Zahra from Yemen has witnessed God move amidst persecution – and it’s made her bolder!

The text messages will be forever etched into Zahra’s* mind. They were sent to her friend, Anis*, after she walked down a street with him and his son. “We wanted to kill you today, but we saw you walking with others,” they said. “We don’t want to harm them, but we’re coming for you.” A week later, Anis was killed.

For Zahra, threats were nothing new, and that’s why she brushed off the messages. Yemen is one of the most dangerous countries in the world to be a Christian. Despite this, Zahra and Anis bravely discipled other believers, even when extremists took over their town and the threats began.

“I was shocked,” says Zahra, recalling the moment she learned of Anis’ tragic death. “I was haunted by the messages he had shown me a week earlier. I was terrified. What if I was next?”

A bold witness

Growing up, Zahra navigated a complex journey between two worlds: her personal faith in Jesus, which she learnt from her father, and conformity to Yemen’s deeply Islamic culture. As her faith emerged in school, she was called kafira, meaning ‘infidel’, and after an Iman made the family’s faith public, her father often had to stay away from home for the family’s safety.

Throughout these challenges, Zahra’s faith grew stronger – and so did her witness. Today, she’s one of a handful of Christians reaching out to women in Yemen, using her experiences to connect with them whilst understanding the grave risks they may encounter by following Jesus, including house arrest as families seek to preserve their ‘honour’.

And of course, Zahra faces her own dangers. “We’re afraid of the extremists and the government as, at this point, they all work together against Christians,” she says. Spies are a constant threat. “I know that, when I enter a house, I might not come back out. We live among wolves.

“I visit women in their homes, help them with housework, cook with them and spend time with them,” she explains. “Through these visits, I can build relationships to be able to lead them to Christ. I need to hear God’s voice in my daily decisions. Shall I go to this meeting today? Or shall we postpone? Maybe we should move our meeting to Zoom this week. These are questions I ask God. We need constant sensitivity to hear His words.”

Galvanised by growth

Zahra can feel fearful, but she is undeterred – because she is witnessing the Holy Spirit move. “I’m comforted and encouraged when I see how the church in Yemen, though in secret, is growing!” she says.

You’re playing a crucial role in this, through support for initiatives run by Open Doors local partners. Zahra is enrolled in one of these: a two-year leadership programme. “The skill set I’m building will help me serve the Yemeni women better,” she explains. “I’m determined to stay, despite the risks to my comfort and safety, because I believe everyone deserves to hear about God’s love.”

*Name changed for security reasons

Joo Min fled North Korea – and found Jesus at an Open Doors safe house. What would make her go back to the darkest place ON EARTH to be a Christian?

It wasn’t the first time that Joo Min* had crossed the border between North Korea and the neighbouring country. She knew that the river was deep and treacherous. Guards patrolled the riverbank, holding machine guns. If anybody discovered her, she’d be arrested and hauled to a North Korean labour camp, where conditions are unimaginably bad.

Last time Joo Min made this dangerous journey, she was escaping starvation and an oppressive regime in North Korea.

This time, she was choosing to go back.

A North Korean childhood

Growing up in North Korea, Joo Min was taught that she lived in the greatest country in the world, and that the ruling Kim family were to be gratefully obeyed and even worshipped.

She did hear about Christians – and how they were to be feared. “I was told to stay away from missionaries,” she remembers. “They said missionaries were like wolves pretending to be sheep.” Her school textbook said the same thing, telling stories of American spies pretending to be missionaries. These spies – so the textbook claimed – were sent to North Korea to kidnap children and sell them into slavery.

Severe food shortages

Despite what she was taught about life being wonderful in North Korea, Joo Min’s actual experience didn’t match up. Her family was desperately short of food so Joo Min was told to find work to help the family buy food. Like many others, she decided the cross the border to China to help raise money.

Joo Min was one of tens of thousands of North Koreans who crossed the border looking for sources of food and income. While it’s illegal for North Koreans to leave the country, the authorities are less vigilant in stopping them during periods of severe food insecurity. If Joo Min had been caught, the punishment would have been dire – but the border crossing wasn’t as heavily guarded as it is at other times.

Hearing the gospel

At first, after reaching the other side of the river, Joo Min met someone who said they could help her, and take her to a safe place. Unknowingly, she had met the first Christian she’d ever known. She’d met a secret Open Doors fieldworker.

The fieldworker took Joo Min to one of the safe houses for North Korean refugees run by Open Doors underground networks, where she found herself part of a community of people who’d made the same difficult journey as her. At the safe houses, these local fieldworkers provide food and help people find jobs. More than that – they tell people about Jesus.

“In the safe house, I heard the gospel for the first time,” says Joo Min. At first, she was very resistant. Not only had her schooling taught her that Christians were evil – she knew what she’d face if she were discovered and deported back to North Korea. If you’re found even to have met a Christian while outside the country, you are targeted for particularly harsh punishments.

“Go back to North Korea”

Even with the extreme risks, Joo Min couldn’t help wanting to know more about Jesus. The Christians she met were kind, loving and offered her help without asking anything in return. “Despite what I was told as a child, I accepted Jesus as my Saviour,” she says. “I started attending Bible studies and training every week.” Eventually, Joo Min chose to be baptised.

