This is a hard place for Christians, but I believe God is working. If we focus only on what we see, we will be discouraged.
INFO BOOKLET PRAYER
Scroll Down
ABOUT LAOS
- Leader:President Choummaly Sayasone
- Government:Communist state
- Population:7,038,000 (225,000 Christians)
- Main Religion:Buddhism
- Persecution Level:Veryhigh
- Source of Persecution:Tribal antagonism
Laos has been in the tight grip of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party since 1975. Its exclusive network of party members’ families and friends adds to the pressure felt by Lao citizens, especially minorities. The country also has a complete lack of freedom of expression, let alone a free press to highlight cases of corruption. Buddhist temples are the centers of social and religious life, and most Lao men are expected to spend some time serving in a temple. This shows how deeply ingrained Buddhism is in the thinking and culture of society. Although it is often mixed with animistic beliefs and practices, every deviation from it is unthinkable and perceived as dangerous. Therefore, Christians refusing to participate in Buddhist practices are perceived as foreign and a threat to traditional culture. Witnessing to Buddhist neighbors and family can be a huge challenge, but believers here are boldly living out their faith.
Through local partners and churches, we come alongside the Laotian believers when they suffer physical attacks and expulsion from their families and communities for choosing to follow Christ. This is done through advocacy, relief, and practical aid. Open Doors strengthens persecuted believers in Laos through the following efforts: Provision of Christian materials, Leadership training and Discipleship programs.
RECENT NEWS FROM LAOS
OCT 202017
FAITH AND COURAGE—JIK’S ARMOR FOR PERSECUTION IN LAOS
Found in Stories
Through it all, Jik had no idea if her husband was dead or alive.
+ READ MORE
AUG 12017
HOW PRISON MADE ME A MORE EFFICIENT EVANGELIST
Found in Stories
Buddhist-background believers in Southeast Asia risk imprisonment in very difficult circumstances. Dok* from Laos was imprisoned for 13 years. Recently, an Open Doors team visited him to hear how he was doing. Prison didn’t break him.
+ READ MORE
JUL 242017
WHAT IF YOUR FAMILY DISOWNED YOU BECAUSE OF CHRIST?
Found in Stories
“If you won’t go back, we will hit you until you die,” they told me.
+ READ MORE
JUL 12017
“I KNEW THAT JAIL WAS STILL PART OF HIS PLAN.”
Found in Prayer Alerts
James, a 23-year-old Laotian Bible school student, was imprisoned for allegedly sharing the Gospel in an undisclosed village in Laos. He tells Open Doors about his four months in jail and how the ordeal brought him closer to Jesus Christ.
+ READ MORE
JUN 122017
MURDER-SUICIDE BY HMONG CULT FOLLOWER
Found in Prayer Alerts
A cult with an unbalanced teaching about the Holy Spirit has been gaining a following among Hmong churches in Laos. On May 16 in Bolikhamxai province, a father, who was said to have attended the teaching of this cult group led by Hmong from the US, went home, brought his family into the forest and killed all of […]
+ READ MORE
PRAYER POINTS FOR LAOS
- Pray for Christians who have nowhere to read the Bible and pray without being watched.
- Pray for older Christians to take the initiative in discipling new believers.
- Pray that Christians would know how to witness to Buddhist neighbors and family.
Last edited:
