OTHER WORLD

Zaira’s story of impossible faith

2026-03-20T14:14:25Z

Zaira spent years searching for the answers to her questions. Nothing could satisfy the ache in her heart – until she encountered the God of the Bible in a book. Saying ‘yes’ to following Jesus meant stepping into a life of persecution, but one from which she would never turn away.

Zaira* closed the door of the barn and barricaded it. She couldn’t let anyone else see what she was about to do, hear what she was about to say. Alone, she knelt down and prayed: “Jesus, come into my heart. I am a sinner. Forgive my sins.”

With that prayer, years of searching ended; with that prayer, years of persecution began.

Searching and scared

Growing up, Zaira lived in fear, terrified of what would happen to her after her death. She tried so hard to do all her religion required, even memorising long, complex prayers and reciting them day and night. “I kept repeating the Islamic prayers, but I was still searching.”

Then tragedy struck: her father fell gravely ill and died. In her grief she cried out to God: “Do You exist or not?” she demanded. “Where is my father?”

God’s answer came through a book. As she sorted through her father’s possessions, she was surprised to find some Christian books he had once been given and which, for some reason, he had kept. One book, in particular, seemed to address the questions she had spent years struggling with.

“I read about Jesus,” she recalls. “It said, ‘Whoever has faith in Jesus will not die but live again.’ That was what I had been looking for. I found it. It all poured into me, like through a funnel.”

In that moment, Zaira made her decision. She went to the barn, prayed the prayer and felt a joy she had never known.

“I felt like I flew up and came back down,” she said. “My mouth couldn’t stop saying ‘Jesus’.”

Persecution and pain

From then on, life changed. Zaira met with some Christians in a neighbouring village, who gave her more books to read. But when her eldest brother found out, he was furious and threw her precious books into the fire. Despite his anger, Zaira carried meeting with other Christians whenever she could. She told her younger sisters about Jesus. Some of her family and friends even became Christians.

That only made others in her family even more angry. She was beaten several times, including when she was pregnant. One of her brothers tried to force her to recite the Islamic declaration of faith. When Zaira refused, he disowned her, shouting, “I have no sister. Leave! I disown you.”

“All I said was, ‘Yes, God.’ That’s all,” Zaira says. “Then I forgave my mother, my brother and everyone.”

The amazing miracle

Zaira didn’t return to her family for several years after that incident. During her absence the relatives who became Christians also suffered persecution. Some of her Christian nieces were forced to marry against their will, others were badly beaten. Like Zaira, however, their faith was strong.

“While they were beating us, we pictured Jesus’ suffering,” one of them told Zaira. “It gave us strength.”

Eventually, things changed. The example of Zaira and the other believers changed the attitudes of those around her. Then came what Zaira calls the most amazing miracle: her mother-in-law became a Christian.

“I used to think that even if the whole world believed, my mother-in-law would not. When she believed, my eyes were opened,” she recalled.

Open Doors supports many women like Zaira, though employment and training schemes help them gain independence, and discipleship training to help them live out their faith. And with your help, Zaira is able to support other vulnerable women who are facing isolation and persecution, and who are facing emotional, psychological and physical abuse.

“You need to be bold, stand firm in your faith, and be courageous,” she shares. “You have to go with two weapons: prayer and the Word.”

*Name changed for security reasons

Source and Photo: Open Doors

Update: Iran’s grief through the eyes of a pastor

2026-02-21T20:48:06Z

Pastor Peyman partners with Open Doors to support believers within Iran through an online ministry. In even just one short call, he paints a picture of the heavy suffering borne by our brothers and sisters in Iran at this time. A Christian mother also asks for your prayers. Please continue to stand with our family in this nation.

As the internet continues to be restored in patches, more of the current situation in Iran has been revealed to the world beyond its borders. Pastor Peyman* is a local partner of Open Doors who disciples Iranian Christian refugees through an online ministry. He was able to share a short update concerning the experience of Christians and the suffering that is now commonplace since the crackdown on protests earlier in the year.

A nation in mourning

“We are receiving calls from inside Iran, and everyone is crying,” Peyman begins. “This is no longer about one isolated incident; it is deep and ongoing pain. Many have lost close friends and family members. Even among believers we personally knew and discipled, several have been killed. In one city alone, five believers lost their lives.”

When information does eventually come through, it only reaches community leaders through trusted sources. Direct contact with grieving families is often impossible. “We cannot even reach some families to comfort them or pray with them. People are afraid to speak openly. We only know that some have died, and many others are deeply broken emotionally and spiritually,” Peyman says.

Deep wounds

The burden on leaders is great as they struggle to wisely guide believers in their care. “Anything we say is misunderstood by someone. If we speak about hope, people get angry. If we speak about love, they say it is unrealistic. Leaders are under intense pressure, caught between the truth of God’s Word and the deep wounds people are carrying.”

He emphasises the urgent need for prayer for church leaders in Iran: “Pastors and leaders are standing in an extremely sensitive place. We must speak truth, but we also need God’s wisdom, timing and protection over our hearts and minds.”

A point of no return

Despite the despair and darkness many feel, Peyman believes that Iran has passed a point of no return – and this is a good thing. “Everything has changed. Iran will not remain the same. Each person, and the church, must understand their role in this moment: standing against injustice without being consumed by destructive anger.”

He and all Iranian believers call for your prayers. “Please pray for those who are grieving, for those who are traumatised, for safe ways to help, and especially for pastors and leaders. Silence in the face of injustice is wrong, but we must also walk wisely. We need God’s guidance today more than ever.”

Prayers from a parent

Amidst unrest and increasing cost of living, there have been more reports of military personnel using mosques, hospitals and schools as locations for bases, making these sites even more vulnerable to violence and exploitation.

In a time which is already submerged in fear and uncertainty, parents and children are experiencing this added burden. Sogol* is a Christian mother and she asks for your prayers: “Next to my daughter’s middle school there is a nursery, but in the past ten days it has reportedly been turned into an IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] base. Parents are now afraid to send their children to school in case the conflict escalates. There are no online options for continuing education, and many parents are exhausted and overwhelmed, unable to fully support learning at home.

“Please pray for our next generation that God will protect them, grant them peace, provide safe access to education, strengthen parents and secure a hopeful and stable future for them.”

Cries for justice from Iran

With connectivity slowly returning, the gap between Iran and the rest of the world is being bridged with flickers of insight into what has been the bloodiest suppression of unrest in the nation since 1979. However, with patches of restored connection has come horror rather than relief as the true picture of suffering and injustice is revealed.

Maryam* is a believer serving the secret church in Iran. She shares, “Please pray for our people. What they have seen with their own eyes and heard with their own ears has deeply affected them. One sister locked herself inside her home out of fear. She cannot sleep at night, is highly traumatised and cannot stop crying. ‘I wish we could pray over phone’ is what she quietly shared.”

According to Iran International, over 36,500 people have been killed since the start of the protests. The HRANA has confirmed 6,373 deaths with a further 17,091 under review, and other sources estimate a minimum death toll of 25,000. Countless bodies are believed to have been hidden and purposefully kept out of public record to obfuscate the scale of the killings.

Recently, the European Union formally declared Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation, reflecting the brutality that has been experienced by citizens across the country. In the past few years, the IRGC has increasingly targeted Christians with home invasions and pressure in courts to induce harsher sentences. The violence of the past few weeks has demonstrated a concentration of such injustice.

With greater exposure on the sheer number of lives lost and arrests carried out by security forces, the effects on life for those hiding from the unrest are myriad. People are dissuaded from using social media and interacting with content about the protests; phone calls are monitored; silence and fear dominate.

“Please pray for our people”

Amid the chaos stands the underground church. Most believers are unable to meet and online ministries are under intense monitoring. Christians are among those who become a governmental scapegoat, being painted as Western collaborators or ‘acting against national security’. This is evident in the new wave of arrests targeting house churches and Christians.

Maryam asks: “Please pray for us who serve Christians inside Iran. Ask the Lord to give us discernment and wisdom to know how to pray, how to guide and how to comfort. We are affected too by what we hear and carry.”

“Even their voices are different”

Videos and photos have pushed through the blackout revealing families waiting in long lines for hours, even days, outside courthouses to find out whether their children are dead or alive. They move from hospital to hospital, prison to prison, and many are forced to look through hundreds of body bags to find a familiar face. It has been reported that when families have asked for the body of their loved one, authorities have demanded them to sign false statements declaring that the deceased was part of security forces and was killed by protesters.

If relatives are arrested, a severe bail is demanded for their release – in some cases, the money is given but the detainee never freed. There are rumours of those imprisoned being executed in secret and later declared as having died in protests.

Even the hospitals have become unsafe. One doctor has described patients being taken by security forces to be executed or denied medical care, left instead to die because of their injuries. Nurses, doctors and firefighters are also being arrested or executed for aiding injured protesters, with such acts of compassion being perceived as anti-regime.

One among them was named Yohanna Mirpadyab, a Christian firefighter who was reportedly shot and killed by security forces as he was attempting to extinguish a fire during the protests. He is only one of a dozen Christians, and likely many more, who are being imprisoned, denied contact with their families or executed.

Another Christian is a convert called Ghazal Marzban, who was previously arrested and sent to Evin Prison after being convicted of ‘propaganda against the regime’. Since her conversion, she has faced endless harassment. On 14 January, she was once again arrested by intelligence agents, her Bible and Christian books confiscated. Two hours later, she was able to contact her husband to say that she was being held in a Ministry of Intelligence detention centre. She has not been heard from since.