After a long period of biblical teaching and persecution survival training from Open Doors fieldworkers, Joo Min felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit. She knew God had a plan for her – and it would require extraordinary courage.

“I felt like God was telling me: ‘Go back to North Korea,’” she says. “I felt a calling to share everything I’ve learned in my homeland.”

Smuggling light

Today, Joo Min is still serving as a leader in the underground church. “I know the risks involved,” she says. “If I am caught, I could end up in a labour camp, paying a heavy price for being a Christian now.” Yet, by the power of the Holy Spirit and with the help of the training she received from Open Doors fieldworkers, she continues her ministry.

The light she found in the safe house is what she now smuggles into North Korea and nothing – not food shortages, the danger of imprisonment, or even the seemingly all-powerful Kim dynasty – can stop the light from shining brightly in the darkness. “Please pray for me,” she asks. “Pray for protection and courage, so that I can be like salt and light in a land overshadowed by darkness.”

*Joo Min’s story is taken from accounts of two North Korean believers. As the real people are currently living and ministering in North Korea, some details have been combined or omitted to protect their identities.

Nine-year-old Moryom lives with her parents and older brother in a small, Muslim-majority village in Bangladesh. Her mother teaches Sunday school and leads an adult literacy class, and her father is a pastor and evangelist. Both are converts from Islam, which often means brutal persecution in this part of Bangladesh. 

“I walk two kilometres to school because no one wants to take me in their rickshaw,” she says. “They mock me, saying ‘Christian’. When I go to school, I see some of my classmates on the way. Sometimes they throw bricks at me and push me.” 

Mistreated at school 

At school, Moryom often spends her day alone. “Most of the people in my school don’t treat me well,” she says. “Sometimes they beat me with sticks and call me ‘Christian’ as an insult. My classmates don’t allow me to play with them.” 

Her teachers turn a blind eye to the bullying. On one occasion, another child pushed Moryom off the roof of a one-storey building while shouting “You are a Christian!”, but the teachers did nothing. “I didn’t want to go to school anymore,” Moryom says. “I got very angry but still asked Jesus to forgive them.”  

Even at home, Moryom has been targeted. Some Muslim women once tried to convert her to Islam by offering her chocolate and asking her to recite the Shahada, an Islamic creed, but her parents chased them off. 

“I will tell children about Jesus” 

The one safe place Moryom and her family have is their church. Here, Moryom isn’t alone, and she can worship Jesus openly. “I really like Sunday school,” she says. “We sing songs, dance and pray together. We also read from the children’s Bible.” 

This children’s Bible was provided by local Open Doors partners, thanks to your prayers and gifts. With it, Moryom has memorised many psalms and lots of other Bible verses. The partners also support an annual Christmas gathering for Bangladeshi Christians and their children. “We have lots of fun,” Moryom says. “I like it when we all come together. It’s a lot of fun to celebrate Jesus’s birth by cutting a cake and eating it.” 

Because Jesus died on the cross for my sins, I forgive my friends”

Thanks to you, Moryom’s faith remains strong. “Because Jesus died on the cross for my sins, I forgive my friends. Those who mistreat me, insult me, hate me, or don’t love me, I forgive them all.” 

“I want to be a teacher,” she adds. “When I become a teacher, I will tell all the children about Jesus. This is my dream.” 

HELP YOUNG PEOPLE LIKE MORYOM. HOLD A ‘NOT ALONE CHRISTMAS PARTY’!

Use our free Not Alone Christmas Party outline and spend a festive evening with your youth group, friends or church, playing games, enjoying food and treats and praying that young Christians around the world would know they are not alone. 

By selling tickets for just a couple of pounds, could you raise £69?

This would be enough money to send a young person like Moryom to a special, three-day gathering where she can safely celebrate Christmas with other young persecuted Christians. 

Your party could fund another party, helping young persecuted Christians know they are not alone!

Get the free Not Alone Christmas Party Outline here…

Rumana starts her day like many other young people around the world, setting off on her journey to school. But she walks the mile to HER CLASSES on her own. And when she gets to school, no one says hello or sits near HER in class. She’s surrounded by people at school, but she’s also completely alone. All because she’s a Christian.

ALONE AT SCHOOL

In Rumana’s village in north west Bangladesh, almost everyone is Muslim. When her family decided to follow Jesus, the community turned against them. Even people who don’t hate Christians are reluctant to associate with the family, because it could mean they are also rejected by the other villagers.

“I don’t have any friends in school because I’m a Christian and my parents are also Christian,” she says. “If I sit with them, their parents scold them saying, ‘She is a Christian. You can’t mingle with them because Christians are bad.’ When the children say something unkind, I just keep smiling. But I cry when I’m alone.”

You might think that Rumana’s teachers stick up for her, but sadly the opposite is true. She explains, “My teachers scold children if they sit with me, saying, ‘Don’t mingle with the Christian. If you mingle with her, you might also become a Christian.’”

Rumana’s remarkable faith

Rumana has also faced persecution from the village children while walking to church. They mock her, throw stones at her and slap her. But Rumana shows a remarkable generosity and forgiveness to the children who torment her. She says, “I told God everything so I feel better. Why should I be angry at them? I forgive them. I pray to God every day for them.”

