Day 11
Laos
One pastor recently visited a village in a region governed strongly by military soldiers. He shared the Gospel extensively and distributed MP3 players loaded with the Gospel stories. Twenty people chose to follow Jesus as a result of his ministry. The military officials expelled him and told him never to return. Still, the pastor remains convinced that God wants him to return with Bibles for the new Believers and more MP3 players for them to share with others. Pray for his safety and for the new Believers to grow strong in the Lord and the Word of God. As they celebrate Christmas for the first time, may the Holy Spirit fill them with joy and wonder (The Bible, Acts 2:4).
Laos is a Southeast Asian communist country with strong ties to neighboring China and Vietnam. Despite liberalization during the early 1980s and inviting foreign investments, Laos remains very restrictive of religious freedoms. Christianity faces severe persecution from the community, local administrations, and the Laotian government. Facing imminent unemployment due to persecution, Christian youth often lean towards narcotic addictions. Churches have to register with the government. Not all church registrations are approved. Those without approval meet secretly. Christian girls are illegally trafficked across the border to China as brides.
Day 11
Western Sahara
The Security Council adopted two separate resolutions to renew the mandates of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara. The resolution emphasizes the need to achieve a realistic, practical, enduring, and mutually acceptable political solution to the question of Western Sahara based on compromise. It calls on the parties to resume negotiations under the auspices of the UN secretary-general without preconditions and in good faith to achieve a just, last, and mutually acceptable political solution, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. Pray for the UN-organized referendum on self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. Pray that the people will be liberated through the work of the Holy Spirit (The Bible, Matthew 12:18).
(Source:
https://english.news.cn/20231031/2167bb43d6e548f3b38e6df1fb2349bd/c.html
Western Sahara is an illegally occupied territory. After the Spanish occupation and a three-way tussle for control over the North African country, Morocco annexed southern Western Sahara. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro (POLISARIO) led the government in exile in Western Sahara and the Sahrawi people are recognized by 38 countries as well as the United Nations. They even have an African Union membership. Only 20% of the disputed territory is controlled by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. In 2020, in a significant setback to their independence claims, the United States recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara for normalizing relationships with Israel. Earlier this year, Israel became the second country to recognize the Moroccan claim over the occupied territory. Despite not being listed in the rankings for persecution, the occupied territories do not have religious freedom. Outreach materials in Hassaniya Arabic are available with missionaries in the area. However, with only a handful of Christian Believers, sustainable missionary work in Western Sahara is nearly impossible to carry out.
