When prison doors slam shut, believers in Iran are left face-to-face with their persecutors. In the past year alone, 96 Christians received sentences totaling 263 years. Just last month, believers Abbas Soori, Narges Nasri, and Mehran Shamloui were sentenced to over 40 years combined. The most heartbreaking part? Narges Nasri was pregnant with her first child when she was suddenly arrested.

Why such harsh sentences?

Mike Ansari of Heart4Iran explains: “Christian converts are usually charged with vague offenses such as acting against national security or propaganda against the regime, which are used to criminalize peaceful religious activities like attending house churches or sharing their faith.”

He adds that Iran’s judicial system, particularly the revolutionary courts, plays a central role in the persecution of Christians.

But persecution doesn’t have to silence us!

“Even from the safety of our homes, there are impactful ways that we can advocate for imprisoned Christians in Iran,” Ansari says.

Example of an advocacy campaign (courtesy of Sima Ghaffarzadeh via Pexels)

One powerful tool is social media activism. Platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram can be used to highlight individual cases. With the right hashtags, these stories can reach international organizations and spark global concern.

Another way is through letter-writing and petition campaigns calling for the release of specific prisoners. “This would include writing letters to Iranian embassies or international human rights organizations to apply pressure,” says Ansari.

Additionally, believers can support advocacy organizations such as Article 18, Global Christian Relief, Open Doors, and International Christian Response. “They work tirelessly to document abuses,” Ansari explains, “and support victims. So donating to or volunteering with these groups can definitely enhance their efforts and then engage with policy makers.” Partnering with advocacy groups is especially important because public exposure, if done carelessly, can worsen a prisoner’s situation. These organizations know how to handle sensitive cases wisely and effectively.

Public outcry has made a difference before!

Cases like Marziyeh Amirizadeh and Maryam Rostampour gained international attention that led to their release. The death sentence of Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani was also overturned after widespread advocacy.

And while Iranian believers may be behind bars, they should never be without the faithful prayers of the global Church. Mike Ansari from Heart4Iran encourages intercession: “Consider focusing on praying for the physical and spiritual strength of the imprisoned Christians and their families. Ask for fair legal proceedings and the overturning of unjust sentences!”

“For although the challenges faced by Christians in Iran are severe, our collective efforts, through advocacy, awareness, and prayer, can make a tangible difference by staying informed and actively supporting those on the front lines,” he adds.

Header photo: Prisoner (photo courtesy of Ron Lach via Pexels)

Protests have spiked all around the country as people call for Prime Minister Ariel Henry’s resignation. Henry signed a non-binding accord in 2022 that general elections and a transfer of power would happen by February 7, 2024. That did not happen.

(Photo courtesy For Haiti With Love)

Henry says Haiti’s national security needs to be brought higher before elections can take place. This is not the first call for Henry’s resignation, nor the first time elections have been pushed back during his time in office since 2021. 

In the midst of the national turmoil, For Haiti With Love’s doors remain open. 

Roseline DeHart with For Haiti With Love says their clinic helps anyone who needs it, whether from cuts, bullet wounds, burns or other needs. They also give out food when possible. 

“We are there to help them whoever they are. No question asked,” DeHart says. 

According to the U.S. Agency for International Development, 2.5 million Haitians live on less than $1.25 USD per day. 

“If they can eat today, they thank God. But they might not be able to eat tomorrow,” says DeHart. 

“One egg costs 50 cents, but not everybody is able to get that 50 cents. With the riots happening this week, the food prices went up even higher. They might eat one time a day, or two times a week. It’s whatever they can afford.”

There are some 300 gangs present in the country, but For Haiti has the respect of their community.

(Photo courtesy of For Haiti with Love).

“They know that we help people, that’s what we do. And we’ve been doing it for so long and in the same place, so if somebody tell them they need to go to For Haiti With Love, they will let them pass to get to the clinic.” DeHart says. 

“When we do something for somebody, (such as) give them a bag of food, they always ask us why are we doing this? We (tell) them that Jesus paid the price for them already. It’s all because of Jesus. A lot of time they ask us, ‘Who is this Jesus?’”

