People in the Mekong need access to the good news of who Jesus is and what He's done for us.
The Mekong River flows through most of Southeast Asia and is the source of life for many of the surrounding countries; Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam all benefit from the river’s fertile soil distribution and water supply. Just as the Mekong River brings physical life to the area, so, too, can the gospel of Jesus bring spiritual transformation.
Sharing Love in the Mekong
Growth of Jesus followers often occurs through the work of same- and near-culture believers who can contextualise the gospel message. Many local Christians are also living out the love of Jesus through compassion programmes that focus on victims of human-trafficking, disaster response, vocational training and more.
Jesus Followers in the Mekong
In the Mekong region, 70% of the 240 million people are Buddhist, and the vast majority have never heard of Jesus or met a Jesus follower. Indeed, the four largest people groups in the area—Bama, Thai, Isaan and Khmer—are only 2% Christian. A popular mindset in the Mekong is that Buddhism is an intrinsic part of their cultural and community identity. Since some early Christians taught that becoming a Jesus follower meant abandoning one’s culture, many people in the Mekong view the message of Christ as a form of colonialism and therefore resist it.
Ways to pray for the Mekong
Gather a group of fellow believers in Christ or pray on your own for those who don't yet know God's love.
Increased Training
Pray that local Jesus followers will have training opportunities to be equipped to share the love of Jesus in their own communities across the Mekong region.
Discover Peace
Pray that, throughout the Mekong region, many Buddhists will discover true peace in Christ.
Growth for jesus followers
Pray that the new communities of Christ followers across the region will flourish under local leadership and continue to grow.
What we can do
Pray that Jesus followers around the world, like me, would ask God to help connect His heart for these people with the skills and passion He’s given us for His glory to be made known in this place.