In the brief moments of contact between families, news like this is hard to hear. Majid* shares his experience: “I managed to speak with my family after two weeks. Praise God they are alive, but they are not well. Even their voices are different. I heard that my brother was kept in prison for ten days and beaten almost to death. They were afraid to share more details because of monitoring. There are rumours that the internet may be cut off again, cutting people off from the world completely.”

“We want to bring truth and hope”

Even beyond the borders, Iranian Christians living outside the country face the threat of being sent back. An Open Doors partner shares that a refugee Christian couple known for their online ministry were summoned for questioning by immigration authorities. They were then taken to a detention camp and told they were a ‘threat to national security’. Though the couple have hired lawyers, deportation back to Iran is being considered by the authorities.

Should Christians like this couple be forced to return to Iran, the repercussions they would face would be immediate and severe.

“Please keep them in your prayers,” the partner asks. “Pray for this couple and for all those in the detention camp who may be sent back, especially in the current situation.”

As the darkness deepens over Iran, your prayers are urgently needed for our brothers and sisters and all those suffering because of grave injustice. Ziba*, another sister, pleads, “The church in Iran wants to be salt and light in this moment. We want to bring truth and hope to our nation. But after years of oppression done in the name of God, we fear how people will respond to the gospel. Please pray that God shows us how to love our community with the hope of Jesus.”

Please continue to stand with the church in Iran, praying that they would trust in the Lord and the promise of His Word: “For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; the upright will see his face.” (Psalm 11:7)

*Names changed for security reasons

Photo and source: Open Doors

What It’s Like to Become a Christian in Iran

2026-02-18T14:45:43Z

Recent uprisings, violent crackdowns, and escalating tensions with the U.S. have brought added international attention to Iran, a nation of 93 million people, most of whom are Shia Muslim.

Though Iran’s regime has been repressive for most of its citizens, conditions are more tenuous yet for its Christian minority. And there is no tolerance whatsoever for Iranians from Muslim backgrounds who choose to become Christian.

But many are doing so.

“Darius” is one of them.

He is a thoughtful and dedicated follower of his adopted (and, for him, highly illegal) Christian faith.

He is also among the minority of Iranian converts who have chosen Orthodox Christianity. While there are a significant number of Orthodox churches in Iran, basically everyone involved with them is an ethnic minority of ancient Christian lineage.

As a person of Iranian Muslim background, Darius cannot just walk in and join.

Authorities monitor these churches. And Iran’s regime unleashes severe punishments (the death penalty is technically possible, but lengthy imprisonment is far more likely) not just for the Muslim-background converts but also for those who are viewed as assisting in their conversion or being receptive to their conversion.

From what Darius can tell, Orthodox Christian clergy in Iran “don’t dare to answer any Muslim” seeking to convert.

Therefore, most Christian converts in Iran choose Protestantism. Darius said these Christians either join or establish underground churches or else leave the country, often heading to neighboring Turkey, where they “keep their faith to themselves.”

If you can keep a low enough profile, converting to Christianity in Iran has become easier in at least one important way: Darius said he doesn’t have to try hard to pretend he’s still Muslim because, at this point, few people around him go to mosques, recite the Quran, or make any visible manifestations of faith.

Religious adherence to Islam in Iran has declined significantly during the last few decades.

“Nowadays mosques are mostly empty,” Darius said, adding that, to a large extent, “Just old people and supporters of the regime go there.” He also noted that the consumption of alcohol, though officially banned, has risen in popularity.

“I just need to watch my mouth and don’t say anything about Christianity,” he remarked.

In the meantime, he reads his Bible and prays. He also belongs to an Orthodox online community — moderated by an Iranian woman — that offers prayers, lessons, and advice. (Having much experience as a Muslim praying in Arabic, he already understood Arabic Orthodox chants.) He became acquainted with another Iranian convert to Orthodox Christianity via Instagram.

Darius would like to get to Europe, so he could “escape from this hell [his long-suffering homeland] and have a future.” He also wants to “get baptized more easily and without fear.”

He added that, at this point, even most religiously adherent Muslims in Iran have come to detest the regime.

Though regime authorities, along with a few fervent supporters and assorted nationalists, are every bit as hostile as you might imagine, Darius said most Iranians don’t hate the West or have any strong opinion about Christianity.

And indeed, a significant number find it increasingly compelling. Many media venues have reported that Iran has the world’s fastest-growing Christian community.

“People here get familiar with Christianity through different means,” Darius said.

“There used to be some ads on YouTube introducing Jesus,” he recalled. He also mentioned that some people become interested in Christianity through dreams and spiritual experiences. One such example involved an acquaintance of his who “said he saw Jesus when he was imprisoned by the regime.”

Darius himself had once been a devout Shia Muslim. At the same time, he was “open-minded” and “would always question [his] beliefs.”

He ultimately decided he no longer believed in his own religion.

“After I left Islam, I felt lost and was looking for a guide in my life,” he said. At the same time, he had not given up on God.

When visiting family in Isfahan, he would make a trip to the legendary Vank Cathedral (as a regular tourist, not as an aspiring convert).

“I was and still am amazed by its paintings,” Darius said.

He was also a fan of musician Johnny Cash, who had many songs that touched on religious themes and “really made me interested in Christianity.”

One night, he had a dream in which he saw icons of the 12 apostles and three Orthodox saints.

“When I woke up, I knew that Jesus had called me,” he said.

He later had a strange encounter in a crowded part of Tehran (the Iranian capital city), where he came upon a woman selling the Bible in Persian, Iran’s main language, also known as Farsi.

Darius said he bought it for a “reasonable price” and that the woman was also selling a sacred book of Zoroastrianism, a major pre-Islamic faith in the region and one that has seen a growing number of Iranian converts.

“She’s just an open-minded Muslim who tries to make some money,” Darius said of the bookseller. He added that he has never seen the Bible sold anywhere else in his country.

Selling Bibles in Iran is a dangerous career path. Buying one is also unsafe.

Darius understands his spiritual journey has put him at considerable risk. But he seems to have accepted the circumstances, saying, “The true way is not always the way we want and like.”

Source: International Christian Concern

Photo: pixnio

A stranger’s kindness sparks hope in North Korea

2026-02-06T14:19:39Z

The words that accompanied a stranger’s random act of kindness in North Korea has drawn surprise and speculation from locals. Was it a secret believer?

“Somebody loves you. Don’t thank me, but thank the person who gave me the heart to help you.”

These are the quiet words said by a stranger to a mother and daughter stranded on the streets in North Korea, after he gave them food and enough money to return home.

In North Korea, such stories are immensely rare, particularly given the stranger’s wording. It’s prompted rumours among locals, with people even wondering if the man is a secret believer.

A mysterious encounter

The incident happened in September according to NK Daily. The mother and daughter were on a trip from Jagang province to South Hwanghae Province to sell goods at a market, when their stock was stolen from them at Haeju Station. They reported it to the police, but nothing was done.

“It’s very common in North Korea that police don’t actively get involved,” a source told NK Daily. “The mother and daughter didn’t know if they could recover their goods, and after having spent all their travel money far from home while they waited endlessly, they ultimately received no help from the state and ended up on the street.”

News of their situation spread across the city, but no one came to help – except one person. As the couple expressed their thanks to the stranger, he uttered the mysterious words and quickly left.

Is he a secret believer?

“People who heard about what he said wondered what he was talking about, but people a bit familiar with the outside world whispered that what he said was not ordinary talk. They say the ‘person’ he talked about was the person talked about in religion,” the source said, referring to Christianity.

Whatever the inspiration, the stranger risked far more than embarrassment or misunderstanding. In North Korea, any association with religion can trigger investigation. His simple statement, ‘Somebody loves you,’ could be interpreted as subversive – and any reference to God, no matter how subtle, could lead to the death penalty.

And yet, he chose to act, revealing something deeper than a kind impulse. It showed that compassion and faith are still alive, even in a place where cruelty and control dominate. The story spread across the city, sparking a small measure of hope – that goodness exists beyond the reach of fear.

“The latest incident was not simply a moving story, but has caused a minor sensation,” the source said. “With it being so hard to survive, many people just ignore those who have been placed in unfortunate circumstances, but the fact that there are people out there taking an interest in other people’s misfortunes and treating them warmly has offered society a bit of consolation and hope.”

While Open Doors doesn’t know the man who helped the mother and daughter, secret believers have previously sent messages about supporting their neighbours. “We have a heart for the people in need. We aim to help them where we can. Some even save food and money, even though they don’t have enough. They still set aside a portion to give to those in even greater need,” writes a believer.

Prayer and participation

What moves people to such bravery? The believer’s parting words point to the answer: “Thank the person who gave me the heart to help you.” It is God’s Spirit who stirs their hearts.

For those of us outside North Korea who regularly pray for and support our North Korean family, the gesture is a powerful reminder that unseen acts of faith are happening every day. Each time you pray, give or speak up for our North Korean family, you join that invisible network of courage.

Open Doors works quietly through partners in the wider region to support North Korean believers with food, medicine, discipleship training and safe shelter. Your partnership helps sustain those lifelines. It ensures that when an underground believer feels prompted to act, they are spiritually and practically equipped to do so.

