three people dead and 38 homes destroyed in 2017, it would have been easy for Christians in the region to give up. Instead, church leaders in this rural region committed to encouraging their people. Read More.

  • Jul. 25, 2019 | Pakistan

    Islamic Holidays Bring Extra Attention to New Christians

    [235] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Gohar's Family.
    A young Pakistani man is baptized.

    A young Pakistani man who came to Christ was murdered shortly after an Islamic holiday. Gohar gave his life to Jesus after listening to a Christian radio broadcast and his whole life changed. "Thank God I left Islam. I want to bring more people to Christ," Gohar told a member of the radio program's follow-up team. Read More.

  • Jul. 25, 2019 | Middle East

    Chained by an Unhealthy Fear

    [229] prayers in [18] nations have been posted for Middle Eastern Believers.
    Many believers in the Middle East are hampered by fear.

    Although the Middle East is predominantly Muslim, a number of churches operate openly in countries like Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. One Middle Eastern Christian leader believes these churches have too long been operating in a spirit of fear. Read More.

  • Jul. 18, 2019 | Eritrea

    Authorities Arrest Hundreds of Believers in June

    [322] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Arrested believers.
    Almaz spent time in an Eritrean prison for her faith.

    The Eritrean government increased its pressure on Christians in June, arresting about 500 people in various raids, according to a VOM contact. In one raid on an underground church, authorities arrested 45 believers, including children, pregnant women and elderly people. Read More.

  • Jul. 18, 2019 | Nepal

    Young Man Chooses Jesus over Family

    [257] prayers in [20] nations have been posted for Toofan.
    Toofan's family kicked him out when he became a believer.

    Toofan became a believer two years ago, but he didn't tell his family about his new faith until his baptism earlier this year. His mother tried to persuade him to renounce his faith in Christ, and when that failed his family kicked him out of the house. Read More.

  • Jul. 18, 2019 | Cuba

    Church Leaders Encouraged by Prayer and Support

    [212] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Church leaders.
    The body of Christ in Cuba continues to grow.

    Cuban church leaders recently gathered with other Christian leaders outside the country for a time of fellowship and encouragement. "We feel less alone knowing that you are praying for us," one of the pastors told a VOM worker. Read More.

  • Jul. 11, 2019 | Laos

    Sharing God's Word by Radio

    [263] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Khmu Radio Ministry.
    Radio brings the Word of God into remote Khmu homes.

    Two members of a radio ministry serving the Khmu ethnic minority recently visited four churches in the remote Laos highlands, where Khmu believers joyfully welcomed the two women in the love of Christ. Read More.

  • Jul. 11, 2019 | Israel

    Most Messianic Congregations Lack Official Approval

    [203] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Messianic Congregations.
    Orthodox Jews harass Messianic Christians arriving for a worship service. (World Watch Monitor)

    While a few Messianic Congregations in Israel have been able to obtain official nonprofit status and its accompanying benefits, most of the more than 300 Messianic congregations in the country have not. Read More.

  • Jul. 11, 2019 | China

    Wife of Early Rain Pastor Freed After Six Months in Jail

    [229] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Jiang Rong.
    Jiang Rong was released from jail after being held for six months. Her husband is being held in "secret detention."

    Jiang Rong, the wife of Early Rain Covenant Church Pastor Wang Yi, was released on bail after six months in jail. Jiang Rong and her husband were arrested on Dec. 9, 2018, during a raid on their unregistered church of approximately 800 members. Read More.

  • Jul. 04, 2019 | Indonesia

    Two Believers Arrested for Sharing Gospel Tracts

    [356] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Andreas and Bintang.
    Retirees Andreas Sarno (right) and Bintang Sirait (left) are in prison after giving out a tract.

    Two Christian men were imprisoned in February for distributing gospel tracts on the island of Sumatra. Read More.

  • Jul. 04, 2019 | India

    Evangelist Recovering from Beating

    [253] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Dr. Anjaneya Swami.
    Dr. Anjaneya Swami continues to recover from a brutal beating.

    After a long, painful recovery, a former professor who was beaten by Hindu radicals is finally improving. Dr. Anjaneya Swami was hospitalized with a brain hemorrhage in 2017 following an attack and subsequent police interrogation. Read More.

  • Jul. 04, 2019 | Niger

    Mob Torches Churches After Mosque Sermon

    [234] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Church members after attacks.
    One of the burned Nigerien churches.

    A mob of Muslim radicals attacked two churches in Niger's third largest city on June 13 following an imam's inflammatory message. The protestors burned an Assemblies of God church in the Zaria neighborhood, along with the pastor's car, as well as the Life to the Full Christian Church. Read More.

  • Jun. 27, 2019 | Vietnam

    A Culture Shift Among New Believers

    [291] prayers in [11] nations have been posted for New Believers.
    A growing house church in a major city.

    Many people from rural areas and minority tribal groups in Vietnam have embraced Christ in recent decades, but a pastor there said he is now seeing more educated people turn to Christ in the large city where he lives. Read More.

  • Jun. 27, 2019 | Niger

    Christian Refugees Face Ongoing Persecution

    [232] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Christian Refugees.
    Christians in Niger worship in their church after it was attacked and burned.

    On June 8, Boko Haram kidnapped a Christian refugee woman in the middle of the night. They dragged her into the bush and stole all her valuables before sending her back to the refugee camp with a warning for other Christians: Get out of the area within three days or be killed. Read More.

