Lily and I had been friends for several months and I looked for ways to spend time with her. Christmas was approaching and as I wanted to bake cookies for our family and friends, I invited Lily over with the promise of lots of cookies as payment for her help. She readily accepted.

In one of the most-listened-to episodes of VOM Radio in 2016, Australian John Short shares the story of his detention in North Korea.

Months ago, I had a conflict with a friend at church. There were several conversations and many tears as we tried to work it out. Finally, it boiled down to different values and parenting philosophies. For my friend, one of her foundational values is safety. She sees her main role as a parent to protect her children from harm.

“Pastor Tim” leads a church in Malatya, Turkey—a church which almost ten years ago saw three of its members martyred for their faith in Christ. This week we’ll hear how that loss affected the church and how God has moved in Malatya in exciting ways in the past 10 years.

What’s it like to hear from your pastor husband, who has spent nearly a year in prison? Pastor Yang Hua was abducted by Chinese police Dec. 9, 2015 and accused of “divulging state secrets”. Yang has not yet gone to trial, but his words to his wife reveal both a glimpse into a man concerned for his wife and a man whose confident hope rests in the Lord.

Quoted from Live Dead Joy: 365 Days of Living and Dying With Jesus by Dick Brogden

Dr. Sasan and Dr. Mehrdad are providing theological training for church leaders in Iran through PARS Theological Centre. It is a challenge even to connect with students in a closed Muslim nation, let alone train them up to lead churches and withstand persecution.

Psalm 105:1-6

It took a horrific attack on her church for Emily to realize that her understanding of God was wrong. Three years ago, her bishop asked her to move to a new church plant near Mombasa, Kenya. The Joy in Jesus Church in Likoni was struggling, and the bishop thought Emily could help. Over the next several months, the church grew to 60 people.