Dozens of foreign Christians have been quietly forced out of Türkiye in recent years.

After moving his family to Türkiye (formerly Turkey) in 2001, Jerry Mattix served in aid ministry and as a pastor. Last month he was told he is no longer allowed to enter the country—even for short visits.

Jerry and his wife grew up in missionary families with hearts for missions. During his first semester in Bible school, God grabbed Jerry’s heart for the Kurdish people in Türkiye, one of the largest unreached people groups in the world.

Listen to hear how Jerry and his wife started ministry together in Türkiye, and the story of Jerry’s first expulsion from the country in 2013, when he was labeled a “threat to national security.” Türkiye was founded as a secular republic, but in recent years government leaders have grown more open about favoring Islam. Jerry fought his first expulsion in court, and judges ruled in his favor, allowing him to reenter the country in 2016—but not to live there. Jerry and his family planted new roots in North Cyprus. They have seen the Lord’s hand at work despite their family’s upheaval.

Following the massive earthquake on February 6th, 2023, Jerry made repeated trips to Türkiye to partner with local pastors and lead international Christians in to serve in relief work.

Listen as Jerry explains the government’s decision to remove foreign Christians from Türkiye and hear how the local church has “grown legs” to carry forward the ministry as foreign workers are being forced out of the country. “We’re not praying for peace and prosperity, or for Christian persecution;” Jerry says, “We are praying for the kingdom of Christ to grow and thrive—whatever it takes.”

Pray for Jerry and other foreign Christians who have been kicked out of Türkiye and for believers in Türkiye to continue in the ministry God has called them to. Listen to more stories from Türkiye on VOM Radio with Joy Subasiguller, Andrew Brunson, and David Byle.

The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily for persecuted Christians throughout the year, as well as giving free access to e-books, audio books, video content and feature films. Download the VOM App for your iOS or Android device today.

Four in 10 people on earth have never heard the name of Jesus. Brother Harold, a gospel worker for 15 years among Muslims in Central Asia, joins VOM Radio this week to share what he’s seen and learned during seven years mobilizing missionaries to go into all the world.

Harold will share how his own daughter was called to full-time missions and offer advice and encouragement to parents sending out their sons and daughters to be gospel workers, knowing that some will never come back.

“There are about 450,000 Christian missionaries worldwide,” Harold says, “but only 15,000 go to the unreached, to the 3.4 billion unreached people.”

Today Latin American and African churches are on fire for Christ, sending out the greatest number of missionaries to the world. How can the church in North America come alongside these willing workers?

Listen as Brother Harold encourages local pastors to be involved and supportive of missions in their congregations, including practical advice to pastors. He will also encourage those of every age to be involved in missions and share the benefits of attending the Perspectives course that helps all believers understand their roles in the Great Commission.

Harold also shares a recent experience where he was convicted by God in a taxicab.

Pray for unreached people groups to hear the gospel and for missionaries to be sent into the harvest fields.

The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily for persecuted Christians throughout the year, as well as giving free access to e-books, audio books, video content and feature films. Download the VOM App for your iOS or Android device today.

“And he said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’” – Luke 10:2

Nathan and Kari have served as gospel workers in South Asia through different seasons of life. Today they serve as leaders there with the International Mission Board (IMB). Listen as they share how they arrived on the mission field from two very different upbringings. Nathan grew up in a family with generations in missionary service. Kari didn’t find Jesus until her 20s—after exploring Hindu and Buddhist teachings and spirituality.

Nathan and Kari understand the great need in South Asia for gospel seed planting, harvest and discipleship. The IMB reports that every year there are an average of 106 people groups engaged with the gospel for the first time.

“The gospel fire is burning,” Nathan says, “and it’s not waiting for foreign workers but in the hands of locals.”

Nathan and Kari will share how they equip both Western gospel workers and local believers to focus on the missionary task. In South Asia, Christian persecution continues, at times propelled by government decrees (like anti-conversion laws in India) and at other times coming from close family members of the believer.

Listen as Nathan and Kari share advice to those who are pursuing missions as the Lord calls and how personal spiritual disciplines help sustain us in the tasks the Lord has for us. Pray God will provide more laborers into the unstoppable gospel wildfires around the world. Learn more about the Four Fields mission philosophy at Four Fields of Kingdom Growth.

The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily for persecuted Christians throughout the year, as well as giving free access to e-books, audio books, video content and feature films. Download the VOM App for your iOS or Android device today.

With the call to invest his life in ways that will outlive him for eternity, Pastor Bennie, a ministry leader working in ten different nations in Asia and Africa, desires to finish well—just as he saw his parents do. His passion is discipleship for young people to raise up Daniels and Timothys who will use their voices for Christ.

Pastor Bennie has his own story of watching his father praising God while being beaten by militants. At the age of six, Bennie asked, “Why can’t my dad protect me?” Working with young people today, he hears similar questions like, “Why is my father serving God in prison? What was his crime?”

