As another conflict brews in Syria, ICR workers already saw how difficult life there was. Another war will only make things worse. A recent study by the Central Bureau of Statistics in Syria showed that most Syrians live on one meal per day. According to the study,...

“Hello, I am Halil*. I was born in a Muslim family. The first time I had a seizure was on the morning of June 1, 2020, during the pandemic. I was on my way to the bathroom when I fell and lost consciousness. When I opened my eyes, there were paramedics around me. They...

Yerik was ready to face his family. He wanted to marry Rebecca, a woman he met at his church in Istanbul, Turkey. They had both prayed about marriage and were convinced it was God’s will for them. Yerik knew his devout Muslim family would want an elaborate Islamic...

Although Turkey was the home of the early Christian church, it is now more than 96% Muslim. In recent years, it has been a difficult place to make disciples of Christ because of an Islamist government and strong anti-Christian propaganda throughout society. However,...

I'm Oğuzhan*. I am 29, and I am from Turkey. At first, I was a person who prayed to the wrong god. Then I began to question the false prophet in whom I had put my faith. When I realized that Allah was not answering my prayers, I decided to break with him and go my own...

There are two Chinas: the one where people smile on the outside and are “free,” and the other where the government closely watches everything its citizens say and so. Christians risk persecution to live out their faith without restrictions.

Surveillance in China is intense. Video cameras with facial recognition technology monitor everyone, inside and outside. As an ICR field worker walked down the street in a major city, he watched the cameras turn to follow him. Inside high-rise apartment buildings,...

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, persecution against Christians in Uzbekistan was intense for several decades. But today, that’s less of a focus for the government. Instead, those who decide to follow Jesus encounter trouble from their families, friends, and...

Most people in Uzbekistan are Muslim, though they are not necessarily devout. Being Muslim is sometimes more of an identity than a religion.   One young man, Davron, was a heavy drinker. His mother, however, was a believer. She prayed for him all the time and often...

Christians in Uzbekistan face persecution not from the government, but from friends, family, and society. And it can be more painful.