"But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children's children" (Psalm 103:17).

When a Christian brother we'll call "Bilal" died last spring in a small Nepali city, it was important to his family that his body be buried. For Nepali Christians, burial is not only a way to dispose of a body but also an "Ebenezer" (1 Sam. 7:12), a permanent landmark of a person's faith and God's faithfulness. But in Nepal, where 75 percent of the people are Hindus, cremation is the expected ritual following a death.

Although it hasn't received a great deal of media coverage, late last month a Boko Haram commander spoke publicly about a cease-fire in the group's ongoing war with the Nigerian government.

From the minute I stepped into VOM's offices for a college internship, I felt welcomed and loved – and very much disturbed. While a warm lady greeted me and an office manager gave me a tour, I couldn't take my eyes off the pictures on the walls. A young boy whose limbs were burned. An Asian woman smiling brightly, her face disfigured beyond recognition. A man and his family standing outside what used to be their home. A lump caught in my throat. I shifted in my sandals. My life was about to be turned upside down.

I knew that I faced questioning, ill-treatment, possibly years of imprisonment and death, and I wondered if my faith was strong enough. I remembered then that in the Bible it is written 366 times—once for every day of the year—"Don't be afraid!": 366 times, not merely 365, to account for Leap Year. And this [the day of my arrest] was February 29—a coincidence which told me I need not fear!

If you've followed VOM for any length of time, you might have seen reports about a children's home in Nigeria. The Stephen Centre, run by a VOM partner, is home to more than 300 "Nigerian Special Children."

Different regions of the world have different histories and also different traditions about freedom, especially freedom of religion. Some areas of the world have never known freedom, or very little of it, so society’s disapproval of people who turn to Christ or witness for Christ is somewhat expected. The idea of “tolerance” is not in their thinking. In Western thought, however, the idea of tolerance is well known, and it sometimes evokes emotion in Christians who believe it indicates turning one’s back on biblical truth.

Nepali Pastor "David" wanted to better equip Sunday school teachers at his church, so late last year he invited three trainers from another country to teach a two-day training seminar. The trainers had no idea the spiritual battle they would encounter would also become a physical one. David hosted the three visiting trainers in his home. On the first night the trainers were there, a congregation member called saying he was sick. Immediately the pastor left to go and pray with the sick person. While he was gone, seven people—three carrying sharp knives—arrived, asking for the pastor who was "converting people" away from their religion. The leader of the group was a well-known local official, a former high-ranking officer in the Nepali army and a strong Hindu.

29 January 2013, Near the Mediterranean Sea

Terrorists seek to create terror—to fill people with fear. In the United States, we often hear about terrorism from the mouths of politicians or policemen "fighting against terrorism" or trying to prevent "terror attacks." Often terrorists create fear for a political purpose.