Even after conflicts end, the physical and emotional effects of forced displacement will linger for years. That’s why it’s so important that churches across the MENA region understand and serve displaced families wisely. 

Recently, the MENA Leadership Center trained more than 30 Christian leaders from nine nations about refugee ministry.

“In emergency situations, refugees often need immediate support — such as they need safety, they’re looking for shelter, food, water, and medical care,” says Rana Fakhouri, the center’s recruitment and enrollment director. “But in a long-term displacement situation, the needs often become deeper and more complex.”

Two schoolboys in Tripoli, Lebanon (representative photo of Rudy Issa via Unsplash)

Those complexities leave many people and organizations scrambling for solutions. But amid the mess, God calls His people to minister as gospel messengers and as servants to the refugees right in front of them.

“Many Christians in the MENA region see opportunity to serve families through practical help or emotional support with friendship and spiritual encouragement,” says Fakhouri. “Over time, these relationships can really build trust and the community, and it’s going to be a long-term support.” 

One leader in the refugee ministry training shared that before attending, they mainly focused on practical support for refugees. 

“But through the discussion they realized how important is the emotional care, how important for them to listen,” says Fakhouri. “I think that was such a powerful reflection. Why? Because it showed a deeper understanding of a refugee, not only as a person with need, but as an individual carrying grief and experiencing this and resilience as well.”

Find your place in the story

Pray for refugees around the world, especially those facing long-term uncertainty, trauma, and instability.

(Photo courtesy of MENA Leadership Center)

“Please pray for healing, for protection, for hope, and for a real sense of belonging that they need to feel,” says Fakhouri. “We also ask for prayer for churches and the ministry leaders, and the frontline workers serving refugees, [that] they would continue serving with wisdom and with compassion.”

As the MENA Leadership Center continues to train and equip ministry leaders serving the displaced, they welcome prayer and financial support.

“We really encourage churches and believers to become more aware of the refugee realities, and we ask them to respond with compassion, prayer, and practical involvement,” says Fakhouri. 

Learn more about the MENA Leadership Center here. 

Header photo: Afghanistan (Stock photo courtesy of Rahmat Alizada via Unsplash.)

Transform Iran’s app “Cheshme,” meaning “spring of water,” is bringing hope into Iran. Lana Silk says, “if you’re feeling lost or struggling in any area, then you have at your fingertips a whole range of materials to encourage you.”

The app offers a variety of free resources, from teaching videos, movies, books, and articles to worship music and sermons. Through the app, users can also connect to digital church services and regular prayer meetings in multiple Iranian languages.

Woman checking phone (photo courtesy of Priscilla Du Preezvia Unsplash)

“Through the app you’d connect to the digital church services, the weekly, daily prayer meetings that happen in multiple Iran languages throughout the week,” Silk says.

“Cheshme” also provides access to online education, radio, and more. For many believers unable to gather freely with others, the app offers encouragement and connection. As Silk puts it, “You feel part of a community.”

Launched in 2021, the project has recently been updated to better meet current needs. “And already about 21,000 people have downloaded it,” Silk says.

Join Transform Iran in praying for God’s will in the country and in the lives of believers. “We pray for the church and we pray protection over the technology against hacking and malware so we can continue to support people digitally,” Silk says.

Pray also for financial provision to bring “Cheshme” into more homes across Iran. Support is also needed for ongoing projects, developing further content into dozens of Iran’s ethnic languages.

Visit Transform Iran to learn more about how the ministry reaches Iranians with the Gospel despite restrictions and government crackdowns.

Header photo: Representative photo of a man with a phone (photo courtesy of KAXAL via Unsplash).

This year, Hajj takes place May 25 through 29. Usually, millions attend, but ongoing regional instability could impact travel plans and security.

Airspace around the Persian Gulf remains unstable, making safety difficult to guarantee. Pierre Houssney of Horizons International says, “A lot of airline companies are not willing to fly in the region.”

