But it didn’t have to happen this way. Pastor Adrian with A3 says flooding is common in Sri Lanka, which tempts some people not to take flood warnings seriously. That kept many from warning others and taking proper precautions for the cyclone.

Cyclone Ditwah on 27 November, 2025. (Photo by VIIRS image from NOAA’s NOAA-21 Satellite – NOAA View Global Data Explorer, Public Domain)

“In certain areas, the rainfall was about 400 milliliters of water within a single day,” Adrian said. “One of our churches went down completely underwater. And [that] church is situated about 50 feet above the river level. We had never heard of a flooding of this nature before.” 

Adrian serves as A3’s country director for Sri Lanka. He says that for churches in some regions, “I’m unable to contact them by phone or travel to these places because of the landslides. The bridges have been washed away. I don’t think even the government is aware of the scope of the damage that has happened due to the cyclone.” 

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates that 1.1 million Sri Lankans were affected by the cyclone and that over 15,000 houses were destroyed.

Local Christians are working to provide immediate needs — like food, potable water, clothing and shelter. Then will come the long work of rebuilding homes, says Adrian. 

“It’s a huge concern, because our country and our churches don’t have that kind of infrastructure,” he says.

Find your place in the story

Pray for God to bring eternal good from the devastation across Sri Lanka. Pray for hope to be found in Christ.

Weligama, Sri Lanka (Photo courtesy of Devin Woody via Unsplash)

“We are also getting ready to carry out a strong prayer ministry, moving to every district, gathering the believers, praying, because I believe that this devastation has also brought about receptivity in the hearts of people,” says Adrian. 

He says they are also looking to establish medical camps, because waterborne diseases will arise. 

“We are inviting people to contact us and send us teams of doctors and nurses who could come and serve,” he says. “We are also asking churches to stand with us financially, because we will have to provide [much]. It’s almost with some people starting life all over again.” 

Learn how you can partner with A3 to help local Christians bring relief and true hope to Sri Lanka.

Header photo from Galle, Sri Lanka is a representative stock image courtesy of Fredrik Öhlander via Unsplash. 

For years, national voter turnout has been low, plagued by cynicism and apathy. However, this week, more than 56% of registered Iraqis showed up at the polls.

“I’m surprised by that number!” remarks Samuel with Redemptive Stories. “We had heard that this would be the lowest turnout of them all, but it seems like the number is actually the opposite. This might be one of the highest.”

Samuel believes that the voter turnout number points to a deeper shift in Iraq.

“It means that people are beginning to trust the government. It means they want their voice to be heard. It means that things are uniquely stabilizing.”

A church in Baghdad. (Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

That’s a big deal in a country that has endured decades of conflict and instability. Still, Samuel warns believers not to assume calm will make life easier for the Church.

“When stability occurs, it gives space for the authorities to look for other sources that will bring instability,” says Samuel. “So that could begin to, again, add a microscope to the work of the Church in the overall sphere of Iraq.”

As final election results are expected next week, pray for God’s will in Iraq.

Samuel asks, “Pray that the Church will continue to stand as a beacon of hope – no matter who is in charge of the government or who is in power – that it would not only stand as a beacon of hope, but it would continue to be a light that goes out from the Church.”

Header photo: An Iraqi woman votes in 2010 election. Image courtesy of DVIDSHUB (www.flickr.com/photos/dvids/4417086779/), Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic | Flickr

Officials say the worst of the flooding struck Haiti’s southern region. Houses collapsed or were swept away, and people were still trapped under rubble as of Wednesday.

Laurent Saint-Cyr, president of Haiti’s transitional presidential council, says the government is mobilizing resources for search and rescue operations and emergency relief.

(Image courtesy of Friends of Radio-TV 4VEH, The Evangelistic Voice of Haiti via Facebook)

Haitians in the capital, Port-au-Prince — already displaced by gang violence — were hit as torrential rain flooded makeshift shelters and tent homes.

Kate Michel with Radio-TV 4VEH, a partner ministry of Trans World Radio in Haiti, says the loss is compounded by Haitians’ living situations.

“A lot of Haiti’s people are living in very vulnerable areas,” Michel explains. “They may be living in vulnerable housing that doesn’t really withstand strong winds. They may be living on the side of a hill or mountain that, when there’s a lot of heavy rainfall, the streams just come flooding down the hillside.

“My expectation is that we will see and hear more news of perhaps lives lost or people injured, people missing, homes affected, roads cut off, [and] communities stranded.”