You can come alongside For Haiti through prayer and partnership to help those who have nowhere else to go. 

“We do pray there (are) election(s) someday. But we don’t know when it will (take place). We just keep praying and keep doing our jobs,” DeHart says.

“We ask people for prayers, too. We ask people for help so we can continue to help the people in Haiti.”

Header photo of cross over Cap-Haitien courtesy of For Haiti With Love.

First of all, it’s important to note that there are many avenues to being a missionary. If you gathered a handful of missionaries and asked about their pathways to mission work, you would hear a number of inspiring stories.

If your church is part of a denomination or affiliation, that’s one of the best places to start. Most denominations have a pathway for missions and they’d be more than happy to help you find the right track. If you’re not part of a denomination, that’s OK, too. Here are some tips to help you blaze that trail. 

1. Pray for guidance and wisdom

(Photo courtesy of Jesus Film Project)

It all starts with prayer. If you feel called to pursue missions as a vocation, staying connected to the Lord is a must. Feeling the Holy Spirit’s guidance and empowerment will be critical to you on the mission field, so you want to forge strong spiritual disciplines early and become reliant upon God throughout the process. 

It’s also helpful to encourage others to pray for you, too!

2.  Get as much experience as possible

There’s no substitute for real-life experience, and there are plenty of opportunities for someone interested in global missions to gain first-hand knowledge. 

Short-term missions are a great way to get your feet wet. It’s a good way to familiarize yourself with different kinds of mission work, and a helpful way to get to know people from various organizations and churches who are invested in the Great Commission.

Jesus Film Project has short-term missions available to Europe, Africa, and more! We’d love for you to join us on a trip.

Internships are another way to build up experience. Internships are a strong middle ground between actually working as a missionary and serving on a short-term mission. You typically develop more specific leadership, ministry and administrative skills than you would with a short-term trip, and they can even lead to opportunities for full-time mission work. 

Check out Jesus Film Project’s internship opportunities. 

3. Check out missionary training programs

While there are many people on the mission field who have bypassed missionary training schools and programs, it can still be a vital way to learn about and experience missions, network with other missionaries and sending organizations, and develop vital skills. 

You might want to check out the resources and training offered by these organizations:

• Cru
• International Mission Board (IMB)
• Youth With a Mission (YWAM)
• Global Frontier Missions
• Ethnos 360 Bible Institute

Warren and Brenda Pfohl (Image courtesy of Jesus Film Project)

What if you can’t physically go?

Maybe you have a passion for missions but for some reason, you can’t physically go. Don’t let your limitations impact your ability to serve Jesus in the areas where He has called you. There are still many ways you can help fulfill the Great Commission. Warren and Brenda Pfohl learned that first hand.

And don’t forget to pray!

Header photo courtesy of Priscilla du Preez/Unsplash.

As some governments claim, some places in Syria are relatively safe, and some refugees are admittedly reluctant to return not because of safety but because of the economic stability they’ve found in their host countries.

However, “there’s also truth in the pressure and in the difficulties of some families to go back because of deserting the Army or because of the alliance against the government,” Nuna says. “If they proclaimed themselves against the government, going back to Syria after this government would be a bit difficult.”

This increased pressure is uprooting families and individuals who are already weary and battered. Nuna says these refugees may no longer live in fear of losing their lives, but they do face “the trauma of being arrested, the trauma of being taken prisoner, of being beaten, and of being forced into signing something or doing something that you don’t want to do.”

Photo courtesy of Unsplash

Thanks to their work with refugees, Triumphant Mercy sees the frontline of this discussion. They’re working to develop economic stability for refugees, but with official eyes on them, they’re doing their best to show that they care for both Syrians and Lebonese.

As the situation shifts, so too will their mission. “It’s not just me; it’s everybody now,” Nuna says. “Every NGO is doing that. They’re all shifting gears, they’re all going in a different direction. Even though we’ve been focusing on very much like on Syrian refugees who are here, we’re trying to differentiate between the Syrian refugees who are here to receive help, or just because it’s easier on them, or those who are really needing help and needing to be supported in Lebanon.”

