Over the past 18 months some of the most violent attacks against persecuted Christians anywhere in the world have taken place in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a country where more than 100 armed groups—many motivated by Islamist ideals—vie for territory and influence.

Dr. David Kasali, founder and president of Congo Initiative, is back on VOM Radio this week to tell how Christians are responding and enduring, how they are choosing to be victors instead of victims.

Listen as he shares how he trains Christians to overcome their fears and how he prays for Christ's Kingdom to be established in DRC, just as it is in heaven. He'll also share how Congo Initiative is welcoming Christians from around the world to come and serve in various roles. "We have to work," Dr. Kasali says, "for the coming Kingdom of God."

He'll also share the story of his calling by God to return to Congo—leaving behind an education ministry he truly loved in Kenya—to serve and strengthen the persecuted church in DRC. And finally, he'll equip listeners to pray specifically for the needs of persecuted Christians in the Congo.

Dr. Kasali's first visit with VOM Radio can be heard here.

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.

As U.S. President Donald Trump flew home from Beijing after meeting with Chinese president Xi Jinping, we recorded this timely VOM Radio conversation with Bob Fu, founder and president of China Aid, to provide a current update about our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters in China.

Chinese Christians are facing a new criminal charge for training up children in God's Word. Such Christians were recently charged with violating the "administrative management law." The government alleges these Christians are training children to undermine the government; authorities see teaching the Bible as a national security violation.

Bob also provides an update on 18 Zion church members arrested in recent months. The lawyers representing the accused Christians were forced to leave, shutting down their law firm and intimidating other attorneys from defending Christians.

Bob will provide updates to help you pray for Pastors John Cao and Wang Yi. He will share current news, including a cancer diagnosis, and how they continue to serve the Lord despite government control and imprisonment.

You'll hear more about China's social credit system and how it is affecting believers' ability to travel, spend money, and gather together. China is continuing to export oppressive surveillance technology to places like Iran, Burma, and Vietnam, and we already see Chinese tactics being implemented in other countries.

Bob Fu is the author of God's Double Agent (affiliate link). He says a new edition of the book is in progress, including updates on the situation for Christians in China since Xi Jinping rose to top leadership in the country.

The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily for persecuted Christians in nations like North Korea, Nigeria, China, 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.

Our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters in Iran are not shying away from being bold for Christ with their family and friends—even as a war is going on around them. This week, you'll meet Sister Benesh, a bold evangelist and house church planter in Iran. In her first five years following Christ, she planted more than 30 house churches. Inside the Islamic Republic of Iran!

Benesh grew up in a Muslim home, but over time, she began to question many aspects of Islamic teaching. As a teenager, she remembers hearing some women talking about the fact that Christian women—without the oppressive restrictions of Islam—were more free than Muslim women. Benesh became curious to know more about Christianity and the peace and love Jesus offers.

Benesh's father became very sick while she was in college. Her mother prayed repeatedly to Allah to heal him, but it didn't work. Benesh's father died. Shortly after, her mother died too. Her grief at the loss of her parents pushed Benesh even further to seek answers about Christ. First, she looked online. Then, after moving to a bigger city for employment, a coworker invited her to a church meeting. Experiencing Christian worship and fellowship for the first time, Benesh knew Jesus was calling her to put her faith and trust in Him.

Despite her parents' death, Benesh had peace from God—a peace that shocked her sister and other family members. Many were curious why she was different, which gave her open doors to share Jesus. At first, Benesh feared what her family or others would say or do if she shared Christ with them, but she quickly overcame that fear when she realized how hungry Iranians are for the truth.

Sharing your faith can be dangerous in Islamic countries, but Benesh was so focused on sharing the joy she'd found in Christ that she almost forgot about the threat of the Islamic regime and Revolutionary Guards! Listen as Benesh tells how we can pray for her ministry, for the Iranian regime, and for bold witnesses for Christ in the Middle East—and as she challenges every Christian to tell others about Jesus!

The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily for persecuted Christians in nations like North Korea, Nigeria, China 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.

Before becoming a Christian, Pastor Putumandi's life was, in his words, "a mess." He pursued his family's Hindu religion, dancing in temple ceremonies to access and appease the spirits. And he detested anything to do with Jesus.

