• Sep. 17, 2020 | Mozambique

    Islamists Displace Thousands

    [170] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Displaced Christians.
    Thousands have been displaced from their homes.

    Islamic insurgents seek to establish a caliphate in East Africa, rendering life in the northern coastal regions impossible and severely affecting Christians. Islamists have been active in the region for the past three years, but a group has now launched attacks on villages from the north, displacing thousands into other parts of the country. Read More.

  • Sep. 17, 2020 | Laos

    A Living Understanding of the Scriptures

    [113] prayers in [9] nations have been posted for Sei Wang and her husband.
    Sei Wang refused to abandon her faith even under threats from her husband.

    A pastor's teaching on suffering was timely for a young woman attending a discipleship seminar. Sei Wang, 20, gave her life to Christ earlier this year, unbeknownst to her husband. One Sunday morning in June, he followed her to church and discovered her new faith. Read More.

  • Sep. 17, 2020 | Cuba

    Communist Officials Seek to Close Church

    [104] prayers in [9] nations have been posted for Pastors and members of closed churches.
    Cuban Christians live under constant pressure.

    A legally registered church in central Cuba is being forced to close after three years in existence. The house church of 60 in Holguin was established with the proper paperwork in 2017. In 2019, however, various government agencies began restricting the church's activities. Read More.

  • Sep. 10, 2020 | Turkey

    American-Born Wife of Turkish Pastor Expelled

    [235] prayers in [18] nations have been posted for Joy and Lütfü.
    Joy met her husband Lutfu while working in Turkey. With a Turkish husband and three children who are Turkish citizens, she wants to stay.

    The US-born wife of a Turkish citizen was recently told that her residency permit was revoked, even though she has lived in Turkey for nearly 10 years. Joy Subaşıgüller was told her residency permit had been revoked on June 5. Read More.

  • Sep. 10, 2020 | Tanzania

    Pastor and His Wife in Zanzibar Assaulted

    [170] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Pastor Philemon and family.
    Churches in Zanzibar have been under assault for decades.

    Vandals attacked the Calvary Mission Church in Mwamboni, Zanzibar on Feb. 24 and Feb. 29, 2020. Before the attack, Pastor Philemon Mafilili, 51, said he had received threats from a local official. Read More.

  • Sep. 10, 2020 | Ethiopia

    Priests Provoke, Then Attack Evangelicals

    [160] prayers in [12] nations have been posted for Shango and his friends.
    The evangelical families faced years of harassment before their homes were burned down.

    When five families came to faith in a small village, they became at odds with the rest of their community. Shango became a believer in 2002. Through his faithful witness, he led four other families to faith in Jesus, and they worshipped at his house. Read More.

  • Sep. 03, 2020 | Laos

    Transformation for Young Man

    [260] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Khamla and family.
    A young man experienced transformation after being set free.

    Khamla was devastated when his wife left him. One day, as he walked past the Buddhist temple in extreme sorrow, something that looked like a small bird hit him in the chest. He became a strange person, violently strong and unable to communicate. Read More.

  • Sep. 03, 2020 | Sri Lanka

    Villagers Demand an End to Christian Worship

    [180] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Church members told to stop worshipping.
    Christians in Sri Lanka worship openly, but under pressure.

    On June 28, a group of about 30 individuals descended on the Jesus Witness Church house service in eastern Sri Lanka, demanding that the family stop the worship. From outside, a member of the group phoned the pastor and told him he was not allowed to hold worship in their village. Read More.

  • Sep. 03, 2020 | Tanzania

    Wife Discovers Young Convert's Books

    [199] prayers in [12] nations have been posted for Juma.
    When his wife discovered the young man's Christian books, his conversion was revealed.

    Juma met with his pastor secretly after coming to Christ, afraid that his Muslim family would find out about his conversion. When his wife eventually found some of his Christian books, she immediately called his brothers, all radical Muslims. Read More.

  • Aug. 27, 2020 | Uganda

    Two Muslim Friends Become Brothers in Christ

    [271] prayers in [19] nations have been posted for Syamusudini and Muhindo.
    These two young man have become each other's family.

    Syamusudini began sharing the gospel with friends at school after being rejected by his Muslim family and moving in with a local pastor. One of his friends, Muhindo, listened carefully and soon decided that he, too, would follow Christ. Read More.

  • Aug. 27, 2020 | Myanmar

    Persecution Fosters New Church Strategy

    [198] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Front-line workers in Myanmar.
    Leaders in the Wa State region will move to house church worship.

    Pastors and front-line workers in Myanmar's Wa region are rethinking church strategies after an intense season of persecution. Read More.

  • Aug. 27, 2020 | Pakistan

    Family of Martyred Christian Grateful for Ongoing Support

    [197] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Rahib's family.
    Rahib's family is thankful for the assistance that is allowing them to navigate this difficult time.

    A couple whose only son was killed in a shooting two years ago is surviving economic losses amid the pandemic with assistance from VOM. In April 2018, 16-year-old Rahib Khalid was leaving a church service in Quetta, Pakistan, when four men on motorbikes sprayed the area with gunfire, killing Rahib and another Christian. Read More.

  • Aug. 20, 2020 | China

    Cross Removals Continue

    [257] prayers in [18] nations have been posted for Christians facing government crackdowns.
    Officials removed two more crosses from two churches in Wenzhou.

    Chinese authorities removed two more crosses from church buildings in Wenzhou, Zhejiang, on July 7, reminiscent of mass cross removals across the province in 2014. Read More.

  • Aug. 20, 2020 | Vietnam

    Woman Burned After Refusing to Abandon Christian Faith

    [245] prayers in [21] nations have been posted for Dinh.
    Dinh suffered major burns on her legs, requiring hospital treatment.

    A 49-year-old woman was assaulted by local authorities after she refused to give up her Christian faith. On May 5, 2020, authorities visited Dinh and told her they would help her during the coronavirus pandemic if she would sign a statement giving up her faith. Read More.

  • Aug. 20, 2020 | Tanzania

    Christians Under Pressure

    [176] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Church members facing destroyed churches.
    Christianity has a long history in Tanzania, but Islamists are trying to push it out.

    Though Tanzania is a majority-Christian country, Christians in some areas face intense persecution, and it seems to be growing. According to a VOM worker, Muslim hardliners have burned or demolished six churches there in the last year. Read More.

