A Secret People

Ko* was in trouble. The military had just found his local village to give him a clear warning. He was told to stop following Christ. If he didn’t, they said they would return the next day and kill him…

Making a brave decision, Ko said no…

Ko is a part of a people group that we cannot even name publicly. Security concerns for Ko, his family, and all the FEBC team that work with this people group, are extremely high. They all risk persecution, imprisonment, and even death if the government of the country* finds them.

This story and the details of this secret people group was relayed to us via a worker in Southeast Asia…

Ko’s Decision

…Ko lived in a small village in a country in Southeast Asia. One day he turned on his radio and heard that a man named Jesus could change lives. The broadcast shared that Jesus could save people, and Ko felt he needed saving. He had tried everything to quit his drug addiction but failed every time. Over the next five days he prayed. For once in his life, he was able to stop using drugs. “This is the true God,” he thought.

So Ko continued to listen to the radio. Soon he opened his heart to the Gospel and began telling his neighbors in the village about Jesus and what he had done for him. Several families also accepted Jesus as their Savior, but most of the village was furious. Once the Buddhist monks heard of Ko’s proselytizing, they reported him to the military.

When the military came and threatened him, Ko knew it was no idle threat. In another local village, when people had converted to Christianity, the military had come and killed all their livestock, and destroyed their homes and rice fields.

As Ko considered the military’s ultimatum, he saw a flying squirrel. He saw it climb a tree and then drop and fly away. He knew then what he and the other Christians in his village had to do. The next morning, they fled before the military came, packing all they could, but leaving behind all their wealth as farmers—all their water buffalo, their rice fields and many other valuables they could not carry. These were the things that made them materially rich in their community…but they left it all to follow Christ.

Harsh Realities for Minority Ethnic Groups in Southeast Asia

Ko’s people are a secret minority ethnic group in Southeast Asia. Like many other ethnic people groups in this region, Ko’s people have less rights than others. Local authorities are suspicious of their allegiances, and often use any excuse to try and control them or imprison them if they act in any way that is disagreeable.

Ko’s story is emblematic of FEBC ministry to minority people groups in Southeast Asia. This secret people group have been hearing the Gospel on the air for decades now, but when asked about Christianity, they say the teachings are great, but they don’t want to convert. They are open to the Gospel, but afraid of the repercussions.

But for those who do convert, and leave, they find a hope that they never knew before…

The Hope for Ko’s People

Ko and the other Christian families left their homes and traveled for two days by car. They knew that if they were caught fleeing by the military, they would be forced to turn back…or worse.

By the grace of God, they made it safely to a refugee camp of around 300, all from their same people group. FEBC staff and partners minister to them there, by bringing radios, bibles, teaching the Word, praying together, and helping in any way they can.

The FEBC Gospel broadcasts Ko and the other refugees heard over the radio, are the only Gospel messages that can be heard in their dialect—their heart language.

The days ahead for Ko and his people are uncertain. The refugees in the camp wonder where they will go next, and what plans God has for their lives, but they say they are happy. Despite their circumstances, for the first time in their lives they have true hope and comfort. Each person is so grateful for the love of Jesus and the Salvation they have found.

Please join us as we pray for this secret people group, including Ko and his family. Please also lift up our FEBC staff who serve there, and in dangerous places all over the world, as they often face persecution from the local authorities for spreading the Gospel.

*names and locations withheld for security reasons