VOM Radio

When the pastor began to weep, Cade Jefferson, the leader of VOM's work in the Middle East and North Africa, wasn't quite sure how to respond. He had just explained to the pastor how The Voice of the Martyrs comes alongside persecuted Christians and how the ministry was ready to help should a member of his congregation be persecuted or arrested for sharing the gospel with Muslims.

"We've found the people that are going to help us," the pastor exclaimed.

Listen to VOM Radio this week to hear about the dream that pastor had the night before meeting with Cade, and how Christian persecution may look different for Christians in different parts of the region, depending on whether they live on the Arabian Peninsula, in North Africa, or the Levant.

Cade will also share how he and his team view their region through the lens of the persecuted church and how they see the differences for Christians in countries with historic, infant, or predominantly immigrant churches. You'll hear specific kinds of persecution our brothers and sisters experience in places like Mauritania, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Libya and more, including the danger they willingly endure to boldly engage in gospel conversations with Muslims.

Pray for unity among Christians in nations with very young churches; for stamina for immigrant churches as they reach out; and for boldness among Christians in countries with a historic church presence. Also, please lift up brothers and sisters currently imprisoned for their faith in Libya.

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.

Growing up in a Buddhist family in Vietnam, Brother Daniel went through a lot of pain. He felt hopeless and wanted to kill himself. But on his way to get a gun, he stopped by a church. Everything changed. 

"I don't know why I went to the church." Brother Daniel says, "I met the pastor and he gave me a small New Testament."

The pastor told Brother Daniel that the book could change his life. Daniel will share how reading God's Word changed him and, eventually, also his family.

Seeing such dramatic changes gave Daniel a desire to see more people have Bibles. Since then, he's helped deliver thousands of Bibles all over his country. He's never lost his love for God's Word and continues to find creative ways to get Bibles to the people of Vietnam.

Listen to hear what Christian persecution looks like in villages around the country—and what they can do to appeal for the religious freedom promised by the government. Today, Brother Daniel's number one priority is training more leaders to know and love the Lord, strengthening new leaders in the church to overcome persecution and encouraging them to help one another.

Pray for Christian brothers and sisters in Vietnam like Daniel. To learn how you can pray specifically for persecuted Christians and share your prayers for them, visit www.icommittopray.com.

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.

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.