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Laos

• Pastor Murdered for Evangelizing

  Families in Laos face persecution if they practise the Christian faith.

  Pastor Singkeaw Wongkongpheng, who received warnings from the Laos government to not evangelize locals, was stabbed to death in his home on September 8th. The attacker is identified as "Mr. Wansai," who claimed he was a secret police officer and prison guard for Pha-Oh Prison. Along with four other men, Mr. Wansai had initially planned to kidnap Pastor Singkeaw and his wife, and then dispose of them secretly, as had been done to another Christian leader and his wife in a separate incident several years ago.

  While attempting to rescue his wife, Pastor Singkeaw was suddenly stabbed in the back three times. His wife is now left widowed, and their six children are grieving the loss of their father. VOM's in-country contacts know this village well, and are already reaching out to this hurting family and the members of their church.

  Pastor Singkeaw, the founder of the Na-ang Church in Luang Prabang province, had established the church in 2000, just three years after Luang officials began prohibiting Christians in his district and many others in the province from proselytizing. Despite objections from officials, the dedicated pastor continued sharing his faith in five different villages and ministering to those in need.

  Four decades have passed since the Communists seized power and expelled foreign missionaries. While the Laos constitution now upholds the right for citizens to adopt and practise a religion, it criminalizes those the officials deem "divisive." AsiaNews reports that "Protestant communities have suffered the most from religious persecution; cases include peasants deprived of food for their faith and clergymen arrested by the authorities." Restrictions on Christian worship have increased since the government issued a new set of guidelines in 2003 for acceptable religious belief and worship. Previous reports can be found at the Laos Country Report.

  As Pastor Singkeaw's family now tries to cope with this tragic loss, we pray that God will satisfy their longing souls with His abiding presence and wonderfully provide for all of their needs. May the Lord also encourage the members of the Na-ang Church by blessing them with a new spiritual leader who will serve them and their community with integrity and love. We pray the Laotian believers be granted the grace to wholeheartedly live for Christ and in accordance to His leading, and that the government will recognize the need to heed God's promptings to permit these believers freedom to worship and share their faith. In fact, may the enemy's attempts to stifle the growth of Christianity in Laos backfire, serving instead as a means for many more to hear the Gospel message and respond to the saving grace of Jesus.

• Arrests for ''Spreading the Faith''

  Christians in Laos are a small minority. Photo: Barnabas Fund

  Two Christians in central Laos have been detained on charges of "spreading the faith." Bountheung, 43, and Neuy, 40, both of whom are married and have children, were arrested on September 2nd during a lunch visit at the home of a family in Nong-Hang village. Five police agents raided the home, apparently after receiving a tip-off from local officials. These men are now imprisoned in Khounkham, a village located within Khammouane province.

  Local sources say that police in Khounkham have been monitoring Christian activities closely for several years due to concerns over church growth. Although studies indicate that Christians make up a mere two percent of this communist country's overall population, Bountheung and Neuy are reported to have brought hundreds of people to Christ through their witness. To learn more about the challenges believers face in Laos, review this page.

  While we can praise God for the powerful witness of Bountheung and Neuy, and the way He has worked through them to bring many Lao people to Christ, please join us in praying for their immediate release. May any local officials who oppose Christians in this area of central Laos be touched by the Holy Spirit and dramatically transformed, as was the case for Saul in the account of Acts 9.

• Christians Face New Allegations

  On February 2nd, five Christian leaders were sentenced to jail and fined after a Christian woman they had prayed for died from her illness. Mrs. Kaithong, Mr. Puphet, Mr. Muk, Mr. Hasadee and Mr. Tiang were charged with "treating (a person) without an official (medical) license, causing her to die." The leaders were each sentenced to nine months in prison and fined for allegedly claiming to be healers.

  The five Christians were originally accused of murdering Mrs. Chan, a convert to Christianity who was suffering from an unidentified two-year illness. The believers merely prayed for the ailing woman at her request, and maintain that they did not use any drug or other remedy. Mrs. Chan later died while on the way home from the hospital in Savannakhet in June of 2014. (For more information on this case, you can read our previous prayer alert.)

  While thanking God that the murder charges against these brothers and sisters have been dropped, let us now ask Him to be especially near to them as they each face a fine and nine-month prison sentence. Pray that these new charges will also be dismissed so these believers may be freed to return to their concerned loved ones. Yet, even if the authorities refuse to release them, ask the Lord to use the accused Christians mightily for His greater purposes in Laos (Romans 8:28). In addition, please pray that His comforting presence will sustain Mrs. Chan's children who are still grieving over their loss.

