{"id":54854,"date":"2025-07-15T14:00:19","date_gmt":"2025-07-15T05:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/?p=54854"},"modified":"2025-07-15T14:24:30","modified_gmt":"2025-07-15T05:24:30","slug":"vomk-report-357","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/2025\/07\/15\/vomk-report-357\/","title":{"rendered":"LAOS: \u201cIF YOU HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE COMING TO JESUS, YOU NEED A LOT OF BIBLES\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”54845″ img_size=”full” css=””][vc_custom_heading text=”The number of Christians in Laos continues to grow dramatically, according to Voice of the Martyrs Korea. But opposition from family members and local authorities means that Bible distribution to those new Christians has to be done through discrete, personal deliveries by local Christian workers, not large-scale distributions by foreign missionaries. Voice of the Martyrs Korea Representative Dr. Hyun Sook Foley says that\u2019s why her organization is celebrating the successful delivery of almost 6,700 Bibles to pastors and Christians in Laos. But she says requests for more Bibles continue to pour into her ministry.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:1.2em|text_align:left|color:%23111111″ google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” css=”” el_class=”headline”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]\u201c<\/span>In 1994 there were<\/span> 400 Christians in Laos, but <\/span>by 2020 <\/span>there <\/span>were <\/span>over 250,000<\/span>,<\/span> and <\/span>now Lao Christians <\/span>believe there <\/span>are <\/span>over<\/span> 400,000<\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley<\/span>. <\/span>She says that sharp increase has led to challenges for the Lao Christian community, including making sure new believers and churches can receive Bibles without being tracked by authorities.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

\u201cB<\/span>uying a Bible from a registered church or receiving a Bible from a government-permitted distribution can expose church leaders and local believers to pressure from their fellow villagers or from government authorities<\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley<\/span>. \u201cPublic acquisition of a Bible can be like a trail leading suspicious villagers or government authorities right to the door of an unregistered pastor or believe<\/span>r.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]She says this is why her organization, Voice of the Martyrs Korea, has been partnering with local Christian workers to enable Lao church leaders and individual believers to request Bibles privately. \u201cBy quietly providing individual Bibles to the Christians who requested them, we have been able to meet the need while keeping identities confidential and thus keeping Christians safe,\u201d she says.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]According to Representative Foley, p<\/span>ersecution and restrictions are the main challenges<\/span> faced by her team of local Christian leaders in hand-delivering the Bibles.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>M<\/span>ost <\/span>persecution <\/span>of Christians <\/span>in Laos <\/span>is done by <\/span>family members or village authorities who are concerned that Christianity offends the spirits<\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley<\/span>.<\/span> \u201c<\/span>The central government also persecutes Christians occasionally, because Christianity is viewed as an American religion or as a tool of the CIA.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”54848″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” css=””][vc_custom_heading text=” Lao Christians holding Bibles they received through Voice of the Martyrs Korea\u2019s recent distribution” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0101|line_height:1.45em” css=””][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]Representative Foley says local Lao Christian leaders estimate <\/span>around 10,000 new believers <\/span>are <\/span>coming to Christ every year. In addition, <\/span>she says that <\/span>there are some long-time Christians who do not have their own Bible.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Lao Christians also often use Bibles as an evangelism tool for new believers, especially at Christmas time, when they take the opportunity to give out Bibles to those who are interested<\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]Due to the shortage of Bibles<\/span> not distributed through government-monitored sources<\/span>, <\/span>Representative Foley says that each Bible distributed often brings requests for several more.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>There is a great need for Bibles in Laos <\/span>which are delivered discretely and privately. <\/span>As one <\/span>local Christian <\/span>leader put it, <\/span>\u2018<\/span>If you have a lot of people coming to Jesus, you need a lot of Bibles<\/span>.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]Representative Foley says that working through local Christian leaders keeps distributions targeted to the believers that need the Bible most.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Because we distribute through regional church leaders, the leaders know most of the people that receive a Bible<\/span>,\u201d she says<\/span>. <\/span>\u201c<\/span>The regional church leaders have directly <\/span>discipled<\/span> many of the recipients.<\/span> One leader <\/span>told us,<\/span> \u2018<\/span>I’ve<\/span> discipled people and churches. We know how many people are in the church, how many people we baptize, and we track them, so we can see how many Bibles are needed.<\/span>\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”54853″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” css=””][vc_custom_heading text=”A church receives Bibles through Voice of the Martyrs Korea\u2019s recent distribution ” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0101|line_height:1.45em” css=””][vc_column_text css=””]Representative Foley says the local Lao Christian workers face considerable risk in doing the work, but they <\/span>participate<\/span> eagerly.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

\u201cThe risk to be caught by the authorities is the biggest concern we have each time while doing distribution and shipping; especially with books or materials that relate to Christianity<\/span>,<\/span>\u201d<\/span> one local Christian worker told Voice of the Martyrs Korea.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]Another regional leader <\/span>told Voice of the Martyrs Korea<\/span>, \u201cWe know that there are these risks, and we are doing this work with the expectation that we will pay the price.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]Representative Foley shared the following thank-you note from a pastor whose congregation members received Bibles through the distribution:<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>We are <\/span>very happy<\/span> to receive this Bible because before, many brothers and sisters did not have their own Bibles to read. We have asked many teachers to pray for us because we want to get Bibles for the brothers and sisters\u2026 I believe that this year God has answered our prayers that we have been praying for all along by receiving the Bible from the pastor and the team\u2026Thank you for helping to present the Bible to us because the Bible is very important to every Christian life because it will help the Christian life change in the way of God and be able to live according to God’s word correctly.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”54851″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” css=””][vc_custom_heading text=”Bibles are distributed by various means, including motorcycles ” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0101|line_height:1.45em” css=””][vc_column_text css=””]Representative Foley shared the following p<\/span>rayer <\/span>r<\/span>equests for this project:<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

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