As the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan in 2021, many Afghan Christians—especially those widely known to be followers of Christ—had to flee the country. Today, many of those Christians grieve the loss of their homeland, especially as they watch the suffering of their countrymen under Taliban rule. Some desire to return but while they wait are still faithfully reaching Afghans through a variety of digital means.

In Part 2 of our conversation with author John Weaver (Part 1), he calls us to pray God will bless Afghan people—including both persecuted Christians and the governing Taliban—and that God will draw many to Himself.

Listen as Weaver, the author of Najiba: A Love Story from Afghanistan (affiliate link), shares what life is like for Afghans now under Taliban rule. He will also tell what life is like for those who've fled the country and deal with the culture shock of navigating healthcare, education, work and relationships in a completely new environment and culture. As Christians, John gives us advice on first steps in welcoming Afghans into our communities and churches.

Christians in Afghanistan are seeing increased response to the gospel as they discern hearts that are hungry and seeking truth. Once they become followers of Jesus, new Afghan Christians hunger for like-minded fellowship.

Pray for the Taliban to lead with peace and focus on what's best for Afghanistan's people. Most importantly, pray for their salvation. Pray for our brothers and sisters in Afghanistan to know God is with them and for endurance in their faith. Pray for Afghans sharing the gospel through social media as they continue in their ministry.

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Twenty months into the second Taliban rule of Afghanistan, all Afghans—but especially Afghan Christians—face great challenges. What pressures do our persecuted brothers and sisters face living in Afghanistan today, and how has their life changed under the strict Islamic rule of the Taliban?

Listen as John Weaver, author of Inside Afghanistan, A Flame on the Frontline, and Najiba: A Love Story from Afghanistan (affiliate links), explains what life is like for Muslims and Christians in Afghanistan as they experience economic crisis and lack of assistance from the outside world.

Many of the Taliban fighters come from the Pashtun people group, one of the largest unreached people groups in the world with 50 million people primarily in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Persecution against Afghan Christians has always come from local mosques, communities, and families. With the Taliban takeover, the nation's government is now also openly opposed to the gospel.

Amid isolation and economic hardship, many Afghans are desperate and dissatisfied with Islam. That dissatisfaction means they are more open to the gospel. Christian brothers and sisters in Afghanistan continue boldly witness in conversations with Muslims. Listen as John tells how Christians are carefully sharing the gospel and finding "people of peace" in their communities.

Pray for Afghan Christians outside the country who are reaching their people through digital tools and pray for wider distribution of the Pashtun Bible. Pray the Holy Spirit will draw more Afghan people to become followers of Jesus Christ.

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It is illegal to bring a Bible into North Korea, and illegal to possess one inside the country. But VOM continues to find ways to get God's Word into the hands of North Koreans. Dr. Eric Foley, CEO of VOM Korea in Seoul, says everything changes every day in North Korea, bringing new challenges and requiring new responses to continue bringing the gospel to desperate people in "the hermit kingdom."

Listen to hear how persecuted Christians in North Korea practice biblical obedience in spite of a brutal regime that demands utter loyalty. How can Christians follow the first commandment, "You shall have no other gods before me," while living in a country that deifies members of the Kim family? Dr. Foley shares how, despite the consequences for even the slightest hint of Christian behavior, our brothers and sisters continue to boldly take risks and exercise wisdom to follow Christ inside North Korea.

One way members of the persecuted church in the DPRK are encouraged and discipled is through VOM radio broadcasts sharing passages from the Bible or sermons delivered in the North Korean dialect. With five broadcast times throughout the day, Dr. Foley asks us to pray that the Lord would continue thwarting efforts of the North Korean government to jam these Christian radio broadcasts.

Dr. Foley, author of These Are The Generations (affiliate link), will also share his own story of persecution for spreading the gospel to North Korea. He reminds us that getting God's Word out, even just one copy, is worth it.

Pray for North Koran Christians to be faithful to Christ as they go about their daily lives in this restricted nation, and for more North Koreans to be able to read and listen to the Bible for themselves.

Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast Or you can listen each week—and get daily prayer reminders—in the VOM App for your smartphone or tablet.

Born and raised in a Muslim family, Brother Maksud says it's a miracle he is now a follower of Jesus Christ.

Maksud's first years of life were under communist rule as his country was part of the Soviet Union, but it became independent, and more Islamic, after the fall of the USSR. As different factions battled for post-Soviet control, civil war broke out, a difficult time for Maksud and all of his countrymen. Yet good news was coming.

Listen as Maksud tells how he was impacted by seeing the JESUS Film and hearing Jesus speak Maksud's own language. He'll share how a Christian stepped into his family's life, becoming a faithful friend and sharing stories from the Bible about God. Years later Maksud heard those same stories at a free Taekwondo lesson, another step on his pathway to following Jesus.

