India recently updated the FCRA with stricter reporting requirements on non-profits. The new regulations also limit ministry activities to government-approved locations, and ban the use of foreign funds for religious conversion.

John Pudaite with Bibles For The World (BFTW) explains, “This allows the government to take action specifically by canceling their registration for any organization that reports or is reported to have had conversion activities.

“We as the Body of Christ are growing, we are sharing our faith in India, and we’re seeing people come to the Lord even more than ever before, I might say. Now, because of these restrictions being placed on us, it is going to make it tougher and tougher to defend ourselves.”

Boxes filled with Bibles, ready for distribution in India. (Photo courtesy of Bibles For The World)

Beyond the conversion language, ministries must now register every state where they operate. Pudaite says, “Each area of operation has to be specified. So if we have churches [and] schools in certain states, we have got to declare each one of those states…which implies we’re not approved to work in other states.”

The expanded reporting requirements also raise concerns.

“They are trying to reel all those in and make them all subject to these new regulations,” says Pudaite. “So if you fail to disclose a social media account or something like that, they can use this as a basis to cancel your registration under FCRA.”

Even so, BFTW sees God continuing to work across India as people are hungry for spiritual truth.

Pudaite says, “The requests for Scriptures that we’re receiving from partners in India – whether it be for Scriptures for evangelism or Scriptures for new believers – just continue to grow day by day. I mean, we’re seeing more this year than ever before.

“In spite of all the attempts of the government of India to restrict the growth of the Body of Christ, we continue to see new growth and can just praise God and give Him the glory for this!”

(Photo courtesy of Bibles For The World)

That growth makes faithful ministry – and careful compliance – more important than ever.

Pudaite urges, “We need to pray for the Christian organizations and churches that are working inside India… that they may be wise as serpents and harmless as doves… so they can continue to do the work that God has entrusted them with.”

Please pray for Christian ministries across India as they navigate these regulations while continuing to share the hope of Christ. Pray also that government leaders would come to know Jesus as “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”

Learn more about Bibles For The World and its ministry in India at biblesfortheworld.org.

Header photo: The Secretariat Building in New Delhi, India. (Photo, caption courtesy of Zoshua Colah/Unsplash)

If enacted, it could make life even harder for the state’s small Christian community.

The Gateway Of India in Mumbai, Maharashtra. (Photo courtesy of Sarang Pande/Unsplash)

Raina Miller with Mission India says, “What is interesting about Maharashtra specifically is that it’s less than 1% Christian in this state. So it’s really devastating to see that they would have anti-conversion laws in place that would make it even more difficult to spread the Gospel when we’re already starting with such a small population of believers.”

The Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill 2026 includes the requirement that anyone seeking to change their religion must give 60 days’ notice and obtain government approval.

For Christians, it’s another tool that could be used to silence believers and pressure those interested in learning about Jesus.

Miller says, “When there’s anti-conversion laws in place, it means that there’s that much more fear and intimidation being put towards our programs.

“So there’s a greater risk in that the people leading the programs have a greater chance of getting in trouble. There might be more of a legal risk of, ‘If I spread the Gospel in an anti-conversion state, I could be fined or imprisoned.’”

Amid the challenges, Mission India continues to see God at work.

“Every time that persecution increases, somehow we see the spread of the Gospel speeding up too. It says in Genesis, ‘What was intended for evil, God used for good.’ We refer back to that often in terms of persecution.”

(Photo courtesy of Mission India)

Miller shares, “Our partners in India have told us that their prayer is not for persecution to stop, but for God to give them the strength to keep spreading the Gospel.”

Pray that believers in Maharashtra would remain faithful and courageous as they share the hope of Jesus Christ. Ask God to strengthen His Church and open doors for the Gospel, even if the new law takes effect.

You can support Mission India’s critical Gospel work in Maharashtra and throughout India at missionindia.org.

Header photo:

The talks raise an important question: what do they signal about the potential legitimization of Taliban authorities?

