From a believer working in Laos
PLEASE PRAY FOR LAOS. These are truly trying times, even if COVID19 does not seem to have such a huge impact on Laos on first sight. Life in most parts of the country is pretty much back to normal, people go about their business and daily lives after a four week shut down in April.
But borders remain closed, with a landlocked country dependent on numbers [of] products being imported this means prices for many goods are rising. At the same time the tourism sector, a source of income for many, is stagnant and many have not been able to take up work again. Rising prices and lower employment rates are not a great recipe. Add to that droughts earlier in the year that make for a poor rice harvest and numerous humanitarian projects on hold with foreign experts gone and the outlook on the next months looks quite serious.
- PRAY for officials to make good policies, for the economy to not take a too big hit, and for our partners and the national church to be able to help where hunger and health care become an issue.
- PRAY: Many business-as-missions initiatives in Laos are also affected during these economically trying times. Pray that this is an opportunity for them to showcase the love of Christ in word and deed.
PRAISE THE LORD that we have only had 20 confirmed cases nation wide and no reported deaths. For most in Laos it feels like we are living in a bubble. The government is implementing policies to limit the influx of people from outside the country to this end.
One outcome is that a few Lao ministering overseas have been ‘stuck’ in other countries and are currently trying to find ways to come home where they are now needed. Another consequences is that many kingdom workers who left to tend to family in their home countries, and new workers, are not able to obtain visas. For a number of projects reliant on foreign workers this will have a profound impact.
- PRAY that those nationals working in missions overseas are able to return to their home country soon.
- PRAY also, that the Lord uses this opportunity to raise up more national believers to step into leadership roles to serve their own nation.