What is God Doing in Laos?

Laos        

Population: 6.4 million

Capital:    Vientiane

People Groups:  145

Main Religion: Buddhism 61%

All Christians: 1.8%

Persecution of Christians in Laos is rampant, but God is still providing ways for His Word to go forward. Believers are going out to the villages to disciple others and reach people who haven't yet heard the gospel. "The obstacle in the work of the Lord in my area has been persecution coming from the authorities," reported one missionary. "But it seems that the more intense the persecution, the more people become Christians." In some areas where churches were planted, prayers for the sick resulted in healing. At least two residents were delivered from demonic spirits after they came to Christ, angering authorities. When the police heard about their salvation, they summoned the new Christians, interrogated them, confiscated their Bibles and warned them to discontinue their worship. Laotian Christians are asking God for "boldness and power" as they continue to proclaim salvation in Jesus Christ in the midst of persecution and pressure from authorities.   Missions Insider, July 2004

“Recently the Laotian government had a meeting to try to decide how best to stop the spread of Christianity.  What they decided to do was send out false teachers to preach Christianity.  But after they finish preaching, the false teachers would then smoke and drink and go after the girls in the village.   In this way they hoped to convince the villagers of the Government’s lie that Christians are bad people.  But it seems to be working in reverse to the way the government had hoped.   People who had never heard of Christ before are now hearing about Christ.  They are realizing that these teachers are false teachers, and now they want to know what it is the government is trying to keep from them.  So when true evangelists go to the villages, they are finding openness and curiosity about Christ.   Please pray that what the devil meant for evil, the Lord will turn to good, and many people will be saved.”  (Romans 8:28)  OMF Mekong Center, February 2004

Many Christians prayed for an evangelist who had been arrested for preaching the gospel to members of the Khmu tribe. He was publicly chained by government officials, and imprisoned in a pit for four days. Since his release, the Christian church in the village has grown from 100 to 700 members. The government official who wanted to destroy the church died of a sudden heart attack shortly after beating and harassing Christians. His family has also been affected: soon after his death, one of his sons broke both legs in a motorcycle accident, and another fell ill and is near death in the capital. "Through these events, the Khmu have seen God's power clearly demonstrated", says mission agency Asia Harvest. Government officials now think twice before acting against Christians, who now have a much freer hand than before. Asia Harvest, May 1998

A Khmu pastor in Laos has been complaining recently that he hasn't been able to get a good night's sleep for months. The pastor is the only person in his area who owns a VCR. The Khmu people's hunger for spiritual truth is so great that many have been watching the "Jesus Film" practically around the clock. Being simple people, though, they don't know how to rewind the video when it gets to the end. So every few hours throughout the night they go to the pastor's room and say, "Pastor, wake up! We want to watch it again!"    Asian Minorities Outreach, September 1998

 

Listeners in one particular Hmong village inside Laos in the mid-1950's were responsive to Christian messages, but being illiterate, had no idea how to communicate with the Vientiane Post Office box given on the program. The chief of the village, therefore, sent a delegation down several days' walk to the capital, to the main post office, where they inquired if there was a religious man associated with a particular mail box. Postal officials did not understand the request and referred them instead to a member of the locally established religious hierarchy, who sent a representative back with the delegation, several days' walk return trip to the mountains. However, when the chief asked the representative to acquit himself in terms of his views, he was dissatisfied with the result and declared that it was 'not the same' as they had heard on the radio. He therefore apologized to the representative and sent him on his way back down the mountain. But the village were determined to make contact with the broadcaster. So, again a delegation went back, three days' walk, down the mountain to Vientiane, where they gave more details to the postal officials, who then decided these people must be referring to a foreigner who indeed had a mailbox. This missionary returned with the delegation, preached the Gospel to the Chief and his men, and all accepted Christ. As is quite ordinary in Hmong culture, the Chief 'gave permission' to his village to become Christians, every one. And as a common response to a Chief's suggestion, the whole village followed suit.   Miao Messenger, Fall 1997