We serve Christians around the world whose brave faith in Jesus means they are, beaten, threatened, imprisoned, tortured, falsely accused, disowned and hated.

Laos: Why does this always happen?

pattern

Inthy, Chamchai and Kikeo live in a staunch Buddhist village in Laos where belief in another religion is not just frowned upon; Christians are considered un-patriotic traitors and disrupters of the peace.

Chamchai is a farmer, her husband Inthy, a man with a bold faith, has been arrested three times for speaking about his faith. They have nine children, including Kikeo who is 17.

Chamchai shares about the last time Inthy was arrested. Some friends had phoned to say their son had tragically died, so Inthy had gone to comfort them and help them prepare for the funeral. Whilst with his grieving friends, Inthy was asked by the village chief to go with him to the police station. He did, and was arrested. He was held for six months with no charge.

Serious political crimes?


Image: Inthy with his Bible

Chamchai shares how she felt: “Why does this always happen to him? I was so sad and worried… every time he was in prison they treated him horribly; he was once forced to sleep on the ground in a filthy washroom for a month and had to shower with mud water, and they never let him go out for a walk. They would keep him locked up like that for a month because they said he committed serious political crimes. This was all too much for me.

“I don’t understand why they keep doing this to him. Why can’t they let him be and let him live in peace?”

In his third imprisonment, it was only after two months that Chamchai was allowed to see her husband.

“When I saw him, I wept. He was so pale and skinny. My husband said, ‘I fasted every day and only ate one meal a day at dinner time.’ He said he was praying and fasting ‘for his freedom.’”

Chamchai shares that while her husband was still in prison, she and her family had to deal with unpleasant treatment from their non-believing relatives. “They would ask me why I had to stand firm and believe in Jesus Christ when all it did to us was lead to suffering and persecution. They said, ‘Look at what this faith did to you and your family. Renounce your faith so that you can live peacefully.’”

But Chamchai was firm in her resolve. “I told them I will never abandon my faith because only Jesus Christ can bring me joy and happiness. Nothing can change my mind about my faith now. I will continue believing in Jesus; I will follow in God’s footsteps and will trust in him and him alone.

With a joyful expression on her face, she continues, “I am thankful to God for answering our prayers, since he was finally released after six long months. When I went to the prison to pick him up, I was so happy and so emotional when I saw him; I was crying loudly, my eyes were filled with tears.”

Chamchai said God hears and answers prayers and she is grateful that a bigger family of believers supported them and prayed for them and with them, too. Because of your support, Open Doors local partners were able to minister to Chamchai and her children by providing them spiritual care and support, as well as financial assistance while Inthy was still in prison.

‘I believe what happened to my father is part of God’s plan’


Image: Kikeo shares about his dad

Kikeo, 17, is the seventh son of Chamchai and Inthy. He spoke about how he looks up to his father and has confidence that God will take care of him no matter what. “Each time my father came out of prison, he proclaimed the word of God more strongly. I am a witness of a growing number of believers. Right now, there are seven villages that my father is providing spiritual support to… To me, my father is my hero.”

“God always looks out for his children; he always does. He did it now with my father the first time, and he will continue to do so in the future. I feel that God is always with us. Even during my father’s absence, God gave my mom the strength to support the family so that we would never go hungry.”

PRAY NOW...
1

For God to bless Chamchai and Inthy’s new church so that it can be a safe space for believers in their area.

3

For Chamchai and Inthy’s other children who do not have Jesus in their lives yet. Pray that they too will encounter Him and have a personal and intentional relationship with Him.

2

For God to give Inthy the strength and courage to do the ministry, and for their family to stand firm through any storm of persecution.

What can you do now?
  • 1

    Want to respond and help your persecuted family around the world? Get our World Watch List prayer map and resources to learn more and pray regularly.

    Get your map
  • 2

    Encourage teenager Farah and others across the Middle East who have faced threats and worse because of their faith in Jesus - send them a quick message now. Send a message of hope now…

    Send a message
NEWS
                                    
October 2, 2023

Pray for Pastor Wasantha* and members of his church who are facing threats and intimidation…

Find out more
                                    
October 2, 2023

“The world knows how the Taliban are against women’s education and women working outside.” Pray for change now…

Find out more
                                    
September 25, 2023

See how your support is helping children in Iraq and Syria get back to school and find healing from the trauma’s of war…

Find out more
                                    
September 25, 2023

Alima has known rejection for most her life, but in Jesus she found hope and protection…

Find out more
                                    
September 18, 2023

Your prayers are needed following yet another awful attack on Christians in Nigeria, in which a student was killed.

Find out more
                                    
September 18, 2023

A summer camp for children and teenagers run by christians in Central Asia was raided by police and the camp leader was arrested and fined…

Find out more
                                    
September 12, 2023

Pray now as almost 3,000 people have died and hundreds more have been injured in the disaster…

Find out more
                                    
September 4, 2023

“We will not give up our faith; we believe that God will continue to reveal Himself to us and to these people…”

Find out more
                                    
September 4, 2023

Aasif bravely led more than 30 people to believe in Jesus, but in the end he paid the ultimate price for his faith…

Find out more
                                    
August 29, 2023

“Looking back, to be honest, we’re feeling nervous, fearful and worried, as it’s our first time to encounter this…“

Find out more
btn-scroll