Laos

  • The Church still faces restrictions and Christians still face persecution.
  • Pray for freedom for evangelism, church planting and building, for the effective use of present freedoms and for changes that will open Laos up for the preaching of the gospel. Rather than retrenching, pray that Christians would reach out, especially to the ethnic minorities.
  • Pray for unity, integrity and godly leadership in the Church.
  • Pray for leadership and Bible training. Pray for the effectiveness of informal study programmes [by radio and through Theological Education by Extension].
  • Missionary work is not officially permitted, but there are openings for Christian professionals and those working with aid and relief programmes. Pray for a reopened door for Bible translators, church planters and Bible teachers.
  • Unreached peoples in which there are no known churches:
    -Tai peoples, speaking 15 languages.
    -The northern peoples, many of whom have responded to the gospel in neighbouring China and Thailand.
    -The small southern ethnic groups that were being evangelised for the first time between 1957 and 1963. War prevented the planting of churches among most of these peoples and they remain deeply enmeshed in the fear of spirits.
    -The Vietnamese and Chinese, among whom there has been little evangelism.
  • There are at least 13 languages for which there is a definite need for Bible translation teams and a possible total of 66 languages. Pray for discernment in prioritising, and for men and women to invest their lives in translating God’s word.
  • Christian radio: FEBC broadcasts 16 hours weekly in Lao, Hmong, Khmu and Lahu. Pray for a good reception and spiritual response.