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Christians from Pastor Aloun's church celebrate receiving their new Bibles - made possible thanks to your prayers and support
Last Sunday (October 24) is Bible Sunday – and what better way to celebrate than seeing how Bibles have transformed the lives of 250 Laotian believers! Local Open Doors partner Vilay accompanied Pastor Aloun to distribute hundreds of Bibles at his church earlier this year, thanks to your prayers and support. Please note that all names in this article have been changed for security reasons.
‘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?’
These were the thoughts of Vilay, an Open Doors local partner who accompanied Pastor Aloun as they drove to his church to distribute Bibles to hundreds of Laotian believers – provided thanks to your support.
But his worries soon melted away when they arrived at the pastor’s church, where many Christians had gathered and were waiting for them – their excitement and joy at receiving these Bibles was evident.
“The Bible is the most important book in the world, and I cannot live without it”-KHAMLAR
Khamlar (42) spoke to the Open Doors team after he received his Bible. His eyes sparkled when he talked about God, his church, and the Bible in his hands. “Thank you so much for the Bible,” he said. “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.”
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.”
Pastor Aloun helps build churches and volunteers for different discipleship groups in southern Laos. He shares, “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.”
“Without the Bible, we are spiritually blind, for it is God's word to us — His believers”-PASTOR ALOUN
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 recognised agents of the registered churches. Bibles are also not widely available in bookshops in Laos, and even if they are in stock, they are very expensive.
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 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. When she was 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 continues to choose Jesus.
A few months after she received a Bible, she shared with Vilay the difference it has made in her life – even in such a short space of time. “Thank you so much for the Bible that you provided for me,” she says. “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.”
“I never had a chance to own a Bible; it was shared with everyone at the church. Now, I have my own Bible”-SOY
“In the evening, we have a Bible study led by Pastor Aloun, so I learn God’s word every day,” she continues. Because I receive God’s word every day, I now realise 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.”
Soy is so grateful for your continued prayers and support. “I want to thank you for providing me with the Bible,” she says. “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.”
Monthly donations helps Open Doors provide continuous assistance and support to persecuted Christians around the world, which also allows us to respond quickly to urgent needs.
