In late April, Pastor John Cao, who served seven years in prison before his release in 2024, was diagnosed with late-stage prostate cancer and a spinal tumor. He has remained under heavy surveillance since his release and has been prevented from reuniting with his family abroad. Christians and civil rights groups have called for the Chinese authorities to return his passport on humanitarian grounds so he can be with his family and receive better care. “This is as cruel as you can be,” said Bob Fu, founder and president of China Aid.
Read MoreNoor, a Christian convert from Islam who was forced to flee from her family and lives in hiding, now needs a kidney transplant. “She is suffering from renal failure but is young and healthy enough that if a transplant is successful, it could provide her with decades of productive life,” said a front-line worker. The worker asked for prayer that she would receive a kidney and for her ongoing housing and residency issues. Noor and her sister became Christians after becoming disillusioned with Islam for its treatment of women.
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It started as an English-teaching ministry in Japan in 1967. Today A3 is raising up church leaders in 25 countries; leaders equipped and unified to accelerate gospel movements around the world, including numerous hostile areas and restricted nations where The Voice of the Martyrs works with persecuted Christians. Dr. Joe Handley, CEO of A3, and Janelle Stoops, U.S. President for the ministry, join VOM Radio to share how A3 was founded and how it serves the global church by meeting one of the biggest needs: trained leaders. Relatively new to A3, Janelle will share her background as a gospel worker seeing God establish his church among Muslims in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. She also got a personal taste of Christian persecution as she and her family were expelled from the country they’d grown to love. She wrestled with having to leave the place they felt called to, but ultimately accepted that “God was working here before we got here, and even when we leave He is still going to be at work.” Joe and Janelle will share challenges they face in ministry, how they work under the radar in places where Christian teaching is not welcome and how A3 provides resiliency training to leaders in countries where there is intense persecution. These leaders also experience fellowship within the Body of Christ, knowing they are not alone in their suffering. One tool A3 uses to help build resiliency in the leaders is a book published by VOM titled “In the Shadow of the Cross.” You can order your copy to learn what the Bible says about Christian persecution and suffering from Genesis to Revelation. The e-book version is available for free in the VOM App. Download the VOM App for your iOS or Android device today.
Read MoreSaman, a rural Sri Lankan pastor, has been persecuted for months as he faces charges in court and threats against his life. Because of the growth of the church that meets in Saman’s home, Buddhist monks from throughout the area filed noise complaints and charges of illegal meetings. In a preliminary hearing, the judge said Christianity was not illegal and that the house was too distant from its neighbors for noise to be an issue. As the case is ongoing, Saman requested prayer for a favorable outcome. He also reported that the church has continued to grow, due in part to the local Buddhist monks trying to incite people against them, which has led to growing interest in the church.
Read MoreA front-line worker in Lebanon shared what the Lord has taught him through “walking people home” over years of serving persecuted Christians. “The people we walk alongside carry heavy, layered wounds,” he wrote. “They are dealing with trauma, anxiety and the terrifying insecurity that comes from losing their homes, livelihoods and families because of their faith. I’ve learned to listen for what lies beneath the words ? the fear someone is too ashamed to name, the hope they’re hesitant to whisper, the grief they’ve carried alone for years. We are walking people home.
Read MoreA Christian man was disowned and forced to flee after placing his faith in Christ. Boukary’s father is a village chief, or king, as they are often called in Burkina Faso. He is also a Muslim. When Boukary started listening to an audio Bible and eventually placed his trust in Christ, his father was furious. “The family considers Boukary’s conversion to have placed a huge amount of shame on them as Muslims,” said a front-line worker. “His father immediately took Boukary’s wife away and sent her back to her family.
Read MoreMaya 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.
Read MoreA 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.
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