For years, they’ve been working to help displaced refugees feel safe. “People started to feel that they can start a life, that they got out of the trauma,” Nuna says. Now, with new pressure from host countries, “the trauma’s back. Now they sleep not knowing if, at four in the morning, the camp will be surrounded by the military just coming to take people to prison.”

That being said, they’re still trying to guide refugees who are interested in returning home, telling them “We can help you even there, we can direct you somewhere, we can just give you some tips and points. But it’s better for you to actually go back home and start to build.”

In short, these are people who are looking for hope. They need something steady to hold on to in times of turmoil and a source of peace as their world shifts once again.

Photo courtesy of Triumphant Mercy

That’s what makes Triumphant Mercy so uniquely equipped to take on this challenge. “We’re a Christian agency before we’re a humanitarian agency, and we have a message and we have a desire to see God’s kingdom expand,” Nuna says.

“We believe that every person we see, we need to encourage, bring hope, show them a different view, and let them see that the hope is not gone, and everything is not black.”

This new pressure is proof that any sense of stability based on politics or the material world is can be taken away. That’s why Triumphant Mercy focuses “on the real issue, and the real issue is what do you have inside you and the real peace that they can have when they just give everything to Christ and you let him direct your life.”

Pray for Syrian refugees wrestling with the choice of whether or not to return home, and ask God to give Triumphant Mercy wisdom as they come alongside Lebanese and Syrians. You can learn more about Triumphant Mercy right here.

“People are suffering. People are traumatized. People don’t have a future. People don’t see a future, they can’t imagine a future,” Nuna says.

“If we join together, if we all have a goal in mind, we can actually do something, and I really want to encourage people to take a stand to just say ‘It’s not acceptable. We got used to it, but it’s unacceptable.’”

Header photo courtesy of unsplash

As we recognize National PTSD Awareness Month this June, we want to share how Christian veterans are reaching out and recognizing that the trauma they and their comrades experienced can only be fully healed in the arms of a Savior.

Healing for Veterans

Warriors Set Free, a program of Set Free Ministries, is an outreach by veterans helping other veterans heal from their PTSD.

Steve Prince, director of Warriors Set Free and a vet himself, says, “The number that’s thrown around a lot is 22 veteran suicides a day, which is true. There are other numbers thrown around. But with the tools we have through the Gospel [and] through the Freedom Appointments, we wanted to make a focused effort on finding veterans to directly minister to veterans.”

Set Free launched Warriors Set Free five years ago and Prince came on as the inaugural director. Since then, the program has expanded to serve an ever-growing need among vets.

“The biggest thing is listening to their story and just trying to pick up a disconnect with them talking about what happened — whether it was in combat, or in the military,” says Prince. “A lot of veterans we’re finding experienced trauma before they joined the military. So we’ll even go back and help them unpack some of that pain.”

Vets often struggle with internal lies related to their experiences and trauma in the military. Prince helps the men and women he works with address these lies and replace them with Christ’s truth.

“Jesus, of course, is the way, the truth, and the life. Satan is the father of lies. Satan wants us to believe that things were our fault that weren’t our fault. He wants us to feel guilt, feel shame, feel anger, feel regret. Then we at Set Free specifically introduce a lot of people to spiritual warfare [and] taking every thought captive. The techniques are pretty similar, regardless of what they’ve been through.”

Freedom from Addiction

A lot of servicemen and women are also dealing with addictions developed as a way to cope with the pain and trauma — drug abuse, alcoholism, pornography addiction, self-harm.

Warriors Set Free wants to see vets find freedom from these addictions that keep them enslaved and isolated.

“A lot of the vets are forced to cover over sin — not only sin done to them, you know, a lot of evil done to them, but also evil they participated in and under. When they try to cover that over and hide it, secrets make you sick. So what we want to see is healthy vets helping hurting vets,” says Prince.

He references Luke 4:18 as a scriptural handhold for vets:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free.”

