Maya and her husband were constantly under pressure from police in Turkmenistan. Then her husband was thrown in jail. Maya says many times she questioned God. “So many times I prayed to God and asked, ‘Why is this happening in our lives? We’ve done so much to serve you!'” Amid her questions, Maya sensed a challenge: she needed to surrender her thoughts to God and go back to his Word. Listen as Maya shares how she and her husband met, how the Lord changed her husband’s heart after he began to follow Jesus, and how she came to know Christ after six years seeing her husband live out God’s love. You’ll hear how her husband, Ilmurad, abused her and struggled with addiction before he knew Christ, and how Christ changed him so radically that friends and neighbors asked, “What happened to you?!” Because of his Christian ministry, Ilmurad was sentenced to four years in prison. However, he viewed his time in prison as continued ministry as he led other prisoners to follow Christ. While in prison, Ilmurad was listed on The Voice of the Martyrs’ letter-writing website, www.PrisonerAlert.com. Though he was never allowed to see or read incoming letters, a prison custodian told him he was receiving mail from all over the world. Ilmurad knew he was not forgotten and that Christians were praying for him. “I was surprised and encouraged to hear that people outside our country were praying for us,” Maya says. “I’m so appreciative that you didn’t forget us when we had trouble.” Since her husband’s death from illness in 2024, Maya continues serving as a gospel worker among women in Turkmenistan. Please pray for her ministry and her health. You can encourage persecuted Christians in prison—just like Ilmurad and Maya were encouraged—when you write letters through PrisonerAlert.com. The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily for persecuted Christians in nations like North Korea, Nigeria, China and Iran, as well as provide free access to e-books, audiobooks, video content, and feature films. Download the VOM App for your iOS or Android device today.
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A notable history of severe illness and death marks Maldivian Christians, foreign missionaries to the island nation and translators working to produce a Bible in the native language, explained by front-line workers as a significant form of spiritual warfare for those committed to making Christ known in the Maldives. Samuel is one such Maldivian Christian, with a passion to reach his family and friends with the gospel of Jesus Christ. He has suffered severe health problems in recent months that resulted in the need for intensive hospital care.
Read MoreA church in the town of Semey, located in far eastern Kazakhstan, was raided during Sunday morning services on May 24, 2026. According to the police, someone had called the Kazakh police emergency number to report that religious activities of an unregistered community were taking place. “A police squad of about 10 people arrived during the service,” said one of the leaders. “After the service ended, everyone present except for mothers with children was told not to leave. Officers explained the reason for their visit and said that the church members were violating the laws of the Republic of Kazakhstan by performing religious rites.”
Read MoreChristians in Algeria need prayer for encouragement, fellowship and effective ministry. Fewer than 1 percent of Algerians are Christians, and many Algerian followers of Christ live in areas where there is not a single church. A front-line worker met with one of those isolated Christians. During their visit, the two walked through the man’s city, praying for him and praying that more of the city’s residents would hear the gospel and learn of God’s love for them. “He is a very lonely brother,” said the worker.
Read MoreHow do you discern God’s call and determine where He’s leading you? How much of your prayer time is spent listening to Him? Ben Barrett, who’s led The Voice of the Martyrs’ work in South Asia, will help us answer those questions as he shares how God has led him and his wife into a new season of ministry. His new role—with one of VOM’s strategic partner ministries—includes raising up indigenous Christian leaders, supporting church planting efforts and encouraging pastors to continue making disciples to multiply the gospel work. “We want to come alongside them in the midst of persecution and difficulty,” Ben said. One of the parts of Ben’s new role that excites him—and draws on his experience serving at VOM—is bringing church planters and leaders from different places where Christians are persecuted together to share with each other experiences and hard-won wisdom. Listen as Ben shares some of the stories that have impacted him greatly during his time serving our persecuted brothers and sisters with VOM, the current state of persecution in South Asia and how Hindus, Buddhists, and Muslims are coming to know Christ. He’ll also encourage listeners to lean into where the Lord may be calling you, and share how making yourself available may be just what God is asking of you. Pray for Ben and his family during this transition and for their ongoing service to the Lord in the next season of their service to Him. The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily for persecuted Christians in nations like North Korea, Nigeria, China and Iran, as well as provide free access to e-books, audiobooks, video content, and feature films. Download the VOM App for your iOS or Android device today.
Read MoreRadical Muslims have attacked several churches in Sudan and made false accusations that the pastors of these churches are responsible for the attacks. The pastors have been ordered to appear in court on June 16, 2026, to answer the charges against them. Despite the accusations, the pastors remain committed to continuing their ministry work. “We trust God, knowing that nothing will be successful in stopping the ministry,” one of the pastors said.
Read MoreOverwhelmed by Ministry Challenges
Violent Islamist groups, some aligned with the self-proclaimed Islamic State (ISIS), have been attacking, abducting and murdering Christians in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Hundreds of Christians have been killed, some when Islamists attacked churches during services. “Pastors find themselves overwhelmed by the current situation,” said a Congolese church leader. “Some are discouraged.” As Christians flee the Islamist attacks, many pastors continue serving their congregations, but the attacks take a toll on these ministers.
A Christian convert in her twenties has been imprisoned in her room by family members, and her condition is unknown. “The family lives in a very conservative part of Turkiye, and they are very strict,” said a front-line worker. “When the family learned that she had been attending services at the only church in the area, they called her home to talk about it but then wouldn’t let her out of the home.” Front-line workers say her father and brother confiscated her phone and confined her in a room.
Read MoreIn a Muslim village in East Africa, 47 people confessed belief in Christ. But then Christian persecution came. Radical Muslims went house-to-house, threatening new believers and demanding they return to Islam. All but two of the new Christians renounced their faith. Brother Paulo, a leader in YWAM Frontier Missions in East Africa, met the two young men who stood firm for Christ. He asked them how they’d stayed faithful under such intense pressure. “The experience I had with Jesus was so strong that I cannot deny Jesus,” the younger of the two men told him. In places like Northern Mozambique, South Sudan, Malawi, Tanzania and other East African countries, Muslim-background believers face persecution from their families and communities. Even those who have grown up in Christian families are likely to face persecution from Muslim communities—especially if they are involved in evangelism or outreach to Muslims. Brother Paulo will share more stories from our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters in East Africa, tell how God called him into missions and describe the endurance of churches in the region amid persecution. He will also share how believers prepare to face persecution and how Christians in free nations like the United States can pray for our brothers and sisters in East Africa. The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily for persecuted Christians in nations like North Korea, Nigeria, China and Iran, as well as provide free access to e-books, audiobooks, video content, and feature films. Download the VOM App for your iOS or Android device today.
Read MoreA young Christian continues to share her faith despite peer pressure. When she was 12, a Kazakh girl named Adiya organized a Christmas party to share the gospel with her Muslim classmates. Her invitations stating “A big star will be there!” caused some children to wonder if they would meet a celebrity. During the party, Adiya presented Christ as the star, taught Christian songs and gave everyone a wrapped copy of the Bible. While the attendees enjoyed themselves, some later ridiculed her and told her they threw the Bibles in the trash.
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