Recently one of my coworkers was in the Middle East to attend a conference for Syrian Christians. These conferences, which VOM sponsors, are designed to encourage and train Syrian Church leaders, who have been ministering in the midst of war for the past three years, in addition to the heavy persecution they face as gospel workers in a Muslim nation.

In my role as VOM’s media spokesperson, I’ve developed working relationships with many members of the media, particularly Christian media staffers who regularly share stories about our persecuted family. We often share information and stories back and forth, and bounce ideas off of each other.

Last week VOM's Todd Nettleton was interviewed by Mission Network News about the upheaval that is currently rocking Libya, and what it might mean for Christians there. Here is the resulting story:

The eyes of the world’s media turned last month to the northern plains of Iraq, and to the city where Jonah first delivered Jehovah’s message thousands of years ago. Today the story isn’t of a messenger of Jehovah going into Nineveh (now called Mosul), but thousands of Jehovah’s followers being forced out of the city. The alternatives given to Christians by IS (Islamic State) if they don’t leave Mosul are subjugation to Islam or being forced to follow a different god—Allah. Or they will be killed.

Recently Pastor Eric Foley, President of Seoul-USA and a key coordinator for VOM’s work to support the church in North Korea, recommended a couple of books to help me better understand life in North Korea. I finished the first book this week, and was blown away by the story of a top-level North Korean who lost faith in the Kim family and chose to flee his nation.

Two weeks ago today, our sister Asia Bibi was scheduled to finally have the appeal against her conviction for blasphemy and resulting death sentence heard by High Court in Lahore, Pakistan. The hearing didn’t happen. No reason for the delay was announced, and no new hearing date was set.

VOM’s Todd Nettleton was interviewed by a reporter from Mission Network News earlier this week for a story about persecution in Nigeria. Here is the resulting story:

Each week VOM staff members and those volunteering with the ministry gather for a time of worship and prayer. We pray for specific requests from our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world. We pray for VOM projects to assist these brothers and sisters. And we pray for the requests of VOM readers from around the US who ask us to pray for specific needs in their lives.

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.