  • Aug. 13, 2020 | Nigeria

    Islamist Attacks Continue

    [249] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Christians with loved ones lost to attacks.
    VOM is helping feed some of the displaced.

    When Islamists sent a warning letter to the Bakkai community in Kankara state, villagers requested protection from local vigilantes. But when the attack occurred, on June 28, the militants easily overpowered them, killing nine and injuring many others. Read More.

  • Aug. 13, 2020 | Laos

    New Believer Disinherited by Family

    [181] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Jai.
    Jai's family cut him off from any inheritance after he accepted Christ.

    When Jai placed his faith in Christ in December 2019, his Hmong family was very unhappy with him. They told him he could have no share in their father's inheritance, and they divided the property among themselves. Read More.

  • Aug. 13, 2020 | Iraq

    Turkish Attacks Displace Christians in Kurdistan

    [178] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Displaced Christians.
    VOM has distributed aid previously in the Dohuk region.

    Turkish bombardments in northern Iraq this summer have displaced Christians in the Zakho district for the second time since 2014. Read More.

  • Aug. 06, 2020 | Iran

    Twelve Arrested in Coordinated Raids

    [254] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Arrested Christians.
    Iranians worship in a house church.

    Intelligence agents from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) arrested 12 Christians in coordinated operations on Tuesday, June 30, and Wednesday, July 1. Read More.

  • Aug. 06, 2020 | China

    Officials Target Xingguang Church in Fujian

    [186] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Xingguang church members.
    More than 100 officials dragged personal belonging into hallways in order to destroy them.

    On June 11, authorities in China's Fujian province destroyed more than a dozen Christian homes that had been used as worship spaces by members of the Xingguang Church. Read More.

  • Aug. 06, 2020 | Eritrea

    More than 600 Christians Now Imprisoned in Eritrea

    [192] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Imprisoned Christians.
    Pastor Haile Naygi has been in prison since 2004.

    The number of Christians imprisoned in Eritrea has reportedly risen to 640 in recent months. In May, 15 women were arrested at a house church and are now imprisoned in Mai Serwa, the same prison where Helen Berhane was held in a shipping container. Read More.

  • Jul. 30, 2020 | Egypt

    The Lord Jesus Has Chosen You

    [338] prayers in [21] nations have been posted for Ahmed.
    Ahmed found his way to the Lord despite unbelievable obstacles.

    A young man was beaten, held captive and later disinherited after becoming interested in Christianity. Ahmed was 16 when he found a scrap of paper on his bus seat that said, "The Lord Jesus has chosen you for Him." Read More.

  • Jul. 30, 2020 | Vietnam

    Displaced Families Temporarily Hosted by Local Christians

    [198] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Displaced families.
    This family of 5 were displaced from their home.

    Thirteen Christian families are temporarily living with Christian host families in another province after being displaced by the government. Read More.

  • Jul. 30, 2020 | Nepal

    Woman Stoned by Neighbor

    [211] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Miriamu.
    Miriamu at the hospital after receiving treatment.

    A Christian woman spent a week in the hospital after a neighbor attacked her. Miriamu became a Christian in 2014, but when the distance became too great to travel to the nearest church for worship, she decided to start her own in her home. Read More.

  • Jul. 23, 2020 | Laos

    No Rice for Christians

    [310] prayers in [18] nations have been posted for Starving familise.
    Villagers do not allow the Christians to farm.

    Seven families from two tribal groups are nearing starvation after village authorities confiscated their farmland because of their faith in Christ. About 50 people from the Khmu and Hmong tribes form the seven families. "Their faith is strong and everyone is actively serving one another and the Lord," wrote a VOM partner. Read More.

  • Jul. 23, 2020 | India

    Young Husband Killed by Fanatics

    [237] prayers in [18] nations have been posted for Kande's wife and children.
    Hindu fanatics harassed Kande for two years until they murdered him.

    When Kande Mudu became a Christian in 2018, the Hindu fanatics in his village in Jharkhand state pressured him to renounce his faith. When he refused to participate in Hindu religious festivals, they threatened him. Read More.

  • Jul. 23, 2020 | Uganda

    She Transformed Her Bar into a Church

    [228] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Betty.
    Betty and her family in the former bar.

    Betty became a believer late in her life, and this complete life change prompted her to turn a bar she owned into a church. Her decision to leave Islam deeply angered her three adult sons. Read More.

  • Jul. 16, 2020 | Turkey

    Syrian Christian Shares Christ While Serving Muslims

    [269] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Church Leader in Turkey.
    A committed Muslim man gave his life to Christ after he saw how Christians cared for him.

    A Syrian church leader in Turkey has been serving his community during the coronavirus pandemic by transporting sick people to the hospital. Read More.

  • Jul. 16, 2020 | India

    Hindu Radicals Kill Christian Teenager

    [245] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Samaru's family.
    Samaru was killed by Hindu extremists.

    On June 4, Hindu fanatics in Odisha state burst into the home of 16-year-old Samaru Madkami and kidnapped him. They then took Samaru and other Christian villagers they had kidnapped to a wooded area. Although the other Christians managed to escape, the Hindus overpowered and killed Samaru, burying him nearby. Read More.

  • Jul. 16, 2020 | Guinea

    Christian Woman Faces Difficulties After Husband's Death

    [226] prayers in [18] nations have been posted for Miraha.
    These women are all believers from Muslim backgrounds who have been rejected by their families.

    Miraha, a Christian woman in Guinea, has faced ongoing difficulties since her husband's death. Her Muslim in-laws tried to persuade her to marry her husband's brother and convert to Islam, but she refused to abandon her faith in Christ. Read More.

  • Jul. 09, 2020 | Central Asia

    Church Members Minister to the Sick

    [262] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Ministering Church Women.
    Believers in Central Asia understand that Christ-like actions speak loudly in their culture.

    Members of a church in a Central Asian country are reaching out to help those affected by the coronavirus, even though their church is closed and their pastor is stuck in Russia. Read More.

  • Jul. 09, 2020 | Laos

    Authorities Hold Church Leader Without Charges Because of Coronavirus

    [207] prayers in [19] nations have been posted for Phong.
    Frightened at the number of people turning to Christ, officials arrested a pastor and told believers to renounce their faith.

    A church leader who has not yet been charged with a crime remains in prison while officials wait for an end to the "Covid situation." Phong was arrested in early March after refusing police orders to renounce his faith. About 130 Christians live in Phong's village, and police thought that arresting him would cure their Christian "problem." Read More.

