IDOP 2025
Laos: The Gospel Behind Bars
Pastor Boun (name changed), 33, a leader from Laos’ Bru tribe—one of the most persecuted tribes in the region—sat across from us in a small church near Thailand’s border province, his wife and daughter quietly beside him. With a nervous laugh and tightly clasped hands, he admitted it was his first time sharing his testimony publicly. Yet what followed was a story of faith and courage, one that thrived even behind bars. A testimony of how God’s presence turned the darkness of prison into a place of transformation.
Watch Pastor Boun Share His Story
Standing Up for Others
His story didn’t begin in a church, but with an act of compassion: helping a woman in his community who was being treated unjustly. To raise awareness, he shared a post about her situation on social media. Though others had done the same, he was singled out and arrested, targeted by local authorities who had long monitored his activities because of his bold Christian faith and his efforts to help those facing injustice.
“The motivation behind me helping her was from God,” he said. “That day, I heard God’s voice in my heart—He said that love means doing something to help others. God told me to go the extra mile for people we love, even though they are not our real family.”
That act of compassion became the turning point that led to his imprisonment.
Faith in the Shadows
Pastor Boun spent eight months in prison. The cell was small, dark, and overcrowded. Built for fifteen people but crammed with more than thirty. “It was as if I was inside a container,” he recalled. “There was barely any light that came in. During my first two months, I couldn’t settle in. I had a young wife and daughter left behind at home. I was very lonely. I was only ever able to survive because of God.”
But in that time of darkness, his faith in God began to deepen. Unknowingly, God was preparing him for a greater purpose.
As Pastor Boun spent more time in prayer, he began to notice the suffering around him. Many inmates were sick, hopeless, and depressed. “They were not only sick physically but also suffering emotionally and mentally,” he said. “God gave me the boldness to tell my cellmates about my faith. I told them that I serve God and know God.” He realized he had been placed there not just to endure, but to bring hope
Realizing that God wanted to use him even inside prison, he began to fast and seek God’s guidance. “I decided to pray and fast for three days,” he said. “Then I called my wife and told her to bring me a Bible when she came to visit.”
It was a dangerous request. His wife feared the risk but prayed for courage and God gave her wisdom. Hiding the Bible inside a sack of rice, she managed to smuggle it into the prison. Each time the guards discovered and confiscated it, she brought another. In total, she succeeded four times.
With the Scriptures in hand, Pastor Boun spent hours reading, praying, and meditating on them. Through God’s Word he found strength and courage to reach others.
Then one day, a cellmate became gravely ill after a terrifying dream. “He had a bad dream. The messenger of death shot his heart with an arrow,” Pastor Boun recounted. “When he woke up, his body was swollen. He cried out to the prison guards, but no one responded. He was dying.”
Moved with compassion, Pastor Boun approached him. “I asked him, ‘Would you want to believe in Jesus? If you believe, I will pray and you will be healed.’” After twenty minutes of prayer, the man’s condition improved miraculously. “He became better,” Pastor Boun said. “Then I shared the hope I had in Jesus with him, and he accepted Christ. After another prayer, he was fully restored and completely healed.”
Word of the miracle spread quickly throughout the prison. More prisoners began coming to him for prayer and encouragement. “I prayed for them, and God touched their hearts and bodies,” said Pastor Boun. Even the prison guards took notice. Recognizing his influence and leadership, they appointed him cell leader.
Revival Behind Bars
Life in the cell began to change. What once was filled with despair became a place of worship. “We prayed, worshiped, and shared God’s Word day and night,” he said. “By God’s grace, I was even able to baptize three men using muddy water from a basin inside our cell.”
When guards grew suspicious and tried to stop them from gathering, Pastor Boun found creative ways to keep ministering. “I would tear out pages from the Bible and share them,” he explained. “For one who was sad, I gave a page from Proverbs. For another who wanted to know more about Jesus, I gave a page from John. That way, everyone had a portion of God’s Word to read.”
Over time, the Gospel spread. Thirty-two prisoners came to Christ. Worship echoed daily from their cell. “Other prison cells were quiet, but ours was very noisy,” he said, smiling. “The Lord touched many lives.”
The guards eventually tried to stop him, confiscating his Bible repeatedly and even discussing moving him to another cell. “But one of them said, ‘He’ll just convert more people there and lead them to sing to his Jesus,’” Pastor Boun recalled.
By God’s grace, Pastor Boun continued his ministry until his release. “I witnessed lives transformed, even my own,” he said. “Most of the prisoners in the same cell were released after me, and many continued their faith in Jesus.”
“Other prison cells were quiet, but ours was very noisy. The Lord touched many lives.”
Lessons in the Cell
His time in prison profoundly shaped his faith. “My experience in prison really matured me,” he reflected. “Through those difficult times, my faith grew stronger. I learned what it truly means to be a disciple of Jesus. I would say I got a true taste of what it means to follow Him.”
He continued, “If I hadn’t been in prison, I wouldn’t have realized what I know now. I was surrounded by people who didn’t know Jesus, who were filled with bitterness and pain. But I thank the Lord for teaching me and showing me that He has the power to transform lives.”
A Word of Encouragement to the Free World
“If you want to know God more, you need to be intentional in spending time with Him,” Boun said. “Do not try to resist challenges that come your way because it means that God wants to mold you more because He loves you and wants to use you in those situations. If you try to avoid it, it’s like trying to avoid God. Growth comes from life’s difficulties. Learning from God is the most precious lesson there is. It is beyond theory. What we learn from Him is not merely information, but our lives being transformed through His power.”
When asked who God is to him, Boun answered without hesitation:
“God is the source of my life. He is everything I have—my breath, everything I own. He is also everything I have yet to have. He is everything I seek; things I see and do not see. He is the answer to my life…He is my life.”
Pastor Boun’s story reminds us that God’s presence is never limited by restrictions. Across Asia and around the world, many believers continue to face suffering for their faith. Yet the same God who turned a prison cell in Laos into a place of worship and revival is still at work today.
During this week’s International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP), we invite you to join millions of Christians worldwide in lifting up persecuted believers in prayer. As we remain committed to strengthening what remains, let us stand together in faith for our brothers and sisters, remembering that no chain can silence the Gospel and no darkness can overcome the light of Christ.
Pray With Pastor Boun
That Laos will know the Lord and grow in Him, and that persecution against believers would cease.
For the Church in Laos to grow in the Word, especially among the Bru Tribe.
For pastors and leaders as they serve the Body and shepherd the flock amid persecution.
For believers to continue growing in the Lord, remain strong amid persecution, and faithfully serve God.