I'm not sure about you, but I know that I sometimes have a tendency to forget my New Year's resolutions a few weeks after I make them. You may recall that I challenged all of us to make this year a great year in service to our persecuted family in Christ. Yet, here it is February and my question is...have you :)?

Christians in Iran are showing resilience amidst escalating persecution by the government. The underground-church movement is growing and the church is expanding.

On Friday, January 19, 2007, Shahbaz Kaka, was released from prison after serving six years of a life sentence. According to a statement issued by justice Ejah Ahmad Chaudry (High Court Lahore) Shahbaz will spend a month under medical care and then return home.

As you all know Glenn Penner of The Voice of the Martyrs Canada was recently in the hospital and is now resting back at home. Glenn has written a brief post about his current experience and also asks us all to continue our prayers for him. And I'd like to thank those of you have been praying and continue to pray for Glenn. We need to remember to pray for his wife Denita also, as she has been carrying a heavy load. Glenn writes in part the following...

I wanted to update all of you on Glenn Penner's health. Today I found out that Glenn is doing well enough to leave the hospital and go home! Yeah...our God is an AWESOME God!

Earlier this week I told you about VOM Canada's Glenn Penner who is very ill and also has cancer. Well, today his partner at VOM Canada, Adele, wrote the following on their persecution blog.

On behalf of my friend Glenn Penner who works with The Voice of the Martyrs Canada, I want to ask you all to put Glenn on your prayer lists and to pray for him and his family daily. Right now Glenn is in the hospital recovering from a transplant. In case you don't know, Glenn has cancer and has been an inspiration to many of us who follow his work.

Here it is the end of 2006 and I'm not sure about you, but it feels like this year just started a few weeks ago. Maybe it's because I'm getting close to 40 and the years are flying on by! :) Or maybe it's just that I feel sentimental near the end of the year. Whatever the case, I'm amazed by all that has taken place this year regarding our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ.

With 2007 coming up quick on us in a few days I thought that I would highlight for you a great program that you may want to make part of your 2007. Why not become a volunteer with The Voice of the Martyrs next year?

Are you a doer of the Word and not only a hearer? Well, I try my best to be and one of the coolest things we can do is also get our children involved. Which is why I'm thrilled to let you know how VOM's Kids of Courage program was used this year.