Fears grow for missing Christian in Laos
Farmer Sithong Theppavong was seized by authorities last March after starting a small church on his property
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Farmer Sithong Theppavong was seized after starting a small church in Savannakhet province. (Photo: Wikipedia)
A Christian man in Laos who was seized by local authorities last March after he refused to desist from practicing his faith remains missing nearly a year later with his whereabouts unknown, according to foreign Christian groups.
Sithong Theppavong, a farmer in the village of Ban Kaleum Vang Khi in the communist nation’s Savannakhet province, reportedly started a small church on his property, which caught the attention of local authorities who warned him to cease his ministry.
It is easy to get discouraged when reading about the persecution of Christians around the world. Sometimes all we seem to be doing is praying: asking God to intervene in nations, to change minds of leaders, to save and protect His people, to overcome the forces of evil in the world.
Therefore, I thought I would share some things to praise God for – events and circumstances where God has brought about change. These things don’t make news headlines because they’re not earth-shattering enough. Generally news of God in action tends to be glossed over almost as if the media are embarrassed to report it.
In case you missed it, you can read here.
12/24/2020 Washington, D.C. (International Christian Concern) – On Monday, you read how almost a million Christians across Southeast Asia have little access to the Bible. One pastor reached out to International Christian Concern (ICC) after thousands of people across four churches in Laos were coming to Christ, but did not have a Bible to sustain them.
COVID-19 restrictions in the country made the delivery even more dangerous and delayed shipments. However, COVID-19 is not the only difficulty our team faced. ICC’s ministry worked diligently to deliver Bibles, MP3 players, and the JESUS Film to Lao Christians in January 2020 when police arrested and revoked the visas of several members of a 17-person team.
12/21/2021 Washington D.C. (International Christian Concern) – It’s pitch black in a sweltering truck. As it travels, you catch the smells of spices, hear the sounds of traffic, sirens, and people laughing. You grab your hands as they shake from fear, and the sound of your heart drowns everything out as you near the border of Laos and Thailand. If they find you, the police will arrest you and dispose of the precious cargo you know thousands of Lao Christians desperately need.
Underground missionaries are forced to smuggle Bibles into countries like Laos because it is illegal to own a Bible. It is the only way to bridge the gap between the hundreds of thousands of Christians and their limited access to the Gospel.
15 December 2020
Seven Lao Christians, evicted for refusing to renounce their faith in Christ, were denied permission to rebuild their demolished homes in Pasing-Kang, Salavan province, after returning to their village early in November.
The two families, who were forced to leave their homes on 10 October, spent a month living in two small huts in a nearby forest. During this time, they had restricted access to food and lived on a diet of rice and water. One spoke of how they “relied on food aid donated by our fellow Christians”.
A Christian family home in rural Laos
The families’ houses were demolished by authorities, after they had left, on the orders of the village chief.