News / Thoughts

Vietnam: Six days to lose everything

Choj 20 years old. He is a farmer from Vietnam. He belongs to a tribe called the Hmong, who worship their ancestors. His life changed when his daughter was healed from an illness after being prayed for. Choj was amazed, and chose to follow Jesus. Six days later, he had lost everything.

“After I prayed to accept as my Lord and Savior, I knew there would be persecution by my village. But I decided to follow Christ anyway. Four days after making this choice, I had to tell my family how my daughter was healed. I told them Jesus had healed her after the pastor prayed for her.”

How did his family respond to her healing? “My brothers were very happy for us and wanted to build an altar for me, to worship our ancestors. I refused. Then they wanted to cast me out of the village. Even police officers and local authorities told me to go back to worshipping the ancestors. I replied that I had already accepted Jesus Christ and that I would not go back.”

He smiles when asked if there was any doubt about following Jesus after being met with such resistance. “There was something unexplainable in my heart that said: ‘Don’t go back, just follow Christ’. It wasn’t courage. When I saw how God healed my daughter, I could see He is the Healer… I’ve got nothing to ask him. I know God is good.”

Day six

On the sixth day a mob came to his house. Choj says, “They asked me to come out. Then they began to tear down my home. They took my cow and goat from the shed. Then they asked me to leave the village.

“They said: ‘If you stay, every person in this village will give you one punch and you will die. Then the house was ransacked: all the valuable property was taken out.

Someone gave Choj a document to sign over the property and the land to the village. He refused. In fact, according to Choj he remained quite calm, peaceful even. “I was very comfortable and peaceful. I could only think about Jesus. I know God will give me a new house one day.”

Despite his inner peace, he recognized the danger of the situation and he managed to escape the village. A year has passed since then. His wife, his daughter and Choj himself lived with his wife’s parents for almost a year.

How Open Doors have helped…

“I’m so grateful for the help of other believers here in Vietnam, but also foreign brothers and sisters via Open Doors. Because of the amazing love of God, I received financial support to buy wood and rent a worker who can work on a new house for my family. Other local believers also help me. I’ve walked around the new house and I feel very happy and grateful. I know it’s possible thanks to the help of my family in Christ. We couldn’t live any longer with my parents-in-law. Without the help of my brothers and sisters we’d have to live on the streets.”

He has a message for Open Doors supporters: “I don’t know how to express my feelings but it means a lot that you are there for me. Thank you and may God bless you.”

Pray now…

• For Choj and his wife and daughter. Ask that they would know God’s love and presence with them.
• For Choj and his family to be reunited and for Choj to show them who Jesus is.
• For Vietnamese Christians like Choj facing threats and intimidation because of their faith.

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