Christian activist and journalist Li Ying was released from prison in China on Dec. 25, 2011, just three years shy of completing a 15-year sentence she received because of her work on an underground Christian magazine. Li was arrested in April 2001 along with 16 others from the South China Church. China Aid Association founder and president Bob Fu spoke with Li on Friday, Feb. 10. Li is very grateful for the support she received from around the world. She told Fu that she was aware of the many letters she had received but that authorities never let her see the letters. Li reiterated her thanks to her worldwide supporters. Continue to pray for Li Ying, who is under police surveillance and has been told not to leave her village.

A Jerusalem church was vandalized last week in the most recent in a series of attacks targeting both Christians and Muslims. On Monday, Feb. 20, vandals spray-painted “Death to Christianity” and “Price tag” on the wall of the west Jerusalem Baptist Narkis Street Congregation church. The graffiti also included profanity about Jesus. In addition, vandals slashed the tires of several vehicles parked in the church compound. “Price tag” attacks are carried out all over Israel by Jewish extremists. The term is used to suggest that vandalism is the “price” that must be paid by non-Jews for the evacuation and demolition of Jewish settlements. Police think the recent vandalism was carried out by a lone individual rather than an organized group. When asked about the attack, a VOM contact in Israel said, “Jesus told us persecution would happen, and he told us to forgive when it does happen.”