Aroun Voraphorn preached the gospel fearlessly in Laos until he went missing in December 2005 and was found murdered two days later.
The day before his disappearance, three unidentified men came to Aroun’s house under the pretence of wanting to know more about Jesus. Aroun willingly shared the gospel and a meal with the men, and invited them to a Christmas service, where he would be preaching the following day.
Aroun’s wife, Metta, last spoke to her husband on the afternoon before his disappearance.
Aroun told her that he would be late for their youngest daughter’s birthday party, because he was going to buy a cake on his way home. Aroun never made it home.
Two days later, Metta had still not heard from her husband and feared the worst. Her suspicions were confirmed when friends knocked at her door and said the two words she feared most: “He’s dead.”
The friends had been passing along the jungle road near their village when they came across a group of policemen huddled around something. As they neared the policemen, the friends realised that what was on the ground was the body of Aroun.
Aroun’s hands were tied tightly behind him, and he had been stabbed numerous times. His head had been smashed by a rock, and his throat was slit. The friends asked permission to take his body back to their church.
A funeral service was held at the church the next day, on Christmas Eve. Metta spoke of her husband and pleaded with Christians in Laos to continue preaching the gospel fearlessly, just as her husband had done.
As we remember Aroun’s ultimate sacrifice, let us also pray for Christians in Laos who face similar risks for sharing the gospel. To find out how you can pray for believers in Laos, click here .