The nation of Laos is one of the world’s few openly communist states, yet has a Buddhist-majority population. Most Christian meetings are considered illegal by the authorities and Christians live under intense scrutiny. It was therefore with much anticipation that the first ever DPM pastors’ seminar was organized and held in this nation in order to promote and teach from DPM resources. Our Coordinators write:...
There was an atmosphere of excitement mixed with a touch of adventure, not knowing what was in store for us at the seminar the next day. We went with full expectation, for the Lord normally has many surprises for those who love Him.
Hunger for God’s Word
On day one of the seminar, 54 attendees arrived. Almost half of them were pastors and assistant pastors, while the rest were leaders of their churches. Their hunger for the Word of God was expressed in their attitude towards the teaching, paying full attention and taking down notes with great enthusiasm. Most of them came from afar - some as far as 100 km away - and some had to travel by public transport from 6 am to 6 pm.
‘The Lord normally has many surprises for those who love Him’
There was one sight that caught our attention. Out of 54 attendees, 48 were men! Normally, in most churches in Thailand, most of the members are female, but not in Laos. It was encouraging to see that men are taking the lead in their families, and it is a sure sign of God’s principles at work.
Social Media Channels
Most were excited by the new social media channels through DPM’s platform in the Thai and Lao languages. There was an increase in Facebook subscriptions of about 30 new people over the course of this seminar. Much time was spent on teaching and showing attendees how to access the various social media platforms and helping them to set it up.
‘Some pastors had to travel by public transport from 6am to 6pm to attend the seminar’
Proclaiming God’s Word
The first topic shared was from Derek’s teaching on “Confidence”. This message re-enforced their confidence in God and His Word, and also in their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Proclamation of God’s Word was highlighted to them as a weapon against the forces of darkness.
Workshops were conducted for the attendees to practice actual scenarios of their situations at home or in their churches and they were to choose the appropriate proclamations to proclaim over their situations. The feedback from the participants was very encouraging. They felt a sense of confidence as they were proclaiming the Word! They were encouraged to bring this back to their churches and share it with their members.
Plans for 2024
During the second day of interactions with the participants, we were informed that in one city alone there are 114 churches, out of which 90% come from the various ethnic tribes of Laos. There is a certain percentage of them who do not read or understand the Lao or Thai language and they therefore requested if we could provide some form of equipment so they can record their various ethnic languages in order to “Reach the Unreached and Teach the Untaught” using DPM materials. We are looking at 40 pieces for a start. Would you like to help DPM purchase these? We also proposed three books to be printed into Lao, namely Father God, How to Pass from Curse to Blessing and God’s Medicine Bottle as key pastors found these three books to be very relevant to them. Any help to print these would also be much appreciated.
In 2024 we plan to visit the churches of the seminar attendees, with the objective of strengthening the use of DPM resources and to further understand their needs, following an on-the-ground assessment and to equip them for future expansion of His Kingdom.
Your prayers and financial support for Derek Prince Ministries’ new Laos outreach is very much needed and greatly appreciated.
