The roar of Hurricane Melissa echoed across the island — intense winds, relentless rain, and life-threatening floods that struck two weeks ago and left devastation in their wake. Entire communities are still digging out.

Móises Pérez, director of Trans World Radio in Cuba, describes the reality on the ground.

“It is hard to imagine how those brothers and sisters right now — they don’t have food, they don’t have power, they don’t have medicines, and now many of them don’t have houses,” Pérez says.

Wonders in graffiti above a woman walking in Havana, Cuba (Photo courtesy of Emily Crawford via Unsplash)

Survivors urgently need mattresses, water, food, and roofing materials. While the government has responded, the destruction is so extensive that needs far exceed available resources. Some neighborhoods have regained electricity and communication — but not the communities that lost everything.

The local churches didn’t hesitate. Pérez explains:

“We have sent aid to the eastern side. We have sent food. We have sent clothes, medicines.”

In moments when natural disasters strike, the Church is called to respond — to stand with people whose foundations, both literal and emotional, have been shaken. When a home built through years of hard work is destroyed, many begin to question whether God is still with them.

This is where the Body of Christ steps in as His hands and feet. “In order to be a testimony for them about God’s love in times of crisis and need,” Pérez says.

The Church’s response is reminding devastated communities that God has not abandoned them!

“And they are grateful to God because in Christ, we are a family. We are one people,” Pérez adds.

Pray for families who lost everything in Hurricane Melissa, and for the Cuban Church to use its resources wisely as recovery continues.

Visit TWR to learn more about their work in the region.

Header photo: Satellite image of Cuba (courtesy of Jacques Descloitres via Wikimedia Commons).

Implemented in 2019, the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act restricts finances, goods, and services from the US to Syria. The sanctions are intended to pressure Syrian leaders into protecting minorities such as the Alawites, which have already been targeted by the new Syrian government. Because these leaders have deep ties to terrorists, the sanctions have remained in place since former president Assad’s ousting in December 2024. Samuel with Redemptive Stories says this is in the best interest of the Syrian people. 

“I think a lot of governments are wise to try to leave things in place, particularly these sanctions as it relates to financial movement and purchasing of infrastructure things that are needed until they are sure that this government does not make sweeping changes to things like the constitution.”

Yet, Syrians trying to rebuild their homes are also feeling the effects of restrictions, as they face scarcity of resources and equipment. According to a report from the Christian Science Monitor, “It is estimated that 2,500 people have returned to Darayya, but the vast majority of Syrian returnees survey the damage they find, decide that they cannot rebuild yet, and return to their temporary refuges in Idlib or neighboring Jordan and Lebanon.”

Samuel says Western governments are aware of the issues but hope nearby countries will provide a boost for Syria’s economy. 

“I think one of the reasons why these countries are also leaving the sanctions is they want to engage other countries in the region to fill the gap that historically would have been done by Western powers,” he says. 

The uncertainty of Western governments regarding Syria’s future is matched by the country’s Christian community. 

“They know that in the midst of this situation, God is working, and He’s doing amazing things. At the same time, they do have deep concerns about what the future holds,” Samuel says. 

There was jubilation among believers when Assad’s oppressive regime was overturned in December 2024. But since then, minorities have been targeted, most aggressively in a March attack that left 1300 Syrians dead.

“After the massacre that just recently happened, there is fear again, and there is trepidation as they look to the future,” Samuel says.

Mercifully, our God of order steps into chaos. Samuel asks for continued supplication to Him on behalf of Syrians and their country. Please pray for peace in the midst of fear, strength in the midst of hopelessness, and boldness in the midst of chaos. 

“We need to keep praying that God will continue to work out His good purpose for Syria, for Syrians, for those that have come to faith: May they grow and prosper in this new space. 

Pray also that Syrians who have come to know Christ outside their home country will be able to reestablish themselves in Syria as infrastructure there is rebuilt.

Destruction in Syria. Images in this article courtesy of Unsplash.

In Pakistan, for example, Christians know one wrong step could lead to a charge of blasphemy against Islam. Such accusations result in mob violence, imprisonment, long legal battles or worse, with little protection. Just last month, four people were sentenced to death under these laws. 

“It’s a huge challenge for our partners in places like Iran and Mauritania, Afghanistan [and] Pakistan, because the punishment of blasphemy in those countries is death,” says Greg Kelley with Unknown Nations.

