Persecution Blog

You Can Be a Voice for Persecuted Believers

The Voice of the Martyrs' vision is to bring every believer in the United States into fellowship with our persecuted family. But we can't achieve this vision alone. We invite you to join in sharing stories of our persecuted brothers and sisters by becoming a VOM Voice.

The Be-A-Voice Network will now be known as Social Voice, one of four new tracks of volunteer groups. You may have noticed this name change on the Be-A-Voice website. We are now offering the following four options, which provide greater flexibility in choosing your level of involvement.

SOCIAL VOICE - If your time is limited, consider serving as a Social Voice. As a Social Voice, you can pray, write or use social media to share about your persecuted family with others in your sphere of influence.

CAMPUS VOICE - If you are a college student and you would like to tell others about persecution against Christians around the world, consider being a Campus Voice. As a Campus Voice, you will take a stand with persecuted Christians by being a voice for them on your college campus and challenging other students to get involved in helping them.

CHURCH VOICE - If you would like to keep your church informed about and involved with your persecuted family, consider being a Church Voice. As a Church Voice, you will provide materials and facilitate events for prayer or hands-on projects. VOM will provide you with the training you need to become an official representative of The Voice of the Martyrs in your home church.

COMMUNITY VOICE (formerly known as the Voice Volunteer Network) - As a Community Voice, you will speak on behalf of your persecuted family and have the opportunity to see lives changed through their powerful testimonies. VOM will provide you with the training you need to become an official speaker for The Voice of the Martyrs in your community.

Would you pray about whether or not God is calling you to serve our persecuted family by being a voice for them, and what level of involvement He is asking of you? For more information on these opportunities, visit www.vomvoice.com.

VOMRadio: "The Point is to Glorify God"

Martin and Gracia Burnham were serving as missionaries in the Philippines when they went away for a few days together to celebrate their anniversary. Those few days turned into a year in the jungle when they were kidnapped by radical Muslim terrorists. Listen to this exclusive VOMRadio interview as Gracia tells how she wrestled with God and even with her own faith during those dark days of captivity, and how she experienced the prayers of God’s people, even as Martin was killed during a rescue attempt. Gracia bears witness to God’s faithfulness to the Burnhams and their children. Her story challenges each of us to glorify God regardless of what trials we may be facing.

 

The Driver Who Became Our Brother

I’ve got some exciting news! I am literally on my way home from visiting some of our Christian family members in a very hostile nation, but I couldn’t wait to share! In the country I just left, just over one percent of the population is Christian, and it is a very difficult place to live.

One of the greatest joys of my life, beyond the joy of life with my wife and children, is to meet with sisters and brothers in these remote locations. It is a deep honor to share a greeting with them from their American family members, to offer them support and encouragement and to “refresh” them. Our presence alone refreshes them in incredible ways. It reminds me of Paul writing to Philemon, “For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother” (Philemon 7).

It is invigorating to spend time with these dear family members, and our swelling love for each other shows. This was my fifth time in this particular country, and I have been honored to develop enduring friendships with our staff there. We have also shared time together outside of their country several times. When we get together now, it is like a family reunion!

Jesus said that we would be known by our love for one another, and He works in astonishing ways through these interactions. This brings me to the wonderful news I want to share with you.

After spending a few days shuttling us around the country and watching us meet with persecuted Christians, our non-Christian driver, “Navotny” (not his real name) told one of our youngest staff members that he would like to know more about this Jesus.

Our staff member asked me if I could meet with Navotny to tell him more—of course I would!

The next morning, after breakfast, we spent about 30 minutes in a hotel room, where I carefully, and slowly, shared the story of Jesus and what distinguishes our faith from the religions of the world.

Navotny listened carefully, answered my questions and showed genuine interest. I asked him if he was interested in receiving the gift of Jesus’ forgiveness and the promise of peace with God—now and forevermore.