  • Jul. 09, 2020 | Ethiopia

    Orthodox Extremists Burn Down Full Gospel Church

    [213] prayers in [18] nations have been posted for Members of Full Gospel Church.
    Timaru was the first man attacked by the youth.

    On March 10, a mob of several hundred Ethiopian Orthodox extremists assaulted three men at the Enewari Full Gospel Church and burned all buildings on the property. After destroying the church, the mob confronted evangelical believers at their homes and told them they would kill them if they left their houses. Read More.

  • Jul. 02, 2020 | Korea, North

    Propaganda Film Helps Lead Defector to Christ

    [243] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Mrs. An.
    Ms. An learned how to pray from a propaganda film in North Korea.

    Mrs. An wasn't yet a Christian when she was arrested in China as a North Korean defector, but she did know how to pray. She had learned about prayer from an anti-Christian propaganda film she had seen while still in North Korea. Read More.

  • Jul. 02, 2020 | Israel

    New Christian Faces Daily Struggles in Orthodox Jewish Culture

    [213] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Noa.
    It is common for Orthodox Jews to limit children's education to the Torah and Jewish traditions.

    A former Orthodox Jew who came to faith in Jesus Christ is now homeless and has little hope of finding work. After meeting a Christian worker nine years ago, Noa gradually came to understand and believe the gospel. And recently, he placed his faith in Jesus as Savior. Read More.

  • Jul. 02, 2020 | Laos

    Father Expels and Threatens Sons for Attending Church

    [195] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Chan and Huang.
    After he kicked two boys out, their father graffitied angry warnings against coming home if the boys don't leave Christianity.

    A teenager and his younger brother were kicked out of their home recently for attending church. Chan and Huang were in a church service outside Vientiane on May 24 when their father burst in and began swearing at them. He told them to stop worshiping and go home. Read More.

  • Jun. 25, 2020 | Laos

    Christian Families Expelled from Village

    [294] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Mua family.
    Some of the family members camping on the side of the road after they were kicked out of the village.

    Two Christian families were expelled from their Laotian village recently after declaring their faith in Christ. When the Mua family became Christians, village leaders wrote an official complaint to district authorities, saying, "[Our] village does not want to cooperate or associate with those that take on the Jesus religion. … We dislike that the Christians keep coming to tell others about this Jesus religion. It is annoying." Read More.

  • Jun. 25, 2020 | Congo, Democratic Republic of the

    VOM Supports Orphans of Martyrs

    [207] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Orphaned Children.
    The two children now live with their grandmother.

    VOM is supporting four children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) whose missionary parents were killed by Muslim extremists. On the night of Oct. 16, 2014, Islamists attacked Cadeau and a neighboring village in the DRC, killing the missionaries and 11 members of their church. Read More.

  • Jun. 25, 2020 | Syria

    Border Closures Complicate Relief Efforts

    [188] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Christians serving the needy.
    A Syrian woman collects food aid from a church at a previous distribution.

    Border closures related to coronavirus suppression have complicated an already difficult situation in Syria. The closures have halted the transport of food aid and have also prevented pastors from traveling into and out of the country. Read More.

  • Jun. 18, 2020 | Central Asia

    Boy Gives Jesus Glory for Healing

    [285] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Young Believer Healed.
    A front-line worker witness God's healing power in the life of a young boy.

    When a young boy got extremely sick, a front-line worker in the village accompanied him and his family to a hospital. While in the waiting room, the 10-year-old began to cry at the thought that he might be permanently confined to a wheelchair. Read More.

  • Jun. 18, 2020 | China

    Pastor Arrested During Online Meeting

    [198] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Pastor Luo.
    Many Christian meetings have moved online in this era of tightened security.

    Authorities in Wuhan seized the pastor of the Nanjing Road Church on Saturday, May 30, during an online Christian gathering. Read More.

  • Jun. 18, 2020 | Turkey

    Iranian Christian Refugees Struggle to Feed Families

    [213] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Iranian Christian Refugees.
    Life is challenging for Iranians in Turkey.

    Christian workers in Turkey report that restrictions and changes caused by the global pandemic have hit Iranian refugees hard. Many of the Iranians lost everything when they fled their country because of persecution for their Christian faith. Read More.

  • Jun. 11, 2020 | Colombia

    Evangelist and Former Rebel in Hiding

    [299] prayers in [18] nations have been posted for Sara and family.
    Sara used to be a rebel, but now she can't stop telling others how Jesus changed her life.

    A front-line evangelist and former rebel is currently in hiding after learning that members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) are looking for her. Read More.

  • Jun. 11, 2020 | Guinea

    Finding Healing, with Persecution, in Christ

    [199] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Hamade.
    Hamade finds encouragement with a group of other Christian women from Muslim backgrounds.

    Hamade had been sick for many years before becoming a believer. When traditional healers couldn't cure her, she began attending church. And after three months of prayer, she was healed of her longstanding illness. Read More.

  • Jun. 11, 2020 | Laos

    Teen Sunday School Teacher Interrogated by Police

    [209] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Sunday School Teacher.
    A young Sunday school teacher cannot attend college now because she chose to teach children about Jesus.

    Local police berated and interrogated a teenager after catching her teaching a Sunday school class. They were convinced that the young woman was being paid as a teacher, even though she insisted she was doing it voluntarily. Read More.

  • Jun. 04, 2020 | Nigeria

    Nine Killed in Islamist Attack

    [304] prayers in [19] nations have been posted for Families of killed Christians.
    The aftermath of a burned out home with destroyed food supplies in Plateau state.

    Fulani Islamic militants killed nine people, including four children, in an April 14 attack on the predominantly Christian village of Hura, in Plateau state. Read More.

  • Jun. 04, 2020 | Laos

    Education Committee Threatens to Fire Christian Teacher

    [204] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Kye.
    The community is threatening to fire this teacher because he is a Christian.

    Kye accepted Christ in 2004, after he had been at his teaching post for a year. When the education committee learned of his conversion, they told him they were going to reassign him to a remote village if he did not renounce his faith. Read More.

  • Jun. 04, 2020 | Cuba

    Cuban Christians Face New Difficulties

    [208] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Christians unable to fellowship.
    There are no packed church services like this on the island right now.

    While many churches around the world have moved their services online because of the coronavirus pandemic, Christians in Cuba do not have that option. Since very few people have access to the internet, Christians have been completely without worship and fellowship. Read More.

