Christian workers in Vietnam are requesting urgent prayer on behalf of believers who have recently experienced situations of severe persecution. In response to the ongoing concern, VOMC's partnering ministry office in Australia has been providing the affected Christians with greatly needed financial assistance.
In one village, a group of believers were forced to leave their homes due to the pressures they encountered in the community. Even though these displaced followers of Jesus have thankfully been able to find temporary accommodations with fellow believers, they presently remain without permanent residences of their own. Another Christian known as Mr. Bah was also forced to leave his house after refusing to renounce his faith. He is temporarily staying in the kitchen of his pastor's home.
Pastor Dan is an elderly Christian leader who uses his home for church gatherings. On December 23rd, when a group of believers had gathered at the pastor's residence for worship, local authorities – accompanied by other hostile community members described as "thugs" – broke into the pastor's home. The convening church members were physically attacked during the invasion. When Pastor Dan attempted to intervene, the authorities proceeded to severely beat him, consequently breaking his arm and leg.
Brother Ting and his family members regularly held church gatherings in their home as well. When local authorities requested that these believers stop meeting for worship, Ting refused. Soon after, the Christian leader was found beaten to death along the side of a road. In addition, the authorities had ordered Ting's wife, Mar, to do community work. After explaining that she was too busy and unable to help, Pastor Ting's wife was found dead in her home about a week after Ting was murdered.
Christians in Vietnam, particularly those who live within tribal areas, frequently face opposition from local authorities. To learn more about the suffering of our Vietnamese family in Christ, visit VOMC's country profile.
- Prayerfully uphold each one of the Vietnamese believers who have been personally affected by these recently occurring acts of opposition.
- For those who were forced to leave their homes, pray for God's intervention, provision and protection to take place in their lives.
- Ask the Lord to also provide necessary physical and emotional healing to all who sustained injuries as a result of the devastating attacks.
- On behalf of the grieving family and friends of Brother Ting and his wife Mar, pray that they will tangibly sense God's unfailing love, comfort, as well as His "peace that surpasses all understanding" (Philippians 4:7).
- In general, pray that all believers in Vietnam will continue to entrust their lives to the One who holds the future in His hands.
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