Pakistan courts have issued many death sentences for blasphemy, even when evidence is scanty. But so far it has never carried one out. Often, vigilante justice from Pakistan’s majority Muslim population keeps things out of the courts entirely. Kelley says minority Christian villages can quickly become targets. 

“In one case, recently, over 20 churches were burnt down, houses destroyed, people’s vehicles and motorcycles torched, police standing by allowing it to happen,” he says. 

Yet Christ stands with His people in every injustice. He even saves others through their witness.

“One of the main differences between Islam and Christianity is Jesus said, ‘The world’s going to hate you, but be encouraged because they hated Me before they hated you — and furthermore, love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you,’” says Kelley. (See John 15:18–19 and Luke 6:27–28.)

“That’s the the Christian message, and that softens the heart — the Holy Spirit uses that to soften the heart of the most radical.”

Now that you know more, please pray for gospel advance where blasphemy laws rule. Pray the Christians will faithfully endure through terrible circumstances. Then, learn more.

“As the body of Christ, we need to be praying. We need to understand these issues. We need to educate ourselves about what’s going on in these countries [where] if you share the gospel that we take so freely here in the US, you literally could be killed,” says Kelley.

To understand more and pray for persecuted Christians around the world, connect with coverage by Morning Star News ands persecution.org.

Finally, pray also for resources to build up the local churches. Kelley says, “Training is critical in [these] parts of the world, especially the leaders, to give them opportunities to grow and strengthen in their faith.”

Learn more here about how Unknown Nations comes alongside believers under fire. 

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

Samuel* with Redemptive Stories says claiming these types of “lone wolf” incidents can make the Islamic State appear larger than they are. He says the group is dealing with pressure within the Middle East-North Africa region on top of pressure from the broader world. 

“There are challenges that our whole region faces because of these ‘family feuds’ that continue to exacerbate [tensions]. Some of them stand with certain parties in certain cases, and then others are against other parties,” Samuel says.

Gathering of ISIS militants on Mali-Niger border in 2021.
(Wikimedia Commons)

“The Islamic State in particular, nobody has really liked them very much, and they have always made enemies wherever they’ve gone.”

Among the places where ISIS, Hamas, Hezbollah, Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups operate are countless Christians. Samuel calls for prayer for their protection. 

“If we lose the Christians that have lived there for hundreds, if not thousands of years, then we lose something deeply [instrumental] to the spread of the gospel and the opportunity for the truth and God’s glory to be magnified in that region,” he says. 

“God is still in control in the midst of all this. We should cry out on behalf of our brothers and sisters there, but still in the midst of that lament, there’s always the trust component at the very end.”

Pray for God to give believers strength to share the hope and love of Christ across the Middle East and North Africa. 

“Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism of all sorts can’t be fought with more weapons and destruction and killing of others, because all that does is [breed] more terrorists, more hatred, more violence,” Samuel says. 

“I know it may sound naive, but there needs to be acts of love and kindness — maybe not directly toward evil people like ISIS, but in the region, our policy as Christians should be one of communication of the hope and the opportunities to walk with Jesus.”

*Pseudonym

Header photo of a mosque reduced to ruins by the war with the Islamic State. (Photo courtesy of Levi Meir Clancy via Unsplash).

(Photo courtesy Gospel For Asia/AP Photo/Biswaranjan Rout)

India (GFA/MNN) — The last time a storm as powerful as Cyclone Phailin struck the eastern coast of India, 10,000 people died.

The sense of relief is strong in the state of Odisha, where Phailin made landfall this weekend. 17 people died and more than nine million were affected. However, the survival rates are attributed to the massive evacuations that took place as the storm approached. While every death is tragic, considering Phailin was the strongest tropical storm to hit India in more than a decade, the toll could have been much higher.

Around half a million people fled the coasts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha as Cyclone Phailin began its onslaught. It’s the result of having learned the lessons of 1999, in which Cyclone Orissa killed 10,000 and did over $2 billion in damage. For what it’s worth, Cyclone Orissa carried winds of 155 mph at landfall. Phailin arrived with winds of 140 mph.

