Introduction / History

The Ani Phowa live in Vietnam and China, especially in Ha Giang and other provinces of Vietnam. They speak a Tibeto Burmese language.

What Are Their Lives Like?

The Ani Phowa hunt and weave cloth. They also do basket work. Their main meal is rice, usually twice a day. Some of them live in stilt houses and some in houses on the ground. Neighbors help each other when it is time to harvest.

The Ani Phowa are allowed to have pre-marital relations, but they also have engagement and wedding ceremonies along with marriage customs. Women give birth while seated and sleep on a straw mat. The Ani Phowa have name-giving ceremonies and rituals for funerals.

The Ani Phowa like folk literature and dancing. They like to play the trumpet and drums, which might give musically-minded Christians an opportunity to befriend them.

What Are Their Beliefs?

The Ani Phowa pray to male ancestors for good health and to female ancestors for abundant crop yields. The people who specialize in rituals play an important part in the lives of the Ani Phowa. The Han language is used also by some of the Ani Phowa groups.

What Are Their Needs?

They need the Lord to show himself powerful and loving by providing for their needs.

Prayer Points

Pray for the Lord to show himself both powerful and loving by providing them with a record harvest.
Pray that Vietnamese and Chinese Christians will share the gospel message with the Ani Phowa, leading to their salvation in both countries.
Pray for more workers to assist and encourage current Ani Phowa in a movement to Christ.

Scripture Prayers for the Phowa, Ani in China.

References

Operation China, Asia Harvest, Copyrighted © Used with permission.