Eric Mock with Slavic Gospel Association says the attacks overwhelmed the capital with a relentless barrage.

“There was a massive number of missiles that came in, and you could see wreckage coming down on buildings, which are igniting fires on the tops of the buildings, and then also the missiles and drones hitting all over Kyiv, people dying, people injured,” Mock says.

Children playing in front of a building being rebuilt in Zaporizhzhia (photo courtesy of SGA)

As reports of destruction continue to emerge, Mock warns that the constant stream of heartbreaking news can take a spiritual and emotional toll on those watching from afar.

“It’s just so much to process,” Mock says.

That sense of overload can easily lead to weariness and even desensitization. Yet Mock says there is another reality unfolding alongside the devastation — one that cannot be measured by military developments or casualty reports.

“In the middle of this hopelessness and this normalization of the difficulties around us, the church is now growing and flourishing,” Mock explains.

According to Mock, Ukrainian believers are finding hope not because the danger has passed, but because their confidence rests in Christ rather than their circumstances.

“It is about their conviction that Jesus will not leave them or forsake them. It is about their conviction that the promises of new life will continue,” Mock says.

That conviction is sustaining Christians even as air raid sirens, missile strikes, and falling debris remain a regular part of daily life.

“When wreckage from missiles are raining down, and missiles are falling down. They know they can’t stop that, but in those times they can trust in God,” Mock adds.

Please pray for the endurance of Ukrainian believers as they continue serving their communities amid ongoing attacks. Pray also for wisdom as Christians answer the difficult questions people are asking about suffering, loss, and hope, pointing them to the unchanging promises of Christ.

Visit Slavic Gospel Association to learn more about the way church serves amid the war in Ukraine.

Header photo: Representative photo of Kyiv under attack, 2022 (photo courtesy of Maksym Pozniak-Haraburda via Unsplash).

The attack ignited a fire at the Dormition Cathedral, an 11th-century church in the monastery complex – and considered one of the spiritual centers of Eastern Orthodox Christianity.

Slavic Gospel Association’s (SGA) Eric Mock says the monastery holds deep religious and cultural significance.

Kyiv Pechersk Lavra (Photo, caption courtesy of lifeinkyiv/Unsplash: https://bit.ly/4gwnavK)

“The church buildings in the monastery in Kyiv are classic. There’s an underground area where saints of old in the Orthodox tradition are entombed, and people will go. Visitors come from countries all around the world to see this monastery. It holds quite a great level of significance to the adherence of the Orthodox faith,” Mock explains.

“So when Russia chose to strike that monastery, it caught everyone by surprise. Of all the strategic sites to defend, no one thought you have to defend the monastery. Yet, that is exactly what happened.”

The attack comes amid an increasingly intense exchange of drone and missile strikes between Russia and Ukraine. Yet Mock says this strike felt different.

“The target had no military value, no strategic value, other than to be discouraging. So the targeting was clear to discourage the people and destroy what most consider part of their national identity.”

(Photo courtesy of SGA)

Even as historic monastery grounds suffer damage, Ukraine’s evangelical churches continue their ministry. And Ukrainian believers remain focused on eternal hope.

“Ukraine, in many regards, is considered the Bible Belt. As the war continues and you see an assault on history, the people of Ukraine – especially in the churches that we serve – continue to be resilient in declaring the Gospel, even in tragic times,” Mock says.

“We would ask everyone to pray for an end to this war, but we live in very chaotic days. So more than praying for an end to the war, we ask the believers to pray that many come to faith through difficult days.”

Ask God to comfort those affected by the latest attacks, strengthen Ukrainian believers, and draw many people to Christ amid ongoing hardship.

You can also support SGA’s ministry as it equips local churches serving communities across Ukraine. Learn more about SGA’s Gospel-focused work in Ukraine at their website.

Header photo: Kyiv’s Dormition Cathedral fire after Russian strikes, June 15, 2026. (Photo by Mincult.gov.ua, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=193921057)

One building destroyed was not a military target, but a church building in Zaporizhzhia. Yet, Eric Mock with Slavic Gospel Association (SGA) says the church lives on through the people of God.

The church in Zaporizhzhia destroyed by Russian drone and missile attack. (Photo courtesy of SGA)

Mock was in Zaporizhzhia recently, visiting ministry partners. He shares, “Church leaders and pastors there who traveled to multiple villages that were in an area called the gray zone, which is about 20 miles away from the front lines.

“[It was] close enough that we could hear the rumble of explosions in the distance, and close enough that the people lived in terror every single day of small drones that would fly around with explosives and take out people. These villages were literally decimated.”

