|
The Biblical Definition Of a Nation
Any group of people who have a common Lineage, who speak a distinct Language,
who have common Laws (written or oral) and who live in a prescribed area of Land,
are a Nation in the sight of God. This definition of a Nation is
derived from the biblical account of the nation of Israel. Israel
became a Nation after the development of an extensive Lineage
(descendants of Abraham), a distinct Language (Hebrew), a set of Laws
(Mosaic) and finally entered the Land (Promised to Abraham by God).
Listed below are some Bibleless Nations. There are at least 3000
Bibleless nations in the world who number over 380 million people. Many
more have a small part of the Bible, but most Bibles are poorly
translated and contain doctrinal error. Please choose one of these nations for your church to adopt for prayer. Pray for them, as a
church, until they have missionaries who translate, at least, a New
Testament in their language and plant New Testament Baptist churches
among them. Please let us know which Bibleless Nation your church
chooses so that duplication of effort can be avoided. We will note your
choice on this page. Please send us the name of the Bibleless Nation you choose.
Unreached, Bibleless Nations
Pray for the 8,000 Kumwenu people in Cote D'Ivoire, Africa.
The Kumwenus live in Comoe Province, about half way between Kampti and
Banfora, in southwest near Cote D'Ivoire border. They have no
Scripture. They are Muslims.
Pray for the 402,600 Tibetan Drukpa of Bhutan.
In the eastern Himalayan Mountains, an unreached people need to hear
this message of peace and salvation. In Bhutan, land of the thunder
lizard, the Drukpa people live in spiritual darkness. The Drukpa are an
influential group making up roughly 60 percent of the estimated 671,000
people in Bhutan. They are very devoted to Tibetan Buddhism.
Pray for the 300,000 Bella people of Burkina Faso.
Closely tied to the Tuareg peoples, yet distinct in language and dress,
many Bella are nomadic shepherds. These people work hard at farming and
manual labor. Needing fertilizer for their crops, they often make
agreements with Fulani (Fulbe) herdsmen to trade pasture for the manure
left by the animals. The number of Bella in 1980 was estimated at
300,000, since nomads are difficult to count. Moving around also makes
them difficult to evangelize, though some missionaries report the Bella
are quite receptive to Christianity.
Pray for the 600 Gbadogo people of Burkina Faso.
The Gbadogo people are just a speck on the globe—nine tiny villages
totaling about 600 people. Yet, God formed each person intricately,
lovingly, and purposefully in a mother's womb. Jesus paid for the sin
of each one when He died on the cross. Thus, the Lord sees the worth of
the Gbadogo people. The Gbadogo are a people without hope and purpose.
Pray for the 113,500 Jula (Dioula) people in Burkina Faso, Africa.
Aamong the Jula people in southwestern Burkina Faso, the men's tasks
are to weave, fight, and study Islam while the women spin, cook, and
tend to the children. Both men and women engage in trade. Their name
means "itinerant trader," and they are well known as merchants. The
Jula believe in clan loyalty, honesty, and obedience. Like many tribes
in West Africa, men can have multiple wives. The Jula are 99 percent
Muslim. Thirty thousand of these live in Burkina Faso.
Pray for 8,000 Komono People of Burkina Faso.
The 8,000 Komono people belong to three tribes in Burkina Faso, a
country of 82 unreached groups in West Africa. This totally Muslim
group was converted in the 1930's by a prophet from Guinea. They pride
themselves in having one God and His laws, unlike other tribes, but
well-concealed fetishism remains. The younger generation shows less
interest in Islam, though in general this group resists change and
relies on group decisions.
Pray for 83,000 Malinke people in Burkina Faso.
In Burkina Faso, the Malinke people number about 83,000, although there
are many others in other parts of West Africa. Like Musa, most of them
blend animism with Islam. Portions of Scriptures are available in their
language but unfortunately very few can read.
Pray for the 28,000 Tagba Senufo People of Burkina Faso.