“That’s really the mission statement of Jesus in Luke 4:18. So it’s quite simple…. That’s for the vet, and that’s for the first responder. That’s for everyone who is brokenhearted and oppressed and trying to keep secrets in and they’re trying to manage pain. It just doesn’t work. It has to come out,” Prince says.

“If we can get a wounded vet who has been oppressed and hurting and has been medicating with drugs and alcohol, and really the Lord Jesus touches him or her very deeply and sets that captive free, that former captive becomes the next warrior for the next group. We really believe that and that’s what we’re seeing.”

Healing for First Responders

As Prince mentioned, first responders such as police, firefighters, and EMS also deal with similar trauma and struggles. Warriors Set Free sees this need and ministers to first responders as well.

“There’s a concept called the sheepdog concept. Those are the dogs that watch over the sheep and they run towards the fight as opposed to away from it. One of my favorite authors, Lieutenant Colonel Dave Grossman, kind of made that popular.

“A lot of [first responders] see more on their job on a daily basis than a lot of veterans see in a career. So the need is the same. The trauma is the same. It’s just a different field. The techniques fit for both career fields.”

Pre-Trauma Training

Another aspect of trauma recovery for vets and first responders is pre-trauma training. Men and women going into these fields are taught how to process trauma before they encounter it.

“It’s very common for veterans [and] servicemen the first time they’re in a firefight to soil themselves. And Colonel Grossman spreads that message. That’s a physical reaction, but [you also] let potential future combat veterans know, ‘These are some of the emotions you’re going to experience.’”

But even pre-trauma training can’t prevent all trauma. Warriors Set Free mentors prepare veterans they work with to wrestle with various reactions as they process what they’ve been through.

“Survivor’s guilt is probably the biggest one. Regret, going back and replaying those activities over and over again in your mind, and taking responsibility for things that were outside of your control. So [we are] letting them know these are the typical things we see, so if you start to walk down those paths, either notice it and fix it or seek help at that point to be able to talk through those things.”

Helping the Helpers

As veterans help other veterans and first responders find healing through Warriors Set Free, they also need support themselves. This is where the Body of Christ is so critically important.

(Photo courtesy of Warriors Set Free)

When asked what they need most, Dean Vander Mey with Set Free Ministries responds without missing a beat. “Prayer. We’re on the frontlines every day so we need a lot of prayer.”

Vander Mey says they also need funds. “We’re equipped, we’re specialized, we have a large ministry of 3,500 square feet here, [and] we have nine paid staff. So donations would certainly help because we do all of this for free. We do not charge anyone ever. Some of these cases take long hours, and they take many, many man hours, and we’re not going to charge them for it. So donors can actually pay it forward to help us help them.”

Click here to give to Set Free Ministries!

Finally, Prince asks believers to look out for the veterans in their lives. “A lot of veterans won’t ask for help until they find themselves stuck. We’re taught to handle things on our own. We see asking for help as a weakness. So [be] encouraging them to reach out.”

(Photo courtesy of Warriors Set Free)

Register for The Heroes Return Event

Warriors Set Free also hosts a men’s retreat called The Heroes Return for first responders and military — both active and former. Two events are scheduled for July 17-21 and August 11-15 in Byron Center, Mich.

Prince explains, “It’s a very thorough approach to dealing with combat stress. It’s…on a beautiful property — 800 acres. The lodge sleeps 50 people. Hands down, the best ministry weekend I’ve ever experienced.”

Click here to register for one of The Heroes Return events with Warriors Set Free!

Header photo courtesy of Warriors Set Free.

Permission to Print

This triumph came after the World Missionary Press National Coordinator in Mexico scheduled a meeting with the Bible Society of Mexico. The World Missionary Press went through the typical application process for permission with the Bible Society of Mexico but had not been given a response. After weeks of what felt like running in circles, the National Coordinator in Mexico for World Missionary Press set up an appointment to meet with a man from the Bible Society of Mexico.

News of the appointment garnered prayers from World Missionary Press workers, who are eager to see God’s Word made more accessible in Mexico. Following the meeting, the National Coordinator shared the details with Helen Williams, the Freight Shipments Coordinator for World Missionary Press.