  • May. 28, 2020 | Uganda

    Christian Woman Loses Business and Home to Fire

    [300] prayers in [23] nations have been posted for Faridah.
    Faridah's home and restaurant were burned down by arsonists angry that she had become a Christian.

    When the restaurant she owned and operated was burned six months after she became a believer, Faridah assumed it had been an accident. But earlier this year, the two rooms she rented in a home were also burned, and neighbors mentioned smelling gasoline. Read More.

  • May. 28, 2020 | Guinea

    New Believers Rejected by Their Families

    [195] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Mariam and other new Christians.
    These women are new converts from Islam who are being supported by a local church.

    A number of Guinean Christian converts from Islam are being persecuted by their Muslim families. One pastor reported that 13 church members are in need of a place to stay after being expelled from their homes. Read More.

  • May. 28, 2020 | Indonesia

    Islamists Protest Churches Meeting in Mall

    [186] prayers in [20] nations have been posted for Churches meeting in mall.
    Islamists protest Christian churches in Indonesia.

    An Islamic political organization is protesting the use of a shopping mall for church services. Read More.

  • May. 21, 2020 | Nigeria

    Pandemic Hasn't Stopped Attacks or Aid

    [273] prayers in [20] nations have been posted for Christian villages being attacked.
    This woman in northern Nigeria received food aid at a VOM distribution.

    The global pandemic has not stopped Muslim militants from continuing their attacks on Christian villages in northern Nigeria. Read More.

  • May. 21, 2020 | Turkmenistan

    Police Raid Christian Meetings

    [179] prayers in [18] nations have been posted for Christians fined for religious gatherings.
    Police raided home meetings in Turkmenistan.

    Police have raided several Christian meetings at private homes recently. A homeowner was fined a week's wages when police raided his home during a Christmas celebration. Read More.

  • May. 21, 2020 | Laos

    Young Couple Become Non-Citizens

    [214] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Phiarune and Lai.
    Phiarune and his wife, Lai, paid a heavy price after they became believers.

    A young couple who placed their faith in Christ less than six months ago have already paid a heavy price. Read More.

  • May. 14, 2020 | Nigeria

    Militant Attacks Continue Through March

    [264] prayers in [20] nations have been posted for Attacked Christians.
    Displaced Nigerian Christians await a food distribution.

    In the last week of March, Christians reported multiple attacks by both Boko Haram terrorists and Fulani Islamic militants in the north. On March 23, Boko Haram ambushed a military convoy, killing about 70 soldiers and taking some captive. Read More.

  • May. 14, 2020 | Central Asia

    University Teacher Loses Job Because of Faith

    [245] prayers in [22] nations have been posted for Vera.
    Central Asian women live under conservative societal rules.

    A Christian woman was dismissed from her job teaching Russian at a national university after school officials learned of her faith. Read More.

  • May. 14, 2020 | Somalia

    Somali Scholars Urge Followers to Defend Islam

    [196] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Somali Christians.
    This cleric issued a warning against a Christian ministry.

    Realizing that a growing number of Somalis are leaving Islam and embracing Christianity, Somali Islamic leaders are issuing warnings and urging their followers to defend Islam. Read More.

  • May. 07, 2020 | Laos

    Three Families Expelled from Village

    [360] prayers in [24] nations have been posted for Exiled Families.
    This family was removed from their village by force after they became Christians.

    Three Christian families from the Akha tribe were expelled from their village recently after refusing to renounce their faith in Christ. Read More.

  • May. 07, 2020 | Iraq

    Iraqi Christian Asks for Prayer After Brother's Murder

    [273] prayers in [19] nations have been posted for Brother of Murdered Christian.
    Families often apply heavy pressure to new converts to get them to come back to Islam.

    An Iraqi Christian is asking for prayer after his brother was killed because of his faith. Read More.

  • May. 07, 2020 | Guinea

    Widow Remains Faithful After Being Kicked Out of Several Homes

    [249] prayers in [18] nations have been posted for Zainab.
    Zainab is being cared for by a pastor along with other persecuted believers.

    Zainab, a blind widow, was kicked out of her in-laws' home after refusing to give up her Christian faith. Read More.

  • Apr. 30, 2020 | Indonesia

    Family Worship Interrupted by Muslim Neighbor

    [279] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Family Threatened.
    Two Muslim men threatened a family meeting for worship in their home during stay at home orders.

    A Christian family worshiping at home were interrupted recently by a Muslim neighbor who burst in and told them they could not hold a Christian meeting in their house. Read More.

  • Apr. 30, 2020 | Pakistan

    Imprisoned Christian Mourns Loss of His Mother

    [252] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Imran Ghafur.
    Imran Ghafur has been in prison for more than 10 years.

    Imran Ghafur, a Christian who has been imprisoned for 10 years on a blasphemy conviction, learned recently that his elderly mother had died on Feb. 1, 2020. Read More.

  • Apr. 30, 2020 | Kenya

    Christians Face New Threats Along Somali Border

    [214] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Christians Threatened by Al Shabab.
    Al Shabab seeks a pure, Muslim society.

    Christians in the Kenya-Somalia border region are concerned about new threats and attacks by the Somali militant group al-Shabab. The militants released a video recently in which they threatened "infidels" coming into the region, calling the settlement of Christians in Muslim areas "Kenyan colonization." Read More.

  • Apr. 23, 2020 | Syria

    Refugee Remains Faithful Amid Hardships

    [329] prayers in [18] nations have been posted for Abdallah.
    Abdallah felt a pull toward Christ from an early age.

    Abdallah, a Syrian refugee in Lebanon, holds fast to his Christian faith despite suffering unemployment, homelessness and persecution from Muslim family members. Read More.

  • Apr. 23, 2020 | Southeast Asia

    Hmong Christians' Home Destroyed

    [204] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Hmong Christians.
    Angry relatives destroyed their house while the Christian family was gone.

    A family of Hmong Christians returned home one evening to find their home destroyed. When the family became Christians, their relatives worried that their ancestral spirits would be offended. Read More.

  • Apr. 23, 2020 | Israel

    Messianic Jews Harassed by Ultra-Orthodox

    [224] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Messianic Jews.
    Members of the radical group stand outside the church. Credit: Middle East Concern.

    Messianic Jews in the city of Arad have faced ongoing harassment from a group of ultra-Orthodox Jews, but they are thankful that their most recent interaction was more peaceful. Read More.

