This year's International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP) will be November 3. VOM has created a special video to be shown in churches that Sunday to remind American Christians of the importance of praying for our persecuted family. This year's video focuses on persecution in Nigeria.

VOM Newsletter readers will recognize the face of Umar Mulinde from VOM's June newsletter. He has been threatened and burned with acid, yet he continues to follow Christ. That newsletter article was co-written by Gary Lane of CBN news.

On Friday we brought you the interview with Semse Aydin, the widow of Necati Aydin, a Turkish martyr for Christ. Today we bring you the other half of that video, an interview with Wolfgang Haede, Semse and Necati's brother-in-law.

“The Church…as the bearer of the gospel…is at variance with…all human cultures without exception.” —Lesslie Newbigin

Several years ago Heather Mercer, former prisoner for Christ in Afghanistan, visited VOM's offices. Her visit happened during Ramadan, and we asked Heather specific ways that Christians should pray for Muslims during Ramadan.

The feature story in VOM’s June newsletter focuses on the rise of Islam in Africa, with stories of recent persecution from Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. Gary Lane contributed to that feature story, and also filed this video report to CBN News:

"Padina" was so depressed that she planned to end her life. Then she met Jesus.

The support of VOM readers provided 16 patients with prosthetic legs in January 2013. "I feel so happy!" said Esther, a woman who received one of the prosthetic legs.Attacks against Christians in Nigeria have increased over the past three years. As the number of victims has grown, VOM has responded with a one-of-a-kind medical clinic. This special prosthetics lab will greatly improve the lives of amputees. "Providing them with mobility will impact not only their own quality of life, but also that of their families," said a VOM medical worker.

Many readers will be familiar with the animated film, JESUS: He Lived Among Us which VOM produced as an evangelism tool for our partners and coworkers in restricted and hostile nations. The film was produced originally in English, and has since been translated into multiple other languages, with the first priority being languages spoken in restricted and hostile nations.