“She sent an email of his testimony instead, and then she sent us a translation and the gist of it is that this man is an older man. Once he saw the booklet, he said, ‘Oh I know this booklet,’ he said, ‘I remember it. It came to me at a time in my life where I was looking for the Lord, I was thirsty and hungry, and this booklet helped me find the Lord’,” Williams recounts.

A Need in Mexico

Not only was this man’s life impacted by a previous printing of the booklet, but he knows Mexico’s need for God’s Word. World Missionary Press booklets are another way to get the Gospel message into the hands of the Mexican people.

(Header photo and photo courtesy World Missionary Press)

“We had struggled to do this but the Lord had something really encouraging at the end of this process for us and for this gentleman as well. And it was such a blessing. It almost brought me to tears because to see the Lord work in His time and in His way…it wasn’t just, ‘Yes you can have it,’ it was, ‘Oh I know this, this we need. The people of Mexico need this. Yes, this is what it did in my life and know it will do in other lives.’ And so, it was just a real blessing,” Williams shares.

World Missionary Press is preparing for the production schedule of the reprint for the Help From Above booklet. This reprint is specifically for the Chiapas state in southern Mexico. The goal is for copies of Help From Above to be available by the end of the year.

Be Prayerful, Be Active

So please, will you pray? Pray for the wisdom and efficiency of World Missionary Press. Ask God to provide resources to fund production. Pray for World Missionary Press to be able to increase its monthly production from 8 million to 10 million pieces. Finally, pray for this booklet to get into the hands of people thirsting for God. Pray it will help quench their thirst with the Gospel.

World Missionary Press currently needs to fill orders for nearly 100 million pieces and the request for more booklets is never-ending. The ministry needs to increase monthly production to meet these requests, but that means funds to purchase ink, paper, and other printing necessities. Will you help increase production through giving?

Give to the work of World Missionary Press here!

Joel Macharia is the Kenya country director for Compassion International. He shares more about the Patel dam failure:

“On the night of 9^th of May, about 8:30 pm in the evening, the dam burst. I think it took so much water from the ongoing heavy rains and sent so much water and debris and rocks and tree stumps and many other things. That gush of water came and found people in the settlement.”

According to the BBC, heavy rains have been plaguing the previously drought-ridden nation since March. Already before the dam break, 130 people had died due to the rain. This latest tragedy added to the death toll.

“All of it was swept away.”

The dam was being used for irrigation purposes before it burst. One settlement called Energy was hit especially hard. Macharia says this community of about 1,000 people is made up of mostly farmers. When he visited Energy two days after dam break, he was standing on bare ground. “All of it was swept away,” he says.

A dam in Sasuma which failed in 2003 due to flooding. (Photo courtesy of Meaduva via Flickr)

The surrounding areas sustained heavy damage as well. A nearby school where many of the local children attended was destroyed and the school furniture was carried off in the water. And, at least 400 households were displaced.

As of last week, Macharia says, “So many people are marooned by the floods, and by the time the whole flood water was passing, 48 people were dead and so many of them were injured.”

Many others were hospitalized and some remain in the hospital today.

Compassion International was impacted by this tragedy in a very personal way.

Five caregivers of Compassion children lost their lives. The term ‘caregiver’ refers to the parent or guardian taking care of the child. Additionally, a board member overseeing the local Compassion program was also killed.

Compassion’s local church partner and Child Development Center (CDC) sustained damage to their buildings. Four temporary classrooms were mostly destroyed and play equipment was carried away. Along with rebuilding and repair, school supplies will have to be replaced.

Over 40 beneficiares of the Compassion program in this area were affected.

Responding to Emergency

Compassion has been involved with meeting the needs of the people, especially the those of sponsored children and their families.

“The very first thing was search and rescue. When that was done, of course taking care of those people who were affected health-wise. Like, they either were sick or injured, they needed to be treated. Then of course, looking for shelter.”

