According to Laurent Chazee, 1.6 million ethnic Lao people lived in Laos in 1995. The census from the same year listed a much higher figure of more than 2.4 million Lao, but this figure includes several ethnic groups who were counted as Lao in the census, but who have been profiled separately in this book. The Lao national language, however, which is closely related to Northeastern Thai, is spoken by more than four million people in Laos as either their first or second language. There are now about 200,000 Lao living in the United States, where they went as refugees after the Communist takeover of their country in 1975. Lao communities are also found in numerous other countries around the world.
The Lao are believed to have migrated into Laos starting around 1,000 years ago. As they came down from China they found the Khmu already occupying the best land. They drove the Khmu into the mountains and took the land for themselves.
Today, the Lao are one of the most gentle and peace-loving people groups in the world. Their society is family-orientated, and not work or task orientated. Although they are nominally Theravada Buddhists, numerous animistic rituals and pre-Buddhist spirit-worship ceremonies are still observed throughout Laos. The greatest festival is Sangkhan, when the entire population throws water over each other to cleanse their sins from the previous year and start afresh.
There are about 15,000 Catholics and 25,000 Protestants among the Lao in Laos today. Catholic missionaries first entered Laos in the 17th century, but Protestant work never took hold until the late 1800's. By 1898 Daniel Mc Gilvary and his team had 3,000 Lao converts.105 Most Lao today, however, have yet to hear the Gospel for the first time. The biggest obstacles to the evangelization of Laos are the anti-Christian government, and the relaxed, care-about-nothing attitude of most Lao. A mission teacher once asked a Lao boy what his idea of heaven was. He replied, "It is like this. A large shade tree that casts a cool shadow under which I can lie and have someone fan me, and bring me water and wait on me generally.' Then he added after a moment's thought, 'And you know, I must have nothing whatever to do.'"
Ask the Holy Spirit to put a deep yearning to know God in the hearts of the Lao people.
Pray the church would mature and spread to all parts of the nation.
Pray for faith and forgiveness to be given to Lao believers as they face great persecution from the authorities.