Jesus told his disciples to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matt 5:44). Have you ever thought about how difficult it is to follow these words of Jesus when you’re actually being persecuted? Heaven’s Family-supported national missionaries in India live out this verse every day. They faithfully visit villages where they face opposition and pray for their persecutors. Those who come to faith through their message can also face heavy persecution.

We've heard a lot lately about heroes who wear scrubs and battle on the frontlines of this pandemic.

Of the 40 countries I have visited in my mission career, Nepal is near the top for most beautiful, most open to the gospel...and most dangerous when it comes to its mountain roads. Navigating these treacherous byways requires nerves of steel. To make matters worse, nearly a third of the population cannot afford a car, so they ride small, cheaply-made motorcycles, which only adds to the road’s chaos—and danger.

In slow, rhythmic motions Zin gently sweeps her paddle, propelling her long boat across the calm waters. An immense lake stretches before her for miles. Squinting against the sun, she looks ahead to a small cluster of huts rising out of the water on stilts near the middle of the lake. While a tourist might think the village quaint, she knows it’s also a fortress of deep spiritual darkness.

Remember the saying, “It’s raining cats and dogs”? That happens often during Nepal's rainy season, which begins every year in June and runs for 4 months. The rice and other crops that sustain the Nepali people depend on the rainy season.