While the storm battered Haiti’s south, 4VEH’s broadcast center on the northern coast continues to operate. In times of crisis, 4VEH becomes a practical and spiritual lifeline.

“A lot of the areas where we broadcast have no other radio stations or connections with the outside world,” Michel says. “So, particularly when there’s a very serious storm coming, we may change our programming hours, we may do more live broadcasts… and then we always have a very strong focus on prayer during our daily broadcasts.”

Now, as Haiti reels from the floods, Michel urges believers to pray. “People will have lost friends, neighbors, and family members. Maybe they’ve lost their homes and their crops and their livelihoods…. Let’s pray that the Lord will raise up the help that they need.”

Header photo: Hurricane Melissa (Photo by ABI imagery from NOAA’S GOES-19 Satellite – EOSDIS Worldview, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=177446071)

First, the new challenge. Rajasthan’s law, which received the governor’s final assent on October 8, opens the door wide for accusations.

“The Rajasthan law puts in place the possibility of life in prison for encouraging someone to change their religion, and anyone can report it,” says Todd Nettleton with The Voice of the Martyrs, USA. “You don’t have to have been present for the conversation. You don’t have to have been present in the church service where someone came to faith in Christ. You can file a report even if you know hardly anything.”

(Photo courtesy of VOM USA)

It’s “guilty until proven innocent.” For years, Christians have contended that India’s constitution guarantees freedom of religion and that these types of laws contradict it. But the Hindu nationalist-led government supports anti-conversion laws. That’s why all eyes are on the India Supreme Court for the case currently scheduled for November 4th. 

“They’re not considering the constitutionality of the anti-conversion laws yet, but they are considering putting a stay on the enforcement of the laws while they consider the constitutionality,” says Nettleton. He notes that the court date may be pushed back. 

Please pray! This one Supreme Court decision could remove the permission that anti-conversion laws give for persecution.

Nettleton spoke recently with a human rights attorney in India. “One of the questions I asked is, ‘If they put a stay on it [anti-conversion laws], then when would they decide if it’s constitutional or not?’ I was told that [it] could be months, it could be years, and honestly, they could never issue a ruling,” Nettleton says. 

However, never issuing a ruling could be like a decision against anti-conversion laws. “If they [the Supreme Court] didn’t want to take a controversial stand that these laws are unconstitutional, they could just leave the stay in place and then not ever issue a final ruling about the constitutionality,” Nettleton explains. “So this is a very significant time to pray for Christians in India, to pray for the Justices of the Supreme Court.”

Header photo courtesy of The Voice of the Martyrs USA. 

Ilya Butolin from Beit Hallel Congregation says people lost hope in the army, the government, and even in their idea of God as a protector. “We had a big collapse of hope, and people had no hope to live,” he recalls.

The war deeply affected Butolin himself — a regular churchgoer with an active ministry who now serves in military uniform. “The first 5 months of the war, I wasn’t able to share the Gospel because I, myself, needed the Gospel,” he admits.

Israeli soldier in Jerusalem, Israel (photo courtesy of Levi Meir Clancy via Unsplash)

Butolin, his brother, and friends served in the army, often facing the horrors of war and the uncertainty of survival. The death of his friend David Ratner added to the grief.

“It wasn’t easy to see how your friend died, like my personal friend, and then many others,” he says.

After several months, Butolin’s faith in God was restored. He realized that as much as he needed hope, others around him needed it even more.

“We know what the only hope is — Jesus Christ — and He’s the only one who can bring us hope for a future and for a life, for eternal life,” he adds.

He shared that conversations with his unit and friends often centered on hope — how to restore it, show it, and bring it back to their families. As a church, they focused on practical ways to express that hope by organizing donations such as helmets, bulletproof vests, food, and even pizza nights for soldiers. Butolin would explain:

“It’s people from all around the world who are donating, praying, standing with you, and fighting with you, even though you don’t see them. And those are the Christian people who love you!”

Through this, they saw a growing bond between Jewish and Christian communities, and he believes that sharing hope has become the most powerful way to share the Gospel in these times.

Pray for the ministry of Beit Hallel Congregation and their efforts to share the Gospel with wounded hearts.

Photo courtesy of Joel Mott via Unsplash.

(Photo of Beirut, Lebanon courtesy of Jo Kassis/Pexels)

Just over a year ago, former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed by an Israeli strike — an event that reshaped power dynamics. Now, a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has brought temporary relief to the region.

