LAOS: NEW CHRISTIAN FAMILY WON’T RENOUNCE ITS FAITH, SO VILLAGERS DESTROYED THEIR HOME
Voice of the Martyrs Korea has confirmed that a family of six in a village in Southern Laos was evicted and had their home destroyed on January 7, 2026, after refusing to renounce their newfound faith in Jesus.
According to Voice of the Martyrs Korea Representative Dr. Hyun Sook Foley, the family had converted to Christianity on August 9, 2025.
“The family became Christian because the daughter had been possessed by a demonic spirit and could not be cured,” says Representative Foley. “They heard that the Christian God was able to provide help. There were no Christians in their village, so they traveled to a nearby village and asked the pastor of the local church there to pray for their daughter. She was miraculously healed, and the family members all put their trust in Christ.”
A family of 6 in southern Laos standing in front of their tent after their home was dismantled in January.
Representative Foley says that when the family returned home and shared the news of their daughter’s healing and their conversion to Christianity, the village authorities were troubled.
“Most of the tribal people in Laos are animists,” says Representative Foley. “They also worship their ancestors, like their deceased fathers or mothers. When families in their village become Christian, other villagers sometimes claim to experience things like sickness as a result of the local spirits being offended. So they believe that the Christian families have to renounce their faith or leave the village in order to fix the problem.”
Representative Foley says that in the case of the family of six, the village leaders ordered them to renounce their faith or leave the village and move elsewhere.
“The family refused to give up their faith and also refused to leave their home,” says Representative Foley. “As a result, beginning at 7AM on January 7 this year, the family’s home was dismantled and destroyed. They were officially banned from the village and have been forced to live in the wilderness outside the community boundaries.”
Representative Foley says that as Christianity in Laos has grown dramatically in the past 30 years, so has Christian persecution, especially in the tribal areas.
Wood from the family’s dismantled home, shown next to a photo of their belongings piled up outside the tent where they are currently living.
“In 1994 there were 400 Christians in Laos, but by 2020 there were over 250,000, and today Lao Christians believe there may be over 400,000,” says Representative Foley. She says much of the growth is in tribal areas, where some leaders are less tolerant than others.
Representative Foley says Voice of the Martyrs Korea is supporting Lao Christians by quietly hand-delivering them the Bibles and hymnals they are requesting through the ministry’s local field workers. “Outside groups who come to Laos and do large-scale distribution of Christian materials can inadvertently add to persecution by enabling authorities to easily spot and track Lao Christian leaders,” she says. “Also, Christianity is growing most strongly in the rural areas. The safest and most effective way to equip the pastors there with the Bibles and hymnals they need is to have those materials quietly and individually hand-delivered by local Lao believers with whom they have a common connection.”
Even then, says Representative Foley, Lao Christians know that persecution is likely to be part of their daily Christian life. She says Voice of the Martyrs Korea continues to provide care and support to families of Christians in prison, as well as those who lose their homes through anti-Christian violence. “We don’t help them leave,” she says. “Instead, we make it possible for them to stay and make a witness for Christ where they are. One way we do that is through telling their stories and sharing their plight globally. When authorities know that Christians around the world are watching them closely, it makes a difference.”
Representative Foley says in the case of the family of 6, relatives have brought them blankets and other items to help them survive. “The family is currently living in a tent, surrounded by the household items they were able to take with them when their home was dismantled. But their faith remains strong, and they are confident that the God who healed their daughter is still watching over them.”
Individuals interested in learning more about Voice of the Martyrs Korea’s work in partnership with Lao Christians can visit https://vomkorea.com/en/country-profile/laos/. Donations can be made to www.vomkorea.com/en/donate or via electronic transfer to 국민은행 463501-01-243303 예금주: (사)순교자의소리 Please include the word “Laos” on the donation.