Over the last few years, more than one hundred members of Christian churches from the Vietnamese Highlands fled to Thailand to seek refuge from their persecuting government. Similar to the government of China labeling house- church Christians as “evil cultists" (because they pray for the sick and believe that God heals), the Vietnamese government renamed these Christian churches as “terrorists" in spite of their non-violent stance and behavior. Back in Vietnam, these believers had their houses and land confiscated. With no place to go other than prison they fled to Thailand with the hope of protection and eventual resettlement under the UNHCR. Though the refugees come to Thailand to apply to be resettled under the UNHCR, they have no protections from the Thailand government as Thailand is not a signatory country for the UN Refugee Act which protects refugees. So, all the refugees who come to Thailand to seek help from the UNHCR find that their visas run out at some point in the process before they can be resettled. Rather than the Thailand government accept their UNHCR status and offer them protection, the Thailand immigration police often target them for arrest, fine, long-term imprisonment or forced repatriation to countries they fled to begin with.

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By the grace of God and the teamwork of Freedom Seekers International, Center for Asylum Protection, Christian Freedom International, ChinaAid and numerous caring churches and individuals, we raised enough funds to pay the bail on March 28 th for all of the 48 detained Vietnamese refugees. 23 of the refugees are sponsored by a church in the US. The remaining 25 are coming under thesponsorship of Freedom Seekers International with our Connecting Families Thai ministry assistant as guarantor for their bail. Our assistant is assuming a huge responsibility that will continue until each refugee is resettled, and he will need our help and prayers as he makes trips each month to Bangkok and coordinates the care for mothers and babies for the expectant and new mothers. The Center for Asylum Protection has notified us that the refugees will be released hopefully between April 24-28 When they are released, Connecting Families volunteers will help the pregnant and sick refugees with their medical care. Christianity Today highlighted these refugee ministries and especially the plight of
the refugees whose relocation to the US was stalled when the present administration halted the Welcome Corp.

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Please pray that the refugees will be released this week and that Secretary Marco Rubio will approve their relocation to the US on a case by case basis. Click on the donate link if you can contribute to the ongoing expenses for theese persecuted believers.