Category: News Briefs

Source: Mission Network News, December 12, 2025

In the mountains of Morocco, children recently received warm clothing from a Christian ministry leader. But the real gift wasn’t something they could wear—it was the first glimmer of a story they had never heard.

When the [ministry leader] shared the Christmas message of Jesus with kids and their families, they asked him to come back.

“They want to know more about this Jesus,” [said Patrick Anthony of FMI]. “The children asked him, ‘Well, who is this Messiah? Is he Santa Claus?’

Read the full story with commentary and prayer points.

See also A Persecuted Christian Discovers the Joy of Christmas in India (Global Christian Relief).

Source: Wycliffe Bible Translators, December 5, 2025

Home to more than 840 languages, Papua New Guinea has always stood out as one of the most linguistically diverse—and most challenging—places for Bible translation. But now the nation is on the verge of a historic milestone: Only 111 languages still need Scripture [translation] to begin.

This remarkable progress is the result of decades of prayer and the faithful obedience of local churches and determined translation partners who said, “We want God’s Word in our own language—and we’re willing to help make it happen.”

East Asia remains one of the toughest regions for translation; yet God is clearly at work. Local pastors and church leaders are receiving training—sometimes across borders and often online—to guide new translation efforts.

Technology, including emerging AI, is opening new doors for collaboration and learning. Though the path ahead isn’t always clear, we’re walking through every door God opens, trusting Him to show us the way forward.

Just a year ago, Indonesia had 159 languages waiting for translation to start. Now that number is down to 53. Of these languages, 26 are considered the most challenging; yet work has already begun for several of them. Local churches, field partners and other organizations are uniting to see every community receive God’s Word. Despite political sensitivities and religious complexities, people’s hearts are opening and momentum is building.

Read the full article, Beyond Vision 2025: Until All Have Encountered Jesus. Pray for Bible translators. Today, the vast majority of them are indigenous.

1. Muslim World: Stolen from Her Family. Guided by God.
2. Hong Kong: Deadly Fire Rips Through Seven Apartment Buildings
3. Iran: Water Shortage Pushes New Strategies and Spiritual Questions
4. Middle East: Smuggled Bibles Are Changing Lives
5. Australia: Diaspora on the Doorstep

Read or share the email edition!

Source: Frontiers USA, December 3, 2025

I knew as soon as my husband’s phone rang that something was wrong. We never received calls so late at night. “Who is it?” I asked.

Henry read from his screen. “Hakim.”

It took me a moment to place the name. Hakim was a Muslim-background believer my husband had befriended in a previous host country. But we’d moved away years ago. “Have you kept in touch?”

Henry shook his head as he answered. “Hello?”

Though his voice was muffled, I heard Hakim apologize for calling at such a late hour. “I need help. And when I prayed, your family came to mind.”

Read how a Muslim-background believer was taken from her husband and child and the role a missionary couple played in bringing them back together. 

Source: Back to Jerusalem, November 29, 2025

Many of you will have seen the headlines about the terrible fire that destroyed seven apartment buildings in Hong Kong, each with over 30 floors. Over 4,000 people have lost their homes. For a city with, generally speaking, good safety standards and many regulations, a disaster on this scale is unheard of. It is the largest fire in 80 years. [Editor’s note: the death toll has surpassed 150 at this writing].

Sue, a believer and employee of an insurance company in Hong Kong, asks us to pray. She contacted the help centers nearby but was told that people are bringing in plenty of supplies and do not need any more at this time. But the emotional and spiritual need is massive. Sue’s insurance company has many Christian employees, and they are going to the affected neighborhood to pray for and with people. People need comfort and hope.

They asked us to pray that good will brought out of this disaster and people will turn to God.

These were buildings where a large percentage of the residents were senior citizens, many of whom had little altars for idols in their homes. With their idols burnt, may they turn to the God who is alive and can truly help them.

Read the full story.

For more about the fire and how Christians are responding, read Hong Kong Church Rallies After 60 Congregants Lose Homes in Deadly Fire (Christianity Today).

See also When God Sent Rain, a long but interesting story about a ministry team in another part of East Asia that God led to a drought-stricken region where they planted trees, restored a well, prayed for rain and pointed many people to the Lord (Beyond).

Source: Mission Network News, November 21, 2025

Drought-stricken Iran added cloud-seeding to its efforts in late November, as a years-long water crisis comes to a head.