"Why are you here?" Tieba asked the two white women who came to live in
his village. The chief had put Tieba in charge of helping the
missionaries. The women told him, "We came to talk about God." Tieba
had heard of Isa (Jesus) as a great prophet. He eagerly listened to the
women's Bible stories in French, and retold them in Senufo to his
people. Within a year, Tieba became convinced that the God who
commanded all of nature was more powerful than the many spirits his
people feared. He committed his life to Jesus in 1983, the first Tagba
Senufo believer in southwestern Burkina Faso. He was so excited about
his experience with God's love that he zealously passed it on in his
own village, then in neighboring villages. Ignoring threats of
witchcraft and family opposition, a small group of believers came
together. When the white women left, Tieba pleaded without success for
other Bible teachers to come to the 28,000 Tagba Senufo people.
Pray for the Western Cham of Cambodia.
The Western Cham (or Khmer Islam) live near Cambodia's major cities,
including Phnom Penh, and along the Mekong River. They speak Western
Cham, a Malayo-Polynesian language that uses an old Devanagari
script—the alphabet in which many modern Indian languages are written.
In 1975, more than 250,000 Muslim Cham lived in Cambodia. With the rise
of the Khmer Rouge regime, however, their population was decimated.
Although two mission agencies are now working among the Western Cham of
Cambodia, progress has been slow. There is still a need for the Bible
to be translated into the native language of the Cham.
Pray for the 810,000 Amdo people of China.
Adopted for prayer by Memorial Baptist Church, Dilltown, PA
"We praise thee, O God; we acknowledge thee to be the Lord," is
inscribed on a church bell gathering dust for more than 250 years in
the basement of a Tibetan Buddhist monastery. The only reminder of the
first church planted in Tibet (now part of China) since Buddhist monks
destroyed the church and killed the 40 Amdo believers. The darkness
continues for 810 thousand Amdo in the provinces of Sichuan, Gansu, and
Qinghai. Riding superior horses and heavily armed, the wild Amdo have
struck fear into the hearts of outsiders for centuries. Because of
this, and the hostile mountains where they live, few have ever gone to
the Amdo people with the gospel.
Pray for the Hani people of China.
(HANHI, HAW) 180,000 in Myanmar (1994); 500,000 in China; 30,000
in Laos (1994); 37,000 in Viet Nam (1993); 747,000 in all countries.
North Shan State. Also in Viet Nam. None in Thailand. Language type:
Tibeto-Burman, Burmese-Lolo, Lolo, Southern, Akha, Hani, Ha-Ya.
Distinct from the Ho of India, which is Munda. Hani ethnic group: Pudu
(Putu). An officially recognized minority nationality in China.
Pray for the 147,000 Kalmyk Oirat people of China.
The Oirats are known for their love of fine horses and horse racing.
Most children learn to ride at an early age. Of the 147,000
Kalmyk-Oirat people, some are farmers while others are nomads who are
still raising horses, cattle, camels, goats, and sheep. These people
have a short life expectancy because of a limited water supply, poor
hygiene, inadequate diet, and a high consumption of alcohol. Some
Oirats continue the Tibetan practice of leaving their dead out in the
fields to be eaten by wild animals. They believe this practice helps
the soul to be released from the body. Others bury their dead in
community graveyards. Stones believed to be inhabited by local spirits
serve as a site for performing various rituals. Although the New
Testament is available in their language, less than one percent are
Christian.
Pray for the Khampa people of China.
The one and a half million Khampa are ordinary people who are
struggling to survive in the cold, barren mountains of eastern Tibet.
Long known as fierce fighters and skilled horsemen, the Khampas were
once nomads, but now they raise grain or cattle in the fertile valleys.
They speak one of the six main Kham dialects.
Pray for the 140,000 Ladakhi people of India and China.
Approximately 140 thousand Ladakhi people live high in the Himalayan
Mountains located on both sides of the India-Tibet border. Villages are
small and scattered. The Ladakhi are described as a beautiful people
with smiling, gentle eyes. Death is intensely frightening to them. Many
follow the traditional wind burial ceremony. In this ceremony they
suspend the corpse of the deceased in a remote area where ravens eat
the flesh. They believe the birds carry the spirit of the deceased away
so the demons cannot get it.
Pray for the 31,000 Men-pa people of Tibet.