  • Apr. 16, 2020 | Tajikistan

    Church Leaders Fined for Translating the Bible

    [363] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Fined Churches.
    Arranging translation the Bible into a local language got Christians in Tajikistan into trouble.

    Four churches in Tajikistan have been fined for their participation in a Bible translation project. Between August 2019 and January 2020, the committee for religious affairs fined church leaders the equivalent of between $700 and $1,100. Read More.

  • Apr. 16, 2020 | Indonesia

    Church in Central Java Forced to Close

    [207] prayers in [11] nations have been posted for Members of Closed Church.
    Neighbors protested the church outside as the police met with the pastor.

    Another church in Central Java was forced to close in February. Police, local officials, neighbors and members of the Indonesia Muslim Clerics Council interrupted services on Sunday morning, Feb. 16, to demand that the service be halted. Read More.

  • Apr. 16, 2020 | Afghanistan

    God's Kingdom Advancing One Heart at a Time

    [214] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Underground Small Groups.
    Afghans are being won to the Lord on heart at a time.

    Hundreds of small groups are meeting in homes throughout Afghanistan to study the Bible using a storytelling method, according to a VOM worker. Read More.

  • Apr. 09, 2020 | Laos

    Young Couple Kicked Out of Home

    [338] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Phu, Sri, and baby.
    Sri's mother-in-law beat her severely for her faith in Christ.

    A young married couple were expelled from their family's home recently after coming to faith in Christ. Phu and Sri married at a young age and moved in with Phu's parents. After Sri gave birth to their daughter, she was often ill and had no one to care for her while Phu was working long hours on a banana plantation. Read More.

  • Apr. 09, 2020 | Burkina Faso

    Islamists Murder Two Church Leaders

    [226] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Families of Lankoande Babribile and Tindano Omar.
    Lankoande Babribile

    In mid-February, Islamic extremists murdered two church leaders in eastern Burkina Faso, announcing to the community that they will not tolerate Christianity in the area. On Feb. 10, the extremists arrived at the home of well-known church leader Lankoande Babribile and shot him to death in front of his wife. Read More.

  • Apr. 09, 2020 | Mexico

    Displaced Families Share the Gospel

    [204] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Exiled Families.
    Families who were kicked out of their home village after they decided to follow Christ are now thriving in a new place.

    More than a year after being expelled from their village because of their faith, a group of Christians are now sharing the gospel with their new neighbors. Read More.

  • Apr. 02, 2020 | Syria

    Children Targeted by Extremist Ideology

    [353] prayers in [19] nations have been posted for Refugee Children.
    Syrian refugee children

    A VOM partner who operates a summer camp and supports a school in Syria has requested prayer for the many children affected by the conflict there. Read More.

  • Apr. 02, 2020 | Korea, North

    Chinese Citizen Remains in North Korean Prison

    [261] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Deacon Jang.
    Deacon Jang, aka Zhang Wen Shi

    Zhang Wen Shi, also known as Deacon Jang, is an ethnically Korean Christian who lived and ministered in Changbai, China, a town located on China's border with North Korea. Read More.

  • Apr. 02, 2020 | Indonesia

    Protests Against Churches Continue

    [197] prayers in [11] nations have been posted for Santo Joseph Church.
    A mob met a construction crew at the Santo Joseph church.

    Protestors have stopped construction of a new church building in Pangkal Pinang on Bangka Island's east coast. Read More.

  • Mar. 26, 2020 | Turkey

    Front-Line Worker Encouraged by Church Growth

    [283] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Church planters seeing growth.
    This church in Turkey ministers to both Turkish people and Iranians.

    A believer working to plant churches in each of Turkey's 81 provinces reports that three years of work is bearing fruit. A third church began services recently in one of Turkey's major cities, and the first church planted there has grown from 10 members to nearly 100 in less than three years. Read More.

  • Mar. 26, 2020 | Kenya

    Terrorists Threaten Pastor

    [243] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Threatened Pastor.
    Pastors in Kenya who work with Muslims often encounter terrorist threats.

    A pastor in Kenya is asking for prayer after receiving repeated death threats by phone. Although the calls are anonymous, the pastor suspects they are coming from members of al-Shabab. Read More.

  • Mar. 26, 2020 | Nepal

    Community Warns Against Following Foreign Religion

    [244] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Ishika.
    Ishika's husband told her to stop following a foreign religion.

    After seeking treatment at home and abroad for a longstanding illness, Ishika was restored to health when a church shared the gospel with her and prayed for her. Grateful to God for her healing, she continued to attend church and placed her faith in Jesus Christ. Read More.

  • Mar. 19, 2020 | Myanmar

    Imprisoned Pastor Cannot Leave Wa State

    [310] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Rev. Ai and family.
    Buddhism has a strong hold in Myanmar.

    Rev. Ai was arrested in 2018 along with other Christian leaders during a separatist crackdown in Wa state. His family struggled while he was in prison, and members of the Wa State Army prevented other believers from helping them. Read More.

  • Mar. 19, 2020 | Indonesia

    Local Muslims Reject Church's Presence

    [281] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Pillar Asih church members.
    Christians in Indonesia gather in a house church meeting.

    When local Muslims in the Bekasi City area noticed that some Christians were using an empty building for a worship service on Jan. 23, they gathered at the building to protest the meeting. Read More.

  • Mar. 19, 2020 | Morocco

    New Christian Denied Child Support

    [247] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Latifa.
    A woman sharing the gospel in Morocco.

    When a woman named Latifa came to know Christ, her husband vehemently opposed her new faith. Eventually, he gave her an ultimatum: Give up your faith or I will divorce you. Latifa chose her faith, and her husband divorced her. Read More.

  • Mar. 12, 2020 | Iran

    Redeeming Women Bound by Islam

    [291] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for New Believers.
    A women's meeting in Iran

    Christian workers in Iran have been ministering to women driven to prostitution, and at least 15 of the women have come to know Christ. Read More.

  • Mar. 12, 2020 | China

    Online Preaching Banned

    [221] prayers in [12] nations have been posted for Chinese Christians.
    The official notice released by the religious bodies

    The two official church bodies in Shandong province announced in a joint statement that authorities have banned all online preaching. Read More.

  • Mar. 12, 2020 | Korea, North

    Gospel Message Reaching North Korean Capital

    [227] prayers in [11] nations have been posted for North Koreans in Pyongyang.
    North Korean defectors also broadcasts messages of truth and and love into North Korea over the radio.

