AsiaLink featured Laos for the very first time in its magazine around 25 years ago. It reported on a land–locked country home to 5.2 million people, stating that only a handful of the nation’s 138 ethnic groups had been impacted by the gospel. That said, God had clearly been at work, with many of the nation’s 65,000+ believers having come to faith in the preceding few years.

Fast forward two decades and the population now exceeds 7.5 million. 51 people groups remain unengaged with the gospel, a far lower number than in 2000, and it is estimated that 190,000 to 280,000 of the nation’s citizens are now believers, with that number growing at almost 7% per year!

Having taken a particular interest in groups such as the Khmu and the Hmong over this time, we are thrilled to see the ways God has grown churches among them and brought many to faith. We have even been blessed to see people from these groups begin reaching out to others around them, from the Akha people in the north and the Bru along the Vietnamese border, to some of the smaller groups dotted around the country, many of which are made up of less than 10,000 people.

Back at the start, we began by getting the gospel message into the country in any way possible, whether in the form of tracts, radio broadcasts or MP3 players. Today, not only do these ministries continue, but we are able to provide Bibles for the growing church, support the production of children’s materials, and gather pastors and others together for ministry training. We are even able to reach out to the poor in a number of practical ways, often creating incredible opportunities to share the gospel. 

Since AsiaLink began working in Laos, the Lord has done more than we could have imagined. Now, we pray that the same will be said once more if He allows us to reach a 50th anniversary in 2049. Will you join us in praying big prayers for the nation of Laos?

Support outreach in Laos through the South–East Asia fund.