Rumana’s faith and dependence on God are so strong. Her favourite Bible verse is Joshua 1:9: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be you wherever you go.” As she says, “It relates to my life story. I will not be fearful of my classmates. I will be courageous.”

PERSECUTION AT HOME

Rumana was walking home from school when she saw something was seriously wrong. There was a thick cloud of smoke in the sky – and she realised it was coming from her home. It was on fire.

“The fire was massive. There was nothing left from our house. It had all gone,” she remembers with sorrow. “No one from our village offered to help. All of them were just watching.”

“No one allowed us to stay,” Rumana says. “With nothing to wear and no food, we were utterly helpless. We were all crying.”

Eventually, one neighbour took pity and let them stay a few days, but after a short while, the neighbour asked them to leave: she, like others, feared being rejected by the community for helping the Christian family. Rumana’s parents built a shed in the grounds of their destroyed house and had to live there until Open Doors partners came to help rebuild their home.

A special Christmas

This brutal rejection, bullying and discrimination is hard every day for Rumana, but the isolation can feel worst of all at Christmas. Rumana knows it’s a special time for Christians to remember the birth of Jesus, and she loves spending it with other Christian children.  

With the help and prayers of people like you, Open Doors partners can host a special, three-day Christmas celebration for Christians from a Muslim background from across Bangladesh – like Rumana.

Rumana’s joy

It’s not just a time when children like Rumana can celebrate the birth of Christ safely and joyfully, though that is so important – it’s also a time when she can meet and play with lots of other young believers who understand what her life is like. They share a deep knowledge of being a young, persecuted Christian, and can support and encourage one another. Open Doors provides a regular Sunday school that she can travel to, meeting children scattered in different villages across her region – but this Christmas celebration is something even more special, with a much wider community.

“I love to celebrate Christmas because all the Christians gather around together singing songs and reading from the Bible,” says Rumana. “Sometimes we read from a storybook. We recite the Bible verses we learned from Sunday school.”

They cut and eat a birthday cake for Jesus and share a special meal. At the end of the time together, each family gets a Christmas gift from Open Doors partners. These partners help in many practical ways – but the greatest gifts that children like Rumana receive are community, encouragement and love.

“Jesus loves me,” she says. “I’m very valuable to Jesus. It’s only because of Jesus’ love that I have survived until now, despite all the persecution. His love has guided me this far, and I know I am on the right path through His love.”

HELP YOUNG PEOPLE LIKE RUMANA. HOLD A ‘NOT ALONE CHRISTMAS PARTY’!

Use our free Not Alone Christmas Party outline and spend a festive evening with your youth group, friends or church, learning more about Rumana’s story, playing games, enjoying food and treats and praying that young Christians around the world would know they are not alone. 

By selling tickets for just a couple of pounds, could you raise £69?

This would be enough money to send a young person like Rumana to a special, three-day gathering where she can safely celebrate Christmas with other young persecuted Christians. 

Your party could fund another party, helping young persecuted Christians know they are not alone!

Get the free Not Alone Christmas Party Outline here…

After three attacks on his community, Pastor Soré fled with his family, joining two million people in Burkina Faso who have been displaced by extremist violence. Pastor Soré’s situation seems hopeless, but your prayers and gifts are providing him and his family with a vital lifeline.

The third time the attackers came to Pastor Soré’s village, they burned everything they could, forcing the entire community to flee for good.

In less than a day, Pastor Soré and his family became refugees among the two million people displaced in Burkina Faso. Many are Christians, driven out of their homes by extremists.

“When the terrorists come to churches and find Christians, they tell them that Christianity’s time is over, and they should turn to the Islamic religion,” Pastor Soré says. “So, they warn Christians to stop conducting services. After warning, when they come back later and find you in the church, they kill you.”

Image: Pastor Soré and his family walk to church

“It took us four days”

Pastor Soré and his wife, Teresa, have two children – but they care for 15 other Christians, mostly young children who have been orphaned or placed in their care.

When they arrived at the place they live now, it was a wide-open, empty piece of land. “It took us four days to arrive to this place,” he says. “We were weary, walking for three days without finding a means of transportation to carry us.”

The nearest water source for the family is just over a mile away, and they managed to put together a shelter – but it’s inadequate. They are the only people around for miles. “Who could assist us in this isolated place in case of sickness or death?” Pastor Soré asks. “If robbers come to attack us, who are our neighbours who could help?”

And yet, he continues to turn to God for help: “We are sad to be in such a condition, not knowing how to get out of it, and we have been trusting God for change.”

“We wholeheartedly praise God”

Image: Pastor Soré and his family

When Open Doors partners in Burkina Faso heard about Pastor Soré’s situation, they travelled to listen to his story and find out how they could help him and his family.

“The ministry first helped me with prayer that really comforted me,” he says. “In addition to the prayer support, the ministry helped me with seeds and fertilisers. It helped me to grow crops and feed my family members. They also helped us with food, including rice and oil. We wholeheartedly praise God for such blessings and thank the ministry.”

Thanks to your prayers and support, Pastor Soré is able to remain resilient in the midst of his circumstances. “I may suffer physically, but my spirit who is in Christ is not affected by physical suffering,” he says. “The Almighty God is with me in good times, and He is still with me in these hardships.