For these pastors, going to the mission field looks like putting on literal body armor along with the spiritual armor of God. Mock says they’ve counted the cost.

“These pastors were there because they could not live with the thought that someone could perish apart from the Gospel. And so they come.”

Mock explains, “In these villages with these pastors, we help them do what they cannot do by providing the resources. And they do what we cannot do, which is almost daily wearing body armor [and] heading into the front lines to advance the Gospel and the goodness of God to a people who are hurting and lost.”

Eric Mock (center right) in a village near the front lines. (Photo courtesy of Eric Mock/SGA)

As the war drags on, embattled Ukrainians are struggling for hope.

“Generations are being impacted by this. So pray, first of all, that the believers would not be discouraged, that they would not be indifferent or lose heart, that they would remain faithful,” he asks.

“But mostly, pray for faithfulness in the midst of what the Lord continues to allow for His purposes…. Churches are being planted, congregations are moving forward, and God is continuing to be glorified in difficult times.”

You can support SGA’s relief efforts in Ukraine at sga.org.

Header photo: The church in Zaporizhzhia destroyed by Russian drone and missile attack. (Photo courtesy of SGA)

Todd Nettleton with The Voice of the Martyrs USA (VOM) says, “People came in on bikes and motorcycles, opened fire. The initial reports were at least 30 people killed. I think that number is going to rise as some were badly injured.”

This coordinated attack targeted believers, as the affected community in northern Jos is almost entirely Christian.

“The gunmen were yelling, ‘Allahu akbar,’ or ‘Allah is great,’ as they were conducting this attack,” Nettleton says. “So there clearly was an Islamist ideology that was driving this – and the fact that it was on Palm Sunday, I don’t think that is insignificant in this story as well.”

(Photo courtesy Voice of the Martyrs USA)

Northern Nigeria remains a hotspot for Christian persecution. That reality makes it difficult for believers to discern between empty threats and imminent danger.

Nettleton says, “Our Nigerian contact said there had been threats in Jos. Even in the last two or three weeks, there had been threats made against Christians, against churches…. The threat level is always elevated. So [it means] differentiating between, ‘Is this sort of a regular threat? Or is this really serious? Do we need to pay extra attention to this?'”

Boko Haram and Fulani militants frequently carry out attacks on Christians in Nigeria’s Muslim-majority north. While neither group has officially claimed the attack in Jos, Christian holidays often become opportunities for Islamist violence.

“One of the things that we…at The Voice of the Martyrs try to do is bang the drum for us to remember Christians are at extra risk on these holy days – on Christmas, on Easter. During times when there are a lot of Christians gathering, the gatherings are obviously known. They’re very public, and so the risk is greater in these holidays.”

(Photo courtesy of VOM USA)

With Easter quickly approaching, the Church in Nigeria needs your prayers.

Nettleton urges, “Think about brothers and sisters who are worshiping and celebrating the same resurrection we are, but they’re doing it in a place where they are in danger, where the threat is very real to them – to pray for them, to remember them as Hebrews 13:3 tells us to do. I think, honestly, that adds a depth to our celebration of the resurrection.”

Header photo courtesy of VOM USA.

“Gospel has no boundaries, and Gospel is limitless to any country,” says Nehemiah from FMI. And testimonies coming from Afghanistan show that God is on the move. Yet, the Gospel work often comes with a price.

One of those testimonies comes from Lala Zeeshan, a Muslim-background believer who was baptized two years ago. Since then, he has faithfully served alongside the FMI team, helping distribute audio Bibles across Afghanistan so people can hear Scripture in a format that fits the realities of life under pressure and limited access.

Representative photo of Badakhshan, Afghanistan (courtesy of Joel Heard via Unsplash)

That kind of ministry carries risk. When Lala Zeeshan came to Christ, people from his former religious community attacked him.

“His arm and one of his ribs were broken due to persecution by members of a former faith community, Islam, and there was a Muslim extremist who wanted to kill him. Even then he chose to publicly declare his faith in Jesus,” explains Nehemiah.

Despite those threats, he continued serving — until a recent attack.

“During the current Audio Bible distribution campaign in Afghanistan, Lala Zeeshan was brutally attacked by extremists because of his involvement in sharing God’s word,” says Nehemiah.

According to FMI, the assault left him with multiple stab wounds to the lower abdomen and serious injuries. With limited medical facilities available locally, he was given initial emergency care and then transported out of the country for further treatment. By God’s grace, he survived the attack and reached a place where he could receive more comprehensive help.

