Al-Shabab militants came for Christian schoolteachers Philip Okumu and Daniel Wekesa in the middle of the night. They surrounded the men’s house in their small Kenyan village near the Somali border and then tossed a grenade through a window. As flames spread through the concrete-block
As we commemorate 50 years at Voice of the Martyrs, we are encouraged by the commitment of those who have brought us thus far. There are too many to mention; supporters, volunteers, staff and leaders have toiled faithfully year in and year out to create
In 1962 Aida Skripnikova was just a young woman when she was first imprisoned in communist Russia for her Christian faith. In the first Australian edition of Jesus to the Communist World written in November 1969, a call to pray for Aida was published. At
“Merv, you really must read this book.” That is how a change in my life began when my friend and co-worker, Reg Werry, handed me a copy of Pastor Richard Wurmbrand’s book, Tortured for Christ. It was March 1968 and Reg had just read the
Fifty years of working with Pastor Wurmbrand and Voice of the Martyrs gives rise to many memories. I well recall sitting in a small house in China in the early 1990s. I had come to visit and bring aid to the wife of a Christian
Malaysia and Brunei are very interesting, yet complex countries. They both have Muslim-majority populations and both apply their own manner of control over their inhabitants, based on their brand of Islamic law. I hope this month’s newsletter provides some insight into the challenging environment in
For Nisa, a mother of seven, life after becoming a Christian meant persecution for her faith and extreme poverty. Nisa, a tenacious woman, didn’t want anything to do with Christianity until someone prayed for her and she was completely transformed. Born into a Muslim family,
Churches in Brunei must be registered and are heavily monitored; for this reason there has been considerable growth in secret, house churches. Pastor Ahmad oversees a number of these house churches, which he says can operate in relative freedom – albeit with much caution –
Jeremy was just 11 years old when he sneaked out of home every Sunday to go to church, hiding his new-found Christian faith from his Muslim family. Growing up in Malaysia, Jeremy faced many challenges and often felt empty and rejected. Born out of wedlock
Even through imprisonment and interrogation, faithful servants, Jasmin and Nazif, continue to evangelise in Brunei and pray in hope that, one day, they will be able to do so freely. Jasmin and Nazif have both been imprisoned for evangelising and, at one time, Jasmin was
Amira, from Malaysia, was a devout Muslim praying and reciting verses from the Koran daily until she began searching for truth and had a radical conversion to Christ. Amira studied at a Catholic school as a child but refused to take part in any of
It is becoming increasingly difficult for Christians to practise their faith and ministry in the Kingdom of Brunei Darussalam. With a ruling Muslim government and spies in churches using laser surveillance technology, every movement is being monitored carefully. The Sultan, Hassanal Bolkiah, along with the
Around 60% of Malaysia’s population are Muslim and while the new government claims to be moderate in their views, Christians are still marginalised. Malaysia is highly multicultural and has three major ethnicities – Malay, Chinese and native tribes. Most Christians are from the tribal and
Dear Friends, This month provides us with an opportunity to report on our ministry activities and expenses for 2018. This publication explains how your generous donations have been used to assist persecuted believers and further this most crucial work, which now spans some 68 countries.
Linh, a committed Christian, and her husband travel five hours by motorcycle to take the Gospel to a village known as a “Communist hero village”, once home to several soldiers who died fighting against the United States in the Vietnam War. The villagers take great
Every Sunday morning, the pastor of a small church in a remote part of Cuba took a piece of chalk and purposefully wrote a passage of Scripture on a chalkboard. Church members then carefully wrote the verses in their tattered notebooks, slowly adding to the
After a long flight, four VOM workers stepped off their plane and approached Chinese customs with a total of 300 Bibles in their luggage. Several years had passed since Mao’s brutal Cultural Revolution had ended in 1976, and the communist country had cautiously opened its
A massive new wave of persecution of Christians has been taking place in China since China’s president, Xi Jinping, introduced a five-year plan to sinicise all the nation’s religions by infusing them with ‘Chinese characteristics’ such as loyalty to the Communist Party. The government has
Vietnam’s communist leaders have long considered Christianity to be a US propaganda tool. Foom was imprisoned for his faith and every day the guards demanded that he sign a document stating that Christianity is a false religion from the United States. But each time he
Our distribution teams are committed to continue placing Bibles in the hands of our brothers and sisters who live in restricted nations. “We distributed 250 packs to different churches in the area; some came from great distances. It was a joy and a blessing to
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