From the first days after his arrest in Sudan, Petr Jasek repeatedly said, "God is the One who holds the key to my cell." Jasek, a Czech citizen, is VOM's Africa regional director and he was just released after 14 months in prison in Sudan.
For Christians in Syria and other Middle East nations, human logic is clear: get out! Go someplace safe! In spite of such advice, Tom and JoAnn Doyle tell us many Christians are choosing to STAY and serve the Lord and witness for Christ.
When God called Leanna to missions she was a young woman fresh out of college. Then God specifically called her to a part of India known as "the graveyard of missionaries."
Listen this week for an update on the church in Nepal, especially how the church has been impacted by Nepal's recent adoption of a new constitution which included anti-conversion provisions.
Aaron Miller oversees VOM's work in South Asia, and recently travelled to India to meet with Christians there. Listen as Aaron shares some of the amazing testimonies he heard on this trip.
"Tanya" is a Christian worker in Central Asia, living and ministering in a country where she must always be cautious about what she says openly and who she says it around. Listen to hear how Christians in the former Soviet Union are carefully sharing the gospel, and are willing to endure persecution if that's what it takes to see God's love spread to their countrymen.
David is a bold gospel worker in Turkey, even sharing the gospel openly on busy city streets. Naturally, such activity draws attention from police and others, which has led to David being detained numerous times.
David is a gospel worker in Turkey facing deportation by the Turkish government, which has stated in court documents that David's bold witnessing for Christ "exceeded usual religious rituals," and is therefore a threat to public safety and order. When we left off David's story in the first half of our conversation last week, David was locked in a deportation center with others waiting to be kicked out of Turkey—including ISIS fighters.
As a young man, Dmitry "David" Shestakov was a criminal and a drug user. His mother—an atheist—had tried everything to get her son's attention and turn his life around. In desperation, she went to church and prayed, "God, if You exist, save my son!" God answered her prayer, and after Jesus saved him David committed to tell others the Good News that had transformed his heart
As a young man, Dmitry "David" Shestakov was a criminal and a drug user. His mother—an atheist—had tried everything to get her son's attention and turn his life around. In desperation, she went to church and prayed, "God, if You exist, save my son!" God answered her prayer, and after Jesus saved him David committed to tell others the Good News that had transformed his heart.
Richard Wurmbrand, author of Tortured for Christ and cofounder of The Voice of the Martyrs, said, “When I was beaten on the bottom of my feet, my tongue cried out.” His words echo those of the Apostle Paul: “If one member suffers, all suffer together” (1 Corinthians 12:26). Listen this week as Jonathan Ekman, VOM’s Director of Global Partnerships, shares what it means to remember those who are persecuted and to tangibly assist brothers and sisters in more than 70 countries around the world. Jonathan will talk about developing and strengthening partnerships with church groups and mission organizations to enable VOM to come alongside the body of Christ in their times of suffering.
“I just want the Bible. How much does it cost?” First, the young Druze woman tried to access and read her own religion’s holy book. But she wasn’t allowed to read it. Then she tried to find a Quran. Finally, she came to a church and asked to purchase a Bible, worried she wouldn’t have enough money to pay for it. The pastor told her that God’s Word is priceless, but that he would give it to her without cost. Shocked, she took the Bible and began to read, eventually giving her life to Jesus. Brother Michael also shares how he trains and leads discipleship through Discovery Bible Study groups, which are multiplying as new believers share their personal testimonies with family and friends. One group started with nine believers, but today has multiplied into more than twenty groups with 150 believers! Listen as Todd Nettleton interviews Brother Michael on this episode of VOM Radio.
Last week, Brother Philip, a field minister for The Voice of the Martyrs in West Africa, shared how witnessing stories of trauma from persecuted Christians and addressing their spiritual needs is a gift. This week, you’ll hear how Christians may exhibit more resilience than non-believers, stories of persecuted Christians and how The Voice of the Martyrs empowers pastors in Africa to help persecuted Christians find healing after trauma. Listen as Todd Nettleton interviews Philip on this episode of VOM Radio.
There are more cell phones in the world than cars, toilets, or people. What if each of those phones could be turned into a Bible? Using their backgrounds in electrical engineering and software development, David and Josiah Palusky have developed technology tools to help Christian workers spread the gospel in places where people are unreached and there is often Christian persecution. They will share stories of camels preaching the gospel using LightStream devices, leading an entire family to meet Christ, how AI disguised a Christian brother's voice, and how Christians in restricted nations and hostile areas can revolutionize communities for Jesus. Listen as Todd Nettleton interviews David & Josiah from Renew Outreach on this episode of VOM Radio.
Ten years ago this month, Petr Jasek traveled to Sudan on behalf of The Voice of the Martyrs to meet with and encourage Sudanese Christians. At the airport on his way out of the country, Petr was arrested and later sentenced to life in prison. His first prison cellmates were ISIS fighters—men who hated Christians and quickly began to persecute Petr. He spent 445 days in Sudanese custody. Listen this week as Petr shares about his first night in a jail cell, how God uniquely prepared him with a dream and how he discovered that his cellmates were radical Muslim ISIS fighters. This interview was recorded during the VOM National Conference in Bartlesville, OK, where Petr shared how his time in prison and the lessons he learned there still impact him ten years later. To view a video version of Petr's interview, go to The Voice of the Martyr's YouTube channel.
