The Front Line Report

"What is key is that many of these pastors and leaders have understood the true gospel."

Despite government threats of exile, prison, or death, Pastor Chico, a front-line worker in Nicaragua, says pastors are still preaching the truth of God's Word, no matter the cost. They know, as the Bible says, that "faith comes by hearing" (Romans 10:17).

The price of their preaching can be high. Listen as Chico shares about a pastor who lost his Nicaraguan citizenship when he left the country to attend a Christian conference, and pastors imprisoned without a trial or any legal process in which to defend themselves.

Nicaragua's government is actively working to co-opt and control churches. Christians who won't cooperate are labelled "terrorists". Listen as Chico explains government efforts to influence and control churches, and why every believer in Nicaragua needs a Bible in their hands.

To read more about Nicaragua and other restricted and hostile nations, see our Global Prayer Guide here: https://vom.com.au/news/weekly-prayer-updates/

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.

This 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.

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!"

Brother Matthew was a worldly teenager when his mother decided she and her son needed to go to church. By the end of that first service, both of them had committed their lives to following Christ.

As Matthew grew in faith, he was convicted and inspired by the Acts accounts of Paul's missionary travels. Studying Paul's efforts to take the gospel to the Gentiles, Matthew began to ponder who the Gentiles were in his generation, living far from the truth of Christ? As he began to ask that question in prayer, God laid on his heart the nation of Afghanistan. Matthew began taking steps towards service in that war-torn country, and repeatedly God confirmed His calling. Months later, Matthew was in Uzbekistan, serving with a church-planting effort and getting on-the-ground education in Central Asia ministry and culture.

Listen as Matthew tells the stories of the people he met who experienced supernatural visions and encounters with Jesus. He'll also talk about the risks of sharing the gospel among Muslims, and the miraculous story of how God helped him get approval for an Afghan visa from the Taliban consulate!

Matthew will recount what it looked like when he arrived in Kabul – just a few years after Soviet tanks withdrew – and how the Lord led him to serve in a village as God faithfully guided, one step at a time. Pray this week for our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters in Afghanistan and throughout Central Asia.

INDIA: "I Am Willing to Pay the Price. My Heart is Prepared." by Voice of the Martyrs Australia

In this episode of the Release International Voice podcast, Tom Hardy continues his conversation with Sharif, a former radicalised Muslim from a family of imams who encountered Christ while in prison.

Release International UK is a sister office of VOM Australia

In this episode, Tom Hardy of the Release International Voice podcast speaks with Sharif, a former radicalised Muslim from a family of imams who encountered Christ while in prison.

Born into a family of imams and radicalised in the Muslim Brotherhood, Sharif never imagined he would meet Jesus in a solitary prison cell. In Part One of this two-part conversation, he shares how jihad, political activism, and imprisonment led him to a series of mysterious encounters and a long, painful journey through the Koran that ended at the feet of Christ.

Release International UK is a sister office of VOM Australia

Brother Wybo served persecuted Christians for decades through Open Doors alongside Brother Andrew, author of God’s Smuggler. Andrew was known for his passion for distributing Bibles and his willingness to take risks to bring God’s Word into hostile and restricted nations. During his time with Open Doors, Wybo developed the World Watch List, which tracks the countries where Christians experience the most persecution. He has now helped create the Bible Access List [Home | Bible Access List], a new initiative measuring how difficult it is for Christians worldwide to obtain Bibles. The list highlights both nations where governments restrict Bible distribution, such as Afghanistan, and places like India where Bibles are legal but scarce due to economic barriers, supply issues, or other challenges. Wybo hopes the list will inspire Christians to pray and support Bible access efforts. Drawing on decades of experience, he also shares lessons learned from persecuted believers and the encouragement he witnessed while distributing Bibles in Ethiopia.

In this episode, Tom Hardy of Release International speaks with Lazarus Yeghnazar of the organisation of Transform Iran.

Inside Iran, protests are met with brutal crackdowns, yet something extraordinary is happening beneath the surface. In this powerful episode, Lazarus shares stories of courage, persecution, and a growing underground church, with over a million turning to Christ – many through dreams. As fear of famine and further devastation looms, he calls for prayer, hope, and attention.

Release International UK is a sister office of VOM Australia

God Answers Prayer that a Fellow Pastor Would be Arrested

After spending months in prison for sharing the gospel with Hindus, Pastor Paul’s health began to deteriorate. In desperation, he prayed that God would allow another pastor to be arrested and sent to the same prison so they could encourage one another. Four days later, Paul read in the newspaper that a pastor had been arrested. Two weeks after that, the pastor arrived at the prison and brought Paul great encouragement, telling him that his church had been praying for him.

With renewed faith, the two pastors prayed together regularly. Other prisoners soon began asking them for prayer, and even prison guards noticed their devotion. When asked what they were doing, the pastors replied that they were praying for the guards as well. Eventually, around 70 prisoners came to them seeking prayer and wanting to learn about Jesus.

Go to www.PrisonerAlert.com to learn how you can pray for other persecuted Christians still imprisoned for their faith.

Write to and encourage Christians imprisoned for their faith and their families.