  For more information on the persecuted church in Laos, read our Country Report.

• Hmong Converts Forced to Leave their Homes

  "Tou Ly" and "Fai Cho"

  Two Hmong Christian men, "Tou Ly" and "Fai Cho," were recently forced by relatives to leave their homes after refusing to renounce Christ and return to the community's tradition of ancestor worship. The two believers were then arrested by local authorities and detained for two weeks. After their release, on August 25th, the men rented a place to live outside of the village community.

• Christians Pronounced Not Guilty, Yet Remain Detained

  On August 6th, five Christians in Savannakhet province were found not guilty of the crime of murdering a convert to Christianity. The believers were arrested on June 23rd after they prayed for the health of Chan, a convert to Christianity who later died from a previously diagnosed illness. In the days following her death, the authorities also pressured and intimidated Chan's adult children who are also newcomers to the Christian faith. While it has now been ruled that the Christians did not commit any criminal offence, at last report, the five remained detained with no date yet set for their release. (For more information on the arrest of these believers, visit this page.)

• Christians Charged with Murder after Praying for Health Concern

  A church leader and four other Christians in a village located within Savannakhet Province have been charged by authorities with murder after praying for a sick woman who later died. The deceased, who has only been identified by her surname, "Chan," had been ill for two years with an unknown condition. Various kinds of healers and doctors in her village of Saisomboon had treated her without success. However, when a church leader named Kaithong prayed for her, she became well for a short time. Chan and her eight grown children converted to Christianity in April. However, she suddenly passed away on June 21st, after which time her family began making arrangements for a Christian funeral.

• Despite Opposition, Believers Standing Firm

  Qhua Xiong

  In the midst of opposition from family members and authorities, believers throughout Laos are remaining resolute in their faith.

  Three Christians from a remote Hmong village were arrested in October of 2013 and taken to the district governor, who told them to recant their faith in Jesus Christ. But the believers refused to comply, telling the governor that they would not leave their faith because their lives have been changed by God. After their arrest, a VOM contact explained that Christians are, by law, allowed to practise their faith. Another contact was then sent to discuss the matter with the district governor, and the three Christians were released without further problems.

• Believers Falsely Accused for Villagers' Deaths

  Pray for the protection of villagers in Laos. Photo: Flickr / jmbaud74

  A group of new Christians in a Laotian village have been blamed for the unrelated deaths of three men. When the deaths occurred shortly after the conversion of the believers, the rest of the community concluded that they had angered their ancestors.

  In March 2013, two evangelists shared the Gospel in three remote villages of Laos. As a result, 178 people received Christ and 18 were baptized. Shortly afterward, three men from one of the villages died from unrelated causes. One was given the wrong medicine, one died in his sleep, and the third was accidentally electrocuted while trying to run a cable line.

• Laotian Christian Families Facing Expulsion and Abuse

  Eleven Laotian families, about fifty people in all, face expulsion from Nongdaeng village (Borikan District, central province of Bolikhamsai) because of their conversion to Christianity. On August 30th, village authorities issued an order to family representatives, stating that they must abjure their faith and return to the local traditional religion of animism within three days to avoid expulsion. Despite the impending threat, the Laotian believers plan to continue conducting worship services, insisting that the Laos constitution protects their religious rights.

• Couple Evicted From Home and Forced Out of Community

  Pray for Sakien and Dong who were evicted from their home in Laos Photo: Flickr / Just feel so

  Two Christian converts have been evicted from their home after requesting prayer for healing, a VOM worker reports. On January 10th, 2013, Mr. Sakien and his wife, Dong, went to a church in Intee village, Attapeu province, seeking physical healing after their son and daughter-in-law told them that they had experienced God's healing as a result of prayer.

  Shortly after visiting the church where they received prayer, the couple embraced the Christian faith. Then, on January 23rd, the village chief issued an eviction order, stating that the couple would be denied residency in the village because of their conversion to Christianity. Sakien and Dong were told to "find a different place where Christians can live." Sakien is very ill, and the couple are currently taking shelter in an unfinished church building in Intee village. (For previous reports on the challenges facing Christians in Laos, check the Laos Country Report.)

  Pray that this older couple will be encouraged in God's ability to provide for their every need, including that of appropriate accommodation. In fact, may He wonderfully bless them with His goodness by leading them to a safe haven in which to live and a loving community that will welcome them with open arms (Philippians 4:19). Also ask the Lord to bring needed strength and healing to Sakien, and encouragement and support to his dear wife Dong and their family.