Most Men-pa farm the fertile southern foothills of the Himalayas
of Tibet. Others are craftsmen who plait elegant bamboo and rattan
items and design silver ornaments. They are a hospitable people whose
men and woman have equal status. Past evangelization attempts among
this intriguing nation have failed.
Pray for the 50,000 Mosuo people of China.
Perhaps the most liberated women in the history of the world are
among the 50,000 Mosuo people who live in the land where the Yunnan and
Sichuan provinces come together. For centuries Mosuo women ruled. All
property was transferred from mother to the youngest daughter and
children inherited their mother's surname. Fathers and husbands were
not recognized because the Mosuo did not practice conventional marriage
and no one was ever certain who the father was. But today things are
changing. The Mosuo were part of a large-scale migration from the
Tibetan highlands over 1,000 years ago. They settled beside a beautiful
and extremely isolated lake in China at almost 9,000 feet above sea
level.
Pray for the Tu People of Qinghai, China.
They number 191,624 people (1990 census). There are no Christians
among these people who live in Qinghai & Gansu provinces. The
majority of Tu live in the Huzhu Tu Autonomous County, 45km from Xining
city.Religion : Lamaism (Tibetan Buddhism)Language : Altaic, Mongolian,
Eastern, Mongour; The Tu in Datong County, Qinghai, now speak Chinese
exclusively.Dialects : 14
In 1979 a Tu script based on the Roman alphabet was created. It soon
became popular amongst the Tu and is taught in local schools. A massive
70,000 entry Tu-Chinese vocabulary dictionary was published in 1988,
and now the Tu even have a bi- monthly magazine in their own language.
Pray for the 12,000 Yugar people of China.
The Yugar people herd sheep and cattle in the green-carpeted
pastures of Gansu Province's Qilian Mountains. For generations this
area that is inhabited by Yugar people, but since the completion of the
Lanzhou to Urumqu railway line in 1963, the 12,000 Yugar have had
exposure to modern ways.
Pray for the 16 million Zhuang people of China.
The Zhuang are the world's largest minority group without
Scripture in their own language. Most Zhuangs practice polytheism, but
those who migrate to the cities tend to become atheists.
Pray for the 140,000 Ladakhi people of India.
Death is frightening to the 140,000 Ladakhi people who live high
in the Himalayan Mountains. About half of them are Muslim and the other
half follow Tibetan Buddhism, where the funeral practices described
above come from. Some hues of Hinduism are mixed into both religions.
Though some of their practices are morbid and grisly, they are
described as a beautiful people with smiling gentle eyes. They welcome
the visitors' help, but they are resistant to the Christian gospel.
Pray for the 23,000 Lalung people of India.
The Lalung people live in northeastern India and are divided into two
subdivisions: those that live in the hills, and those that live in the
plains. Those living in the hills speak Bodo and Lalung, and those
living in the plains speak only Bodo. The Lalung have a desire to
become more educated and employed in government jobs, but their poverty
has restricted them from achieving this goal.
Both Lalung groups are mainly farmers. Rice, meat, fish, or eggs are
the staple foods. Fowl and pork are considered delicacies. Beer
drinking is essential to their social life, especially in religious
ceremonies. Education concerning the harmful effects of beer has helped
slow down its consumption. The women are excellent weavers and weave
most of the clothes her family wears. The traditional dress consists of
a long, wrap-around cloth called a legnti that is sown with a shirt.
The elderly men wear turbans.
Houses are built on raised columns with bamboo walls, and thatched
roofing. Thankfully, their villages can be reached by well-built roads.
The Lalungs social grouping is made up of clans. The clans do
intermingle and cooperate together, but each has their own place of
worship and altar for that clan's god. Who do they worship? The Lalung
are poly demonist, meaning they worship many demons. But they have a
supreme god called pha, which means father. Their religion is also
mixed with Buddhism and Hinduism.
There are currently 66 Lalung believers in India. Life is difficult
with just a hand full of believers and especially when they do not have
the Bible in their language. There is one missionary group working
amongst the Lalung, but the work load is great. Just the task of
translating the Scriptures will take many years. Pray that the
spiritual oppression among the Lalung will be overcome and the Lord
will bring forth a triumphant Lalung church for the glory of His name!
