Attending Church in Laos

Today was a very special day. We attended the Laos Branch of the Church. It is a converted mansion leased by the church and renovated for branch use. We were picked up at 9:00 a.m. in a Tuk tuk that the missionaries use each week to take them to church. The driver comes back at 2:30 p.m. to pick them up. The vehicle is an open truck with a top and benches on each side. We had a delicious breakfast of eggs, bacon, fruit and juice before we left. It took about 10 minutes to get to the church from our hotel. The chapel had 100 chairs set up in the large hall. I had a meeting with President Khamphee for a few minutes. He was made branch president about four years ago three months after joining the church. He has two counselors. One is younger and went with his family to Hong Kong in October to be sealed. The other one seldom comes, though he did come today.

Sister Smith and I were the speakers in Sacrament Meeting. We each had young interpreters. Hers was a young high school girl who had learned her English from the missionaries. Mine was Bro. Tiengsack, a young missionary who went to Thailand on his mission. In between we had 8 young women and 6 young men sing the song “If the Savior Stood Beside Me”. Sister Smith introduced her family, showed the family calendars, and referred to the Welfare Principle of Service and King Benjamin’s Address. I spoke about our Area Presidency, Mormon pioneers and their attributes (it was July 25), Christ’s admonition to serve others as a way of serving Him as found in Matthew 25. I was able to bear my testimony and urge them to be faithful and keep the commandments. We had headphones with Bro. Tiengsack interpreting for us as he does each week for the couple missionaries. We were able to hear President Khamphee’s introductions. He speaks pretty good English.

The tuk tuk is a popular taxi in Laos. When it rains, they have a canvas side that rolls down to keep the passangers somewhat dry.

This is a closeup of the tuk tuk. Notice the benches on the sides. We sat facing each other.

The Church is not yet officially recognized in Laos, so we meet under the Deseret International Charities name. We hope to be able to be registered soon. This is the only branch that meets in Laos. Our couple missionaries are the only missionaries in the country. They are great shadow leaders to the branch members.


The building is very spacious and works well for the Saints. The grounds have fruit trees and some play area for the children.

Although members are scattered around Vientiane, the capital city, there is a grouping of members about an hour away. This bus is rented for Sunday to bring about 35 members to Church. Otherwise, many of the members would have a difficult time attending.

The young girl on the left with the "Roxy" shirt was Sister Smith's interpreter. The mothers carry their children in slings so that the young ones can look out more than if they were tight against the breast or back. The children were adorable. They loved to dance for us.

This sister was a Laotian refugee to America that is now living in West Jordan, Utah and who is visiting friends and relatives here in Laos. She was so excited to meet us.

The children loved to pose for us. Not too different from children all over the world.

After meetings, they cleared the chapel of chairs and put out long cloths on which they put their plates for dinner. The sisters cooked rice and noodles in large containers and served them on serving plates. Everyone took off their shoes and sat on the ground to eat their noon meal. This is done each week. We had our share of the food and enjoyed the friendship of the group.

It takes a large container to cook enough rice for such a large group of members.

Everone has shoes off and kneels. We were offered chairs, but Elder Smith sat on the floor and joined in.

The little girl in glasses in the middle is almost blind, but she was clearly the leader of these dancers. We have her on video as well. They use their hands to tell stories and dance.

It's time to wash dishes assembly-line style. A dish goes through each of the bucket stages.

We appreciated the love and hospitality of these wonderful Saints. We will never forget this experience