Greg Kelley with Unknown Nations says, “I think every country, with maybe the exception of Russia, is tiptoeing around the Taliban. Russia is really the only one that I’m aware of that has legitimized the Taliban in any kind of a formal way. Everybody else is sort of acknowledging them. They might have interest. Some are reopening embassies and things of that nature.

Taliban fighters patrol Kabul, August 2021.
(Wikimedia Commons: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Taliban_Humvee_in_Kabul,_August_2021_(cropped).png)

“But nobody is in favor of how the Taliban operates. I mean, you’re talking about incredible amounts of human rights violations.”

It’s a disturbing reality for Afghan Christians going back.

“Almost all Christians inside of Afghanistan are what we call MBB – Muslim background believers,” says Kelley. “So they’ve converted from Islam, which, from their perspective and their version of Islam, is total apostasy, which is a capital crime. So I mean, living inside of Afghanistan as a follower of Jesus is maybe the most difficult place in the world to do so.”

Despite the danger, Kelley says ministries are finding ways to equip believers for outreach.

“There’s tremendous opportunities to train Afghans who are in these other countries who are ultimately going to be going back. I mean, Pakistan has pushed [out] hundreds of thousands of Afghans, deported them back. At Unknown Nations, we saw that as a green light opportunity and began doubling down on our strategies of training Afghans.

“We’ve trained over 800 Afghans – Christian leaders who are now missionaries inside of Afghanistan.”

Afghanistan (Photo courtesy of Rahmat Alizada/Unsplash.)

Pray for the Gospel’s spread in Afghanistan. Kelley asks for prayer in the words of Jesus from Matthew 9:38, “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest.”

Kelley says, “How crazy is this, that the Lord of the harvest would equip Afghans…to go back into Afghanistan? That’s what we’re doing at Unknown Nations – coming alongside these precious men and women, giving them as many solar-powered audio Bibles as we can in their language [so that] there will be revival in Afghanistan.

“There is such a hunger among the Afghan diaspora that is scattered all over the place, and they want to go back into their country and share the good news of Jesus Christ.”

Header photo: EU flags waving in front of the European Commission building in Brussels, Belgium. (Photo, caption courtesy of Marco/Pexels)

The opportunity began when Egby Medical Mission, a hospital in Nigeria, asked MAF to partner with their work in the country.

(Photo courtesy of MAF)

Andrew Sutton, MAF’s Nigeria Country Director, says, “There’s a lot in the news about Nigeria – the persecution that occurs there, some of the extreme terrorism that they’ve been dealing with for the last 20 years – and we’ve seen how MAF can come alongside groups that are working there in Nigeria to help overcome these obstacles, whether that’s challenges on the road or insecurity that they’re facing.

“The airplane is just a great tool to kind of help the ministry that’s already happening on the ground in Nigeria.”

The ministry plans to launch operations from Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city. Long-term, MAF hopes to connect remote communities through smaller airstrips closer to hospitals, schools, and ministry partners.

Andrew Sutton, left, MAF’s new Nigeria Country Director, and unidentified person from Egbe hospital, check out the airstrip being rebuilt for the hospital and MAF. (Photo courtesy of MAF)

Sutton explains those flights would meet a wide range of needs.

“Some of the requests that we’ve heard so far, it seems like the majority of those are transporting people around the country, and that could be people that need to just travel from one village to another. Sometimes those are medical flights…. also flying supplies, whether that’s for a school or a hospital.”

MAF has already cleared many administrative hurdles, but several key steps remain before flights can begin.

They hope to begin operating in Nigeria by early 2027, flying aid and ministry support in Jesus’ name. One major answer to prayer has already arrived: a donated 2025 Cessna Caravan valued at roughly $3.6 million.

“Even though some days it might feel like there’s a lot of steps left with all the regulatory process, seeing how the Lord has provided for the aircraft is a great encouragement.”

