The Voice of the Martyrs has distributed Action Packs to persecuted Christians in countries like Iraq, Pakistan and Sudan for many years. These care packages, filled or sponsored by Christians in the United States, contain clothing, bedding, toiletries and other items of need. Now our front-line workers in and around Syria want to share these packs with Muslim, Syrian refugees as a demonstration of Christ’s love for them. They believe these packs will help open the door for the gospel. We are excited to come alongside these faithful Christians in this incredible outreach opportunity, and we invite you to help us equip these front-line workers. Through a network of workers in and around Syria, VOM hopes to distribute 10,000 Outreach Packs. You can join us in one of two ways:

In a statement at the United Nations last week, So Se Pyong, the North Korean ambassador to the UN in Geneva, identified his country’s main enemies: Christians.

A Laotian house church continues to grow and remain strong despite the death of its leader, “Than,” last year. Than established a church in the rural Laotian village in 2006, and the 10 families in the church experienced much persecution over the years from village officials and neighbors.

Christians in India are fearful that the country's general elections, which begin this week, may lead to a rise in persecution of Christians and other religious minorities. About 815 million people are expected to cast ballots in the elections, which take place in several phases ending May 12. Results are expected to be announced May 16.

This week I received an email from a Christian contact in Turkey. He shared the news that, under authority of a new Turkish law, the five men who murdered three Christians in 2007 were being set free. Their court case has dragged on and on and on, and the new law says that if a court verdict is not reached within five years, the accused should be set free until the verdict is reached.

An agreement between the Philippine government and the Muslim insurgent group Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is intended to usher in long-awaited peace to the southern region of the Philippines, but it is what Christians living in this area have dreaded for years.

What’s it like to live under heavy-handed communist rule as a Christian? Colombian Christians in the Putumayo region of Colombia know. That’s because they, and all people in the region, are subject to a list of 46 written points published by the FARC, the armed revolutionaries who control some parts of Colombia. It’s called the “Manual for Coexistence for the Well-Functioning of the Communities.”

After serving ten months in Iran’s Evin prison for Christian activities, we rejoice that Mostafa Mohammad Bordbar was released on Nov. 3, 2013 and acquitted of all charges. We celebrate and

Late on Sept. 23, I received an unsettling text message from a friend in Kenya. He wrote: “The al-Shabaab have attacked at Nairobi’s Westgate Mall and they are killing innocent people. I request you to pray for Kenya and me.”

One of the frustrations of my work at VOM is the seeming indifference of the secular media to the suffering of our Christian brothers and sisters around the world. Yes, there are times when a story of persecution breaks through into our national conversation—Youcef Nadarkhani in Iran, or the attack on Dogo Nahawa in Nigeria—but for the most part Christian persecution is not a story we see on the evening news or read even in the fine-print sections of the newspaper.