• Jun. 20, 2019 | Middle East

    Love Transforms Family Relationships

    [191] prayers in [11] 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

    [139] prayers in [12] 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

    [151] prayers in [12] 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

    [271] prayers in [20] 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

    [186] prayers in [18] 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

    [181] prayers in [20] 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

    [339] prayers in [21] 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

    [271] 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

    [210] prayers in [16] 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

    [385] 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

    [212] 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

    [239] prayers in [18] 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

    [295] prayers in [16] 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

    [224] prayers in [17] 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

    [231] prayers in [16] 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

    [309] 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

    [217] prayers in [15] 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

    [245] prayers in [16] 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

    [468] prayers in [28] 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

    [247] prayers in [17] 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

    [301] 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

    [463] prayers in [27] 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

    [252] prayers in [17] 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

    [260] prayers in [22] 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

    [285] prayers in [18] 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

    [256] 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

    [255] 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

    [361] prayers in [17] 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

    [280] prayers in [14] 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

    [256] prayers in [15] 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

    [318] prayers in [17] 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

    [230] 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

    [256] 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

    [376] 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

    [311] prayers in [18] 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

    [277] prayers in [17] 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

    [460] 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

    [267] 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

    [257] 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

    [317] 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

    [264] 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

    [256] 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

    [372] 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

    [260] 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

    [239] 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

    [429] 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

    [279] 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"

    [263] 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

    [345] 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

    [276] 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

    [271] 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

    [362] 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

    [253] 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

    [241] 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

    [387] 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

    [275] 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

    [238] 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

    [360] 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

    [305] 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

    [268] 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

    [413] 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

    [324] prayers in [21] 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

    [290] 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

    [412] 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

    [260] 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

    [252] 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

    [559] 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

    [261] 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

    [326] 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

    [490] 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

    [383] 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

    [353] 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

    [377] 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

    [307] 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

    [376] 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

    [373] 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

    [261] 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

    [233] 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

    [329] 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

    [275] 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.

  • Nov. 29, 2018 | Laos

    Young Woman Chooses Faith in Jesus over Family

    [349] prayers in [18] nations have been posted for Kaili.
    "I have witnessed His love for me and know that Jesus is true," Kaili told her mother.

    Kaili came to know Christ in 2017, after a teacher shared the gospel with her. But when Kaili's mother found out, she told her daughter to abandon her new faith. Kaili explained that she could not turn her back on Jesus. "I have witnessed His love for me and know that Jesus is true," she told her mother. Read More.

  • Nov. 29, 2018 | Sri Lanka

    Worship Service Canceled Because of Threats

    [219] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Threatened Pastor.
    Pastors in Sri Lanka face constant threats for their ministry.

    Three members of a church youth group called their pastor on a Saturday to tell him that a man who had previously damaged the church had a message for him: "If you enter the town tomorrow for Sunday worship services, you will be killed." Read More.

  • Nov. 29, 2018 | Uganda

    Widow of an Imam Places Faith in Christ

    [238] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Khadija.
    Though they'd already rejected the widow, Khadija's in-laws tried to take her children when she became a Christian.

    When Khadija's husband, a well-known imam, died, her in-laws turned her and her three children out of the family home. Khadija often spent time with a neighbor, discussing how much they hated Christianity. One day, however, Khadija's friend shared the surprising news that she had accepted Christ. Read More.

  • Nov. 22, 2018 | Colombia

    Ministering to Children in the Drug Zones

    [321] prayers in [18] nations have been posted for Pastor Jorge.
    Guerrillas recruit children to help them in the drug trade.

    A pastor in one of Colombia's rebel-controlled rural areas is serving the children caught up in the drug trade. Jorge invites these children to an after-school music program, where they can avoid being on the streets or in the coca fields. Guerrillas in the area often use children to harvest coca plants or transport chemicals needed for processing coca leaves into cocaine. Read More.

  • Nov. 22, 2018 | Niger

    Five New Churches in Two Years

    [222] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Church Planters.
    Seven disciples developed five brand new churches in various villages.

