{"id":1256,"date":"2021-06-23T18:59:28","date_gmt":"2021-06-23T18:59:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.persecution.com\/stories\/?p=1256"},"modified":"2021-10-25T15:59:45","modified_gmt":"2021-10-25T15:59:45","slug":"lao-family-accepts-christ-after-son-is-miraculously-healed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.persecution.com\/stories\/lao-family-accepts-christ-after-son-is-miraculously-healed\/","title":{"rendered":"Lao Family Accepts Christ After Son Is Miraculously Healed"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Keo wasn\u2019t surprised by the village leaders\u2019 decision. In some ways, he expected it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keo, his wife and their five children became Christians in communist Laos <\/a>in 2011, and they have been denied basic needs ever since. Village leaders even prevented them from accessing the public water system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Laos <\/a>is a volatile area for Christians, as the gospel offends the country\u2019s traditional, animist spiritual practices. Conversion to Christianity is seen as a rejection of family and tradition; it is believed to anger the spirits tied to ancestor and idol worship. Christians are often harassed and evicted from their homes and villages. They are denied education and work opportunities, and they are sometimes arrested and forced to deny their faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the hardships, Keo and his family refuse to abandon Christ. \u201cI knew becoming a Christian would be difficult and I would have persecution,\u201d Keo said.<\/p>\n\n\n\r\n\t

\r\n\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\"\"\r\n\t\t<\/figure>\r\n\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t

Request your free magazine<\/p>\r\n\t\t\tSubscribe<\/a>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\n\n\n

Convinced of God\u2019s Power<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Keo and his family became believers after witnessing the power of prayer. Keo\u2019s son, Khamphuy, 12 at the time, had struggled with his breathing for months. Keo spent all his money on spirit doctors, who told him to kill certain animals to atone for wrongdoings that may have caused the boy\u2019s illness. As Khamphuy\u2019s condition worsened, Keo took him to a hospital. Still, doctors couldn\u2019t help him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keo\u2019s sister-in-law, a Christian who knew about Khamphuy\u2019s illness, introduced Keo to a Christian leader in her village. Desperate to help their son, Keo and his wife took Khamphuy to visit the leader. The Christian leader and other local believers placed their hands on Khamphuy and prayed. During the next few days, Khamphuy\u2019s condition improved. Watching God work in his son\u2019s life, Keo became interested in Christianity and soon accepted Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe stayed there [for a week] and wanted to learn about God more,\u201d Keo said. \u201cWe wanted to learn how to worship God, sing songs and read the Bible<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After being healed, Khamphuy also became a Christian. \u201cI know exactly that God helped me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After his entire family came to Christ, Keo knew they would face persecution. Leaders in his village had just recently announced that anyone who converted to Christianity would be banished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe will have persecution, but we have to trust God,\u201d Keo told his wife. \u201cWe don\u2019t fear the man who can kill our body, but we have to fear the One who can kill our soul.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

News of the family\u2019s conversion spread throughout their village. Nearly 20 village officials with ties to the Communist <\/a>Party and Patriotic Front visited their home, demanding the family leave Christianity. They even prepared a document for Keo to sign, stating that he had renounced his faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"a<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou know this religion is the foreigner\u2019s religion,\u201d they told Keo. \u201cIt is not your Lao <\/a>religion.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keo and his wife refused to sign the document. After witnessing God\u2019s power in the healing of their son, how could they deny Him?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keo said his relatives are slowly accepting the truth of Christianity but are fearful of the persecution they could face if they accept Christ. He assures them that the God of the Bible <\/a>will be with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBefore, I do many things to sacrifice to evil spirits, but the spirits don\u2019t help us,\u201d Keo told them. \u201cThe evil spirits just destroy us. They destroy our pigs, our chickens and our money. If we believe in God, we will have a strong help. When we grow rice or grow corn, God will bless us. God will protect us and our crops.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Serving amid Danger<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Keo and his wife are seeing God work in people\u2019s lives as they actively share the gospel. Their home is now a house church for Khmu, Lahu and Akha people groups. Some believers walk miles each Sunday to attend services. Interest in Christianity is quietly growing. In 2015, Keo led more than 24 people from various backgrounds to Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keo said there are 60 \u201clarger\u201d Khmu villages in his district, with an estimated combined population of about 50,000. He distributes shortwave radios, provided by VOM, so people can listen to Christian programs in the Khmu language. VOM also helps provide vocational and ministry training for area church leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

VOM workers are concerned for Keo\u2019s safety, so they are careful to provide help without drawing too much attention. A Laotian <\/a>man with a similar passion for Christ disappeared recently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keo continues to place his trust in the Lord and knows his future is in God\u2019s hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPlease pray for me to have strong faith and follow God and know how to lead my family to walk with God,\u201d he said. \u201cPray for the people around me to know God through my life.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Keo wasn\u2019t surprised by the village leaders\u2019 decision. In some ways, he expected it. Keo, his wife and their five children became Christians in communist Laos in 2011, and they have been denied basic needs ever since. Village leaders even prevented them from accessing the public water system. Laos is a volatile area for Christians, as the gospel offends the country\u2019s traditional, animist spiritual practices. Conversion to Christianity is seen as a rejection of family and tradition; it is believed to anger the spirits tied to ancestor and idol worship. Christians are often harassed and evicted from their homes and villages. They are denied education and work opportunities, and they are sometimes arrested and forced to deny their faith. Despite the hardships, Keo and his family refuse to abandon Christ. \u201cI knew becoming a Christian would be difficult and I would have persecution,\u201d Keo said. Convinced of God\u2019s Power Keo and his family became believers after witnessing the power of prayer. Keo\u2019s son, Khamphuy, 12 at the time, had struggled with his breathing for months. Keo spent all his money on spirit doctors, who told him to kill certain animals to atone for wrongdoings that may have caused the boy\u2019s<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1257,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[33],"class_list":["post-1256","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-field-stories","tag-laos","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"\nLao Family Accepts Christ After Son Is Miraculously Healed - Stories<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Local Christians placed their hands on the boy and prayed. 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