Ongoing investigation of aid workers killed

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Tom Little, team leader
Photo from International Assistance Mission

Several weeks ago, world news agencies reported the killing of a team of eye medics, including eight Christian aid workers, in a remote area of Afghanistan on August 6. The team of two Afghan helpers and eight Christian foreigners worked for the International Assistance Mission (IAM), a non-profit Christian organization registered as such in Afghanistan since 1966. Investigation by Afghan authorities on who is responsible for the deaths and what have been the motives still continues. According to the Associated Press, a Taliban spokesman said they had killed the aid workers because they were spies and were "preaching Christianity." The Executive Director of IAM rejected the initial report that the attacks were a result of a robbery. In recent months, experts have expressed concern over political threats against local Christians and that these latest incidents have the potential to intimidate local and foreign Christians in Afghanistan even further. (Sources: World Evangelical Alliance, Compass Direct)

Please pray for the protection of Christians in Afghanistan. Pray the Lord will give the small Christian community in this nation a spirit of faithfulness and confidence. Ask the Lord to use this recent tragedy to accomplish His purposes in Afghanistan (Rom. 8:28).

Please visit the Afghanistan Country Report for more information about persecution in Afghanistan.

Current Ministry Projects

VOMC works with ministry partners to provide Afghan Christians with evangelistic and discipleship radio broadcasts to equip followers of Jesus to present the Gospel in a specialized, culturally relevant, and context-sensitive way. VOMC is also helping our ministry partners to translate scripture into the Dari language.

Project Funds: Underground Church, Relief & Development, Bible

Country Information

Designation
Persecuted

Population
37,466,414 (July 2021 est.)

Ethnicity
Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek and others

Religions (%)
Islam (99.7), Christianity and other (0.3)

Government type
Taliban takeover August 2021

Leader
President (vacant)

Legal system
Mixed legal system of civil, customary, and Islamic law

Source: CIA World Factbook

Pray for Afghanistan

Pray for the protection of these Afghan believers, and for the consistency of their witness, as God continues to build His church according to Matthew 16:18 ("the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it"). In addition to protecting them from physical danger and harm, ask God to insulate these minority Christians from the spiritual oppression surrounding them. May these dedicated followers of Christ mature spiritually and grow in both faith and number.

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