However, prayer is still needed as MAF works through the final approvals.

(Photo courtesy of MAF)

Sutton asks, “Pray through this process as we’re working through the civil aviation approval process to have visas for the country. The visas are probably the number one need at the moment, so that we can be there in the country and to help set up and to get ready for the aircraft coming over.

“Then ultimately [pray] for the airplane…. This is a big country, and it’s only one aircraft. But the Lord can work through this and to use this tool to reach inside the country.”

Find ways to support MAF’s critical Gospel aviation work here.

Header photo: Stock photo courtesy of MAF Guinea.

Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing is visiting China this week on a state visit, receiving a formal welcome from President Xi Jinping.

The trip offers more than diplomatic pageantry. For the junta government in Myanmar – which still faces international pushback to its legitimacy – the optics matter.

Beijing skyline (Photo courtesy of zhang kaiyv/Unsplash)

Todd Nettleton with The Voice of the Martyrs USA says, “The fact that the leader of this is now on a state visit to China and being welcomed with open arms, meeting with Xi Jinping really shows at least that the Chinese government is willing to accept the results of that election.”

Myanmar’s military seized power in 2021, overthrowing the country’s elected government. Although the junta later held elections, many countries rejected the results after opposition candidates were barred from participating.

Now, Nettleton says, “They (Chinese officials) are willing to do business with the [junta] military leaders, and that gives them a certain amount of legitimacy in the eyes of the world. I’m certainly fairly confident they will spend that at home as, ‘Look! We are the legitimate leaders. Even China recognizes it.’

“There [are] still a lot of questions about the election. There [are] still a lot of movements against the military leaders and against the current government.”

A street in Myanmar. (Photo courtesy of Ajay Karpur/Unsplash)

At home in Myanmar, people are feeling the pressure – especially Christians

“There’s a lot of difficulty in Myanmar economically, even [with] electricity,” says Nettleton. “There’s just so much challenge right now in the country, even living day to day.

“Then, when you add on, ‘Hey, I’m a follower of Jesus Christ,’ that can put a target on you as well. So it’s a difficult place to be a follower of Jesus, and the military junta is not making it easier. In fact, they’re trying to make it more difficult.”

As China strengthens ties with the junta, believers can stand with the Church in Myanmar through prayer.

Nettleton asks, “Pray for protection, especially for Christians [and] minority tribal peoples. I also think pray for the leaders of the Church. It’s difficult to be a pastor all the time, but then when you put it in a situation of persecution and…upheaval within a country, that adds layers of difficulty to the challenge, and so pray for the church leaders in Myanmar.”

Header photo: Min Aung Hlaing, Myanmar’s junta leader. (Photo courtesy of Zawzawaungthwin – Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=188626057)

More than 360 people abducted during a deadly March attack by Boko Haram militants in Borno state have been released after months in captivity.

Nigerian authorities say the military rescued the captives from a militant hideout. However, local leaders insist that private negotiations secured their freedom – not the government.

“It looks like this situation may be the government using it as PR,” says Greg Musselman with The Voice of the Martyrs Canada. “I hope that’s not the truth. But there just seems to be credibility, for example, from the Borno South Youth Alliance – of course, Borno State is where this happened in Nigeria – saying, ‘No, we were the ones that were conversing with those groups that had done this.'”

Rebecca, a Nigerian woman, watched helplessly with her daughter as Boko Haram militants killed her husband and son, and burned her home.
(Photo courtesy VOM USA)

Either way, Musselman says, “These families are now being reunited. We know, of course, that’s not where things end in terms of getting back to normal. There’s just a lot of heartache and trauma and all those things that are involved. But we are grateful for that [release].”

These ongoing attacks by radical Muslim groups highlight a larger problem that plagues Nigeria.

“There’s misinformation that’s saying, ‘Well, both Christians and Muslims are also suffering from the insurgency,’ says Musselman. “Yes, Muslims are suffering because groups like Boko Haram and ISIS as well in the west part of Africa are also targeting anybody that doesn’t go along with their ideology. But Christians are targeted.

