On Aug. 2, 2025, Li Guiwen, a Christian leader among the Lisu people group, was arrested for opening his home to other Christian villagers for prayer and worship. During the arrest, police confiscated Bibles, books, audio-visual materials and sheet music. Li Guiwen was found guilty of using an unapproved religious venue and conducting illegal religious activities and sentenced to six months in prison.
Read MoreWhen a woman from an Arabian Gulf nation placed her faith in Christ, her conversion came at great personal cost. Upon sharing her Christian faith with her family, she was met with anger and rejection. Her relatives viewed her decision as a deep dishonor to their heritage and traditions. As a result, she was cast out of her home and formally disowned by her tribe. A court ruling stripped her of her tribal affiliation, meaning she has lost not only her family name but also her inheritance rights.
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Christians in Laos know they will face persecution when they follow Jesus. Brother Sionh, founder and president of Khmu Christian Connection, says he doesn’t have to make a special effort to prepare Christians for persecution because they already know it will come. He says some Khmu follow Jesus privately and secretly because they fear the loss of opportunity that comes with being known as a Christian. Brother Sionh remembers how his parents and many others came to faith before World War II when an American missionary walked to their village and told them Jesus has power over evil spirits and that if you believe in Him, He will protect you. Today, Sionh reaches Khmu people all over the world through his work as a Bible teacher for Khmu Gospel Radio Broadcast. The largest populations of Khmu people are in Laos, Vietnam and China. In Laos, Christians are often seen as troublemakers and agents of Western influence. Most Khmu are animists, worshipping spirits of their ancestors or of things in nature. When they are sick or have trouble, they call on witchdoctors and perform ritualistic practices. They constantly live in a spirit of fear, afraid of offending the spirits and bringing trouble. Brother Sionh also shares the story of Pastor Thongkham, who was martyred for his Christian work, gunned down in front of his wife and children in July of 2024. (Brother Thongkham was interviewed by VOM Radio the year before he was murdered.) Brother Sionh shared more of his personal testimony and how God called him to ministry service during his first interview on VOM Radio. The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily for persecuted Christians in nations like North Korea, Nigeria, Iran, and India, 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 MoreMuslim protesters formed a human chain to block Christian worshipers from attending a planned Christmas worship service on Dec. 14, 2025, near the capital city of Jakarta, Indonesia. Videos on social media show the group holding anti-Christian banners and shouting jihadist slogans. Some protesters held or pushed Christians who tried to get through the line. “We only want to worship peacefully,” one Christian said in a video. “We have no intention of disturbing anyone.”
Read MoreA front-line worker visited a remote part of northern Sierra Leone to participate in the first baptismal service of a newly planted church. Reaching the church required traveling by truck and then motorcycle for hours over a series of rough dirt roads and paths. After the worker arrived and participated in a church service, the congregation walked to a river for the baptism ceremony. By the time they arrived, the sun had set. “So, using the motorcycle’s lights, we had a beautiful baptism ceremony in which 31 believers entered into the baptism waters,” the front-line worker said.
Read MoreA Christian convert from Islam who is now a pastor received facial surgery as he continues to recover from an attack 15 years ago. Pastor Umar Mulinde, a former Muslim leader, left Islam to follow Christ in the 1990s. While on his way to a Christmas party with his church members on Dec. 24, 2011, he was attacked by a radical Muslim who poured acid on his face. Since then, Umar’s wounds have continued to cause pain and discomfort.
Read MoreThis week, Brother Matthew continues sharing stories of God’s calling on his life to Afghanistan and how he came to know the beautiful, amazing people within that broken nation. As he saw God at work in Afghanistan, he says his faith and hope increased. Afghanistan is a nation where many Christians have laid down their lives. With his long experience there, Matthew met, worked with and learned from these martyrs. Listen as he shares memories of several heroes of the faith that he knew as friends and colleagues in the gospel effort. One of those Brother Matthew will tell of is Werner Groenewald, who was martyred along with his son and daughter in Afghanistan in 2014. Hannelie, Werner’s widow, shared her story on VOM Radio; you can hear it at www.vomradio.net/hannelie. Matthew will also share how he met his wife and talk about raising children in Afghanistan. He says each time they left the country and came back, it was a sobering decision as they continued to trust God with their lives, and for the safety of their children. Matthew will also talk about the church in other Central Asian nations, including Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Iran. Finally, he shares advice and encouragement for Christians who may feel a sense of calling to global missions. He also speaks to churches in free nations: “I don’t think the church has a lack of calling. We have a lack of response. We have to respond!” Pray for the continued multiplication of the church and ask God for boldness for persecuted Christians in Central Asia—and Christians in your area. The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily for persecuted Christians in nations like North Korea, Nigeria, Iran, and India, 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 Muslim religious leader is seeking truth about Christ after encountering a Bible for the first time. Mustafa is an imam of his local mosque, but he discovered a Bible in his son’s room. He became curious about what the Bible teaches as he noticed many in his community turning away from Islam. “When I open any pages and read, this book continues to give truth that I never heard,” he said.
Read MoreTwo Christian couples in northern India were assaulted by a Hindu mob when they visited another Christian family to pray for them. Pastor Jehovah Das, 65, and Vinod Masih, 42, and their wives visited another family’s home to pray for their new baby. A group of radical Hindus found out about the visit and gathered a mob of about 50 people. They broke into the house and dragged the Christians out, slapping, punching and kicking them for several hours. They then searched the visitors’ car, pulled out Bibles and Christian literature, and forced the Christians to set fire to the materials.
Read MoreIslamists belonging to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) continue to attack and kill Christians in targeted assaults in the DRC. One pastor said his village has been attacked by the ADF three times over the last year, and every building belonging to Christians has been destroyed. In the first attack, the ADF killed 15 people inside his church and kidnapped 20. In the next attack, the ADF killed six people, including a church elder. When the ADF attacked a third time, the pastor said they were specifically looking for him.
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