  • Jun. 27, 2019 | Cuba

    Government Revokes Permission for New Church Construction

    [207] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Members of Maranatha Church.
    The Maranatha Baptist Church preceeds the Cuban Revolution.

    Cuba's Communist government recently revoked permission for the Maranatha Baptist Church in Holguin, Cuba, to construct a new building. Read More.

  • Jun. 20, 2019 | Middle East

    Love Transforms Family Relationships

    [292] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Fatima.
    A Palestinian Christian displays a photo of her Muslim daughter.

    A new believer's faith is changing her attitude toward hostile family members. Fatima's in-laws have treated her badly, but as she has grown in faith she has begun to show them the same love Christ showed her. Read More.

  • Jun. 20, 2019 | Iran

    God Is at Work in the Hardest Hearts

    [231] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Secret Believers.
    God can change the hardest hearts.

    Many Iranians have lost faith in Islam, and a VOM contact reports that even some government officials have given their lives to Christ. Recently, an official in Iran's secretive religious police unit came to faith in Christ through the witness of a Christian family member. Read More.

  • Jun. 20, 2019 | Burkina Faso

    Anti-Christian Violence Growing

    [240] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Attacked Church Members.
    Christian children in Burkina Faso

    The situation for Christians in Burkina Faso is deteriorating steadily, according to a VOM worker in the region. In less than two months, Islamists have attacked several churches and one Christian village. On April 28, gunmen attacked the Assemblies of God church in Silgadji, killing the pastor and five church members. Read More.

  • Jun. 13, 2019 | Vietnam

    Adding to the Fire Within the Hmong Ethnic Group

    [308] prayers in [21] nations have been posted for Evangelist to the Hmong.
    Hmong believers desire strong theological training.

    A Christian worker in Vietnam is doing all he can to add to the growing number of Hmong people who are turning to Christ. Read More.

  • Jun. 13, 2019 | Middle East

    Christian Convert Finds New Family in Christ

    [226] prayers in [19] nations have been posted for Ahmed.
    Christian converts from Islam in the West Bank often feel deeply alone.

    Ahmed, a young man in the West Bank, was abandoned by his Muslim family because of his physical challenges. He eagerly placed his faith in Christ after meeting some visiting Christians, and these believers have since become his surrogate family. Read More.

  • Jun. 13, 2019 | China

    Officials Plan to Turn Church into Hotel

    [218] prayers in [22] nations have been posted for Christians in Henan Province.
    Police officials interact with members of another church at a police station.

    Officials in central Henan province recently informed some church leaders of their intent to seize the church's building and turn it into a hotel. Read More.

  • Jun. 06, 2019 | Bangladesh

    Christians Face Persecution in Refugee Camps

    [360] prayers in [22] nations have been posted for Believers in Refugee Camps.
    Having several hundred thousand Rohingya people in Bangladesh has created new opportunities to share the gospel.

    Among the more than 600,000 Rohingya people who fled Myanmar in 2017, a relative few have come to faith in Christ while living in refugee camps in Bangladesh. These believers are now facing persecution in the predominantly Muslim camps. Read More.

  • Jun. 06, 2019 | Middle East

    Persecuted Believers Tired and Fearful

    [289] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Ahmed & Amin.
    Some believers feel worn down by persecution.

    Some secret believers in the Middle East say persecution is wearing them down physically and mentally. "We left Islam a long time ago, and now we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ," Ahmed said. Read More.

  • Jun. 06, 2019 | Uganda

    Hope Restored to Widow Supporting Grandchildren

    [225] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Ruth.
    Ruth

    The widow of a man who was killed because of his faith is praising the Lord today. After her husband was killed, Ruth thought she would die herself. "He was my source of everything," she said. Read More.

  • May. 30, 2019 | Nigeria

    Evangelist Severely Beaten in Bauchi State

    [399] prayers in [19] nations have been posted for Adamu.
    Admau was visiting his uncle when villages beat him badly.

    An evangelist visiting family members in Bauchi state was severely beaten recently and left for dead by Muslim villagers. Adamu was raised as a Muslim but placed his faith in Christ after hearing the gospel on the radio. Read More.

  • May. 30, 2019 | China

    Chinese Officials Shut Down Large House Church

    [224] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Shouwang Church Members.
    This notice was posted on the door of the church, closing Shouwang for good.

    A large, unregistered house church in Beijing was formally shut down on Saturday, March 23, after an extended battle with Chinese officials. The Shouwang Church first ran into trouble with the government in 2008, when they were evicted from a rented property. Read More.

  • May. 30, 2019 | Syria

    Islamist Violence Driving Muslims to Christ

    [249] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Farhad.
    This new church in Syria is made up of former Muslims.

    A church in Kobani, Syria, is seeing more Muslims turn to Christ after becoming disillusioned with Islam and its violent adherents. "If ISIS represents Islam, I don't want to be a Muslim anymore," Farhad Jasim told NBC News. Read More.

  • May. 23, 2019 | Burkina Faso

    Six Church Members Executed

    [304] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Families of Executed Church Members.
    Pastor Pierre chose to stay in Sirgadji out of love for his congregation. (Photo Credit: World Watch Monitor)

    Pastor Pierre Ouedraogo of Sirgadji was talking with church members after Sunday service on April 28, 2019, when 12 armed men on motorcycles approached and ordered the Christians to gather under a tree. After confiscating Bibles and cellphones, the men demanded that the Christians convert to Islam. Read More.