“You see groups like the Boko Haram that have clearly stated that part of their goal is to go after the Christians. So they target the churches, the Christian villages, the pastors, and other religious leaders, and really the group’s ideology historically has identified Christians as the primary target.”

The threat has evolved over the years as Boko Haram splintered and other extremist groups gained influence.

“They have become more radicalized, and it’s not just the Boko Haram. There have been split-off groups of the Islamic State West Africa Province. ISIS, of course, [has] networks all around the world. So their resources are greatly increased.”

Nigerian church (photo courtesy of Tosin Superson via Pexels)

Musselman says Christians can rejoice with families welcoming loved ones home while remembering that many others remain in captivity.

Pray for healing from trauma, protection for vulnerable communities, and wisdom for Nigerian leaders. Pray also for Muslim extremists to stop the violence and embrace Christ as Savior.

Learn more about The Voice of the Martyrs Canada’s work at vomcanada.com.

Header photo: Boko Haram militants (Photo courtesy of VOM Canada)

As Mike with Global Catalytic Ministries explains, “It’s not the absence of fear, it’s what you do with fear.”

GCM partners with Gospel workers committed to serving Jesus in places like Syria, where sharing Christ with the Druze or Shi’ite communities could get you killed. More about that here.

“As Muslims have wiped out Christians, we want to bring back Jesus in these places,” Mike says.

“It’s complex, but we want to make sure Christian strongholds are established.”

Serving where faith can cost everything

Late last year, Sister H sensed the Lord calling her away from personal safety and toward her own Shiite community in Syria. As she attempted to pass through an ISIS-controlled corridor, “She’s arrested; she’s being interrogated,” Mike says.

“She thinks things are going to get bad, so she starts to pray, ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear?’” he continues.

“As they’re interrogating, she just is praying, proclaiming the promises of God.”

Suddenly and without reason, she was released and allowed to pass through.

(Photo courtesy of Global Catalytic Ministries)

“She went through all of that just to reach the single Shia person that she was connected to,” Mike says. “She’s willing to go into the pit and put her life on the line.”

Today, Sister H is embedded in a Shiite community, committed to discipling where it is most dangerous. Praise God for her faith, and pray that it will grow even deeper as she continues to follow Jesus.

Sister S, another committed Gospel worker trained by GCM, serves among Syria’s Druze community. Thanks to her steady obedience, the first Druze baptism took place in 2025. Pray for continued Gospel growth among the Druze community.

GCM wants to send three waves of disciples to deepen and expand these Jesus-centered strongholds in one of the most persecuted places on earth. Here’s how you can help.

Header and story images courtesy of Global Catalytic Ministries. 

That’s why Summer Bible Camps with Slavic Gospel Association (SGA) offer something increasingly rare: peace.

(Photo courtesy of SGA)

“Many of these children grow up hearing near-nightly air raid sirens. They are often without a father who’s either fighting on the front line or the economic conditions are such that the dad is needing to work somewhere else to make money for the family,” says SGA’s Eric Mock.

SGA-supported Ukrainian churches host these summer camps for children, and create a refuge from the realities of war.

The camps take many forms. Some resemble a neighborhood Vacation Bible School in a central building complex or apartment square. Others look more like traditional summer camps out in nature.

But Mock says this outreach goes far beyond a temporary escape.

“These camps then – more than just being islands of peace – are the islands of peace that pass all understanding, for these kids hear a message of hope. They encounter people who show them grace and love and patience and joy, and they encounter something different than the world has provided them.”

(Photo courtesy of Valentin Lupashko/Slavic Gospel Association)

As children and families experience Christian community, they also encounter the Gospel in action.

Mock shares, “Children and their families who have suffered from the ravages of war, who have known only difficulty and trials, are now brought into an environment that seems filled with light! [They go] from the darkness of this world to the light of the Gospel. They not only hear the Gospel message, but see the Gospel message.”

