Welcome To The Southeast Asian Page
of Trinity Lutheran Church

"...For my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations."
Isaiah 56:7, Mark 11:17

LAO PROFILES

One Chanh Keeouthai
Southeast Asian Pastor

I was born in 1944, in in the province Bane Phai Taseang Baneback Meung Champhone Keang Savanhnaket (a remote suburb of Vientienne, Laos). My father died when I was a young child, so life for my brother and sister, together my widowed mother was a continual struggle. Sometimes, we would not eat for days at a time. I was able to attend school as a young child, but our family's poverty forced me to quit school, to help support my family, before I could finish High School. I was drafted in 1959 and served as a soldier until 1964. I then worked at the American Embassy until 1968 in their electrical generating facility. This association with Americans, later put myself and my family at risk, when the Pathet Lao Communists seized control of my country in 1977.

In 1978 I fled Laos to a Refugee Camp in Thailand, known as Camp Nongkhai. I was fortunate to be resettled in the United States within a year, by an Open Bible Congregation, in Des Moines. It was through their witness I became a Baptized Christian. I served and assisted a number of Christian congregations in Des Moines, in evangelism efforts to the Tai Dam, and Laotian peoples, all while working a full time job. I later returned to Thailand to visit, and had the opportunity to share the Gospel in many places.

Upon my return from Thailand, I decided I wanted to work full time in sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ, to the Southeast Asian Community, in the Des Moines area. I heard about the Refugee Work at Trinity, and of the missionary, and evangelical spirit that existed there. I was attracted to their love of God's Word, and and heartfelt concern about Refugees. I felt that God wanted me at Trinity, and that God opened the way to bring me to the Lutheran faith and to serve at Trinity Lutheran Church full time.

My wife Ngeune (June) and I were married in 1967. We have 3 daughters, and 2 sons. I hope that I may someday further my education, to be of greater service to my Lord. I am happy to be a part of LCMS mission work in Laos in cooperation with Mission Thailand.

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Phornpaseuth Chanthaphon
My Autobiography

I'm a second year student at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. I'm from Des Moines, Iowa. I've been living in the United States of America for several years. I and my family are from Laos. I come from a big family with the total of thirteen people including my parents. My father is seventy-two years old and my mother is fiftyOne -nine years old. I have six sisters and four brothers. of my sisters died six years ago in childbirth . Two of my sisters live in Laosbrother , both are married and have children. My oldest lives in Des Moineslives in , Iowa with his family. My oldest sister Cretesisters, two , Nebraska with her husband. I still have two younger younger brotherswith my , and one older brother. They're living parents in Des Moinesbrothers and my . Now, I have five sisters, four parents. I am now married.

I was born on March 16, 1976. I was born in Vientiane, Laos. My mother told me something that happened to my father before I was born, that I would like to share with you. My father was a soldier for the French, and US allies. He fought against Vietnamese Communists during the Vietnam War. He was wounded in his left chest through his back. The Communists won the war and my country fell. In 1975, the Communists caught my father and sent him to a communist reeducation (persecution) camp. Later they took my whole family to the persecution camp just after I was born. I was raised in a persecution camp located in the northern part of Laos, next to Vietnam. I attended first grade in many camps for four years, and didn't have a chance to complete the first grade. We moved from camp to camp many times, and we didn't have enough money to pay for school.

After nine and half years in persecution camps, the Communists sent us back to the Vientiane area. We had nothing when we came back except blankets and some clothes to wear. We started our lives over. To do something like that is not easy in that city or anywhere in the world. One would need something to start with... Most of the people in the village owned rice farms, lands, and some properties their parents gave them. But my family were newcomers to that village. We were very poor and had little. I remember one day my mother went to somebody's house and begged for food so we could survive for that day. This was something I will never forget for the rest of my life.

I realized how difficult our lives were. We didn't know about God and we didn't know Jesus Christ either. We spent a lot of time working in the rice fields for other people and we received little money to support the family. It wasn't enough for a big family at all. When I completed fifth grade, my father sent me to the Buddhist temple to become a Buddhist monk. There were several reasons for me to be come a Buddhist monk:

• My family opposed the Communists and I didn't want to serve in the Communist Army. The Communists don't select monks to be in the army.
• Our family was very big and we couldn't support everyone. So, when I became a Buddhist monk people gave me money and food every day. I spent some of the money the people gave me for my own needs, and I gave the rest to my family.
• Most of the people in my country were Buddhist then as today, and we didn't have freedom of religion. Our family had few choices and we were controlled by the Communist government.

The Buddha taught parents: "If you have a male child, when he reaches ten years of age, you must send him to the temple to become a monk. He must be a monk at least seven consecutive days in order for him to pay for his breast milk." When I was a baby my mother fed me milk from her own breast. Most Buddhists believe, "boys must be monks for at least seven consecutive days to pay for their mothers' milk." I was different. I was a Buddhist monk for almost four years. I learned much about Buddha and Buddhism. But I later discovered that everything they do or worship is in vain before God.

When we were in Laos, my family and I were Buddhists. Almost all Lao people are Buddhists, because there is no freedom of religion, nor the opportunity to choose religion without discrimination. When my family and I came to the U.S. as refugees, we had an American sponsor. We were resettled through a United Nations voluntary agency known as Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS). My sponsor was a Christian. He was a Lutheran from Des Moines, Iowa. He took us go to church every Sunday and we studied the Bible together. I thank God for giving me life and for converting my family to Christianity. We were baptized in 1991, were later confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church in Des Moines.

I thank God for making such things like this happen in my life. I just can't believe something like this could happened to my family and I. I thank God that He chose my family and I to be part of His family, to be His children, and for all of our friends in Christ to be brothers and sisters in God's family. I believe He has called me to attend Concordia College. It is something I could never dream of. When I think about our family income, I know that there's no way we can afford to pay for college. And when I think about my education and my English, I don't think I can attend any college either. I thank God for His gifts.

For His love, help, and the forgiveness of our sins, I want to work and do everything I can to serve Him. There are many people who don't know God, and there are many people who are unchurched today. So, I decided to become a Lao pastor. I want to tell them about God, and teach them to believe in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord. I believe God will help me, and be with me throughout my school years.

I found some Bible verses that apply to me, that I believe are really true:

Mark 9:23 "Everything is possible for he who believes."
John 6:25 "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him."
John 8:12 " I am the light of the world. Whoever follows will never walk in the darkness, but he will have the light of life."
John 20:29 "Because you have seen me, you have believed, blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
Matthew 28:20 "...I am with you always, to the very end of age."
Matthew 19:26 "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible"

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