A Rapid Support Forces commander known as “the butcher of El Fasher” is reportedly out of prison and back in combat, boosting morale among rebel forces and spreading fear among survivors.

Flag of the Rapid Support Forces
(MartinKassemJ120, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons)

The RSF detained Brigadier General al-Fateh Abdullah Idris, known as Abu Lulu, after multiple social media videos showed him committing atrocities against unarmed civilians in the fallout from last year’s battle for El Fasher.

The trauma inflicted by Abu Lulu and others demonstrates how citizens pay the heaviest price of Sudan’s civil war.

Neither of the warring sides offers protection or help, and aid workers cannot reach starving communities. John of Greater Reach Alliance explains, “There are no safe corridors for humanitarian aid access inside Sudan right now.”

If Sudanese people cross into a neighboring country, they still struggle to find food, clean water, and shelter. “This is not only in refugee camps, but in Sudan itself, because basic infrastructure has been destroyed,” John says.

“Water systems, electricity – all the things that make up a functioning civil society have been destroyed.”

Hope amid loss

Sudan’s civil war began in April 2023. Since then, at least 59,000 people have lost their lives, and 30 million Sudanese require support to survive.

Church planters supported by GRA offer biblical trauma healing and targeted relief aid. “There’s only one source of healing that we can offer them, and it is the Gospel,” John says.

In dozens of locations, GRA teams encounter Sudanese refugees and displaced families who are desperate for hope. “People are deeply, deeply exhausted, and they’re living under constant fear,” John says.

“They carry such deep trauma from the loss of family, of home, and dignity. This trauma is shaping their daily lives and how they view the future.”

Even in places marked by fear, loss, and displacement, the Lord is drawing people to Himself and bringing His peace.
(Photo, caption courtesy of Greater Reach Alliance)

More than 300 graduates from GRA’s school of mission and 28 church-planting teams are serving Sudanese people in refugee camps in three countries. During every encounter, believers offer the compassion of Christ.

John says the response to believers’ kindness often goes something like this: “We’ve been told Christians were evil. How can you love us like this? We’ve been taught to hate you.”

How to help

UNHCR’s 2026 appeal describes Sudan’s war as the world’s largest displacement, humanitarian, and protection crisis. While humanitarians struggle to raise the funding needed to address needs en masse, you can help Sudanese people directly through GRA.

Your gifts enable Gospel workers to meet physical and spiritual needs. Although it’s primarily a church-planting ministry, GRA’s targeted relief efforts include food, shelter, and medicine as the Lord provides.

“God has miraculously opened the door for us. Even though these ministries weren’t our wheelhouse, God has said, ‘Yes, I’ll be with you,’ and He is,” John says.

“Pray that God would bring into our hands the means to provide food and shelter. We’ve done that many times,” he continues.

“The shelter is a tarp over their head, because that’s all we had, but they’re sitting in the middle of the sun in some of these areas – that’s 110 degrees.”

Pray that the Sudanese people will surrender their lives to Jesus as they encounter Him through the GRA teams. Pray they will accept the Gospel as truth.

“We’ve had our tragedies, and there will be tragedies to come. How do we as Christians get through them? It’s because the Gospel is true,” John says.

Header image is an AI photo generated by ChatGPT. 

A recent gang massacre in Haiti’s Artibonite region killed at least 70 people, destroyed more than 50 homes, and forced about 6,000 to flee. Even as National Police deploy armored vehicles, gangs controlling much of the capital continue their brutality, with instability spreading beyond Port-au-Prince.

“This is both a humanitarian crisis and a spiritual crisis,” says Brian Dennett with AMG International.

Families are living in constant fear. There have been kidnappings, shootings, and destruction of property — evidence of a broader collapse in Haiti, with very few basic services available. Hospitals have shut down due to the violence, and more than 1.4 million people have been displaced, fleeing their homes.

(Photo courtesy of AMG International)

As violence has overtaken the capital, many families have fled, heading south of Port-au-Prince.

“These regions, which were very quiet previously, are now pretty overwhelmed with all of these displaced people. And many of them are arriving with nothing,” adds Dennett.