When Maksud first stepped into a church, he was shocked. It was a completely different atmosphere from anything he'd known. It was full of love; people greeted him by name with hugs. He was floored when believers at the church told him they had been praying for him for more than a year.

At age 18, Maksud made the decision to follow Jesus. His younger brother wasn't far behind. When they shared their Christian faith with their mom, she cried, knowing their family would be shamed and face persecution in their Muslim culture. Maksud's father was not home when they announced their newfound faith to their mother. When he heard of their decision, he asked both brothers to confirm their decision to follow Jesus. Expecting their father to be angry, both young men said that yes, they had become Christians. Their father's response shocked them:

"Thanks to God. Two years ago, I gave my life to Christ. I didn't know how to tell you, but I was praying for you guys."

Many people in Central Asia, upon sharing their faith in Christ with family members, face beatings, rejection, and being kicked out of their home. Even though Maksud didn't experience persecution from inside his home, he knew that he and his brothers would be persecuted by others.

Today Maksud is a pastor, and his brother also pastors a church. Listen as he tells how we can pray for his people in Central Asia, including praying that whole families will come to Christ together.

Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast. Or you can listen each week—and get daily reminders to pray for persecuted Christians—in the new VOM App for your smartphone or tablet.

One night, TK, extremely sick, found himself in his room praying, "I am ill and if you are the one true God then I will commit my life to you."

TK slept through the night and woke up completely healed! From that moment, he was committed to following Christ. His father—a former drug dealer who met Christ in prison for his crimes—encouraged TK to learn more about the one true God.

With passion for following Christ after he had experienced God's power over disease, TK went to Bible school in Thailand. Returning to Laos with Christian materials to help his ministry, TK was arrested at the border and imprisoned for three months before God ordained his release from prison.

Today TK serves persecuted Christians inside Laos and holds a leadership position within Laos's registered church organization. He says at the time of his arrest it was common for Christians in Laos to endure physical suffering for being a Christian—arrests, beatings and other pressure. Today, he says, mental and spiritual pressure for following Christ is more common, including being ostracized by family members, cut off from work or educational opportunities and even kicked out of your village.

Listen as TK shares what our persecuted church family faces in Laos today. TK will also explain how he is serving persecuted brothers and sisters there. Pray for communist authorities in Laos and for wisdom and discernment for TK as he assists persecuted Christians.

Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast. Or you can listen each week—and get daily prayer reminders—in the new VOM App for your smartphone or tablet.

This week we complete our conversation with Richard and Jeanette, an American couple who had served 10 years in China when police came knocking on their apartment door and they knew their gospel service in China was over.

When we left off last week, Richard was being interrogated at a Chinese police station while Jeanette, his wife, prayed and was ministered to by their local church pastor and other Christian friends. Richard's interrogation continued the next day before police let him return home but warned him not to tell anyone—even his wife—about the questioning. He knew the interrogation wasn't over. In the ensuing weeks he was repeatedly called back to the police station.

When he arrived home, Jeanette watched her husband closely, looking for signs of beatings or torture. The stress of each day—and not knowing when authorities would demand another trip to the police station—left Richard, at times, barely able to function. Some days he couldn't even get out of bed. He couldn't tell his wife what happened with the police, fearing anything he said would put her in danger of also being arrested or interrogated.

Chinese police mockingly asked why he would follow Christ. They thought Jesus selfish to ask His followers give up family, jobs, money and success just to end up being locked in a police station. Yet even as they questioned him, Richard felt guidance from the Holy Spirit in how to answer their questions and even tried to plant seeds of the gospel in their conversations.

Finally, Richard and Jeanette learned that they would be allowed to leave China but would likely never be allowed to return to the land and people they love deeply. Listen to hear how they were finally set free, and when they finally had the chance to talk to each other about all they'd gone through at the hands of communist Chinese police.

You'll also hear how they are both thankful for the persecution they endured—and the fruit they've seen in their own lives and their family that grew directly out of their time of trial. They'll also help listeners pray for Christians in China as they endure persecution and suffering for their faith—without the opportunity to leave the country or the protection of a foreign passport.

Listen to the first part of Richard and Jeanette's story here, and the second part here.

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We left off last week as Richard and Jeanette's apartment was raided by 25 Chinese policemen. The couple knew that their time in China was over after 10 years of ministry, but they didn't know how long it might be before they were allowed to leave. Listen now as Jeanette recalls exactly what happened when she returned to their apartment to find police searching through their bookshelves and closets and questioning her husband.

