Extreme Devotion - "Extreme Suffering Part One (Day 355: Sudan, Camarino)"
Podcast by The Voice of The Martyrs
Released: December 21, 2025

Overview

This episode of Extreme Devotion focuses on the harrowing experiences of Sudanese Christians suffering for their faith, centering on the story of a young boy named Camarino. Through his ordeal, the episode explores the themes of suffering, faith, and the power of prayer amid persecution.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Context: Persecution in Sudan

• The episode immediately situates listeners in the context of Sudan, highlighting ongoing targeted violence against Christian communities.
• Christians are described as being “displaced within their own country” and many have been forced to flee “Islamic assaults,” often leaving with nothing but their clothing.

2. Camarino’s Story: Survival Amidst Violence

• [00:13] Camarino, a 10-year-old boy, is allowed by his grandmother to search for food, despite the looming dangers.
• While foraging with friends, Camarino and several boys are spotted by soldiers and chased into a field. The soldiers set the field on fire to flush them out.
• “The flames quickly reached the boys and they had no choice but to run for their lives. Only three boys made it out of the fields. Camarino remained.”
• The soldiers, after catching the other boys, discover Camarino’s motionless, badly burned body and, believing him dead, leave him behind.

3. Miracle and Recovery Through Community and Prayer

• Despite his severe burns, Camarino miraculously crawls out of the field and is found by villagers, who bring him home to his grandmother.
• With little else to offer, the community “could do nothing but pray for his sufferings,” underscoring the role of faith and prayer in the face of extreme hardship.

4. The Spiritual Impact of Suffering

• The narrative shifts from Camarino’s story to a reflection on the broader experience of Sudanese Christians:
  • “Their sufferings and daily dangers have reduced their reliance upon themselves and increased their dependence upon God. Prayer is all that remains.”
• The episode frames this forced dependence as both “scary” and “a wonderful place to be”—a paradox at the heart of the persecuted believers' experience.

5. Challenging Listeners: The Call to Extreme Prayer

• The host encourages self-examination among listeners:
  • “We are not likely to say that God is all we need until and unless God is all we have. Otherwise, we are quick to rely on our own abilities.”
  • Listeners are asked, “In these extreme times, how often do you rely on prayer as if there were nothing else you could do but pray?”
• The episode closes by inviting the audience into “extreme prayer”—deep, dependent faith motivated by the example of persecuted Christians.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the severity of suffering:
  “Christians in Sudan have been displaced within their own country for their religious beliefs. Many have fled the cruel Islamic assaults with barely the clothing on their backs.” (A, 00:10)

• Camarino’s ordeal:
  “The flames quickly reached the boys and they had no choice but to run for their lives. ... The boy's burned body was motionless and he was left for dead. Another Christian casualty. Or so they thought.” (A, 00:32–00:52)

• The aftermath and the power of prayer:
  “There was nothing they could do for Camarino but pray for his sufferings.” (A, 01:07)

• Reflection on dependence on God:
  “We are not likely to say that God is all we need until and unless God is all we have. Otherwise, we are quick to rely on our own abilities.” (A, 01:22)

• Closing challenge:
  “God is calling you to extreme prayer. In these extreme times, how often do you rely on prayer as if there were nothing else you could do but pray?” (A, 01:40)

Important Segment Timestamps

• [00:00] – Opening verse: Colossians 4:2; introduction to Camarino’s story
• [00:13] – Camarino leaves home and encounters danger
• [00:32] – Soldiers set the field on fire; the ordeal unfolds
• [00:52] – Camarino is left for dead; his miraculous survival
• [01:07] – Community response: reliance on prayer
• [01:15] – Reflection on Sudanese Christians’ dependence on God
• [01:22] – Insight on human self-reliance versus reliance on God
• [01:40] – Call to “extreme prayer” and listener reflection

Summary

This powerful episode shares the story of young Camarino as a lens through which to understand the daily realities of Christian persecution in Sudan. The narrative is raw and direct, emphasizing not only the physical suffering endured, but also the profound spiritual transformation that arises from such experiences. The episode challenges listeners to consider their own dependence on prayer and invites them to embrace a deeper, more desperate faith—one characterized by surrender and total trust in God, just as many persecuted Christians have learned to do.