Many of the locals initially took up residence in another school that escaped the worst of the damage. Relief groups along with Compassion gathered bedding, food, and other basic needs to give to them.

However, the school shelter has been closed so that it can begin functioning as a school again. So the search for more permanent shelter is on. There are 26 families directly under Compassion’s care in this area. The ministry is working to find them a housing solution. The CDC is working on building a temporary structure for some of the affected beneficiaries.

(Photo courtesy of Compassion International)

Since the dam break, Compassion teams have been able to gather food, clean water, cooking supplies, clothing, and other basics. As Macharia says, these people are starting their lives from scratch.

“At the same time, we are…working with the people to help them be able to… restart their livelihoods. Some of them were farmers. Their crops were carried away by water. Then we have some who have [a] small business that they need rebuild.

“The other thing that we did as an immediate response, and it’s also ongoing, is counseling because people are really affected or traumatized losing many things and especially losing their family members and their friends. There are many people who are bereaved.”

When the dam broke, local pit latrines were flooded, releasing raw sewage into the surrounding area. That, combined with the fact that people are homeless, living in the cold, and without food could spell disease and illness. To get ahead of the issue, Compassion is also organizing a health screening.

There’s still a lot of work to be done. Macharia says you can help, starting with prayer.

“We need to continue to pray for the families. There are many people within a very small community that when you lose 48 people, that’s a lot of people. So we need to continue to pray for those people who are grieving and mourning so that they are comforted and they can heal and recover and be resilient.”

Pray also for those who need a new home and those who have lost their caregivers, friends, and family.

If you’d like to help Compassion respond to disasters like these, click here.

A History of Christianity

Joe Richter of FARMs says, “Mizoram has a very interesting history. It goes back over a century with Western missionaries coming there to Mizoram. And, there were a series of revivals back in the early days and continuing on into the 20^th century. And today, statistically, about 97 percent of the Mizos consider themselves Christians.”

Richter explains that their religious roots include animism, and that some of them came from the practice of head-hunting. They were a people living in darkness.

And so, Richter says, “They embraced Christianity. Many miraculous things happened in the past that prepared the people, and when the missionaries came, it was one of those situations where they were expecting them to come and share with them that there’s a way out of the fear of the spirit world, and there was a way to have freedom in their lives.”

He says Christianity spread rapidly from there and became deeply rooted in the area.

Need in Mizoram Prompts New Project

So, why is FARMS interested in starting a new project here? Richter says this story began back in Nepal where they became friends with a missionary from Mizoram working there. This man recently retired, returned to his people, and saw a great need. You see, they were living in extreme poverty. This missionary remembered FARMS and reached out to them.

“We’re developing now a program with them, and we’ll be visiting them this May to train a new committee there and to start a program for FARMS International.”

FARMS International runs microloan programs in various parts of the world. Through the local church, they provide small sums of money to Christians who then use this money to start or improve a small business. Once they’ve been able to pay these interest-free loans back, they agree to tithe from their profits to the Church. This helps to strengthen the Church so that it can be more effective in outreach.

And despite the fact that there is already a vibrant community here, the Mizos are 0ften on the brink of despair.

Richter says, “The unemployment is something like 45 percent in Mizoram. And it drives many of the young people into drugs and alcoholism and despondency because there’s a lack of real opportunity for them to have a good job and to have an income.

“But the Mizos are very skilled people, and especially the ladies. They are skilled at weaving and weaving is a very profitable industry. But it needs money to start and to be sustained.”

(Photo courtesy of Sandro Lacarbona via Flickr)

The microloans would be perfect to help these women start a business weaving on a hand loom or something more industrial. Richter says their missionary friend “feels with training these ladies that are in extreme poverty, [they] can earn a living and come out of the poverty in a dignified way.”

Other possible projects would be agriculture and the farming of pigs and small animals.

“We’re going to target some really impoverished people in that part of Mizoram and also hopefully [be] expanding from the city area out into the countryside and the villages.”