Listen as Bennie shares about gospel work in Sierra Leone, bringing medical teams to serve people who have never seen a doctor, and discipling the hearts of former Muslims growing into evangelists, pastors and church leaders.

“Our job is to saturate them with the gospel,” Bennie said. He even distributes Bibles to Muslim students, knowing that God’s Word will produce fruit.

You’ll learn more about Alpha Ministries’ discipleship program for young people and what happened when Bennie asked, “How many of you have gone through persecution?” He will talk about serving and praying for persecuted Christians in Myanmar, India, Bangladesh and other nations.

As Bennie meets with young, persecuted Christians, he is challenged as he hears their stories of persecution and suffering, yet encouraged by the faithfulness they exemplify despite imprisonment, rejection, and other abuse.

Never miss an episode! Subscribe to the VOM Radio podcast or download the VOM App for your smartphone or tablet.

In the eyes of the Chinese Communist Party, loving Jesus makes Christians “unpatriotic.”

Bob Fu, founder and president of China Aid, explains: “[The communists believe] you cannot love your country and love Jesus.”

Absolute government control of churches and other religious institutions continues to tighten in China as persecuted Christians are unwilling to comply with the doctrines of the Communist Party, which is expanding efforts to “Sinicize” the church. Listen to hear how pastors and church leaders are now being charged with fraud or other financial crimes, rather than charges relating to religion.

Bob Fu, author of God’s Double Agent, will also share an update on John Cao, who was released from prison last year but still is not free. The CCP continues to watch Cao’s every move, yet he continues to serve the Lord through a house church, daily prayer meetings, and a small Bible school — even baptizing new believers despite constant surveillance!

Pastor Wang Yi is now six years into his nine-year prison sentence. Like Richard Wurmbrand, who founded The Voice of the Martyrs and wrote hundreds of sermons in his head during his 14 years in prison, Wang Yi has written three books in prison. Wang also continues to pray daily through more than a thousand items on his prayer list. If you’d like to write letters of encouragement to Christian prisoners or petition their governments, go to www.PrisonerAlert.com.

Listen as Bob Fu shares how he stays personally encouraged despite constantly hearing of the sufferings of our spiritual family in China. He also suggests specific ways to pray for our Chinese Christian brothers and sisters.

The Voice of the Martyrs recently launched a new, daily podcast; Extreme Devotion is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily for persecuted Christians throughout the year, as well as giving free access to e-books, audio books, video content and feature films. Download the VOM App for your iOS or Android device today.

When Hope first mentioned to her husband the idea of moving their family to the Arabian Peninsula to continue their gospel work, Nagy’s reply was direct: “Never! Don’t mention that country to me again!”

It was a dangerous place for persecuted Christians. There were many questions and worries about moving there. But then God began to answer their questions, sooth their fears and confirm His call on Nagy and Hope, and their sons.

Last week, Nagy and Hope told the story of their life and ministry in Libya, including after ISIS took over parts of the country. They also shared that the day when God told them to leave Libya—immediately. The family returned to their home country, asking the Lord, “Where would You have us serve next?” Nagy and Hope expected a quick answer; they still had their bags packed, ready to serve when the Lord revealed where He wanted them to go.

But God didn’t call them to another place for six years. At that time they wondered why; today it’s clear God was preparing their family for what was to come.

Listen to hear how God revealed to Hope the country in the Arabian Peninsula where He was sending them, a country that was “not on our radar.” She’ll also share how she wrote down all the fears and worries she had about moving to that country—and how God answered her fears one-by-one, in the same order she’d written them down! Then God confirmed their call by revealing their destination to their sons, giving them also a clear sense of His calling.

Listen as Nagy and Hope share the openness they’ve found among Muslims on the Arabian Peninsula, and the persecution faced by new Christian believers there. They’ll also share specific ways you can pray for gospel workers in Libya and across the Middle East.

The Voice of the Martyrs recently launched a new, daily podcast; Extreme Devotion is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily for persecuted Christians throughout the year, as well as giving free access to e-books, audio books, video content and feature films. Download the VOM App for your iOS or Android device today.

Nagy and Hope grew up in the Middle East in families that followed Christ and encouraged them to serve God and be people of His Word. They were serving the Lord doing good work in their home country when they felt God’s call to go to another county in the region: Libya.

The transition was difficult and discouraging. They were forced to navigate a different community and expectations, and to learn a different Arabic dialect. With no fruit to be seen, Nagy and Hope were at times discouraged and disappointed. Yet God was working.

After months of gospel work, one lady came to Hope asking questions about the gospel. Nagy and Hope were excited! They felt it was worth it to be in Libya if only one person came to Christ! Then their new friend was detained and interrogated. She cut off all contact with Hope.

“It was hard,” Hope says, “but at the same time there was hope. Maybe the Lord would give us more opportunities.”