He thought about it carefully, and then said he wanted to think about it for a while. I assured Navotny that I would be available during the rest of the trip for any questions that he may have and we started our journey for the day

Meanwhile, I asked my family and colleagues to pray for wisdom and for the Holy Spirit to guide each of us.

A few days later, two days before we left the country, Navotny said he was ready. Yes, he wanted to place his trust in Christ alone! Early the next morning, I asked him a few more questions to make sure that he understood what he was asking, and then our team knelt with Navotny and prayed with him as he surrendered his life to God.

A few minutes later, we gathered with a small group of Christians and celebrated our new brother! Our national leader is already working to connect Navotny with a local pastor who will disciple this infant brother, and will share with his family. Please pray with us that God will lead Navotny to the ideal community of believers! Pray also that God will give each of us more opportunities to demonstrate His love to a watching world.

Dr. Jason Peters serves in VOM’s International Ministries department, traveling frequently to meet with our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world. Jason and Kimberly have been married for more than twenty years, and have five children who are actively engaged in standing with their persecuted family members.

The Shadows of Persecution

As I recently watched and listened to the news of the attack and subsequent slaying of those in the office of French magazine Charlie Hebdo, I found my thoughts immediately drawn to a comparable, yet very different story.  Both stories share the similarity of bloodshed at the hands of adherents to radical Islam. Each story is painfully tragic. I wondered if any of those slain in France had met their attackers before that fateful day. I thought of the life and deaths of Necati Aydin, Ugur Yuksel and Tilmann Geske, who were murdered in their office at Zirve Publishing in Malatya, Turkey on April 18, 2007.

Nacati and Semse Aydin

Those who were responsible for the murders of Necati, Ugur, and Tilman weren’t all strangers to these men or their families. To the contrary, one of the murderers had sought Necati out earlier, pretending to be interested in his Christian faith. As described in the book Faithful Until Death, written by Wolfgang Haede, Necati was suspicious of this young man from the beginning. He and his wife Semse discussed this, and concluded that in spite of the young man’s motives, a meeting would still offer an opportunity to share the message of Jesus with him. Later Semse would refer to those who were responsible for the murders of her husband, Ugur, and Tilman as “their Judas.”

Necati Aydin, Ugur Yuksel, and Tilmann Geske didn’t have their lives taken from them, they gave them away, not unlike the Jesus they’d hoped to introduce to the five men who betrayed and murdered them that morning. Instead they were ushered into the heaven where they’ve now joined those robed in white, as they await the full number of their fellow servants.

11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.- Revelations 6:11

Following the killings in France I wondered how this news would affect those who live boldly in the shadows of persecution. Women like Semse Aydin and Susanne Geske. Both of them  suffered great losses yet each found it in their  hearts to publically forgive those responsible for the deaths of those they love. Would the images and commentaries being shared on virtually every media outlet bring vivid memories to the forefront of their minds? Would pain that lay gently beneath the surface be visible to them once again? More importantly, I wondered if those who live in the shadows of persecution like Semse and Susanne know they are not forgotten? Do they know they are not alone, that we remember them and are praying for them? While it’s true that God is faithful to those with broken hearts, it is equally true that a broken heart hurts. I am convinced that those who’ve lost

Susanne Geske and Semse Aydin

their loved ones because of their faithful testimony are also those of whom the world is not worthy. When we remember, encourage, and pray for those who suffer for their Christian faith, let us not forget the living witnesses amongst us.

“It was not easy for me to say that I forgive the killers.” Semse said later at the memorial service. “To be honest, my heart is broken and my life feels shattered. I really loved Necati. He was the love of my life, my closest friend. But there is no one I love more than Jesus. Only because of this, I can bear it.” – Semse Aydin from Faithful Until Death.

Editor's note: Semse Aydin has spoken at several VOM Regional Conferences, and will be speaking at more this year. Watch www.VOMMeetings.com for regional conferences near you and those where Semse will speak.