Growing Faith in Mizoram

Despite Mizoram’s rich history of Christianity, this region faces many of the same challenges other Christian cultures face: “Even though Mizoram is considered one of the most Christianized states in India, there’s always that problem of nominalism. And you know, being raised in Christian culture sometimes doesn’t equate to being a vibrant Christian.”

Social issues and the poverty can be distracting and heavy. And, growing up in a Christian region does not mean everyone has their own individual faith.

“FARMS, working with families, has a real opportunity to disciple those people deeper in their faith, helping them give more abundantly and generously.”

And yet, even with the challenges, the Mizo have a deep understanding already of one of the main components of the FARMS program: giving back to the Church.

One of the methods they’ve utilized to give back is known as the Handful of Rice Project.

“And they’ve had a policy that started there over 100 years ago of every time people cooked a meal, they would put a handful of rice into a bucket that was collected eventually and give it to the Church and the Church sold the rice to support missionary activity of the Church. And it’s amazing how that tradition has continued on to this day. And it has been a main supporting mechanism for outreach evangelism and especially mission work around that whole region and in the world.”

(Photo courtesy of rajkumar1220 via Flickr)

This, Richter says, is something the Western Church could learn from—a commitment to giving in order to boost missions.

“Basically the Church in Mizoram is self-supported without foreign monies coming in, which is an exciting thing. But there’s also more that could be done. And I think, you know, increasing the income of families also increases incomes of the Church. But, it also teaches that true lordship of Jesus Christ and how that manifests itself in everyday life of the Mizo. And so, we’re looking for those opportunities and feel that FARMS will be a real blessing to many people that right now are looking at life sort of hopelessly. Even though they might be believers, there’s so little opportunity.”

With this new program, there is a need for support– and lots of prayer.

“It’s a place of the world that very few of us have probably heard about. And we just need people to come alongside FARMS and pray with us for this new program, and we’re excited about it, and we’re looking forward to the start.”

Ask God to bless this new program, to protect those involved, and to guide it forward. Pray for the Mizo people to gain a richer understanding of God’s love for them.

If you’d like to give to this program, click here.

(Header Photo courtesy of  Sandro Lacarbona via Flickr)

Nuna of Triumphant Mercy Ministries thinks that’s what’s happening with the Syrian refugee crisis. The ministry serves Syrian refugees living in Lebanon. Even though she thinks many global concerns are important, “People are forgetting that people are still people and people are still needing.”

That has an impact on the resources available to victims and the organizations trying to help them. “The support is getting less and less and people are seeing this and feeling this,” Nuna says. Despair is rampant among refugees, and Nuna says they’re always looking for the slightest glimmer of hope.

Photo Courtesy Triumphant Mercy

That’s where the Gospel comes in. “It’s just increasing the acceptance people have because they really want something,” Nuna says. “They are hopeless, and they need, and they’re grabbing onto every word we say.”

Even with an uncertain political situation, humanitarian needs stay the same, and Triumphant Mercy is doing what they can to fill those needs. “It doesn’t matter really politically what happens. It’s the opposite, actually; people need you more,” Nuna says. “If you’re bringing hope, if you’re bringing peace, if you’re bringing just a smile, it makes a change in people’s lives.”

The news about what might be happening in Lebanon’s political sector might bring tension and uncertainty, but Nuna and her team are bringing stability through the story of Christ. That means even when life doesn’t make sense, hope is still there.

“There’s so much anticipation and expectation in everybody’s hearts,” Nuna said. “I don’t understand it because there’s nothing new on the ground. On the ground, the situation is still the same, but there’s something new emerging inside of us, and we have a lot of expectations.”

To make those expectations a reality, however, they’re going to need your help. “We need people who are so blessed in having comfort and having lives that are right and in control to think of the others,” Nuna said.

(Photo courtesy of Triumphant Mercy)

Triumphant Mercy is planning on expanding ministry into Syria to help with the rebuilding process for families trying to get home, and the organizations involved in ministry like this need all the support they can get if they’re going to make a real impact.

“We need people to say ‘I wanna be something for my fellow brother. I want to do something. I’m not just going to look at this crisis and say, “Oh, God bless them.”’”

Learn how to give, pray, and go right here.