    Christian workers on the ground in Niger report a chain reaction of disciple-making over the last two years. One man who went through a VOM-sponsored church planting program went on to share the gospel with seven others. After those seven people were well-developed in their faith, they each went to seven different villages to share their faith there. Read More.

  • Nov. 22, 2018 | Algeria

    Another Church Closed

    [210] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Azaghar church.
    This church door was sealed with wax in the door lock.

    Authorities in Algeria's Kabylie region have closed another church, the sixth so far this year, though three of those have since reopened. The 300-member Church of Jesus Christ in Azaghar, Bejaia province was first ordered to close in February after authorities cited safety violations. Read More.

  • Nov. 15, 2018 | Laos

    Local Authorities Threaten Two Christians

    [320] prayers in [19] nations have been posted for Threatened Christians.
    Many in tribal areas see coming to Christ as a rejection of the Lao culture.

    Local authorities from six villages recently accused two Christians of illegally spreading a foreign religion. The Christians told the authorities, which included police and Communist Party officials, that the spread of Christianity was not their work but the work of the tribal people themselves. "They volunteer to come to Christ," they told them. Read More.

  • Nov. 15, 2018 | Uganda

    Christian Woman and Children Kicked Out of Home

    [226] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Doreka and children.
    Doreka and her children are happier now in their own home.

    When Doreka told her Muslim husband that she had become a Christian, he angrily chased her out of the house and told her he would hang their four children. Read More.

  • Nov. 15, 2018 | Sri Lanka

    Mob Surrounds Church and Threatens Pastor

    [207] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Beliatta Church Members.
    Some Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka want evangelicals to leave.

    A group of about 100 angry locals surrounded a church in Beliatta during Sunday services recently, damaging windows, removing Christian symbols from the front door and vandalizing motorcycles parked outside. Read More.

  • Nov. 08, 2018 | Pakistan

    Supreme Court Overturns Asia Bibi's Conviction and Death Sentence

    [407] prayers in [19] nations have been posted for Asia Bibi and Family.
    Asia Bibi spent almost 10 years on death row.

    Christians around the world are rejoicing at the news that Asia Bibi's blasphemy conviction and death sentence have been overturned after nine and a half years in prison. Read More.

  • Nov. 08, 2018 | India

    New Attacks Are Cause for Praise

    [206] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Pastors in Uttar Pradesh.
    The wave of arrests is intended to suppress Christianity, but these pastors in prison have reason for joy.

    According to Christian leaders in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, a significant increase in attacks on Christians is part of a planned campaign by Hindu nationalist leaders. Every day, four or five churches are attacked, according to the leader of a church planting network, and the number of arrests of Christians is unprecedented. Read More.

  • Nov. 08, 2018 | Congo, Democratic Republic of the

    Christians Face Recurring Attacks

    [211] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Believers Facing Attacks.
    A VOM contact says there may be as many as 2,800 children left orphaned as a result of the violence.

    Christians in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are suffering repeated attacks by the Muslim Defense International (MDI). The group attacks entire villages, raping women, destroying houses and enslaving children before disappearing back into the forest. Read More.

  • Nov. 01, 2018 | Pakistan

    Daughter of Bombing Victim Grateful for Assistance

    [295] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Sana.
    Sana's father was killed in the Quetta church bombing.

    Sana, the daughter of a man killed in the Dec. 17, 2017, church bombing in Quetta, Pakistan, expressed her gratitude recently for the support she has received from VOM. At least 11 people, including her father, George, were killed and 50 others seriously injured in the pre-Christmas attack on a Methodist Church. Read More.

  • Nov. 01, 2018 | Uganda

    Couple Remains Faithful After Being Kicked Out of Home

    [240] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Malik and family.
    Malik's mother also later came to faith.

    Malik and his wife were thrown out of his family's house after he told them they were Christians. But he refuses to return to Islam, even though his father has offered to let them re-join the family if he would do so. Read More.

  • Nov. 01, 2018 | Kyrgyzstan

    Young Man Severely Beaten for Faith

    [286] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Eldos.
    Eldos has since had emergency surgery.

    Eldos, 26, was listening to praise music while house-sitting for his older brother, when three radical Muslims broke into the house and demanded that he recite the Muslim confession of faith. When Eldos refused, they began to beat him. They knocked out some of his teeth, broke his jaw, damaged one eye and gave him a concussion. Read More.

