Reunion 2005
“After God’s Own Heart” is the theme for our annual get together in May 2005. We appreciate your prayers for this ‘Family Reunion’ as over 150 adults and 100 children will be present. We have several young & new families in the midst of making adjustments to life in SE Asia.

• Pray that this time would be a special encouragement to them. We also have a few that we will be recognizing as they ‘retire’ from official service here.

Yi
The Nisu believe that they have 3 souls in their body.  When they die one stays in the grave, one stays in the home and the last one travels to the land of the ancestors.  This land is not a place that the Nisu like to talk about.  There is much still unknown about what they believe about the land of the ancestors but it does not seem like a "positive" or peaceful place to go.

Having the hope that we do in Christ, the Man who conquered sin and death; we are compelled to tell them of God's unfoiled purpose.  His purpose, like at the beginning of creation, is in having an ETERNAL relationship with the people He created.  The Nisu need to hear of the great work that Jesus their Creator did for them on the cross.

• Please pray for the completion of the second Gospel Nisu VCD
• Pray for safe distribution of first Gospel Nisu VCD
• Pray for favor in continued relationships among Nisu and church planting efforts
• Praise for a new family who have just joined the Nisu team! Pray for them though, as they are presently struggling with some health issues
• Praise for the promise of ETERNAL life with Him and the family of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

Lao
The Lao are a lowland people who have dominated the mid Mekong Region for many centuries. There are 17 million Lao in Thailand (Lao Isan). In the country of Laos there are 3 million Lao. 150,000 Lao live in Vietnam with another 189,000 in the West: 172,000 in the USA, 17,000 in France, with small populations in Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Argentina and Switzerland. There are some Lao in China and 55,000 in Cambodia.

 

The vast majority of Laos’ people are rural and agrarian. Farming and related industry occupies most families. In more urban settings, mercantile trade is well established. Very recently small, light industry has come into existence. This is the growing sector of the economy as more of the population urbanizes.

 

The people of Laos are animist with a veneer of syncretistic, folk Buddhism. Daily life is ruled by spirits, luck, charms and karma. The belief system is the basis for community stability with conformity to the status quo being the greatest good.

• Pray as there seems to be a spirit of disunity among some Lao believers.
• Pray for love, unity and forgiveness among the believers. In this way whether there is one group of believers in an area or 100 groups, everything will be done well.
• Pray that groups of believers will cooperate with one another and bless each other.