  • May. 23, 2019 | Gaza Strip

    Muslims Respond to the Gospel Throughout the Region

    [229] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Christian Converts from Islam.
    A minister meets with a woman in the West Bank to study Scripture.

    A VOM ministry partner working in the West Bank and Gaza has requested prayer for some Christian converts from Islam. A new believer named Mohammed is in danger from both his family and Gaza authorities, and is trying to get permission to leave. Read More.

  • May. 23, 2019 | Central Asia

    Former Teacher Faces Seven Years in Prison

    [238] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Alisher.
    Believers in Central Asia are few and they face many challenges.

    About two years ago, a school teacher named Alisher placed his faith in Christ and began actively sharing the gospel. As a result, he was fired from his job as a teacher. Read More.

  • May. 16, 2019 | Niger

    Audio Bible Leads Couple to Christ

    [319] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for New believers in Niger.
    This couple came to faith in Christ by listening to God's Word on an audio Bible.

    A husband and wife in rural Niger came to faith in Christ after receiving two audio Bibles from an evangelist. Read More.

  • May. 16, 2019 | Turkey

    Easter Service Overflows with Seekers

    [221] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Spiritual Seekers in Turkey.
    Many Turks are seeking deeper spiritual meaning in a country divided between secular and religious.

    A VOM partner in Turkey was delighted by the large turnout at his church's Easter celebration. At the beginning of the service, church members stood along the back wall to offer seats to visitors, as 120 worshipers crammed into a room big enough for only 85. Read More.

  • May. 16, 2019 | Myanmar

    Christian Workers Remain Imprisoned Under Wa State Army

    [250] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Imprisoned Christians.
    Members of the Wa Army destroyed churches and removed crosses in a cleansing last fall.

    In October 2018, the United Wa State Army, an ethnic army operating in far eastern Myanmar, began closing churches and arresting Christians, including about 100 front-line workers affiliated with VOM. Read More.

  • May. 09, 2019 | Nigeria

    Fulani Islamic Militants Rape and Kill Young Christian Woman

    [474] prayers in [26] nations have been posted for Joy Danlami's Family.
    Yet another village destroyed in an Islamic attack.

    Joy Danlami was on her way home from a Christian festival in Nasarawa state with her younger siblings on March 23, 2019, when a group of Fulani Islamic militants attacked them. Her brother and sister escaped with gunshot and machete wounds, but 19-year-old Joy was raped and killed. Read More.

  • May. 09, 2019 | China

    Authorities Offer Cash Rewards for Information on Christian Activity

    [257] prayers in [18] nations have been posted for Christians in Guangzhou.
    Officials in Guangzhou are willing to pay for information on house churches like this one.

    One Chinese city is now offering to pay for information on anyone involved in "illegal religious activities." Authorities in Guangzhou have offered rewards equaling as much as $1,500 to those reporting the activities. Read More.

  • May. 09, 2019 | Uzbekistan

    Christian Convert Forced into Mental Hospital

    [309] prayers in [20] nations have been posted for Shokhida.
    Shokhida Musallam

    The Muslim children of a 70-year-old Christian woman conspired with local authorities earlier this year to have their mother admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Read More.

  • May. 02, 2019 | India

    Christian Man Arrested After Sharing His Testimony

    [473] prayers in [26] nations have been posted for Karamjit.
    India Christians are often accused of forced conversions when they share their faith.

    A young man was arrested recently after sharing his testimony in a home Bible study. Karamjit, who was raised in the Sikh faith, was invited to share his testimony with a small group on March 13, 2019. As he was speaking, police entered the home and arrested him. Read More.

  • May. 02, 2019 | Kenya

    Long Recovery for Woman Injured in a Church Attack

    [259] prayers in [18] nations have been posted for Diana.
    Diana and her husband, Austin, who was also injured in the Sunday morning service.

    Almost five years after being injured in a church attack, Diana has nearly recovered from her wounds. She and her husband, Austin, were among 21 worshipers severely wounded in a 2014 attack on the Joy in Jesus Pentecostal Church in Mombasa, Kenya, that left seven people dead. Read More.

  • May. 02, 2019 | Middle East

    Young Christian Convert Defends the Bible

    [267] prayers in [21] nations have been posted for Fadi.
    This young man also became a Christian through the ministry of a VOM partner.

    Fadi, a young Christian from a Muslim background, came to faith in Christ through the ministry of a VOM partner and now uses his knowledge of the Quran to defend the Bible. Read More.

  • Apr. 25, 2019 | Indonesia

    Earthquake Brings Need for Bibles

    [290] prayers in [19] nations have been posted for Believers who lost Bibles.
    A child is deeply grateful for one of the new Bibles.

    On Sept. 28, 2018, a powerful earthquake hit central Sulawesi province, Indonesia, killing at least 1,763 people and destroying 1,700 homes; an additional 5,000 people were reported missing. Read More.

  • Apr. 25, 2019 | Eritrea

    Christian Convert Misses Son Left Behind

    [260] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Faven.
    Illustrating the difficult choices converts are sometimes forced make, Faven's son was left behind with his father in Eritrea.