Tami Yeager was first introduced to the ministry of VOM through a newsletter she was handed in 2003. As she began to read the stories shared within those pages she was confronted with a reality that did not fit into the package she had unknowingly wrapped her knowledge of God in. As she began to learn of the suffering of Christians around the world a desire grew to serve them. Today she serves as volunteer Community Coordinator in the Be A Voice ministry of VOM.

Kidnapped in Mindanao

It is hard for most of us to imagine how difficult life is for Christians in many parts of the world. Living as a minority in a hostile context is a daily struggle. Many times, our Christian family members are threatened or attacked because of their faith.

Other times, they are simply overlooked by the judicial system, healthcare providers and local tribal leaders. They are not afforded the same protections and avenues for justice that their neighbors experience.

I met with a brother recently in one of the southernmost Islands of the Philippines, Mindanao.  He is a pastor who is ministering in a predominately Muslim area. His church has been burned down by local hostile Muslims and he still fears for his life. He wears a medium-length, wispy goatee (much like an Imam) to avoid unwanted attention from the majority Muslim community. He and his wife do not have any children of their own, but they have reached out to many of the youth in their community.

He shared a provoking story with me about a time when he was kidnapped, along with 29 students that he was leading on a youth retreat. As the pastor and his students walked to the retreat location, they were captured by 25 Islamic rebels.

They were marched uphill into the jungle for three hours. The male students were forced to disrobe, while the female students were allowed to stay dressed. The rebels groped some of the female students, but when the pastor asked the commander to make his soldiers stop, they relented.

After the rebels took their clothes, they discovered that that many of the students had Bibles in their bags. When the commander realized they were carrying Bibles, he was scared to touch or desecrate the holy book. The rebels decided to let 28 students go, but kept one student, along with the pastor.

After a total of eight hours, the rebels released the pastor and the other student with nothing but their boxers. As they made their way down the mountain through the thick and thorny greenery, they met crying students who were hiding along the way. It was an incredibly traumatic experience for all of them.

As he clutched his Bible, I asked him to share any scriptures that were especially meaningful to him during this intense ordeal. Without pausing, he quoted, from memory, two verses: “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3) and “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you” (John 15:7).

As he related the story to me with tears in his eyes, he said that they were cut-up and humiliated, but grateful to God that they were released. And, in spite of the opposition, he continues to minister faithfully in this difficult place.

May God enable each one of us to stand strong for Him, wherever He leads us, knowing that He will be with us!

Dr. Jason Peters serves in VOM’s International Ministries department, traveling frequently to meet with our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world. Jason and Kimberly have been married for over twenty years, and have five children who are actively engaged in standing with their persecuted family members.

VOM Featured on In The Market With Janet Parshall

Last Thursday VOM's Todd Nettleton was a guest on In the Market with Janet Parshall, aired nationwide on the Moody Radio Network.

In the 30-minute interview with Parshall, Nettleton shared updates about the persecuted church, leading off with a discussion about the recent murder of a South African Christian serving as an aid worker in Afghanistan.

Please click here to listen to this interview (a new window will open; Nettleton's interview begins at about the 26:45 mark). We are thankful to Janet and to Moody Radio and all our media friends who help VOM share the stories of our persecuted family.

"Sincerely Spiritually Touched"

VOM held 40 regional conferences in 2014, in every corner of the United States. Speakers from many different restricted and hostile nations have shared their stories, as well as VOM workers sharing the stories of persecuted believers they have met and VOM projects that have assisted these believers.

We've received so many letters from those whose hearts were challenged and changed while attending a VOM conference. Letters like this one from a couple in Ohio:

This was our first VOM Conference...and we could not have been more pleased, impressed and sincerely spiritually touched. From the moment we walked in the door each and every person was as polite & caring as you can imagine. The Host Church did a fantastic job and the event was life-changing.
We look forward to next years schedule.  
Gods Blessings to all involved with such an event as this !

