Prayer

Vietnam: Young family made homeless for sticking with Jesus

A Christian family from Vietnam made homeless after refusing to deny Jesus has been forced to sign a document saying that the eviction is not due to persecution.

Last December, just a few months after becoming Christians, Ang and his family were asked by the authorities to renounce their new faith. When they refused, Ang was beaten and an angry mob comprising the authorities, villagers, police and the village chief descended on the family’s home and kicked them out of their village.

“They have no compassion for my children,” shares Ang. “My oldest is almost two years old and the second is only eight months old. They did not allow us to take anything, not even blankets for my children. It was seven degrees – a very cold winter.”

To compound matters, villagers coerced Ang into signing a document saying that they are leaving the village in good faith and had not been driven away because of persecution and intimidation.

Local and global church rally around family

The family is being supported by their local church. A family has offered space beside their house for Ang and his family to build a makeshift shelter, which is where they are currently staying (see above video). The church has also been able to assist with food and other basic needs. The pastor even tried to talk with the local authorities on behalf of the family, but with no success.

Open Doors local partners have also reached out to the family, providing thick blankets, warm clothes and food. They are also helping the family update their Family Book and National Identity Cards (two important documents for every Vietnamese citizen), and have left money with their pastor to cover further needs, including materials for a new home.

The family are anxious about where they will live and how they will deal with the opposition to their new Christian faith. They are looking to buy a home and farm close to their relatives.

Vietnam is number 19 on the Open Doors World Watch List. Ang and his family’s experience is sadly not unusual. While historical Christian communities (e.g. Roman Catholic) enjoy a certain amount of freedom, non-traditional Protestants – along with converts from indigenous religions – often face intense pressure and violence for their faith, especially in the remote areas of central and northern Vietnam.

Pray now…

• That all necessary paperwork will be processed immediately, and that God will provide the family with the finance and resources to buy a home and farm near to relatives
• That the family will experience God’s comfort and healing following this awful ordeal; ask the Lord to strengthen their faith through it
• That the boldness and perseverance of this family will have a powerful impact on the people who drove them away from their home.

Three ways you can respond:

1. Learn more and pray: Get our free glow-in-the-dark World Watch List Map and find out more about the places where faith costs the most. Get your map here…
2. Pray regularly: Every Monday night at 7pm we’ll be praying one prayer for one minute for the one in seven Christians around the world who face persecution. Set an alarm and tune in…
3. Choose to Lose: Raise money by getting sponsored to lose something you love for a short time. Sign up and we’ll send you a fundraising pack…

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