“I do believe that we are displaced, but Jesus is not and will never be displaced from our lives. He is always with us. This truth strengthens my faith and helps me in this difficult time, and I’m glad with God.”

Pastor Barnabas lives in a displacement camp in Nigeria. EVERYONE THERE IS A Christian who HAS fled Islamic militant violence.

Thousands of people live in the same camp as Pastor Baranbas: an informal settlement for internally displaced people (IDPs) in Benue State, northern Nigeria. “Each and every one you are seeing here, we are all Christians,” says Pastor Barnabas. “We are displaced because of violence.”

It’s one of many similar IDP camps across sub-Saharan Africa, where 16.2 million Christians have been forcibly displaced by violence and conflict. It’s an astounding number. But most of the world doesn’t even know it’s happening.

“Millions of Christians are displaced, here in Nigeria,” says Pastor Barnabas. “Millions of Christians are displaced in Africa. The news doesn’t care about it, politicians don’t talk about it, governments don’t talk about it, global politics don’t talk about it. Nobody talks about it.”

That’s why Open Doors’ Arise Africa campaign is so desperately needed.

“A terrible place to live”

Pastor Barnabas gets to his tent, and stoops down to show it. Even though he, his wife Joy and their family have lived in the camp for almost five years, their home is made of whatever materials were available – mostly palm leaves and mosquito nets. “It’s smaller than a double mattress,” Pastor Barnabas says. It’s far too small for a large family of eight.

“The IDP camp is a terrible place to live,” says Pastor Barnabas bluntly. “We don’t have good hygiene, we don’t have water, we don’t have toilets. Many people are dying. Only last week, as I am talking, we lost eight people in this IDP camp.”

People wouldn’t live in a camp like this if they had any other choice. They only live here because it’s too dangerous outside the camps. Because of the horrendous persecution that has displaced them.

An appalling attack

Last year, and for many years, more Christians were killed for their faith in Nigeria than the rest of the world combined. The same violent persecution is quickly spreading across other parts of sub-Saharan Africa, as Islamic extremist ideology spreads: as well as these murders, huge numbers of believers are injured, abducted, sexually assaulted or forced to flee from their homes. Pastor Barnabas can easily empathise with the people in the camp who have faced this violence. He’s been through exactly the same experience himself.

“I was on the farm with my brother, Everen, and his wife, Friday,” he remembers. “We heard shooting. We saw people running in different directions. We didn’t know what was happening.”

The community was being attacked by Fulani militants, a group of Islamic extremists who are responsible for many of the violent attacks in north central and central Nigeria. Pastor Barnabas and his family tried to run, but Everen and Friday didn’t manage to escape. “My brother was shot by the militants, and my brother’s wife was also shot and killed by the militants,” he says. It’s been almost five years, but the pain of loss is still raw.

Why were they attacked?

The motive of Islamic militant violence like this is clear: to destroy as many Christians and Christian communities as possible. “This attack is because we are Christians,” says Pastor Barnabas. “When they come to attack us, they call us ‘capari’. It means you don’t have any religion.” The militants don’t value their lives, because they are considered infidels.

The effects of this persecution are long-lasting. As well as the terrible loss of life, it removes any means of getting an income, or future opportunities for the children of affected believers. It threatens the future of the church. “Now, I have lost everything that I had. Everything in my home and village was burned,” says Pastor Barnabas. “I cannot take care of my children. I cannot feed them. Most of the men go looking for work to do, in order to get daily food. But yet, it will not be enough for one meal.”

Arise Africa

The African church is calling for their global church family to stand with them against this persecution. It seems to them that nobody is talking about it – and that’s why the global, four-year Arise Africa campaign is so crucial.

You can join with Christians in sub-Saharan Africa today. With your help, Open Doors local partners can continue providing emergency food and aid to Pastor Barnabas’s IDP camp, and many more like it.

“Brothers and sisters, you have been very supportive in the area of food particularly in this IDP camp,” he says. “We have been starving. If not for the help of your ministry, I don’t think it would be easy for us to live. But you assist us. We are very grateful.”

Arise Africa isn’t just meeting people’s physical needs – it can help believers persevere spiritually too, giving confidence that God hasn’t abandoned them when He uses local Open Doors partners as His hands and feet. Local partners are also planning to provide skills training and trauma care, to support long-term resilience and self-sufficiency. They’ve also helped with Ifa’s urgent medical bills, and are paying for Pastor Barnabas’s operation on his hand.

Stop the violence. Start the healing.

Add your signature to the global petition, asking that vulnerable Christians in sub-Saharan Africa get protection, justice and restoration.

Pastor Barnabas knows how vital the support and prayers of his worldwide church family are. “If there is any way you can contribute yourself, contribute in a way to help us Christians in the IDP camp, please do it and God will bless you,” he says, “and join together with us to pray that God Himself should be our defender and sustain us and keep us.”

You’ve heard a snapshot of one man’s story in one IDP camp – and there are 16.2 million Christians across sub-Saharan Africa who could share their own painful stories. This violent displacement is an escalating crisis that needs an equally urgent response. The African church is urgently calling for your support, your prayers and your voice – to make sure people are talking about it. Today, will you help Pastor Barnabas stop the violence and start the healing?

