Written by: FEBA South Africa
Article source: Supplied
“Our vision has always been to encourage and plant a seed of hope for this new generation of Khmu believers,” says Samuel*, a FEBA Ethnic Ministries broadcaster. He and the FEBA Ethnic Ministries team recently hosted a camp for Khmu youth in Thailand. More than 100 young people attended.
The Khmu people – with a population of approximately 850 000 – mainly live in the mountains of Laos and Vietnam, with smaller numbers in northern Thailand and China. They traditionally practise animism and ancestral worship. The majority are poor, poorly educated, and marginalised in the countries where they live. This is doubly true for Khmu Christians, who often face persecution in their own homes.
Mala*, 17, listens to FEBA’s daily broadcast, which is the only Christian broadcast in the Khmu language. She and her younger sister are the only Christians in their family, who despise their faith. Their mother wants the sisters to give up school and church, in favour of selling their bodies to earn money. When their brother-in-law, a violent drug addict, kicked them out of their home only days before the camp, God provided a new home with relatives who are believers.
Sunya*, 19, tells a similar story. Orphaned at a young age, she lived with relatives until she turned to Christ at the age of 17. Her family disapproved, threatening to disown and even kill her. Finally, by the grace of God, she was able to go and live with her uncle, who is a pastor and strong believer. Sunya has finished school and now hopes to go to university to study math.
FEBA encourages Khmu listeners to finish their studies and improve their prospects.
“I remember our first youth camp about 15 years ago,” says Samuel. “[Out] of 100 young people, only four finished Grade 12. More than half of the people who attended dropped out of school. Today, all of the youth are on the path to finishing high school, and nearly 20 are attending college!”
Join us in praying that more Khmu young people will be so inspired by the gospel and FEBA’s broadcasts.
For more information on FEBA and its work, please visit www.febaradio.co.za.
*Names changed for safety reasons
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Date published: 18/03/2024
Feature image: Khmu girls
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