Still, officials acknowledge that rehabilitation will be a significant challenge. Electricity has been turned off in 12 Odishan districts and may take a week to turn on again, and communications are severely limited. Gospel For Asia Vice President, Danny Punnose says, “The greatest difficulties in these kinds of situations is that you don’t have a very fast clean up. So, you’ve got contaminated water. Most people drink out of wells-open bore wells, and so you’ve got animals that are dead, and so you’ve got the chances for cholera and waterborne diseases to be spreading.”

With many roads either collapsed or blocked by trees, officials are still waiting to see the extent of the damage along the coast. Some estimate 236,000 homes are damaged.
In Odisha, Gospel for Asia correspondent Ibhya Lall said more than 4,000 believers were affected by Cyclone Phailin. GFA has assessment teams on the ground because fast action is the key to surviving the aftermath of the storm. Punnose says, “We have about 200 churches that are actually in those areas that were hit pretty badly. You’re talking about couple thousand believers there, plus you’ve got missionaries, and other people who are doing work in Bridge of Hope Centers. So there are quite a lot of people in those areas.”

The reality of going home for many will be grim. “There’s nothing to go back to. There are no farms, there are no animals. Their livelihood is gone, especially along the coast lines, pretty much, their livelihood has been destroyed because it’s all fishing”, explains Punnose. Laying out a plan of action is easier said than done, he adds. “It’s not just throwing food at people, but having a serious level plan that’ll probably take us a couple of years to be able to really help a lot of these people get back on their feet.”

What’s more, many of the GFA team members are responding to the needs even though they have also lost their homes, churches, schools and Bridge of Hope Centers, he notes. “They are doing what they can to serve the community and to serve people, because they may be the only ones who actually have any sense of hope in a disaster like this.”

The damage is so widespread, it will take at least a couple years to recover. Add to that the potential of a food shortage, and the stakes raise even higher. Intense monsoon rains this summer had brought an increase in the two states’ regular rice crop, but now more than 1 million acres of agricultural fields have been destroyed. As two of India’s greatest producers of rice, the damage will likely affect the rest of the nation’s food supply.

With the government’s support, GFA Compassion Services teams plan to provide relief in as many affected areas as possible.

It’s just another disaster story, right? It may or may not make a blip on the evening news. There may or may not be a follow up :30 story. As the story fades from headlines in North America, Punnose acknowledges that this is a challenge they face when asking for help to respond to a disaster of this magnitude. However, he points out that, “If we aren’t concerned, and we don’t allow our hearts to break, what happens is, if you do that long enough, your heart becomes numb to anything that God is trying to stir you with.”

Please pray for:
* Continued guidance and wisdom for government officials and all seeking to provide relief and rescue from the storm.
* God’s peace to reign in the hearts of believers affected by the storm.
* God to show His love to the people of India in the midst of this crisis.

The sense of relief is strong in the state of Odisha, where Phailin made landfall this weekend. 17 people died and more than nine million were affected. However, the survival rates are attributed to the massive evacuations that took place as the storm approached. While every death is tragic, considering Phailin was the strongest tropical storm to hit India in more than a decade, the toll could have been much higher.

Around half a million people fled the coasts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha as Cyclone Phailin began its onslaught. It's the result of having learned the lessons of 1999, in which Cyclone Orissa killed 10,000 and did over $2 billion in damage. For what it's worth, Cyclone Orissa carried winds of 155 mph at landfall. Phailin arrived with winds of 140 mph.

Still, officials acknowledge that rehabilitation will be a significant challenge. Electricity has been turned off in 12 Odishan districts and may take a week to turn on again. Communications are severely limited.

Gospel For Asia Vice President Danny Punnose says, "The greatest difficulty in these kinds of situations is that you don't have a very fast clean up. So you've got contaminated water. Most people drink out of wells–open bore wells, and so you've got animals that are dead and you've got the chances for cholera and waterborne diseases spreading."

With many roads either collapsed or blocked by trees, officials are still waiting to see the extent of the damage along the coast. Some estimate 236,000 homes are damaged.

In Odisha, Gospel for Asia correspondent Ibhya Lall said more than 4,000 believers were affected by Cyclone Phailin. GFA has assessment teams on the ground because fast action is the key to surviving the aftermath of the storm. Punnose says, "We have about 200 churches that are actually in those areas that were hit pretty badly. You're talking about couple thousand believers there, plus you've got missionaries, and other people who are doing work in Bridge of Hope Centers. So there are quite a lot of people in those areas."