Sign the petition now…

Millions of Christians across sub-Saharan Africa have been displaced by violence and conflict. The African church is rising up boldly in prayer against this violence – and they are calling on their global church family to stand with them. Please join with your church family in sub-Saharan Africa, asking God to stop the violence and start the healing.

The displaced

Day 1

Open Doors estimates that, of the 34.5 million people in sub-Saharan Africa who are displaced by violence and conflict, at least 16.2 million are Christians, with many driven from their homes because of their faith in Jesus. This growing crisis has led to food insecurity, trauma and desperation. Pray for provision, healing and comfort for our displaced family.

Day 2

Last year, an estimated 100,000 Christians were internally displaced from their homes because of their faith, with many fleeing to official displacement camps that are unhealthy and unsafe. They are overcrowded, hygiene is poor and food is scarce, and they can be targeted by extremists. Pray that camps will be far better equipped to be havens of safety, provision and care.

Day 3

“The food items being given to us show us that Christians all over the world care about us and remember us,” says Abraham, chairman of a displacement camp. “That makes us very happy. Open Doors is helping thousands of people in Nigeria, not just me.” Praise God for this impact, and pray that local partners will be equipped, empowered and encouraged in their work.

Day 4

The rise in jihadist activities has caused internal displacement to sour, affecting nearly two million people by the end of 2023 (ten per cent of the population), many of them Christians. In some places, churches and villages are empty. It’s one of the world’s severest displacement crises. Ask God to surround the displaced with His peace, presence and provision.

Day 5

“I do believe that we are displaced, but Jesus is not and will never be displaced from our lives,” says Pastor Soré, who lives in a makeshift shelter in an IDP camp with his family and 15 other Christians. “He is always with us. This truth helps me in this difficult time.” He requests prayer for a clean water supply and that Burkinabe believers stay firm in their faith.

Day 6

More than 2.6 million people in DRC, mostly Christians, have been displaced by violence. The conditions of camps are often horrific, with insufficient shelter, hygiene and food. Pray for better care and aid, and ask God to help churches and local partners as they seek sustainable solutions for people.

Day 7

More than a year since civil war broke out, nine million people are on the run, with Christians in IDP camps vulnerable to discrimination and neglect. “The situation is deteriorating every day, and there is no response from the world,” says Illia Djadi, a senior analyst for Open Doors in the region. “There is a strong feeling of abandonment.” Pray that the international community will pay attention to the crisis.

Day 8

There has been a surge in militant attacks, particularly in rural areas of the west and south west. Many Christians have been displaced, bringing multiple challenges, including widespread despondency. Pray for church leaders and local partners as they shepherd believers through the trauma of displacement.

Women, children and families

Day 9

Christian men are often killed to destroy livelihoods and stifle the population growth of Christians. The pressure on widows is immense, as they must find work and take sole care of children – all whilst grieving. Pray that ‘the father to the fatherless, a defender of widows’ (Psalm 68:5) will comfort families and be their provider.

Day 10

Christian women and girls are highly at risk of abduction. This can lead to sexual violence and forced marriage – often with the aim of breeding the next generation of fighters. Incidents can leave victims stigmatised, which can further weaken Christian communities. Pray for the safety, healing and release of our sisters.

Day 11

“I’m very happy – I’ve been supported by God,” says Hawa* from Mali. Following rejection by her family for her faith, a financial gift from partners enabled her to cover a year’s rent, buy medication and food, and purchase fabric and a fridge for her business. “I know that I have true brothers and sisters, who are standing with me in the time of persecution.” Pray that Hawa’s family will come to know Jesus.

Day 12

In 2020, Malu’s* (22) father, a pastor, was killed when Islamic extremists attacked his church. Today, Malu and her family are in hiding as they fear for their safety. Please join Malu in her prayer: “Lord, may You always give us the strength to cling to You, to remain truly faithful to You until You return. May You help us and, above all, may You help us to forget the past. Amen.”

Day 13

Young people – especially in the north, where Islamic extremist ideology continues to accelerate – grow up amidst violence and the risk of abduction and recruitment to militant groups. Many also experience neglect, heightening the danger of radicalisation. Pray for protection, and for good role models and influences in their lives.

Day 14

About 18.5 million children, most of whom are girls, do not have access to education. The numerous attacks on schools by jihadists and criminal gangs in the north have discouraged parents and guardians from sending their children to them. Pray for a climate of safety and peace to enable children to return to school.

Day 15

Senou* and Combary*, both aged 13, fled with their families when extremists attacked their villages. Both had to drop out of school but, thanks to your support, they’ve received the funds to resume their education. Since January, Open Doors has helped 49 Burkinabé students to stay in school. Give thanks for this impact, and ask God to build the students’ skills, faith and character.

Day 16

Mali used to be a place of relative religious freedom, but the country’s tiny Christian minority are increasingly vulnerable as Islamic militants expand their influence. It’s meant that many church-run schools have had no choice but to shut down. Pray for all the children, teachers and leaders affected by these closures, and pray for the schools to be reopened.

The church

Day 17

More than half of the countries comprising sub-Saharan Africa (26 out of 48) are on the Open Doors World Watch List. Thirteen of these are in the top 50, making them places of very high or extreme persecution for believers. Pray against the forces of evil that are seeking to stifle the presence and growth of the church in the region.

