Zhang Mei served as a lay leader in house churches across Yueyang, Hunan Province, for over 30 years. Zhang and her daughter, Li Dixuan, have since left China and are now living in Texas, where Li has married an American citizen. The mother and daughter have both applied for asylum in the United States.

During a hot summer day on June 22nd, a Christian man named Sadique Masih was working at a brick kiln when he paused for a drink of water. Reaching for the nearest cooler, he took a sip. Tragically, that simple action cost him his life.

At least 25 Christians were killed during attacks on the villages of Kum and Wereng-Comp in Plateau State, Nigeria, on July 11th. Among the victims were nine members belonging to a single Christian family, including a two-month-old infant.