So Tri in Laos

So Tri customs and traditions are being lost. The women no longer wear their distinctive traditional clothing. So Tri religious ceremonies, festivals, and long-houses are also disappearing. Most So Tri are rice farmers. They have borrowed their agricultural techniques from the Lao. Others, living in the mountains, continue to practice slash-and-burn agriculture. They clear the land in the forests by burning it off and living there for several years. When the nutrients in the soil are depleted, they abandon their village and relocate to another area, where the same process is repeated. This practice leaves the ground barren, resulting in poor harvests. Only about one-quarter of So Tri are literate. Most people have never attended school.

Ministry Obstacles
Most So Tri are animists, but Theravada Buddhism is growing in prominence because of influence from the Lao and Phutai. There are a few believers, but the majority of So Tri are unevangelized and have no contact with Christians.

Scripture Focus
"You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?"  Psalm 56:8

Scripture Prayer
Pray for members of this people group to turn to the Lord with their sorrows and trust Him to wipe away their tears and replace it with eternal joy.

Prayer Focus
Ask God to send laborers to share God's grace and truth with the So Tri. Pray for a strong church planting movement to emerge in their midst. Pray for believers anointed by the Holy Spirit to encounter the So Tri. Ask God to give the So Tri an abundant harvest this year as a testimony of his goodness and power. Pray for all their physical and spiritual needs to be met by our generous God.

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