The Christians from eight families in Natahall village, in Savannakhet Province’s Phin District, were told to recant their faith at the end of 2013. Local officials sent an eviction order to five Christian families. The village chief publicly declared that the Christian families who had converted to Christianity would be held responsible for any deaths villagers might suffer as a result of spirits angered by violation of traditional beliefs and customs. Animism and ancestor worship are prevalent across Laos.