Crowd in Mecca, Saudi Arabia (photo courtesy of Fahad Puthawala via Pexels)

The conflict also raises questions about whether Shiite Muslims will attend this year’s pilgrimage. Houssney explains, “There has been war now between the Shiites and the Sunnis across that Persian Gulf.”

Because of these tensions, Saudi authorities will likely remain on high alert for possible terrorist threats during the pilgrimage season.

Even so, Hajj continues to hold deep spiritual significance for Muslims worldwide.

“Muslims around the world actually see making that pilgrimage as a kind of goal in life,” says Houssney.

For many of them, Hajj reflects a deep longing to draw near to God.

“Muslims are looking toward these physical acts that you can do to receive the forgiveness of sins,” he adds.

Many Muslims believe their salvation can be earned through religious acts such as making the pilgrimage, reading the Quran, giving to the poor, or fasting during Ramadan. Yet many remain unsure if they have truly pleased God. Outwardly, they may appear devout while inwardly longing for His love and acceptance.

Pray, “That they would be able to find the only true way to receive forgiveness of sins, which is through Jesus’s sacrifice, not through their own actions.”

Please pray also for the nearly 2.06 billion Muslims worldwide — both those attending Hajj and those staying home — to find true hope in Christ.

Visit Horizons International to learn more about fulfilling the Great Commission and supporting ministry work in Muslim communities.

Header photo: Men praying in Mecca, Saudi Arabia (courtesy of Mido Makasardi via Pexels).

Good news from Lebanon: Horizons International is launching its third school for refugee children today!

Pierre Houssney highlights the importance of recognizing children’s needs amid the nation’s overwhelming challenges. “Their whole purpose in life has disappeared. Their parents no longer have work. They’ve been kind of reduced to survival mode,” he says.

He explains that this constant fight for survival can quickly become normal for children who are still learning how to navigate life. One story especially impacted the ministry team.

Two kids walking (representative photo courtesy of Zeynep Kahya via Pexels)

“One refugee girl told our staff member that she and her brother trade off nights on one foam mattress,” Houssney says.

One night, the girl sleeps on the mattress while her brother sleeps on the concrete floor. The next night, they switch places.

Deeply moved by the situation, the team provided mattresses not only for those two children, but for every child in the community — many of whom faced the same problem but never shared it.

This is one of the reasons Houssney says house visits and regular check-ins are essential to the ministry’s outreach, alongside its education efforts.

Horizons International partners with Lebanese churches to serve people affected by war and demonstrate the love of Christ in tangible ways. “The way that we work is we directly resource the church to draw people in, so the church can be the hands and feet of Christ,” says Houssney.

So when the local churches work with local people it builds the community around them where people can grow in the knowledge of Christ. “We are ambassadors of Christ, and we are there to be with them in their time of difficulty,” explains Houssney.

The ministry asks believers to pray for the new school and for ongoing projects across Lebanon. Supporters can also partner financially to help provide resources and expand Gospel outreach. Visit Horizons International to learn how you can help.

“Anybody who could help with these resources should know that there is a huge Gospel impact from this,” says Houssney.

Header photo: Kids in Bqaa Kafra, North Governorate, Lebanon (photo courtesy of Hussein Haidar via Pexels).

Many Christian leaders had waited years for state approval. The decision comes under Egypt’s 2016 Law for Building and Restoring Churches. It marks the 30th group of churches approved by the legalization committee. To qualify, churches must meet structural and safety standards, prove land ownership, and pay required fees.

The Hanging Church, Cairo, Egypt (photo courtesy of Dilip Poddar via Unsplash)

Duane Friesen with Voice of the Martyrs Canada says, “There is dramatic difficulty for the Christian community within Egypt, but to see a step toward allowing facilities for their weekly worship is a good step, and I hope it grows.”

Still, the approvals meet only a small part of the need. Tens of thousands of churches are still seeking legal recognition.

Friesen notes that, “[Believers] still face the reality that they are a minority in a country that has long struggled to support the existence of other religious groups around them.”

