All articles in category Laos
Article
July 2005
Laos
Missionary Spotlight
Area:91,429 square miles. Neighbours: Thailand, Burma, China, Vietnam and Cambodia. Environment: Laos has a tropical monsoon climate. Much of its terrain consists of rugged mountains (Phou Bia 2,871 metres) with plains and plateaus. The Mekong River runs through the southwest of the country and most people live along its delta. There are floods in the rainy season. Laos is landlocked. Population: 6 million. Infant mortality: 89 deaths per 1,000 live births. Life expectancy: 54 years. Ethnic groups: A complex mix of 138 ethnic groups. Lao-Tai 59%; Mon-Khmer 31%; Hmong-Mien 7%; Sino-Tibetan 2.5%; others, including Chinese 0.5%. Languages:...
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Article
July 2004
Laos
Missionary Spotlight
Persecution in Laos Laos, the world’s third-largest illicit opium producer, is a country with primitive infrastructure. It has a rudimentary road system, limited telecommunications, and no railroads. Electricity is available in only a few urban areas. Subsistence agriculture accounts for half the gross domestic product. It is also a country where Christians face severe persecution. In March 2004 Nambak District officials ordered Christians in the village of Nam Thuam to reject their faith or face the consequences. When they refused, district officials sent government agents to live in the homes of the Christians until they forsake their faith. Government agents Some 35 government agents...
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By Sophie Credall
Article
July 2004
Laos
Missionary Spotlight
Christianity in Laos As we climbed the wooden ladder of the house on stilts, I thought of its owner; a 95-year-old lady, and her long journey of faith. She had been walking it since the day her husband, once the village spirit medium, had believed and then been stoned to death for his faith. She had brought up her large family who, though poor and despised by this world, still stand strong in faith. As we sat on the wooden planks of the house, her daughter told us that she wasn’t surprised to see us — she had dreamt she would have visitors the next...
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Article
July 2004
Laos
Missionary Spotlight
Taking the good news into Laos In this age of instant information and the Internet, few places in the world remain as remote and unexplored as Laos. It is surrounded by high, rugged mountains to the north, east and south; and by the mighty Mekong River along its western borders. Breathtaking A dense, tropical forest covers the land, as the Mekong cuts its way through the mountains. Laos is truly breathtaking, but also truly challenging for those seeking to reach its 138 different people groups with the gospel. About 60% of the people are Buddhists. However, the Department of Religious...
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By Sophie Credall
Article
June 2004
Laos
Missionary Spotlight
Christianity in Laos As we climbed the wooden ladder of the house on stilts, I thought of its owner; a 95-year-old lady, and her long journey of faith. She had been walking it since the day her husband, once the village spirit medium, had believed and then been stoned to death for his faith. She had brought up her large family who, though poor and despised by this world, still stand strong in faith. As we sat on the wooden planks of the house, her daughter told us that she wasn’t surprised to see us — she had dreamt she would have visitors the next...
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