“This attack is a sobering reminder of the very real cost many believers faced for following Jesus Christ and making His Word known,” adds Nehemiah.

Nehemiah says this situation needs focused prayer from the global Church — not only for Lala Zeeshan’s physical recovery, but also for protection and perseverance for believers serving under constant threat. He says:

“It’s an urgent prayer request for our listeners, please [pray for the] complete healing of Lala Zeeshan’s body and protection from infection or complications.”

Pray for the endurance of Afghan believers as they share God’s love with their communities, and for open hearts as Scripture reaches new areas through audio Bible distribution.

Visit FMI to support their work in Afghanistan.

Header photo: Street scene in Kabul, Afghanistan ( courtesy of Farid Ershad via Unsplash)

India (MNN) — Police continue the hunt for all culprits behind last Monday’s suicide bombing outside of the Red Fort in New Delhi. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the attack that killed at least 13 a “terror incident” done by “anti-national forces.”

So far, the investigation has revealed that the car carrying the explosives was driven by a Muslim doctor, Umar Nabi. Over the weekend, authorities arrested the owner of that car, an alleged accomplice.

People look around in a colorful market in Pakistan (Photo courtesy of Umar Farooq via Unsplash)

John Pudaite with Bibles For the World says most of the violence between religions in India occurs between Hindus and Muslims.

“This is a really interesting development, seeing here the educated among the Muslims who are serving in India becoming radicalized and getting involved,” says Pudaite. “This is a huge cause of concern, certainly for the country of India.”

The clash between the faiths crosses national borders as well. Tensions between majority-Muslim Pakistan and majority-Hindu India have been exceptionally high since April, when a terror attack in Pahalgam, India-administered Kashmir, killed dozens of civilians and sparked a four-day war between the nations.

As if to underscore this, hours before the Red Fort blast, police in India-administered Kashmir uncovered a terror cell involving at least seven people, including two Kashmiri doctors. Then, hours after the attack in India, Pakistan suffered its own terrorist incident in its capital.

A target on their backs

Pudaite notes that there’s another layer in this tragedy to be aware of: whether Christians will be harmed.

Women wearing colorful clothing walk into the historic Agra Fort in Agra, India. (Photo courtesy of IMB)

“One of my first thoughts when I heard [about the suicide bombing was], ‘Oh boy. Where are the Christians going to get attacked in revenge for this?’” he says. “Even though we had nothing to do with it there in India, it seems like we are the easy target for revenge from either side.” 

That’s because attackers know that while their enemies might strike back, Christians won’t strike back. It leads to a sobering trend: On average, two incidents of persecution against Christians happen every day in India.

Now that you know, keep watching India. Pray that Indian authorities will administer justice fairly. Pray for believers who may be caught in the backlash.

“These are the tensions. This is real, happening,” says Pudaite. “Just to be able to pray into that context a little more informedly, that these are real conflicts going on and real threats that they [Christians] face every day. And yet within this, we see so many wonderful Christians, ministries, [and] churches doing outreach among their fellow Indians. It’s just amazing.”

Header photo: “Through the barricades” | The iconic Red Fort or Lal Qila — the 17th-century historic fort in Old Delhi, India built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site — as seen beyond the security barricades [Photo: October 2022] (Stock photo and caption courtesy of Brijender Dua via Unsplash)

In 2022, Russia assaulted Irpin Biblical Seminary after receiving reports of civilians fleeing there. Eric Mock with Slavic Gospel Association says, “That school endured 30 rounds of mortar fire that turned the second floor of the school into an inferno, destroyed many of the rooms on the first floor, and, of course, vaporized the roof. For all intents and purposes, that building was gutted while 120 people were hiding in the basement below – and they survived.”

Irpin Biblical Seminary (Photo courtesy of Eric Mock/SGA)

Rebuilt and Thriving

Mock visited the school after the attack in 2022 and says it was hard to see. People were reeling from the war.

In time, the Slavic Gospel Association, as well as the seminary’s other supporters, helped them rebuild. Now just over three years later with the war still being fought, Mock says the seminary is like a new place.

“There was joy in the hallways. The professors that were there walked up and gave me great hugs with smiles on their faces, saying, ‘It’s good to see you.’ The students in between the breaks when I was teaching, were worshiping. Literally, they gathered around a piano and worshiped.”