    After Faven came to know Christ, she suddenly had to leave Eritrea. She was able to take only two of her children with her, leaving a son behind. Read More.

  • Apr. 25, 2019 | Uganda

    Unwilling to Forsake Christ

    [259] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Ssuubi.
    Ssuubi says he cannot forsake Christ.

    When Ssuubi became a believer, his wife and children were given to another man and he was fired from his job teaching Islam. Then his family tried to kill him. Read More.

  • Apr. 18, 2019 | Uganda

    Family Expelled from Village for Professing Faith

    [365] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Moses and family.
    Moses and his family lived in a temporary shelter after his family kicked them out.

    When Moses publicly professed his faith in Christ, he, his wife and their six children were kicked off the family property and expelled from their village. Read More.

  • Apr. 18, 2019 | India

    Christian Man Abducted and Murdered in Odisha

    [284] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Sukbati Gondi and Family.
    Anjali's pastor father was also killed by Naxalites in Odisha state.

    Anantram Gondi, a farmer in Odisha state, India, was murdered recently for refusing to return to Hinduism. He and his wife, Sukbati, had come to faith in Christ in 2018 and were active in their church. According to a VOM partner, villagers ostracized them and their five children as a result of their new faith, even cutting off utilities to their home. Read More.

  • Apr. 18, 2019 | Nigeria

    Second Attack on Christian Village

    [260] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Villagers of Ungwar Barde.
    VOM distributes food items to victims of mass village attacks.

    On the morning of March 19, mercenaries attacked the Christian village of Ungwar Barde, in Kaduna state, for the second time in less than two months. Read More.

  • Apr. 11, 2019 | Sierra Leone

    Tailoring Program Helps Transform Lives

    [324] prayers in [18] nations have been posted for Disowned Christian Women.
    Learning a trade will help these women provide for their families.

    A group of women who were disowned by their families after coming to faith in Christ are now receiving vocational training that will help them support themselves. Upon graduation from the VOM-supported program, the women will be equipped to set up a small tailoring business. Read More.

  • Apr. 11, 2019 | Middle East

    Sharing the Gospel Through Parenting Advice

    [234] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Noura.
    A parenting workshop became an opportunity to share freedom in Christ with a group of Muslim women.

    A VOM partner in the West Bank recently used a discussion about parenting to share the love of Jesus with a group of Muslim women. When the principal of a girls' school in a very religious Muslim village noticed that her students were not getting along well, she invited Noura, the wife of a Christian minister, to speak to the girls' mothers and provide some parenting tips. Read More.

  • Apr. 11, 2019 | China

    Authorities Remove More than 4,500 Crosses from Churches

    [261] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Churches in Henan Province.
    Authorities have been removing crosses from buildings in Henan province.

    Officials have removed crosses from more than 90 percent of the government-approved churches in Henan province, according to a VOM partner. Read More.

  • Apr. 04, 2019 | Uganda

    Family Doing Well After Being Abandoned Because of Faith in Christ

    [381] prayers in [24] nations have been posted for Cecilia.
    Cecilia is deeply grateful for the help she received.

    Cecilia was abandoned by her husband after she recommitted her life to Christ. And by the time a VOM worker in Uganda met her, she and her seven children were slowly starving. After a year of support from VOM, however, Cecilia and the children are doing well. Read More.

  • Apr. 04, 2019 | India

    Christians Attacked by Hindu Extremists

    [318] prayers in [19] nations have been posted for Karun.
    Karun used to walk around sharing the gospel.

    Hindu extremists attacked a group of Christians while they were praying, beating them with rods, breaking chairs, and destroying Bibles and song books. As neighbors watched, the radicals hung garlands of shoes around the necks of five women and three men before parading them down the street to a Hindu temple for a forced reconversion ceremony. Read More.

  • Apr. 04, 2019 | China

    Early Rain Church Member Missing

    [284] prayers in [18] nations have been posted for Pan Fei.
    Multiple churches throughout China have been closed, such as this one with an official seal pasted across the doors.

    Members of the Early Rain Church in Beijing are requesting prayer for a fellow church member who is missing. Pan Fei was among several hundred detained in early December 2018, when the church was closed. Although he was released a few days after his initial arrest, officials have arrested him several more times since then and have also searched his house. Read More.

  • Mar. 28, 2019 | Pakistan

    Christian Woman Assaulted and Locked in a Room by Muslim Employer

    [462] prayers in [21] nations have been posted for Aansa Bibi.
    Aansa Bibi was violated because she refused to become a Muslim.

    After fleeing domestic abuse, Aansa Bibi took a job as a house cleaner for a Muslim family. Her employer's daughters enjoyed listening to Aansa sing Christian worship songs, but the girls' aunt cautioned her brother about allowing an infidel Christian to work in their home. Read More.

  • Mar. 28, 2019 | Tanzania

    Pastor Assaulted During Prayer Service

    [269] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Pastor Morris William Ndbila.
    In Muslim-majority areas of Tanzania, Christians are harassed.

    As Pastor Morris William Ndbila of Malunga Parish led his congregation in prayer on Friday, Jan. 18, he began to hear rocks hitting the church's tin roof. Read More.

  • Mar. 28, 2019 | China

    House Church Members Face Ongoing Persecution

    [263] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Early Rain Church Members.
    Xu Miaozhuang comforts two of her children after they were evicted.

