On June 23, 2024, One With Them: A Day for Christian Captives, Open Doors Canada invites Canadians to stand with, and pray for, our brothers and sisters held captive for their faith, and to pray their families.
Fifty-seven-year-old Inthy, a pastor from Laos, is no stranger to religious persecution. He has been imprisoned three times for courageously living out his faith in a staunch Buddhist village where Christians are considered traitors, proponents of disunity, and offenders of tradition.
Inthy was arrested for the third time in August 2020 for conducting a Christian funeral at the request of the deceased’s family. He was imprisoned for six months under terrible conditions. He was forced to sleep on the ground of a dirty washroom, showered with muddy water, and was not permitted to leave a cell he shared with over 170 prisoners. During his interrogation, authorities repeatedly demanded that Inthy deny his faith, but he remained resolute.
“Last year, over four thousand Christians were detained without trial, arrested, sentenced, and imprisoned because of their faith. Over three thousand were abducted, and these are just the cases we know about,” says Rev. Gary Stagg, Executive Director of Open Doors Canada. “While there are many stories of imprisoned believers, there are others whose stories are often left untold – the families of the prisoners who are left behind to worry and struggle without theirimprisoned loved ones.”
Each time Inthy was arrested, he left behind his wife, Chamchai, and their nine children. She struggled to provide for her family financially and endured insults from her relatives while he was in prison, but she did not abandon her faith. Open Doors partners ministered to Chamchai and her children by providing them with spiritual care, support, and financial assistance while Inthy was in prison. This support not only helped Chamchai and her children, but deeply impacted their son’s faith. “I believe what happened to my father is part of God’s plan. Each time my father came out of prison, he proclaimed the word of God more strongly,” said Inthy’s 17-year-old son, Kikeo. “God always looks out for his children. I feel that God is always with us. Even during my father’s absence, God gave my mom the strength to support the family so we would never go hungry.”
The 2024 World Watch List results, an annual ranking of the 50 most dangerous countries to live as a
Christian, reveal that the discrimination and attacks that Inthy and his family experienced aren’t uncommon in Laos. Laos is ranked number 21 on the list due to a recent spike in violence across the country, daily pressure, discrimination, attacks, and government raids. Converts are at risk of losing their homes, families, and communities, with many families working to expel converts from their homes and villages.
Open Doors Canada shares stories and prayer requests and hosts a special One with Them online event focused on educating the family of faith about the plight of Christian captives. The Open Doors Canada office will be home to a four-by-four cell, which will be filled with prayers for our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ. “Prison cells and rooms where Christians are locked away can be filled with fear, hopelessness, trauma, and uncertainty. But we know our prayers can go where we cannot,” says Stagg. “So, let’s fill their cells instead with words of encouragement, hope, and faith. This cell will serve as a
symbol, but we know our prayers are real and powerful.”
For more information about One With Them: A Day for Christian Captives, available
resources, event details, and to submit your prayers, go to www.onewiththem.ca.
Press Release
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