The final conference for 2014 will be held this Saturday in Jackson, Kentucky. (More info and free online registration is here.) Already conferences are being scheduled for 2015, where more encouraging stories will be told.

Make plans now to attend a conference in 2015. If you attend a large church (seating for 600+), consider talking with your pastor about your church hosting a VOM conference.

IDOP Radio Special

Many churches around the world honored our persecuted brothers and sisters yesterday on the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP). Did your church have a special emphasis during services or in some other way? If so, please share in the comments to this post how your church chose to "remember those in bonds..." (Hebrews 13:3) on this important Sunday.

(If your church did not pray for persecuted believers, you still can pick another Sunday to honor our brothers and sisters later this month. Resources for your church or family are available at www.Persecution.com/IDOP.) 

Each year our friends at Mission Network News prepare a special radio broadcast in honor of IDOP. This year, VOM's Todd Nettleton is the featured speaker on the broadcast. You can listen by clicking play below.

 

Your Turn: Share in comments to this post how your church chose to honor persecuted Christians on IDOP Sunday.

VOMRadio: Gracia Burnham On Faith and Suffering

This week's episode of VOMRadio is live online, featuring an interview with Gracia Burnham.

Martin and Gracia Burnham were serving as missionaries in the Philippines when they went away for a few days together to celebrate their anniversary. Those few days turned into a year in the jungle when they were kidnapped by radical Muslim terrorists.

In this interview, Gracia shares how she wrestled with God and even with her own faith during those dark days of captivity, and how she experienced the prayers of God’s people, even as Martin was killed during a rescue attempt.

Gracia bears witness to God’s faithfulness to the Burnhams and their children. Her story challenges each of us to glorify God regardless of what trials we face.

 

Order Gracia's book, In the Presence of My Enemies (shipping is now free on all orders from www.VOMBooks.com).

Learn more about the beginning of VOM's new radio program, and listen to other episodes.

Plan to attend a VOM Regional Conference.

A New Voice for Our Persecuted Family

A web site went live this week that represents a significant new endeavor for The Voice of the Martyrs in answering our call to be a voice for our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world.

VOMRadio.net represents the beginning of what will become a half hour weekly radio show featuring the testimonies of our Christian family around the world, and stories from VOM workers who travel into hostile and restricted nations and meet first-hand with Christians who serve and suffer in those places.

 

The show is launching online and as a podcast this week, and in 2015 VOM will pursue broadcast opportunities with Christian radio stations around the US.

Todd Nettleton will host the weekly show. As VOM’s media spokesperson, Todd has done more than 2,000 media interviews over the past 16 years and interviewed hundreds of Christians who have faced persecution.

“I have a LOT to learn about hosting a weekly show,” Nettleton said. “There is a lot more to think about in terms of timing and pacing when you’re producing the show than there is when you’re just answering questions. But I’m very excited about this opportunity and about letting listeners hear first-hand from our persecuted family.”

The goal is to give listeners in-depth insights about serving Christ in difficult places and under intense persecution. How can someone hang on to—and even increase—their faith in an Iranian prison? What is it like for a VOM worker to sit down with a wife whose husband is in jail in China? What do you say to her? Why does the North Korean government work so hard to stamp out Christianity? These are a few topics addressed in the first four episodes of VOM Radio, available online now.

Nettleton says the show is a work in progress. “As we start out we are trying different things. Some shows will focus on one nation or one Christian the whole 30 minutes; others will mix it up a bit with shorter interviews and maybe talk about two or three countries.”

 “We really want feedback from listeners,” said Nettleton. “What do you like about what we’ve done, and what suggestions do you have about what you’d like to hear?”

There are multiple ways to provide feedback, all listed on www.VOMRadio.net.

To listen electronically, you can subscribe to VOMRadio on iTunes, SoundCloud or Stitcher.