“They’ve had, even recently, major challenges as families try to prevent their daughters from being forced into Muslim marriages.” Friesen also adds that if a man’s Christian beliefs become known, he may struggle to find work to provide for his family.

So, the approval of another batch of churches could be a positive sign for greater Christian recognition and freedom in the country.

At the same time, Friesen urges caution. As pressure for church registration grows, so can government oversight of Christian activity. Still, the process may also help strengthen Christianity’s legal standing in Egypt.

Please pray these developments would lead to greater acceptance and security for believers in Egypt and, as Friesen says, “that is equal citizenship within Egypt that they have the protections, the rights and the freedoms to be what God’s called them to be.”

Visit Voice of the Martyrs Canada to learn more about the challenges facing persecuted Christians around the world.

Header photo: Cairo, Egypt (Photo courtesy of PhotoByMau via Pexels).

Istanbul (photo courtesy of
ONUR KURT via Unsplash)

Patrick Anthony from FMI says teenagers often fall through the cracks of society. “They’re oftentimes caught in between childhood and adulthood, and oftentimes they’re kind of unseen, or invisible to the rest of the population,” Anthony says.

Yet God places special value on young people. One FMI partner in Türkiye who works with youth shared, as quoted by Anthony:

“He likes to think of children in this teenage group as diamonds waiting to be polished,” Anthony adds.

Many teenagers are struggling with anxiety and depression, with some turning to smoking or alcohol at an early age to cope. Moreover, more than 2 million children in Türkiye are outside the formal education system, making them more vulnerable to exploitation and involvement in crime.

“That can foster a desire in teens to seek significance in unhealthy places, which can lead to extreme behaviors,” says Anthony.

Hopelessness is especially prevalent in economically strained areas. Many teenagers and young adults are also wrestling with deep questions about the meaning of life and their future.

“They’re diamonds waiting to be polished”; diamond (photo courtesy of Long Truong via Unsplash)

“The invisibility and the oftentimes the lack of attention and care can really exacerbate these kinds of problems,” he adds.

One solution, Anthony says, is to reconsider how the church views its youth, while also fostering healthy relationships between mature believers and teens. “That can really help a teen find their place and feel like they do belong,” Anthony says.

Pray that Turkish churches respond to the hopelessness of local youth with practical Gospel hope.

“Pray for creative solutions and building bridges to teens,” Anthony says.

Visit FMI to learn about the ways their empower indigenous church planters. Pray also for an FMI partner in Türkiye who leads a children’s outreach ministry in his community. He organizes summer camps and plans to host four camps for kids this year. Pray for the team’s protection and for transformed lives among the children.

Header photo: Young men standing in Istanbul, Türkiye (Photo courtesy of Ibrahim Guetar via Unsplash).

Iranian children are often forced to grow up quickly amid the country’s ongoing turmoil and war. As the crisis deepens, so do their questions: Does a good God exist? And if He does, why do my parents or neighbors suffer?

Keys for Kids Ministries is preparing to enter Iran to walk alongside these children, says Greg Yoder.

“Children are always looking for some kind of spiritual truth. They want to have an understanding of who God is,” Yoder says.

Boy runs in Mashhad, Iran (photo courtesy of Mohamadjavad Yavarinaman via Unsplash)

Keys for Kids stories are designed to help children wrestle with these questions in their own language. A team on the ground works to ensure each story connects with everyday life.

“They’re taking these stories and updating them, contextualizing them to their culture,” Yoder says.

Stories that originally include Western references are adapted to reflect Iranian experiences — often using Farsi terms of endearment, play, and even cuisine. Every detail is intentional.

Yoder says everything is done with the goal “that the Holy Spirit will speak in and through these stories to draw individuals to Himself.”

The ministry asks for prayer that the country would open up.

Pray also for more voices within Iran — people who love Jesus and want their nation to find lasting hope, especially among children. “We only want to equip them with the resources they need,” explains Yoder.