As systems collapse, ministries are stepping in.

“We came up with a strategy with our team,” explains Dennett, “there to enter specific communities where there were a lot of displaced people.” They are providing food, clothing, water, and shelter while also establishing churches and hosting outreach.

The Gospel follows the aid. “People are are looking for hope. They’re looking for truth, and so as we come alongside and meet their most desperate needs, we are also sharing the love of Jesus and the Gospel with them,” says Dennett.

They have expanded Bible school work, equipping a new generation of pastors and leaders. Their hope is to reach tens of thousands of people with the Gospel, while also providing support during this difficult time.

“I think this is a really unique opportunity in Haiti for the church to rise up in a time where their systems really have collapsed,” adds Dennett.

Pray the Church will shine in the chaos, and that ministries have the resources to continue serving those in need.

Visit AMG International to partner with them in supporting the Haitian church.

Header photo courtesy of AMG International.

(Photo courtesy of Erik McLean/Unsplash)

Two years of conflict shuttered most hospitals and clinics. One review found that in states affected by the war, close to 70 percent of health facilities had closed or were barely functioning. Even if a clinic exists, most Sudanese cannot safely or affordably get to it.

Earlier this year, the Lord’s provision seemed like a miracle in and of itself. “God provided medications that allowed us to do what we were capable of doing, and it was just an incredible blessing,” says a Gospel worker we’ll call John*.

“We did a pop-up clinic, we identified the needs of people, and we gave them medication.”

But the blessing didn’t stop there. Sudanese church planters working alongside the medical teams shared Christ with every patient.

“The Gospel is hope. When there is an actual connection with a person to say, ‘I have hope for you today. Would you like to hear it?’ And the answer is ‘yes, please’ – in the middle of an unchanged exterior, there is an internal rest,” John says.

“The outside things that happen to a person – peace doesn’t come from there. It comes from what happens on the inside.”

Today, those patients still have peace that surpasses understanding.

“It’s hard to calculate the responses of the people that are coming to Christ, but the absolute power of the Gospel, when it’s combined with practical, compassionate service to their needs, has been a very special thing,” John says.

Find your place in the story

Now that you know, how will you respond? Start by seeking the Lord. Then, wait for His leading. “I found there needed to be a transformation in my prayer life, from taking the list of my needs to God to be part of His plan for reaching the world,” John says.

Submission also involves asking the Lord, “Will you involve me in the Great Commission?” John adds.

“There are a lot of ways of going, and first of all, it is going there with your heart. Eventually, your other parts of your life will continue… it is a wonderful beginning of a new aspect of your faith.”

Consider partnering with John’s organization to support Sudanese church planters.

*Pseudonym

Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Nappy/Unsplash.

Across Türkiye, pastors faithfully serve their communities, nurturing believers and guiding churches to maturity. As one congregation grows strong and vibrant, the next step — multiplying into new fellowships — can bring its own challenges. Still, many continue seeking ways to extend the Gospel’s reach to places where it has not yet been heard.

Patrick Anthony from FMI says, “One of the biggest challenges is finding those people in a country with a Christian population that’s so small in percentage.”

Türkiye’s Christian population is less than one percent. Though most Turkish Muslims are cultural rather than devout, the Church often feels isolated. Yet the need for hope and the Gospel remains great — a need made especially clear after the earthquake two years ago.

“Muslims were coming to faith in Christ,” Anthony recalls, “because of the way the Christian community was caring for them in the aftermath, compared to the government.”

Yet with the great need, there are not enough people. Anthony says FMI looks for pastors to work alongside who meet certain criteria:

• deeply rooted in their faith,
• grounded in Scripture,
• experienced in leading the Church,
• genuine in their relationship with Jesus,
• and most importantly, they understand the need for the Church to multiply and reach more people.

Bustling Istanbul Bazaar (Photo courtesy of Ugur Tandogan via Pexels)

Anthony explains that a true church planter is someone who can “raise up a church and mature and disciple a church for the purpose of those people’s spiritual health, and also the multiplication of the church.”

Encouragingly, this work is happening in some areas of Türkiye.