Hope in the dark

North Korea’s believers know what it means to trust God without visible results. They pray in silence, sing in whispers and often never see the outcome of their faith. Yet, through their courage, others catch glimpses of the gospel’s power.

When a man risked everything to help a mother and her child, his small act told an entire community that love still exists. In a society built on fear, that message is revolutionary.

Your prayers and generosity make that revolution possible. You may never know their names, and they may never know yours, but the body of Christ connects you. As one underground believer once said, “The fact that you support us is proof that God exists and that He has not forgotten us.”

Photo and source: Open Doors

At least 70 killed in attacks in Nigeria

2026-01-19T14:19:45Z

A further wave of devastating attacks in Nigeria has killed at least 70 people, including Christians. Elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa, in Niger, a couple were killed when they fled a church attack on Christmas Eve. Please pray.

At least 70 people have been killed and several abducted in a series of devastating attacks in Nigeria over Christmas and New Year, with Christians among those targeted.

On 29 December, 14 people were killed when Islamist militants targeted the communities of Zah, Mubang Yadul and Kiking, located in a predominantly Christian region in Adamawa State. Shops and properties were burned during the onslaught.

According to reports, the ‘assailants stormed the villages at about 6:16pm… unleashing violence that claimed the lives of elders and youths’.

“This is not the first attack, not even the second,” a community member told Sahara. “It has been persistent, year after year, without those responsible being brought to justice.”

On 30 December, two priests were badly wounded when bandits attacked the parish house of St Rita Catholic Church in Mararaba village, Nasarawa State. The priests were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Grieving villager

On New Year’s Eve, at least nine people were killed by Fulani militants in Bum, a Christian village in Plateau State. Several more were wounded.

“My father, brother and one of my sons were murdered when these Fulani knocked on our door,” said a villager. “They also went to my uncle’s house and killed five people, and they also killed one person in another house.”

“We have never had a problem with them [the Fulani],” the villager continued. “They come in to graze their cattle from neighbouring villages and we allow them. There has never been a dispute between us.”

A few days later, on 2 January, at least seven people were killed by suspected Fulani bandits in Bong village, also in Plateau State. The attackers carried out a ‘house-to-house operation, targeting women, children and elderly residents’, reports say. It’s unknown whether any of those killed were Christians.

And on 3 January, gunmen killed at least 40 people and abducted several more, including children, when they attacked the villages of Demo, Chukama and Shanga in Niger State. Christians and Muslims are among the victims. It’s unclear which group, if any, the gunmen are affiliated to.

Death, destruction and displacement

“The insecurity across northern Nigeria generally and its impact on the Church more specifically remain deeply concerning,” says Jo Newhouse*, Open Doors spokesperson for work in SSA.

“The situation has kept Christians in flux, unable to find any stability and bearing the physical, economic and psychosocial scars of living with perpetual danger or the result of attacks – death, destruction and displacement, to name but a few.

“We call on the Nigerian government to do everything in its power to guarantee safety for all civilians and to proactively seek measures to end the violence and the impunity with which it occurs. As long as sections of Nigeria’s population are not free from targeting, no Nigerian can hope for a stable life.

“We’ve entered a new year and many Christians in northern Nigeria are hoping and praying that they have left the worst behind them. Their hope is that the situation will improve and that it won’t be another year marked by bloodshed – please join us in praying with them.”

Couple killed on Christmas Eve

Elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa, a couple were killed as they fled an attack on a church in Niger.

The incident happened as believers gathered for a late-night service on Christmas Eve in Mailo, a village in the south-west region of Dosso. It’s reported that armed individuals entered the church at around 11pm, firing shorts into the air. As the worshippers fled, one man and his wife tried to hide in their home, but they were caught and shot dead.

Witnesses told media that the attackers stole cattle before retreating, raising suspicions that Fulani militants are behind the attack. The affected area falls within Liptako-Gourma, a vast region shared amongst Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger that is seeing persistent violence from Islamist groups, worsening instability and causing a humanitarian crisis.

Earlier, on 27 November, a pastor from the area was kidnapped before he later managed to escape.

Nigeria is seventh on the World Watch List, whilst Niger is 28th. The latest list is launched next week (Wednesday 14 January), when you can get more up-to-date information about what’s going on in Nigeria, Niger and the wider sub-Saharan Africa region to share with others and to guide you in your prayers.

Source and photo: Open Doors

Bibles Desecrated During Church Attack in Punjab, Pakistan

2026-01-09T14:21:45Z

An attack on a Christian place of worship was reported in the early hours of Monday morning in the Raiwind area of Punjab, Pakistan. At around 4 a.m. on Jan. 5, an individual forcibly entered a local church and carried out an act of destruction that has deeply shaken the Christian community in the area.

According to details shared by the police in the First Information Report (FIR), the attacker entered the church unlawfully and caused extensive damage inside the building. Several windows were smashed, furniture was overturned, and the Holy Communion table was thrown violently. Sacred items, including Bibles and worship books, were torn apart and scattered across the floor. Musical instruments used during church services were also damaged.

The condition of the church after the attack clearly reflected extreme aggression and hostility. Local Christians described the scene as heartbreaking, saying the church looked “as if it had been hit by a sudden storm of hatred.” While no one was present at the time of the incident, the emotional impact on the congregation has been severe.

Initially, the case was registered against unknown individuals. However, due to a prompt response by the Punjab Police, a suspect has since been arrested. The accused is currently in police custody, and investigations are ongoing to establish the motive behind the attack and to determine whether others were involved. Authorities have stated that legal action will proceed in accordance with Pakistani law.

Community members and rights advocates have acknowledged and appreciated the swift action taken by the police. Their timely response is being seen as especially important given the painful history of violence against Christians in the same region. In earlier years, the area witnessed the horrific killing of a Christian couple, Shahzad and his pregnant wife Shamma, who were brutally murdered by a mob at a brick kiln. Many believe that quick police intervention in the present case helped prevent the situation from escalating into something far worse.

Although there were no casualties in this incident, the attack left deep psychological scars. For the Christian community, the destruction of Bibles and sacred worship items is not just property damage; it is a direct assault on their faith, identity, and right to practice religion freely and safely.

Local Christians have expressed fear and concern about their security, especially as the new year begins. Religious leaders and community representatives have called for stronger protection for places of worship and accountability for those who commit hate-driven acts.

Source and photo: International Christian Concern

Longing for home at Christmas

2025-12-22T18:05:58Z

The Christmas season for Alaia* and Manuela* was once a time for family and celebration in their home of Nicaragua. However, when their father was arrested and their freedom threatened, they had to flee the country.

For 13-year-old Alaia* and nine-year-old Manuela*, Christmas means celebrating Jesus surrounded by their family. Each December, everyone would come together for the festive season – seeing the faces of grandparents and cousins arriving through the door gave the two girls great joy.

“Everything was so beautiful because we shared so much as a family,” Manuela reminisces.

“We prayed and thanked Jesus for what He did for the world,” says Alaia.

As well as the usual traditions of the season, they and their parents would carry out evangelistic events together, giving gifts and sharing the gospel of hope which, to them, was always at the heart of their festivities.

“It’s about Jesus,” Manuela explains. “We celebrate that He was born. It doesn’t matter if you decorate your house or on what day you celebrate. It matters that you remember His birth.”

However, one year everything changed, and the girls’ family celebration of Christmas was dramatically transformed. They had to leave everything behind and flee their country, able to take with them only the precious memories of their family and a deep longing for home.

When everything changed

Nicaragua’s totalitarian regime means fierce control over the activities of Christians. Church leaders are especially targeted by governmental powers if they speak out against the state.

One day, when Alaia and Manuela’s father, a local pastor, received a call, the threats they had heard of became true in their own lives.

“My dad said to the person on the phone that he’d be there in a few minutes and hung up,” Manuela recalls. “My dad and I went down the road, then I said goodbye and left with my grandpa. After that, we didn’t talk again.”

By the end of the day, they had heard nothing from their father. Then, the girls’ mother sat them down.

“Remember when I told you that something could happen to your dad or me because of preaching about Jesus?” she said. “That day has come. Your dad has been arrested.”

The shock of her words struck Manuela and Alaia. Their joyful childhood had been scored by the frightening reality of persecution.

Every day their mother visited the prison to find out her husband’s whereabouts, and every day she was met with a deafening silence. Several other pastors had also been arrested, and the explanation slowly became clear: the regime perceived them as a threat and had made them disappear.

A fearful wait

Days and months passed, and still the silence was not broken. As they waited, the girls and their mother tried as best as they could to continue with normal life.

“We didn’t know if he was alive or dead, if he was in one place or another,” Manuela remembers. “My mum tried to keep us calm by saying that my dad was in God’s hands. God would not abandon him.”

The days stretched on, and nine months passed without any news. Together, the family clung to their faith in Jesus, praying every day and trusting that the Lord would restore their father to them.

Living for Christ

In the waiting, God was at work in Alaia and Manuela.

“My mom reminded me about persecution,” Alaia recalls. “With my dad, we had already learned that things like this could happen to us because we follow Jesus. But she also reminded me that, no matter what, we must never deny Him.”

The girls’ father had participated in persecution survival training sessions and both parents had received biblical training from Open Doors. This foundation helped them process the pain.

“I learned that persecution teaches you not to cling to earthly things,” she explains. “One day we’ll die and won’t take anything with us. So, the best thing we can do is live – and even die – for Christ.”

Forced to flee

At last, the day arrived – their father had been released.

