Xuan gave her life to Jesus – and nothing will make her turn back

Xuan is on the brink of being expelled from her community, but her passion for Jesus means she keeps taking risks to help others know Christ.

Xuan is at risk of being expelled by her village, but nothing will stop her from sharing the gospel

Xuan* lives in a remote tribal village in central Vietnam. There is a church there – not that you’d see it if you visited. “There are Christians in my area, but we worship God in secret, in our homes,” she says. “It is impossible for outsiders to visit us in the village because local authorities monitor us.” 

Xuan’s love for Christ shines out in her words and actions – and it’s her mission to tell others about Jesus. But this mission comes with a high price. She is known – and begrudgingly tolerated – as a Christian in her village, but the local authorities have forbidden her from evangelising. Not that that stops her. 

“I did not follow their demands,” she says. “They cannot stop the gospel from being shared. However, I only evangelise in secret. Sometimes, I visit people in their houses at night. In other cases, I set up the time to meet with those who live farther. I drive my motorbike to meet them and gather them in a less suspicious place. I do this because I love them.” 

Like Xuan, most believers belong to ethnic minority groups, like the Hmong, and face social exclusion, discrimination and attacks if they convert to another faith. Their homes are sometimes destroyed, and they are forced to leave their villages. Church meetings face constant surveillance and frequent raids.

Xuan became a Christian after God healed her and her child from an illness through the prayers of a Christian man in the village called Tomo*. 

“As part of our tradition and belief, my husband went to find a shaman who could heal me and my child,” Xuan remembers. “The shaman told us that my child and I had the same disease, so one of us will die. I couldn’t accept that. Suddenly, I remembered a man named Tomo who shared about this God who could heal anyone. We met with him, and he prayed for us. That year, I committed my life to the Lord and He healed us.” 

Xuan perseveres – and the church grows 

But not long afterwards, Tomo was expelled from the community. Xuan and another woman were the only Christians who remained. “We were downhearted, yes, but it did not stop us from sharing the gospel,” Xuan says. “Every day, more and more people came to know Christ. 

“But the local authorities were also quick. They knew all of those who converted; they tried to punish us. They tried to kick us out of the village, but we were unyielding. We stayed in the village no matter what.” 

In Xuan’s patriarchal community, the authorities punish women who convert to Christianity by first targeting their husbands. “Local authorities employ many ways to persecute us, one of which is forcing our husbands to leave us; they pressure them to divorce their wives which will also affect the children. And, if the husbands refuse, all the government subsidies, like food, education and livelihood will be cut. Men in our society are superior and this is why, when their wives become Christians, persecutors first come to them.”

This is what happened to Xuan and her husband. After the authorities destroyed their source of income, Xuan’s husband stepped in to stop her from being expelled from the village. “My husband, who is still not a Christian, protected me. He stopped them from maltreating me because he loves me and my children.” 

Prepared to give her life for the gospel 

Despite the pressure against her, and the danger of her mission, many Christians in her village came to know Christ because of Xuan’s perseverance. Her courage is phenomenal. “I will not forsake my mission, my calling,” she says. “Even if the authorities catch me, I will let them do everything they can to stop me – even if they kill me. I know I am going to die for the Lord.” 

Thanks to your prayers and support, Xuan knows that she is not alone. Open Doors local partners in Vietnam help equip believers like Xuan through leadership and biblical training and financial aid.  

Xuan will never go back to how things were before she knew Jesus: “I find that my life has already changed so much after allowing Jesus to rule my life. I know that I can directly pray to the Lord and He will answer me. I know that my Lord is alive!” 

*Name changed for security reasons