Yet next door, Lebanon is in a fragile state as Hezbollah refuses to disarm.

Nuna with Triumphant Mercy Lebanon says, “There is an agreement and everybody – the whole government now – has decided that Hezbollah needs to disarm. The international community is for that, so everything is going towards that end. But at the same time, Hezbollah is not willing to.”

Many Lebanese are weighed down by instability and disillusionment. “So many people are depressed,” Nuna says. “So many people are skeptical. So many people are in disbelief and in hopelessness…. So many people are feeling like it’s better for us to leave.

“It is strategic to pray at this time. We really want God to just show His power.”

As Lebanon grapples with transition, pray that the nation’s leaders will act with wisdom to stabilize the country. Pray for the Church to be a source of Christ’s hope and healing.

(Photo courtesy of Triumphant Mercy Lebanon)

Nuna says, “We’re seeing all these shifts in whole nations, and we’re just there asking God to release His glory and to have people’s eyes see His glory because it’s a really difficult time at this time.”

Learn more about Triumphant Mercy at tm-lebanon.com.

Header photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons | https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Beiteddine_-_drapeau_libanais.jpg

Greg Yoder says, “Since our partnership with Mission Eurasia, we’ve been actually able to distribute 600,000 copies of Keys for Kids and Unlocked into war-torn regions, not only Ukraine, but surrounding countries as well.”

Yet, the need is immense.

Children endure severe trauma, facing the war while growing up and coping with fear and loss. This brings existential questions that need help answering.

“How do I express my feelings? How do I express the fact that I’ve lost every family member? How do I express in my heart that I don’t have any hope, and that there is no hope and I don’t know where to turn?” says Yoder.

Representative photo of Kelly Sikkema via Unsplash

He recalls a story of a young, orphaned girl who wouldn’t speak. As she drew pictures, it became clear why.

“Little girl drew a picture of a dad figure, a mom figure, a couple of siblings, a house, an animal, and then one by one began crossing them off, because all of them had died.”

“That’s what they’re dealing with right now,” concludes Yoder, “and it’s on all phases of the spectrum, from young children all the way to adults, because even some of the adults don’t know how to express what they’ve seen, the trauma that they’ve experienced in this horrible tragedy of war.”

With stories like these piling up, the need for the Gospel is urgent. Keys for Kids materials are designed to meet that need!

Yoder describes, “What Keys for Kids Ministries does through our devotionals is it points kids to that they need a Savior to save them from their sins, and they can have a relationship with Jesus Christ.”

It gives them Someone and something to hope in, because their hope is not in this world — it’s in Christ, in Him rescuing them, saving, and drawing into relationship with Him.

Keys for Kids Ministries‘ partners in Ukraine have requested one million devotionals to share God’s Word! Join them in this goal.

Pray also for sustainable peace in Ukraine, and for provision in the years of restoration — physical, spiritual, emotional, and psychological.

Header photo courtesy of Hans via Unsplash.

On Eagles’ Wings is a division of Hutchcraft Ministries that equips Native American believers to reach their peers for Jesus. The team saw the power of God again and again during their Summer of Hope outreaches this past year.

In one urban Native community, a homicide had taken place just days before their visit. Ron Hutchcraft said local Native believers spoke about the obvious despair at the first night’s gathering. “There was a confusion and a chaotic feel in the audience that usually is not there.”

One team member shared their hope story of how Jesus had changed their life. But then a mysterious bang went off, scattering the crowd. It was followed by a severe thunderstorm that finished the night.

David, the Native host for the On Eagles’ Wings team, told them privately: “There’s a blanket of darkness over this community.  Life here is traumatizing.”  

The On Eagles’ Wings team immediately sent out a request for prayer. 

The darkness did not deter them — it made these Native young people more determined to share the hope and freedom Jesus offers. Then prayer was answered with the darkness kicked out, and hope and victory entering the park! 

People listened to different Native young people speak about Christ. When the invitation came to publicly accept Christ, key men from the community stepped forward.

“In fact, the response was all [men] that night. I don’t remember ever seeing that,” Hutchcraft remarked.

Find your place in the story through continued prayer. It’s been more than a month since the summer outreaches ended, but follow-up ministry plans were already in place with local Native leaders. Pray for discipleship to be effective with new believers.

Pray for the young people whose lives were changed by the summer yet who face tough daily realities back home.