The reality of going home for many will be grim. "There's nothing to go back to. There are no farms, there are no animals. Their livelihood is gone, especially along the coast lines. Pretty much, their livelihood has been destroyed because it's all fishing," explains Punnose. Laying out a plan of action is easier said than done, he adds. "It's not just throwing food at people, but having a serious level plan that'll probably take us a couple of years to be able to really help a lot of these people get back on their feet."

What's more, many of the GFA team members are responding to the needs even though they have also lost their homes, churches, schools, and Bridge of Hope Centers, notes Punnose. "They are doing what they can to serve the community and to serve people, because they may be the only ones who actually have any sense of hope in a disaster like this."

The damage is so widespread, it will take at least a couple of years to recover. Add to that the potential of a food shortage, and the stakes raise even higher. Intense monsoon rains this summer brought an increase in the two states' regular rice crop, but now more than 1 million acres of agricultural fields have been destroyed. As two of India's greatest producers of rice, the damage will likely affect the rest of the nation's food supply.

With the government's support, GFA Compassion Services teams plan to provide relief in as many affected areas as possible.

It's just another disaster story, right? It may or may not make a blip on the evening news. There may or may not be a follow up story. As the story fades from headlines in North America, Punnose acknowledges that this is a challenge they face when asking for help to respond to a disaster of this magnitude. However, he points out that, "If we aren't concerned and we don't allow our hearts to break, if you do that long enough, your heart becomes numb to anything that God is trying to stir [in] you."

Please pray for:
* Continued guidance and wisdom for government officials and all seeking to provide relief and rescue from the storm.
* God's peace to reign in the hearts of believers affected by the storm.
* God to show His love to the people of India in the midst of this crisis.

When Tropical Storm Lee blew in, rather than soaking in much-needed rains, Texas felt only the winds of the storm. As winds ripped across the flat Texas landscape–which was and still is experiencing the state's severest drought on record, flames were fanned. Nearly 200 wildfires erupted, which have now burned over 126,844 acres according to the Texas Forest Service.

Two of the fires joined together to break the state record for damage done by a single fire. Bastrop, Texas has suffered the loss of about 1,400 homes and 34,000 acres as a result.

After weeks of fighting them, sources agree that the fires are only 50% contained.

"It's a very chaotic situation," says Mark Lewis, Crisis Response director for the Evangelical Free Church of America. "Many people have no idea whether their homes are safe or not. Thousands are evacuated and in shelter situations."

Yesterday, some were allowed to see the damage of their homes when police deemed it safe to return. Others remain in shelters, unable to return until the danger dies down. Many of these victims left their homes with only minutes to spare and had no time to take anything with them. One report mentioned a man who had only just moved into his new home, only to be evacuated a day later. His new home is now a heap of ash.

Churches of course have been affected as well. Lewis says 20% of a Free Church congregation in Bastrop have lost their homes. He says that's a common statistic.

Lewis has spoken with several pastors in the area, but a conversation with one pastor in particular stuck with him. "His words were, ‘It's like a slow, long train wreck, and we're just starting to try to crawl out of the wreckage,'" says Lewis of this distressed Texan pastor.

"There's a weariness already that's setting in," adds Lewis. "It's been many days. [There's] a high degree of distress and uncertainty."

Despite ongoing projects to help tornado victims in Joplin, flood victims in Minot, and victims from all over from the recent Tropical Storm Irene, the EFCA is moving in to assist. The ministry's Crisis Response team will be equipping churches for outreach, which includes physical assistance for victims in addition to spiritual guidance. The EFCA will train churches in crisis counseling, as well.

Already, the disaster has opened the door for Gospel conversations.

"There's already been significant conversation about spiritual things, and people are  just trying to answer that question: Why? Why did this happen? Why to us? [Or] why were we spared?…We expect that there's going to be a great opportunity for the churches just to really express Christ in a real significant and tangible way," says Lewis, "today, and moving forward."

Homes will need to be rebuilt, and the EFCA will likely have volunteer projects available in the future. But for now, the situation is too unstable to send teams in. "It's actually a very dangerous situation currently, but the current opportunity would be just to give," says Lewis.

The EFCA will have a crisis fund set up at efca.org.

