This week the United Nations released a comprehensive report of human rights abuses inside North Korea, including evidence and first-hand testimony collected from hundreds of North Korean defectors.

VOM's Todd Nettleton was interviewed last week by Mission Network News for a story about Christian persecution hearings held in Washington DC and especially about the currently-vacant post within the U.S. State Department of "Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom."

Today is Valentine's Day, a day Americans focus on love and romance. But most of those celebrating don't know that the man for whom this day is named was a Christian persecuted because of his Christian actions.

It was the book that shocked the nation. After surviving 14 years in communist prisons, Pastor Richard Wurmbrand came to America to proclaim the trials and testimonies of our persecuted brothers and sisters.

World Magazine published an online story this week about the blasphemy law—Law 295—in Pakistan and how it affects Christians and other minority groups in that nation.

"The communist government has not been able to control or contain the church of Jesus Christ."

A young girl in Laos named “Alani” was extremely sick from a pain in her stomach, to the point that she couldn’t even eat. Her parents first took her to the hospital where they spent a large sum of money running tests, but the doctors couldn’t find anything wrong with her.

VOM’s Kids of Courage resources help parents and educators teach children ages 5 to 13 about persecuted Christians around the world, and provide opportunities for children to serve and pray for them. From time to time, VOM workers share their thoughts with readers at www.kidsofcourage.com. Read responses from a recent interview with two VOM workers below. (Comments are edited and paraphrased for clarity and reading level.)

ROMANIA: PASTOR FLORESCU

Last November VOM launched www.iCommitToPray.com, a web site designed to be an online prayer meeting for the persecuted church.