Prisoners of Hope

The Reverend Pat Allerton joined our team in Lebanon this summer to experience the work of our team firsthand. There, he visited safe houses, preached to Syrian refugees in our Haven, and helped in a vegetable distribution from our Seeds of Hope Farm! Most significantly, he joined our team in a local river to baptize over 40 refugees who have come to faith in Christ. Pat joins Joshua Youssef to ta...

What does it look like when over 120 Muslim-background believers gather to celebrate Jesus—despite the threat of death? In this episode from the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted, Josh shares stories from his recent trip to Iraq: a descendant of Muhammad who returned to witness to the family that tried to kill him, a former ISIS child soldier who encountered Jesus through a TV film, a...

Leading up to the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted on November 2, Help the Persecuted CEO Joshua Youssef explores prayer's transformative power with Dr. Karen Ellis, director of the Edmiston Center for Christian Endurance Studies at Reformed Theological Seminary.  Dr. Ellis shares how persecution differs from general suffering, the power of the Lord's Prayer to reorient us from self...

When a widow's husband is murdered for his faith, she's left with seven children and a death threat. When explosions strike near Yasmin's home and doctors say her son won't survive, she makes a desperate prayer that changes everything. When Bushra's husband dies, she can't even afford to bury him. Joshua Youssef and Samar share stories from our Widow's List ministry—a high-risk ministry rescuing w...

A former ISIS child fighter takes his first communion. A man whose father locked him in a burning shop for following Jesus says he "lost everything but gained everything." Iraqi believers risk death traveling 12 hours through militia checkpoints for their only chance all year to worship with other Christians. Join Josh Youssef and Brother Salam as they share stunning stories from Help the Persecut...

After losing his best friend to Hamas torture, Aaron Abramson—CEO of Jews for Jesus—found Christ in a Jerusalem church led by a converted Druze pastor ministering to former Muslims. In this episode, Josh interviews Aaron about how the tragedy of October 7, 2023 is sparking the most unexpected revival. Secular Jews who never questioned their worldview are suddenly asking: "Why do people hate us so...

In this week's Prisoners of Hope episode, Joshua Youssef interviews Bassem, who leads Help The Persecuted's work in Morocco, and two other persecuted Christians who have found dignity and independence through our Enduring Livelihood Minsitry. He shares how converts from Islam face complete rejection—losing family, jobs, and safety nets—while secret police maintain constant surveillance and neighbo...

In this week’s Prisoners of Hope episode, host Joshua Youssef interviews Field Minister Aseel, who serves on the ground in Libya. She shares while militias brutally target minorities through kidnapping, slavery, and violence, Christians endure even more horrors—beatings, mock executions, and forced conversions. Despite constant threats and betrayal by neighbors who might “sell her off,” Aseel shar...

Joshua Youssef travels to a safe house in a closed country to interview Ibrahim, an Iranian believer who was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his faith. From a life destroyed by addiction to a radical transformation through Christ, Ibrahim shares how he came to faith years ago and boldly served the underground church in Iran despite repeated warnings from Iranian intelligence. After posting bai...

In this compelling episode of Prisoners of Hope, I delve into the urgent situation in Syria following the recent regime change. Join me as I interview our dedicated team members, Jalal and Merrin, who share firsthand accounts of the escalating persecution faced by Christian communities amidst the chaos. We explore the complex history of Syria, examining how the power dynamics have shifted dramatic...

Joshua Youssef travels to a safe house in a closed country to meet with two of our on-the-ground Field Ministers in Iran, Mahdi and Farrah, who risk their lives daily to serve persecuted Christians. They share firsthand accounts of interrogations, imprisonment threats, and the Iranian government's intensified crackdown on home churches following recent conflicts and how Help The Persecuted provide...

Joshua Youssef sits down with Leila from Help The Persecuted's Lebanon office to explore the unique challenges faced by Christian women in the Islamic world. From inheritance laws to civil rights, Leila shares eye-opening insights about how women are viewed and treated differently in Islamic countries...all the more so if they profess faith in Jesus Christ. Hear incredible stories of transformatio...

