Languishing in prison after being arrested for his faith, a native Christian worker in Laos feared he would die of starvation.
“Samyoung* said everyone in the prison relieved themselves on the floor, and he saw people die of starvation,” a native ministry leader said. “If no family member came to retrieve the body, they were wrapped in plastic and just thrown away. It was a terrifying experience, but he kept praying and thinking about the ministry’s radio messages of encouragement.”
Samyoung was exonerated and freed after two months in prison, so he had the opportunity to tell the leader about his ordeal late last year at the group’s first training seminar in three years, as pandemic restrictions had eased.
Many times authorities had told Samyoung to stop telling people about Christ, but his faith was irrepressible and he had boldly continued, the leader said.
“Prior to his arrest, he visited persecuted Christians in areas where no one would go – his activities there challenged the authorities, and they arrested him on charges of ‘illegal movement of religion,’” the leader said.
Resumption of the seminars was refreshing for both the native workers and the church leaders and other Christians who attended. The final seminar of the year was a special time of fellowship and worship, the leader said.
“The most impactful time centered around the testimonies of some of the faithful Laotian servants of the Lord,” he said.
One pastor told how police came to shut down a new house church he was dedicating – and he continued with the service despite their threats. Another participant shared how she had heard about Christ through the ministry’s radio broadcasts.
Her husband and other relatives threatened her constantly for converting, but eventually they all accepted Christ, she said.
“Her home is now a house church, with close to 50 Christians coming to worship weekly,” the leader said. “In fact, her husband is now an elder of the church.”
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*Name changed for security reasons