Day 18

The suffering facing Christians is leading to some looking to other faiths. “Desperation leads people to traditional religions,” says Jerome, living in an IDP camp in DRC. “IDPs base their choices on dark powers that promise protection. This has an immediate negative impact on their Christian walk.” Pray that believers will know that God will never fail nor forsake them (Deuteronomy 31:6). 

Day 19 

The violence facing Christians has had a catastrophic impact on the presence of churches in communities. Many have been destroyed, whilst others lie empty because believers have fled. Even where churches are available, many are fearful to attend. Pray for the safe rebuilding and reopening of churches throughout the region – cities built on hills that cannot be hidden (Matthew 5:14). 

Day 20 

Last year, Malloum from Chad gave his life to Jesus through a dream and the persistent witness of his grandmother. Despite intense persecution from his uncle, his faith is strong. “I feel so free and at peace,” he says. Praise God that, despite persecution, the church in the region continues to grow. Pray for more people to encounter Jesus, just like Malloum has.

Day 21

Church leaders are often targeted by militant groups – be that because they’ve spoken out against violence, or because it instils fear in the wider Christian community. Those living in areas under the control of Islamic militants are closely watched and face tight restrictions. Pray for protection of leaders, and ask the Holy Spirit to give them wisdom, discernment and courage.

Day 22

“The enemy planned to destroy God’s house, but the church has grown,” said Pastor Abraham on the first anniversary of a bomb attack on his church in DRC that killed 15 people and injured 71. Praise God for this astonishing testimony, and pray that other attacked churches in the region will see the Holy Spirit move in similar ways for them.

Governments

Day 23

In places like Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Mozambique, Sudan and Somalia, military coups and other fractures in governance and security have enabled Islamic militancy to flourish. Because of their faith, Christians are disproportionately affected. Pray for an increase in strong, democratic governments, with leaders who govern with integrity, justice and compassion.

Day 24

UN peacekeeping forces and a coalition between security forces from Uganda and DRC are involved in ‘Cheng Gong’, an operation aimed at countering rising militancy in eastern DRC. Pray for its success, and that governments and security forces across the region will be equipped and stirred to address violence and extremism.

Day 25

When Bola Tinubu became president in May 2023, he said his priority was decisive action against perpetrators of violence. He’s since replaced security chiefs in a major reshuffle, establishing a better balance between Muslim and Christian officials. Praise God for these positive steps, and pray that President Tinubu will not give up on efforts to protect all Nigerians.

Persecutors

Day 26

“They want to capture Nigeria and capture other parts of Africa according to their agenda,” says Abraham, chairman of a displacement camp (above). He and his family were forced to flee their home three years ago because of an attack by Fulani militants. “They have started by capturing the Christian parts.” Ask God to thwart the plans of extremists and expose the lies that drive them.

Day 27

After a brutal attack on his community in northern Nigeria, Pastor Elisha was broken by the evil he witnessed. He spent time at the trauma centre run by Open Doors partners, which enabled him to forgive his enemies. “Honestly, when I forgave them, I felt happy,” he said. Ask God to give believers the strength to forgive those who’ve hurt them.

Day 28

“I also started praying for their repentance,” adds Pastor Elisha, heeding the words of Jesus: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44) Join with our brother’s prayer that Fulani militants and other extremist groups will have encounters with Jesus. Pray for Damascus Road experiences that transform their lives – and the lives of many others.

Global campaign

Day 29

The Open Doors Arise Africa campaign aims to raise global awareness of the extreme and targeted violence facing millions of Christians in sub- Saharan Africa. Pray that governments, the media and churches worldwide will be receptive and responsive to this urgent issue, and recognise the crucial role they can play in bringing change.

Day 30

Arise Africa also aims to encourage and equip the church in sub-Saharan Africa to persevere by being resilient, resourceful and influential. Pray that more Christians from the UK, Ireland and around the world will become aware of the plight of their persecuted family and be moved to give, pray and speak out to stop the violence and start the healing.

The last time Khada* saw her husband was an ordinary day – or as ordinary as any day can be in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover in 2021. Afghan citizens face daily restrictions, oppression and danger, and nobody more so than people like Khada and her husband, Ehsan*: Afghanistan’s underground Christians. On that ‘ordinary’ day, their worst fears came true. Ehsan disappeared.

Christians in Afghanistan have to make sure their faith isn’t discovered by the wrong people – but the church in the country is growing. They are part of a silent, worldwide group who don’t know each other’s names and may never see each other’s faces: the secret church.

Khada’s secret gift

Khada was born into a deeply religious Muslim family. She expected to follow the same path as her mother: marry the Muslim man chosen by her parents and raise a devout Muslim family herself.

Sure enough, Khada married Ehsan, as arranged by their families. She moved in with her in-laws, and the union was very happy.

It was relatively common, then, for Afghan women to have jobs – something seldom now possible under the Taliban regime. Khada enjoyed working in an office and was close with her boss. “We became friends, and I felt free in front of her,” Khada says. “I shared all the stories of my life, and she shared her life stories too.”

One day, Khada’s boss made an extraordinarily brave decision. She gave Khada a Bible.