Pray for Iran’s freedom and future, shaped by its children. Pray also for the Keys for Kids Ministries as they prepare to serve the nation. Learn how they are already reaching Afghan children — here.

Questions often arise about how God works in times of crisis, but Yoder points to an encouraging truth:

“God works miraculously in ways we can’t fully comprehend or imagine, and we believe that’s happening in Iran as well.”

 

Header photo: Boys standing outside (Photo courtesy of Rehman Yousaf via Pexels).

A recent annual report from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom calls for Pakistan to be redesignated as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC). Pakistan has been designated a CPC status since 2018, with continued listings in recent years as persecution cases rise.

Reasons for the listing

Extremist groups have pushed boundaries with increasing boldness, targeting not only places of worship but entire communities. Some pastors, like Kamran Salamat, have paid with their lives so their people could hear the hope of the Gospel.

Greg Kelley of Unknown Nations says: “They [extremists] will attack churches. They will go after families. And so there’s tremendous adversity that the Christian church deals with inside of Pakistan.”

Protest against forced conversion of Christian girls in Pakistan (photo courtesy of Banksboomer via Wikimedia Commons)

One of the most alarming patterns involves forced marriages. Christian girls — some as young as 12 — are kidnapped, forcibly converted, and married. Families often receive little more than official notice that their daughter is now considered a Muslim wife, with courts offering little recourse.

However there is more.

“There’s an aspect of vigilante justice that takes place,” adds Kelley.

Mob violence adds another layer of danger, especially when Christians are accused or when conversions draw attention from influential figures.

How CPC listing might help

Kelley says international pressure could help shift the situation: “I think any international pressure, particularly from the U.S., can bring about change.”

At the same time, there are signs of internal resistance. Many moderate Muslims reject these extremes, and local believers are increasingly speaking out — drawing growing international attention.

“We can stand with our brothers and sisters as they boldly stand up to the majority Muslim leadership in Pakistan,” adds Kelley.

Ultimately, lasting change may depend on the strength and resilience of the Church itself.

“The stronger the Church is, the more influence it will have,” says Kelley.

Global intercession remains a critical way to support believers facing persecution in Pakistan. Spread awareness about the persecution facing believers in Pakistan so more people can stand in prayer. Pray that Pakistan is included on the 2026 CPC list and that international pressure is used to protect religious minorities.

Visit Unknown Nations to learn how they partner with indigenous missionaries to bring the Bible to barrier-ridden people groups.

Header photo: Christians demonstration in Pakistan (photo courtesy of Voice of America via Wikimedia Commons).

Rita el-Mounayer with SAT-7, a Christian satellite television ministry in MENA, says in Egypt and Lebanon, for example, the Christian church is respected; and ministries like SAT-7 are relatively protected. But in other countries across the MENA region, the work of ministry must be carried out almost, if not entirely, underground. 

In these situations, el-Mounayer says the goal is to protect underground Christians by reducing their exposure to potentially antagonistic people. 

“This happened in Morocco,” she says. “One person took photos of all the underground people in the church and posted them on Facebook, and suddenly there was a big problem in Morocco and then the government wanted all the missionaries to go.” 

Thus, across North African countries, SAT-7 ministry team members take the role of engaging spiritual seekers via social media while minimizing overt social networking. 

“When it comes to the underground church, we’re very careful,” el-Mounayer says. “So what we do is let the church contact these people but not the people contact the church.” 

Iran, on the other hand, is a different story entirely. 

“In Iran, our only contacts are Iranian expatriates with Iranians inside the country. A lot of times we won’t have the privilege or opportunity to connect with the Christians in Iran,” el-Mounayer explains.

She says those from a Muslim background are especially hard to engage, as this group faces extreme backlash from the Iranian government and their own communities. 

Still, untold numbers of Iranians are trading the fear of Islam for the love of Jesus. Even among young people who are not explicitly choosing to follow Christ, many are questioning their religious upbringing. 

