ASIA/PACIFIC: “Who’s Going to Buy Rice From You, Now That You’re a Christian?”

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The Voice of the Martyrs

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4.9 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 26 July 2025

⏱️ 25 minutes

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Summary

This week, Carter Gates, leader of VOM’s work in the Asia/Pacific Region, shares about a recent gathering of VOM front-line workers, where they spent time in fellowship, sharing stories and encouraging one another to continue serving persecuted Christians. These men and women minister in some of the most dangerous places to follow Christ, and are often the first responders when Christian persecution happens.

You will hear updates from Myanmar, Laos, and North Korea, places where following Jesus can mean losing everything. Between political unrest, spiritual oppression, pressure from local leaders, economic retaliation and rejection from family, believers in this region are squeezed on every side. Yet, as Carter shares, Christians in these nations remain steadfast and faithful, unshaken despite immense pressure.

The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily for persecuted Christians—in Iran and other nations—throughout the year, as well as provide free access to e-books, audiobooks, video content and feature films. Download the VOM App for your iOS or Android device today.

Transcript

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0:00.0	In a certain Asian country, a man came to faith in Jesus. Carter Gates tells us what happened
0:06.9	next when the people of his village heard about his new life in Christ.
0:12.3	So they called a community meeting, a village meeting. The leaders asked if there was
0:16.1	any people there who would call themselves Christians. And even though he had only been a believer for about a year, he's the only one that stood up. And so in that community meeting, they began to mock and they chastised him during it, and they were taunting him saying, who's going to buy rice from you now since you're a Christian? And will your God come to the market and buy your fruit? You know, many people in In these contexts, they sell food at the local markets and that's how they make money. So they were
0:40.7	chastising him saying, who's going to buy rice from you now since you're a Christian?
0:44.3	And I just had so admired his faith that he still was willing to say, you know, I'm a follower
0:49.2	of Christ and be rejected. Jesus never promised his followers an easy path. In fact, he told his disciples that the
0:57.8	world would hate them. He sent them out as sheep among wolves. Jesus' words came true in the life
1:04.1	of the apostles, and they're still coming true today in the lives of his followers around the world.
1:09.5	Join host Todd Nettleton as we hear their inspiring stories and learn how around the world. Join host, Todd Nettleton, as we hear their inspiring
1:11.9	stories and learn how we can help right now on the Voice of the Martyrs Radio Network.
1:16.9	Welcome again to The Voice of the Martyrs Radio. My name is Todd Nettleton. We are in our studio today
1:21.3	in Bartlesville, Oklahoma with Carter Gates. Carter leads VOM's international ministry work in the Asia Pacific region. We will talk about
1:30.0	some of the countries that are part of his region. Carter, welcome back to Voice of the Martyrs
1:34.6	Radio. Thanks so much, thought. It's always good to be here. Well, it is good to have you, and I know
1:38.9	you are just back from meeting with your team, and I know this because I got to tag along and be there.
1:46.2	And talk to me a little bit about what the purpose is.
1:49.3	When you gather together our frontline workers, people who are helping VOM serve persecuted Christians,
1:56.5	what's the purpose and what do you hope to accomplish when that happens?
2:00.3	Yeah.
2:00.6	So, you know, we gathered in a secure, safe area of Southeast Asia to bring all of our
2:05.9	workers together. And these frontline workers are specifically people that live in some of our
	...

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