Irpin Biblical Seminary (Photo courtesy of Eric Mock/SGA)

Yet the war was right outside. Mock says that while he was teaching classes there was anti-aircraft fire in the distance and even drones flying around the area to exhaust the people. These drones are sent especially between one a.m. and four a.m. to disrupt sleep patterns. However, people remain hungry for the Word of God and continue to joyfully serve God and each other.

“It was startling to see how much joy there was, how much effort there was to press forward. So as much as the Russian army is trying to bring the people to despair, the churches, the Bible-teaching churches we serve (which are over 1900 churches in Ukraine), these are the churches that are proclaiming hope of the Gospel and shining light in the middle of a dark time.”

A Reminder of Gospel Joy in Trials

Mock says this should serve as a reminder of truth for American Christians. It is like looking at a living hall of faith from Hebrews 12. We can see the Gospel being lived out by ordinary people who now are living in extraordinary circumstances and trials.

Irpin Biblical Seminary (Photo courtesy of Eric Mock/SGA)

“In Isaiah, 30 verses 20 to 22 and verse 21 it talks about, ‘You will hear the voice of the teacher, and he will say, this is the way when you turn to the left or the right.’ And we need to have that laser focus on Him, and that will guide us through these times. That’s what I saw in Ukraine, not despair, but joy. That’s kind of the story behind the story – is God advancing His church, and it’s a glorious thing to see.”

Please pray that God would continue to sustain the church in Ukraine. If you want to get involved with the Slavic Gospel Association, click here.

Header photo courtesy of Slavic Gospel Association.

Bruce Allen with FMI says the attackers incorrectly believed the prayer house was an unregistered church.

“Men armed with wooden sticks smashed the building’s windows even while women and children were still inside. Kids crying and screaming could be heard as they were forced out by the group. It was very terrorizing for them.”

Two children, ages 8 and 11, were injured by the attackers throwing objects. Police have arrested nine men in connection with the assault.

An Indonesian pastor hikes through a rainforest on the island of Borneo over a broken-down bridge to reach a ministry site. (Photo, caption courtesy of FMI)

The incident follows another attack on a Christian youth camp last month, raising concerns about the trend of anti-Christian violence in Indonesia.

While Indonesia officially recognizes Christianity and guarantees religious freedom in its constitution, believers often face harassment and discrimination in Muslim-majority regions.

Allen points out that Indonesia has appeared on Open Doors’ World Watch List for Christian persecution for years. “For the last couple of decades that I’ve been tracking, Indonesia has been on it,” he says. “Except this year, it did not make the top 50. But it doesn’t necessarily mean that things are improving in Indonesia. It could just mean that things got a lot worse in other countries and they had a worse score than Indonesia.”

Despite growing pressure, Indonesian Christians remain steadfast in their faith. Allen urges fellow believers to pray.

“Pray for that resilience and perseverance of the Christians — especially those young, tender students — that they would learn much from this experience that they endured. Pray for the Christians’ ability to forgive and to bless.”

Learn more about FMI’s ministry in Indonesia.

Header photo: Nestled in the rainforests of Sumatra, flanked by volcanoes, Christian churches and prayer houses continue to grow despite radical Muslim oppression. (Photo, caption courtesy of FMI)

Today, 97 hostages are still in Hamas captivity, their fates unknown. This attack spurred a war with Israel that still rages today.

For those who lived through it, October 7th will forever be a day that changed everything.

Pastor Tesfalidet Kahasi with Beit Hallel Congregation says, “We are well experienced with sirens because we live here in Israel and hear such awful sounds. But that morning was something different. We said, ‘What’s going on?’

“We just turned on the TV and we started watching the media and we saw something terrible — something that we hadn’t seen before, something that is very hard to understand and to believe.”

A home in Kibbutz Nir Oz after the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel. In the October 7, 2023 surprise attack on the Gaza border communities, Hamas either killed, injured or abducted about one quarter of the 400 residents of Kibbutz Nir Oz.
(Wikimedia Commons)

Before October 7th last year, Israeli society was facing deep social and political unrest, with protests taking over city streets. “In Israel, there was a lot of division,” Kahasi remembers. “I was afraid for a civil war.”

After the Hamas attack, many of those divides melted away as the nation of Israel came together to mourn and support its defense. Yet, the divide between Jews and Arabs in the Middle East remains stark and has grown in some ways.

Kahasi says, “When we go outside, the Palestinians are hateful. The Palestinians hate Israel. And we, the Israelis, also [do] the same thing. When you say ‘Palestinian,’ there is some hatred that you can see on the face of the people.”

To the world, a genuine friendship between Arabs and Jews would be unusual, at best. In the wake of October 7th, such a friendship is perhaps even unbelievable.