But there’s no quick fix to the drought, even if rainfall surges. For example, rain did come over the weekend in the west and northwest of Iran—and it led to damaging floods.

“This drought is happening at the same time as years of bad management in the old infrastructure, and climate change. So, recovery will take a long time,” says Edwin Keshish Abnous with Heart4Iran.

Iranians are already struggling with daily life needs, especially in Tehran. “The general feeling is that life is getting more and more fragile,” says Abnous.

“Water shortages have also an effect on health, sanitation, and food supply, which are all problems that hit the poor hardest. But despite that, we still see amazing bravery and spiritual hunger in Iranians who are looking for hope in the middle of a crisis.”

Heart4Iran’s call center team sees God at work in even these crippling challenges.

“As things get worse, our team is getting ready to answer more questions about fear, provision, and God’s faithfulness. Every time there is hardship and challenges in the land, the spiritual curiosity goes up.”

Read the full story with prayer points.

Read more about the droughts and lift up the people who are suffering in Pray for Iran (INcontext International).

Source: Global Christian Relief, November 18, 2025

The two men were risking it all, crossing borders to sneak illegal materials across hostile regions in the Middle East. They knew they could be fined, thrown in prison, even tortured—or worse. Yet, despite the dangers they took on, they didn’t even believe the words in the books they were smuggling.

One day, as they stopped to rest, the men grew curious about the books they carried. As they flipped through copies of the New Testament, their curiosity only grew. They approached the man who coordinated the smuggling operation, and he told them about the gospel.

Soon, these men decided to become followers of Jesus and were baptized. The words they had been risking their lives for ended up changing their lives forever.

Read the full story. It includes the related video, Is This the Most Dangerous Job in the Christian World? (also below; 3.5 minutes).

Bible smuggling may be less common with digital and audio Scripture access on the rise. But have you heard of the pill-sized hologram Bible? Check it out (Back to Jerusalem).

May stories about the risks people take to access or give others access to Scripture encourage those of us with easy access and many copies, tools, and translations to treasure the Bible more.

Source: Lausanne, September 19, 2025

When people move to a new country, they face unknown new streets, languages, and loneliness. Yet in these vulnerable moments, God works powerfully. In Australia, everyday believers are reaching out to diaspora communities—like Elena supporting international students, Pastor Tay serving seafarers, and Amanda walking alongside migrants in Sydney—opening extraordinary doors for the gospel through ordinary acts of kindness.

Elena is a teacher by trade and has her own business, which she started 10 years ago. While working, she noticed the challenges international students face when they arrive in Australia. Most of them seek casual or part-time jobs, but the hurdles of documentation, resume writing, cover letters, and interview preparation often leave them discouraged and alone.

Seeing this, Elena had a vision in 2015 to help these students find their footing. She created four tailored programs and even secured a contract with the South Australian government to provide educational support for job seekers. Around 8,000 students have benefited from her work. Remarkably, 90% of these students came from countries where the gospel is restricted or Christians are a tiny minority.

Read the article. Each of the three stories it tells includes a short video.

For another story about the power of welcome, watch a video about the refugee ministry of Sugar Land Baptist Church outside of Houston, Texas (World Relief). 

1. Middle East: Jesus Appeared to a Hamas Founder’s Daughter in a Dream
2. USA: Millennials and Gen Z Driving a Bible Reading Comeback
3. India: Anglicans Meet to Tackle Modern Slavery
4. Chad: When Hope Finds a Home; a Father’s Faith
5. New Zealand: God’s Word Launched for the Heart Language of One of the World’s Most Remote Island Nations
6. World: Top Global Challenges Christians Should Pray for

You can also read or share the email edition.

Source: God Reports, November 6, 2025

The former wife of a Hamas member [and daughter of a Hamas founder] is now a radiant Christian after a dramatic dream in which Jesus appeared to her.

She discovered more through an Egyptian [website] and was amazed to learn that Jesus taught his disciples to love their enemies. “And I learnt that thousands of Muslims are seeing Jesus in their dreams. I do believe Jesus loves the Muslims,” she added, pleading with viewers to “cast your eyes on Jesus; he is the way!”

Read the story from God Reports or watch her share it in a recent CBN interview (17 minutes long; also below).

Let’s ask the Lord to continue to draw people from this community to himself. See Hamas quietly reasserts control in Gaza as post-war talks grind on (Reuters) and read about the race to reopen Gaza schools, as many students have not had school for two years (Al Jazeera).