Amazed by the Bible

In Afghanistan, even before the Taliban takeover, it was extremely risky to give a Muslim a Bible. It’s illegal to convert from Islam and very dangerous to share your faith – Khada’s Christian boss took a huge risk in giving her the Word of God.

When Khada got home, she showed the Bible to Ehsan. They both knew the Quran thoroughly but didn’t know what was in the Bible, and were curious to find out. Over the next six months, they read through it all – and were amazed at what they found.

Under the law, women are second-class citizens and expected to obey their husbands or male relatives. However, Ehsan was kind and respected and trusted his wife. “He loved me a lot, and we both always chose the same path,” remembers Khada. “When we read the book, my husband told me, ‘Whatever path you take, I am your best ally and I will follow you.’”

Together, they made the courageous, life-changing decision to follow Jesus.

Sharing the gospel with their family

Having made this choice, Khada and Ehsan decided to get baptised. They couldn’t do this in a church, of course – there aren’t any church buildings in Afghanistan. But it was still a very special moment. Khada even received physical healing at her baptism, having suffered from bad headaches for years.

Khada and Ehsan knew they had to keep their new faith secret from the authorities. They couldn’t go to a church, worship aloud or wear a cross. But they didn’t want to keep their faith hidden from everyone. Some secret believers around the world can’t tell anyone at all about their choice to follow Jesus – but Khada and Ehsan decided to risk sharing the gospel with her family.

They started with Khada’s brother. “He was anxious due to unemployment,” Khada says. “I asked him to learn stories from the Old Testament, and he believed. Later, I shared stories with my family and they all became believers! My husband shared stories with his sister, and she became a believer. We continued spreading our faith.”

This courageous couple were seeing incredible fruit, and had a period of joy. But their happiness was short-lived.

The day everything changed

Khada doesn’t know how or when Ehsan’s secret faith was discovered. They had been cautious only to tell people they trusted. But one day, when Ehsan was on his way to an underground Bible study group, she realised the secret must have got out.

“His phone was turned off and it didn’t ring. I thought at first that maybe his phone wasn’t working,” says Khada. “I also called someone from my family and there was still no news from him. I felt fear and all kinds of thoughts.”“His phone was turned off and it didn’t ring.”

Khada didn’t hear anything for two days. Then she received the news she’d been dreading. Ehsan’s dead body had been found. He had lost his life for his faith.

Khada courageously chose to keep following Jesus

Khada was absolutely devastated. She’s learned the huge cost of following Jesus in a country as dangerous for Christians as Afghanistan. But she also knows that He is worth that cost. “I continue to be a servant of Christ, following His example of humility and greatness,” she says. “In the difficult Taliban regime, we face challenges, but with strong faith, we persevere.”

Every evening, she spends time in prayer with Jesus – the part of the day that she and Ehsan would set aside to read and discuss the Bible. “In the past, all my stories and conversations were with my husband,” she says. “Now, all of them are with Jesus, and I tell Him stories every night and every day. I believe that He is listening and hears all my conversations.”

Livelihood project is bringing hope

Under the Taliban rule, Khada isn’t allowed to work in her office anymore. But, with the help of Open Doors local partners, she’s been able to start a small business – this means she can trade with her neighbours and friends, and can provide for her children. It’s one of the key ways that your gifts and prayers can help bring practical hope to secret believers like Khada. Open Doors supports partners both inside and outside of Afghanistan through various initiatives: Bible translation, livelihood projects, vocational training, radio broadcasts and supporting widows and orphans.

Your gift and prayers can make an incredible difference to secret believers in places like Afghanistan, daring to follow Jesus, even though they know the heartbreaking cost of that decision.

In countries all over the world, secret Christians face a stark choice: remain hidden, or be attacked, abused or even killed.

In countries all over the world, Christians face a stark choice: remain hidden, or be attacked, abused or even killed.

In some places, Christians must hide both their identities and their faith. Sometimes, they will be targeted or even killed by the state because of their faith. Other times, the threat comes from family and community, and may include both attacks and intense pressure. If their secret faith is discovered by the wrong person, they could lose their livelihood, their home, their family or even their life.

While their stories and backgrounds are different, most of these secret Christians share the same reality: they are following Jesus alone or with a very small group of people. But the reality is they are not alone: they belong to a global body of Christ. And through Open Doors, our supporters can show secret believers they have a global family, and can encourage them through local and presence ministry.

Why do they have to keep their faith secret?

In many countries, the reason Christians have to keep their faith secret is because they’ve converted from Islam. This might be considered a shocking disgrace by family and community members, and in some places it is illegal – it can even come with a death penalty.

One of those countries is Afghanistan. Even before the Taliban takeover in 2021, it was extremely dangerous to convert from Islam to Christianity. Believers in the country now feel even more vulnerable, and there have been reports of the Taliban going door to door to find Christians.

A secret Open Doors fieldworker in Afghanistan explains: “Many Afghan Christians have had to leave the country, and those who remain must operate cautiously and underground.”

Secret – but sharing

Some secret believers can’t tell anyone at all about their faith. Others courageously seek God’s wisdom about whom they can share the gospel with – risking everything to help a friend, colleague or family member hear the good news of Jesus.