Despite the chaos of the raid, Jeanette continued relying on the sovereignty and goodness of God, reminding herself often that He is trustworthy no matter our circumstances. She prayed fervently for Richard as he was taken away by the police.

Richard experienced God's sovereignty and the Holy Spirit at work as he sat in the police station interrogation room, living in the truth of Luke 12:11-12. In spite of police threats, Richard relied on scripture God brought to his mind and four things he knew he had to stand firm in as he tried to answer the police accusations.

Listen also for how Chinese Christians supported Richard and Jeanette during their ordeal, including a local church pastor who knocked on their door and offered a bold prayer for Richard. Their local Christian community brought Jeanette great comfort, providing practical proof that the Lord was with them.

Pray persecuted Chinese Christians will stand firm in faith and be encouraged by the Body of Christ.

One group of Chinese Christians, the Mayflower Church, made the decision as a congregation to flee their homeland. Pastor Pan, leader of the group, was our guest on VOM Radio last month. Listen this week for a praise update on this group of believers and their immigration case.

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Richard and Jeanette had served in China for several years when—around 2018—they began hearing stories of foreign Christians forced to leave the country. "Everyone knows it happens, but no one thinks it's going to happen to them," Richard says.

The couple decided to stay in China as long as God kept the door open—even when Covid put the entire country under lockdown. They were prepared to be kicked out; they'd even begun to think about when it would happen instead of if it would happen. The threat gave them a sense of urgency in their ministry as they continued shepherding and teaching God's Word to Chinese people.

Richard and Jeanette felt the Lord work in their hearts during their college years, and both knew that overseas gospel work was God's call for them. They met after Jeanette returned from two years working in China, married, and then received an invitation to serve in China. Listen as Richard and Jeanette share how they thought about risk and danger of serving in a Communist country, and the joys and challenges of their first years of missions service, including learning Chinese.

You'll also hear about the day Richard opened the door of their apartment to find 25 uniformed Chinese national police and knew their time of serving the Lord in China was coming to an end. Richard and Jeanette will return to VOM Radio next week to continue their story.

Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast. Or listen each week in the new VOM App for your smartphone or tablet.

One million to one. One million lost people for every one gospel worker.

When Brother David heard the million-to-one ratio of population to gospel workers in the Arab world, he and his wife knew that was where God needed them to serve in missions.

Today, Muslims in North Africa and the Middle East are more open to asking questions and seeking information about Jesus, the Bible and Christianity—especially through the internet. Brother David leads Operation Mobilization's North African and Middle Eastern work and emphasizes the need to have more workers reaching Muslims for Christ.

David's leads OM workers across 20 countries as they reach out to Muslims and disciple new believers. His teams also work to train Muslim background believers to reach, disciple and lead their own people and churches. He knows there will be Christian persecution as the church grows; he's seen persecution directly on members of his team and his own family. But, from his own experience, he's also seen how God uses persecution of His followers for His glory and purpose.

David will advise listeners who want to reach out to Muslim friends and coworkers with gospel conversations. He has seen the insecurity many Christians have engaging with Muslims, but encourages us to jump into conversations about faith and beliefs. He says stories from the Bible and our witness to God's hand in our own experiences are powerful ways to plant gospel seeds with our Muslim friends.

He'll also help us know how to pray for gospel work in the Middle East and North Africa.

Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast. Or you can listen each week in the new VOM App for your smartphone or tablet.

Moving to a new place can be difficult, especially if you don't know anyone in your new community. Muslims from across the world have moved to America for work or school yet they are often ignored by those around them—even Christians. Fouad Masri, president of the Crescent Project, says our job as believers is not to convert anyone, but to shine the light of Jesus and rely on him to draw our Muslim friends to himself.

Masri is the author of a new book, Sharing Jesus with Muslims: A Step-By-Step Guide (affiliate link). Listen in as he talks about conversational apologetics, thought-provoking questions to ask a Muslim friend, and myths still circulating within the Muslim world about the Christian faith. You'll also hear Fouad's joy as he shares about his ministry and stories of Muslims coming to Christ.

With over 30 years of sharing the gospel with Muslims, Fouad reminds us we are not called to bring anything new, but to pray for sincere hearts ready to receive the gospel. He emphasizes that we should pray for the leading of the Holy Spirit to help answer Muslims who are seeking spiritual truth, and to ask questions that provoke self-examination.

Jesus is building his church among former Muslims—including inside hostile and restricted nations where Christian persecution is common and among Muslims living in the United States and other nations with more religious freedom. To learn more about how to witness and build bridges cross culturally with Muslims, sign up for the Sahara Challenge in Nashville, TN from May 1-3, or join online from May 23-25.

Listen to the first half of this conversation here. Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast. Or listen each week in the new VOM App for your smartphone or tablet.