“They [Christian leaders] are in one neighborhood with hundreds of thousands of people, and they’re pastoring the only known evangelical church there. They’re praying and planning to plant another church in a nearby suburb — also with hundreds of thousands of people — and they don’t know of any evangelical churches there,” Anthony says.

Yet one challenge is that many areas remain unreached, and there is a growing need for strategic planning. In addition, Turkish law doesn’t allow the construction of new church buildings; believers must use existing structures or, when that’s not possible, rent office space. This reality highlights the urgent need for prayer!

Please pray for workers to be found, as the harvest is ready! Visit FMI to learn more about their work and the ways you can help.

Abandoned 18th Century Brick Church in Turkiye (photo courtesy of Meriç Tuna via Pexels).

One ministry taking that danger seriously is ZimZam Global, a church-planter training organization that approaches children’s discipleship first.

“With the rise of terror groups in Africa, you would realize that the most affected people are children,” says Francis Kataka Kubondo with ZimZam Global. “Wherever there is an attack, definitely the children suffer most.” 

Children’s school attendance and church and family life all come under threat when terrorists strike. Some may be exploited in the worst of ways.

Children are also vulnerable to accepting Islamic State jihadism themselves. Kubondo explains that extremists will sometimes enter communities the same way that Christians do. They might offer humanitarian aid or school sponsorship, gaining influence.

(Photo courtesy of Fatima Yusuf via Unsplash)

“They target areas where people are poor, [they] target area[s] where there is some form of instability, and then they present themselves as a solution,” he says. 

Yet there is a crucial difference: “For Christianity, we are driven by love, as opposed to the Islamists, who are driven by fear.” 

ZimZam Global’s vision is a church for every child. Today, they serve in Africa, Latin America, and South Asia, and their reach is expanding.

“Most [other] church planting trainings focus on adults, but for us, we do it the other way around. We first of all reach out to children, and then through children, the church planter can gain access to family and then through family, now a church can be birthed,” says Kubondo.

The next generations in Africa are on the line, so please pray! Pray that instead of being exposed to Islamic extremism, many more children in Africa will accept Christ, join God’s family and serve His good Kingdom purposes. Pray for more believers to join the work to reach children for Christ in Africa. Pray for resources ZimZam Global needs to carry this mission forward. 

“Our biggest cry in Africa is for God to provide opportunities in His own ways so that we can move up to the northern part of Africa and share the goodness of Christ in those areas,” says Kubondo. “As of now, the engagement is very low.” 

Header photo is a representative stock photo courtesy of Michael Ali via Unsplash. 

As an Illuminations partner, unfoldingWord catalyzes church-centric Bible translation around the world. Dane says unfoldingWord exists to see “the church in every people group and the Bible in every language.”

(Photo courtesy of unfoldingWord)

unfoldingWord partners with church planters and church networks worldwide to fulfill this mammoth purpose. “We don’t make Bible translations; we make Bible translators. We are equipping people to become excellent Bible translators,” Dane says.

“It’s the primary way God has called us to participate in the Great Commission. We catalyze and equip church networks so that they are empowered and successful in reaching the least-reached.”

Translation testimonies

On a practical level, unfoldingWord supplies tools, technology, and training to help church planters translate God’s Word into minority languages. More about that here.

“We see what we do as kind of ‘turbo-charging’ church planting ministries around the world,” Dane says. “They are already trying to do Bible translation because they need it; they can’t wait.

“It takes too long to get a Western missionary to go. They need the Bible like, yesterday, in the heart languages of the people groups where they are.”

For example, Benin has more than 50 indigenous languages. Many still lack Scripture, and the most recent New Testament took 20 years to publish. One church planting partner there recently told Dane, “When I first got involved in this and I heard how long that would take, [I] said, ‘How are we ever going to do this? How are we ever going to get the Bible in all these languages?”

Believers shared the following after receiving Bible translation tools and training from unfoldingWord:

“Our encounter with unfoldingWord completely changed our perspective. Now we know that Bible translation can be done in a more inclusive, effective, and efficient way than ever before. We’re proud to be involved, and we’re ready to make a sacrifice to make this dream a reality.”