The joyous news came from a relative of another imprisoned pastor, but despite their relief, life was about change even more for Alaia and Manuela.

The cost of their father’s freedom was exile. He and the other pastors who had been arrested had been expelled from Nicaragua, and now their families would be targeted.

The girls’ mother received a call from her husband: “They’re watching you. They’re going to arrest you next, to silence me. You must leave the country – now!”

They made their escape without a moment to lose, leaving behind their lives and their precious family. Without exit documents, all they could do was trust in the Lord when they reached the border.

But, miraculously, they weren’t stopped. No checks were made and they were granted safe crossing over the border, leaving their home behind them without the promise of ever returning.

Christmas far from home

In a new home, they finally were reunited with their father who was almost unrecognisable from his capture.

“I hugged him so tightly and told him how much I missed him,” Manuela shares.

“It was beautiful,” Alaia adds, “but also very hard, filled with emotions. We were together again, but not home.”

Christmas no longer looks like the years of their childhood, accompanied by their family on their home soil. But they continue to adjust, sharing the hope of Christ with those around them.

“Our parents encourage us to sit at the table, even if it’s just us, and thank God for everything, surrendering our hearts to Him,” Manuela expresses.

Pray with Alaia and Manuela

Despite all that they have faced, the girls’ prayers are for their home and their family, and for the protection of people like her parents who share the gospel in Nicaragua’s dangerous environment. Even at their young age, they hold fast to the promises of Emmanuel – God with us.

Through your faithful support and prayers, you are making a difference for children like Alaia and Manuela suffering persecution this Christmas. Thank you!

*Names changed for security reasons

Source and photo: Open Doors

An inextinguishable light: Inaya’s Christmas

2025-12-12T14:37:43Z

Inaya is a young believer from the Philippines. Because of clan tensions and the betrayal associated with becoming a Christian in her community, she must celebrate Christmas in secret.

Inaya* from the Philippines is only 11 years old and yet, like so many young Christians worldwide, she is seeking to remain faithful to Jesus amidst great danger. Whilst the Philippines is not in the top 50 of the Open Doors World Watch List, life for Christians in many parts of the nation can be incredibly difficult.

For her family, daily life is fraught with tensions between the clans which make up the community’s social fabric. Cycles of violence and revenge have the potential to unleash themselves at any time, because of the honour culture which shapes how households relate to each other.

As well as this, Islamic culture and identity are so tightly interwoven that to leave the religion for another comes at great cost. Inaya herself was born into a Muslim family, but recently her parents turned to faith in Christ, and so did Inaya.

The joy of this transformation is one they must keep to themselves, however – to share their newfound faith would mean social rejection and threats to their lives. In the worst cases, it could mean death.

A dangerous combination

The combination of these cultural norms is a dangerous atmosphere in which Inaya and her family live out their faith. Whilst they have been receiving care and training from a persecution preparedness program run by Open Doors partners, they are not exempt from the dangers.

Inaya’s father, whom she affectionately calls Ama, was caught in a ‘rido’ – a violent clan conflict. Along with other brave believers, he chose non-violence, inspired by the training he had received. During the clash, however, Inaya’s father was shot in both arms. Though he survived, he was unable to work for a whole year.

“That day, when Ama was hurt, everything changed,” Inaya recounts. “We were so scared. Sometimes I don’t know if he will be okay.”

A watching world

In a tightly knit community, watching eyes place daily pressure on believers like Inaya. Converts are perceived as traitors who defy both the religion of the community and the social order, posing a threat to the traditions which give them meaning.

Now, Inaya and her family live more cautiously than ever, whispering prayers and songs of praise to the God who rescued them. For them, their faith is worth the risk.

A refuge from fear

With the help of Open Doors local partners, Inaya has the opportunity of participating in a children’s story-telling program. Hidden away in a discreet location, the group meet together to sing songs, do crafts and read Bible stories – a precious relief from the pressures they face outside.

Once, they read the story of Daniel in the lion’s den. In a terrifying situation, Daniel prayed and was rescued from great danger by God. Remembering the story before bed, Inaya had a realisation.

“If Daniel wasn’t alone, maybe I’m not alone either,” she said to her mother that night. Such stories are growing her courage in the face of persecution.

“I’m scared,” Inaya admits. “But I feel brave too, like there’s a light shining inside me.”

A hope in their hearts

A light which cannot be extinguished – this is what Inaya and her fellow believers celebrate at Christmas with their global family. The festive season looks quite different for them, however. There are no decorations, no gift-giving and no gatherings.

But their joy in Jesus remains firm, a resilient flame burning bright in the darkness. They delight in small ways to mark the coming of Christ, like going for a swim or simply enjoying being together.

“We don’t have lights or presents,” she says. “But I feel happy because we remember Jesus and we’re together.”

Like Mary who, after meeting the shepherds who praised the babe in her arms, ‘treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart’ (Luke 2:19), Inaya and her family celebrate Christmas in the quiet of their hearts.

*Name changed for security reasons

Source and photo: Open Doors

315 girls and teachers kidnapped from school in Nigeria

2025-12-04T14:30:44Z

Please pray – in another kidnapping incident in Nigeria, more than 300 girls and teachers have been taken from a school in Niger State.

Your prayers are needed after 303 girls and 12 teachers were kidnapped from a school in Niger State, north west Nigeria, in one of the largest ever mass abductions in the country.

The incident happened in the early hours of Friday (21 November) at St Mary’s, a school in the Papiri community in Agwara Local Government Area (LGA). The number taken includes 88 students who were captured as they tried to escape. However, 50 of those taken have since managed to escape over the weekend. It’s believed that 253 students and 12 teachers remain held. St Mary’s is a Catholic school, though it is not yet known what percentage of those taken are Christians.

Escalation in abductions

In response to this latest kidnapping, Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has ordered the hiring of 30,000 more police officers, as well as the removal of all officers from VIP protection services to focus on core duties, especially in remote areas prone to attacks. The government has instructed the closure of nearly 50 federal colleges, and public schools in some states have been shut.

Whilst kidnappings for ransom have commonly been used to terrorise and impoverish communities, former Minister of Information, Jerry Gana, believes that the sudden escalation in abductions could be because armed groups want to use children as ‘human shields’ following the recent increase in global attention paid to violence against Christians in Nigeria.

According to Open Doors local sources and partners on the ground, people have been warned to not travel in groups. That makes them more vulnerable to kidnapping, which they expect to only increase in the coming weeks.

Thousands of children unschooled

The apparent failure of the government to protect civilians has widespread effects, with more than 10,000 schools closed in northern Nigeria due to the current insecurity, exposing millions of children to illiteracy, early marriage and poverty. This vulnerability makes it easier for Islamist militant groups to recruit them, worsening the spiral of violence and oppression.

“We are deeply saddened by these latest kidnappings in northern Nigeria,” says Jo Newhouse*, Open Doors spokesperson for the work in sub-Saharan Africa. “We are immediately taken back to the Chibok girls kidnapping in 2014, of which many girls – now women – are still in captivity. We urge the Nigerian government to do everything in its power to safely return these student and teachers to their families, and ensure that schools are protected from such attacks. Closing schools are a short-term solution and all children should be free and safe to attend school and receive an education.”

How can you help?

Thank you for your ongoing prayers and support for our persecuted family in Nigeria and throughout sub-Saharan Africa. As well as praying yourself, could you also encourage your church or house group to pray, too? If you’ve yet to already, please sign the Arise Africa petition and share it with others. And with the latest World Watch List due out in January, please invite your MP to the Parliamentary launch, so they can hear first-hand the suffering facing Christians in sub-Saharan African and worldwide and what they can do to help. Thank you!

*Name changed for security reasons

Source and photo: Open Doors

ICC Report Highlights the Faith, Struggle of Armenians Displaced from Artsakh

2025-11-26T14:56:42Z

A new report by International Christian Concern (ICC) documents the continuing hardship and resilience of Armenia’s displaced Christian population nearly two years after the fall of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh).

“Hope and the Wandering Souls from Artsakh: Reflections on a Delegation Visit,” written by ICC staff following a U.S. Christian delegation’s visit to Armenia earlier this year, details firsthand encounters with refugees, church leaders, and government officials, painting a vivid picture of a nation struggling to recover from what many describe as a campaign of ethnic and religious cleansing.

More than 120,000 Armenian Christians were forced to flee their homes during Azerbaijan’s 2023 military takeover of Artsakh, following a nine-month blockade that cut off food and medicine to Armenians. The mass exodus, according to the report, “has left an entire generation displaced, grieving, and searching for belonging.”

Despite these losses, the report documents Armenia’s deep resilience.

“Faith remains the backbone of Armenian identity,” the report notes, describing the country’s ancient Christian heritage as a source of strength amid uncertainty.

The delegation, organized by Save Armenia and the Tufenkian Foundation, met with President Vahagn Khachaturyan and visited refugee communities across Armenia. The delegation also met with local ministries and relief efforts, providing housing, employment, and trauma care.

The team found that while emergency aid has stabilized the situation, long-term needs remain acute — particularly for widows, children, and rural families who lost both homes and livelihoods. Refugees repeatedly voiced one shared hope: to return to Artsakh someday.

The report also assessed the “Agreement on Establishment of Peace and Inter-State Relations” signed in August 2025 between Armenia and Azerbaijan at the White House. While hailed internationally as a peace milestone, the report warns that the accord offers no concrete guarantees for displaced Armenians, the release of prisoners, or the protection of cultural heritage sites.

