Dear Friends,

Several years ago, while serving in Haiti, I was being escorted from the mountain region back to the airport. As we sat stopped in traffic on a rural road, a group of young men—many appearing to be 18 or older—surrounded our vehicle. They rushed my passenger-side window, pounding on the glass and waving long machetes.

It was one of those moments I will never forget..  Thankfully, my driver was able to move on before the situation escalated, and because they were on foot, they could not follow us.

Experiences like that never fully leave you. They remind you that much of the world lives with levels of violence and instability that many of us will never truly understand.

Today, I listened to Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow discuss the ongoing persecution of Christians around the world, and my heart is heavy.

The very first HUHO Foundation Gala began with a desire to help a Christian Nigerian pastor who had a vision to serve the isolated Bekah people in Cameroon. His family still lives in Nigeria. Please join me in praying for the people of Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and all those facing persecution for their faith.

In Nigeria, thousands of believers have lost their lives in recent years. Families have been devastated, children abducted, and communities terrorized. In the Congo, Christians continue to face horrific violence at the hands of jihadist groups.
Their message is often the same: “Deny Christ or die.”

Today marks an important deadline at the U.N. Human Rights Council, where reports documenting religious persecution and human rights violations in the Middle East and Africa are being presented in pursuit of accountability. Regardless of where we stand politically, may we never become indifferent to the suffering of others.

Please take a moment today to pray:

• For peace in Nigeria and the DRC.
• For the protection of pastors, missionaries, and aid workers.
• For families who have lost loved ones.
• For leaders around the world to have the courage to defend human dignity and religious freedom.

“Remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.” — Hebrews 13:3