Vietnam has a repressive communist government that actively restricts Christian worship. In rural areas of Vietnam, local authorities view Christianity as a foreign threat and often use arrests, intimidation, property destruction, detentions, beatings, forced renunciations and targeted discrimination in an attempt to halt church growth.
Our front-line workers are asking for prayer for recent incidents:
– Accepting Jesus nine months ago and experiencing freedom and peace in Christ, Brother Nam has zealously shared the gospel with everyone he meets, but his boldness has angered the local authorities. Recently, on their way home from work, he and his wife stopped at a stream where they met a man and took the opportunity to share the gospel with him. Unfortunately, while they were talking, a local officer passed by and began questioning Nam. Before he could say anything, the local officer brutally attacked him. Being admitted to the hospital, he was found with multiple injuries including a broken arm.
– Brother Kim belongs to a tribal group and is a Laotian citizen living in Laos. As a result of having church gatherings at his house without permission, he was sentenced to nine months in prison. Not too long after being released, he and his family were forced to leave their village. Currently, they are temporarily living in a shack of a Christian brother in Vietnam. Praise the Lord that while he was in prison, he had a chance to share the gospel with 41 fellow prisoners.
– One year ago, Brother Dung and his wife were accused of preaching the gospel illegally and having church gatherings at their house without permission. They were summoned to the police station for interrogation where authorities bribed then threatened them, attempting to entice the couple to renounce their faith. Thankfully, the couple remained resolute. When the authorities realised that they could not be persuaded, an officer became very angry. He began to hit Dung’s head and used the end of his baton to poke him in his left eye. This resulted in permanent damage, loss of sight in that eye and ongoing headaches due to the beating. About three weeks ago, on their way to share the gospel, Dung had a severe headache. Realising he was becoming weaker; his wife drove him home. A brother in Christ happened to come to his house, saw his condition and rushed him to the hospital. He died while they were still on the way. The local authorities forbade having a funeral ceremony, knowing this would be used as an opportunity to share the gospel with unbelieving neighbours. Regardless, he indeed fought a good fight, finished his course, and kept his faith. Please pray that God would comfort his wife, his children, and his grandchildren.
– After holding Brother Yen in detention for almost a year, the Vietnamese government has recently charged him with “undermining the national unity policy” according to Article 116 of the Criminal Code (the charge carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison). Yen was sentenced to 13 years in prison, followed by five years on probation.
Voice of the Martyrs is financially assisting these families.
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