  • Oct. 25, 2018 | Nigeria

    Brutal Attacks Occurring Daily in Jos

    [387] prayers in [20] nations have been posted for More anti-Christian attacks.
    VOM provided aid to believers after another round of violence in July.

    Jos is under siege by Fulani militants once again. Read More.

  • Oct. 25, 2018 | Indonesia

    Three More Churches Closed

    [234] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Churches Closed.
    Members of one of the closed churches hold a sign that says: "Our Assemblies of God church has been sealed by the government." (Photo: World Watch Monitor)

    Officials closed three churches on Sept. 27 on Sumatra. Read More.

  • Oct. 25, 2018 | Malawi

    God is Moving among the Yao People

    [239] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Yao come to Christ.
    The believers in this church met in the shade of a large tree for many years, until they decided to build a structure. This may be the only Yao church building in existence.

    A movement of God is happening among the Yao. Read More.

  • Oct. 18, 2018 | India

    New Violence Against Christians in Uttar Pradesh

    [328] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Believers in Uttar Pradesh.
    Two of the pastors arrested remained joyful.

    Christians in Uttar Pradesh are experiencing a new onslaught of persecution throughout the state, including the closing of churches, imprisonment of Christians and false accusations against pastors of forced conversions and kidnappings. On Sept. 5, police arrested a pastor and 270 church members in Jaunpur, accusing them of illegally converting Hindus to Christianity. Read More.

  • Oct. 18, 2018 | Uganda

    Abandoned by Her Muslim Husband, Elizabeth Remains Strong in Faith

    [244] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Elizabeth.
    Elizabeth's husband abandoned her after he learned she became a Christian.

    Elizabeth was a secret believer for a year before she told her Muslim husband. While working in her shop one day, she heard an audible voice saying, "Seek me and find your life." Seeking to know the God who had spoken to her, she visited a church and eventually came to faith in Christ. Read More.

  • Oct. 18, 2018 | Laos

    Widow Threatened by Village Leaders

    [221] prayers in [12] nations have been posted for Analu.
    New believers in Analu's village were told to give up their religion or get out.

    Analu, a widow in her 60s, and eight other people in her village placed their faith in Christ after believers in a neighboring village visited to share the gospel. Shortly afterward, police visited Analu and told her that she and two young relatives she cares for would have to leave unless she abandoned her new faith. Read More.

  • Oct. 11, 2018 | Laos

    Pastors to Meet with Authorities About Christian Families Facing Eviction

    [320] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Believers Facing Eviction.
    Authorities in their village told the new Christians they had to get out.

    Three pastors in northern Laos are planning to meet with authorities to discuss the status of 23 Christian families who were recently ordered to leave the village. The pastors hope to persuade the authorities to allow the Christians to remain in the village by explaining a new law that allows for religious freedom. Read More.

  • Oct. 11, 2018 | Nigeria

    VOM-Supported Widow Killed in Roadside Accident

    [200] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Hasina's Family.
    Hasina was overjoyed when she received the gift of a grinding machine.

    Hasina Yakubu, whose husband was killed in a 2009 attack by Fulani Muslims, died in a roadside accident in September 2018. Since her husband's death, Hasina had been supporting her three children as well as a niece, whose father was killed in the same attack that took her husband. Read More.

  • Oct. 11, 2018 | Central Asia

    Christian Couple Faces Increasing Persecution for Evangelism

    [193] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Rinat and Richa.
    Rinat and Richa face increasing pressure because they lead a house church.

    Rinat and Richa face increasing pressure from authorities and family members for their evangelistic work, which includes leading a secret house church, distributing Christian literature and sharing the gospel in their restricted nation. Read More.

  • Oct. 04, 2018 | Yemen

    New Believer Rejected by Family

    [342] prayers in [21] nations have been posted for Khalid.
    Yemeni believers face extreme persecution from their families and society.

    After leaving Islam recently and placing his faith in Christ, Khalid has faced several tests of his new faith. His wife left him, taking their two young children with her, and said she would return only if Khalid returned to Islam. And his three closest friends told him that news of his conversion had spread and he could be killed for rejecting Muhammad. Read More.

