I just arrived here in Bartlesville at my hotel and guess what happened already, I met some bible smugglers! Here I was going out into the hall to get some ice in my room ice bucket and I saw this couple and we started chatting about the VOM conference and lo and behold I find I'm speaking to bible smugglers.

A Colombian sister is here to share the ministry of brave saints in her country. Her pictures are difficult to see; the body of a man killed for allowing a house church to meet in his house; a bicycle blown apart when a Christian was riding it. It is hard to fathom the level of violence in this country, a country in the same hemisphere as the United States. In 2005 a bomb was placed in front of the church that her husband pastors. Part of the church, and a part of their home, was destroyed. But though they were covered with glass and debris by the explosion, the Lord protected them.

"The Holy Spirit is moving in Iran!"

Our first international speaker, from Iran, shared how a new law there makes the death penalty mandatory for conversion from Islam to another faith; yet the church marches on. Brave Christians are giving away copies of the JESUS Film and other Christian materials, and Muslims are hungry to hear the Good News of Jesus.

One of the highlights of VOM National Conference is the times we worship together. We join from many places; we come from different denominations and church backgrounds. We speak different languages, and our skin tones come from different parts of the Creator's palette. But we gather as family; we may look different, but we are truly brothers and sisters. And we have come to remember the parts of our family suffering for His name.

This evening on the campus of Oklahoma Wesleyan University the VOM National Mission Conference kicks off. Christians from around the U.S. and speakers from around the world will gather to hear stories of how God is at work in restricted nations.

– Forum 18 News

VOM Sources

Two weeks ago, I spent the day making trails from office to office, meeting new, cheerful faces that welcomed me with smiles and warm greetings to my six-week internship at The Voice of the Martyrs. At the end of the day, I had a flurry of names flying around in my head. I wasn’t for sure who was who or whose office was whose.

Fritz felt each crashing blow to his head and prayed for strength. The Muslim attackers surrounded him and took turns beating him in the face. One of the Muslim attackers brandished a large knife thinking this would rid them of the Christian pastor. The first time the blade went into Fritz, all he could do was yell, “Jesus!” He was stabbed repeatedly. And each time, he yelled, “Jesus!” The attackers grew frustrated at the pastor who just wouldn’t die!