The second thing you can do is pray. Pray for fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who have lost everything, or who are hosting families who have lost homes. Pray for peace in the area and for churches to be a beacon of hope in the chaos. Pray that hearts would be open to God's truth and that ultimately this disaster would result in lives eternally changed.

Pastor Anand with Gospel for Asia has been overseeing his flock now, more than ever, in this time of crisis. One woman devastated by the flood is a Christian widow named Manika. Manika's home was made of coconut fibers and mud. When the floods came and submerged her house, it was underwater for so long that she couldn't live in it anymore. It was a total loss.

Pastor Anand attended to Manika, one of many members in his congregation needing help. She was struggling in this crisis as a widow, and with all of her children grown up, she lives alone.

When Pastor Anand saw Manika's situation, he asked for help from Gospel for Asia's Compassion Services. Gospel for Asia responded and is now providing a new home for Manika that will stand against any future floods. Her house should be finished before the next rainy season.

Gospel for Asia has been a key responder to this crisis of flooding in Sri Lanka. Their Compassion Services have provided emergency relief such as food and water, and they are rebuilding homes. In their flood relief ministries, doors which would normally be closed to missionaries have opened for their relief efforts. Flood relief is just one unique way God has used a crisis to turn a situation into a beautiful opportunity for His kingdom.

Many Sri Lankans still need aid after the floods destroyed what little they had. Poverty already affects many people in the country without the help of any natural disasters. Nearly 25% of the population is below the poverty line, living on $2 a day. Floods destroyed tons of crops which made up the livelihoods of many Sri Lankan people. With less means of support, poverty levels are likely to rise.

In these circumstances, Pastor Anand has his work cut out for him, even with his congregation alone. Pastor Anand was an encouragement to Manika, and she was able to cling to the hope in God's Word through his support. Besides Manika, there are many other believers whom Pastor Anand has been ministering to in the same village. He is still working to encourage Christians spiritually, as well as find help for their daily physical needs.

Even though the floods have been hard on the believers in Sri Lanka, they have brought believers closer together. As other forms of humanitarian aid have been provided by Christians around the world, the Gospel has advanced in this primarily-Buddhist country.

Please pray for Pastor Anand as he continues to minister to Sri Lankan Christians working to rebuild their homes and lives. Also pray for Sri Lankans who still need flood relief. God is doing a work in the people of Sri Lanka for His glory in the midst of trials, poverty, and yes…even floods.

Several other homes were destroyed as well, but, thankfully, no casualties were reported. This is no new threat because the village is located near the edge of a dense forest. In the past, roaming elephants have crushed crops just before harvest time. Residents have nowhere to go and must endure these unpredictable tragedies. 

The GFA church in West Bengal is helping the victims of the most recent elephant damage. One of the homes destroyed belonged to a widow and her two children They are staying with another family from the church. The other home also belonged to a Christian, and he has been taken in by one of the church families as well. 

The pastor, GFA missionary Mohak Etash, asks that believers pray that Christians in the village will be strengthened in their faith through this tragedy. Pray also that God will provide housing for the two GFA families and others who lost their homes.

Relief items are traveling slowly through the country since government workers are still clearing fallen trees and debris as they go. On top of that, communication and
power lines are still down in large areas, furthering the difficulty of organizing relief efforts.

Open Doors is working with local partners to determine what believers there are in need of immediately. Some of the believers there are Muslim-background believers and former
attendants of the annual Converts Gathering, sponsored by Open Doors. 

Bangladesh is a nation with a population of 144 million. Of those, 85 percent are Muslim,
and less than one percent are Christians. Though the country was initially established as secular, the constitution was later amended to make Islam the state religion. Since 2001 when a new Islamic government was elected, the tensions have risen drastically.

Poverty is widespread, with the average annual income at $360. The priority needs are diarrhea medicine and shelter, and waterborne disease is still a threat. Open Doors is sending the immediate needs in the form of relief goods and medicines. Later, they will lend rehabilitation efforts such as rebuilding churches and re-establishing education for children.

Livelihoods were swept away when the cyclone tore through. Millions of dollars of shrimp
boats docked at the shore were taken out to sea, halting shrimp exporting.

Open Doors president Carl Moeller asks that you pray for relief organizations to be able to provide food, water, and medicine that is delivered in a timely manner.