"I hated [Christians] before." Putumandi said, "I despised Christianity."

But then he met Jesus, drawn by the compassion that he saw lacking in every other religion. For Putumandi, Jesus was the only one who could guarantee eternal life, and he wanted to know Him. After being baptized, his wife could tell that he had changed as Putumandi treated his family and others with compassion, showing the love of Christ.

When his family found out Putumandi had left Hinduism, they kicked him out of their home immediately. His 16-year-old son tried to kill Putumandi.

Despite being driven from his home and persecuted for his Christian faith, Putumandi says he never considered going back to Hinduism. "Salvation comes from Christianity," Putumandi said.

Putumandi will also share how it's been a challenge to find a job to make a living because of the Christian persecution he's faced. "I just do anything I can find," he says, "and praise the Lord; He provides."

Pray for Putumandi's health, for his family to come to know the Lord, and for his continued witness to unbelievers around him—especially the people in his own family.

You're invited! Be a part of The Voice of the Martyrs' 2026 From the Field National Conference this September in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Gather with fellow believers and hear firsthand stories from persecuted Christians in restricted nations and hostile areas where VOM serves. Seating is limited, so register soon to join this inspiring event.

How do you discern God's calling to be a missionary?

John Easter, Executive Director of Assemblies of God World Missions (AGWM), says the first question might be: if God did call you to serve overseas, would you say yes?

Before accepting his current role John and his wife served the church in Africa, providing theological training to pastors and leaders. In an effort to develop more leaders for the growing church, they oversaw 380+ schools with 25,000+ students.

Serving on missions frontlines brought many challenges. They faced an abduction, medical issues, hijacking and other criminal activity while in Africa. Yet the Lord surrounded them with community and resources as they learned how to abide in Christ and rely on the Holy Spirit during every hardship.

Today, John is focused on vision casting, fundraising and care for missionaries and missionary kids as they work to spread the gospel in unreached areas. You'll hear John share why the church in northern India is growing rapidly and what the Lord is instilling in His people in Nigeria—despite intense and violent Christian persecution in both nations.

Even the reality of death is not enough for these followers of Christ to turn back, John says.

Hear John suggest next steps for those the Lord may be calling to overseas missions, and ways you can pray specifically for AGWM and for missionaries sent out from your church.

You're invited! Be a part of The Voice of the Martyrs' 2026 From the Field National Conference this September in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Gather with fellow believers and hear firsthand stories from persecuted Christians in restricted nations and hostile areas where VOM serves. Seating is limited, so register soon to join this inspiring event.

Last week, David and Alicia Lloyd, founders of Missions in Haiti, told the story of the day in 2024 when gangs attacked their ministry compound. When the attacks ended, David and Alicia's son, Davy, and their daughter-in-law, Natalie, had been murdered, along with their close friend and ministry partner, Judes Montis.

Several weeks later, David returned to Haiti, assuring ministry coworkers and fellow believers that, despite the tragedy, they would not abandon Haiti and their brothers and sisters there. They also learned, from students and staff who'd been at the mission compound, about Davy and Natalie's last moments on earth.

"Every time the shooting would stop, they could hear Davy quoting scriptures…They said his voice was very strong; it would echo," David says. "It was estimated there were 100 gang guys in our yard that night who heard the gospel."

David and Alicia have struggled with losing their oldest child. They've wrestled with the question of where was the Lord in that dangerous moment? In the two years since that night, the Lord has been faithful to comfort and bless; they know He was with Davy. And even as they grieve, they desire to point others to Christ.

Davy, Natalie, and Judes's legacy lives on. As their story has been told and re-told, more people around the world have prayed for Haiti. Please pray for David & Alicia Lloyd and their family, Judes's family, and for Haiti. Be challenged and encouraged to live your life for the Lord through David & Alicia's book coming out May 5th, Strong to the End: The Simple Service and Sudden Sacrifice of the Martyrs in Haiti (affiliate link).

The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily for persecuted Christians in nations like North Korea, China, 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.

Davy Lloyd was only 23 years old but already had his eyes on eternity. When he and his wife, Natalie, would visit his parents' home at the mission compound where they all served in Haiti, Davy would often come through the door and say, "I can't wait to see Jesus!" Little did he know how soon his desire would be fulfilled.

