Sam Brownback serves as the United States Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, leading the State Department’s efforts to promote religious freedom and the protection of religious minorities around the world.

Listen this week as he shares about how religious freedom serves as a foundation for many other freedoms, and which countries he sees moving the wrong direction on the issue. He’ll also share how his own faith motivates his work, and stories of both success and failure in his decades of work on behalf of persecuted religious minorities.

Finally, Ambassador Brownback shares how we can pray for him and other of our government officials working on behalf of persecuted Christians around the world, and reminds us that our prayers and our actions really do make a difference.

Manfred Mueller leads Hilfsaktion Martyrerkirche (HMK), The Voice of the Martyrs’ sister mission in Germany. Listen as he shares about the early days of HMK’s work in Germany, including the rejection of the message of Richard Wurmbrand when he first came out from behind the Iron Curtain.

Manfred also recalls his own childhood, when his parents and grandparents were involved in delivering Bibles into communist nations. Manfred will also share inspiring stories from persecuted Christians he has met during his years of service at HMK and how those stories are impacting the way he lives out his own faith in Christ.

Finally, Manfred will discuss how having hundreds of thousands of Muslim immigrants and refugees has impacted life in Europe, and how the church there is responding to “the biggest opportunity for missions our country has seen in decades.”

Sister Amber spent more than a decade in Tibet, providing vocational training to the people and sharing the gospel message of Christ’s love. She felt God's call especially to work among Tibet's nomadic tribal people, who jokingly call themselves "the roof on the roof of the world." Amber watched as God brought about a great ministry breakthrough: people who'd been totally closed to her message were now asking to learn more about Jesus. But just days after the breakthrough Amber experienced persecution as police came pounding on her door. Listen as she tells the story. You'll hear how God ministered to her in the hardest moments of her suffering. You'll hear how she was eventually released, and the way God showed her that her persecution wasn't the end of the story. You'll also hear how God laid on the hearts of people around the world to pray for Amber, including one who drew a picture of Amber surrounded by policemen in the interrogation room. Months later, when Amber saw the picture, it matched exactly the setting of her interrogation, but also offered a ray of spiritual hope. Your faith will be challenged as you hear Amber's thoughts on what the New Testament calls the "honor" of being persecuted, and she’ll give first-hand advice on how we can pray for Christians in prison right now.

“Brother Steven” is a church leader from the nation of Uganda, a country where more than 80% of the people identify themselves as Christians but where some areas are almost entirely Muslim and even pushing for Sharia law. Steven says Muslims in the country have an aggressive strategy to recruit Christians to convert to Islam, and he’ll share how Christians are responding. Church leaders are working to strengthen and deepen the faith of Uganda’s Christians, while also seeking to reach out to Muslims with the gospel message of Christ’s love. Listen to become more informed and learn how you can pray for the church in Uganda this week on VOM Radio.

Brother Harold has lived and ministered in Central Asia more than 15 years, serving among Muslims and seeing the challenges faced by those who choose to leave Islam and follow Christ. Listen this week as he challenges American believers to be more committed and more involved in gospel efforts to reach the unreached. Harold will share some of the challenges mission workers are facing around the world, including the sometimes-discouraging work of planting seeds of the gospel into hard, rocky soil where Jesus’ name has never been preached. Harold will equip us to pray better for the people of Central Asia, and for gospel workers serving in missions around the world.

Sister Sahar was born into a Muslim family in Saudi Arabia. When she came to the U.S. to attend university, a Christian friend shared the love of Christ and a Bible with her, and Sahar came to realize that Jesus was more than a prophet—He is the Son of God. But choosing to follow Christ came with a price: Sahar’s mom refused to speak to her for months after finding out that she was a Christian. Today, Sahar works to share Jesus’ love with other Muslim women in the Middle East through a ministry called Unveiling Beauty (www.UnveilingBeauty.org), and the joy in her life is one of the things God uses to show Muslim women how following Jesus is so very different from following Muhammed. Sahar will encourage listeners to reach out with love to Muslims right around us, and instruct on specific ways to pray for the nation of Saudi Arabia.

Brother Hamid from Iran is back on VOM Radio to finish telling the story of his conversion to Christ, and the persecution he faced in Iran after choosing to leave Islam. Hamid shares that, even as military officials were persecuting and beating him, the Holy Spirit reminded him to love them and care for their eternal souls. Hamid will also discuss how open Iranian people are to the love of Christ—both Iranians in Iran and those in other nations around the world, and how American Christians can participate in sharing the gospel with Muslims. If you missed Part 1 of Hamid’s story, listen to it here. Tune in also to hear thoughts from Dan Baumann, who shared the story of his arrest in Iran last month on VOM Radio, about reaching out to Muslims here in the United States, and his thoughts and advice for those feeling a call into missions.

