The Voice of the Martyrs, June 6, 2024 (excerpts)
Kaew placed her trust in Christ through the prayers of her parents, who became Christians after her marriage. Her husband and his parents, as well as their village, opposed her decision to follow Christ and tried repeatedly to make her recant. On December 30, 2023, Kaew’s husband and other villagers berated and beat her until she passed out. When she regained consciousness, she was given one more chance to recant, but she insisted on following Christ.
In anger, her husband threw her out of the house. Heartbroken, she took their 7-year-old son and returned to her parents’ home with very little besides the clothes they wore. Kaew’s husband has since divorced her. Because her parents are also suffering persecution for their faith, including destruction of crops and damage to their property, they are struggling to support Kaew and her son.
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.