Anika Shehzad, an 18-year old Christian teen, worked as a domestic servant in Ferozwala, Pakistan, to help support her family. At work, Anika was continuously pressured to renounce her Christian faith and convert to another faith. The more she resisted, the more her employers pressured her, until she could no longer work for them.

When Anika informed the family that she would be leaving, they were infuriated. They beat her and accused her of stealing money from them. When Anika’s concerned parents approached her former employers in an attempt to resolve the situation, her father was also accused of stealing money and gold from them.

Christians in Pakistan are frequently illiterate and poor. They are often forced to take risks such as sending their young daughters to work for wealthy families that are opposed to Christianity. In such situations, sexual harassment, torture and other forms of abuse are not uncommon.

Pray that the Lord will watch over Anika and her family during this time of persecution. Pray that they will experience God’s blessings and provisions as they continue to stand firm in their Christian faith.

Pray also for many other young Christian women who, like Anika, are vulnerable to assaults on their well-being. Pray that they Lord will minister to them in a special way, so that they can be testimonies through their endurance and their steadfast faith in the Lord.

Pray that true justice will be upheld in all similar situations and protection will be granted for all those who are vulnerable and victimized.

(Source & Photo Credit : VOMC)

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A community in Laos blatantly told the four Christian families living among them that the only way to get rid of Christians is to kill them. In an effort to get the Christians to leave, villagers have illegally logged all the trees on the property of one of the Christians.

When the village faced drought and famine in 2019, village leaders purposely did not include the names of the Christian families on the list of those who would receive government assistance. When one of the Christians complained, village leaders told him the Christians were being stubborn by not leaving the village even though most of the village doesn’t believe their “foreign religion.” They added, “Right now, the only way to get all of you to leave is to threaten to kill you. Letting you Christians stay in this village is a waste of land here.”

Pray that these four families will be endowed with divine wisdom and discernment needed to handle this situation. Pray for a peaceful resolution such that the Christians will not have to leave their homes. Pray that God will turn the situation around and cause all things to work together for good for these four Christian families who are called according to His purpose (Roman 8:28).

Pray that those who are opposed to the gospel will have a supernatural encounter with the Lord and they will receive salvation in Christ.

(Source & Photo Credit : VOM)

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24-year old Binsa started thinking about Christianity after listening to a gospel song on the radio. She later decided to accept Christ as her Lord and Saviour. When her family learned about her decision, they kicked her out of her home.

To support herself, Binsa found a job in a coffee shop in Kathmandu and rented a small room to stay. On her rest days, she would attend church. But when the coffee shop owner learned that she was a Christian, he fired her. For four months Binsa couldn’t pay her rent and often went hungry until a VOM-supported evangelist found her and provided help.

Pray that the Lord will provide for all of Binsa’s needs. Pray that she will continue to grow in her knowledge and understanding of God and His Word. Pray that as she puts her trust and confidence in the Lord, she will be greatly blessed.

Pray that her family will come to know Christ as she did and they will be reconciled.

(Source & Photo Credit : VOM)

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Shokhida Musallam and her husband, became Christians about 20 years ago but their adult children were opposed to their conversion. They constantly harassed, humiliated and abused their parents because of their faith in Christ. They admitted their mother, Shokhida, to a psychiatric hospital and sold the parents’ car without their parents’ consent. This past August, the oldest daughter tried to re-admit her mother to the psychiatric hospital but the doctors refused to take her back.

Local authorities subsequently found the couple’s car and returned it to them. Finally, neighbours grew irritated with the children fighting amongst each other, so they demanded the children leave their parents’ house so that Shokhida and her husband could return.

Pray that Shokhida and her husband will find peace and comfort in their own home and they will be able to practise their Christian faith freely. Pray that the Holy Spirit will speak to the hearts of their children and convict them to repent and receive salvation in Christ.

(Source & Photo Credit : VOM)

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Pastor A. Dao has been released from prison after being incarcerated for over four years. He was released 11 months before the expected release date.

Pastor Dao, who headed the Montagnard Evangelical Church of Christ, was an ardent advocate of his people who frequently faced oppression because of their faith in Christ. He was arrested in August 2016 and sentenced in April 2017 to 5 years’ imprisonment for allegedly “helping individuals to escape abroad illegally.” He was reportedly tortured and beaten by other inmates during his incarceration.

We praise and thank God for this unexpected and early release!

We pray that Pastor Dao and his wife, Nguyen Thi Tuoi, will experience the Lord’s peace and rest as they reunite and reconnect after being apart for four years. We pray that Pastor Dao will receive the much-needed healing from the traumatic and horrific abuse he endured during his imprisonment.

Pray for a radical change in the mindset of the local community, especially those who are apposed to the Gospel. Pray that their hearts will be enlightened to understand the truths of the Gospel and be set free to receive salvation in Christ.

(Source & Photo Credit : VOMC)

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