“Despite their hardships, their unwavering faith in Jesus Christ motivates them to operate covertly, spreading the good news among their fellow Afghans,” says the Open Doors fieldworker in Afghanistan. “They believe that only through God’s ways and His words can Afghanistan experience positive change and lasting peace.”

In contexts like this, the oppressive regime can even help encourage people to seek Jesus. “The Taliban enforce an extreme version of Islam… The people of Afghanistan are thirsty for love because, for decades, they have experienced war and misery. So when our servant leaders explain Christianity and the love of Jesus to them, it seems different to what they experience from the Taliban.”

How do secret believers gather together?

Depending on the country context, secret Christians have to be wise about how they meet with each other. Some might have Bibles hidden in their homes, or use audio or electronic Bibles.

In some regions – including North Korea, Afghanistan and North Africa – Open Doors partners broadcast underground radio stations that help Christians stay connected with fellow believers, when this isn’t an option in-person. These can be broadcast from outside the country, and it can even sometimes be the medium through which people first hear of Jesus.

How CAN YOU HELP YOUR SECRET CHURCH FAMILY?

Your prayers and support can show secret believers that they have a global family. You can enable Open Doors partners to visit and minister to the underground church, as well as delivering these secret radio broadcasts.

Even if it’s unlikely that you will ever meet these secret Christians during their earthly lives, you are still able to call them brothers and sisters. As Paul writes in Romans 12:5, “In Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”

Thanks to people like you, Open Doors supports partners both inside and outside of Afghanistan through various initiatives: Bible translation, livelihood projects, vocational training, radio broadcasts and supporting widows and orphans. Similar projects take place with secret believers around the world – providing Bibles, immediate relief and long-term support so that the underground church can flourish and grow.

*Names changed for security reasons

Miracles were how Narendran first came to know Jesus. “I belonged to a traditional Hindu family. Our family came to know about the Lord after experiencing miraculous deliverance from our problems and sicknesses,” he says. “I committed my life to the Lord’s ministry.” 

These interventions continued when Narendran and Kavita moved to their village. Narendran shares one of many examples: “A cancer patient, whom doctors had given up hope for, received healing through our prayers. People began to believe in Jesus, and the church grew.”

Word spread about this miraculous God, and before long there were 40 new believers attending the church. Almost everyone in the village was Hindu, but the church didn’t face opposition or persecution for many years. Sadly, that slowly began to change.

Persecution begins in the village

“Even before things started happening, I was being guided in spirit to pray this prayer: ‘Lord, please keep us safe from all troubles,’” Nerendran said. “I had questions in my mind, but I continued praying this prayer. I know now that this prayer was for a purpose.”

Persecution began during a New Year’s service. At first it was just that some young Hindus came and cut up the shoes left in the entrance of the church by members of the congregation. But things escalated. They were stopped in the midst of a funeral from burying a Christian who had passed away in the local burial grounds.

A few days later, Narendran and Kavita were gathered with a few other Christians for a night of prayer. Some young men came to the church gate and started shouting at Kavita: “Why are you making so much noise? You cannot conduct such prayers here?”

The Christians concluded their prayers and started for home – but were violently intercepted.  “They shouted abusive language at the believers and started to beat my husband,” says Kavita. “All the gathered Christians fled to their homes.”

Narendran had to go to hospital because of the attack, but the attackers pressured doctors to refrain from helping him. Only when other pastors and a lawyer intervened were the couple given the necessary medical care. 

Because of their injuries, and the delay in treatment, they were hospitalised for a week. While they were there, the extremists took the opportunity to smash up the church.

Open Doors partners stand by Narendran and Kavita

While Narendran and Kavita were in the hospital, local Open Doors partners heard what had happened. They rushed to pray with the couple and encourage them. Thanks to Open Doors supporters like you, the partners were able to provide groceries to the couple as they struggled to afford their family’s basic needs.

The persecution has had a significant impact on the church community. Narendran can’t go out for outreach or to visit members of the congregation because he fears extremists. And the church has shrunk after the violence.

Long-term support and hope

Narendran and Kavita have a much lower income now, as they relied on offerings from the congregation. Fortunately, your gifts and prayers were once again able to help with this long-term need. When Open Doors partners learned about the couple’s situation, they bought them a sewing machine which led to them opening a tailoring shop.

“We would have been living in fear and anxiety if you had not come to our aid. We realised we are not alone. God’s people stand with us in our troubles and support us through prayer.”

Despite the ongoing challenges, Narendran and Kavita are determined to stay close to the Lord and not let anything pull them away from their calling. They continue their ministry in the same village, trusting in the Lord that He will be with them and lead them.

“We were sad thinking about why these things had happened to us,” Kavita says, still suffering from the physical and emotional impact of the attack. “We thought that we could not continue the ministry, but the Lord strengthened us through His Word, which said: ‘Do not be afraid, for I am with you.’ (Isaiah 41:10) We were encouraged, and we know now that persecution helped us to become stronger in faith – and that God will use it to bless our ministry.”

“Scripture says, ‘In this world you will have troubles. But take heart, I have overcome the world,’” Narendran says, referring to John 16:33. “I believe God will not leave us alone and that nothing can separate us from the love of God. The more we face persecution, the more the Lord will bless our ministry. We have hope in God for our future!”

*Names changed for security reasons