Prayer Requested for Believers in Vietnam and Laos.

Open Doors International are asking for prayer for two believers from Laos, Hian and Phung, who were apprehended by Vietnamese authorities last Saturday while transporting Bibles.

The police confiscated their motorcycles, which were provided by Open Doors, and sent them to jail in Southern Laos.

Vietnam is one of the five remaining countries in the world that is still ruled by a communist party. Although the dominant religion is Buddhism, the Catholic Church holds a strong presence as the largest Christian group.

The government and the Catholic Church have a rocky relationship, largely due to a perceived “foreign power” associated with Catholics, resulting from their association with the West. In addition, there is a divide between Catholics and Protestants, which is illustrated through the phrase, “Catholics are French, Protestants are American”.

Recently there was a revised version of Law No. 92, potentially allowing Christians more freedom. However, because the government seeks to control all religious activity,  Christians are not expecting much change to come from this revision.

• Pray for protection and freedom for Hian and Phung, and other believers in Vietnam, who live under the constant threat of persecution for their faith.
• Pray that the Vietnam government will honour the new law revisions and allow Christians freedom of belief, and to worship together without fear.
• Pray for believers to have access to Bibles in their own language, as well as other resources for discipleship and training.
• Pray for the Gospel to spread through Vietnam and Laos, and for many to respond to the love and grace found through Jesus Christ.

Colossians 4 vs 3: “At the same time pray for us as well that God will open to us a door for the word, that we may declare the mystery of Christ, for which I am in prison.”

Source: https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/stories