Laos is one of the world's few remaining communist states and one of East Asia's poorest countries. Two Hmong Christian men, Tou Ly and Fai Cho, were recently forced by relatives to leave their homes after refusing to renounce Christ and return to the community's tradition of ancestor worship. The two believers were then arrested and detained for two weeks. After their release the men rented a place to live outside of the village community. Their struggles were compounded when Fai Cho's father died and authorities issued a large fine, claiming they didn’t have the proper burial permit. Thankfully, they are receiving help from their church towards the fine but have little or no food or clothing and remain in desperate need.