Pray for the 3,500 Garhwali people of India.
Over 3,500 Garhwali live mainly in Uttar Pradesh, but some also
live in Jammu and Kashmir. They are found in the Himalayan Mountains
and hillsides. The Garhwali people are subsistence farmers, growing
crops on beautifully terraced fields. Most are very poor. A deeply
religious people, they worship hundreds of gods and goddesses.
Pray for the 10,700 Saryara people of India.
The Saryara are skilled in the arts, especially in painting.
Urban areas are home to nearly one-third of the 10,670 Saryara living
in Jammu and Kashmir. Though only 15 percent are literate, many speak
Hindi and Urdu as well as their own Dogri language. Their staple diet
is wheat and rice, often served with alcoholic drinks. Most Saryara are
wage laborers or small business operators, and few of them own land.
Pray for the 1,200 Sherdukpen people of India.
As an isolated people who live 5,000 to 6,000 feet above sea
level, the 1,200 Sherdukpens, know nothing but cold weather. From their
homes in Arunachal Pradesh, Northeast India, they have very little
contact with the rest of the world.
Pray for the 66,000 Bhadrawahi people of India.
So many have still not heard the Word of God in Jammu and
Kashmir, India. For example, among the 66,000 Bhadrawahi, only about 11
percent have even heard the good news and less than one in 1,000 are
Christians. There are no Christian materials in their language; no
Scriptures, no JESUS Film, and no Christian radio broadcasts.
Pray for the 355,100 Gujjar people of India.
The 355,100 Gujjar people probably have a historical connection with
the Huns of Central Asia. An uneducated people, they have no written
language and no art beyond songs and simple tribal patterns into which
they weave their clothes. Known and trusted for their honesty, hard
work, and gentle nature, these simple nomadic herdsmen are often
cheated in the marketplaces of Kashmir.
Pray for 87,300 Chameali Pahari people of India.
The Chameali Pahari people live in Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir. They
are a poor, hardworking, honest people who farm most of the year. They
live on a simple diet of milk, lentils, vegetables, fruit, and
occasionally meat. During the four months of winter, they live on
stored food from the summer crops.
Pray for the 205,000 Gayo People of Indonesia.
With a population of 205,000, the Gayo people live on the island of
Sumatra in Indonesia . Indonesia is a group of islands north of
Australia . Their language is Gayo with two distinct dialects, Gayo Lut
and Gayo Luwes. The Gayo do not have a written language. Folk tales and
oral stories are passed down in the form of poetry. An art form in the
Gayo culture is saman. Saman is a mixture of movements, poetry, and
singing. This tradition is used for entertainment, educational and
informational purposes.
The Gayo are close neighbors to the radical Islamic Aceh people. In the
past, the Aceh conquered the Gayo region and made the Gayo slaves.
Through resistance, many Gayo were killed. Thankfully the Dutch
intervened and helped the Gayo set up an economy and become more
modern.
The main source of income for the Gayo people is farming, with the main
crop being coffee. Fishing and gathering forest products are other
sources of income. They are also very skilled with their hands, making
beautiful ceramics, weaving mats and cloths, and doing embroidery work.
The Gayo's house is an umah, made from palm thatch and wood. Typically,
several related families live together. The Gayo do marry outside their
own families, but close within their region. This way the woman's
family can continue to look after her. Polygamy is rare, but allowed.
The Gayo people are Muslim, but unlike their strict neighbors. They
have little understanding and conviction about this religion they call
their own. Most Gayo still believe in good and bad spirits. They
worship spirits, ancestors, and saints. Saints are holy men that may be
dead or alive.
Although the Gayo people have been modernized they still lack good
medical workers. There is a very low understanding of health matters.
The Gayo also need educational and agricultural personnel. But most
importantly, they need to be reached with the gospel or our
All-Sufficient Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Perhaps their lack of
understanding and conviction in Islam will allow an open door for the
gospel. The Gayo people need God's word in their language.
Pray for the 154,000 Rawas of Indonesia.