A 2020 survey of Iranians found the following: 

“Approximately half of the population reported losing their religion . . . Around 6% of the population said they had converted from one religious orientation to another.” 

Confusion around matters of religion presents the underground church and Iranian ministries with immense opportunity and responsibility. 

As people across the MENA region continue their search for truth, would you pray that the Holy Spirit will lead them through His church to Jesus Christ? 

Courtesy of Raandree via Pixabay. Featured image courtesy of Moaztobok via Pexels. 

On Tuesday, United States President Donald Trump extended the US ceasefire with Iran, but also promised to continue the US blockade of Iranian ports until Iran had put forward a ceasefire proposal.  This did not make Iran happy. On Wednesday, Iran’s navy seized two ships that it claimed were “attempting to exit the Strait of Hormuz covertly.”

Later on Wednesday, the speaker of the Iranian parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, stated that reopening the Strait of Hormuz would be “impossible” while the US and Israel committed “flagrant” breaches of the ceasefire, The Guardian reports. 

Amid the back-and-forth of the Middle East conflict, Brother M with Global Catalytic Ministries says victory won’t be decided by who has the best weapons. Instead, the question will be, Which nation’s systems will endure the longest?

(Photo courtesy of Lara Jameson/Pexels)

“Energy infrastructure is being targeted specifically. Shipping routes are being threatened,” Brother M says. That includes not only the Strait of Hormuz but also the Red Sea, which the Houthi rebels in Yemen are affecting. 

From Iran’s position, Brother M says the strategy goes beyond winning individual battles. 

“The goal is to try to apply pressure across an entire society in the West, which is really the new standard for warfare. It stretches systems — until something breaks,” he says. 

Rising gas prices and energy shortages are only the tip of the fallout of the past nearly eight weeks of the US-Israel war on Iran. Brother M says it has become a regional war. On that level, Brother M says a new Middle East is being shaped, which he sees as an outworking of Isaiah 19. 

“[Isaiah 19] describes an entire region in turmoil. It speaks of Egypt in a state of confusion, that there’s internal strife, economic disruption, fear, systems not functioning the way that they should,” he said.

(Photo courtesy of Jonathan Castaneda via Unsplash)

“It doesn’t stop there. It moves towards something that we have not yet seen but is happening, and things are being put into place. It speaks of a highway between Egypt, Assyria, and Israel. It speaks of former enemies becoming connected. It speaks of blessing coming out of a region.”

Brother M describes the recent events of the Middle East as a “pressure phase.” 

“There’s a pressure that’s forging alliances, that’s forging systems, that’s breaking structures, and it’s creating this biblical pattern that’s going to lead us into an Isaiah 19 moment. It’s part of the process, and it’s leading us somewhere,” he says. 

“It’s real pressure. It’s heavy pressure. And I don’t see this being resolved quickly, regardless of what you hear from the President [of the United States].” 

Find your place in the story

Where do Christians find their place amid the geopolitics? Brother Phil with Global Catalytic Ministries points to the Great Commission in the world’s chaos.

(Photo courtesy of Kyle Glenn via Unsplash)

“Yes, there are wars, there’s famine, there’s fuel shortages, but we lose the plot if we make that the main thing,” he says. 

“I think Jesus’ point in Matthew 24 is ‘all this will be going on in the background, but don’t be afraid. Focus on the main thing that’s happening: The gospel will go to the ends of the earth.’” 

The Strait of Hormuz will likely remain a revolving door. Believers must stay grounded in God’s mission and pursue their places in His Kingdom story today. 

“I’m encouraging people not to dissect whether war with Iran is fulfilling this verse of Revelation. I’m trying to help them to keep the big picture,” says Brother Phil. 

“If we make wars and famines the main thing, then we do what someone has referred to as ‘letting the devil set our agenda.’ We end up being focused on what he’s doing, rather than on the things that Jesus has called us to do.”

Header photo: By MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC – This image or video was catalogued by Goddard Space Flight Center of the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) under Photo ID: 2018-12-10., Public Domain)