“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
[Dec.03.2022] Voice of the Martyrs Korea (Korea VOM) said on Nov. 29 that it has achieved all its goals in eight months after signing a contract to transmit shortwave Christian radio to the Maldives. It will also renew its one-year shortwave radio transmission contract and continue its ministry to transmit Christian shortwave radio broadcasts to the Maldives in 2023.
“We will continue to send gospel messages to the Maldives until the day the Lord comes again, as long as the Lord allows,” said Hyun sook Polly, CEO of the Martyrs’ Voice.
“North Korea and China are better known as countries that completely restrict Christian activities, but in fact, the Maldives is always at the top of the Christian persecution list independently compiled by persecution monitoring organizations and government agencies around the world,” said Representative Hyun sook Polly.
Maldives Christians is forced to hide their faith and keep it secret. “If you are found to be a Christian, you can lose your citizenship and even go to prison just by possessing the Bible,” said Representative Hyun sook Polly.
Most Christians in the Maldives are foreigners, most of whom do not like meeting together because they are afraid of the government’s reactions. It is legal for non-Muslim foreigners to reside in the Maldives, but any form of expressing their religious beliefs in public is prohibited.
It is illegal to share the gospel with Muslims and may result in deportation. These combined situations form a “shade of fear” in any kind of ministry in or near the Maldives.
Despite these difficulties, the Voice of Martyrs decided to commence the ministry alone, and on April 1, 2022, shortwave radio broadcasts began to transmit to the Maldives daily.
Representative Hyun Sook Polly said, “Many Christian organizations cannot carry out any form of ministry in the Maldives. Therefore, radio broadcasting is very important. The broadcast helps missionary groups as well as local Christians in the Maldives to evangelize and raise their disciples. He said, “If we broadcast the gospel every day, we will change the ‘shade of fear’ into the ‘shade of the gospel’.”
“Recently, the Maldives government has stepped up efforts to block Christian content on the Internet and medium-wave radio. However, shortwave is much harder to block than medium-wave. A shortwave radio can reach the entire 90,000 square meters of the Maldives, which is made up of more than 1,000 islands, and it is much harder for the government to cut off shortwave radio.”
Now that the Maldives radio broadcasting ministry has entered its second year, CEO Hyun Sook-Poly asked for intercession prayers, saying, “Please pray for many Christians who feel lonely to listen to our broadcast and gain strength and for us so we can continue to send strong and clear radio waves to the Maldives.” (Source: Christian Today Comprehensive)
For, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (Romans 10:13-15)
God, thank You for the Korean Voice of Martyrs for delivering the good news of salvation through shortwave radio broadcasts to the Maldives where the sharing of the gospel is exceptionally difficult. Please let there be many Maldives who are exposed to this broadcast and increase the number of people who believe in Jesus Christ and gain eternal life. Also, please encourage Your workers who share the gospel and seek Your wisdom while they were sent to countries that are hostile to Christianity so that they can continue the beautiful march of the gospel.
Prayer 24·365
prayer@prayer24365.org