In the southern Sumatra Province of Indonesia the Rawas live in
small cities or villages along the Rawas and Pupit Rivers . Their home
along the river allows production of many exotic and unusual fruits
like mangoes, pineapples, duku (a small white fruit), langsat (small
yellow fruit), and rambutan (hairy fruit). Raising livestock and
fishing supplies the necessary meat for their diet. The Rawas are
self-sufficient in producing their food supply and their economic
system is based on rubber plantations.
Wooden houses on high stilts are built close together to show unity and
close relationships. Dancing is an important art form for the Rawas.
Traditional dances are the Tari Riring (plate dance) and the Tari Pisau
(knife dance). The young people are encouraged to participate in
dancing, singing, and martial arts.
The Rawas, like 80 percent of Indonesians, are Muslim. They obediently
perform religious fasts and celebrate Muslim holidays. They also hold
religious meals for remembering the deceased 7 days, 40 days, and 1,000
days after a death. If only the Rawas knew about eternal life after
death offered to us through the Lord Jesus Christ! But currently, they
have no missionaries working among them and there is no Bible in the
Rawas language.
Pray for the 122,000 Lao Phuan of Laos.
Laos is a small country located south of China. The government of
Laos is intent on the complete elimination of any Christian presence in
the country. In a country where Christianity is not accepted, Laos has
primarily turned to Buddism. The Lao Phuan is one of the many unreached
peopled groups in Laos . Over half of the Lao Phuan claim Buddism as
their primary religion and the remainder of this people group cling to
their ethnic religions such as folk animism, in which they worship
spirits and objects.
Living in fertile green valleys and making use of irrigation and
terraces, the Lao Phuan's lives consist primarily of wet-rice farming.
The women often end up giving themselves and their children to
prostitution for money. These precious women and children need to find
the hope, love, and acceptance that only the Lord provides. As the
economy improves, many farmers have found jobs as merchants,
businessmen, and skilled workers.
The Lao Phuan's villages are organized like a kingdom. Each village is
controlled by a prince to whom the people pay taxes. A village headmen
and elders act as a court system. Within the villages, the people live
in sturdy, paneled houses that are raised off the ground. They have
plank floors and tile roofs. The lower class lives in a bamboo house
with a thatched roof.
You could describe the Lao Phuan as hard-working, honest, and
peaceable. Their marriages are harmonious and patriarchal in structure.
There is no division of work in the marriage. Both men and women plow,
fish, cook, tend babies, clean house, and wash clothes. Their social
life is centered around "merit-making" ceremonies, ordinations of
monks, marriages, and housewarmings. An annual rite of the "ceremony of
the rice packet" is performed to honor the spirits.
Since the 13 th century, the Lao Phuan have experienced cycles of
warfare and resettlement which has caused continual social problems.
The restriction of Christianity and social unrest give the Lao Phuan
little hope or answers for life's questions. They must hear God's Word
someway, but currently have no scriptures or Christian broadcasts in
their own language, and no missionaries working among them. Begin
praying now that the Lao Phuan people will receive the Word of God in
their own language and will find physical, emotional and most
importantly, spiritual healing through the gospel.
Pray for the 245,300 Banjarese of Malaysia.
On the northern tip of the island of Borneo is the small country
of Malaysia . There are 137 languages spoken in Malaysia , and out of
these, only 52 have some portion of Scripture. One of these languages
is Banjar, spoken by the Banjarese, who were long ago controlled by a
ruler who followed Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam. Today, 99.9 percent
of the Banjarese are Muslim with traces of Hinduism and Buddhism. All
Muslim holidays are observed. One of the Hindu traditions that lingers
is the belief in "spirits of the soil." This is closely linked to
dependence on medicine men. The Banjarese are trapped in these false
religions.
They are friendly people. Originally known as seafarers and traders,
they are now farmers and fishermen. They have an excellent port center
for coconuts, rubber, cocoa, and oil palm, and there is even a small
airport and road network. Lunch is the most important meal of the day
and is usually rice and fish. The Banjarese build thatched-roofed
houses on four to eight feet high stilts. The wealthy have houses with
plank floors and tile roofs.
