Written by: Open Doors
Article source: www.opendoors.org.za
Earlier this year, Open Doors local partners embarked on a journey that will change the lives of many believers in Laos. Hardcopies of the Lao Bible were distributed to 250 believers from the southern region of the country. Here, OD local partner Vilay*, tells us about that day and shares testimonies from the believers who received a copy of the Bible – your present to them!
Bibles Delivered
It was broad daylight. Pastor Aloun* (OD local contact) and I loaded his truck with the boxes of Bibles shipped to us from neighboring Thailand. As we drove on potholed and muddy roads, my feeling of uneasiness started to grow, and many troubling thoughts started to linger in my head. ‘If there is a checkpoint ahead, there will be trouble.’ ‘What if the police stop us and learn that we will be distributing these Bibles? How long will they detain us in jail for? How much are they going to fine us?’ ‘What else could possibly happen to us just by delivering these precious books?’
But all of these worries suddenly flew away when we arrived at the pastor’s church where the believers were waiting for our arrival. I remember their faces. Children and the elderly, mothers and fathers, church members and pastors – their excitement and joy could not be hidden.
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The Bibles arrive in boxes ready to be handed out
Men carefully unloaded all the boxes from the truck and placed them on tables. The believers started to form a line. Against the afternoon sun their eyes glistened, and their smiles were glued to their faces as the Bible touched their hands.
As they were receiving the Bibles, I could not help but think of the day when each Christian in Laos will hold a copy of the Bible, live a life according to His Word, and conquer whatever life throws at them. What a great day that will be – I pray it will come soon!
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The believers expressing their appreciation for their new Bibles
As people began to leave the church after receiving their Bibles, some remained to speak with our team. Khamlar* (42) walked into the room where we were chatting with other believers. His eyes sparkled when he talked about God, his church, and the Bible he had just received.
Khamlar
“Thank you so much for the Bible. I can tell you that this will be a light that will shine in my heart and will guide me to have a good relationship with God. The Bible is the Word of God; if there is no Bible, I will not know His will. The Bible is the most important book in the world, and I cannot live without it. I am so grateful to receive it today. I have been praying for this day to come for a long time now.”
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Khamlar* (42)
Vernkeo
Later, Vernkeo* (41), a church elder shared,
“I am so thankful for the Bibles that you provided for us. I love reading and learning about the Bible because it is like a mirror that reflects my life – it corrects me and helps me walk in the footsteps of God. Reading the Bible helps my faith grow stronger; the Bible is food for my soul. It is very important to me.”
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Vernkeo* (41)
Pastor Aloun
Your support goes a long way. When you provided these Bibles, you didn’t just give these believers a book. You gave them hope and a means to grow deeper in their relationship with the Lord.
Pastor Aloun*, an OD local contact who helps build churches and volunteers for different discipleship groups in southern Laos shared, “Every time we have seminars or gatherings, we always have prayer requests for God to provide us with Bibles. Without the Bible, we are spiritually blind, for it is God’s word to us— His believers. Through the Bible, we know who God is and who we are in Him.”
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Pastor Aloun
Thanks From A Young Believer
Pastor Aloun also takes care of young people who have been abandoned by their families or community because they have become Christians. This includes Soy* (17), one of the 250 believers who received Bibles. She was very shy when I first met her. I later learned that at the age of 14 she was imprisoned for almost a week while attending a church service in her hometown. Despite the persecution she received from her friends and teachers after her imprisonment, Soy continued to choose Jesus.
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Soy reading her Bible, received from OD local partners in Laos
A couple of months after the distribution trip, I visited Pastor Aloun’s church again and met with Soy. There, she openly shared with me how the Bible she had received has been making a great impact in her life, even in such a a short span of time.
“Thank you so much for the Bible that you provided for me. I am so grateful and feel overwhelmed with joy when I hold it. This Bible helps me to understand God’s word. Because of it I know more about who God is. I never had a chance to own a Bible, it was shared with everyone at the church. Now, I have my own Bible that I can read, learn, and see things I never experienced in the past.
“In the evening, we have a Bible study led by Pastor Aloun, so I learn God’s word every day. Because I receive God’s word every day, I now realize that God’s word can comfort and encourage anyone. I learn God’s word more and more and I can do things that I have never done before. I now share and preach His Word which I have never done in the past and I am so thankful to God for this.”
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And Soy is grateful for this present – and this her prayer for you!
“I want to thank you for providing me with the Bible. May God give you good health, strength, and success in all that you do. May God richly bless your family with prosperity, and strength to follow Jesus Christ. May your hearts have peace and joy thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and a hundredfold so that you can be successful in every aspect of your life. Thank you again to those who donated the Bible to me. May God bless you.”
Acquiring a Bible in Laos is often difficult for Christians. The printing of Bibles or other religious tracts and materials is prohibited in Laos, and its distribution must be done through recognized agents of the registered churches. Bibles are also not widely available in bookstores in Laos and if one is able to find it, it is very expensive—a copy costs about $18. A minimum wage earner from the city receives a monthly salary of 100USD, but for average workers in rural areas who only earns not more than 50USD a month, buying a Bible is close to unaffordable.
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Date published: 22/12/2021
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