    Beleaguered members of the Early Rain Covenant Church have continued to experience persecution since their church was closed and more than 100 members arrested in December 2018. While most of those arrested have been released, several key leaders remain in prison, including Pastor Wang Yi. Read More.

  • Mar. 21, 2019 | Niger

    Persecution Is Fertilizer for the Gospel

    [320] prayers in [19] nations have been posted for Christian Leaders.
    New converts publicly declare their faith through baptism.

    A VOM partner ministry worked with 144 local evangelists last year, providing discipleship training and opportunities to help them support themselves. The evangelists then visited communities throughout the country, sharing the gospel and teaching people about Jesus. As those hearing the gospel began to place their faith in Christ, some were threatened or expelled from their families. Read More.

  • Mar. 21, 2019 | Colombia

    Pastor Evades Killers

    [267] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Pastor Fabian.
    These hands carry the gospel throughout the red zones.

    A Colombian pastor who refused to obey demands that he stop church services narrowly escaped death recently when two guerrilla assassins came looking for him at his church. Read More.

  • Mar. 21, 2019 | Nepal

    Christians Blamed for Villagers' Deaths

    [260] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Gianprakash and His Family.
    The gospel is penetrating even Nepal's most far-flung villages.

    When five people died within a week in a small Nepalese village last January, the only Christian family in the Hindu village was blamed for the deaths. Gianprakash and his family were asked to leave the village because they were following a foreign God. Read More.

  • Mar. 14, 2019 | India

    Former Muslim and Former Hindu Lead Church

    [376] prayers in [20] nations have been posted for Hani and Chakama.
    Hani and Chakama want their fellow Muslims to meet Jesus.

    A married couple who started a new church in their city had to change venues recently because of persecution. Hani, a former Hindu, and Chakama, a former Muslim, have actively shared their faith ever since coming to Christ and getting married. Read More.

  • Mar. 14, 2019 | Iran

    Government Arrests Five Christian Women

    [265] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Ruhsari.
    Converts from Islam Marzieh Amirizadeh and Maryam Rostampour were arrested in March 2009 and spent 259 days in prison for their faith.

    Five Christian women, all converts from Islam, were arrested in Iran recently. Ruhsari Kamberi, 65, was arrested shortly before Christmas 2018 and faced 10 days of intense interrogation. Read More.

  • Mar. 14, 2019 | China

    Spouses of Imprisoned Church Members Arrested

    [243] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Early Rain Covenant Church Members.
    The spouses of arrested believers held Bibles over their heads while protesting outside the German embassy.

    The crackdown on the Chengdu-based Early Rain Covenant Church continues. In February, relatives of imprisoned church members gathered in front of the German consulate in Chengdu, seeking diplomatic aid. Read More.

  • Mar. 07, 2019 | Nepal

    Monk Finds Jesus

    [432] prayers in [24] nations have been posted for Dawa.
    A Nepali monk found Christ.

    A former monk has maintained his newfound Christian faith despite strong family opposition. Dawa became a Christian in December 2018 after living as a monk in a Buddhist monastery for 10 years. He left the monastery after placing his faith in Christ, which came as a huge disappointment to his family. Read More.

  • Mar. 07, 2019 | Colombia

    Guerrillas Burn Bibles

    [282] prayers in [20] nations have been posted for Rolo.
    Guerrillas decided these Bibles were a threat.

    Guerrilla fighters burned 60 illustrated Bibles recently and banned the Bibles from their territory, according to a front-line worker in Colombia. The worker, known as Rolo, has distributed Bibles in some of Colombia's most dangerous regions for years. Read More.

  • Mar. 07, 2019 | Laos

    Governor Declares Christians "Good People"

    [266] prayers in [20] nations have been posted for The "Good People".
    The Jesus man has helped people beat addition and find Christ.

    An area long known as one of the most difficult places for Lao Christians to live seems to be softening. Recently, the area's governor told police to release four arrested Christians because Christians are "good people with good habits." People walk for days to see a Christian leader in the area known as the "Jesus man," hoping for healing or the ability to beat an addiction. Read More.

  • Feb. 28, 2019 | Syria

    Church Serves Needy in Homs

    [348] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Displaced Families.
    An aid recipient is overjoyed to receive a food package.

    A church in Syria recently distributed food packages to 100 displaced families near the city of Homs. Many families had come to the church seeking help, so ministry teams visited the families at home to verify their need before assembling and distributing food parcels containing items like olive oil, cheese, pasta, fava beans, rice and spices. Read More.

  • Feb. 28, 2019 | Cuba

    Pastor Threatened for Repairing Damaged Churches

    [279] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Cuban Pastor.
    The government refuses to help repair churches damaged by the hurricane.

    A Cuban pastor has been repeatedly threatened and harassed for helping repair churches damaged in a 2018 hurricane. The Cuban government considers the repairs illegal because it does not recognize any church building constructed after the 1959 revolution. Read More.

  • Feb. 28, 2019 | Tajikistan

    Government Enforcing Ban on Children's Religious Education

    [274] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Church Teachers of Children.
    The government believes religion should not be taught to children.

    Government authorities in Tajikistan appear to be enforcing an existing law that prohibits religious instruction for children. According to Christian contacts in the country, officials from the KGB and the Committee of Religion visited several churches recently, issuing written warnings against children's religious education. Read More.