Join us on Prisoners of Hope as we explore the profound journey of Christian converts striving for dignity and independence. In this episode, Dignity and Independence for the Christian Convert, we, Joshua Youssef and Kadi, delve into the challenges faced by persecuted believers who endure civic death and economic hardships due to their faith. Kadi shares a poignant childhood story that shaped his...

Joshua Youssef and the Help The Persecuted team bring an urgent update on the devastating suicide bombing at a Damascus church that killed 23 Christians and injured scores more during a funeral service. Our on-the-ground Field Ministers Farid, Daniel, Jalal, and Maron provide firsthand insights into Syria's first-ever church suicide bombing, the rise of radical Islamic groups following Assad's fal...

Joshua Youssef sits down with Field Minister Qasem and fellow Iranian believers Babak and Elly, who offer an inside perspective on today's headlines about Iran and Israel. They share how authorities are arresting citizens as "Israeli spies" for simply contacting loved ones abroad...and how courageous Christians are quietly serving their communities amid the chaos of food shortages and blackouts. M...

When Muslims convert to Christianity in Egypt, they face "civic death" - losing their jobs, families, and entire identity overnight. In this week's episode, our Field Minister Mark reveals the brutal reality: a university doctor fired and blacklisted, a mother of four abandoned with no income, believers forced to flee their homes. But there's hope. Discover how Help the Persecuted's Enduring Livel...

In this week's episode, Josh speaks with Aziz and Salma, directors of our Help The Persecuted Haven in Lebanon, about their urgent mission to shelter Syrian Christian converts fleeing persecution in the aftermath of the Syrian regime's collapse. Hear firsthand accounts of families finding faith, community, and safety in this remarkable Haven—which is made possible by your generous support and pray...

Joshua Youssef and Olivia Davis provide an update on Help The Persecuted's petition to halt deportations of Afghan Christians, which has reached nearly 3,000 signatures. They discuss the importance of these advocacy efforts, share powerful testimonies from Afghan converts who lost everything for the sake of Christ, and preview Josh's upcoming trip to Washington, D.C. to present these cases to gove...

"If I stay here…maybe they will kill me." These weren't empty words for Yusuf. He had already survived a Taliban attack on his secret Bible school, where gunmen executed his Christian colleagues while he lay wounded under a table with a broken arm. He endured beatings from police and faced death threats for abandoning Islam. His desperate escape during the chaotic Kabul evacuation separated him fr...

In this episode of Prisoners of Hope, we delve into the harrowing experiences of Afghan Christians facing severe persecution under the Taliban. Join us as we sit down with Shuja, a courageous Afghan who fled his homeland to seek refuge in the United States. Shuja shares his journey of faith, the challenges of living under Taliban rule, and the arduous escape through Pakistan to the US. We also dis...

In this gripping episode of Prisoners of Hope, we delve into Nash's harrowing journey from Afghanistan to the United States. After converting to Christianity, Nash faced severe persecution under Taliban rule, enduring imprisonment and torture. Fearing for his life, he embarked on a perilous escape, traveling through Brazil and Mexico before reaching the U.S. on a humanitarian parole visa. Now, Nas...

In this episode of Prisoners of Hope, titled "Afghan Christians Need Your Voice," we delve into the urgent plight of Afghan Christians facing deportation from the United States. Join us as we discuss the heroic efforts of Help the Persecuted and the Enduring Hope Alliance in rescuing thousands of at-risk Christians from Afghanistan. We explore the challenges these believers face, including the rev...

What is it like to celebrate Easter in the Islamic World—where faith in Jesus can be life-threatening? This week in the podcast, Josh Youssef talks about whispering worship songs in Morocco...and going to church in Egypt right after of the Psalm Sunday church bombing of 2017.

A Pakistani Christian named Walid faced the ultimate test of faith when confronted with a horrifying choice at his workplace: convert to Islam or face deadly consequences. After refusing to abandon his faith in Christ, his employer tried to murder him. Walid miraculously survived.

This week, our Prisoners of Hope podcast features part two of our interview with Pastor Qasem, who runs an online digital ministry for Iranian Christians. He discusses the dangers believers face in Iran (15-year sentences for worship), how his online ministry is helping Christians in the country, and the challenges of surveillance by Iranian intelligence services targeting Christians.