  • Oct. 04, 2018 | India

    Radical Hindus Assault Pastor and Church Member

    [213] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Pastor Nakul and Ansh.
    Pastor Nakul was beaten so badly he required hospital treatment.

    Pastor Nakul and a church member named Ansh were assaulted on June 18 by 10 Hindu radicals. The attackers hit them with sticks and punched them repeatedly in the head and chest, leaving them bleeding and bruised. Read More.

  • Oct. 04, 2018 | Sri Lanka

    Mob Threatens Christians

    [217] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Threatened Church Members.
    Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka fear that if more people become Christians, the monks will lose their status in Sri Lanka.

    In mid-July, four Buddhist monks and about 20 villagers gathered outside an Assemblies of God church as its Sunday worship came to a close. As worshipers left the building, villagers shouted insults, obscene language and even death threats at them. Read More.

  • Sep. 27, 2018 | Myanmar

    Crackdown on Christians in Ethnic Wa Region

    [314] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Wa Region Believers.
    These 14 Christian leaders were arrested by the Wa State Army.

    Many pastors, evangelists and church members in the ethnic Wa region of Myanmar's Shan state were arrested recently, while others are missing, according to VOM sources. Read More.

  • Sep. 27, 2018 | China

    More Closures, Raids and Arrests for Chinese House Churches

    [277] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Chinese House Churches.
    As officials removed the cross atop Christ Church in Henan province, it caught fire.

    Government authorities shut down Beijing's largest house church on Sept. 9 as the result of a conflict that began in April, when authorities ordered the Zion Church to install security cameras facing the congregation. The church refused, and authorities subsequently closed the church. Read More.

  • Sep. 27, 2018 | Nigeria

    Boko Haram Again Attacks Village of VOM-Supported Pastor

    [229] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Pastor Matthias's Village.
    The violence in northern Nigeria touches lives again and again.

    Boko Haram fighters have again attacked the village of Pastor Matthias Yuguda, a VOM-supported front-line worker in Adamawa State, Nigeria. The Islamists shot and wounded an 80-year-old man during the attack, and stole food and personal items from villagers. Read More.

  • Sep. 20, 2018 | Eritrea

    Agents Hunt Christians After Preacher's Visit

    [327] prayers in [19] nations have been posted for Hunted Eritrean Christians.
    Mulu was arrested while attending a secret church meeting. Her husband died in prison.

    Security agents are hunting for Christians who attended an informal sermon by the well-known Ethiopian evangelist Surafiel Demssie, who visited Eritrea on the first Ethiopian Airlines flight into the country in more than 20 years. Read More.

  • Sep. 20, 2018 | India

    Faithful Families Lose Homes in Fire

    [233] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Christian Families.
    This church was also burned by Hindu activists.

    Hindu activists burned the homes of seven Christian families in May 2018 after they ignored the group's demands to stop meeting for prayer and worship. About 10 families have been meeting faithfully every week, since converting to Christianity several years ago. Local Hindu groups had warned them repeatedly to stop meeting, but the families ignored the warning. When the families planned a three-day prayer meeting in May, the Hindus again warned them not to meet. Read More.

  • Sep. 20, 2018 | Mexico

    Nearly 30 Christians Forced from Homes and Farmland

    [243] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Exiled Christians.
    Nearly 30 Christians were forced out of their homes and off their farmland because they are Christians.

    Authorities in Chiapas have forced nearly 30 Christians out of their homes and off their farmland simply because they are Christians. The men and women, who are also losing most of their personal belongings, are being humiliated, beaten and detained for days at a time by local government authorities. Read More.

  • Sep. 13, 2018 | Bangladesh

    Christian Convert Released from Prison

    [334] prayers in [23] nations have been posted for Sisir.
    Sisir is happy to be back with family after two years in prison for his faith.

    A Christian convert from Islam who had been imprisoned for more than two years was released on bail recently. Sisir Islam became a believer in 2012 and immediately began sharing Jesus with others in his community, leading 17 friends to Christ. On Sept. 23, 2014, after returning home from a VOM-supported training center, Sisir was charged with the murder of a local business man. Read More.