Consider supporting unfoldingWord’s “Whole Bible, Whole Nation” projects through financial partnership.

Most importantly, pray. Ask the Lord to bless unfoldingWord’s global work in Bible translation and church planting. You can also become an ongoing prayer partner here.

Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Kelly Sikkema/Unsplash.

Two years of civil war have forced nearly 12 million people from their homes. Over four million have crossed into neighboring countries as refugees. John – a Gospel worker focused on Sudan – partners with church planters in the region.

A recent medical outreach brought much-needed care to Sudanese refugees in South Sudan. Although his organization* primarily focuses on disciple-making and church planting, “We went to the Lord, and it became obvious that this (medical outreach) was an opportunity,” John says.

“We saw God do an amazing thing.”

Healing and hope for Sudan’s displaced

The medical outreach began as an answer to prayer. “Our organization sits in full view of the suffering of Sudanese refugees, and we were just praying and praying for these people day after day,” John says.

(Photo courtesy of John)

One day, “out of the blue, we were approached by an organization saying, ‘We have a ministry of providing medications purchased in the U.S. at a greatly reduced price, and we’d like to do something to help the Sudanese,’” he continues.

“Several organizations worked together, and the [agreement] was, ‘We’ll secure the medications and ship them to where you are, and you figure out how to get these to the people that need them.’ We were able to receive the medicines and air freight them to the areas where we had access to refugees,” John says.

“In one location, the doctor and nurses saw 1,000 children in eight days.”

Last week’s pop-up clinic focused on children with cholera, while an earlier outreach provided antibiotics and blood pressure medicine. “We were able to give them medication for several months, because a week wouldn’t help them that much,” John says.

As doctors and nurses met medical needs, church planters helped refugees process trauma. “Islam doesn’t offer anything in these settings,” John says.

“In this suffering and deep despair, they’re not finding comfort or answers or hope for the future, only a question – If I die tomorrow, [where will I go?] The Gospel gives assurance and hope.”

Now that you know, how will you respond? Ask the Lord for guidance, and then wait on Him for answers. Consider partnering financially with John’s organization here.

“When we seek to do that on a deeper level in prayer, then the Great Commission is a natural response,” John says.

*Ministry name withheld for security purposes.

Header and story images depict pop-up medical clinic serving Sudanese refugees in South Sudan. Photos courtesy of John. 

This marginalization becomes even more severe in times of war. More about that here.

“For groups that experience inequality or marginalization, that vulnerability is incredibly heightened in wartime,” Rob Myers of DOOR International says.

(Photo courtesy of Ahmed akacha/Pexels)

As conflict spreads across the globe, survival becomes even harder for Deaf individuals. Communication barriers – like missing emergency alerts or not understanding soldiers’ commands – can quickly become life-threatening.

Sometimes, “they (Deaf people) struggle to get the critical care they need. If they try to go to the hospital during a war and no interpreters are available, no one can understand them,” Myers says.

The Deaf also tend to miss critical information. “Governments will make very important announcements, and either a sign language interpreter is unavailable, or that interpreter is not skilled,” Myers says.

As a result, “The information that they’re telling the Deaf audience is different or just plain wrong compared to the information that a hearing audience will receive.”

Despite these barriers, Deaf individuals often find creative ways to adapt.

“They will depend on hearing family members,” Myers says. “They will [use] social media to try to share information, [building] trusted networks.”

A shelter in the time of storm

DOOR International is currently ministering in several conflict zones, addressing the urgent needs of Deaf communities. Here’s how you can help. Donations help cover costs for staff evacuations, trauma healing workshops, and creative solutions that allow ministry efforts to continue.

In addition to physical hardship, Deaf communities also face spiritual isolation. Less than two percent of the global Deaf community can access the Good News in any sign language.

“That lack of information access (during war) carries over almost exactly in the case of spiritual understanding,” Myers says.

“Many Deaf people are cut off from the Gospel in their heart sign language and don’t have protection in the midst of this spiritual war.”

Pray for Deaf people worldwide to understand the truth of Jesus and His salvation. Consider partnering with DOOR International to help unreached Deaf people access the Gospel.

Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Emad El Byed/Unsplash.

Imagine knowing the law protects your right to believe — yet leaving your home for a prayer meeting, only to have the gathering itself ransacked by an armed group. This is the reality many Indonesian Christians live in. Yet there is something that helps them continue loving their neighbors and walking forward in faith.

Pastor Yandi (left) strategizes with another pastor for effective gospel outreach across (photo courtesy of FMI)

Indonesian Christians have built a strong biblical mindset that helps them overcome struggles.

Bruce Allen from FMI says, “The Christians are true patriots. They love Indonesia. They’re very patriotic. Then they want to see their nation be introduced to Jesus as their Savior.”

Harmony holds great cultural significance, but religious differences frequently challenge this sense of unity among people. In some areas, Muslim neighbors oppose the building of churches, in others there is a regulation that requires all religions (including Christianity) to follow animistic traditions in worship services.

Christians understand that forgiveness can only be truly achieved by walking in the power of the Holy Spirit. They find solace in the faith of those who came before them. Allen explains, “The Bible is chock full of examples of people who have been oppressed for following the Lord, and yet how they stood firm, resolute.”

Allen says these examples remind believers that, “This is one of the ways we reflect Christ’s love in our communities — by living at peace with others.” These lessons are passed down through sermons and from parents to children.

This faith enables them to start new churches. So far, FMI and local believers plan to plant nine new congregations.

Allen concludes, “So we encourage the church planters, the disciple-makers that we partner with, to make sure that they are grounding the people in the truth of the Scriptures so that they know how to respond again.”

Pray for the courage of the local leaders to guide their congregations in reverence to God and trust in His will. Pray also for the church planters and their partners, that they may navigate the legal and social challenges needed to build houses of worship.

Indonesian holding a flag (photo courtesy of Dio Hasbi Saniskoro via Pexels)

In Indonesia, Christianity is permitted by law, yet gatherings often face obstacles. Bruce Allen from FMI recalls the recent attack on June 27:

“About two hundred residents of a neighborhood in West Java, Indonesia, stormed a private home where Christian youth had gathered for a retreat.”

Photo courtesy of Nothing Ahead via Pexels

They destroyed property and terrified attendees. The attack allegedly happened because the event was held in a place not officially designated for worship. Yet Muslim meetings outside mosques rarely face such concerns.

“So the Christians see a double standard at play, and that’s what disturbs them the most,” Allen explains.

There is strong evidence that the attack was intentional: the mob came with pre-made banners and seemed aware of the event’s nature. Police did not intervene, and the seven arrests made may lead nowhere.

Neighbors around the home reportedly tried earlier to persuade the owners not to use their residence for religious purposes. Allen adds, “They said it offends their sensibilities, and since the Muslims are the majority, in essence, you need to do what the Muslims say without them going so far.”

The community is still recovering from the attacks and needs our prayers for courage and wisdom on how to proceed.

Historically, West Java has been one of the most populated regions where Christians face difficulties worshiping openly.

While attacks remain isolated, bureaucratic hurdles add to the challenges. Indonesia, spread across over a thousand islands, strives to accommodate its diverse religions and communities. Allen says, “The goal is that the Indonesian authorities want there to be harmony, even though there’s such diversity in all these islands — that’s a very good goal.”

However, believers face disproportionate legal barriers. While building mosques is relatively easy, starting a church requires a congregation of at least ninety believers and sixty signatures from sometimes hostile Muslim neighbors. Often, this mission feels nearly impossible, as church planters have only a few members in the beginning, and their connections with local communities are unstable.

“It just shows that it’s very important to cultivate good relations with your neighbors in West Java,” says Allen. It requires love and forgiveness from believers, which often draws Muslim Indonesians to Christ.

FMI walks alongside believers in Indonesia, facilitating, mobilizing, and inspiring them amid hostility.

Pray for the courage of Indonesian believers, especially in West Java. Pray that as they long to grow in fellowship, God will grant them favor in the eyes of local Muslims to provide their signatures.

Header photo: West Java, Indonesia (photo courtesy of Kevin Yung via Pexels).