After a friend shared Jesus with them and how Christ has worked in his life, Thuan* and his wife Hien* chose to also follow Jesus—at great risk. The couple lives in an area of northern Vietnam where believing in Jesus rather than traditional beliefs—including ancestor worship—is considered a betrayal not only to the family, but also to their whole ethnic identity.

A few days after Thuan and Hien became Christians, local authorities came to their home and told the couple they must return to ancestor worship, or they would be kicked out of the village. The authorities also pressured Thuan and Hien’s relatives to threaten the couple and try to convince them to leave their newfound faith.

But Thuan and Hien refused.

As a result, the family now lives in isolation, shunned by their community after the village chief publicly denounced them and their new beliefs. Even children in the village are banned from interacting with Thuan and Hien’s kids. The family has lost everything because they have chosen to follow Jesus. On September, 30 a group of relatives, villagers and local authorities destroyed the family’s house, fruit trees and killed or stole their livestock.

Every day now, Thuan’s family faces pressure or persecution from their relatives or villagers. They still live in their village, but their church is asking us to stand with them in prayer.

Please pray Thuan and Hien will stay strong and grow in their new faith.

Pray for the family’s safety and protection.

Pray for God’s grace and love to be felt and experienced by their persecutors.

Leave your prayer for this family below in the comments section.

*Representative names used for security reasons.