  • Sep. 13, 2018 | Sri Lanka

    Mob Threatens Christians

    [221] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Harvest Mission Church.
    Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka view Christian congregations as a threat.

    On July 8, about 50 villagers carrying sticks interrupted the Sunday morning worship service at the Harvest Mission Church in Kiran. Read More.

  • Sep. 13, 2018 | Nigeria

    Pastors Targeted in Fulani Attacks

    [242] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Pastor Jacob.
    Pastor Jacob is now caring for the children of Christians who were killed.

    Fulani herdsmen continue their attacks against Christians in northern Nigeria, specifically targeting pastors. Pastor Silas was talking with a church security guard after choir practice when Fulani Muslims attacked, killing the pastor and wounding the guard. "Silas was the target because he was a pastor," a VOM worker said. In a separate incident, Fulani raiders killed the Rev. Vincent Damina as he fled an attack on his church. Read More.

  • Sep. 06, 2018 | Uganda

    Couple Expelled from Family Home After Leaving Islam for Christ

    [375] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for John and Wife.
    John and his pregnant wife were forced to take shelter in a barn.

    "John" and his wife have been living in a barn on church property since being kicked out of the family house by his parents, who disapprove of John's conversion to Christianity. After becoming seriously ill, John, formerly a Muslim, eventually decided to attend a church service and seek healing through prayer. Read More.

  • Sep. 06, 2018 | India

    Pastors Arrested and Accused of "Conversion Racket"

    [222] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Arrested Pastors.
    This newspaper article accused the Christians of running a "conversion racket."

    Two pastors have been detained since July 22, when they were arrested on accusations of running a 13-year "conversion racket." The men were teaching a discipleship lesson to 18 believers when members of the Hindutva youth movement interrupted their class and accused them of converting people by allurement. Read More.

  • Sep. 06, 2018 | Syria

    Religion Teacher Finds God

    [244] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Amena.
    Amena was a religious teacher before she found Christ.

    Amena had been a religion teacher for 23 years when her brother introduced her to Christ. After seeing how her brother and other Christians could talk directly to God, her heart was changed and she came to faith in Jesus. Read More.

  • Aug. 30, 2018 | Uganda

    Former Imam Faces Persecution After Converting to Christianity

    [349] prayers in [20] nations have been posted for Darweshi.
    Darweshi and his pastor during a pastoral visit.

    A former Muslim leader who placed his faith in Christ on April 14 after a debate with a Christian evangelist is now being threatened by men from his former mosque. Darweshi, who is currently receiving discipleship training as a new Christian, has received death threats and fears for his family members' lives. Read More.

  • Aug. 30, 2018 | Pakistan

    Persecuted Believer Gives Half of His Earnings to Church

    [230] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Ma'ruf.
    Ma'ruf was thankful for the gift of a rickshaw to help support his family.

    A Christian convert from Islam who received a rickshaw to help him start a small business recently gave 50 percent of his first day's earnings to the church in gratitude for God's care for him and his family. Ma'ruf was raised in a Muslim home but became a Christian as an adult. His family tried repeatedly to persuade him to return to Islam, and Muslim relatives even held Ma'ruf, his wife and their two children captive for eight days, threatening to kill them. Read More.

  • Aug. 30, 2018 | Former Soviet Union

    Orphans Receive The Action Bible

    [223] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Orphans in former Soviet countries.
    A contented Action Bible recipient and his little brother.

    This summer, several orphans in the former Soviet Union received copies of The Action Bible in their own language during a summer camp. The children, who received their first Bible during camp last summer, have shared how The Action Bible has helped them better understand parts of the Bible that they didn't understand as well before. Read More.

  • Aug. 23, 2018 | Nigeria

    Pray for Teens Who Attended VOM-Sponsored Camps

    [301] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Teen victims in Nigeria.
    Teen victims of Boko Haram violence were rejuvenated at a camp just for them.

    Some teens affected by Boko Haram attacks had the opportunity recently to work through their grief and anger at VOM-sponsored camps, where they also were able to make friendships with other teens who have suffered similar experiences. Read More.