On Monday, April 16, American pastor Andrew Brunson will begin his trial in a Turkish court room. He’s charged with espionage and terrorism, and a guilty verdict could carry a 35 year prison sentence. Andrew and Norine Brunson have served the people of Turkey for 23 years. This week on VOM Radio, their daughter Jacqueline shares about her dad’s arrest and how he’s doing as he awaits the opening of the trial. Jacqueline and her siblings were raised in Turkey and consider it home. Listen as she shares about her parents’ love for the Turkish people and culture, and how the family has seen God’s sovereign hand at work, even in the midst of this challenging ordeal. Finally, Jacqueline will give us specific ways to pray for Andrew, Norine and others involved as the trial begins Monday, and how we can pray for the wider Body of Christ in Turkey. Please share this conversation with other Christian friends to encourage them to pray as Andrew’s trial begins on Monday.

Hamid was born into a Muslim family in Iran. As a computer science student, he regularly visited different online chat rooms. One day he saw a chat room called “God is Love.” Hamid was intrigued, because the god he knew in Islam was not love. Christians in the chat room encouraged Hamid to read the Bible, and he began to do so. Soon he was convinced that the God of the Bible is the true God, and that Jesus was the Son of God. But following Jesus in Iran comes with a cost. First, Hamid’s own family turned against him. Then, during his mandatory military service, officers pressured him daily to denounce his faith. But Hamid refused to compromise or deny Christ, even as he was sent far from home. His attitude was simple: If God allowed me to be sent here, there must be someone here He wants me to share Jesus with! Be inspired by Hamid’s faith and faithfulness this week on VOM Radio.

One of the countries that most dominates our U.S. news cycle is North Korea. “Mrs. Kim” was born and raised in the “Hermit Kingdom.” Listen as she shares how she learned that hers was a Christian family, and how she had to keep that secret to avoid government pressure and even arrest. She’ll share how she committed her life to Christ, how she escaped from North Korea—multiple times—and paid the price when she was recaptured and sent back. You’ll also hear how Mrs. Kim’s son was recaptured, and her heartbreak as she doesn’t know today if he’s alive or dead. Be inspired to pray for North Korea this week as you hear Mrs. Kim’s amazing story.

Listen this week to the second half of our conversation with Dan Baumann, who was imprisoned on a trip to Iran and regularly beaten by guards. You’ll hear how Dan saw the heart of his tormentor changed by the love of God, and how he found out he’d be released—exactly on the schedule God had revealed to him on the day of his arrest. Dan will also share how God gave him experiences that have kept his heart soft towards the Iranian people, and practical advice on how we can pray for Christians in prison for their faith today. Dan will also talk about the unique prayer that his mother prayed right after his arrest in Iran. If you missed Part I of our interview with Dan, you can listen to it here. After you listen to this week’s episode, order a copy of the book which tells the story of Dan’s experiences in Iran, Cell 58 (affiliate link), and learn more about his ministry, YWAM.

Dan Baumann was living in Central Asia when he and a friend decided to make a Christmas-break visit to Iran. They experienced the warm welcome of the Persian people and culture, right up to the point where they tried to cross the border and exit the country. Passports were confiscated, and Dan found himself in a jail cell, interrogated harshly and beaten regularly.

Dan experienced the depth of depression in prison, even making a plan to “escape” a long prison sentence by taking his own life. But God was still there, and Dan found Him to be faithful to show His amazing love, even in prison.

God also taught Dan a great deal about loving our enemies, a difficult challenge when your enemies are literally beating you each day. Hear about that life-changing lesson this week on VOM Radio, and be back next week to hear the conclusion of our interview with Dan Baumann.

After you listen to this week’s episode, order a copy of the book which tells the story of Dan’s experiences in Iran, Cell 58 (affiliate link), and learn more about his ministry, YWAM.

“I was willing to die [for Christ]. But the only thing that happened to me was I got tortured for seven years....” Listen this week as Brad Phillips shares how he was inspired by these words of thankfulness from a bold Sudanese believer who suffered greatly for the gospel message. Brad leads Persecution Project Foundation, VOM’s project partner serving Christians from Sudan. In Brad’s years of ministry in Sudan, he’s met countless brave Christians who have suffered for the gospel, and his own faith has been inspired by their faithfulness to Christ under extreme suffering. Brad will share some of their stories this week, as well as ways that The Voice of the Martyrs is standing with and supporting our brothers and sisters in Sudan. As Brad and Todd discuss this week, one of the ways you can help Christians in Sudan (and other nations) is by providing a VOM Action Pack.

One year ago Petr Jasek walked out of a Sudanese prison, a free man after 445 days as a prisoner of the government of Sudan. Listen as Petr—who served as VOM’s regional director for ministry in Africa—shares what God has done and taught since Petr’s release, including the release of the Sudanese men who were on trial with Petr and the emotion of being reunited with them. Listen also for further discussion of Petr’s time in prison, how God moved and how Petr coped with the stress and the persecution he faced in the prison. Petr will also talk about how he and his family prepared ahead of time for the possibility of his arrest, and how his story has impacted Christians in his native Czech Republic. Right after his release, Petr shared the full story of his arrest and time in prison, including sharing his first prison cell with ISIS fighters. You can listen to those interviews here: Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.

