The Voice of the Martyrs, July 11, 2024 (excerpts)
Mrs. Thai, a Christian widow in a Khmu tribal village in Laos, was persecuted by her own family and kicked out of her house because of her faith. She lived alone, and none of her family cared for her. She passed away on December 27, 2023. Her family did not want to take responsibility for her funeral.
Members of the local body of Christ came to bury her, but the village headman would not permit them to bring it into the village cemetery, concerned that it would displease the ancestor spirits.
Eventually, seven women of the church carried Mrs. Thai’s body far from the village and buried it themselves. Pray that the loving care of the body of Christ in Mrs. Thai’s case will have a deep impact on her family and the whole village so that they will be drawn to Christ.
The Communist government, in conjunction with Buddhist monks, persecutes Christians, with the exception of the government-controlled Lao Evangelical Church. Poverty, lack of infrastructure and mountainous terrain make evangelistic outreach challenging. Thanks to bold evangelists, churches continue to grow even as they experience ongoing persecution.
Most believers are persecuted by family members or village authorities concerned that Christians offend the spirits, and the central government restricts Christian activity.
There are many house churches and some church buildings, but the vast majority do not have a trained pastor. Laotian authorities sometimes arrest Christians and detain them for up to a week in attempts to control Christian activity.