A Wife’s Cry and a Son’s Hope: The Story of Inthy’s Family
When Inthy*, a pastor in Laos, was imprisoned for his faith in August 2020, his wife Chamchai* and son Kikeo* had to try to survive without him. This the story of a wife who struggled to provide for her family and a son who fervently believed in what God could do.
While there are many stories of imprisoned believers, and we are often encouraged to pray for them, there are others whose stories are often left untold; the families of the prisoners, who are left behind to worry and struggle without their imprisoned loved ones.
Inthy, Chamchai and Kikeo live in a staunch Buddhist village in Laos where belief in another religion is not just frowned upon; Christians are considered traitors, proponents of disunity and offenders of tradition.
Chamchai is 58, and works as a farmer to support her family. She has nine children – seven boys and two girls. Three of them are married, while the rest still live with her. Her oldest son is 30 and the youngest is just 14.
She tells of when her husband was imprisoned.
“It was August of 2020, around the end of the rice planting season. While we were planting rice in the field, a church member from one of the neighboring villages called and informed my husband that their beloved 17-year-old son passed away. They wanted him to attend his funeral.
Little did Chamchai know that it would be the last breakfast she would have with her husband for six months.
“I was waiting for him to return home. It was already seven and I did not hear from him. I gave him a call, but it was our neighbor who answered his phone. ‘The police arrested your husband while we were having lunch. He left his phone with me.’
“I was horrified and confused. I kept asking why he was arrested, taking him away as they pleased.”
Chamchai learned that Inthy arrived in the other village at noon. The boy’s family served lunch, and while eating, the village chief arrived and invited Inthy to his office where the police were waiting for him.
“There, he was handcuffed and chains were put around his ankles. They drove him to the prison.
“When I heard all of this, I felt my knees getting weak and I burst into tears, shaking and crying out to God. I prayed for God to have mercy on him and protect him from violence and harm. I was so worried about him; I was unable to eat or sleep that night.”
“Why does this happen?”
This was the third time Inthy had been arrested for practicing his faith.
Chamchai was frustrated. “Why does this always happen to him? I was so sad and worried about him. Every time he was in prison they treated him horribly; he was once forced to sleep on the ground in a filthy washroom for a month and had to shower with mud water, and they never let him go out for a walk. They would keep him locked up like that for a month because they said he committed serious political crimes. This was all too much for me.”
Two months later she was finally allowed to see her husband. “When I saw him, I wept. He was so pale and skinny.”
While Inthy was still in prison, Chamchai and her family had to deal with unpleasant treatment from their non-believing relatives.
"I told them I will never abandon my faith because only Jesus Christ can bring me joy and happiness."
“They would ask me why I had to stand firm and believe in Jesus Christ when all it did to us was lead to suffering and persecution. They said, ‘Look at what this faith did to you and your family. Renounce your faith so that you can live peacefully.’”
But Chamchai was firm. “I told them I will never abandon my faith because only Jesus Christ can bring me joy and happiness. Nothing can change my mind about my faith now. I will continue believing in Jesus; I will follow in God’s footsteps and will trust in him and him alone.”
The month of June is One With Them 2024, when we focus on prayer for Christians in captivity. Visit onewiththem.ca to read more stories and to submit your prayer for Christian captives.
Nor was Chamchai the only one affected. Kikeo, 17, is the seventh son of Chamchai and Inthy. He spoke about how he looks up to his father and has confidence that God will take care of him no matter what. “I believe what happened to my father is part of God’s plan. God wanted to spread His kingdom through my father’s persecution. Each time my father came out of prison, he proclaimed the word of God more strongly. I am a witness of a growing number of believers. Right now, there are seven villages that my father is providing spiritual support to.
“To me, my father is my hero. He would work hard every day to make sure we would be fed physically and spiritually. He is also like the Apostle Paul from the Bible. He is always concerned about satisfying God’s will and would always aim to please God regardless of the persecution he would face. This is the third time my father was sent to prison, but I know God will always take care of his children especially when they are in danger.
“God always looks out for his children; he always does. He did it now with my father the first time, and he will continue to do so in the future. I feel that God is always with us. Even during my father’s absence, God gave my mom the strength to support the family so that we would never go hungry.”
Eventually Inthy was released, and Chamchai rejoiced. “I am thankful to God for answering our prayers, since he was finally released after six long months.”
Chamchai said God hears and answers prayers and she is grateful that a bigger family of believers supported them and prayed for them and with them, too. Because of your support, Open Doors local partners were able to minister to Chamchai and her children by providing them spiritual care and support, as well as financial assistance while Inthy was still in prison.
“Thank you so much for your help and support and for always being there for me and my family. Thank you and may God bless you. All of your prayers are much appreciated and have been answered.”
How you Can Pray
- Ask God to bless Chamchai and Inthy’s church so that it can be a safe space for believers in their area.
- Pray for Inthy to receive the strength and courage to do the ministry, and for their family to stand firm through any storm of persecution.
- Pray for Chamchai and Inthy’s other children who do not have Jesus in their lives yet. Pray that they too will encounter Him and have a personal and intentional relationship with Him.
Give a Gift
Your generous gift this month will go towards helping the family of a Christian Captive – someone like Chamchai or Kikeo, struggling with the realities of persecution.