Pray for the applicants to the leadership development program with On Eagles’ Wings. Hutchcraft says, “We’re praying that they will be exactly the people that God wants, and that they will be transformed by this year of intensive discipleship.” (Read about the 2025 graduating class of leaders here!)

2025 team photo (Photo courtesy of Hutchcraft Ministries)

Header photo courtesy of Hutchcraft Ministries. 

What she found there changed her life.

Aneliya at summer camp. (Photo courtesy of Valentin Lupashko/Slavic Gospel Association)

One evening during worship, Aneliya came forward in tears. She prayed, and believed in Jesus as Lord and Savior. Later, she shared her story with a pastor — a story marked by pain and abandonment.

Aneliya’s father was drafted to the front lines of Ukraine. Not long after, her mother found another man and left the family, walking away from her two children. Aneliya and her younger brother now live with their elderly grandmother, trying to process trauma far too heavy for their young shoulders.

“She told me that this camp saved her,” the pastor reported. “She experienced spiritual renewal and found hope again.”

According to Eric Mock with Slavic Gospel Association (SGA), Aneliya’s story represents the hope many young people found in Christ this summer.

“These stories are of young kids saying they did not know of the love of God. They did not know they could go to heaven. They did not know of the grace of God. They were angry and confused, and now they walk away with hope,” Mock says.

But this ministry took place against a backdrop of war. “The war zone of Ukraine is getting more violent…. The nights are getting worse, the missiles and the drones are constantly coming in and harassing families,” Mock says. “In fact, we were told by one family that when they go to bed at night, they know that they’ll be awakened at 1:30, at 2:00 in the morning, often for four to five hours, and the sirens are blaring [while] they’re in shelters.”

For churches in Ukraine, the response may seem surprising. “What would you do if missiles and rockets were raining down every night?” Mock asks. “And their answer is this: ‘Well, what we’re going to do right now is we’re going to hold a summer camp.’”

(Photo courtesy of Slavic Gospel Association)

That commitment to Gospel service and encouragement is exactly what SGA exists to support. “The joy that we have is to serve the churches in these embattled countries who are faithfully ministering in their community.”

As summer camps wind down, local congregations are already preparing for the next outreach.

“We might think we’re done with summer camp. We can relax,” Mock says. “They’re already thinking of Christmas outreach. They never stop planning and prepping and ministering to the people in their communities.”

Pray for Aneliya as she begins attending church, and for many more young people across Ukraine who need the peace only Jesus can bring. Ask God to strengthen local churches as they continue year-round discipleship in the face of exhaustion, loss, and war.

Header photo courtesy of Valentin Lupashko/Slavic Gospel Association.

State-run television in Iran has long been a tool of the government. Channels are filled with both open and subtle messages — Islamic future is the best for Iran, obey your leaders, and fear foreign influence. Yet amid the propaganda, a thin, bubbling stream of clean water flows: Christian satellite TV, offering the hope of the Gospel.

Photo courtesy of Ron Lach via Pexels

Lana Silk from Transform Iran says, “The only tool that seems to circumvent all these difficulties, and has done so for years, is satellite TV — a sure way to communicate uninterrupted with the masses in Iran, allowing people to access it without the government being able to stop them in any way.”

Sama TV has served as a media voice in Iran since 2001, producing over 5,000 programs broadcast daily via Mohabat TV on Hotbird 13A and E7B satellites. More than 16 million people are estimated to be watching. Click here to visit the Sama TV website!

The team also hopes to reach people in positions of power: “We put out some programs earlier this year that really challenged the government and said, ‘Look, the path that you are on is going to lead to this kind of war,’” explains Silk.

As Iranians face increasing persecution, Sama TV’s new program meets the people’s current spiritual needs. Silk says, “They’re called ‘War or Peace, Win or Lose,’ and they really talk about what it looks like to be a Christian living in a wartime environment.”

“We identified that Iranians have many questions right now and a strong need for encouragement, guidance, and solid biblical teaching on how to navigate their current situation,” adds Silk.

The program addresses pressing questions: How should believers think and pray about their leaders and country? How can they face urgent needs while responding biblically to enemies, peace, and peacemaking? In a complex situation, they seek to discern what it means to live in a godly way.

Pray for the listeners and team — or sponsor a program! Visit Transform Iran to learn how.

“The story is unfolding right before our eyes. And as Christians, we are called in the Word of God to be discerning of the times, to understand what God is doing, and to jump on board!” says Silk.

Header representative photo (courtesy of cottonbro studio via Pexels)