  • Aug. 23, 2018 | Sri Lanka

    Four Christians Assaulted

    [217] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Sri Lankan Believers.
    Buddhists protested a local church in Sri Lanka. (Photo: World Watch Monitor)

    A pastor, his wife and two other Christians were assaulted recently after leaving a birthday party at the home of another Christian. Five villagers confronted the Christians, threatening and verbally abusing the pastor. When the Christians continued walking away, the attackers began throwing stones at them, injuring the pastor's wife and another female. Read More.

  • Aug. 23, 2018 | Uzbekistan

    Judge Forbids Christians from Meeting for Prayer

    [220] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Khamid and Ziyatullo.
    Believers in Karshi were penalized for praying together.

    Police in the city of Karshi raided the homes of two Christians recently, taking them and five other believers in for questioning. On May 23, police raided the homes of Khamid Rakhmonov and Ziyatullo Rakhmonov (no relation) before taking both to the police station for questioning. Read More.

  • Aug. 16, 2018 | Central Asia

    Authorities Harass and Detain 10 Christians

    [308] prayers in [18] nations have been posted for Detained Christians.
    Believers in Central Asia desire to share the gospel with their countrymen.

    On Aug. 6, authorities entered a house where 10 members of a church group were staying and confiscated passports, phones, Christian literature and DVDs. They pressured and threatened the five men and five women before detaining them. Read More.

  • Aug. 16, 2018 | China

    House Church Receives Large Fine

    [203] prayers in [12] nations have been posted for Hanzhuang Church.
    The Hanzhuang church is a simple village church which will have trouble paying the fine.

    Shi Xinping, leader of a house church in Zongdian, Henan Province, was fined 50,000 yuan, or about $7,500, by the regional religious affairs committee for organizing illegal activities without reporting them to the department of religious affairs. His church, the Hanzhuang Village house church, received three government notices in one week. Read More.

  • Aug. 16, 2018 | Tanzania

    Church Closed in Zanzibar

    [220] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Pastor Daniel and Congregation.
    Authorities want to close all of Zanzibar's churches.

    In May, authorities in Zanzibar interrupted a church service before arresting the pastor and closing the church. Pastor Daniel Kwileba Kwiyeya was in mid-sermon when police officers entered the church and took him by the arm. After the pastor's daughter protested his arrest, she also was arrested and taken to the police station with her father. Read More.

  • Aug. 09, 2018 | Bangladesh

    Former Muslims Forced Back to Islam

    [341] prayers in [18] nations have been posted for Sujan.
    Sujen led almost 100 families to Christ in nearby villages.

    Thirty families turned back to Islam after facing intense community pressure, said local church planter Sujen, who became a believer through a Bible correspondence course several years ago. After becoming convinced Jesus was the Way, the Truth and the Life, he began gradually sharing with others in his community. Though his parents rejected him, Sujen went on to lead all his brothers and their spouses to Christ. Read More.

  • Aug. 09, 2018 | Eritrea

    Believers Hopeful for Change Under New Peace Deal

    [213] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Eritrean believers.
    Eritrean believers are praying for change in their country.

    Eritrean believers inside and outside the country are cautiously hopeful a new peace deal between Ethiopia and Eritrea will end decades of animosity and promote greater freedom within Eritrea. "All our family in Eritrea are holding their breath with high expectation, hope and prayer," wrote a VOM contact. Read More.

  • Aug. 09, 2018 | Uganda

    A New Name and a New Life for a Young Mother

    [236] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Mary Lusabe.
    Mary's parents threw her out of their home after she came to Christ.

    Mary Lusabe was the promiscuous daughter of a Muslim businessman before she met Christ. Mary had two children by different men and was pregnant with a third child by another man when she began having health problems. Her mother, though a Muslim, advised her to ask the Christians for prayer. Their prayers cleared up her health problems, and Mary started attending church. Read More.

  • Aug. 02, 2018 | Central African Republic

    Pastor and Other Christians Driven Out of Capital

    [314] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Pastor Panhoue and his family.
    Some of the children receiving VOM assistance in eastern CAR.