    Memory cards loaded with videos explaining Jesus and Christianity are reaching citizens in Pyongyang. Someone living in the country's capital, where only the most loyal citizens are permitted to live, wrote an encouraging letter recently to Christian workers in the region. Read More.

  • Mar. 05, 2020 | Pakistan

    Bombing Victim Suffers Ongoing Health Issues

    [349] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Mehak.
    This sweet girl continues to deal with major health complications as a result of the church bombing in 2013.

    A young victim of the Peshawar church bombing is experiencing new medical issues as a result of her injuries. Mehak was just 4 years old when she was severely injured in the Sept. 22, 2013, bombing that killed her father. Read More.

  • Mar. 05, 2020 | Sri Lanka

    Buddhist Monks Lead Assault on Pastor

    [221] prayers in [12] nations have been posted for Attacked Christians.
    Buddhist monks demanded that the church in the village stop meeting.

    On Sunday, Feb. 2, a group of Buddhist monks led a mob of 150 people to a house church in north central Sri Lanka. The mob demanded an end to the worship service and threated violence if it continued, but police allowed the Christians to continue the service. Read More.

  • Mar. 05, 2020 | Laos

    Young Believer Denied Medical Care

    [236] prayers in [12] nations have been posted for John.
    John (left) gave up medical treatment for his injured leg so he could continue to follow Christ.

    John became interested in Christianity through a friend who shared Christian music and videos with him. He came to faith in Christ after eventually finding a pastor in another village who explained the gospel to him. But about six months after professing his faith, his foster parents and others in his village began to complain, cursing him and treating him badly. Read More.

  • Feb. 27, 2020 | Nepal

    Finding Peace in Christ

    [333] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Grishma.
    Grishma was kicked out of her home as a teenager when she decided to follow Christ.

    Grishma came to faith in Christ in 2016 after some teenage friends invited her to church. She had never known who her father was, and her stepfather abused her. When he learned that she had become a Christian, he beat her and threatened to stop paying her school fees. Read More.

  • Feb. 27, 2020 | Malawi

    Yao Believers Gather for Worship and Encouragement

    [223] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Yao Believers.
    New believers from the Yao people groups met together for fellowship and encouragement.

    About 750 Christians from the Yao people group gathered recently for fellowship, worship, prayer and mutual encouragement. The Yao believers, who are spread across three different countries, had never gathered for worship in such a large group. Read More.

  • Feb. 27, 2020 | Iran

    A Great Harvest Waiting in Iran

    [235] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Christian Workers.
    New believers must be secretly baptized, like this man was in a shower.

    Though Iranians have faced political and economic crises in recent months, Christian workers report that they are more open to the gospel than before. Read More.

  • Feb. 20, 2020 | Nigeria

    Fulani Islamic Militants Attack Christians in Plateau State

    [325] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Attacked Christians.
    The bodies of some of the dead

    On Jan. 8, 2020, Fulani Islamic militants attacked the predominantly Christian village of Kulben, in northern Nigeria's Plateau state, killing at least 12. Read More.

  • Feb. 20, 2020 | China

    Churches Further Restricted by New Religious Regulations

    [235] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Christians facing new restrictions.
    Christians worship in the rubble of a destroyed church. (Photo: China Aid)

    The Chinese government enacted new regulations this month that require religious leaders and organizations to display complete devotion to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The regulations state that "religious organizations must spread the principles and policies of the CCP, … educating religious personnel and citizens to support the leadership of the CCP, supporting the socialist system, adhering to and following the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics." Read More.

  • Feb. 20, 2020 | Myanmar

    Pastor Imprisoned for Sharing the Gospel

    [221] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Pastor Sam and Wife.
    A worship service in Myanmar

    A pastor in Wa state served two months of hard labor in a prison camp recently after religious authorities noticed an increasing number of people converting to Christianity. Read More.

  • Feb. 13, 2020 | Nigeria

    Pastor Testifies of Eternal Hope Before His Execution

    [407] prayers in [21] nations have been posted for Lawan Andimi.
    Lawan used the video his terrorist captors took of him to declare his trust in a good God.

    A pastor executed by Boko Haram militants left an inspiring legacy in the form of a hostage video. The Reverend Lawan Andimi was kidnapped from his village in Adamawa state on Jan. 2, 2020. Read More.

  • Feb. 13, 2020 | Korea, North

    Widower Ministers to Husbands of Exploited Women

    [247] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Mr. K.
    A front-line worker worships with North Korean women in China.

    The widowed husband of a sex-trafficked North Korean woman is now ministering to other Chinese men who purchased trafficked wives. Read More.

  • Feb. 13, 2020 | Laos

    Destroyed House Church Now Larger than Before

    [243] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Laotian House Church.
    A house church in Laos is constructed

    When police destroyed a building in February 2019 that was being used as a house church in Boke province, they may have thought they were eliminating their "Christian problem." But Christ can't be limited by a building. Read More.

  • Feb. 06, 2020 | Sri Lanka

    Buddhist Monks Threaten Christian Gathering

    [338] prayers in [19] nations have been posted for Threatened Christians.
    Buddhist monks have a lot of power and influence in Sri Lanka.

    In December, 15 Buddhist monks and 35 community members descended on a church in Nivithigala, in southeastern Sri Lanka, to confront a group of Christians who had gathered for Bible study. Read More.

  • Feb. 06, 2020 | Myanmar

    Christians Arrested on Way to Christmas Service

    [221] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Arrested Christians.
    This group of believers was also arrested by the Wa State Army. Before they were released, their captors shaved their heads.

    Members of the United Wa State Army, a Marxist-influenced militia that controls territory near Myanmar's eastern border with China, arrested 24 Christians as they made their way to a Christmas service on Dec. 24, 2019. Read More.

  • Feb. 06, 2020 | Nepal

    Jesus Is Healer and Savior

    [275] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Laxmi.
    Laxmi and her 7-year-old daughter were kicked out of home by her husband.

    Laxmi, a young Nepali woman, accepted Christ in 2017 after being healed from a long illness through the prayers of a local church congregation. She continued to attend the church after her recovery, but her husband told her, "You went to church for healing and now you are healed, so you don't need to go to church." Read More.

  • Jan. 30, 2020 | Sudan

    Reaping Fruit in the Nuba Mountains

    [304] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Missionaries to the Shawaya People.
    One of the team members preaches to a group of villagers.