When the Dutch were colonizing Indonesia , they tried to reach the
Banjorese with the gospel , but the influence of the Muslims converted
them to Islam. It is considered illegal to proselytize a Muslim in
Malaysia, but many are induced into becoming Muslim. If a Banjorese
became a Christian,he would be extreme persecution. Malaysia is the
47th most persecuted country in the world. There is no Bible in the
Banjorese language. They are in desperate need of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ.
Pray for the Dolpo people of Nepal.
The Dolpo people take their name from their homeland, which
became part of Nepal 200 years ago. Dolpo has been overlooked and
isolated for centuries because of its bleak geography and high
mountains, some of which are as high as 14,000 feet. Life for the Dolpo
people is very hard and they have been resistant to the influence of
outsiders until recently. Two groups of ethnic Tibetans make up Dolpo's
sparse population: the Rungba, valley farmers, and the nomadic yak
herders of the drok, or high pastures. The yak herders leave their
mountain homes each summer to trade their goods for salt in Tibet, and
then for grain and beans in Nepal.
Pray for the 13,000 Helambu Sherpas of Nepal.
Tourism is the main source of income for the 13,000 Helambu
Sherpa people of Kathmandu, Nepal. Most homes along the trail have been
converted into lodges for weary trekkers. Women act as landladies, shop
keepers or cooks. The men also cook, clean and keep the visitors happy.
Their staple food is jhamba and the main drink is raksi, a brandy made
from wheat. Although tourism in Kathmandu has brought in Western
influences such as an awareness of Christianity, there are only 13
known believers among the Helambu Sherpas. No mission agencies are
working among them and no translation of God's Word is in their
dialect.
Pray for the 26,000 Loba people of Nepal.
The Tibetan word Manthang means "Plain of Aspiration." But the
26,000 Loba people who live in this desolate area have little to hope
for. Because of the fierce winds that sweep down off the Himalayan
Mountains, the homes are built close together with no windows.
Feudalism is more or less extinct in most of Nepal, but it is alive and
well in the Mustang district where the Loba live. The Loba remain one
of the most isolated people of the world. Their religion consists of
two Buddhist sects, the Kargyupa and the Sakyapa.
Pray for the 1,330 Nyinba people of Nepal.
Like other animistic Tibetan Buddhists, the 1,330 Nyinba have
rituals to ward off evil spirits. All four villages of this people
group has a household of lamas whose ancestors all performed the duties
of lamas. One of their rituals, modeled after Tibetan Buddhism, is a
simple liturgy to exorcise evil spirits. Nyinba also practice some
rituals of their Hindu neighbors. Each village also includes hereditary
animistic priests known as dangri who are involved with local deities
and cults. Nyinba people believe their village founders are powerful
ancestors who protect them and to whom they can make their appeals.
Pray for the Vahudate and Aukedate People of West Irian (New Guinea).
"Indonesian officials discovered two previously unknown groups of
people in the Mamberamo River area of Irian Jaya. The Vahudate group
has 20 families. The Aukedate group has 33 families. Both groups
communicate with each other by sign language.
Pray for the Bedouin Arabs of Saudi Arabia.
The Bedouin Arabs live primitively in tents, with no permanent
houses. Half of the tent is for the women, children, cooking utensils,
and storage. The other half is for the men and is used for entertaining
around the fireplace. The women do most of the work, while the men
socialize and make plans for the group.
Animals are key to the Bedouins lifestyle. Camels are used as the main
source of transportation, while sheep and goats are bought and sold.
Milk from camels and goats is made into yogurt and butter. Meat is only
served on special occasions, and daily meals are made of milk, yogurt,
and rice. When available, they have dates for dessert.
Since 99.9 percent claim Islam as their religion, it is central to
their lives. To preserve their Islam beliefs they must marry within
their own group. Islam is a religion of works based on five specifics:
1. A Muslim must affirm there is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is his prophet.
2. He must pray five times a day facing Mecca.
3. He must give alms generously.
4. He must fast during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Muslim year.
5. He must try to make at least one pilgrimage to Mecca.
Statistics show that 22 percent have heard the gospel, with only less
than one percent accepting it. Pray that God will strengthen and
protect this small group of believers. This leaves 78 percent who have
never heard the gospel. Pray that God will raise up someone to reach
the Bedouin Arabs and that the Lord will soften their hearts to
outsiders so that they may receive the gospel.