    Almost five years after being forced to abandon their home in the Central African Republic's capital, Bangui, a pastor and his family are still unable to return. Pastor Panhoue Fidele Pamphile, who had served in Bangui since 1990, was forced to flee with his family in 2013 after angry Muslims began to intimidate his congregation and disrupt services. Read More.

  • Aug. 02, 2018 | Uzbekistan

    Police Warn Christian to Cease Religious Activity

    [243] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Saidjon.
    In Uzbekistan, believers meet in secret.

    Police in Urgench, Uzbekistan, broke into Saidjon Urazov's apartment recently and warned him to stop participating in illegal Christian meetings (evangelical churches are denied registration in Uzbekistan). Read More.

  • Aug. 02, 2018 | China

    Church Raided for Third Time in 30 Days

    [233] prayers in [12] nations have been posted for Pastor Huang and the Bible Reformed Church.
    Police officers take down names of church attendees at the Bible Reformed Church. (Photo: China Aid)

    On July 15, local authorities entered the Bible Reformed Church in Guangzhou, Guangdong, for the third time in a month. As in previous raids, the officials detained and interrogated the pastor and several others. According to Pastor Huang Xiaoning, about 30 government officials entered the church during a service, told the Christians to stop gathering and required everyone to show their ID cards. They then took Pastor Huang and at least five others for interrogation, which lasted for hours. Read More.

  • Jul. 26, 2018 | Kenya

    Police Defuse Bomb in Church

    [296] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Pastor Galgallo and Church Members.
    Churches in Kenya remain on alert.

    Local police defused a bomb placed in an evangelical church in eastern Kenya. Pastor Galgallo noticed a strange item in his Evangelical Victory Church in Merti before the start of the morning service on May 12. He immediately took a photo and reported it to the police. Read More.

  • Jul. 26, 2018 | Turkey

    New Regulations to Affect Christians

    [214] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Turkish Christians.
    New regulations will hinder Christian meetings in Turkey.

    Following a June election, the president issued several decrees that will affect Christians in Turkey. According to a Turkish pastor, meetings in homes are now illegal. Though the law may be intended to hinder Islamic sectarian meetings, it will definitely hinder Christians meetings as well. Read More.

  • Jul. 26, 2018 | India

    Falsely Accused Christians Released

    [221] prayers in [12] nations have been posted for Sudarshan, Sumanti, Rupash and Neelam.
    The two men and two women were held for over a month on anti-conversion charges.

    A group of Christians who have been in prison since May 29 were released in July. Sudarshan, Sumanti, Rupash and Neelam were arrested under the state of Jharkhand's anti-conversion laws. Villagers accused the four of beating Sumanti's father with a bamboo stick because he refused to convert to Christianity. Read More.

  • Jul. 19, 2018 | Azerbaijan

    A Challenging Existence for Believers

    [267] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Christian in Central Asia.
    An evangelist shares the gospel in Central Asia.

    A believer in Azerbaijan intended to purchase some land for a small business. However, he did not want to pay the usual bribe to the mayor. Read More.

  • Jul. 19, 2018 | China

    Four Christians Detained in Guangzhou Church Raid

    [327] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Pastor Detained.
    Authorities arrested Pastor Huang Xiaoning mid-sermon. (Photo: China Aid)

    Authorities raided a small house church in China's southern Guangdong province during a service on June 14, detaining Pastor Huang Xiaoning and three church members. Read More.

  • Jul. 19, 2018 | West Africa

    Pastor's Wife Traumatized after Fleeing Islamists

    [370] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Pastor's Wife.
    Caption: Christians who had returned to the North are now fleeing again.

    Pastor Trevor and his wife, Clarice, worked in the north of their country pastoring a church until Islamists overtook the area. Read More.

  • Jul. 12, 2018 | Uganda

    Pray for a Family Separated After Turning to Christ

    [356] prayers in [18] nations have been posted for Yassin and Family.
    Yassin and his family have been living separately after their house was burned down.

    Yassin, a former imam, and his wife became Christians two years ago after Yassin's wife was healed from a serious illness during a church service. When Yassin told his mother of their conversion to Christianity, they and their six children immediately began to face persecution. Read More.

  • Jul. 12, 2018 | India

    Hindu Extremists Burn Pastor's Home

    [244] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Pastor Baiga.
    Hindu activists also burned down the house and church of this Indian pastor.