Azerbaijan continues to suppress dissent and religious freedom while erasing Armenian historical landmarks in captured territories. Satellite images, the report noted, confirm the destruction of dozens of churches and cemeteries since 2023.

Armenia’s Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs reports that more than $250 million in aid has been distributed to refugees, with support from local NGOs and church networks. Initiatives like the Tufenkian Foundation’s “Svarants Village” project are resettling families near the southern border, providing housing and jobs in agriculture and beekeeping.

Still, the emotional toll remains high.

“We have lost everything but our faith,” one displaced mother told ICC. The report highlights how churches and schools have become centers of community and hope, offering spiritual counseling and education to children traumatized by war.

ICC urged the international community to continue advocating for religious freedom, justice, and accountability in the South Caucasus.

“The suffering of Artsakh’s people must not be forgotten,” the report concluded. “Their story is not only about loss — it is about faith, endurance, and the belief that God has preserved Armenia through every trial.”

Source: International Christian Concern

Photo: PXHERE

In poverty for Jesus: the resilient faith of a family

2025-11-17T14:09:42Z

Pabasara and her family, including two young children, fight every day to maintain their faith against the opposition they face and the perils of poverty. This Christmas, they need your support to remind them that they are not alone – that ‘the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it’ (John 1:5).

In the hills of Sri Lanka, many rural villages live out their days in shared ways of life, struggling with little means but living ingrained in their communities and rhythms of Hindu worship. Pabasara* is one of many individuals expected to walk in these patterns of life.

A single mother of two children and living with her own elderly mother, Pabasara carries the weight of providing for her family – a burden which she bears alone after her husband left her. Her children live with their mother and grandma in a small house built by Pabasara herself. It is made up of a bedroom and a kitchen, but no bathroom.

When Pabasara became a Christian, her life only got harder.

The gift of good news

It all started when a pastor visited the village to share the gospel with people. There, he met Pabasara. “He shared the gospel with me,” she recounts. “I wanted to experience this God.”

Soon after, Pabasara began attending church and was drawn in by the life-changing peace she and her family felt. Their poverty remained a burden on their lives, but Pabasara found new strength in the God she had begun to encounter. “There were days we ate only one meal,” she says. “None of that changed, but I knew all the good that happened was because of the Lord.”

To stay silent about her new-found faith was not an option for Pabasara and her family. Unaware of where it would lead them, she placed two wooden crosses and some Bible verses on her doorpost. Like the blood marking the houses of God’s people in the story of the Passover in Exodus, Pabasara joyfully proclaimed her faith for all to see. “He is my protector,” she says.

Faith on the margins

Time passed and government officials came to visit their home. After inspecting the house, they agreed that she qualified for a government housing project. Her family would be rehomed and the harsh conditions of their lives alleviated.

However, it would come at a price: she had to turn from Jesus, back to Hinduism. Remove the crosses, regularly attend the Hindu temple – give up her faith.

As the sole provider for her family, Pabasara’s choice was excruciating. She recalls her response, saying, “I wanted a better house for my family, and I knew I would never be able to build one on my own. But I didn’t want to give up on the Lord for some benefits.”

In the fire

From that moment on, the family began to be pushed to the edges of their community. Whilst other homes were renovated, Pabasara and her small, struggling family were ignored, left to sink further into poverty and humiliation.

And it didn’t stop there. A couple of months later, the local monk visited her family and compelled her to return to the temple: “Leave the church and the Lord. Come to the temple. You will receive support.”

But Pabasara stood firm and replied, “I have chosen the Lord.”

Their dispute quickly escalated into a heated argument. “It is because of these two children that I’ve allowed you to live in this village. But one day, I will chase you out,” the monk declared. Despite the monk’s threats and the uncertainty of their future, Pabasara and her family clung to Jesus.

“I am not going to the temple. I am not taking down these crosses. Jesus is my only provider,” she testifies.

Your support this Christmas

With your support, Open Doors partners have been able to meet with Pabasara and her family to pray for them and help build a bathroom for their home.

So many believers like Pabasara and her children experience deep pain and precarity for the exclusion they face. Your prayers and aid serve to remind them of the unchanging, never-tarnishing hope they have in Jesus.

*Name changed for security reasons

Source and photo: Open Doors

“I won’t let go of Jesus”: Dayang’s story of faith in the Philippines

2025-10-31T14:49:44Z

Despite her young age, Dayang (15) has faced bullying and exclusion for her courageous faith in Jesus. Amidst it all, she clings to her Emmanuel. Your much-needed support helps Dayang and children like her experience joy and peace this Christmas time.

What does it mean to count the cost as a believer at Christmas? For Dayang* (15), it looks like being set apart from her peers, one of a small number of Christians in her majority-Muslim neighbourhood. Despite some parts of the Philippines being known for its lengthy Christmas celebrations, sometimes starting as early as September, Dayang and her mother cannot so easily share its joys.

Outcast at home

At school, what is ordinarily a place of friendships and enrichment has been transformed into a spiritual battleground for Dayang. Since coming to faith in Jesus, she has endured taunts and exclusion and is treated as an outcast within her community.

“They say I shouldn’t be a Christian,” she says. “It hurts when people treat me differently. Because in our tribe, we’re expected to be Muslim.”

Jasmin*, Dayang’s mother, was the first to come to know Christ. She has also faced rejection from their community and extended family, so she knows how Dayang feels. While Dayang’s father isn’t a Christian, he does allow her and Jasmin to practise their faith.

Bullying and exclusion were not the end, as Dayang’s treatment has also turned to physical abuse. One day when leaving school, Dayang’s classmates picked up stones and hurled them at her, yelling, “Traitor! Traitor!” Shaking, bruised and devastated, she ran all the way home.

“When I got home, I cried out to God,” she says. “I knew He was there for me. It hurts, but I won’t let go of Jesus.”

Every day, despite the dangers, she chooses to pick up her bag and go back to school.

Hope persists

Like a light shining in their darkness, Dayang finds comfort in praying and reading the Bible with her mother. They can encourage each other, knowing that they are not alone in their suffering.

They can know they aren’t alone because of your generous support, too. Dayang and Jasmin can persist in faith and hope because they know that their wider Christian family is standing with them.

Open Doors partners invited her to attend Timothy Training, a youth leadership programme run in connection with local churches. It’s a safe space for young believers like her, where she can open her Bible, sing and share her heart with others who understand what her experience is like. Together with other young Christians, she is discipled, and her leadership skills are honed to prepare her for future church leadership.

“A moment of joy”

Amidst the pressures they face, Dayang and her mother have found a haven in their house church. Surrounded by brothers and sisters, they celebrate the birth of Jesus and share the joy of the Christmas season. The group exchanges small gifts, shares meals, sings songs, and reflects on Jesus together. There are lights, decorations and joyful music. Sometimes they even go to a nearby island to swim and enjoy a peaceful day together.

“We don’t have much, but when we’re together at Christmas, it’s a moment of joy,” Dayang says. “I like the gift-giving and the prayers. It reminds me that Jesus is with us.”

Thank you for giving the gift of hope to believers like Dayang. Many children like her need your support and prayers to celebrate Christmas in peace and to joyfully build the future of the church in places where faith costs the most.

*Names changed for security reasons

Source and photo: Open Doors

100+ Christians killed in brutal DRC attacks

2025-10-10T13:05:46Z

There has been yet another series of brutal attacks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). At least a hundred Christians have been killed, with hundreds more kidnapped.

Murders at a funeral

Dozens of Christians were killed on Monday, 8 September, while attending a funeral in Ntoyo village, in North Kivu, in the east of the country. “They arrived and started killing. At this funeral place, they coldly murdered 26 Christians,” said Rev. Mbula Samaki of the 55e CEBCE Church Mangurejipa. “Those who tried to flee were shot dead and others were killed with machetes.”

The devastating attacks were carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an extremist Islamist group with links to so-called Islamic State.

Across the community, dozens more believers were killed in the same way over the course of two days. Rev. Mbula told an Open Doors local partner in a phone call: “The casualty as of now stands at more than 70 Christians killed, at least 100 kidnapped, 16 houses, eight motorbikes and two vehicles burnt. It is horrible.”

“I was unable to count them”

Pastor Paluku Nzalamingi, parish priest of Manguredjipa, shared with local news what he saw of the aftermath: “Women on mattresses in the living room… others in the corridor, still others outside in the plot. Some bodies are on the road, in plots close to the centre of Ntoyo. I was unable to count them. Most of them were shot dead.”

The next morning the terrorist struck again in a nearby community, this time targeting Christian farmers. “The ADF arrived in Potodu,” says Pastor Paluku. “With machetes, they killed Christian farmers who were camped in their farms and those who were returning. It is a night of sadness and desolation for Christians.”

At least 30 farmers were killed, though the true death toll may be even higher.

“May God come to our rescue, because we are fed up with these killings,” lamented Pastor Paluku.

Christians forced to flee

Survivors from the communities have fled the affected areas. Rev. Alili’s church, 3e CBCA, Njiapanda, has received many of the displaced people. He shares: “Christians are disoriented, because it was the time when they went to harvest their padi [crop] but look what’s happening to them. We, the church, are short of what to [say to] sympathise with them.

“The massacres are weakening the faith of Christians. Last month it was still massacre after massacre, and in September. Lord, please come to our aid.”