Dan Brokke is the president of Bethany International (www.BethanyInternational.org), an organization with the goal of “Taking the church to where it is not, and helping others do the same.” Listen as Dan shares how Bethany set the goal of engaging with 500 unreached, unengaged people groups by 2020. He’ll share where they are in that process, and how the organization trains workers to go to the hard places of the earth and take the gospel places where people have never before heard the name of Jesus. He’ll also share stories from some of the places where the gospel has broken out like a wildfire, with hundreds and even thousands of people making the decision to follow Christ. Finally, Dan will help us think about how to pray for workers going out to these fields—with prayer concepts right from the Scripture—and pray for other missionaries we know and support.

Dr. Hormoz Shariat, the president and founder of Iran Alive Ministries, has been called “The Billy Graham of Iran” by author Joel Rosenberg. Millions of Iranians refer to Shariat as, “my pastor” as he speaks to them in their living rooms each evening through satellite television. In recent months, protests broke out all over Iran; people marched in the streets against their Islamic government. Dr. Hormoz will help us understand what the protests mean, and he’ll share how he encouraged Christians in Iran to use the protests as an opportunity to share the gospel, and how they saw new hearts come to Christ. Gain a better understanding of the nation of Iran, and specific ways that you can pray for Christian believers and Muslims there, this week on VOM Radio.

Tom and JoAnn Doyle have been married almost 38 years, and God has used their marriage to draw others to Christ in the United States and even in the Middle East. Listen in as they share how they’ve seen God use their marriage. They’ll tell you what Muslims see as different about a Christian marriage and how they have worked to balance God’s call to ministry and marriage in order to be successful at both. Tom and JoAnn will also share some real-life examples of how they’ve dealt with conflict, and give specific advice for different stages of your marriage. As we approach Valentine’s Day next week, spend a half hour thinking about marriage as ministry, and pray that God will use your marriage to bring others to Christ.

John Grooters is the director of a new movie portraying the story of VOM's founders, Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, the story told by Richard in his best-selling book, Tortured For Christ.

Listen this week as John talks about turning this iconic book into a film, including the challenge of portraying Richard’s suffering in an appropriate way. John will also share how God’s hand was on the production, including snowfall and sunshine in Romania that miraculously cooperated with the filming schedule and how He led John to just the right song for the film—a song written by a Christian cellmate of Richard Wurmbrand in prison!

You’ll hear how Richard’s faith has impacted John as he studied the story and created the film, and how he hopes it will also impact the faith of the viewers, including ending the movie not with a scene of suffering but a scene of American Christians worshipping the Lord.

Learn more about the film, and order the DVD, at www.TorturedForChrist.com, and hear VOM Radio host, Todd Nettleton, as a guest on John’s podcast, “No Shame,” by clicking here.

Join us this week as we get to know Cole Richards, who has served more than a decade with The Voice of the Martyrs and in January, 2018, stepped into the role as President and CEO of the organization.

Cole will share about how God called him to missions work and share about some of the persecuted Christians he’s met who have inspired his own faith walk, and how VOM plays a unique role within the wider missions community.

Cole will also give listeners an early look at some of the exciting opportunities VOM will pursue in the coming year, including a new book and movie telling the story of Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, VOM’s founders, and an important effort to bless and minister to more than 1,000 widows in Nigeria.

Cole opens up about the impact he hopes the stories of our persecuted brothers and sisters will have on American Christians—including VOM Radio listeners—to inspire them to live more boldly for Christ right where they are. Finally, he’ll share advice on how to pray for persecuted Christians, including how he makes his prayers for our persecuted family personal.

If you live in the United States and do not receive VOM’s free monthly newsletter, sign up here.

Cole Richards is the President of The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM). In addition to leading VOM’s service to persecuted Christians abroad, Cole serves as Publisher and Executive Producer of VOM’s publishing and media initiatives. Cole joined VOM in 2006 after living and ministering in a restricted nation, one of the least-reached in the Middle East, where he, his wife and their children reached out to Muslims and supported persecuted Christians.

Cole holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering as well as two master’s degrees: one in missiology, with a focus on evangelism in the Muslim world, and one in business administration (MBA) in the context of organizational leadership. Before entering full-time ministry, Cole served as a USAF officer, focusing on the rise of Islamic terrorist groups in the Middle East.

For years, Helen Berhane read Scriptures about forgiving our enemies and praying for those who persecute us. But during long months as a prisoner in Eritrea—including long stretches locked in a metal shipping container—Helen got to see those Scriptures come to life in her own spirit and actions.

In this second half of our conversation, she shares how she found that in the fires of intense persecution she was able to forgive and even love her persecutors. She’ll also share what it meant to know that other Christians around the world were praying for her and writing letters on her behalf, and how God’s Word powerfully impacted her as she read it while in prison.

After hearing how much Christians writing letters made a difference for Helen, you’ll want to write letters to Christians currently in prison in Eritrea. Finally, Helen will encourage us with ways we can pray for Eritrea—both for our brothers and sisters in prison there and for government leaders in the country who are persecuting our Christian family.

If you missed Part 1 of our conversation with Helen, you can listen to it here.