4/17/2025 Southeast Asia (International Christian Concern) — How many Bibles do you have at home? Maybe you have an app on your device with the Scriptures on it. No matter how many copies of God’s Word you have, it is a blessing to possess even one Bible. So many Christians, especially those of us in the West, take for granted the privilege we have to freely read and study the Bible openly.

For many of our brothers and sisters in Christ who live in Asia, God’s Word is restricted or even illegal. In certain countries, just owning one can lead to violence, imprisonment, or even death.

Many Christians in the West often think that there’s no need to smuggle or distribute Bibles in China or other nations that are restricted and often hostile to the gospel. This is a major mistake. The reality is that multitudes of Christians, particularly those who face persecution in hostile regions and nations, desperately desire and need copies of God’s Word for themselves and their families.

International Christian Concern (ICC) responds to this spiritual need in multiple ways throughout Asia. We work with our in-country staff, partner organizations, and local churches to distribute audio Bibles, digital Bibles on USB drives and MP3 devices, and, of course, physical Bibles in the desired language.

Despite our efforts, the scale of need remains massive. Praise God for Bible Societies, Scripture Unions, strong church networks, and the handful of Christian bookstores operating in most countries in Asia that help source and distribute Bibles. Still, in Asian countries where oppressive Islamic or Communist regimes pressure and persecute Christians and new converts, Bibles must  be transported and distributed covertly and sensitively.

In one Muslim nation in Southeast Asia, a local missionary we’ll call “Alex” met with ICC staff and shared his burden to distribute Bibles in high-risk areas of his country to large numbers of former Muslims who were now following Christ.

They needed their own Bibles so they could grow in their faith — even as they face persecution. In these areas, Alex’s life would be in danger if the wrong people caught him distributing Bibles. Knowing this, he had already courageously transported and distributed Bibles in these areas using careful, creative methods. Yet, he still needed more Bibles because so many Muslims were coming to faith in Christ.

Through support from our generous donors, ICC helped Alex lead two Bible distributions. He and his team of dedicated helpers brought God’s Word into two risky areas of this Asian country. For one of these trips, Alex and his team drove more than 12 hours along difficult roads to bring Bibles to a cluster of new Christ followers.

On the other trip, the rainy season caused many obstacles for Alex and his team. The road into this particular high-risk area was flooded enough to cause landslides. In addition to being cautious with their precious cargo of Bibles to avoid detection, the team had to constantly adapt to the conditions they were traveling through.

During the two trips, Alex and his team distributed hundreds of Bibles to former Muslims eager to have their own copy of God’s Word. ICC helped cover the cost of traveling to these small communities of new, secret believers.

Alex asked that people pray for God to speak to these former Muslims through their new Bibles so they can grow in their relationship with Jesus. Our staff would like to thank everyone who has prayed for these dear brothers and sisters of ours and contributed to the gift of God’s Word in their lives. And thank you for your prayers for Alex and his team’s courageous work to get Bibles into the hands of these new believers. As we read our Bibles in relative freedom, they can now read theirs while living under Communism or Islamic regimes.

To help us get more Bibles into the hands of new believers living in places of persecution, give today.

To read more news stories, visit the ICC Newsroom. For interviews, please email press@persecution.org.