Pray for the 1,500,000 Beja people of Sudan.
The 1,500,000 Beja (pronounced BEE-zhuh) people of Sudan have
been nicknamed "Fuzzy Wuzzies," by Rudyard Kipling in a poem he wrote
about them in the late 1800s because of their huge crowns of frizzy
hair. The Beja have been pastoral nomads, living in the desert between
the Red Sea and the Nile River for more than 4,000 years. In the 6th
century they were Christians. In the 13th century they accepted Islam.
Pray for the 744,000 Fur people of Sudan.
The mountain-dwelling Fur people live near the highest volcano in
the area, Jebel Marra. This volcano supplies stone for buildings and a
rich soil for the Furs' terraced fields along the slopes. There they
grow dill, chilies, potatoes, sesame seeds, and bulrush millet.
Husbands and wives each have their own plots of land on which to grow
crops for personal use. In this sense each Fur tribesman is a separate
economic unit.
Pray for the 127,000 Fulani people in Sudan.
The 127,000 Muslim Fulani in Sudan are nomadic herdsmen who are
constantly traveling from pasture to pasture looking for better grazing
land.
Pray for the 100,000 Zaghawa people of Sudan.
Life is hard for the over 100,000 Zaghawa in Sudan. Living mainly
in grassy plateaus their territory is surrounded by the desert, and
during times of drought life can be very uncertain.
Pray the 30,000 Burun people of Sudan.
The nearly 30,000 Burun people live in or around the Upper Nile Valley.
Most are shepherds or farmers but they also engage in hunting, fishing,
and food gathering. Each hillside village is independent with its own
headman who receives extreme respect and allegiance from the villagers.
Most men of the village have up to four wives, each wife with her
children living in their own thatched hut.
Pray for the 195,000 Daju people of Sudan.
The 195,000 Daju of Sudan have a reputation of being warlike.
Even the French and British colonial administrators were aware of this
trait and they knew better than to provoke them unnecessarily.
Pray for the 45,000 Midob people of Sudan.
The 45,000 Midob are semi-nomadic shepherds who herd sheep and goats,
but also keep some donkeys, camels, and cattle. To supplement their
diet they also grow some sorghum, millet, and vegetables. The Midob are
100 percent Muslim.
Pray for the animistic Didinga people of Sudan.
It took political turmoil to wake up the Didinga, and in 1963,
they found themselves taking refuge in neighboring Uganda. The
suffering they experienced actually worked for their good. In Uganda
they learned about farming. They decided that education was a good
thing, so they sent their children to school for the first time. When
they returned to Sudan, they rebuilt their homes. They began to
increase the size of their cattle herds and implemented large-scale
farming. Dairy farming became part of their economy. As their standard
of living has increased, so has their population. By the year 2000, it
is expected their population will increase to over 100,000.
Pray for the Southern Tai of Thailand.
In a land of military upheaval, the Southern Tai are extremely
polite, respectful, and hospitable. Their children are taught to
respect their elders and be self-reliant. Families are the core to
society. The immediate family lives together, and a young married
couple may live with the wife's family until they can establish their
own home. The Southern Tai's live by wet-rice farming and cattle
breeding. Most live in sturdy, wood-paneled homes with tile roofs,
though some do still live in thatched-roofed houses with dirt floors.
In rural areas, hepatitis and malaria are severe problems.
Religious life centers on Buddha. The Buddhist believers strive to
eliminate suffering and gain merit in their present lives and seek
nirvana, a place of perfect peace. Merit can be gained through feeding
monks, and donating to and worshipping at the temples. They believe
each man should enter the monastery for three months to study Buddhism.
This people group has no Scriptures and no Christian literature or
broadcasts in their language. Less than one percent is Christian, and
very few have heard the gospel. Pray that missionaries will go,
translate the Bible, and share the good news.
Pray for the Saudi-Hijazi Arabs of United Arab Emirates.