    A ministry team based in Sudan's Nuba Mountains is having good results as it works among a people group with no established churches. Three full-time missionaries are reaching out to the Shawaya people in Sudan and South Sudan. Read More.

  • Jan. 30, 2020 | Korea, North

    Increased Security in China Could Hinder Work

    [239] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for North Korean Chrisitans.
    A Christian reaching out to North Koreans prays for someone.

    A tightening security situation in China is making ministry to North Koreans there increasingly difficult. New regulations in China are putting pressure on both Chinese and North Korean churches inside China. Read More.

  • Jan. 30, 2020 | India

    Former Orissa Prisoners Concerned About Finding Work

    [237] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Garnath and Bhaskar.
    Friends gathered outside the prison for the release of one of the prisoners.

    Released from prison after more than 10 years of unjust incarceration, two of the men accused of murdering a Hindu leader wonder how they will now provide for their families. Over the course of several months last year, all seven men originally accused of the murder were granted bail by India's Supreme Court and released from prison. Read More.

  • Jan. 23, 2020 | Nepal

    Christian Woman Blinded by Husband

    [394] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Woman Blinded.
    Mamta was beaten so badly by her husband that she lost her vision.

    Mamta could not abandon Jesus Christ even after job loss and a beating. Read More.

  • Jan. 23, 2020 | Indonesia

    Church Permit Revoked

    [233] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Church Closed.

    A church was closed just days before Christmas. Read More.

  • Jan. 23, 2020 | Myanmar

    Army Official Arrested for Celebrating Christmas

    [246] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Official Arrested.
    The Wa Army destroyed churches in the region in 2018.

    A high-ranking army official was among three soldiers arrested for celebrating Christmas. Read More.

  • Jan. 16, 2020 | Central Asia

    Church Grateful for New Baptism Facility

    [265] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for New Central Asian Believers.
    A Central Asian believer is baptized in a pool.

    In some parts of Central Asia, new Christians face persecution immediately after coming to faith in Christ. Viewed as extremists, they are issued massive fines and detained for "illegal religious gatherings." Read More.

  • Jan. 16, 2020 | Middle East

    Believer Under House Arrest

    [266] prayers in [12] nations have been posted for Majida.
    Women in the Arabian Peninsula are treated like property.

    A young woman in the Arabian Peninsula remains detained by her family after revealing that she had become a Christian. Majida, 29, came to faith in Christ three years ago through the witness of a woman she met at work. Read More.

  • Jan. 16, 2020 | Ethiopia

    Churches Hire Protection After Inter-Church Conflict

    [219] prayers in [12] nations have been posted for Full-Gospel Church.
    Ethiopia is a majority Christian country, but most Christians belong to the Orthodox church.

    Some churches in northern Ethiopia have had to close their doors and hire police protection after facing strong opposition from the country's historically dominant religious group. When the Full Gospel Church in Axum decided to build a new facility, members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church held mass protests and threatened to destroy the church. Read More.

  • Jan. 09, 2020 | China

    Early Rain Pastor Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison as Harassment Continues

    [327] prayers in [18] nations have been posted for Early Rain Covenant Church Members.
    The Early Rain Covenant Church continues to experience harassment.

    More than a year after police arrested 100 believers and shut down their church, the members of Early Rain Covenant Church continue to face harassment and threats. In late December, Senior Pastor Wang Yi was sentenced to nine years in prison, while his wife and child remain under house arrest. Read More.

  • Jan. 09, 2020 | Algeria

    Muslim- "Jesus Is Proud of You"

    [230] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Algerian Christians.
    Police placed a seal on the door of this church and several others in the region last year.

    As authorities in Algeria move to shut down long-established churches, a young Muslim man left a surprising note on the door of one of the sealed church buildings. Read More.

  • Jan. 09, 2020 | Laos

    Abusive Husband Demands Return of Children

    [244] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Mrs. Khoun and Children.
    Mrs. Khoun fled with two of her children, but her husband is pressuring them to get them back.

    Mrs. Khoun, who came to faith in Christ last year, loves to listen to a Christian radio program that broadcasts sermons and other Christian teaching in her language. Her husband has always opposed her Christian faith, and his harassment, including beatings, has grown more severe. Read More.

  • Jan. 02, 2020 | Nigeria

    Two Children Left for Dead

    [503] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Philip and Grace.
    A VOM worker recently met with Philip.

    Philip Yakubu and his sister, Grace, are still recovering from a violent attack in which 8-year-old Philip lost his eye. The siblings were playing in their home one evening in September 2018 when Islamist Fulani herdsmen broke into the house. Read More.

  • Jan. 02, 2020 | Pakistan

    My God Will Provide

    [276] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Asif.
    Asif was a valued employee until his boss found out he was a Christian.

    A Christian man who lost his job after refusing to convert to Islam is currently in hiding after receiving death threats. Asif, who was a valued supervisor at a garment factory, used to lead 10 coworkers in prayer before work every morning. In 2017, the factory owner approached him and told him to stop the prayers. Read More.

  • Jan. 02, 2020 | Vietnam

    Report- All Churches in Region Facing Persecution

    [263] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Church members after church closings.
    New believers often experience the worst persecution.

    Front-line workers ministering to tribal groups in south-central Vietnam report that every single church in their region is facing difficulties. The believers said Christians are being watched and that many churches have been shut down. At one church, police arrived during Sunday worship and took away Bibles, chairs, tables and five motorbikes. Read More.

  • Dec. 26, 2019 | Iraq

    Christian Convert Hopes in the Lord

    [308] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Khalda.
    Iraqi Christian converts from Islam can feel quite lonely.

    Khalda, a young Iraqi Christian who was forced to flee his family and his country, is now growing in faith as he hopes in the Lord. When his father urged him to get married and drop out of school, Khalda insisted on finishing school and also became a follower of Jesus Christ. "I started knowing the Lord and going to church," he said. But after learning that Khalda had left Islam and placed his faith in Christ, his family began to beat him. Read More.

  • Dec. 26, 2019 | Nepal

    Widowed Roommates Trust in God

    [243] prayers in [12] nations have been posted for Rabiya and Shilpa.
    Widows Rabiya and Shilpa are shunned by their community because of their faith in Christ.

    Rabiya and Shilpa became roommates after their husbands were killed in an accident many years ago. When Rabiya became sick a few years ago, she turned in desperation to a church for prayer. After she was healed, both women made a commitment to follow Christ and started attending church regularly. Read More.

