LOS ANGELES, June 29 (Compass Direct News) – Funeral services will be held tomorrow for a U.S. teacher in Mauritania who was shot dead last week by Islamic extremists for spreading Christianity. Christopher Leggett, 39, was killed Tuesday (June 23) morning in front of the language and computer school he operated in Nouakchott, the capital city. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, North African unit of the al-Qaeda terrorist network, claimed responsibility for the murder on an Internet site, accusing Leggett of “missionary activities.” A North African al-Qaeda spokesman aired a statement on an Arab TV station saying the group killed Leggett because he was allegedly trying to convert Muslims to Christianity. His family issued a statement today saying they forgave the murderers but asked that they be caught and prosecuted. “In a spirit of love, we express our forgiveness for those who took away the life of our remarkable son,” they said in the statement, distributed in English, French and Arabic. “On a spiritual level, we forgive those responsible, asking only that justice be applied against those who killed our son.” READ MORE

NAIROBI, Kenya, June 30 (Compass Direct News) – Two church buildings were razed Sunday night (June 28) on the island of Zanzibar after worship services. Suspected radical Muslims set the church buildings on fire on the outskirts of Unguja Township, on the Tanzanian island off the coast of East Africa, in what church leaders called the latest incidents of a rising tide of religious intolerance. With Christian movements making inroads in the Muslim-dominated area, the Evangelical Assemblies of God in Tanzania (EAGT) church and a Pentecostal Evangelical Fellowship in Africa church building a few miles away were burned down as a fierce warning, church leaders said. “We don’t want churches on our street,” read a flier dropped at the door of Charles Odilo, who had donated the plot on which the EAGT building stood. “Today we are going to burn the church, and if you continue we are going to burn your house also.” READ MORE

On June 14, a pastor and his family were brutally attacked when Hindu extremists barged into their church during a prayer meeting, accusing them of forcible conversions, according to The Voice of the Martyrs contacts.At 11 a.m. more than 40 Hindu extremists belonging to the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak and Bajrang Dal fundamentalist groups, barged into Beersheba Church and asked for Pastor Kulpeep Daniel. When the Pastor told them who he was, the extremists immediately started beating him. The extremists also assaulted Pastor Daniel’s wife, brother and his two-and-a-half and one-year-old children. The attackers also destroyed the family’s property in the parsonage, musical instruments and other equipment in the church. The pastor and his wife suffered internal injuries. Pastor Daniel has filed a police report.The Voice of the Martyrs actively supports persecuted believers like Pastor Daniel. VOM provides legal assistance to pastors and Christians who are arrested and falsely accused by Hindu extremists.VOM encourages you to pray for this family. Ask God to protect and encourage them, especially the young children. Ask God to heal their injuries and bless them.

How often do you share your faith in Christ? This is a question that I think about often, especially being in Christian ministry. Well, today I read this fascinating story over at the Kids of Courage website and it really convicted me, so I figured, why should I be alone in my conviction, so I'm sharing it with YOU!

This week Todd, mark and Mary Sue talk about Laos, China and Belarus. Also, Todd speaks to a VOM worker who oversees work in Iran.

I love testimonies don't you? Well, last year when I had the opportunity to go to Oklahoma for the Persecution Conference, it was one of the most memorable experiences I've had. So when I saw this blog entry today from a friend who attended a recent VOM Conference in Ft. Lauderdale, all I could do is smile and tell you about it.