He asks for your urgent prayers: “Please, brothers and sisters, let us unite in prayer to counter the enemy. God says if He does not watch over the house, those who watch, watch in vain. Let us pray together for the Christians of the east of the DRC.”

Open Doors calls on the DRC government

“We are dismayed to learn that yet another massacre of Christians has taken place in eastern DRC,” says Jo Newhouse*, a spokesperson for Open Doors’ work in sub-Saharan Africa. “It is unacceptable that these attacks on civilians, and specifically Christians who were gathered for a funeral, are allowed to continue without any restraint.

“Open Doors strongly condemns these ongoing acts of violence against believers and calls upon the government with its international partners to urgently prioritise civilian protection in eastern DRC where the IS-affiliated ADF has been allowed to wreak havoc for far too long.

“We ask the Body of Christ to keep the church in eastern DRC in prayer. Pray for God’s comfort, His provision to the displaced and for his Spirit to give them strength to stand firm amidst these targeted attacks.”

Source and photo: Open Doors

Disabled Iraqi Christian Killed While Livestreaming the Gospel in France

2025-09-24T14:44:37Z

On Wednesday, Sept. 10, Iraqi Christian Ashur Sarnaya was traveling late to his apartment in Lyon, France. While in his wheelchair, he started a livestream on TikTok, sharing his faith in Arabic. When he reached his apartment building, an unknown perpetrator stabbed him in the neck. Sarnaya, 45, later died from cardiac arrest.

Sarnaya and his sister fled Iraq in 2014 after the Islamic State group threatened Sarnaya for his Christian beliefs. He and his sister settled in Lyon, France.

In a witness’s video of the crime, a young figure in dark clothing is caught leaving the scene. In Sarnaya’s live video, he can be seen covered in blood, which streamed from his nose and mouth. This is how his sister’s friends learned of what happened to him.

“When I got home, I saw that all my friends had called me several times,” Sarnaya’s sister said. “They told me to go see what was going on. When I arrived, he was dead.”

She told RMC-BFM Lyon, “He was a normal person. He did live videos on TikTok to spread the word of God. He had no enemies, no problems with anyone.”

According to Catholic News Agency, Sarnaya revealed in March that his account was regularly blocked and that he was receiving threats from Muslims because he criticized Islamic doctrines in his videos.

While the reason for the attack is not yet known, the attack is considered a hate crime. France has reported an increase in religion-based hate crimes. The Center Reflection Sur La Security Interior (CRSI) reported that the first half of 2025 experienced a 13% increase in anti-Christian acts compared to the same period in 2024.

In the wake of Sarnaya’s death, several people came forth to speak about what happened. Béatrice de Montille, the municipal councilor of Les Républicains de Lyon, said in a statement, “This murder is of appalling brutality and upsets us all. Let’s not be naive. Let’s be firm. This barbarism is unsustainable.”

As Sarnaya regularly attended the Saint-Ephrem parish of Lyon, the president of the Assyrian-Chaldean Association of Lyon also put out a statement. According to Evangelical Focus, he described him as a “very kind, discreet, deeply religious person who liked to talk about the Christian faith.”

Sarnaya’s distant cousin posted on Facebook about his late relative‘s faith.

“He spent his last moments doing exactly what he loved: spreading the gospel,“ Sarnaya’s cousin said. “In my opinion, he is a martyr, and his faith will always be an inspiration.”

Source and photo: International Christian Concern

“Their goal was to eliminate Christianity” – Jemal, Ethiopia

2025-09-05T13:46:45Z

Jemal and his family in Ethiopia were forced to flee when Islamist militants attacked. Their home was ransacked and their businesses burnt down.

“In just one hour, they destroyed everything,” says Jemal*. “In a single day, they turned everything to ash.”

Jemal will never forget the day that Islamist radicals attacked his village in Ethiopia. The day he lost his home, his livelihood and his safety. But though that day was a shocking escalation of violence, it wasn’t the beginning of the persecution.

“A very good life”

Jemal and his wife, Fatima*, grew up as Muslims. When they were young parents, they encountered Jesus and made the life-changing decision to follow Him. Like most converts from Islam in Ethiopia, they faced some opposition from their families and Muslim neighbours, but it wasn’t severe. They had a strong faith community, and were thankful for their day-to-day stability and blessings.

“We had a very good life,” says Jemal. “My whole family and I go to church and worship God.” His woodworking and steel manufacturing businesses were flourishing, and his customers included both local Christians and Muslims. Life was peaceful.

That started to change when visiting Muslim clerics began sharing radical messages at the local mosques.

Economic exclusion

“The clerics began by isolating us,” Jemal remembers. “They told the community not to talk to us. They made the community afraid by saying, ‘Whoever talks to them or sits with them will not have a proper burial ceremony.’” This was a very serious threat, since your burial site is particularly significant in Islam.

For the first time, Muslims began to avoid Christian businesses. “They isolated the Christians from the Muslims,” says Jemal. “They told Muslims in my town, ‘Don’t buy anything from them but let them buy from us. If you buy from them, they will become richer.’”

Economic exclusion is often used as a weapon to marginalise and impoverish Christians in parts of sub-Saharan Africa. The hope is to pressure Christians – particularly Christian men, who are most commonly the financial providers for their families – to either convert to Islam or leave the area. Last year, at least 7,100 shops or businesses belonging to Christians in sub-Saharan Africa were attacked, destroyed or forced to close during the research period.

This was hard enough. But the persecution was suddenly about to escalate.

“No Christian home was safe”

As tensions continued to grow between the Muslim and Christian communities, the local authorities intervened – but, rather than bring peace back to the town, it had the opposite effect. The extremists were furious – and it provided the spark to light the fire that was to consume the whole community.

“They began the attack on Monday night,” Jemal says. “By Tuesday, they even tried to kill me.”

At first, Jemal wasn’t sure what to do. “My sister, also a Christian, begged me to leave my belongings behind,” he remembers. “I wanted to stay and protect my house and business, but we had to leave and we found refuge in a Muslim’s house. Because no Christian home was safe.”

The kindness of Jemal’s Muslim friend showed there was still friendship in the community, even though the radical Islamists tried to obscure it with their hatred and violence. It was a gesture Jemal would remember through the rest of the ordeal.

Hundreds forced to flee

On the second day of the ambush, the arson began. “Mobs of people went from house to house, singling out Christian homes and businesses, destroying whatever they could find and setting it on fire,” says Jemal. “In a single day, they destroyed everything I owned and had built up over the years.”

At least 215 homes of Christian families were destroyed. Hundreds of people lost their means of livelihood, and at least 375 families were forced on the run. Jemal’s home was ransacked and his businesses were burned down. He had nothing left.

The attackers hoped that this financial ruin would shame the Christian men into giving up their faith. “They believed that, after our property was destroyed, Christians would convert to Islam,” says Jemal. “They did not want Christians to remain in the town. Their goal was to eliminate Christianity.”

But they didn’t reckon on Jemal’s faith.

Overwhelmed

Jemal knew he wouldn’t turn back from following Jesus – but, displaced and distraught, he was extremely anxious about the future for his family. His mind was racing with questions. “What work can we do in the future? Where can we live? How can I feed my children?”

He and his family were taken in at a church compound in a nearby town, alongside almost 30 other families. It was a safer environment, but the physical conditions were hard – he had to sleep on the floor in a small, bare room with 12 other men for two months, and his daughter had a newborn. Seeing his family in these conditions deeply impact him, and he knew it couldn’t be a long-term solution. It didn’t answer the questions he couldn’t keep from his mind. “It was a tough moment for me,” he says. “I was overwhelmed and paralysed. It deeply affected us psychologically; we were very afraid and anxious.”

One of the things that hurt most was that the attackers were men Jemal had known for years. “We were born and raised in the same village,” he says with great sorrow. “We were family; we had shared meals and lived together. It truly made us feel heartbroken.”

How violence affects men

This brutal incident isn’t unique to Jemal’s village. “The violence in East Africa is increasing,” says Fikiru*, an Open Doors research expert for the area. “Christianity is growing fast in our region, and these adversaries feel that they are losing ground. So they want to stop Christianity by persecuting.” It’s why Open Doors’ Arise Africa campaign is so vital, to respond to this crisis.

Persecution impacts men and women in different ways, Fikiru explains: “Men know that whenever there is a persecution incident, they will be the first target. The attackers know that, if they attack men, they will deny the family the breadwinner. And they will make an impact on the leadership, as well as the fellowship, of the church.”

He adds: “When I meet some of these persecuted believers, they are really emotionally impacted. If they are not able to defend their family, they feel as if they’re disappointing their friends, their colleagues.”

Forgotten by the world?

Last year, Pastor Barnabas made a memorable clarion call that ‘nobody is talking about this’. Fikiru hears the same, time and again. “The world does not pay enough attention to East Africa. It seems the persecution of Christians is forgotten,” he says. “When we speak to them, they always say to us that the most painful situation is not the persecution incident itself. Rather, it’s the misunderstanding they face from the church.

“I met a pastor recently. He asked, ‘Are we still in the hearts of minds of believers around the world, praying for us?’”

Supporting Jemal

With the gifts and prayers of Open Doors supporters, local partners in Ethiopia are able to show believers like Jemal that they have not been forgotten. When Open Doors partners heard about the violent attack on his community, they rushed to respond.

“Praise God, we didn’t die from hunger and thirst,” Jemal says. “The ministry responded promptly from the outset of the tribulation by providing food supplies.”