The United Arab Emirates is a country that few people have heard
of. It is located on the Saudi Arabia peninsula and is mostly made up
of desert and mountains. The Saudi Arabs compose four percent of this
country's total population. They live close to the border of Saudi
Arabia and speak Hijazi Arabic.
The Saudi Arabs have a difficult existence with few material
possessions. Their main belonging is their home, a tent made from goat
or animal hair. This tent is divided into two parts by a decorative
partition called a gata. As the women do most of the work, the men make
plans. Animals are necessary for their existence. Goats and sheep are
used for trading. Camels are used for transportation, especially when
they raid passing travelers. Their clothing is lightweight, light
colored, and loose-fitting, making it suitable for their harsh desert
climate.
A profession of faith in Jesus Christ may cost a Saudi Arab his life
amongst a culture that is all Muslim. The United Arab Emirates are the
36 th most persecuted country in the world. The Saudi Arabs are Sunni
Muslim, which is the strictest sect. Evangelization of this people is
challenging, especially since the government does not allow any
outreach to the indigenous groups in the country. Non-Muslim
expressions are not permitted. Pray that the Lord will soften the
hearts of the government officials and that the Saudi Arabs and entire
country will be reached with the gospel.
Pray for the Chut (Choot) of Vietnam.
The name Chut actually represents seven small tribes, speaking
four distinct languages. The word Chut means "mountain" or
"rocky-cliff," and also describes their homes in caves and forests.
Just recently, the tribes started to move into houses, but some have
already resorted back to their former lifestyle. Everyone works
together in the family to provide the daily food. The women are experts
at finding edible roots, snails, vegetables, and mushrooms on the
forest floor, while the men hunt with poisoned arrow tips. Supplies
that cannot be found in their natural environment are often traded for
with the Vietnamese.
Because of the Chut's remote location, they are introverted and cling
to their distinct customs. Some of these customs are as follows: When a
Chut person dies, the body is kept in the house for three days so that
people can present offerings to the deceased person's soul. A Chut
woman who has just given birth must live with her baby separate from
the family, and special rites must be done before she can reenter the
family home. All Chut look out for tigers, bears, and snakes; for if
they accidentally get bitten by one, they believe they are cursed and
will be exiled from the entire village.
The Chut believe in the Creator God, their folksongs are full of Him,
yet they are animist, worshiping the creation instead of the Creator.
There are no Chut Christians, no Bible in their language, and no one
reaching out to them.
Pray for the 148,000 Tai Daeng, Red Tai of Vietnam.
The Tai Daeng, also called the Red Tai, are originally from
China; but because of continual pressure by the Chinese, they emigrated
south, finding a new home in Vietnam . The Red Tai received their name
based on the color of their women's traditional clothing. They are
closely related to the White and Black Tai.
The Red Tai are enjoyable people to be around. They are polite, and
hospitable. Their children are taught proper behavior, and showing
respect for elders is very important in their culture. The children are
taught to become independent and self-reliant. Not only is the Red
Tai's culture based upon age, but also upon occupation and wealth. The
farmers are ranked below a craftsman or merchant. Priests have their
own separate group.
The family lives, eats, and works together. Men, women, and children,
join together as they plow, fish, cook, clean, and wash. Newly married
couples live with the girl's family until they can establish their own
home. Rice farming is their main economy and personal dietary staple.
When the Vietnam government switched to socialism, all Tai groups were
affected. The change brought more Tai into the working class and opened
the door for medical training and hospitals. This has prevented the
continuous spread of small pox, tuberculosis, and malaria.
Their language, Tai Daeng, is a tonal language, and unfortunately, a
Bible has never been translated for them. Of the Red Tai, 95 percent
believe spirits are located in objects; this is called animism. The
people seek help through spirits and objects, things that will never
truly meet their needs. Isaiah 50:4 says, "For the Lord God will help
me...." The Red Tai need to be told of the One who can offer them help
here on this earth and hope for all eternity. Many of the Tai also
practice ancestor worship. They pray to their ancestors for guidance.
These ancestors are often referred to as "guardian" or "locality
spirits." If the people desire a good life with blessing, they must try
to please the spirits. Pray that God will raise up workers to reach the
Red Tai people and translate the Bible into their language.
|
The Need 
