A year ago, on March 1, 2015, my wife, our three children and I gathered in the cold evening air to take a few quick family selfies in front of our home in Kansas. We then locked the front door for the last time and crammed into the car with two dogs and a mass of things.

Australian John Short was taken prisoner in North Korea. He was interrogated for hours each morning and again each afternoon. He was forced to write a “confession” of his “crimes,” including the offense of wanting more North Koreans to follow Jesus. But if God asked him today, Short would happily go back.

Local officials dismantled a building used by a Hmong house church in rural Laos on August 2, 2015. One of the bold Christians in the village shot video of village officials as they removed the building’s roof.

“The peace agreements between the government and Colombia’s largest rebel group are just talk,” “Milena” told me emphatically.

I’m your average young American. I grew up in a house with four bedrooms and plenty of food to eat every day. I worked hard in high school to get into a good college, and my parents taught me to treat others with kindness and respect. I love going to the movies, coffee is an everyday necessity and I spend way too much time on my phone.

Cole Richards and Jason Peters served as executive editors for a new project from The Voice of the Martyrs: I Am N: Inspiring Stories of Christians Facing Islamic Extremists. This week on VOM Radio they share with us some of the powerful stories of these believers and their faithfulness, and the themes of their stories--Sacrifice, Courage, Joy, Perseverance, Forgiveness and Faithfulness--that inspire each of us in our own walk with Christ.

VOM's Dr. Jason Peters penned this article that was featured this week on Crosswalk.com:

“Lance” is a gospel worker in the nation of Turkey, a nation where 99.8% of the almost-80-million people are Muslims. This week on VOM Radio, Lance shares some of the challenges he faced in moving to a Muslim nation, building relationships and reaching out with the gospel.