Unreached People. The
Phula in Vietnam are an unreached people group, with only a few known Christians.
They are surrounded by other tribal people who are also unreached.
They are bound to a mix of religious traditions, but the dominant belief system is ancestor worship, with aspects of animism and polytheism. The Phula do understand that life is more than materialism. In this, they are correct. Unfortunately, they know no other way to deal with spiritual things than to try to worship or appease deceased ancestors. They also try to placate false gods and spirit beings, that, if they exist at all, are demonic.
Ancestor Worshippers. The
Phula worship their ancestors. But they also worship and try to appease a large number of deities, ghosts and disembodied spirits.
Therefore, the religious world-view
of the Phula, like most minority groups in Vietnam, is complicated. Their beliefs combine elements
of ancestor worship and animism, as well as other superstitious ideas.
Animism holds that both living and non-living things possess
spirits. These beliefs create a
life of fear that involves a dread of the spirit world. The Phula pray to
male ancestors for health and to female ancestors to bless them with abundant
crops. They hold an annual ceremony to honor the spirit of the new rice,
which takes place in an area devoted to the memory of their female ancestors. During this ceremony, women have the unusual privilege of eating
rice before the rest of the family. They hold regular rituals determined by the lunar calendar.
These include the traditional Tet festival, a May festival, a July
festival and the new rice rituals, mentioned above.
Shamans. Like other minority people, the
Phula have religious leaders in the form of witch doctors or Shamans.
These leaders have an important role in Phula society. They always lead
the villages during the annual festivals. They also conduct ceremonies to
bless and sanctify new places of worship.
Other Beliefs. Their belief system, like that of most tribal
groups, includes a
system of taboos or
forbidden actions which are designed to avoid offending the
spirits. Living lives of fear, they have placed their trust in dead
ancestors instead of a living Savior. These
people are trapped in their belief system, living in darkness, waiting for the light.
Funerals. Water is used to wash the
deceased. The water used to wash the face is retained and is not poured
out, but is allowed to evaporate. When a person dies, the corpse is left in the house for two or three days while the relatives come to offer their respect and condolences.
The body is placed in the coffin and laid
to align the head in the direction of the main altar. In honor of the
spirit of the rice, a bowl of rice, chopsticks and a cooked chicken is kept near
the coffin. Straw is scattered around the coffin, and children of the
deceased sleep there. The coffin is made from a tree trunk, with a board
for a lid. The coffin is carried to the burial spot, accompanied by the
playing of drums and trumpets. The dead is interred in the ground, except
that in some areas an above-ground tomb is constructed. Items of salted
meat and drink is placed in the grave, so that the soul of the deceased will not
go hungry on its journey to the afterlife. Great care is taken at the
funeral to protect the spirits of the mourners. They fear that unless
proper precautions are taken, the spirits of the living will be forcibly
detained at the tomb or cemetery.
Christian Witness. The Phula in Vietnam have
been isolated from the claims of Jesus Christ. There is only a
few dozen known Christian believers and no church among the Phula in
Vietnam. They actually comprise seven distinct and unique people group,
many without any Gospel witness
and without any knowledge of the Name of Jesus Christ. There
are some hopeful signs, however. An effort to reach the smaller Xa Pho subgroup (about 300 people) six years ago has been very fruitful, with 34 people now having received Christ. This work began with teams visiting a village, then doing a clean water project for the village. While working there they discovered a man needing surgery to his leg. He was brought to Hanoi where his leg was amputated. Local Vietnamese Christians
shared with him about the Lord. He received Christ and then went back to his village. Several Vietnamese
have continued to visit the village, sharing with new people and discipling the young believers. The work of training is hampered by
the need to use the Vietnamese language - a second language for the Xa Pho. There is no
Phula version of the Jesus film
available, nor are there gospel recordings. There is no Phula Bible available,
nor are there even portions of the Bible translated. Similarly, there are no
Phula radio broadcasts.
This means that the Christian literature needs of the Phula have received no attention from the Christian community. These are precious people who need a Savior, but they are still waiting for the Light.
11/08/2003