The Voice of the Martyrs Radio

“I am building my church among the Somali people.”

It didn’t take long. When Shino and Shania began showing their faces in their Somali-language Christian videos on the internet and using their real names, the response was immediate. Their videos were shown all over the world, and the persecuted Christian couple were called apostates and enemies of Islam. Their lives were repeatedly threatened. Since they went public about their faith in 2016, Shino and Shania have had to move from house to house and country to country. Threats are constant, but God’s protection has been constant as well. By God’s grace, they are still broadcasting and sharing their faith with Somalis. “Look around.” Shania sensed God telling her early on in their ministry, “I am building my church among the Somalis. No one can stop it, and now is the time.” Today, thousands of Somali people know their number and follow them on social media at Somali Christian TV. Last week, Shania shared how the Lord drew her to himself and about the four years she prayed for her Muslim husband, who eventually came to Christ as well. This week the couple shares how their online ministry encourages Somalis all over the world, especially in Somalia where Christians are isolated due to Christian persecution, lack of churches and the difficulty of getting Bibles. Listen as Shino & Shania share feedback from former Muslims who used to hate and threaten them. They will also share how they continue to train new leaders and prepare others for persecution when it comes. Pray for the nation of Somalia this week and for Shino and Shania’s continued ministry.

Abandoned by Her Family, Loved by Jesus

Maelle was only five years old when she was sent to a wealthier family's home to care for their infant child. While working there, Maelle attended church for the first time. Raised in a Muslim home, she placed her trust in Christ when she heard that "Jesus loves the little children." She said she felt that "Jesus loves [her] more than [her] family," who had abandoned her. Two years later, she was sent back to her family, but when they learned that she had come to know Christ, they were upset and prevented her from attending church.

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Christian Broadcaster in Hiding

Christians form a fraction of the population in the Muslim-majority nations of Central Asia, and followers of Christ in these lands often face severe restrictions on their worship and outreach activities. Broadcasting through the internet is a strategy some Central Asian Christians are employing to share the gospel message with their countrymen. However, utilizing digital media also comes with risk. One Central Asian Christian created a series of videos that directly challenge Islamic beliefs and uploaded them to YouTube. Soon, he received death threats from offended Muslims. "His videos are very confrontational," said a front-line worker.

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Brothers Minister to Minority People Group

The Sundanese are one of the largest unreached minority groups in the world and have been resistant to the gospel. However, when three Muslim-background Sundanese brothers - Joyo, Setiaban and Wira - came to faith in Jesus Christ, they also became passionate evangelists. Their evangelistic success in their village eventually led to persecution. When the news of dozens of Christian conversions began to spread, one of the Islamic social organizations in Indonesia, Muhammadiyah, rallied members to stop the brothers and the spread of Christianity in their village.

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SOMALI CHRISTIANS: “Leaving Islam Has Consequences”

Shino and Shania left Mogadishu, Somalia, as Muslims and refugees. They settled in Europe, where they became more devout in their practice of Islam. Then Shania saw a video of radical Muslims in Iraq beheading a hostage in an orange jumpsuit. As they committed this horrific act they shouted praise to the god of Islam. Watching the video, Shania was horrified; she began questioning everything she’d been taught about Islam and Allah. That night she had a powerful dream—a dream that ultimately led her to leave Islam behind and follow Jesus Christ. It was a dangerous decision, yet Shania began immediately to tell others of her new faith and encourage them also to follow Jesus. Four years later, after seeing Shania’s faithfulness and love even in the face of intense Christian persecution, Shino also chose to follow Jesus. United in faith, the couple became even more bold in their witness, putting their names and faces in online videos encouraging other Muslims to follow Jesus. The videos have produced lots of response response: on one side are Muslims wanting to hear more about Jesus, while on the other are Muslims promising to violently punish Shino and Shania for their apostasy. Listen as Shino and Shania share their testimony of coming to faith, and please pray for more Somali people—in Somalia and spread through other nations around the world—to meet Jesus Christ.