Persecution Blog

"Hearts were Changed..."

Volunteers sort VOM newsletters for mailing.

Each week numerous people come as volunteers to serve persecuted believers by serving at VOM. Some come for a few hours or a few days; some stay for a year as a long-term volunteer.

Recently young people from a church in Iowa took a missions trip to serve at VOM. One of the leaders of the group, Jo F., sent the following note after they had returned home, and we asked her permission to share it on the blog:

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!  What an experience!!!!!!!!!!!!! Our kids were so excited and pumped about the mission trip. They shared in church yesterday and wanted more time, so they are working up a presentation for the Sunday School hour next week. 

Would you again please thank all the staff at VOM? Hearts were changed and perceptions changed….God is so incredibly good. 

The kids were asking when we were going to come back next year and if we could stay longer…..the team will be discussing it…

Thank you for the speaker on Wednesday, the kids were blessed and I think it gave them a great insight to the on-site VOM activities.  Shawn was fabulous and was very patient with our group in answering our questions after the talk.  We are all praying for his trip to Nepal and for Justin who the kids worked with in the mail room and will also be leaving this week.

The accommodations were more than what we expected and very usable and comfortable. What a fringe benefit for serving; we were blessed.

Many of the kids’ highlight was the opportunity of the prayer walk. Several mornings the kids and adults took advantage of the pond and walkway to experience what God had for them. Many had eye-openingand life-changing moments.  It truly is amazing what God has for us if we just ask, and then allow Him to speak and we listen.   AGAIN, God is good.

Jo sent a follow-up note with a final comment:

I was just talking this morning with a parent of one of the kids who went. She said, “I don’t know what all happened, but my daughter has been changed.”  We know it is all God, but [VOM] provided the venue and we were blessed.

THANK YOU to Jo for sharing, and to all of the volunteers who come and serve alongside VOM’s staff. We are blessed by the thousands of hours volunteered each year, and these hours mean that more of the money donated to VOM can go directly to meet needs in hostile and restricted nations.

If you’d like to volunteer or bring a group to serve at VOM, you can learn how at www.VOMVolunteer.com, including filling out the online VOM Volunteer Application. Volunteer housing is available at the VOM ministry center, as well as camp-sites with RV hook-ups.

“Stops my pity party in its tracks”

Each day VOM receives letters from readers all over the United States. Some compliment VOM; others have questions or complaints. Many write requesting more information on how they can pray for and minister to persecuted Christians. For today's blog post we wanted to share part of a recent letter received from a reader named Millie, who wrote to share how the materials from VOM have affected her life and faith:

It's difficult to put into words how [The Voice of the Martyrs newsletter] has impacted me. First of all, it has given me profound gratitude for my freedom as a believer. I know the Lord has put me in the place I am (Acts 17:26) for this time of human history; why He allowed me to live where I may proclaim faith in Him freely and not in a place such as North Korea gives me unspeakable gratitude to Him. Before I started reading VOM's magazine I didn't realize the plight of believers in other nations. Like many Americans, I had a vague "idea," but no real knowledge. I have used your materials when I teach high school students at our church, praying that they will also have an appreciation for the blessing they have received by being Americans and to give them a heart for those who are being persecuted around the world. I have used some of the pictures and stories (if I can make them age appropriate) for my fours and fives in my Sunday School class. I believe that even at a young age they are capable of understanding there are those who love Jesus in other parts of the world who need encouragement and prayer.

Second, it has made me more vocal about my own faith. Believers around the world are risking death or unspeakable acts against them and their families for speaking of Christ, and yet I fear ridicule and rejection by certain people? I have become more bold as I am encouraged by the stories of those who have not just suffered persecution, but CONTINUE to risk persecution, all for the name of Jesus! I'm still not as bold as I would like, but pray the Lord will give me the strength to be bolder.

Third, it makes me stop and consider what I THINK is important in my life. So much of what I want is not a need or even a remote necessity. I think and pray more carefully as to how to use the resources with which God has blessed me. When I start to feel sorry for myself over something that may not be going according to MY plans, images from your publication will come into focus and of course I can hear the admonition of the Holy Spirit prompting me with, "Really, this upsets you? Are you suffering for My Name?" That usually stops my pity party in its tracks.

There is a small thing that has always impressed me and it doesn't have anything to do with the magazine. Whenever we have sent a donation, there is always a handwritten verse or verse reference on our donation [receipt] we receive back from VOM. It shows that someone personally took the time to put that particular verse on the page. It just gives me satisfaction to see this small human element inserted into a process that could be totally handled by technology.

It is a privilege to pray for VOM and those who are being persecuted. Do I pray faithfully every day? No, if I am honest, I don't, but I do pray often for you at headquarters and for different nations where persecution seems to be more severe. I especially pray that God will reward those being persecuted with new believers from the witness they bear to those around them.

In Jesus' Love,

Millie

YOUR TURN: How has reading VOM's newsletter affected your life and your walk with Christ? Share in a comment on this post, or email VOM.

Family Waits to See if Mother, Accused of Blasphemy, Will Be Hanged

CNN has done a wonderful piece on the situation with Asia Bibi. Please continue your prayers. Full story here.

Connie, What Are You Talking About?

I was just reading a blog post written by Glenn Penner from The Voice of the Martyrs Canada concerning some recent comments that Condoleezza Rice made at a conference called Organization of the Islamic Conference. 

Glenn explains what Condi said, "Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that the appointment will help to promote principles that Muslims and non-Muslims alike "hold dear," such as human rights and human dignity, social justice and equal opportunity, liberty and the rule of law. She told the OIC ambassadors, "These are not American values or Western values. They are universal values, values that are lived and practiced by the majority of Muslims in the world, many of whom are citizens of democracies."

If you read this blog frequently, then you can already tell what Glenn took issue with.  But I'd like you to visit his blog to read his final comments which are worth reading.

And I would like to add that aside from the immense Christian persecution from Muslims, what I find fascinating is the ecumenical shift that conferences like this are trying to promote.  After all we are all "universal" in our values.

What do you think about this?

Happy Thanksgiving

Hello Friends!

I hope that you all had a very nice Thanksgiving Day yesterday and I hope you all remembered to pray for those who are suffering hardship for their faith.

A "Peaceful" Comment from a Muslim?

A few weeks ago I shared that I often get comments on this blog that I do not approve.  Well, this week I received the following comment to my post about Christian persecution in Somalia.  I would love to hear your feedback about this comment from one of the participants of the well known "religion of peace".

somalia is for somali muslims and there is no way somali christian converts can in there
its our duty to murder or  kill them  Allaah willing there won't be christians in our country in few years time  christian mission on somalia seems to be "MISSION IMPOSSIBLE"

[email protected] - ali