Alu in Laos

People Name:	Alu
Country:	Laos
10/40 Window:	Yes
Population:	7,500
World Population:	15,400
Primary Language:	Nisu, Southern
Primary Religion:	Ethnic Religions
Christian Adherents:	0.00 %
Evangelicals:	0.00 %
Scripture:	Portions
Online Audio NT:	No
Jesus Film:	Yes
Audio Recordings:	No
People Cluster:	Tibeto-Burman, other
Affinity Bloc:	Tibetan-Himalayan Peoples
Progress Level:

Introduction / History

The Alu were officially counted as "Lolo" in the 1995 Lao census. "Lolo" is a generic term used to describe the various branches of Yi in China, but it is considered derogatory by these tribes today.
The Alu ethnic group live in the extreme northern tip of Laos, near the Chinese border. The area inhabited by the Alu, the Gnot-Ou District of Phongsali Province, was originally part of China, until it was annexed by the French colonialists in 1895. Chinese presence today in the area is strong, even to the point of building their own roads and businesses in the area without consultation with the Lao government.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Most are rice farmers and livestock herders.

What Are Their Beliefs?

The Alu, like many other peoples in Southeast Asia, are involved with their own ethnic religion. They worship their ancestral spirits and try to maintain peace with the spirit world. This sometimes involves making sacrifices. Some consider themselves to be Buddhists.
A visitor to the Ah-luo Festival in China related his experiences: "After passing through the arch, I saw the sacrificial altar.... A container holding one hectoliter of grain...symbolized the sacrifices to Ah-luo each year for the past twelve years. On the flat roof of the altar sat an oval pebble, a symbol of the reincarnated body of Ah-luo.... The main altar was presided over by an old shaman who was wearing a special sacrificial costume and chanting prayers from the Sutra scripture. Beside the main altar were eleven smaller altars where eleven other shamans led prayers."

What Are Their Needs?

There are probably no Christians among the Alu who can share the glory of Jesus. The Alu people need hearts that desire true spirituality. They need Christ's ambassadors to live among them.

Prayer Points

Pray for spiritual hunger that will lead Alu elders to the only savior.
Pray they will know Jesus Christ as the only path to God.
Ask God to bring the pure light of the gospel to this part of northern Laos.
Pray for a great awakening to occur among every tribe and ethnic group living along the Laos-China border.