Please pray for Ukrainian children attending summer camps this year and for the churches sharing Christ’s hope amid the hardships of war. Ask God to draw families to faith and raise up a new generation of believers who will shine His light in their communities.

You can support SGA’s Ukraine ministry here!

Header photo courtesy of SGA.

For many Lebanese families, the result is confusion, uncertainty, and more displacement.

Nuna with Triumphant Mercy Lebanon explains, “Hezbollah is just saying, ‘We’re not stopping, we’re not stopping,’ and Israel is saying, ‘Okay, you don’t want to stop? Then we’re going to bomb, and we’re going to even target places that have not been targeted before.’ So they’re adding troops into Lebanon, the invasion is going deeper into Lebanon, and more lands, and more people.”

(Photo courtesy of TM Lebanon)

Meanwhile, humanitarian needs continue to grow. “We had maybe 200,000-300,000 people who [were] newly displaced just yesterday,” Nuna says.

“More people are being displaced, more people are homeless, more people are on the streets, more people don’t know where to go, and it’s very difficult to even understand when will this end?”

TM Lebanon is assisting displaced families. However, “At the end of the day, we are very limited,” Nuna says.

“Somebody called me with 55 families arriving yesterday…. This [is] a Christian village that had to move. They stayed as much as they could in the south to protect their village, to protect their homes. But at the end of the day, they had to move out.”

Even so, she says one of the ministry’s greatest tools is spiritual encouragement.

“Our main help is encouragement [and] prayer. We pray a lot for those people and that God will find a solution, that God will hasten the time.”

(Photo courtesy of TM Lebanon)

As conflict drags on, Nuna asks believers around the world to pray for more than a political solution.

“Pray that the Lord quickens the time, and that things will calm down quickly, and that He will prevail over all rulers and authorities and powers and governments and everything else.”

Please pray for displaced families across Lebanon, for Christ’s peace in the region, and for opportunities for Christians to demonstrate the hope of Jesus amid uncertainty. You can also support ministries serving vulnerable communities through TM Lebanon at tm-lebanon.com.

Header photo courtesy of Triumphant Mercy Lebanon.

At the same time, Edwin Abnous with Heart4Iran says reports about Iran’s political leadership are conflicting.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian (Photo courtesy of Khamenei.ir, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=150832367)

“Iran International reported that Iranian President Pezeshkian has sent his resignation to Mojtaba Khamenei, the Supreme Leader, but there is no way to verify this.

“It seems like there is an anonymous source sharing this information with Iran International, and we do not know who this source is. After that, a few Western media outlets also picked it up and repeated it, but as of now, no one has been able to independently verify it.”

Yet, there is one encouraging development.

“It seems like the internet is back on again,” says Abnous. “However, there is also severe restrictions for Iranian users. They need to use VPN to get into the outside world, but WhatsApp and Telegram and social media platform connections and messaging systems are picking up again, and we’re receiving some contacts, and that is good news.”

Restored internet communication, even to some extent, means more than exchanging messages. It means believers can better share Gospel hope with Iranians.

(Photo courtesy of Heart4Iran)

Abnous explains, “It is very important for the ministry like Heart4Iran to be able to have this two-way communication and connection with the people inside the country, because that is where discipleship is happening.”

For believers watching events unfold, Abnous encourages keeping sight of the people behind the headlines. While governments negotiate, exchange threats, and trade accusations, millions of Iranians continue searching for hope, truth, and lasting peace.

Pray for stability in the region, protection for civilians caught in conflict, and open doors for Gospel ministry. Ask God to strengthen Iranian believers and draw many people to Himself through the ongoing outreach and discipleship efforts taking place despite restrictions.

Learn more about Heart4Iran and its ministry to people in Iran at heart4iran.com.

Header photo: Tehran, Iran (Photo courtesy of Mohammad Amirahmadi/Unsplash)