But it’s clear from Jemal’s experience that immediate aid – though vital – is not enough. Traumatised believers need spiritual and practical support for the long-term. When they saw the psychological toll the attack had on Jemal, local partners also invited him to receive Open Doors trauma care. It’s helped him begin healing: “It has greatly benefited me,” he says. “I had completely given up. But God can restore what is lost.”

“I really love this ministry”

Jemal also received new machinery and materials to restart his woodworking and steel manufacturing businesses. “We did not have any other means of surviving if the ministry had not bought us that equipment,” he says. “This ministry helped us to stand on our feet. You helped us feed our children. I really love this ministry and I wish to express my profound gratitude. May God bless you all!”

Knowing that people are praying for him around the world is a source of great joy and encouragement. “It makes you happy,” he says. “You say, ‘Oh, I have people of my own! We have family through Christ. We are of the same Father.’”

Stop the violence. Start the healing.

Despite the horrific persecution Jemal has experienced, he now has hope for the future. “Our God is the God of hope. He is a God who can do everything. Because of that, I am joyful,” he says. “Through all of this, my faith has grown stronger.”

Jemal needs long-term support and he knows there are millions of Christians in Ethiopia and the region who are clinging to Jesus in the face of persecution – and who also, desperately, need our help. The Arise Africa campaign aims to stop the violence and start the healing for these vulnerable believers.

“Let your aid stand by these people,” Jemal implores. “It takes a day for them to be hungry or thirsty. One Christian can be medicine for another Christian.”

Violent attacks in sub-Saharan Africa are increasing, leaving more and more of our brothers and sisters needing our support. Please don’t look away while the church is burning. Your gift and prayers today can help hope arise from the ashes.

* names changed for safety reasons

Source: Open Doors

Photo: pxhere

Serving the Hidden Church in Somalia

2025-08-20T13:53:53Z

In one of the world’s most hostile environments for Christians, International Christian Concern (ICC) is quietly and carefully meeting with Christians in the shadows.

In a nation where being known as a Christian can lead to forced displacement, imprisonment, and death, ICC works to equip underground believers, shelter persecuted families, and enable secret evangelism. This work helps advance the gospel, encourages isolated believers, and saves lives.

Living Faith in Secrecy

Christians in Somalia live in constant fear for their lives. During our visit to Somalia in 2024, we met with believers in the capital city of Mogadishu who must practice their faith in absolute secrecy.

ICC field directors met with members of Somalia’s underground church, who confirmed the existence of more than 1,500 hidden believers, many of whom are converts from Islam. Conversion is viewed as an act of betrayal by both militant groups and local communities, forcing believers to abandon their homes, families, and identities.

Safe Houses for the Persecuted

To meet the growing need for secure refuge, ICC has established a network of safe houses within Somalia. These homes are operated by trusted underground church leaders who have themselves survived threats and attacks. Monthly rent support enables these safe houses to continue functioning without financial strain, allowing persecuted converts a place to heal, hide, and grow in their faith.

One such safe house has so far sheltered more than 20 believers. These are people who have been forced to flee their villages or families due to their newfound faith in Christ. Through ICC’s funding, trusted Somali leaders now provide food, shelter, and spiritual care to these converts — all while keeping their operations hidden from hostile forces.

Missionary Work in Hostile Territory

In the northern region of Somalia, a female missionary supported by ICC is quietly leading a one-woman outreach through her work as a nurse.

While serving in local hospitals, she uses her medical skills as a bridge to reach women and children with the hope of the gospel. Her presence has led to secret conversions and the formation of underground believer networks in previously unreached areas.

Despite language barriers, a lack of funding, and constant threats, she has continued her mission for more than two years. ICC provides basic monthly support to cover food, rent, and transportation. Her story remains unpublished to protect her identity and the identities of those she helps.

Emergency Relief for Survivors

In 2023, a Somali believer and underground church leader was targeted by militants. His farm was burned down by al-Shabab operatives in a targeted attack due to his faith.

Forced to flee with his family, they survived a harrowing week-long escape to Mogadishu. With no food or shelter, ICC intervened to provide $4,000 in emergency aid, which covered rent, food, clothing, and relocation to a secure place. Today, that believer continues to serve the underground church discreetly from the safety of his new home.

Supporting Christian Families in Exile

Even beyond Somalia’s borders, ICC actively supports Somali Christian families. In Mombasa, Kenya, ICC recently covered school fees for children of Somali believers facing discrimination and economic hardship due to their faith. These families, who had lost hope of continuing their education, were able to return to school and stabilize their futures.

“We rarely get someone who understands our plight as underground Christians, but you have shown that you care and love the body of Christ in all circumstances,” one parent shared.

A Quiet, Lasting Influence

Every project ICC undertakes in Somalia is marked “Confidential — Do Not Publish,” and for good reason. Publishing names or locations could lead to imprisonment or even execution for beneficiaries. That’s why stories are told anonymously, and project reports omit any identifying information.

But even in silence, the effects are undeniable. Through safe houses, missionary support, emergency relief, and educational assistance, ICC is empowering Somali Christians to live out their faith — no matter the cost.

In a land where churches cannot be built and believers cannot speak freely, ICC ensures that the light of Christ is not extinguished. Please pray for hidden believers in Somalia — that God would protect their lives, strengthen their faith, and continue building his church in the shadows.

Source and photo: International Christian Concern

Christians in Bangladesh forced into hiding in wave of violence

2025-08-14T13:40:50Z

In the year since the fall of the government, Christians in Bangladesh have lived in the shadow of violence and fear.

It has been a year since Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country following widespread protests. But for Christians and other minorities in the country, the resulting power vacuum has led to violence and fear.

The nationwide wave of violence which followed the Prime Minister’s departure saw targeted attacks on Christians with Open Doors sources recording over 100 families pressured to renounce their faith.

Amin* survived the attacks which started on 5 August 2024. “At around 5:30pm, a group of extremists destroyed and looted my decorations shop,” he said. “They also threatened to kill me. I got to know that the reason for this destruction was because I’m a follower of Jesus Christ.”

Partners on the ground also reported 36 verified cases of direct attacks on Christians and their properties. Since then, many Christians have been forced into hiding for fear of their lives as opponents have ramped up the rhetoric agains them.

“Some Muslim leaders are portraying Christians as enemies and promoting the idea of establishing a 100% Islamic state,” says Rajon*, an Open Doors partner in Bangladesh.

“This agenda includes converting Christians back to Islam and targeting church leaders and families to instil fear and pressure them to renounce their faith.

“Some Muslims intentionally spread falsehoods about Christianity, leading to a distorted perception of the religion and fostering animosity towards its followers.”

Instability and injustice

These months of instability and uncertainty have provided fertile ground for the growth of extremist groups. In such a volatile atmosphere, religious minorities, including Christians, Hindus and Buddhists become even more vulnerable than usual.

Radical Islamist groups, including Hefazat-e-Islam and Hizb ut-Tahrir, have expanded their influence. There have been widespread reports of mob violence, forced conversions, vandalism of places of worship and some groups are calling for stricter blasphemy laws with harsh penalties.

Converts from Islam and tribal people – particularly from the Christian Bawm ethnic group – in rural areas of Northern and Western Bangladesh are among the most severely affected. And when attacks do happen, Open Doors partners say those responsible have not been arrested.

“The lack of justice and accountability for perpetrators of persecution further exacerbates the situation,” says Rajon.

Uncertain future

Elections scheduled between December 2025 and June 2026 have the potential to significantly affect Christians.

Rajon adds: “If Islamic religious-based political parties assume power, it is thought that the situation is likely to deteriorate. If liberal political parties take the reins, there is a possibility of improvement, although nothing is certain.”

Bangladesh is ranked at number 24 on Open Doors World Watch List, the annual ranking of the 50 countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution. Although Islam is the state religion, the country’s constitution guarantees equal rights and freedom of religion for Hindus, Christians, Buddhists, and others. But some pressure groups are arguing for a rewording, and Christians fear that will mean even less religious freedom.

Please pray for our brothers and sisters, and for all who are vulnerable.

* Names changed for security purposes

43 Christians in Iran arrested in latest crackdown

2025-08-04T17:46:27Z

Please pray for our Iranian family as they face yet another crackdown on their activities in the wake of the country’s ceasefire with Israel.

Christians in Iran are facing a renewed wave of persecution, with 43 believers arrested across 21 cities since 25 June, when the ceasefire with Israel came into effect.

Although the exact charges facing those arrested in places including Tehran, Rasht, Orumiyeh, Kermanshah and Varamin have not been made public, some of the cases involve possession of Bibles. Others are connected to a newly proposed law that threatens severe punishments for alleged collaboration with so-called ‘hostile states’, such as the United States or Israel.

Such laws are often used against Christian converts, who are frequently branded ‘Zionists’ or accused of belonging to ‘deviant sects’, rather than being recognised as legitimate believers.

In past court documents, judges have openly claimed that evangelical Christianity undermines Islamic values, disrupts the family structure and aligns with Western enemies. This mindset continues to justify increasing persecution against believers in the country, which is ninth on the World Watch List.

Recently, UN human rights experts raised alarm about the Iranian government’s treatment of minorities, warning that post-conflict periods should not be used as a cover to suppress dissent. They highlighted disturbing reports of state media labelling entire communities, including Christians, as ‘traitors’, even using language like ‘filthy rats’ to dehumanise them.