The Lord did bring about more opportunities, but they didn’t come without disappoints and hardship. Nagy and Hope will share more opportunities they had to disciple new believers and the obstacles they faced. When war broke out across Libya, the Lord still called them to stay, promising protection for their family and even their neighbors. God opened the hearts of many as they saw the Lord provide in their time of need.

Listen as Nagy and Hope share when the Lord clearly told them their time in Libya was over and they had to leave. Please pray for Libya and for the continued ministry of gospel workers in that country.

The first day of the new year marked the launch of a new, daily podcast from VOM. Extreme Devotion is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily for persecuted Christians throughout the year, as well as giving free access to e-books, audio books, video content and feature films. Download the VOM App for your iOS or Android device today.

Aaron Miller, Vice President of International Ministry at The Voice of the Martyrs, joins VOM Radio this week to look back at some of God’s blessings he and his team experienced during 2024 and to look ahead at nations where VOM’s work may change or expand in 2025.

Listen as Aaron recounts a visit to meet Christian widows in Nigeria. These women endured losing their husbands in violent attacks, yet they gathered to worship together and even prayed boldly for their persecutors to come to know Christ.

He’ll also share the story of a God-ordained encounter with a persecuted pastor’s son in southeast Asia—and the sadness of an unmet need when that pastor was imprisoned.

Aaron also tells us of meeting with a martyr’s widow who still boldly goes out to minister each week in the same area where her husband was murdered.

Looking ahead to 2025, Aaron will advise listeners how to pray for Christians facing persecution in Benin, Burkina Faso, Bangladesh and Syria. He’ll also tell how Christian persecution has changed in India, which led VOM to reclassify India as a restricted nation in the VOM Global Prayer Guide. Yet Indian Christians still boldly witness for Christ—even inside prison!

Finally, Aaron challenges listeners to continue to pay attention to the members of Christ’s body facing persecution in this new year—even though it can be painful to witness their suffering and loss. Aaron will suggest some specific ways to pray in these opening weeks of 2025.

The first day of the new year marked the launch of a new, daily podcast from VOM: Extreme Devotion is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet helps users pray daily for persecuted Christians throughout the year, as well as giving free access to e-books, audio books, video content and feature films. Download the VOM App for your iOS or Android device today.

Today The Voice of the Martyrs launched a brand-new podcast: Extreme Devotion.

Six days a week, Extreme Devotion will share a Scripture, a short story from a persecuted Christian, and an application thought. It’s a great way to spend a little time each day being inspired by the testimonies of our persecuted brothers and sisters. Every seventh day, the Extreme Devotion podcast will share one inspiring quote.

Enjoy this very first episode of Extreme Devotion, and subscribe today via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts

Last week we began a look back on some of the most moving moments on The Voice of the Martyrs Radio in 2024. This week, we continue to remember:

• A Central Asian pastor, Brother Silas, tells how quickly new believers in Jesus there expect persecution.

• Dr. David Kasali, founder and president of Congo Initiative, on making disciples in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as churches are targeted by Islamists and terrorist groups.

• As conflict in the Middle East unfolded this year, Ben Barrett, who served as a leader in VOM’s ministry in Israel, including Gaza and the West Bank, was reminded that our brothers and sisters there are people God has called us to serve.

• Brother Joshua, a pastor in Cuba, shares the price he and his family pay to share the gospel and serve the church even in the face of risks.

• Brother David, whose father is a pastor in Cuba, knew from a young age there was a price to pay for following Christ.

• Pastor “AZ,” from Kazakhstan, says the church there grew fastest during a wave of intense persecution.

• Sister Sara grew up in a Muslim family in Central Asia. She shares how God drew her to stories about Jesus then called her to make a decision to follow him.

• Hana shares thoughts about being reunited with her father, a pastor imprisoned in Eritrea for the past 20 years.

• Shino and Shania, ethnic Somalis and devout Muslims, came to faith in Christ after Shania had a dream. They became bold witnesses for Christ.

After hearing these brief excerpts, you’ll want to listen to the entire conversations with these guests. Click the links below or listen in the VOM APP.

• Brother Silas, a pastor in Central Asia

• Dr. David Kasali, founder and president of Congo Initiative

• Ben Barrett

• Brother Joshua, a pastor in Cuba, and David, a Cuban pastor’s son

• Pastor AZ from Kazakhstan

• Sister Sara, a Central Asian Christian

• Hana Mengisteab, daughter of pastor imprisoned in Eritrea for 20 years

• Shino & Shania, Somali Muslim Background Believers leading Somali Christian TV

We thank the Lord for allowing VOM Radio to encourage and challenge listeners all over the world this year. Thank you for listening and praying for our persecuted family in restricted nations and hostile areas around the world!

We’d love to hear from you! Let us know what conversation in 2024 most inspired your faith or equipped you to pray. You can also give online to support persecuted Christians through the work of The Voice of the Martyrs.

NEW PODCAST BEGINS JANUARY 1! Subscribe now to Extreme Devotion, a short, daily devotional podcast from The Voice of the Martyrs coming in 2025. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.