Sadly, children are not exempt from the consequences of illegal drug activity. Compassion International recognizes these challenges in their outreach to communities in Mexico. As is the case with their work in other nations, Compassion is working to break children out of poverty and the challenges that go with it, in Jesus name.

Snapshot of Mexico’s drug problem

Mexico’s location has a lot to do with the level of drug activity taking place within its borders. Drugs typically travel up, either from South America or Mexico itself, into the United States where there is heavy consumption of drugs. These include marijuana, heroin, and cocaine. In fact, Mexico is the leading foreign supplier of many drugs including marijuana and cocaine. Less than a decade ago, the sale of marijuana from Mexico into the United States generated the largest income for drug trafficking organizations in Mexico.

As more and more states in the US legalize marijuana and more people grow it within US borders, drug cartels are switching up their game, turning to harder drugs like cocaine and heroin.

But the problem isn’t just about the passage of drugs through Mexico or the violence this activity creates. There is plenty of drug use going on within Mexico, especially among younger generations.

Mexican youth particularly vulnerable

Omar Villagran is the National Director of Mexico for Compassion International. They work with nearly 200 local churches of different denominations in eight different states. They focus on communities where poverty is prevalent in order to reach tens of thousands of children in need. But drugs are just one of the many problems they encounter.

He says, “One of the biggest [challenges] is the family disintegration. In the very poor communities, families disintegrate because father and mother– they have to work. And sometimes the father has to migrate to other places and so the families are by themselves and the mother has to work for the children.”

He explains that the lack of male leadership is taking its toll in these communities. And because there are few resources in these areas, some youths will leave home to try and find better opportunities in education and employment in bigger cities. But, Villagran says, they don’t have the resources to pay for education in the cities.

These conditions create fertile ground for another issue: “There is a presence of drug dealers in most of the communities where we are working.”

And their presence in these communities directly impacts kids in a couple of ways.  First, Villagran says, “It creates lots of problems with the students because sometimes drug dealers begin to involve them very young as what they call ‘hawks’ (that we say in Spanish ‘alcones’). They are those children that help them to advise if the police [are] close or the military presence is there.”

Secondly, Villagran says is this: “The teenagers are beginning to consume the drugs. And in Mexico, the drug consumption begins early and normally it begins with alcohol. And then marijuana, and then cocaine. And that begins around 12-14 years old… So it’s a big problem in Mexico– that the traffic is transforming to be now a consumption problem.”

Restoring hope

The drugs, poverty, and loss of family structure has all but blotted out hope in these communities. But Compassion International is working to inject hope back into the lives of people caught in the cycle of poverty. The first step, Villagran says, is to bring the families into what is going on through the Compassion’s child sponsorship programs.

“We always try to incorporate or involve the parents in the children’s education. And so, what we do is we create different activities in order to incorporate the parents.”

Secondly, the Compassion projects work to address the heart issues that have led many people down dark paths.

“We are working to raise self-esteem because family disintegration is a big cause for the children to be involved in drugs. The feeling of being lonely or lack of good self-esteem,” Villagran explains.

The projects help to give families, especially their children, a sense of belonging and purpose. Along with education, medical care, and good meals, the projects in Mexico include field trips, sports, and other activities to engage children with purpose. Villgran says they are bringing something positive to these communities when they teach children life principles like excellence, stewardship, dignity, and self-respect.

Mexico flag (Photo courtesy of iivangm via Flickr under Creative Commons: https://goo.gl/BN4nn4)

But for true and total transformation, Villagran says these children must know Jesus. The Gospel, he says, helps people see a different perspective on life. And so these programs are also giving children an opportunity to learn more about Jesus.

There are a number of ways you can respond to this story. Start with prayer. Pray for Mexico as they grapple with the violence and drug abuse taking place within its borders. Pray for the leadership to develop proactive policies to fight these trends. Ask God to transform children through the Compassion program. Finally, pray for the consumer countries like the United States to deal with their side of the problem.

If you’d like to sponsor a child in Mexico, click here!

Header photo courtesy of Compassion International.