  • Feb. 21, 2019 | Laos

    Arsonists Target Church Leader's Home

    [365] prayers in [18] nations have been posted for Khmu Believers.
    Khmu believers continue to face opposition in their village.

    It has been a difficult year for a group of Khmu believers in northern Laos. Last April, village authorities demanded that they renounce their Christian faith or leave the village. After extended negotiations, the authorities had a dramatic change of heart in December and issued a proclamation protecting the Christians' right to practice their faith. Read More.

  • Feb. 21, 2019 | Iran

    Christians on High Alert After Wave of Arrests

    [256] prayers in [18] nations have been posted for Amir, Mahnaz, Shima, and Shokoofeh.
    Iranian believers meet for worship in homes, behind closed doors.

    Iranian Christians are on high alert after more than 150 were detained recently within a few weeks' time. Multiple arrests were also reported in December, in northern, northeastern and southwestern Iran. Amir Taleipour and his wife, Mahnaz Harati, were arrested on Dec. 6 in Mashhad, and four days earlier, sisters Shima and Shokoofeh Zanganeh were arrested at their home in Ahvaz. Read More.

  • Feb. 21, 2019 | Sri Lanka

    Christian Falsely Accused for Home Bible Study

    [244] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Sri Lankan Believer.
    Christianity is legal in Sri Lanka, but believers are often discriminated against.

    A Sri Lankan Christian is facing assault charges after a confrontation with neighbors over his home Bible study. Six villagers confronted the Christian man on Jan. 26, 2019, threatening to harm him if he didn't stop hosting Bible studies. Read More.

  • Feb. 14, 2019 | Southeast Asia

    Man Threatens Wife for Choosing Christ

    [390] prayers in [21] nations have been posted for Bright.
    A pastor prays with members of a Southeast Asian tribal group at home.

    A member of a tribal group in Southeast Asia was forced to flee her home recently after her husband, who abuses alcohol and drugs, threatened to stab her. Bright became a Christian two years ago, at age 59, through the witness of a pastor. Read More.

  • Feb. 14, 2019 | China

    Pastor Wang's Attorney Denied Visiting Privileges

    [280] prayers in [18] nations have been posted for Pastor Wang.
    Both Pastor Wang Yi and his wife Jiang Rong are among the arrested church members.

    The Early Rain Covenant Church has faced ongoing persecution in the past year, including the arrest of one of its pastors, Wang Yi. While many in the congregation have been arrested and then released the following day, Pastor Wang and 19 others continue to be held in secret jail cells. When Pastor Wang's attorney, Zhang Peihong, tried to find his client earlier this month, he was told to wait 48 hours for a response from the Chengdu Prison. Read More.

  • Feb. 14, 2019 | Colombia

    Violence on the Rise

    [240] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Christians in Red Zones.
    Violence may be on the the rise, but front-line workers are still committed to carrying God's Word into the hardest places.

    VOM workers in Colombia say the 2016 peace agreement between guerrillas and the government is not working and that violence has increased steadily since its signing. Read More.

  • Feb. 07, 2019 | Turkey

    Praise God for His Work in Turkey

    [362] prayers in [18] nations have been posted for The Church in Turkey.
    A Turkish woman gave her life to Christ after reading the New Testament.

    God is at work in Turkey. At one Turkish church on Christmas day, a woman who had attended a previous service told the pastor she wanted to give her life to Jesus. The woman had visited the church after losing a child to cancer, and church members had shared the gospel with her, given her a New Testament and prayed with her. "As soon as I began reading the New Testament and praying, my spirit began to experience peace," she said. Read More.

  • Feb. 07, 2019 | Sri Lanka

    Pastor Abducted and Tortured

    [307] prayers in [22] nations have been posted for Abducted Pastor.
    Buddhist monks sometimes cause problems for Christians in Sri Lanka.

    A pastor was abducted and tortured by unknown attackers recently in Sri Lanka's capital district. On Oct. 29, the pastor of the Gospel Tabernacle Church was riding his motorbike home at about 7:30 p.m. when a policeman waved him down. Read More.

  • Feb. 07, 2019 | Cuba

    Government Restricts Bible Imports as Need Grows

    [271] prayers in [19] nations have been posted for Christians Needing Bibles.
    Though government controls are tight, those who seek will find.

    As the government tightens its control of religious life in Cuba, Christians there expect it to become more difficult to get Bibles into the country. And the need for Bibles continues to increase as more people come to Christ through the faithful witness of the local church. Read More.

  • Jan. 31, 2019 | Lebanon

    Syrian Children Praying in Jesus' Name

    [415] prayers in [20] nations have been posted for Syrian Refugee Children.
    At first these children of Syrian refugees refused to pray.

    When an educational center for the children of Syrian refugees first opened, the children covered their ears when the Christians prayed. "It was as if it was the biggest blasphemy they had ever heard!" a VOM contact said. Read More.

  • Jan. 31, 2019 | Korea, North

    Defectors Sharing the Gospel with North Koreans

    [329] prayers in [20] nations have been posted for Mrs. Han.
    Mrs. Han estimates each defector needs to share the gospel with 770 North Koreans.

    Mrs. Han, a North Korean defector, is determined to share her faith with her countrymen. After defecting a few years ago, Mrs. Han came to know Christ in South Korea. She then joined a VOM training program for defectors that teaches the basic tenants of the Christian faith. Read More.