  • Dec. 26, 2019 | Kenya

    Ten Killed in Bus Attack

    [240] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Targeted Christians.
    Militants removed Christians from the bus and shot them to death.

    Gunmen killed 10 people, mostly workers from Nairobi, aboard a bus in northern Kenya on Dec. 6. The Islamist group al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack on the passengers, many of whom were traveling to job sites in Mandera, a city on the Somalia-Ethiopia border. Read More.

  • Dec. 19, 2019 | India

    Five Remaining Orissa Prisoners Freed

    [254] prayers in [12] nations have been posted for Buddhadev, Bhaskar, Durjo, Sanatan and Munda.
    Three of the men as they are let out of prison.

    The five remaining men accused of killing a Hindu leader that sparked massive sectarian riots in Odisha (Orissa) state were freed on bail by order of the Supreme Court after 11 years in prison. The Supreme Court of India ordered that the five men be granted bail on Nov. 26, and the men were freed earlier this month. Read More.

  • Dec. 19, 2019 | Eritrea

    More Arrests

    [209] prayers in [11] nations have been posted for Imprisoned Christians.
    Eritrean pastor Pastor Haile Nayzgi has been in prison since 2004.

    Twenty-five more Christians were recently arrested in the town of Dekemhare, adding to the approximate 300 Christians arrested earlier this year. The 25 were from various denominations around town and were arrested on the last weekend in November. Read More.

  • Dec. 19, 2019 | Burkina Faso

    Fourteen Killed in Church Attack

    [210] prayers in [11] nations have been posted for Families Involved in Church Attack.
    Pastor Pierre Ouedraogo of Sirgadji was among six church members who were executed by militants in April 2019. (Credit: World Watch Monitor)

    At least fourteen people were killed after gunmen opened fire inside a church on Sunday, Dec. 1. Many others were injured in the church in Hantoukoura in far eastern Burkina Faso. Thousands of Christians have been displaced because of attacks in the last two years throughout the country, and between 4,000-5,000 Christians have relocated to the capital city from around Burkina Faso. Read More.

  • Dec. 12, 2019 | Pakistan

    Brick Kiln Owner Beats Christian Laborer

    [356] prayers in [18] nations have been posted for Hamza.
    Hamza led a Muslim coworker to Christ.

    Hamza, who was raised as a Christian in a family indebted to a brick kiln owner, didn't experience persecution until he brought a Muslim to church. The kiln owner had no problem with Hamza attending church, but their relationship changed drastically when Hamza brought a Muslim coworker to church and the man accepted Christ. Read More.

  • Dec. 12, 2019 | Middle East

    New Believer Seeks Fellowship

    [231] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Yousef.
    Believers in the Arabian Peninsula can feel quite lonely without fellowship.

    A new believer living in the Arabian Peninsula is requesting prayer for fellowship. Yousef came to faith in Jesus after growing up Muslim in Saudi Arabia. He said he often had questions about Islam and God, but no one could answer them. Read More.

  • Dec. 12, 2019 | Uganda

    Police Abduct Young Christian

    [253] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Isaac.
    Young believers whose parents don't agree with their faith are at risk.

    A young man who refused to convert to Islam has not been seen or heard from since his recent abduction by police. After Isaac's mother accepted payment to convert to Islam, she turned her four children over to a Muslim cleric for religious education. Read More.

  • Dec. 05, 2019 | Central African Republic

    Refugee Hopes to Reestablish Local Church

    [282] prayers in [15] nations 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 | Iran

    Increased Gas Prices Could Hinder Christian Work

    [198] prayers in [11] nations 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.

  • Dec. 05, 2019 | India

    New Believer Persecuted over Rumors of Paid Conversions

    [226] prayers in [12] nations 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.

  • Nov. 28, 2019 | Vietnam

    Villagers Confiscate Christian Woman's Land

    [326] prayers in [14] 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 | Ethiopia

    Rebuilt Churches Bring Unity

    [202] prayers in [10] 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. 28, 2019 | Turkey

    Officials Threaten Legal Action Against Church

    [217] prayers in [13] 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. 21, 2019 | Algeria

    Authorities Continue to Close Churches

    [332] prayers in [18] 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

    [236] prayers in [14] 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

    [213] prayers in [13] 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

    [321] prayers in [15] 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 | Cuba

    Evangelist Arrested for Public Preaching

    [231] prayers in [13] 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. 14, 2019 | Nepal

    Widow Refuses to Worship Snake God

    [258] prayers in [15] 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. 07, 2019 | Egypt

    Woman Flees Father and Brother Planning to Kill Her

    [373] 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 | Laos

    Police Fear Growth of Christianity

    [248] prayers in [13] 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.

  • Nov. 07, 2019 | Eritrea

    Christians Suffer Under Worsening Conditions

    [266] prayers in [14] 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.

  • Oct. 31, 2019 | Nepal

    Living the Christian Life with Beautiful Aroma

    [383] prayers in [16] 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 | Cameroon

    Willingly Making Sacrifices

    [252] prayers in [12] 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. 31, 2019 | Sri Lanka

    Villagers Assault Christians

    [240] prayers in [12] 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. 24, 2019 | India

    Young Christian Woman Killed by Neighbors

    [356] 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

    [222] prayers in [14] 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

    [227] prayers in [17] 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

    [495] prayers in [25] 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 | Egypt

    New Converts Hunger for Christ

    [244] 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. 17, 2019 | Vietnam

    Hmong Christians Receive Audio Bibles

    [237] prayers in [15] 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. 10, 2019 | Nepal

    Young Wife Beaten and Kicked Out of Home

    [351] prayers in [21] nations have been posted for Surita.
    Surita and her son.

    Surita's husband, who was not a Christian, allowed her to attend church because he had seen a positive change in her. But Surita and her husband live with her husband's parents, and they are unhappy that she attends church. Recently, while Surita'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

    [228] prayers in [15] 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

    [208] prayers in [16] 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

    [325] 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 | Jordan

    New Christian Forced to Flee Country

    [225] 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.

  • Oct. 03, 2019 | Uganda

    Teens Driven from Home

    [244] 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.

  • Sep. 26, 2019 | India

    Hindu Radicals Beat Pastor at Prayer Meeting

    [328] 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

    [216] 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

    [209] 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

    [274] 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 | Uganda

    Susan Ithungu Faces New Health Challenges

    [231] 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. 19, 2019 | China

    Christian Man Injured in Church Demolition

    [222] 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.