    Hindu activists burned Pastor Chaitu Baiga's home in the middle of the night, leaving his family homeless. Pastor Chaitu, who was born into a Hindu family, came to know Christ in 2010 and completed Bible training before becoming a pastor. When Hindu activists learned of his effective evangelistic work - he currently leads three congregations in three villages - they began harassing him and attacking him physically. Read More.

  • Jul. 12, 2018 | Gaza Strip

    Young Muslim Learns About Jesus Online

    [244] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Mohammed.
    Mohammed found Jesus online.

    After hearing a university professor mention the name of Jesus four years ago, Mohammed began to seek information about Christianity online, eventually connecting with a group of Christians. His new interest in Jesus soon led to conflict with family members. When his sister saw him watching a Christian TV program, she reported him to their father, who then restricted Mohammed's access to the Internet and social media for the next year. Read More.

  • Jul. 05, 2018 | Bangladesh

    Church Planter Shows Grace to Threatening Neighbor

    [295] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Nazmul.
    Bangladeshi Christians face society harassment and family persecution.

    A church planter who was harassed and threatened by his Muslim neighbor used the conflict as a way to model God's grace and forgiveness. After Nazmul and his family rented a house next to a Muslim family, the Muslims began to criticize Christians and shout curses at their new neighbors. Nazmul eventually decided to move, but the harassment didn't stop. Read More.

  • Jul. 05, 2018 | China

    Two Pastors Arrested During Seminary Class

    [203] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Two Arrested Pastors.
    Police interrupted the Bible Reformed Church in Guangzhou mid-service on Sunday, June 10, 2018. They detained the pastor and three others. (Credit: China Aid)

    Chinese officials in eastern Jiangsu province interrupted a seminary class on May 28 and arrested two pastors without showing a warrant. Police and agents from the local religious affairs bureau also threatened to arrest the teacher and more than 20 students, who later went to the police station demanding to know why the pastors were arrested. Read More.

  • Jul. 05, 2018 | Nigeria

    More than 200 Killed in Attacks on Christian Villages

    [243] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Attacked Christian Villages.
    Two-year old Melody, who was injured in the attacks, is improving and has started taking liquids.

    Muslim Fulani herdsmen attacked 10 Christian villages near Jos over the weekend of June 23–24, killing more than 200 people and displacing thousands. Several VOM-supported widows who had lost their husbands and homes in previous attacks have again lost their homes and been separated from their children. Read More.

  • Jun. 28, 2018 | India

    Four Christians Charged with Forced Conversions

    [281] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Pastor Sudarshan, Sumanti, Rupash and Neelam.
    Some village churches in India meet in the open air.

    On May 29, four Christians in Jharkhand were arrested and charged with forcibly converting people to Christianity. A group of villagers who follow a traditional animist religion told police that Pastor Sudarshan, Sumanti, Rupash and Neelam beat a man with a bamboo stick because he refused to convert to Christianity. Read More.

  • Jun. 28, 2018 | Nigeria

    Seventeen Members of Boko Haram Surrender and Seek Forgiveness

    [252] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Former Boko Haram Members.
    Boko Haram wants to establish a kingdom in Northern Nigeria.

    On May 28, 17 members of Boko Haram surrendered to the Nigerian military after President Muhammadu Buhari offered amnesty to any fighters willing to turn in their weapons and seek peace. Those who surrendered said they had been forced to join Boko Haram after their town was raided four years ago. Read More.

  • Jun. 28, 2018 | China

    Christian Couple Detained for Sharing Their Faith

    [203] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Liang and Li.
    Li Yinxiu, in an Instagram post prior to being arrested. (Photo Credit: China Aid)

    Pastor Liang Ziliang and several other church members in Heshan, Guangdong, were distributing Christian brochures and carrying anti-abortion banners in a local park when police began to photograph them. That night, Liang and his wife, Li Yinxiu, were called to the police station and detained on arrival. Following their arrest, police searched their home without a warrant. Their family later received two criminal detention notices accusing Liang and Li of violating Article 80 of China's criminal law and organizing and supporting illegal gatherings. Read More.