Davy and Natalie were killed, along with Haitian coworker Judes Montis, during a gang attack at the mission compound on May 24, 2024.

David and Alicia Lloyd, Davy's parents and longtime missionaries to Haiti, join VOM Radio this week to tell the story of that difficult day—and share how God has sustained and comforted them in the two years since. They take comfort knowing Davy wanted to see Jesus more than anything else.

The Lloyds will share the details of what happened during the attack—and how they learned of it from a distance during a trip to the US. They'll talk about serving in Haiti for 20 years, through ups and downs of stability and security in the country, including the day their young children were kidnapped.

For Davy, Haiti was home. Creole was his first language, and he always wanted to be a missionary. Speaking in churches before their mission service, Davy would often say, "Natalie is going to Haiti as a missionary. I'm just going home!" Though only in their early 20s, both Davy and Natalie were willing to pay any price to serve Christ—even preaching the gospel to the gang members who would take their lives.

You will hear David and Alicia share honestly about their grief and questions they've asked the Lord; they'll also tell how God comforted and renewed their faith as they walked forward in obedience, even in grief.

David and Alicia have written a powerful book, which releases May 5: Strong to the End: The Simple Service and Sudden Sacrifice of the Martyrs in Haiti (affiliate link) tells the story of Davy and Natalie and their mission work in Haiti.

The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily for persecuted Christians in nations like North Korea, China, 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.

More than 50 people were killed during an attack on a Christian area in the city of Jos on Palm Sunday in Nigeria. More attacks occurred during Easter weekend. But not every attack on Nigerian Christians makes international news. Listen this week as Matthew Hanson, who leads The Voice of the Martyrs' work in West and Central Africa, explains how VOM responds to Christian persecution. He'll explain how VOM helps persecuted Christians meet immediate needs like food, clothing, and shelter; then also serves to assist with longer-term needs for emotional and spiritual healing.

"We want to see both [physical and spiritual needs being met], because we want to see the church strengthened," Matthew says.

Through gatherings where persecuted Christians share their stories and encourage one another, believers are equipped and inspired to continue boldly witnessing for Christ. Matthew shares how he and his team assess persecution in Nigeria and how VOM equips pastors to have a biblical understanding of suffering and persecution.

Matthew also tells stories from the field, including that of a woman kidnapped and enslaved by Boko Haram, one of six jihadist groups currently attacking Christians in northern Nigeria. She told Matthew, "Each day, Jesus spoke to me and strengthened my faith, and I did not give up."

He'll also tell about a young man who was passionate to study the Quran. As he studied, questions arose in his mind; he began to ask his teachers. But for a Muslim, asking too many questions can make one seem like an unbeliever, an infidel. The young man was threatened by his father but still committed his life to the Lord. He was forced to flee his village. He has sacrificed his home, his family and his safety. Yet he told Matthew, "Jesus is my Savior. I have no regrets."

Listen to the story of Malik, a Fulani man who left Islam to follow Christ, and pray this week for persecuted brothers and sisters in Nigeria and throughout West and Central Africa. Pray they will be bold witnesses for Jesus—even to their persecutors.

The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily for persecuted Christians in nations like North Korea, China, 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.

"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" (Rom. 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.

"The main struggle…for people in churches in Nicaragua is that they are afraid to obey the Lord," Chico says. He encourages us that, as followers of Christ, each of us need to decide who is the Lord in our lives.

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

Chico and other Nicaraguan Christians have been inspired by the story of Pastor Richard Wurmbrand and his wife, Sabina, the founders of The Voice of the Martyrs. At a meeting where the communist government of Romania was trying to influence church leaders in the 1940s, Sabina famously challenged Richard to speak out by saying, "I do not wish to have a coward for a husband." Chico says there are many pastors' wives in Nicaragua similarly encouraging their husbands to boldly proclaim the gospel despite the danger of Christian persecution.

Chico says, "The best testimony we can have as Christians is: Am I really committed to following Jesus as my Lord and Savior?"

Hear how you can pray for specific needs of persecuted Christians in the restricted nation of Nicaragua, and request your free copy of VOM's 2026 Global Prayer Guide to help you know how to pray throughout this year for Christians in India, Iran, Nigeria and many more hostile areas and restricted nations.

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.