Deprivation and despair

After the recent airstrike on Tehran’s Evin Prison, prisoners’ conditions have worsened dramatically. At least 11 Christians held in Evin were transferred to other prisons, but some have not been accounted for. The fate of these individuals remains unknown, raising serious concerns about enforced disappearances.

Among those suffering is 43-year-old Christian convert Aida Najaflou. In a recent voice recording, she described the horrific transfer of over 60 female prisoners to Qarchak Prison, where they are now deprived of clean water, proper food or hygienic facilities. “We are suffering… entangled and helpless,” she said.

Aida is facing multiple charges, including ‘propaganda against the Islamic Republic’ and ‘collusion’, simply for praying, performing baptisms and sharing Christian content online. Even the Bible has been cited in her indictment as a ‘prohibited book’. Some of her charges are linked to supporting the ‘Women, Life, Freedom’ movement and criticising political figures on social media.

Despite international scrutiny, Iranian authorities continue to use repression and fear to silence religious minorities and restrict freedom of belief. The recent wave of arrests is yet another reminder of the cost many believers pay for their faith.

Source and photo: Open Doors

Aida Najaflou is amongst at least 11 Christians transferred from Evin Prison after it was hit by an airstrike

Pakistani Teens Acquitted of Blasphemy Charges

2025-07-24T13:15:46Z

On Tuesday, July 8, two Christian teens were exonerated after a minor dispute led to a false blasphemy charge, according to a report by Christian Daily International.

Adil Babar, 20, and Simon Nadeem, 16, were just teenagers when they were charged in 2023 under Section 295 of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws for blaspheming Muhammad. According to reports, the two had been engaged in playful banter outside their homes until a neighbor started beating them.

The neighbor accused the boys of calling a puppy “Muhammad Ali,” which is considered blasphemy in Pakistan and punishable by death. Witnesses say there was no puppy outside and that the neighbor was making claims of blasphemy to punish the boys. The trial for Babar and Nadeem lasted almost two years.

According to Justice Nasira Javaid Iqbal of People’s Commission for Minorities Rights (PCMR), “The blasphemy laws have been consistently misused to settle personal disputes, persecute minority groups, and incite mob violence and hatred.”

Blasphemy charges have become more common during the last few years, with 344 new cases in 2024. Since 1987, at least 2,793 Pakistanis have been accused of blasphemy, and at least 104 were killed extra-judicially following the accusations.

According to a report done by the Center for Social Justice, “The blatant weaponization of blasphemy laws continued to enable persecution, religious intolerance and widespread human rights violations …”

Pakistan is No. 8 on Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List, making it hard for Christians to live out their faith for fear of persecution. Blasphemy laws are just one way in which Pakistani Christians face persecution.

Source and photo: International Christian Concern

How Yasin in Iraq risks his life to share the gospel

2025-07-03T13:10:49Z

Yasin is an undercover believer in Iraq – he has to be very cautious about who he tells about his faith. But he is determined to keep defying threats to share the gospel.

When Yasin* first took a Bible home, he covered the title in tape. He had to go undercover. He knew how dangerous it was for an Iraqi Muslim to own a Bible. How dangerous it would be if his secret were revealed.

But he was soon to take an even riskier step: deciding to become a Christian.

Peace from Jesus

The first time Yasin read the Bible, he wept. “The first thing I read in this Bible in my own language was Matthew 5, the Sermon on the Mount,” he remembers. “I cried because of the beautiful words in it. The words of Jesus gave me peace in my heart.”

It was a peace he’d been lacking for a long time. Though Yasin was brought up in a Muslim home, he wasn’t content in his faith. “Until I became an adult, I followed Islamic law and went to the mosque, but I was not comfortable with it,” he says. “I went to the mosque and did all my religious duties, but I was doing it for my friends’ sake. It wasn’t because I believed in it. I did not have much faith in Islam. It was a habit – but not true worship.”

He had lots of things he wanted to ask. “I argued with God a lot,” Yasin remembers. “I said, ‘God if you exist, I don’t want to sin; I want to live with you. I am asking you to show yourself to me.’” But no response came to Yasin’s desperate questions.

He stopped going to the mosque as regularly, fending off enquiries from friends with the excuse that work was too busy. He kept praying for answers. And eventually an answer came from an unexpected source: a dream.

A miraculous dream

“I was sleeping, and I saw someone coming towards me,” says Yasin. “I cannot describe how beautiful He was. His hair was long, he wore a scarf on his head. He was so beautiful, I could not stop looking at Him. He put his hand on my head and said, ‘You are my beloved child; this is the way, follow me.’”

A Muslim friend told him the dream was from the devil, and not to think about it any more – but Yasin couldn’t believe the devil was responsible. He decided to ask a Christian friend in the village. The friend told him: “This is God showing Himself to you.”

Yasin was taken to a local pastor, who was a convert from Islam. That was when Yasin read the Bible for the first time – and had a transformative encounter with the words of Jesus. After asking more questions and going to a conference organised by Open Doors local partners, Yasin made the life-changing decision to follow Christ.

Yasin’s transformation

Yasin read the Bible in secret and it was safer to keep his new faith undercover. At first, Yasin didn’t reveal the truth to his wife, Nara*, about his conversion to Christianity. After five months, he shared his secret – and Nara was horrified. “How could you bring such a book into our house?” she asked, when she saw his Bible. She urged him to return to Islam, but he had a question for her: “What do you prefer – the violent man I was before, or the servant I’ve become because of my new faith?” In the months since Yasin found Jesus, he had transformed. “Before, I was really violent towards my family,” he says. “But Jesus says we should be servants. I started serving my family.”

Nara and their children had seen this enormous change in Yasin, and they decided not to interfere when he read the Bible. That wasn’t true with everyone, though. Increasingly, Yasin couldn’t keep his extraordinary discovery to himself. He had to reveal the good news to people he thought would be receptive. It proved to be a risky decision.

Violence and death threats

“Most people from my village still did not know about me being a Christian. But the people I evangelised, they knew,” Yasin says. “One day, my brother came to visit me. The mullah [Islamic leader] told him I was distributing Bibles and that he should try to stop me.”

Yasin’s brother violently attacked him – more than once. “He tried to kill me several times,” says Yasin. “One time, he broke my nose.”

Other people in the community started persecuting him too. “I received a threatening letter,” he says. “In short, it said, ‘If you don’t leave Christianity, we will kill you.’” This threat almost came true when somebody threw a firebomb at his house – thankfully, the house didn’t burn down. Through all this persecution, Yasin’s faith remained strong. He was paying a huge price for his faith, and his determination to share it with others, but he was sure the price was worth it.

Family finds faith

Over time, and much prayer, Yasin’s wife and children also chose to follow Jesus. “My daughter is a master’s student and now evangelises to people and is also preaching the gospel, like me and my son,” Yasin says proudly. “God has blessed our family.”

Yasin is delighted that his family share his faith – but their decision, like his, hasn’t come without a cost. His son and daughter are both unmarried, as the family are considered ‘infidels’ when people learn of their new faith. “Many times I have cried for my children; the persecution really affects them,” he says. “But thank God my children are both content. I believe that whoever endures trials faithfully will have a great place in God’s Kingdom.”

Conversion has also affected the family financially. Yasin had to close his shop, as people refused to buy from an ‘infidel’. Nobody will employ him in a steady job, because of his faith; Yasin now does occasional work as a shepherd, taking care of other people’s sheep for a daily wage.

Converts like Yasin are always balancing the dangers that come when their faith is known with the desire to share the gospel. “The persecution is continuous,” he says, “but there is no other way; I want to give everything to God. Jesus offered Himself for me. He was insulted, He died on the cross. He did this all to redeem me. I will not deny or leave Him.” He pauses for a moment and adds: “Of course, it was and is very difficult. I feel like a sheep among wolves, because people don’t treat us well.”

God’s mission

The help of other Christians has been crucial in Yasin’s journey. “They are very supporting, loving and respectful,” he says. Yasin is able to participate in seminars and conferences run by Open Doors partners through his local church, which have helped develop his faith and equip his evangelism. Despite the risks from his brother and from others in the village, Yasin knows God has called him to stay in the community and tell people the secret of new life.

“I tried many times to leave the village, but God put it in my heart to remain here,” he says. “I know God wants to use me here. I know that God has a mission for me, to bring the good news to my village.”

Yasin has seen fruit from his evangelism – even from those who have persecuted him. “Two people from my village recently became believers and now go with me to church,” he says. “These two insulted me before.”

Stand with Yasin

Yasin stands in a long line of believers who take extraordinary risks because they know the worth of the gospel. This courageous faith is a hallmark of Open Doors’ history, ever since Brother Andrew started smuggling Bibles into Communist Eastern Europe in 1955. Seventy years later, Bibles are still transforming the lives of people like Yasin, and those he ministers to, in places where God’s Word is dangerous to pass on.

Today, you can stand with undercover believers like Yasin. You can help precious Bibles get to those who must urgently need them, and help deliver the kind of training that equips Christians like Yasin to keep spreading the Word in risky regions.

And you can stand with him in prayer. Yasin knows what a difference it makes: “I ask you to pray for me, because I believe in the power of prayer,” he says. “I ask you to pray that God gives me strength to evangelise to as many people as possible.”

Today, will you help Christians like Yasin reveal hope?

Source and photo: Open Doors