  • Jan. 31, 2019 | Vietnam

    Pastor Celebrates Expanding Kingdom as His Wife Battles Cancer

    [292] prayers in [19] nations have been posted for Pastor Quang and Nhu.
    Pastor Quang and his wife, Nhu, worked together to reach tribal people with the gospel.

    A VOM-supported Christian worker in Vietnam is celebrating the spread of the gospel among tribal people in Vietnam's Central Highlands after a year's worth of work. Pastor Quang and his wife, Nhu, travel to the region a few times each month to share the gospel with about 10 tribes and train those who have accepted Christ to share the gospel in their villages. Read More.

  • Jan. 24, 2019 | Cuba

    Church Leader Says Government Monitoring with Drones

    [413] prayers in [20] nations have been posted for Cuban Believers.
    Christians in Cuba meet faithfully in spite of intense government opposition.

    A ministry leader in Cuba believes the government is now using drones to monitor Christian meetings. Tensions between Christians and the Communist government in Cuba have increased in recent months due to a proposed revision to the constitution that would legalize gay marriage. Read More.

  • Jan. 24, 2019 | Laos

    Seven Arrested at Christmas Gathering

    [261] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Seven Arrested Believers.
    Police officers burst into a village Christmas celebration.

    On Dec. 29 at about 6 p.m., nine police officers broke up a Christmas celebration in Nakanong village, arresting three church leaders and several other believers. Police at first took only the church leaders to the police station for questioning, but they returned two hours later and arrested four more church members. Read More.

  • Jan. 24, 2019 | Myanmar

    Christians Attacked During Christmas Celebration

    [253] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Attacked Believers.
    The Christmas celebration structure before it was demolished.

    As Christians in a rural village gathered to celebrate Christmas beneath a bamboo structure, a group of monks and other villagers began shouting at them and beating them with sticks while pulling down the bamboo poles holding up a tarp. Read More.

  • Jan. 17, 2019 | Uganda

    Man Abandons Family After Converting to Islam

    [560] prayers in [22] nations have been posted for Charity and Her Family.
    Charity's three children

    When Charity's husband told her he had become a Muslim, she thought it was a joke. But she knew it was real when he left her and married two Muslim women. Read More.

  • Jan. 17, 2019 | China

    Officials Ban Christmas Decorations

    [263] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Christians in Kunming.
    Police confronted Early Rain church member who were evangelizing on the street.

    Officials in at least two Chinese provinces banned Christmas decorations and celebrations last year. Read More.

  • Jan. 17, 2019 | India

    Evangelist Recovering Two Years After Attack

    [328] prayers in [18] nations have been posted for Dr. Anjaneya Swami.
    Dr. Swami is gradually improving after a Hindu extremist attack.

    Two years after an attack by radical Hindus left him nearly comatose, Dr. Anjaneya Swami is gradually improving. The evangelist was hospitalized with a brain hemorrhage in 2017 following the attack and subsequent police interrogation. Read More.

  • Jan. 10, 2019 | Laos

    Expelled Families Continue to Share Faith

    [491] prayers in [20] nations have been posted for Expelled Christian Families.
    The families took up residence in temporary shelters intended for those working in the fields at harvest time.

    Three families who were kicked out of their village last April after becoming Christians have continued to share the love of Christ with their new neighbors. After being expelled from their homes, the families moved into huts used by farmers during the busy planting season. Read More.

  • Jan. 10, 2019 | Myanmar

    Pray for a Young Christian Held in Exchange for 14 Other Believers

    [384] prayers in [20] nations have been posted for Young Christian Woman.
    These are the 14 Christians the young woman traded her life for.

    In October, the United Wa State Army, an ethnic army operating in far eastern Myanmar, began arresting Christians and closing churches. After soldiers arrested 14 Christian leaders and detained them for questioning, the daughter of an army general offered to take their place as a form of bail. Read More.

  • Jan. 10, 2019 | Tanzania

    Maasai Warriors Attack New Christians

    [354] prayers in [22] nations have been posted for Murri, Lilash, Lekutina and Sairiamu.
    A Maasai warrior (Credit: Operation Change)

    About 20 Maasai warriors attacked four young Maasai Christians at a Sunday morning church service recently, whipping the men and beating them with clubs. The young Christians - Murri, 16; Lilash, 19; Lekutina, 16; and Sairiamu, 17 - had placed their faith in Jesus only days earlier. Read More.

  • Jan. 03, 2019 | Lebanon

    Believers Teaching Scripture to Syrian Refugees

    [378] prayers in [20] nations have been posted for Bible Club for Syrian Refugees.
    The children of Muslim Syrian refugees are attending a Bible club.

    Each month, believers in a city in Lebanon teach Scripture to about 70 Syrian refugee children in a Bible club. Recently, the Christians taught the children Luke 2:40 while their parents were learning the same Scripture in a concurrent parents meeting. Read More.

  • Jan. 03, 2019 | China

    Pastor Removes Locks from Church Door

    [308] prayers in [22] nations have been posted for Pastor Huang Xiaoning.
    Pastor Huang Xiaoning and his family.

    A Chinese house-church pastor who has been harassed by authorities in recent months remains resolute in his commitment to worship God freely. After spending five days in detention, Pastor Huang Xiaoning of Guangzhou's Bible Reformed Church returned to find the doors of his church building locked by the government. Read More.

