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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