Yoy in Laos


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Introduction / History

Yoy is a member of the Northern Tai language family. All Yoy are adequately bilingual in the national language, Lao. Indeed, to most outsiders there is no visible or cultural differences between the Lao and Yoy. The distinctiveness of the Yoy is confined to their language.

Tai Yoy people live in Khammouan Province in central Laos. They live at the juncture of three districts: Nakay, Grommarol and Bouarapha. A slightly larger number live in Thailand.


What Are Their Lives Like?

The lifestyle of the Yoy people is similar to the peoples around them. Most are farmers.


What Are Their Beliefs?

The Yoy are professing Buddhists, although a close inspection of their religious practices reveals a regular dependence on spirit-appeasement and animism.

In many respects, Buddhism has lost some of its authority over the inhabitants of Laos in recent decades. Before the advent of Communism in 1975 it was already showing signs of decay.

One early missionary summarized the conflict between groups in Laos that are outwardly Buddhist, yet in reality know very little about the faith they so boldly profess: "Ask any person you meet a few questions about the sage who propounded the faith they are supposed to hold, and it will be speedily discovered they...know little of the life and less of the teaching of him whom they apparently worship. The great moral precepts of this religion are not taught to them, are unknown to them."


What Are Their Needs?

The Yoy live in a part of Laos with few known churches. They have lived for centuries with little knowledge of the abundant life they can receive only through Jesus Christ.


Prayer Points

Ask God to send his children to show the Yoy people the way to the cross and teach them to disciple others.

Pray the Holy Spirit would prepare the hearts of the Yoy to humbly accept Jesus Christ.

Pray for the Lord to send dreams and visions to Yoy elders, preparing them to open their communities to Jesus Christ.


Scripture Prayers for the Yoy in Laos.


References

Peoples of Laos, Asia Harvest, Copyrighted © Used with permission


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Yoy
People Name in Country Yoy
Pronunciation yoy
Alternate Names Dioi; Duoi; Giy; Lao Yuai; Tai Jo; Tai Yoi; Tai Yoy; Yoe; Yooi; Yooy; Yuai
Population this Country 12,000
Population all Countries 20,000
Total Countries 2
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group No
GSEC 1  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
People ID 16062
ROP3 Code 111101
ROP25 Code 309049
ROP25 Name Yoy
Country Laos
Region Asia, Southeast
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
Persecution Rank 21  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country The Yoy live on both sides of the Mekong River. The majority inhabit villages in the north-east Thailand province of Sakhon Nakhon. They are dispersed over three districts, Akat Amnuai, Phang Khon, and Sawang Daen Din. An additional group of Yoy make their homes in the central Laos province of Khammouan.   Source:  Peoples of the Buddhist World, 2004
Country Laos
Region Asia, Southeast
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
Persecution Rank 21  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country The Yoy live on both sides of the Mekong River. The majority inhabit villages in the north-east Thailand province of Sakhon Nakhon. They are dispersed over three districts, Akat Amnuai, Phang Khon, and Sawang Daen Din. An additional group of Yoy make their homes in the central Laos province of Khammouan..   Source:  Peoples of the Buddhist World, 2004
Map of Yoy in Laos Ethnolinguistic map or other map

Primary Religion: Ethnic Religions
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
10.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.19 %)
0.19 %
Ethnic Religions
89.81 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Yoy (12,000 speakers)
Language Code yoy   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Unknown
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Yoy (12,000 speakers)
Language Code yoy   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Yoy

Primary Language:  Yoy

Bible Translation Status:  Translation Needed

Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Photo Source (Representative photo)
Garry Knight - Flickr  Creative Commons 
Map Source People Group location: IMB. Map geography: ESRI / GMI. Map design: Joshua Project.  
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.



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