  • Jan. 03, 2019 | Uganda

    Boy Stands for Christ Despite Repeated Beatings

    [378] prayers in [18] nations have been posted for Joshua.
    10-year-old Joshua has clung to his new faith in Christ in spite of family persecution.

    Joshua, a 10-year-old Ugandan boy, has been beaten by his father and uncle ever since they learned three months ago that he had left Islam to follow Jesus. Despite the repeated beatings, Joshua has not wavered in his faith. Read More.

  • Dec. 27, 2018 | Iran

    Two Christians Arrested After Phone Calls Apparently Intercepted

    [374] prayers in [20] nations have been posted for Behnam and Davood.
    Behnam Ersali and Davood Rasooli (Photo Credit: Mohabat News)

    Two Christian converts, in Mashhad and Karaj, were arrested recently as a result of what appears to have been tight government surveillance. Read More.

  • Dec. 27, 2018 | Laos

    After Extended Negotiations, Christians Given Deadline to Leave Village

    [262] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Exiled families.
    Village leaders insisted the Christians leave the village.

    Christian leaders had hoped to protect 23 Christian families from being evicted from their village, but local authorities would not agree to let them stay. While a few believers have lived in the village for years, more families have turned to Christ recently through the strong witness of a local church. Read More.

  • Dec. 27, 2018 | Uzbekistan

    Worship Service Raided and Literature Confiscated

    [234] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Believers from raided church.
    Plainclothes officers raided a worship service.

    Plainclothes officials and members of the National Guard raided a Tashkent worship service on Sunday, Nov. 25, filming those in attendance and searching the building for "unlawful propaganda." Read More.

  • Dec. 20, 2018 | Pakistan

    Widow Still Grieving One Year After Christmas Bombing

    [330] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Shahnaz.
    Shahnaz shared her husband's last day on earth with the VOM workers.

    A year after losing her husband in a terrorist attack on Dec. 17, 2017, Shahnaz continues to mourn his loss. She was standing to receive Communion that Sunday morning in Quetta when two assailants detonated suicide vests in the church, killing her husband, Fazal, and 10 other worshipers, while seriously injuring 30 others. Read More.

  • Dec. 20, 2018 | Cuba

    Church Members Occupy Building to Prevent Demolition

    [215] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Cuban Church Members.
    Cuban Christians are faithfully sharing the gospel, which results in more believers being added to their number.

    Believers at a church in Cuba are making sure their church building remains occupied at all times to prevent authorities from demolishing it. The building, a garage that was donated to the house-church group years ago, cannot gain legal registration through the government. The house church has worshiped in the building for eight years, but the government has recently increased pressure on the church to close. Read More.

  • Dec. 20, 2018 | China

    More than 100 Church Members Arrested

    [277] prayers in [19] nations have been posted for Pastor Wang Yi and Jiang Rong.
    The Early Rain church was an unofficial church, but they were open about their Christian activities.

    On Dec. 9, police arrested more than 100 church members and seminary students at the Early Rain Church in Chengdu. Police arrived at the church on Sunday evening, arresting Pastor Wang Yi and his wife, Jiang Rong, and the others. Although Early Rain is considered a house church because of its unregistered status, about 800 people attend its weekly meetings around Chengdu. Read More.

  • Dec. 13, 2018 | Lebanon

    Pray for Single Mother of Three Children

    [353] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Refugee finds refuge.
    Hiba came looking for food, but stayed to hear God's Word.

    Abandoned by her husband, she is seeking wholeness in Christ. Read More.

  • Dec. 13, 2018 | Tanzania

    Pastor Released After Being Falsely Convicted

    [238] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Released Early.
    Pastor Aloyce Micheni Mchapo was falsely imprisoned for 12 years.

    A pastor is released after being falsely accused. Read More.

  • Dec. 13, 2018 | Laos

    Villagers Accept Christ After Witnessing Love of Local Christians

    [231] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Sick Woman Healed.
    Believers in Laos frequently see God move when they pray for healing.

    Christians who prayed for the wife of the local village leader eventually lead him to Christ. Read More.

  • Dec. 06, 2018 | Nepal

    Church Disbands Because of Hindu Persecution

    [314] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Pakhluwa Church Members.
    Hindus managed to disrupt a church in western Nepal, but others are still worshipping.

    The Pakhluwa Eternal Life Church in Palpa district, western Nepal, grew to 30 members in nine months before high-caste Hindus began to object. At first the Hindus complained about the guitar and drums the Christians used for worship music. Read More.

  • Dec. 06, 2018 | Myanmar

    Village Bans Buddhists from Selling Food to Christians

    [248] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Village Christians.
    This Buddhist man was put in stocks for selling a banana to a Christian. This experience led him to later accepted Jesus.

    Authorities in a Buddhist village recently established a law forbidding Buddhists from hiring Christians for work and from renting or selling anything to Christians. As a result, believers in the village are unable to buy food. Read More.

  • Dec. 06, 2018 | Tajikistan

    Christian Prisoner Is Doing OK

    [217] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Bakhrom.
    Bakhrom's wife and sons

    The wife of 43-year-old Christian prisoner Bakhrom Kholmatov says he is doing reasonably well. Bakhrom's wife, Gulnora, reports that he feels good and that his fellow prisoners treat him well. Read More.