The Southeast Asia Update
00:01:36 — Where We Visited
00:02:55 — The Vietnam Situation
00:04:13 — Charis’s Impression of Vietnam
00:08:03 — Man Persecuted for His Faith
00:09:26 — Demon Possessed Man Healed
00:12:28 — Zoom Rooms
00:13:47 — 16 Year Old Girl Possessed
00:15:07 — Nine Families Persecuted and Kicked Out of Their Village
00:19:01 — Government Response to Large Numbers of Believers
JOY: Welcome to God’s Church, the podcast that takes you to the spiritual hotspots around the world where God is actively at work. With me in the studio today are RON and CHARIS PIERCE. Welcome, guys.
RON: Thank you.
CHARIS: Thanks, Joy.
JOY: I hear that you’ve been traveling and you’re going to give us an update. I’m assuming it’s a spiritual hotspot?
RON: Yes, it is. We don’t often travel together, but this time we did. We were on the move in Southeast Asia, primarily. We met with many leaders and pastors, but we need to be careful not to divulge exact locations because these are closed or restricted areas.
CHARIS: We covered five countries in ten days — it was intense.
RON: Yes, so today we’ll focus on Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, with a bit of Thailand. That part of the world is less about national borders and more about zones. Tribal groups live on both sides of the borders, moving freely, intermarrying, and sharing cultures. So church networks operate across multiple countries, training workers in their specific languages but with shared strategies.
Spiritually, the whole region faces similar challenges. In Vietnam, persecution comes in waves — depending on who’s in charge locally. In Laos, the government is stricter and penalties are harsher. Cambodia is freer, while Thailand has had little spiritual hunger, though we’re seeing that begin to change.
CHARIS: One pastor explained that persecution often depends on relationships. If the chief of police’s mother is a believer, the church gets more freedom. If not, it can be very tough.
RON: For example, Ho Chi Minh’s homeland in Vietnam is a very strict area. Churches there suffer greatly. But overall, persecution varies — it depends on the people, the location, and the circumstances Charis, since you don’t travel there as often, what stood out to you in Vietnam?
CHARIS: The growth of church planting was striking. What especially stood out was the increase in miracles. A 22-year-old who had been demon-possessed for years was healed, and his entire family came to Christ. These stories were constant everywhere we went.
RON: Yes, miracles have always been part of Vietnam, but now it’s exploding. One story involved police forcing a believer to stand on one leg with his head against a wall for three hours. When he almost succeeded, they kicked his leg out and told him he couldn’t share the Gospel. These are the kinds of harassment tactics believers endure, but their determination never wavers. In Laos, persecution is often harsher. A church planter was killed by authorities, yet instead of stopping the ministry, believers pushed forward. They set up new Zoom Rooms for training, and the movement actually grew stronger.
JOY: Can you explain what a Zoom Room is?
RON: Yes — basically, in a jungle setting they build a hut, install a generator, satellite dish, and TV, and then stream Bible teaching from a central hub. There are now over 40 of these across Southeast Asia. Believers gather daily to study intensively.
CHARIS: Another story was of a 16-year-old girl who was possessed. Her mother spent everything trying doctors and witch doctors, but nothing worked. A pastor prayed, she was healed instantly, and now both mother and daughter live at the church since they had nothing left. This shows the love of believers — it’s not just about numbers, but caring for people.
RON: There was also a case of nine families persecuted near the Vietnam-Laos border. Their homes were burned, crops destroyed, and they were driven out of the village. Empower helped them relocate, build new homes, and start over. Now there’s a new community of 45 believers.
CHARIS: What struck me was how many unbelievers are now asking questions. Leaders told us they’ve never seen so many people wanting to study the Bible.
RON: That’s why the demand for Bibles and training is exploding. People want to grow in God’s Word. Combine that with miracles happening everywhere — it’s clear God is moving powerfully across Southeast Asia.
JOY: That’s incredible. If you’d like more information on Zoom Rooms, visit Empower Ministries’ website. Thanks for joining me, Ron and Charis.
