“Pastor Chitria” has been arrested multiple times for his ministry work in Nepal. He says such treatment is an honor and a privilege! Pastor Chitria talks about preparing believers to stand strong in the face of Christian persecution. He says new Christians preparing for baptism must answer seven questions, including whether they are willing to lose their family, friends and even their freedom to stand for Christ. Hindus believe there are more than 330 million gods—yet radical Hindus in Nepal see Jesus as a great threat to their life and culture. Pastor Chitria shares one unique challenge Nepali Christians face when one of their fellow believers dies, and how it is used to pressure new believers to renounce their faith in Christ. Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast.
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Danjuma Shakaru’s grave is still empty. Villagers had dug the 13-year-old boy’s final resting place after he was critically wounded during a Jan. 28, 2015 attack on their village. When they saw his mangled, lifeless body covered in blood, they fully expected him to die. But God had other plans. Three months after the attack, Danjuma’s face is marked by horrendous scars where his right eye was carved out … and by a beaming smile. Danjuma’s memories of the attack begin with the gunshots he heard at about 6 a.m. on a Wednesday morning. He remembers running for his life and then being confronted by some of the more than 1,000 Islamic insurgents who attacked his Christian village, burning homes and killing villagers who didn’t manage to escape. Although his memories of the attack are incomplete, one thing he’ll never forget is the pain caused by a machete slicing through the left side of his head. The rest of the attack, by God’s grace, he doesn’t recall. “Then I found myself in this situation,” he said. “I can’t remember how the story continues again.” Terrifying Brutality Danjuma can’t recall the attackers hacking at his left arm with a machete. He
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Pastor Pierre led a church in northern Burkina Faso until 2019 when jihadists attacked his village. When the attackers entered his village and began shooting, Pastor Pierre was warned that “the terrorists are coming to kill you; you have to leave.”
Read MoreIranian Christians have a unique opportunity to advance the gospel amid increasing challenges due to Iran’s struggling economy. Rapid inflation, high unemployment and the impact of the pandemic have created severe economic woes for many inside Iran.
Read MoreAfter Aung Hte and his wife came to faith in 2017, his in-laws expelled him and his family from their land and home. His family became destitute and was forced to live in a tent on rented land while Aung Hte worked in a remote fishing village to provide for their needs.
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Eight-year-old Nankpak Kumzwam watched his mother lie face down on the ground as a screaming Islamic rioter ran toward them. Her cheek was stained with dried blood from a gunshot wound, and she looked physically and emotionally drained. They had slept on the ground for the past two nights while fleeing marauding rioters. And they had just heard heartbreaking news — rioters had killed Nankpak’s father. When Nankpak saw his mother lie down out of fear and exhaustion, he did the same. The Muslim rioter running toward them knew they were Christians and that Nankpak’s father was a pastor, so he immediately attacked them with a machete. Assuming that he had killed Nankpak as well as his mother, brother and sister, the attacker finally walked away. But there was one survivor. The Young Survivor When Nankpak regained consciousness, he knew his mother, sister and brother were dead. Bleeding from machete wounds and the gunshot wound he had suffered the day before, Nankpak hiked through the bush to find help, eventually arriving at a friend’s house. After receiving treatment, Nankpak moved in with an uncle until he enrolled in a school in a safe area. VOM provided support to him, just
Read MoreOn December 5, 2013, Ronnie Smith was shot and killed in the Libyan city of Benghazi. In this second half of our interview with Anita Smith, Ronnie’s widow, she talks about the legacy her husband left and the faith she continues to exercise in raising their son without his earthly father around. Shortly after Ronnie’s death, Anita spoke in media interviews about her love for the Libyan people and about forgiving her husband’s murderers—including interviews in Arabic with Middle East broadcasters. Anita will share some of the things she wants their son to know about his earthly father, and ways God has encouraged and sustained her in the eight years since Ronnie’s murder. She’ll also talk about how the testimonies of other Christians facing persecution and hardship encouraged her faith. If you missed the first half of the conversation with Anita, listen here. Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast.
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The lives of the Khab family changed dramatically when they placed their faith in Christ. They no longer feared the gods and evil spirits that others in their small Laotian village tried to appease, and their newfound freedom was obvious to the other Hmong villagers. Soon, two other families turned to faith in Christ. Village leaders, however, were nervous about the “foreign religion” taking root among them. They worried that it would anger their gods, causing crops to fail or bringing other calamities on the village. After agreeing that they had to take action, the leaders demanded that the three Christian families renounce their faith. When the families refused, they were expelled from the village and forced to move into tarp tents in a rice field. When three other families witnessed their strong faith, they, too, placed their trust in Christ, bringing the Christian community in the rice field to a total of six families composed of 32 individuals. They are not permitted to leave the field unless a leader from another village allows them into their village. One day, a family from the Khmu tribe noticed their tent camp and asked them why they were living in a rice
Read MoreFollowing the military coup that occurred earlier this year in Myanmar, authorities have been searching for local church leader Maung, seeking to detain him for his faithful Christian witness and leadership among congregants.
Read MoreA Christian brother is facing hardship after leaving Islam to follow Christ. This brother came to faith in Christ just weeks ago. After his girlfriend found out about his newfound faith, she reported him to his Muslim family, who locked him in a room for more than 24 hours to try to force him to recant his faith.
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