“But listen,” Kahasi says, “I have an Arab pastor brother from Nazareth, Pastor Salim. He’s an Arab Christian brother. When he’s coming to our church, I love him, I hug him like a brother. Not only like a brother. He is my brother!”

The Church Can Show the Way Forward

Brotherhood in Christ may not smooth over every nuance of conflict in the Middle East. There is still much even fellow Christians disagree on.

Yet, to a world so bent on tribalism and discord, Kahasi says the Church must stand as the model of biblical forgiveness, reconciliation, and unity in love.

Jerusalem, Israel. (Photo courtesy of Dariusz Kanclerz/Unsplash)

“We need to get together, especially the born-again Christians that drank the same Spirit. We need to hold hands together. We need to stir together. We need to combine our faith. We need to pray together. It doesn’t matter — Arabs, Jews, Gentiles, Greeks. It doesn’t matter where they are from or where we are from. We drank the same Spirit.”

Kahasi recently witnessed this profound truth after he virtually attended a conference with Christian leaders from around the world.

“There were a lot of leaders from different countries — from Iran, from Iraq, from Syria, from Lebanon, from a lot of countries,” Kahasi says. “I told them, ‘We are brothers. We drank the same Spirit…. We have to join hands. We have to pray together because we have a powerful name, and that is the name of the Prince of Peace, Yeshua.’

“I was on my way home on the same day of that conference, and then they stopped me. They called me by WhatsApp and they told me, ‘We need you here. We need to see you, and we need your prayers.’ So I stopped somewhere and I joined them by Zoom, and then I started praying. The Holy Spirit gave me some words for them.

“And then, guess what? There was an Iranian brother there. Iranian brother! He starts to prophesy over me, and then he starts bringing some great words.

“There was a sister there with hijab because she came from a very rooted Islamic family. So she wore a hijab, and then she starts to prophesy over me. You know, I’m Israeli. I’m a Jew. And then this lady from Iran, she starts prophesying over me.

“Can you believe that this thing happened because of the Holy Spirit? Because of the Spirit that we drank? Because of the Prince of Peace, Yeshua? Hallelujah!”

Pray for Israel

Steeple in Jerusalem, Israel. (Photo courtesy of Jonny Gios/Unsplash)

The first anniversary of October 7th is marked with grim remembrance and grief. For those who lost loved ones or are still waiting to learn the fate of those taken hostage, it’s a devastating milestone.

Jesus is close to the broken-hearted and weeps with those who weep.

Kahasi says the people of Israel need to know the comfort, hope, and salvation of Christ the Messiah. He asks, “Pray for this nation, especially for the congregation of this land…. There is a lot to do in Israel. There is a lot of harvest in Israel. So pray for us. Pray for us to encourage ourselves in the God of Israel and then to stand together and to win souls for the Kingdom.”

Header photo courtesy of Cole Keister/Unsplash.

Iran stated the attack was in response to the killings of two leaders of the terrorist groups Hezbollah and Hamas in recent months. Israel has promised it will retaliate, and Iran has responded with threats as well.

On Tuesday night, Zev Sigulim with MegaVoice watched with his family near the Sea of Galilee as rockets flew toward the center of Israel. 

“My kids, we were in the bomb shelter just now. I feel kind of speechless, having just had a bunch of rockets fly over my house,” Sigulim said not long after those moments.

Iranian missiles flying over an Israeli city near the Sea of Galilee, October 1, 2024 (Video screenshot courtesy of Zev Sigulim)

“I was on the phone with some of our staff [discussing] ‘Do we come into work tomorrow? Do we not come into work tomorrow?’ So there’s that side of things. There hasn’t been school [for the children] for a few weeks.”

Sigulim describes daily life and work punctuated by sirens and sprints to the bomb shelter. 

“Every family in Israel is affected, whether you’re talking about families who have young children or young men in the army or fathers in the reserves, or uncles or sons or daughters,” he says.  

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Pray for children, soldiers, and families dealing with trauma. 

“In the spirit of unity, pray for also Christians on the other side of this conflict. That’s something that that we don’t want to lose sight of. We know that this war is not with flesh and blood, but with the evil powers [in the heavenly realms],” Sigulim says. 

“It’s really hard to to keep that in mind as you’re sitting with your family in a bomb shelter, but we have to remember to keep that in mind.” 

Learn more here about MegaVoice’s mission to bring God’s Word to people across the world. 

Header photo is a representative stock photo courtesy of Lara Jameson via Pexels.