The Voice of the Martyrs Radio

CENTRAL ASIA: Please Pray We Would Be Faithful to Jesus

Sister Sara wrestled with faith questions as she studied Christianity, Islam and other religions in a years-long quest for truth. Last week, Sara shared her struggle to understand and believe how Jesus could be God—a common stumbling block for Muslims hearing the gospel message. Listen this week to hear what happened after she received forgiveness of sin through Christ—and how you can pray for her and other Christians living and ministering in Central Asia. As soon as Sara read Matthew 28: 18-19, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,” she gathered her words to tell others the gospel. Her first effort was sharing the hope of Christ with her family. Sara tells how her family responded and explains the importance of discipleship resources, written in local heart languages, to train up new Christians in the former Soviet republics of Central Asia. Sara worked to learn how to share the gospel in her own language—and then began learning to explain Jesus’ love in other languages as well. “People need God, but they just didn’t know it.” Sara says. It was only a short time into her outreach ministry when Sara first experienced pushback. God reminded her that Jesus faced persecution with humility and that is the model Sara tries to follow when opposition arises. Her own family’s responses to her Christian faith reminded her that she couldn’t save anyone herself but had to trust God to do the work, and to trust his timing. When Sara reads of historic missionaries who went to the difficult places, she asks, “Why don’t we go there sooner? The harvest is plenty and ready!” Pray the Lord will raise up gospel workers and evangelists to preach the gospel in Central Asia. Pray that, as these workers face Christian persecution, they would be faithful to Jesus even in difficulty and suffering. Never miss an episode! Subscribe to the podcast.

Threatened Pastor Continues Ministry

After a Christmas worship service in December 2023, Pastor Raj Kumar Yadav received a phone call from an unknown person. At first, the caller asked seemingly innocent questions about the celebratory service, and the pastor answered in general terms. Then the person asked how many people were fed cow meat during the meal. The question raised concerns in the pastor's mind, since Hindus consider cows sacred and have sometimes made trouble by claiming that Christians have slaughtered and eaten cows.

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Leaders Command 100 Christians to Leave Village

When Somanid came to faith in Christ in 2000 at age 17, he immediately faced persecution. He decided to move to a new province, where he built a home, started a family in his new village and became part of a fellowship of more than 100 Christians. Recently, village leaders demanded that all families, including Christians, must donate money for the traditional spirit ceremonies, but the Christians all refused. On May 15, 2024, the leaders announced over loudspeakers that all Christians were required to leave the village, on the grounds that they were disobedient to village authorities.

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Pastors Pay Huge Fines for Teaching Children about Christ

Some governments in Central Asia have outlawed all ministry to children. Nevertheless, Christians in the region remain committed to teaching young people about the Bible and Jesus Christ. In recent years, numerous pastors have had to pay fines for their outreach efforts. "The bank accounts of one pastor were checked and analyzed. When his activities were found, he had to pay a huge fine," said a front-line worker.

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CENTRAL ASIA: So Many Questions, Then God Spoke Her Language

As a young woman in an Islamic culture in Central Asia, Sara was drawn to stories of Jesus. He was a good man, she thought, one whose life matched his teachings. But how could Jesus be God? Sara wrestled deeply with this question in her search for truth. Intellectually, she found the Bible to be true, but she couldn’t commit to everything it said. Eternal life was attractive, but the idea that Jesus was God was confusing to her. Sara poured herself into studying different religions, desperate to figure out how she could be confident she’d go to heaven when she died. She prayed, “God, there should be only one way to you.” Sara loved the Bible study she joined at a local church. She was attracted by the love Christians had for each other, even being willing to share their weaknesses and struggles. Everything about Jesus and his followers was attractive to Sara. After so much study and so many questions, Sara heard God’s voice—speaking to her in her own language. “You need to make a decision.” She knew it was God himself speaking with love, authority, gentleness, and power. Sara remembered reading John 14:6 where Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and they life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Listen to hear how Sara came to understand Jesus as the perfect sacrifice for her sin and the peace he gave to overcome her anxieties. Join us next week to hear the price Sara paid for her faith in Christ. Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast.